to him that hath-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


cannot；〃　ever　since　that　night；　which　seemed　now　to　belong　to
another　age；　these　two　had　faced　each　other　as　men。　　Now　they　were
talking　about　the　young　man's　life　work。

〃Frankly；　I　don't　like　it；　Dad；〃　said　the　son。

〃Easy　to　see　that；　Jack。〃

〃I'm　really　sorry。　　I'm　afraid　anyone　can　see　it。　　But　somehow　I
can't　put　much　pep　into　it。〃

〃Why？〃　asked　the　father；　with　curt　abruptness。

〃Why？　　Well；　I　hardly　know。　　Somehow　it　hardly　seems　worth　while。
It　is　not　the　grind　of　the　office；　though　that　is　considerable。　　I
could　stick　that；　but；　after　all；　what's　the　use？〃

〃What　would　you　rather　do；　Jack？〃　enquired　his　father　patiently；　as
if　talking　to　a　child。　　〃You　tried　for　the　medical　profession；　you
know；　and〃

〃I　know；　I　know；　you　are　quite　right　about　it。　　You　may　think　it
pure　laziness。　　Maybe　it　is；　but　I　hardly　think　so。　　Perhaps　I　went
back　to　lectures　too　soon　after　the　war。　　I　was　hardly　fit；　I
guess；　and　the　whole　thing；　the　inside　life；　the　infernal　grind　of
lectures；　the　idiotic　serious　mummery　of　the　youngsters；　those
blessed　kids　who　should　have　been　spanked　by　their　mothersthe
whole　thing　sickened　me　in　three　months。　　If　I　had　waited　perhaps　I
might　have　done　better　at　the　thing。　　I　don't　knowhard　to　tell。〃
The　boy　paused；　looking　into　the　fire。

〃It　was　my　fault；　boy；〃　said　the　father　hastily。　　〃I　ought　to　have
figured　the　thing　out　differently。　　But；　you　see；　I　had　no
knowledge　of　what　you　had　gone　through　and　of　its　effect　upon　you。
I　know　better　now。　　I　thought　that　the　harder　you　went　into　the
work　the　better　it　would　be　for　you。　　I　made　a　mistake。〃

〃Well；　you　couldn't　tell；　Dad。　　How　could　you？　　But　everything　was
so　different　when　I　came　back。　　Mere　kids　were　carrying　on　where　we
had　been；　and　doing　it　well；　too；　by　Jove；　and　we　didn't　seem　to　be
needed。〃

〃Needed；　boy？〃　　The　father's　voice　was　thick。

〃Yes；　but　I　didn't　see　that　then。　　Selfish；　I　fear。　　Then；　you
know；　home　was　not　the　same〃

The　older　man　choked　back　a　groan　and　leaned　hard　against　the
mantel。

〃I　know；　Dad；　I　can　see　now　I　was　selfish〃

〃Selfish？　　Don't　say　that；　my　lad。　　Selfish？　　After　all　you　had
gone　through？　　No；　I　shall　never　apply　that　word　to　you；　but　you
you　don't　seem　to　realise〃　　The　father　hesitated　a　few　moments；
then；　as　if　taking　a　plunge：

〃You　don't　realise　just　how　big　a　thinghow　big　an　investment
there　is　in　that　business　down　there。〃　　His　hand　swept　toward　the
window　through　which　could　be　seen　the　lights　of　that　part　of　the
town　which　clustered　about　the　various　mills　and　factories　of　which
he　was　owner。

〃I　know　there　is　a　lot；　Dad；　but　how　much　I　don't　know。〃

〃There's　250；000　in　plant　alone；　boy；　but　there's　more　than　money；
a　lot　more　than　money〃　　Then；　after　a　pause；　as　if　to　himself；　〃A
lot　more　than　moneythere's　brain　sweat　and　heart　agony　and
prayers　and　tearsand；　yes；　life；　boy；　your　mother's　life　and
mine。　　We　worked　and　saved　and　prayed　and　planned〃

He　stepped　quickly　toward　the　window；　drew　aside　the　curtain　and
pointed　to　a　dark　mass　of　headland　beyond　the　twinkling　lights。

〃You　see　the　Bluff　there。　　Fifty　years　ago　I　stood　with　my　father
on　that　Bluff　and　watched　the　logs　come　down　the　river　to　the
sawmillhis　sawmill；　into　which　he　had　put　his　total　capital；　five
hundred　dollars。　　I　remember　well　his　words；　'My　son；　if　you　live
out　your　life　you　will　see　on　that　flat　a　town　where　thousands　of
men　and　women　will　find　homes　and；　please　God；　happiness。'　　Your
mother　and　I　watched　that　town　grow　for　forty　years；　and　we　tried
to　make　people　happyat　least；　if　they　were　not　it　was　no　fault　of
hers。　　Of　course；　other　hands　have　been　at　the　work　since　then；　but
her　hands　and　mine　more　than　any　other；　and　more　than　all　others
together　were　in　it；　and　her　heart；　too；　was　in　it　all。〃

The　boy　turned　from　the　window　and　sat　down　heavily　in　a　deep
armchair；　his　hands　covering　his　face。　　His　heart　was　still　sick
with　the　ache　that　had　smitten　it　that　day　in　front　of　Amiens　when
the　Colonel；　his　father's　friend；　had　sent　for　him　and　read　him　the
wire　which　had　brought　the　terrible　message　of　his　mother's　death。
The　long　months　of　days　and　nights　heavy　with　watching；　toiling；
praying；　agonising；　for　her　twin　sons；　and　for　the　many　boys　who
had　gone　out　from　the　little　town　wore　out　her　none　too　robust
strength。　　Then；　the　sniper's　bullet　that　had　pierced　the　heart　of
her　boy　seemed　to　reach　to　her　heart　as　well。　　After　that；　the　home
that　once　had　been　to　its　dwellers　the　most　completely　heart…
satisfying　spot　in　all　the　world　became　a　place　of　dread；　of
haunting　ghosts；　of　acutely　poignant　memories。　　They　used　the　house
for　sleeping　in　and　for　eating　in；　but　there　was　no　living　in　it
longer。　　To　them　it　was　a　tomb；　though　neither　would　acknowledge　it
and　each　bore　with　it　for　the　other's　sake。

〃Honestly；　Dad；　I　wish　I　could　make　it　go；　for　your　sake〃

〃For　my　sake；　boy？　　Why；　I　have　all　of　it　I　care　for。　　Not　for　my
sake。　　But　what　else　can　we　do　but　stick　it？〃

〃I　suppose　sobut　for　Heaven's　sake　give　me　something　worth　a
man's　doing。　　If　I　could　tackle　a　job　such　as　you　and〃the　boy
winced〃you　and　mother　took　on　I　believe　I'd　try　it。　　But　that
office！　　Any　fool　could　sit　in　my　place　and　carry　on。　　It　is　like
the　job　they　used　to　give　to　the　crocks　or　the　slackers　at　the　base
to　do。　　Give　me　a　man's　job。〃

The　father's　keen　blue　eyes　looked　his　son　over。

〃A　man's　job？〃　he　said；　with　a　grim　smile；　realising　as　his　son　did
not　how　much　of　a　man's　job　it　was。　　〃Suppose　you　learn　this　one　as
I　did？〃

〃What　do　you　mean；　Dad；　exactly？　　How　did　you　begin？〃

〃I？　　At　the　tail　of　the　saw。〃

〃All　right；　I'm　game。〃

〃Boy；　you　are　rightI　believe　in　my　soul　you　are　right。　　You　did　a
man's　job　'out　there'　and　you　have　it　in　you　to　do　a　man's　job
again。〃

The　son　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　Next　morning　at　seven　they　were
down　at　the　planing　mill　where　men　were　doing　men's　work。　　He　was
at　a　man's　job；　at　the　tail　of　a　saw；　and　drawing　a　man's　pay；
rubbing　shoulders　with　men　on　equal　terms；　as　he　had　in　the
trenches。　　And　for　the　first　time　since　Armistice　Day；　if　not　happy
or　satisfied；　he　was　content　to　carry　on。



CHAPTER　IV

ANNETTE


Sam　Wigglesworth　had　finished　with　school；　which　is　not　quite　the
same　as　saying　that　he　had　finished　his　education。　　A　number　of
causes　had　combined　to　bring　this　event　to　pass。　　First；　Sam　was
beyond　the　age　of　compulsory　attendance　at　the　Public　School；　the
School　Register　recording　him　as　sixteen　years　old。　　Then；　Sam's
educational　career　had　been　anything　but　brilliant。　　Indeed；　it
might　fairly　be　described　as　dull。　　All　his　life　he　had　been　behind
his　class；　the　biggest　boy　in　his　class；　which　fact　might　have　been
to　Sam　a　constant　cause　of　humiliation　had　he　not　held　as　of　the
slightest　moment　merely　academic　achievements。　　One　unpleasant
effect　which　this　fact　had　upon　Sam's　moral　quality　was　that　it
tended　to　make　him　a　bully。　　He　was　physically　the　superior　of　all
in　his　class；　and　this　superiority　he　exerted　for　what　he　deemed
the　discipline　of　younger　and　weaker　boys；　who　excelled　him　in
intellectual　attainment。

Furthermore；　Sam；　while　quite　ready　to　enforce　the　code　of
discipline　which　he　considered　suitable　to　the　smaller　and　weaker
boys　in　his　class；　resented　and　resisted　the　attempts　of　constituted
authority　to　enforce　discipline　in　his　own　case；　with　the　result
that　Sam's　educational　career　was；　after　much　long　suffering；
abruptly　terminated　by　the　action　of　the　long…suffering　head；　Alex
Day。

〃With　great　regret　I　must　report；〃　his　letter　to　the　School　Board
ran；　〃that　in　the　case　of　Samuel　Wigglesworth　I　have　somehow　failed
to　inculcate　the　elementary　principles　of　obedience　to　school
regulations　and　of　adherence　to　truth　in　speech。　　I　am　free　to
acknowledge；〃　went　on　the　letter；　〃that　the　defect　may　be　in　myself
as　much　as　in　the　boy；　but　having　failed　in　winning　him　to
obedience　and　truth…telling；　I　feel　that　while　I　remain　master　of
the　school　I　must　decline　to　allow　the　influence　of　this　youth　to
continue　in　the　school。　　A　whole…hearted　penitence　for　his　many
offences　and　an　earnest　purpose　to　reform　would