the call of the canyon-第44章

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u　did　have　a　child；　you　could　not　nurse　it？　。　。　。　Oh；　my　God；　there's　nothing　wrong　with　America　except　that　she　staggers　under　a　Titanic　burden　that　only　mothers　of　sons　can　remove！　。　。　。　You　doll　women；　you　parasites；　you　toys　of　men；　you　silken…wrapped　geisha　girls；　you　painted；　idle；　purring　cats；　you　parody　of　the　females　of　your　species　find　brains　enough　if　you　can　to　see　the　doom　hanging　over　you　and　revolt　before　it　is　too　late！〃


CHAPTER　XI

Carley　burst　in　upon　her　aunt。

〃Look　at　me；　Aunt　Mary！〃　she　cried；　radiant　and　exultant。　〃I'm　going　back　out　West　to　marry　Glenn　and　live　his　life！〃

The　keen　old　eyes　of　her　aunt　softened　and　dimmed。　〃Dear　Carley；　I've　known　that　for　a　long　time。　You've　found　yourself　at　last。〃

Then　Carley　breathlessly　babbled　her　hastily　formed　plans；　every　word　of　which　seemed　to　rush　her　onward。

〃You're　going　to　surprise　Glenn　again？〃　queried　Aunt　Mary。

〃Oh；　I　must！　I　want　to　see　his　face　when　I　tell　him。〃

〃Well；　I　hope　he　won't　surprise　you；〃　declared　the　old　lady。　〃When　did　you　hear　from　him　last？〃

〃In　January。　It　seems　agesbutAunt　Mary；　you　don't　imagine　Glenn〃

〃I　imagine　nothing；〃　interposed　her　aunt。　〃It　will　turn　out　happily　and　I'll　have　some　peace　in　my　old　age。　But；　Carley；　what's　to　become　of　me？〃

〃Oh；　I　never　thought！〃　replied　Carley；　blankly。　〃It　will　be　lonely　for　you。　Auntie；　I'll　come　back　in　the　fall　for　a　few　weeks。　Glenn　will　let　me。〃

〃Let　you？　Ye　gods！　So　you've　come　to　that？　Imperious　Carley　Burch！　。　。　。　Thank　Heaven；　you'll　now　be　satisfied　to　be　let　do　things。〃

〃I'dI'd　crawl　for　him；〃　breathed　Carley。

〃Well；　child；　as　you　can't　be　practical；　I'll　have　to　be；〃　replied　Aunt　Mary；　seriously。　〃Fortunately　for　you　I　am　a　woman　of　quick　decision。　Listen。　I'll　go　West　with　you。　I　want　to　see　the　Grand　Canyon。　Then　I'll　go　on　to　California；　where　I　have　old　friends　I've　not　seen　for　years。　When　you　get　your　new　home　all　fixed　up　I'll　spend　awhile　with　you。　And　if　I　want　to　come　back　to　New　York　now　and　then　I'll　go　to　a　hotel。　It　is　settled。　I　think　the　change　will　benefit　me。'

〃Auntie；　you　make　me　very　happy。　I　could　ask　no　more；〃　said　Carley。


Swiftly　as　endless　tasks　could　make　them　the　days　passed。　But　those　on　the　train　dragged　interminably。

Carley　sent　her　aunt　through　to　the　Canyon　while　she　stopped　off　at　Flagstaff　to　store　innumerable　trunks　and　bags。　The　first　news　she　heard　of　Glenn　and　the　Hutters　was　that　they　had　gone　to　the　Tonto　Basin　to　buy　hogs　and　would　be　absent　at　least　a　month。　This　gave　birth　to　a　new　plan　in　Carley's　mind。　She　would　doubly　surprise　Glenn。　Wherefore　she　took　council　with　some　Flagstaff　business　men　and　engaged　them　to　set　a　force　of　men　at　work　on　the　Deep　Lake　property；　making　the　improvements　she　desired；　and　hauling　lumber；　cement；　bricks；　machinery；　suppliesall　the　necessaries　for　building　construction。　Also　she　instructed　them　to　throw　up　a　tent　house　for　her　to　live　in　during　the　work；　and　to　engage　a　reliable　Mexican　man　with　his　wife　for　servants。　When　she　left　for　the　Canyon　she　was　happier　than　ever　before　in　her　life。

It　was　near　the　coming　of　sunset　when　Carley　first　looked　down　into　the　Grand　Canyon。　She　had　forgotten　Glenn's　tribute　to　this　place。　In　her　rapturous　excitement　of　preparation　and　travel　the　Canyon　had　been　merely　a　name。　But　now　she　saw　it　and　she　was　stunned。

What　a　stupendous　chasm；　gorgeous　in　sunset　color　on　the　heights；　purpling　into　mystic　shadows　in　the　depths！　There　was　a　wonderful　brightness　of　all　the　millions　of　red　and　yellow　and　gray　surfaces　still　exposed　to　the　sun。　Carley　did　not　feel　a　thrill；　because　feeling　seemed　inhibited。　She　looked　and　looked；　yet　was　reluctant　to　keep　on　looking。　She　possessed　no　image　in　mind　with　which　to　compare　this　grand　and　mystic　spectacle。　A　transformation　of　color　and　shade　appeared　to　be　going　on　swiftly；　as　if　gods　were　changing　the　scenes　of　a　Titanic　stage。　As　she　gazed　the　dark　fringed　line　of　the　north　rim　turned　to　burnished　gold；　and　she　watched　that　with　fascinated　eyes。　It　turned　rose；　it　lost　its　fire；　it　faded　to　quiet　cold　gray。　The　sun　had　set。

Then　the　wind　blew　cool　through　the　pinyons　on　the　rim。　There　was　a　sweet　tang　of　cedar　and　sage　on　the　air　and　that　indefinable　fragrance　peculiar　to　the　canyon　country　of　Arizona。　How　it　brought　back　to　Carley　remembrance　of　Oak　Creek！　In　the　west；　across　the　purple　notches　of　the　abyss；　a　dull　gold　flare　showed　where　the　sun　had　gone　down。

In　the　morning　at　eight　o'clock　there　were　great　irregular　black　shadows　under　the　domes　and　peaks　and　escarpments。　Bright　Angel　Canyon　was　all　dark；　showing　dimly　its　ragged　lines。　At　noon　there　were　no　shadows　and　all　the　colossal　gorge　lay　glaring　under　the　sun。　In　the　evening　Carley　watched　the　Canyon　as　again　the　sun　was　setting。

Deep　dark…blue　shadows；　like　purple　sails　of　immense　ships；　in　wonderful　contrast　with　the　bright　sunlit　slopes；　grew　and　rose　toward　the　east；　down　the　canyons　and　up　the　walls　that　faced　the　west。　For　a　long　while　there　was　no　red　color；　and　the　first　indication　of　it　was　a　dull　bronze。　Carley　looked　down　into　the　void；　at　the　sailing　birds；　at　the　precipitous　slopes；　and　the　dwarf　spruces　and　the　weathered　old　yellow　cliffs。　When　she　looked　up　again　the　shadows　out　there　were　no　longer　dark。　They　were　clear。　The　slopes　and　depths　and　ribs　of　rock　could　be　seen　through　them。　Then　the　tips　of　the　highest　peaks　and　domes　turned　bright　red。　Far　to　the　east　she　discerned　a　strange　shadow；　slowly　turning　purple。　One　instant　it　grew　vivid；　then　began　to　fade。　Soon　after　that　all　the　colors　darkened　and　slowly　the　pale　gray　stole　over　all。

At　night　Carley　gazed　over　and　into　the　black　void。　But　for　the　awful　sense　of　depth　she　would　not　have　known　the　Canyon　to　be　there。　A　soundless　movement　of　wind　passed　under　her。　The　chasm　seemed　a　grave　of　silence。　It　was　as　mysterious　as　the　stars　and　as　aloof　and　as　inevitable。　It　had　held　her　senses　of　beauty　and　proportion　in　abeyance。

At　another　sunrise　the　crown　of　the　rim；　a　broad　belt　of　bare　rock；　turned　pale　gold　under　its　fringed　dark　line　of　pines。　The　tips　of　the　peak　gleamed　opal。　There　was　no　sunrise　red；　no　fire。　The　light　in　the　east　was　a　pale　gold　under　a　steely　green…blue　sky。　All　the　abyss　of　the　Canyon　was　soft；　gray；　transparent；　and　the　belt　of　gold　broadened　downward；　making　shadows　on　the　west　slopes　of　the　mesas　and　escarpments。　Far　down　in　the　shadows　she　discerned　the　river；　yellow；　turgid；　palely　gleaming。　By　straining　her　ears　Carley　heard　a　low　dull　roar　as　of　distant　storm。　She　stood　fearfully　at　the　extreme　edge　of　a　stupendous　cliff；　where　it　sheered　dark　and　forbidding；　down　and　down；　into　what　seemed　red　and　boundless　depths　of　Hades。　She　saw　gold　spots　of　sunlight　on　the　dark　shadows；　proving　that　somewhere；　impossible　to　discover；　the　sun　was　shining　through　wind…worn　holes　in　the　sharp　ridges。　Every　instant　Carley　grasped　a　different　effect。　Her　studied　gaze　absorbed　an　endless　changing。　And　at　last　she　realized　that　sun　and　light　and　stars　and　moon　and　night　and　shade；　all　working　incessantly　and　mutably　over　shapes　and　lines　and　angles　and　surfaces　too　numerous　and　too　great　for　the　sight　of　man　to　hold；　made　an　ever…changing　spectacle　of　supreme　beauty　and　colorful　grandeur。

She　talked　very　little　while　at　the　Canyon。　It　silenced　her。　She　had　come　to　see　it　at　the　critical　time　of　her　life　and　in　the　right　mood。　The　superficialities　of　the　world　shrunk　to　their　proper　insignificance。　Once　she　asked　her　aunt：　〃Why　did　not　Glenn　bring　me　here？〃　As　if　this　Canyon　proved　the　nature　of　all　things！

But　in　the　end　Carley　found　that　the　rending　strife　of　the　transformation　of　her　attitude　toward　life　had　insensibly　ceased。　It　had　ceased　during　the　long　watching　of　this　cataclysm　of　nature；　this　canyon　of　gold…banded　black…fringed　ramparts；　and　red…walled　mountains　which　sloped　down　to　be　lost　in　purple　depths。　That　was　final　proof　of　the　strength　of　nature　to　soothe；　to　clarify；　to　stabilize　the　tried　and　weary　and　upward…gazing　soul。　Stronger　than　the　recorded　deeds　of　saints；　stronger　than　the　eloquence　of　the　gifted　uplifters　of　men；　stronger　than　any　words　ever　written；　was　the　grand；　brooding；　sculp