the friendly road-第13章

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the　end　of　it。　We　ain't　goin'　to　have　any　mixin'　of　religion　an'　farmin'　in　THIS　neighbourhood。〃

My　eyes　were　on　the　pale　man　of　God。　I　felt　as　though　a　human　soul　were　being　weighed　in　the　balance。　What　would　he　do　now？　What　was　he　worth　REALLY　as　a　man　as　well　as　a　minister？

He　paused　a　moment　with　downcast　eyes。　I　saw　little　Mrs。　Minister　glance　at　himoncewistfully。　He　rose　from　his　place；　drew　himself　up　to　his　full　heightI　shall　not　soon　forget　the　look　on　his　faceand　uttered　these　amazing　words：

〃Martha；　bring　the　ginger…jar。〃

Mrs。　Minister；　without　a　word；　went　to　a　little　cupboard　on　the　farther　side　of　the　room　and　took　down　a　brown　earthenware　jar；　which　she　brought　over　and　placed　on　the　table；　Mr。　Nash　following　her　movements　with　astonished　eyes。　No　one　spoke。

The　minister　took　the　jar　in　his　hands　as　he　might　the　communion…cup　just　before　saying　the　prayer　of　the　sacrament。

〃Mr。　Nash；〃　said　he　in　a　loud　voice；　〃I've　decided　to　hold　that　farmers'　meeting。〃

Before　Mr。　Nash　could　reply　the　minister　seated　himself　and　was　pouring　out　the　contents　of　the　jar　upon　the　tablea　clatter　of　dimes；　nickels；　pennies；　a　few　quarters　and　half　dollars；　and　a　very　few　bills。

〃Martha；　just　how　much　money　is　there？〃

〃Twenty…four　dollars　and　sixteen　cents。〃

The　minister　put　his　hand　into　his　pocket　and；　after　counting　out　certain　coins；　said：

〃Here's　one　dollar　and　eighty…four　cents　more。　That　makes　twenty…six　dollars。　Now；　Mr。　Nash；　you're　the　largest　contributor　to　my　salary　in　this　neighbourhood。　You　gave　twenty…six　dollars　last　yearfifty　cents　a　week。　It　is　a　generous　contribution；　but　I　cannot　take　it　any　longer。　It　is　fortunate　that　my　wife　has　saved　up　this　money　to　buy　a　sewing…machine；　so　that　we　can　pay　back　your　contribution　in　full。〃

He　paused；　no　one　of　us　spoke　a　word。

〃Mr。　Nash；〃　he　continued；　and　his　face　was　good　to　see；　〃I　am　the　minister　here。　I　am　convinced　that　what　the　community　needs　is　more　of　a　religious　and　social　spirit；　and　I　am　going　about　getting　it　in　the　way　the　Lord　leads　me。〃

At　this　I　saw　Mrs。　Minister　look　up　at　her　husband　with　such　a　light　in　her　eyes　as　any　man　might　well　barter　his　life　forI　could　not　keep　my　own　eyes　from　pure　beauty　of　it。

I　knew　too　what　this　defiance　meant。　It　meant　that　this　little　family　was　placing　its　all　upon　the　altareven　the　pitiful　coins　for　which　they　had　skimped　and　saved　for　months　for　a　particular　purpose。　Talk　of　the　heroism　of　the　men　who　charged　with　Pickett　at　Gettysburg！　Here　was　a　courage　higher　and　whiter　than　that；　here　was　a　courage　that　dared　to　fight　alone。

As　for　Mr。　Nash；　the　face　of　that　Chief　Pharisee　was　a　study。　Nothing　is　so　paralyzing　to　a　rich　man　as　to　find　suddenly　that　his　money　will　no　longer　command　him　any　advantage。　Like　all　hard…shelled；　practical　people；　Mr。　Nash　could　only　dominate　in　a　world　which　recognized　the　same　material　supremacy　that　he　recognized。　Any　one　who　insisted　upon　flying　was　lost　to　Mr。　Nash。

The　minister　pushed　the　little　pile　of　coins　toward　him。

〃Take　it；　Mr。　Nash；〃　said　he。

At　that　Mr。　Nash　rose　hastily。

〃I　will　not；〃　he　said　gruffly。

He　paused；　and　looked　at　the　minister　with　a　strange　expression　in　his　small　round　eyeswas　it　anger；　or　was　it　fear；　or　could　it　have　been　admiration？

〃If　you　want　to　waste　your　time　on　fiddlin'　farmers'　meetingsa　man　that　knows　as　little　of　farmin'　as　you　dowhy　go　ahead　for　all　o'　me。　But　don't　count　me　in。〃

He　turned；　reached　for　his　hat；　and　then　went　out　of　the　door　into　the　darkness。

For　a　moment　we　all　sat　perfectly　silent；　then　the　minister　rose；　and　said　solemnly：

〃Martha；　let's　sing　something。〃

Martha　crossed　the　room　to　the　cottage　organ　and　seated　herself　on　the　stool。

〃What　shall　we　sing？〃　said　she。

〃Something　with　fight　in　it；　Martha；〃　he　responded；　〃something　with　plenty　of　fight　in　it。〃

So　we　sang　〃Onward；　Christian　Soldier；　Marching　as　to　War；〃　and　followed　up　with：

Awake；　my　soul；　stretch　every　nerve　And　press　with　rigour　on；　A　heavenly　race　demands　thy　zeal　And　an　immortal　crown。


When　we　had　finished；　and　as　Martha　rose　from　her　seat；　the　minister　impulsively　put　his　hands　on　her　shoulders；　and　said：

〃Martha；　this　is　the　greatest　night　of　my　life。〃

He　took　a　turn　up　and　down　the　room；　and　then　with　an　exultant　boyish　laugh　said：

〃We'll　go　to　town　to…morrow　and　pick　out　that　sewing…machine！〃


I　remained　with　them　that　night　and　part　of　the　following　day；　taking　a　hand　with　them　in　the　garden；　but　of　the　events　of　that　day　I　shall　speak　in　another　chapter。


CHAPTER　V。　　I　PLAY　THE　PART　OF　A　SPECTACLE　PEDDLER

Yesterday　was　exactly　the　sort　of　a　day　I　love　besta　spicy；　unexpected；　amusing　daycrowned　with　a　droll　adventure。

I　cannot　account　for　it；　but　it　seems　to　me　I　take　the　road　each　morning　with　a　livelier　mind　and　keener　curiosity。　If　you　were　to　watch　me　narrowly　these　days　you　would　see　I　am　slowly　shedding　my　years。　I　suspect　that　some　one　of　the　clear　hill　streams　from　which　I　have　been　drinking　（lying　prone　on　my　face）　was　in　reality　the　fountain　of　eternal　youth。　I　shall　not　go　back　to　see。

It　seems　to　me；　when　I　feel　like　this；　that　in　every　least　thing　upon　the　roadside；　or　upon　the　hill；　lurks　the　stuff　of　adventure。　What　a　world　it　is！　A　mile　south　of　here　I　shall　find　all　that　Stanley　found　in　the　jungles　of　Africa；　a　mile　north　I　am　Peary　at　the　Pole！

You　there；　brown…clad　farmer　on　the　tall　seat　of　your　wagon；　driving　townward　with　a　red　heifer　for　sale；　I　can　show　you　that　life　your　lifeis　not　all　a　gray　smudge；　as　you　think　it　is；　but　crammed；　packed；　loaded　with　miraculous　things。　I　can　show　you　wonders　past　belief　in　your　own　soul。　I　can　easily　convince　you　that　you　are　in　reality　a　poet；　a　hero；　a　true　lover；　a　saint。

It　is　because　we　are　not　humble　enough　in　the　presence　of　the　divine　daily　fact　that　adventure　knocks　so　rarely　at　our　door。　A　thousand　times　I　have　had　to　learn　this　truth　（what　lesson　so　hard　to　learn　as　the　lesson　o　humility！）　and　I　suppose　I　shall　have　to　learn　it　a　thousand　times　more。　This　very　day；　straining　my　eyes　to　see　the　distant　wonders　of　the　mountains；　I　nearly　missed　a　miracle　by　the　roadside。

Soon　after　leaving　the　minister　and　his　familyI　worked　with　them　in　their　garden　with　great　delight　most　of　the　forenoonI　came；　within　a　mileto　the　wide　white　turnpikethe　Great　Road。

Now；　I　usually　prefer　the　little　roads；　the　little；　unexpected；　curving；　leisurely　country　roads。　The　sharp　hills；　the　pleasant　deep　valleys；　the　bridges　not　too　well　kept；　the　verdure　deep　grown　along　old　fences；　the　houses　opening　hospitably　at　the　very　roadside；　all　these　things　I　love。　They　come　to　me　with　the　same　sort　of　charm　and　flavour；　only　vastly　magnified；　which　I　find　often　in　the　essays　of　the　older　writersthose　leisurely　old　fellows　who　took　time　to　write；　REALLY　write。　The　important　thing　to　me　about　a　road；　as　about　lifeand　literature；　is　not　that　it　goes　anywhere；　but　that　it　is　livable　while　it　goes。　For　if　I　were　to　arriveand　who　knows　that　I　ever　shall　arrive？I　think　I　should　be　no　happier　than　I　am　here。

Thus　I　have　commonly　avoided　the　Great　White　Roadthe　broad；　smooth　turnpikerock…bottomed　and　rolled　by　a　Statewithout　so　much　as　a　loitering　curve　to　whet　one's　curiosity；　nor　a　thank…　you…ma'am　to　laugh　over；　nor　a　sinful　hill　to　test　your　endurancenot　so　much　as　a　dreamy　valley！　It　pursues　its　hard；　unshaded；　practical　way　directly　from　some　particular　place　to　some　other　particular　place　and　from　time　to　time　a　motor…car　shoots　in　at　one　end　of　it　and　out　at　the　other；　leaving　its　dust　to　settle　upon　quiet　travellers　like　me。

Thus　to…day　when　I　came　to　the　turnpike　I　was　at　first　for　making　straight　across　it　and　taking　to　the　hills　beyond；　but　at　that　very　moment　a　motor…car　whirled　past　me　as　I　stood　there　and　a　girl　with　a　merry　face　waved　her　hand　at　me。　I　lifted　my　hat　in　return；and　as　I　watched　them　out　of　sight　I　felt　a　curious　new　sense　of　warmth　and　friendlinessthere　in　the　Great　Road。

〃These　are　just　people；　too；〃　I　said　aloud　〃and　maybe　they　really　like　it！〃

And　with　that　I　began　laughing　at　myself；　and　at　the　whole；　big；　amazing；　interesting　world。　Here　was　I　pitying　them　for