the friendly road-第23章

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traordinary　sight。

I　feel　that　I　am　conveying　no　adequate　impression　of　what　I　beheld　by　giving　it　any　such　prim　and　decorous　name　asa　Hedge。　It　was　a　menagerie；　a　living；　green　menagerie！　I　had　no　sooner　seen　it　than　I　began　puzzling　my　brain　as　to　whether　one　of　the　curious　ornaments　into　which　the　upper　part　of　the　hedge　had　been　clipped　and　trimmed　was　made　to　represent　the　head　of　a　horse；　or　a　camel；　or　an　Egyptian　sphinx。

The　hedge　was　of　arbor　vite　and　as　high　as　a　man's　waist。　At　more　or　less　regular　intervals　the　trees　in　it　had　been　allowed　to　grow　much　taller　and　had　been　wonderfully　pruned　into　the　similitude　of　towers；　pinnacles；　bells；　and　many　other　strange　designs。　Here　and　there　the　hedge　held　up　a　spindling　umbrella　of　greenery；　sometimes　a　double　umbrellaa　little　one　above　the　big　oneand　over　the　gateway　at　the　centre；　as　a　sort　of　final　triumph；　rose　a　grandiose　arch　of　interlaced　branches　upon　which　the　artist　had　outdone　himself　in　marvels　of　ornamentation。

I　shall　never　forget　the　sensation　of　delight　I　had　over　this　discovery；　or　of　how　I　walked；　tiptoe；　along　the　road　in　front；　studying　each　of　the　marvellous　adornments。　How　eagerly；　too；　I　looked　over　at　the　house　beyonda　rather　bare；　bleak　house　set　on　a　slight　knoll　or　elevation　and　guarded　at　one　corner　by　a　dark　spruce　tree。　At　some　distance　behind　I　saw　a　number　of　huge　barns；　a　cattle　yard　and　a　siloall　the　evidences　of　prosperitywith　well…nurtured　fields；　now　yellowing　with　the　summer　crops；　spreading　pleasantly　away　on　every　hand。

It　was　nearly　dark　before　I　left　that　bit　of　roadside；　and　I　shall　never　forget　the　eerie　impression　I　had　as　I　turned　back　to　take　a　final　look　at　the　hedge；　the　strange；　grotesque　aspect　it　presented　there　in　the　half　light　with　the　bare；　lonely　house　rising　from　the　knoll　behind。


It　was　not　until　some　weeks　later　that　I　met　the　owner　of　the　wonderful　hedge。　By　that　time；　however；　having　learned　of　my　interest；　I　found　the　whole　countryside　alive　with　stories　about　it　and　about　Old　Nathan　Toombs；　its　owner。　It　was　as　though　I　had　struck　the　rock　of　refreshment　in　a　weary　land。

I　remember　distinctly　how　puzzled　was　by　the　stories　I　heard。　The　neighbourhood　portraitand　ours　is　really　a　friendly　neighbourhoodwas　by　no　means　flattering。　Old　Toombs　was　apparently　of　that　type　of　hard…shelled；　grasping；　self…reliant；　old…fashioned　farmer　not　unfamiliar　to　many　country　neighbourhoods。　He　had　come　of　tough　old　American　stock　and　he　was　a　worker；　a　saver；　and　thus　he　had　grown　rich；　the　richest　farmer　in　the　whole　neighbourhood。　He　was　a　regular　individualistic　American。

〃A　dour　man；〃　said　the　Scotch　Preacher；　〃but　justyou　must　admit　that　he　is　just。〃

There　was　no　man　living　about　whom　the　Scotch　Preacher　could　not　find　something　good　to　say。

〃Yes；　just；〃　replied　Horace；　〃but　hardhard；　and　as　mean　as　pusley。〃

This　portrait　was　true　enough　in　itself；　for　I　knew　just　the　sort　of　an　aggressive；　undoubtedly　irritable　old　fellow　it　pictured；　but　somehow；　try　as　I　would；　I　could　not　see　any　such　old　fellow　wasting　his　moneyed　hours　clipping　bells；　umbrellas；　and　camel's　heads　on　his　ornamental　greenery。　It　left　just　that　incongruity　which　is　at　once　the　lure；　the　humour；　and　the　perplexity　of　human　life。　Instead　of　satisfying　my　curiosity　I　was　more　anxious　than　ever　to　see　Old　Toombs　with　my　own　eyes。

But　the　weeks　passed　and　somehow　I　did　not　meet　him。　He　was　a　lonely；　unneighbourly　old　fellow。　He　had　apparently　come　to　fit　into　the　community　without　ever　really　becoming　a　part　of　it。　His　neighbours　accepted　him　as　they　accepted　a　hard　hill　in　the　town　road。　From　time　to　time　he　would　foreclose　a　mortgage　where　he　had　loaned　money　to　some　less　thrifty　farmer；　or　he　would　extend　his　acres　by　purchase；　hard　cash　down；　or　he　would　build　a　bigger　barn。　When　any　of　these　things　happened　the　community　would　crowd　over　a　little；　as　it　were；　to　give　him　more　room。　It　is　a　curious　thing；　and　tragic；　too；　when　you　come　to　think　of　it；　how　the　world　lets　alone　those　people　who　appear　to　want　to　be　let　alone。　〃I　can　live　to　myself；〃　says　the　unneighbourly　one。　〃Well；　live　to　yourself；　then；〃　cheerfully　responds　the　world；　and　it　goes　about　its　more　or　less　amusing　affairs　and　lets　the　unneighbourly　one　cut　himself　off。

So　our　small　community　had　let　Old　Toombs　go　his　way　with　all　his　money；　his　acres；　his　hedge；　and　his　reputation　for　being　a　just　man。

Not　meeting　him；　therefore；　in　the　familiar　and　friendly　life　of　the　neighbourhood；　I　took　to　walking　out　toward　his　farm；　looking　freshly　at　the　wonderful　hedge　and　musing　upon　that　most　fascinating　of　all　subjectshow　men　come　to　be　what　they　are。　And　at　last　I　was　rewarded。

One　day　I　had　scarcely　reached　the　end　of　the　hedge　when　I　saw　Old　Toombs　himself；　moving　toward　me　down　the　country　road。　Though　I　had　never　seen　him　before；　I　was　at　no　loss　to　identify　him。　The　first　and　vital　impression　he　gave　me；　if　I　can　compress　it　into　a　single　word；　was；　I　think；forceforce。　He　came　stubbing　down　the　country　road　with　a　brown　hickory　stick　in　his　hand　which　at　every　step　he　set　vigorously　into　the　soft　earth。　Though　not　tall；　he　gave　the　impression　of　being　enormously　strong。　He　was　thick；　solid；　firmthick　through　the　body；　thick　through　the　thighs；　and　his　shoulderswhat　shoulders　they　were！round　like　a　maple　log；　and　his　great　head　with　its　thatching　of　coarse　iron…gray　hair；　though　thrust　slightly　forward；　seemed　set　immovably　upon　them；

He　presented　such　a　forbidding　appearance　that　I　was　of　two　minds　about　addressing　him。　Dour　he　was　indeed！　Nor　shall　I　ever　forget　how　he　looked　when　I　spoke　to　him。　He　stopped　short　there　in　the　road。　On　his　big　square　nose　he　wore　a　pair　of　curious　spring…bowed　glasses　with　black　rims。　For　a　moment　he　looked　at　me　through　these　glasses；　raising　his　chin　a　little；　and　then；　deliberately　wrinkling　his　nose；　they　fell　off　and　dangled　at　the　length　of　the　faded　cord　by　which　they　were　hung。　There　was　something　almost　uncanny　about　this　peculiar　habit　of　his　and　of　the　way　in　which；　afterward；　he　looked　at　me　from　under　his　bushy　gray　brows。　This　was　in　truth　the　very　man　of　the　neighbourhood　portrait。

〃I　am　a　new　settler　here；〃　I　said；　〃and　I've　been　interested　in　looking　at　your　wonderful　hedge。〃

The　old　man's　eyes　rested　upon　me　a　moment　with　a　mingled　look　of　suspicion　and　hostility。

〃So　you've　heard　o'　me；〃　he　said　in　a　high…pitched　voice；　〃and　you've　heard　o'　my　hedge。〃

Again　he　paused　and　looked　me　over。　〃Well；〃　he　said；　with　an　indescribably　harsh；　cackling　laugh；　〃I　warrant　you've　heard　nothing　good　o'　me　down　there。　I'm　a　skinflint；　ain't　I　？　I'm　a　hard　citizen；　ain't　I？　I　grind　the　faces　o'　the　poor；　don't　I？〃

At　first　his　words　were　marked　by　a　sort　of　bitter　humour；　but　as　he　continued　to　speak　his　voice　rose　higher　and　higher　until　it　was　positively　menacing。

There　were　just　two　things　I　could　dohaul　down　the　flag　and　retreat　ingloriously；　or　face　the　music。　With　a　sudden　sense　of　rising　spiritsfor　such　things　do　not　often　happen　to　a　man　in　a　quiet　country　roadI　paused　a　moment；　looking　him　square　in　the　eye。

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　with　great　deliberation；　〃you've　given　me　just　about　the　neighborhood　picture　of　yourself　as　I　have　had　it。　They　do　say　you　are　a　skinflint；　yes；　and　a　hard　man。　They　say　that　you　are　rich　and　friendless；　they　say　that　while　you　are　a　just　man；　you　do　not　know　mercy。　These　are　terrible　things　to　say　of　any　man　if　they　are　true。〃

I　paused。　The　old　man　looked　for　a　moment　as　though　he　were　going　to　strike　me　with　his　stick；　but　he　neither　stirred　nor　spoke。　It　was　evidently　a　wholly　new　experience　for　him。

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃you　are　not　popular　in　this　community；　but　what　do　you　suppose　I　care　about　that？　I'm　interested　in　your　hedge。　What　I'm　curious　to　knowand　I　might　as　well　tell　you　franklyis　how　such　a　man　as　you　are　reputed　to　be　could　grow　such　an　extraordinary　hedge。　You　must　have　been　at　it　a　very　long　time。〃

I　was　surprised　at　the　effect　of　my　words。　The　old　man　turned　partly　aside　and　looked　for　a　moment　along　the　proud　and　flaunting　embattlements　of　the　green　marvel　before　us。　Then　he　said　in　a　moderate　voice：

〃It's　a　putty　good　hedge；　a　putty　good