the friendly road-第14章

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〃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　their　benighted　state；　and　there　were　they；　no　doubt；　pitying　me　for　mine！

And　with　that　pleasant　and　satisfactory　thought　in　my　mind　and　a　song　in　my　throat　I　swung　into　the　Great　Road。

〃It　doesn't　matter　in　the　least；〃　said　I　to　myself；　〃whether　a　man　takes　hold　of　life　by　the　great　road　or　the　little　ones　so　long　as　he　takes　hold。〃

And　oh；　it　was　a　wonderful　day！　A　day　with　movement　in　it；　a　day　that　flowed！　In　every　field　the　farmers　were　at　work；　the　cattle　fed　widely　in　the　meadows；　and　the　Great　Road　itself　was　alive　with　a　hundred　varied　sorts　of　activity。　Light　winds　stirred　the　tree…tops　and　rippled　in　the　new　grass；　and　from　the　thickets　I　heard　the　blackbirds　crying。　Everything　animate　and　inanimate；　that　morning；　seemed　to　have　its　own　clear　voice　and　to　cry　out　at　me　for　my　interest；　or　curiosity；　or　sympathy。　Under　such　circumstances　it　could　not　have　been　longnor　was　it　longbefore　I　came　plump　upon　the　first　of　a　series　of　odd　adventures。


A　great　many　people；　I　know；　abominate　the　roadside　sign。　It　seems　to　them　a　desecration　of　nature；　the　intrusion　of　rude　commercialism　upon　the　perfection　of　natural　beauty。　But　not　I。　I　have　no　such　feeling。　Oh；　the　signs　in　themselves　are　often　rude　and　unbeautiful；　and　I　never　wished　my　own　barn　or　fences　to　sing　the　praises　of　swamp　root　or　sarsaparillaand　yet　there　is　something　wonderfully　human　about　these　painted　and　pasted　vociferations　of　the　roadside　signs；　and　I　don't　know　why　they　are　less　〃natural〃　in　their　way　than　a　house　or　barn　or　a　planted　field　of　corn。　They　also　tell　us　about　life。　How　eagerly　they　cry　out　at　us；　〃Buy　me；　buy　me！〃　What　enthusiasm　they　have　in　their　own　concerns；　what　boundless　faith　in　themselves！　How　they　speak　of　the　enormous　energy；　activity；　resourcefulness　of　human　kind！

Indeed；　I　like　all　kinds　of　signs。　The　autocratic　warnings　of　the　road；　the　musts　and　the　must…nots　of　traffic；　I　observe　in　passing；　and　I　often　stand　long　at　the　crossings　and　look　up　at　the　finger…posts；　and　consider　my　limitless　wealth　as　a　traveller。　By　this　road　I　may；　at　my　own　pleasure；　reach　the　Great　City；　by　thatwho　knows？the　far　wonders　of　Cathay。　And　I　respond　always　to　the　appeal　which　the　devoted　pilgrim　paints　on　the　rocks　at　the　roadside：　〃Repent　ye；　for　the　kingdom　of　God　is　at　hand；〃　and　though　I　am　certain　that　the　kingdom　of　God　is　already　here；　I　stop　always　and　repentjust　a　littleknowing　that　there　is　always　room　for　it。　At　the　entrance　of　the　little　towns；　also；　or　in　the　squares　of　the　villages；　I　stop　often　to　read　the　signs　of　taxes　assessed；　or　of　political　meetings；　I　see　the　evidences　of　homes　broken　up　in　the　notices　of　auction　sales；　and　of　families　bereaved　in　the　dry　and　formal　publications　of　the　probate　court。　I　pause；　too；　before　the　signs　of　amusements　flaming　red　and　yellow　on　the　barns　（boys；　the　circus　is　coming　to　town！）；　and　I　pause　also；　but　no　longer；　to　read　the　silent　signs　carved　in　stone　in　the　little　cemeteries　as　I　pass。　Symbols；　you　say？　Why；　they're　the　very　stuff　of　life。　If　you　cannot　see　life　here　in　the　wide　road；　you　will　never　see　it　at　all。

Well；　I　saw　a　sign　yesterday　at　the　roadside　that　I　never　saw　anywhere　before。　It　was　not　a　large　signindeed　rather　inconspicuousconsisting　of　a　single　word　rather　crudely　painted　in　black　（as　by　an　amateur）　upon　a　white　board。　It　was　nailed　to　a　tree　where　those　in　swift　passing　cars　could　not　avoid　seeing　it：

＇　REST　＇

I　cannot　describe　the　odd　sense　of　enlivenment；　of　pleasure　I　had　when　I　saw　this　new　sign。

〃Rest！〃　I　exclaimed　aloud。　〃Indeed　I　will；〃　and　I　sat　down　on　a　stone　not　far　away。

〃Rest！〃

What　a　sign　for　this　very　spot！　Here　in　the　midst　of　the　haste　and　hurry　of　the　Great　Road　a　quiet　voice　was　saying；〃Rest。〃　Some　one　with　imagination；　I　thought；　evidently　put　that　up；　some　quietist　offering　this　mild　protest　against　the　breathless　progress　of　the　age。　How　often　I　have　felt　the　same　way　myselfas　though　I　were　being　swept　onward　through　life　faster　than　I　could　well　enjoy　it。　For　nature　passes　the　dishes　far　more　rapidly　than　we　can　help　ourselves。

Or　perhaps；　thought　I；　eagerly　speculating；　this　may　be　only　some　cunning　advertiser　with　rest　for　sale　（in　these　days　even　rest　has　its　price）；　thus　piquing　the　curiosity　of　the　traveller　for　the　disclosure　which　he　will　make　a　mile　or　so　farther　on。　Or　else　some　humourist　wasting　his　wit　upon　the　Fraternity　of　the　Road；　too　willing　（like　me；　perhaps）　to　accept　his　ironical　advice。　But　it　would　be　well　worth　while　should　I　find　him；　to　see　him　chuckle　behind　his　hand。

So　I　sat　there　very　much　interested；　for　a　long　time；　even　framing　a　rather　amusing　picture　in　my　own　mind　of　the　sort　of　person　who　painted　these　signs；　deciding　finally　that　he　must　be　a　zealot　rather　than　a　trader　or　humourist。　（Confidentially；　I　could　not　make　a　picture　of　him　in　which　he　was　not　endowed　with　plentiful　long　hair）。　As　I　walked　onward　again；　I　decided　that　in　any　guise　I　should　like　to　see　him；　and　I　enjoyed　thinking　what　I　should　say　if　I　met　him。　A　mile　farther　up　the　road　I　saw　another　sign　exactly　like　the　first。

〃Here　he　is　again；〃　I　said　exultantly；　and　that　sign　being　somewhat　nearer　the　ground　I　was　able　to　examine　it　carefully　front　and　back；　but　it　bore　no　evidence　of　its　origin。

In　the　next　few　miles　I　saw　two　other　signs　with　nothing　on　them　but　the　word　〃Rest。〃

Now　this　excellent　admonitionlike　much　of　the　excellent　admonitions　in　this　world　affected　me　perversely：　it　made　me　more　restless　than　ever。　I　felt　that　I　could　not　rest　properly　until　I　found　out　who　wanted　me　to　rest；　and　why。　It　opened　indeed　a　limitless　vista　for　new　adventure。


Presently；　away　ahead　of　me　in　the　road；　I　saw　a　man　standing　near　a　one…horse　wagon。　He　seemed　to　be　engaged　in　some　activity　near　the　roadside；　but　I　could　not　tell　exactly　what。　As　I　hastened　nearer　I　discovered　that　he　was　a　short；　strongly　built；　sun…bronzed　man　in　working…clothesand　with　the　shortest　of　short　hair。　I　saw　him　take　a　shovel　from　the　wagon　and　begin　digging。　He　was　the　road…worker。

I　asked　the　road…worker　if　he　had　seen　the　curious　signs。　He　looked　up　at　me　with　a　broad　smile　（he　had　good…humoured；　very　bright　blue　eyes）。

〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃but　they　ain't　for　me。〃

〃Then　you　don't　follow　the　advice　they　give？〃

〃Not　with　a　section　like　mine；〃　said　he；　and　he　straightened　up　and　looked　first　one　way　of　the　road　and　then　the　other。　〃I　have　from　Grabow　Brook；　but　not　the　bridge；　to　the　top　o'　Sullivan　Hill；　and　all　the　culverts　between；　though　two　of　'em　are　by　rights　bridges。　And　I　claim　that's　a　job　for　any　full…grown　man。〃

He　began　shovelling　again　in　the　road　as　if　to　prove　how　busy　he　was。　There　had　been　a　small　landslide　from　an　open　cut　on　one　side　and　a　mass　of　gravel　and　small　boulders　lay　scattered　on　the　smooth　macadam。　I　watched　him　for　a　moment。　I　love　to　watch　the　motions　of　vigorous　men　at　work；　the　easy　play　of　the　muscles；　the　swing　of　the　shoulders；　the　vigour　of　stoutly　planted　legs。　He　evidently　considered　the　conversation　closed；　and　I；　aswell；　as　a　dusty　man　of　the　roadeasily　dismissed。　（You　have　no　idea；　until　you　try　it；　what　a　weight　of　prejudice　the　man　of　the　road　has　to　surmount　before　he　is　accepted　on　easy　terms　by　the　ordinary　members　of　the　human　race。）

A　few　other　well…intentioned　observations　on　my　part　having　elicited　nothing　but　monosyllabic　replies；　I　put　my　bag　down　by　the　roadside　and；　going　up　to　the　wagon；　got　out　a　shovel；　and　without　a　word　took　my　place　at　the　other　end　of　the　landslide　and　began　to　shovel　for　all　I　was　worth。

I　said　not　a　word　to　the　husky　road…worker　and　pretended　not　to　look　at　him；　but　I　saw　him　well　enough　out　of　the　corner　of　my　eye。　He　was　evidently　astonished　and　interested；　as　I　knew　he　would　be：　it　was　something　entirely　new　on　the　road。　He　didn't　quite　know　whether　to　be　angry；　or　amused；　or　sociable。　I　caught　him　looking　over　at　me　several　times；　but　I　offered　no　response；　then　he　cleared　his　throat　and　said：

〃Where　you　from？〃

I　ans