the friendly road-第19章

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my　letter。

'I　assure　you　I　never　awaited　the　reading　of　any　writing　of　mine　with　such　breathless　interest。　How　would　they　take　it？　Would　they　catch　the　meaning　that　I　meant　to　convey？　And　would　they　suspect　me　of　having　written　it？

Mr。　Clark　sat　on　the　porch　and　read　the　letter　slowly　through　to　the　end；　turned　the　sheet　over　and　examined　it　carefully；　and　then　began　reading　it　again　to　himself；　Mrs。　Clark　leaning　over　his　shoulder。

〃What　does　it　mean？〃　asked　Mr。　Clark。

〃It's　too　good　to　be　true；〃　said　Mrs。　Clark　with　a　sigh。

I　don't　know　how　long　the　discussion　might　have　continuedprobably　for　days　or　weekshad　not　the　older　girl；　now　flushed　of　face　and　rather　pretty；　looked　at　me　and　said　breathlessly　（she　was　as　sharp　as　a　briar）：

〃You　wrote　it。〃

I　stood　the　battery　of　all　their　eyes　for　a　moment；　smiling　and　rather　excited。

〃Yes；〃　I　said　earnestly；　〃I　wrote　it；　and　I　mean　every　word　of　it。〃

I　had　anticipated　some　shock　of　suspicion　and　inquiry；　but　to　my　surprise　it　was　accepted　as　simply　as　a　neighbourly　good　morning。　I　suppose　the　mystery　of　it　was　eclipsed　by　my　astonishing　presence　there　upon　the　scene　with　my　tin　whistle。

At　any　rate；　it　was　a　changed；　eager；　interested　family　which　now　occupied　the　porch　of　that　dilapidated　farmhouse。　And　immediately　we　fell　into　a　lively　discussion　of　crops　and　farming；　and　indeed　the　whole　farm　question；　in　which　I　found　both　the　man　and　his　wife　singularly　acutesharpened　upon　the　stone　of　hard　experience。

Indeed；　I　found　right　here；　as　I　have　many　times　found　among　our　American　farmers；　an　intelligence　（a　literacy　growing　out　of　what　I　believe　to　be　improper　education）　which　was　better　able　to　discuss　the　problems　of　rural　life　than　to　grapple　with　and　solve　them。　A　dull；　illiterate　Polish　farmer；　I　have　found；　will　sometimes　succeed　much　better　at　the　job　of　life　than　his　American　neighbour。

Talk　with　almost　any　man　for　half　an　hour；　and　you　will　find　that　his　conversation；　like　an　old…fashioned　song；　has　a　regularly　recurrent　chorus。　I　soon　discovered　Mr。　Clark's　chorus。

〃Now；　if　only　I　had　a　little　cash；〃　he　sang；　or；　〃If　I　had　a　few　dollars；　I　could　do　so　and　so。〃

Why；　he　was　as　helplessly；　dependent　upon　money　as　any　soft…handed　millionairess。　He　considered　himself　poor　and　helpless　because　he　lacked　dollars；　whereas　people　are　really　poor　and　helpless　only　when　they　lack　courage　and　faith。

We　were　so　much　absorbed　in　our　talk　that　I　was　greatly　surprised　to　hear　Mrs。　Clark's　voice　at　the　doorway。

〃Won't　you　come　in　to　supper？〃

After　we　had　eaten；　there　was　a　great　demand　for　more　of　my　tin　whistle　（oh；　I　know　how　Caruso　must　feel！）；　and　I　played　over　every　blessed　tune　I　knew；　and　some　I　didn't；　four　or　five　times；　and　after　that　we　told　stories　and　cracked　jokes　in　a　way　that　must　have　been　utterly　astonishing　in　that　household。　After　the　children　had　been；　yes；　driven　to　bed；　Mr。　Clark　seemed　about　to　drop　back　into　his　lamentations　over　his　condition　（which　I　have　no　doubt　had　come　to　give　him　a　sort　of　pleasure）；　but　I　turned　to　Mrs。　Clark；　whom　I　had　come　to　respect　very　highly；　and　began　to　talk　about　the　little　garden　she　had　started；　which　was　about　the　most　enterprising　thing　about　the　place。

〃Isn't　it　one　of　the　finest　things　in　this　world；〃　said　I；　〃to　go　out　into　a　good　garden　in　the　summer　days　and　bring　in　loaded　baskets　filled　with　beets　and　cabbages　and　potatoes；　just　for　the　gathering？〃

I　knew　from　the　expression　on　Mrs。　Clark's　face　that　I　had　touched　a　sounding　note。

〃Opening　the　green　corn　a　little　at　the　top　to　see　if　it　is　ready　and　then　stripping　it　off　and　tearing　away　the　moist　white　husks〃

〃And　picking　tomatoes？〃　said　Mrs。　Clark。　〃And　knuckling　the　watermelons　to　see　if　they　are　ripe？　Oh；　I　tell　you　there　are　thousands　of　people　in　this　country　who'd　like　to　be　able　to　pick　their　dinner　in　the　garden！〃

〃It's　fine！〃　said　Mrs。　Clark　with　amused　enthusiasm；　〃but　I　like　best　to　hear　the　hens　cackling　in　the　barnyard　in　the　morning　after　they've　laid；　and　to　go　and　bring　in　the　eggs。〃

〃Just　like　a　daily　present！〃　I　said。

〃Ye…es；〃　responded　the　soundly　practical　Mrs。　Clark；　thinking；　no　doubt；　that　there　were　other　aspects　of　the　garden　and　chicken　problem。

〃I'll　tell　you　another　thing　I　like　about　a　farmer's　life；〃　said　I；　〃that's　the　smell　in　the　house　in　the　summer　when　there　are　preserves；　or　sweet　pickles；　or　jam；　or　whatever　it　is；　simmering　on　the　stove。　No　matter　where　you　are；　up　in　the　garret　or　down　cellar；　it's　cinnamon；　and　allspice；　and　cloves；　and　every　sort　of　sugary　odour。　Now；　that　gets　me　where　I　live！〃

〃It　IS　good！〃　said　Mrs。　Clark　with　a　laugh　that　could　certainly　be　called　nothing　if　not　girlish。


All　this　time　I　had　been　keeping　one　eye　on　Mr。　Clark。　It　was　amusing　to　see　him　struggling　against　a　cheerful　view　of　life。　He　now　broke　into　the　conversation。

〃Well；　but〃　he　began。

Instantly　I　headed　him　off。

〃And　think；〃　said　I；　〃of　living　a　life　in　which　you　are　beholden　to　no　man。　It's　a　free　life；　the　farmer's　life。　No　one　can　discharge　you　because　you　are　sick；　or　tired；　or　old；　or　because　you　are　a　Democrat　or　a　Baptist！〃

〃Well；　but〃

〃And　think　of　having　to　pay　no　rent；　nor　of　having　to　live　upstairs　in　a　tenement！〃

〃Well；　but〃

〃Or　getting　run　over　by　a　street…car；　or　having　the　children　play　in　the　gutters。〃

〃I　never　did　like　to　think　of　what　my　children　would　do　if　we　went　to　town；〃　said　Mrs。　Clark。

〃I　guess　not！〃　I　exclaimed。

The　fact　is；　most　people　don't　think　half　enough　of　themselves　and　of　their　jobs；　but　before　we　went　to　bed　that　night　I　had　the　forlorn　T。　N。　Clark　talking　about　the　virtues　of　his　farm　in　quite　a　surprising　way。

I　even　saw　him　eying　me　two　or　three　times　with　a　shrewd　look　in　his　eyes　（your　American　is　an　irrepressible　trader）　as　though　I　might　possibly　be　some　would…be　purchaser　in　disguise。

（I　shall　write　some　time　a　dissertation　on　the　advantages；　of　wearing　shabby　clothing。）

The　farm　really　had　many　good　points。　One　of　them　was　a　shaggy　old　orchard　of　good　and　thriving　but　utterly　neglected　apple…trees。

〃Man　alive；〃　I　said；　when　we　went　out　to　see　it　in　the　morning；　〃you've　got　a　gold　mine　here！〃　And　I　told　him　how　in　our　neighbourhood　we　were　renovating　the　old　orchards；　pruning　them　back；　spraying；　and　bringing　them　into　bearing　again。

He　had　never；　since　he　owned　the　place；　had　a　salable　crop　of　fruit。　When　we　came　in　to　breakfast　I　quite　stirred　the　practical　Mrs。　Clark　with　my　enthusiasm；　and　she　promised　at　once　to　send　for　a　bulletin　on　apple…tree　renovation；　published　by　the　state　experiment　station。　I　am　sure　I　was　no　more　earnest　in　my　advice　than　the　conditions　warranted。

After　breakfast　we　went　into　the　field；　and　I　suggested　that　instead　of　ploughing　any　more　landfor　the　season　was　already　latewe　get　out　all　the　accumulations　of　rotted　manure　from　around　the　barn　and　strew　it　on　the　land　already　ploughed　and　harrow　it　in。

〃A　good　job　on　a　little　piece　of　land；〃　I　said；　〃is　far　more　profitable　than　a　poor　job　on　a　big　piece　of　land。〃

Without　more　ado　we　got　his　old　team　hitched　up　and　began　loading；　and　hauling　out　the　manure；　and　spent　all　day　long　at　it。　Indeed；　such　was　the　height　of　enthusiasm　which　T。　N。　Clark　now　reached　（for　his　was　a　temperament　that　must　either　soar　in　the　clouds　or　grovel　in　the　mire）；　that　he　did　not　wish　to　stop　when　Mrs。　Clark　called　us　in　to　supper。　In　that　one　day　his　crop　of　corn；　in　perspective；　overflowed　his　crib；　he　could　not　find　boxes　and　barrels　for　his　apples；　his　shed　would　not　hold　all　his　tobacco；　and　his　barn　was　already　being　enlarged　to　accommodate　a　couple　more　cows！　He　was　also　keeping　bees　and　growing　ginseng。

But　it　was　fine；　that　evening；　to　see　Mrs。　Clark's　face；　the　renewed　hope　and　courage　in　it。　I　thought　as　I　looked　at　her　（for　she　was　the　strong　and　steady　one　in　that　house）：

〃If　you　can　keep　the　enthusiasm　up；　if　you　can　make　that　husband　of　yours　grow　corn；　and　cows；　and　apples　as　you　raise　chickens　and　make　garden；　there　is　victory　yet　in　this　valley。〃

That　night　it　rained；　but　in　spite　of　the　moist　earth　we　spent　almost　all　of　the　following　day　hard　at　work　in　the　field；　and　all　the　time　talking