the friendly road-第16章

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〃The　Spectacles　I　have　to　sell；〃　said　I；　〃are　powerful　magnifiers〃he　glanced　again　at　the　gray　bag。　〃When　you　put　them　on　you　will　see　a　thousand　wonderful　things　besides　the　road〃

〃Then　you　ain't　road…worker　after　all！〃　he　said；　evidently　trying　to　be　bluff　and　outright　with　me。


Now　your　substantial；　sober；　practical　American　will　stand　only　about　so　much　verbal　foolery；　and　there　is　nothing　in　the　world　that　makes　him　more　uncomfortableyes；　downright　mad！　than　to　feel　that　he　is　being　played　with。　I　could　see　that　I　had　nearly　reached　the　limit　with　him；　and　that　if　I　held　him　now　it　must　be　by　driving　the　truth　straight　home。　So　I　stepped　over　toward　him　and　said　very　earnestly：

〃My　friend；　don't　think　I　am　merely　joking　you。　I　was　never　more　in　earnest　in　all　my　life。　When　I　told　you　I　was　a　road…worker　I　meant　it；　but　I　had　in　mind　the　mending　of　other　kinds　of　roads　than　this。〃

I　laid　my　hand　on　his　arm；　and　explained　to　him　as　directly　and　simply　as　English　words　could　do　it；　how；　when　he　had　spoken　of　oil　for　his　roads；　I　thought　of　another　sort　of　oil　for　another　sort　of　roads；　and　when　he　spoke　of　curves　in　his　roads　I　was　thinking　of　curves　in　the　roads　I　dealt　with；　and　I　explained　to　him　what　my　roads　were。　I　have　never　seen　a　man　more　intensely　interested：　he　neither　moved　nor　took　his　eyes　from　my　face。

〃And　when　I　spoke　of　selling　you　a　pair　of　spectacles；〃　said　I；　〃it　was　only　a　way　of　telling　you　how　much　I　wanted　to　make　you　see　my　kinds　of　roads　as　well　as　your　own。〃

I　paused；　wondering　if；　after　all；　he　could　be　made　to　see。　I　know　now　how　the　surgeon　must　feel　at　the　crucial　moment　of　his　accomplished　operation。　Will　the　patient　live　or　die？

The　road…worker　drew　a　long　breath　as　he　came　out　from　under　the　anesthetic。

〃I　guess；　partner；〃　said　he；　〃you're　trying　to　put　a　stone　or　two　in　my　ruts！〃

I　had　him！

〃Exactly；〃　I　exclaimed　eagerly。

We　both　paused。　He　was　the　first　to　speakwith　some　embarrassment：

〃Say；　you're　just　like　a　preacher　I　used　to　know　when　I　was　a　kid。　He　was　always　sayin'　things　that　meant　something　else　and　when　you　found　out　what　he　was　drivin'　at　you　always　felt　kind　of　queer　in　your　insides。〃

I　laughed。

〃It's　a　mighty　good　sign；〃　I　said；　〃when　a　man　begins　to　feel　queer　in　the　insides。　It　shows　that　something　is　happening　to　him。〃

With　that　we　walked　back　to　the　road；　feeling　very　close　and　friendlyand　shovelling　again；　not　saying　much。　After　quite　a　time；　when　we　had　nearly　cleaned　up　the　landslide；　I　heard　the　husky　road…worker　chuckling　to　himself；　finally；　straightening　up；　he　said：

〃Say；　there's　more　things　in　a　road　than　ever　I　dreamt　of。〃

〃I　see；〃　said　I；　〃that　the　new　spectacles　are　a　good　fit。〃

The　road…worker　laughed　long　and　loud。

〃You're　a　good　one；　all　right；〃　he　said。　〃I　see　what　YOU　mean。　I　catch　your　point。〃

〃And　now　that　you've　got　them　on；〃　said　I；　〃and　they　are　serving　you　so　well；　I'm　not　going　to　sell　them　to　you　at　all。　I'm　going　to　present　them　to　youfor　I　haven't　seen　anybody　in　a　long　time　that　I've　enjoyed　meeting　more　than　I　have　you。〃

We　nurse　a　fiction　that　people　love　to　cover　up　their　feelings；　but　I　have　learned　that　if　the　feeling　is　real　and　deep　they　love　far　better　to　find　a　way　to　uncover　it。

〃Same　here；〃　said　the　road…worker　simply；　but　with　a　world　of　genuine　feeling　in　his　voice。

Well；　when　it　came　time　to　stop　work　the　road…worker　insisted　that　I　get　in　and　go　home　with　him。

〃I　want　you　to　see　my　wife　and　kids；〃　said　he。

The　upshot　of　it　was　that　I　not　only　remained　for　supperand　a　good　supper　it　wasbut　I　spent　the　night　in　his　little　home；　close　at　the　side　of　the　road　near　the　foot　of　a　fine　hill。　And　from　time　to　time　all　night　long；　it　seemed　to　me；　I　could　hear　the　rush　of　cars　going　by　in　the　smooth　road　outside；　and　sometimes　their　lights　flashed　in　at　my　window；　and　sometimes　I　heard　them　sound　their　brassy　horns。

I　wish　I　could　tell　more　of　what　I　saw　there；　of　the　garden　back　of　the　house；　and　of　all　the　road…worker　and　his　wife　told　me　of　their　simple　historybut；　the　road　calls！

When　I　set　forth　early　this　morning　the　road…worker　followed　me　out　to　the　smooth　macadam　（his　wife　standing　in　the　doorway　with　her　hands　rolled　in　her　apron）　and　said　to　me；　a　bit　shyly：

〃I'll　be　more　sort　o'sort　o'　interested　in　roads　since　I've　seen　you。〃

〃I'll　be　along　again　some　of　these　days；〃　said　I；　laughing；　〃and　I'll　stop　in　and　show　you　my　new　stock　of　spectacles。　Maybe　I　can　sell　you　another　pair！〃

〃Maybe　you　kin；〃　and　he　smiled　a　broad；　understanding　smile。

Nothing　brings　men　together　like　having　a　joke　in　common。

So　I　walked　off　down　the　roadin　the　best　of　spiritsready　for　the　events　of　another　day。

It　will　surely　be　a　great　adventure；　one　of　these　days；　to　come　this　way　againand　to　visit　the　Stanleys；　and　the　Vedders；　and　the　Minister；　and　drop　in　and　sell　another　pair　of　specs　to　the　Road…worker。　It　seems　to　me　I　have　a　wonderfully　rosy　future　ahead　of　me！


P。　S。I　have　not　yet　found　out　who　painted　the　curious　signs；　but　I　am　not　as　uneasy　about　it　as　I　was。　I　have　seen　two　more　of　them　already　this　morningand　find　they　exert　quite　a　psychological　influence。



CHAPTER　VI。　　　AN　EXPERIMENT　IN　HUMAN　NATURE

In　the　early　morning　after　I　left　the　husky　road…mender　（wearing　his　new　spectacles）；　I　remained　steadfastly　on　the　Great　Road　or　near　it。　It　was　a　prime　spring　day；　just　a　little　hazy；　as　though　promising　rain；　but　soft　and　warm。

〃They　will　be　working　in　the　garden　at　home；〃　I　thought；　〃and　there　will　be　worlds　of　rhubarb　and　asparagus。〃　Then　I　remembered　how　the　morning　sunshine　would　look　on　the　little　vine…clad　back　porch　（reaching　halfway　up　the　weathered　door）　of　my　own　house　among　the　hills。

It　was　the　first　time　since　my　pilgrimage　began　that　I　had　thought　with　any　emotion　of　my　farmor　of　Harriet。

And　then　the　road　claimed　me　again；　and　I　began　to　look　out　for　some　further　explanation　of　the　curious　sign；　the　single　word　〃Rest；〃　which　had　interested　me　so　keenly　on　the　preceding　day。　It　may　seem　absurd　to　some　who　read　these　linessome　practical　people！but　I　cannot　convey　the　pleasure　I　had　in　the　very　elusiveness　and　mystery　of　the　sign；　nor　how　I　wished　I　might　at　the　next　turn　come　upon　the　poet　himself。　I　decided　that　no　one　but　a　poet　could　have　contented　himself　with　a　lyric　in　one　word；　unless　it　might　have　been　a　humourist；　to　whom　sometimes　a　single　small　word。　is　more　blessed　than　all　the　verbal　riches　of　Webster　himself。　For　it　is　nothing　short　of　genius　that　uses　one　word　when　twenty　will　say　the　same　thing！

Or；　would　he；　after　all；　turn　out　to　be　only　a　more　than　ordinarily　alluring　advertiser？　I　confess　my　heart　went　into　my　throat　that　morning；　when　I　first　saw　the　sign；　lest　it　read：

＇　RESTaurant　2　miles　east　＇

nor　should　I　have　been　surprised　if　it　had。

I　caught　a　vicarious　glimpse　of　the　sign…man　to…day；　through　the　eyes　of　a　young　farmer。　Yes；　he　s'posed　he'd　seen　him；　he　said；　wore　a　slouch　hat；　couldn't　tell　whether　he　was　young　or　old。　Drove　into　the　bushes　（just　down　there　beyond　the　brook）　and；　standin'　on　the　seat　of　his　buggy；　nailed　something　to　a　tree。　A　day　or　two　laterthe　dull　wonder　of　mankind！the　young　farmer；　passing　that　way　to　town；　had　seen　the　odd　sign　〃Rest〃　on　the　tree：　he　s'posed　the　fellow　put　it　there。

〃What　does　it　mean？〃

〃Well；　naow；　I　hadn't　thought；〃　said　the　young　farmer。

〃Did　the　fellow　by　any　chance　have　long　hair？〃

〃Well；　naow；　I　didn't　notice；〃　said　he。

〃Are　you　sure　he　wore　a　slouch　hat？〃

〃Ye…esor　it　may　a…been　straw；〃　replied　the　observant　young　farmer。


So　I　tramped　that　morning；　and　as　I　tramped　I　let　my　mind　go　out　warmly　to　the　people　living　all　about　on　the　farms　or　in　the　hills。　It　is　pleasant　at　times　to　feel　life；　as　it　were；　in　general　terms：　no　specific　Mr。　Smith　or　concrete　Mr。　Jones；　but　just　human　life。　I　love　to　think　of　people　all　around　going　out　busily　in　the　morning　to　their　work　and　returning　at　night；　weary；　to　rest。　I　like　to　think　of　them　growing　up；　growing　old；　loving；　achieving；　sinning；　failingin　short；　living。

In　such　a　live…minded　mood　as　this　it　often　happens　that　the　most　ordinary　things　appear　charged　wit