the americanization of edward bok-第19章

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〃'It's　folly　for　you　to　be　kept　in　constant　excitement　week　after　week；'　he　would　say。　'I　shall　wait　till　the　work　is　completed；　and　take　it　all　at　one　dose。'

〃After　the　serial　ended；　the　book　came　to　Mr。　Beecher　on　the　morning　of　a　day　when　he　had　a　meeting　on　hand　for　the　afternoon　and　a　speech　to　make　in　the　evening。　The　book　was　quietly　laid　one　side；　for　he　always　scrupulously　avoided　everything　that　could　interfere　with　work　he　was　expected　to　do。　But　the　next　day　was　a　free　day。　Mr。　Beecher　rose　even　earlier　than　usual；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　dressed　he　began　to　read　Uncle　Tom's　Cabin。　When　breakfast　was　ready　he　took　his　book　with　him　to　the　table；　where　reading　and　eating　went　on　together；　but　he　spoke　never　a　word。　After　morning　prayers；　he　threw　himself　on　the　sofa；　forgot　everything　but　his　book；　and　read　uninterruptedly　till　dinner…time。　Though　evidently　intensely　interested；　for　a　long　time　he　controlled　any　marked　indication　of　it。　Before　noon　I　knew　the　storm　was　gathering　that　would　conquer　his　self…control；　as　it　had　done　with　us　all。　He　frequently　'gave　way　to　his　pocket…handkerchief；'　to　use　one　of　his　old　humorous　remarks；　in　a　most　vigorous　manner。　In　return　for　his　teasing　me　for　reading　the　work　weekly；　I　could　not　refrain　from　saying　demurely；　as　I　passed　him　once：　'You　seem　to　have　a　severe　cold；　Henry。　How　could　you　have　taken　it？'　But　what　did　I　gain？　Not　even　a　half…annoyed　shake　of　the　head；　or　the　semblance　of　a　smile。　I　might　as　well　have　spoken　to　the　Sphinx。

〃When　reminded　that　the　dinner…bell　had　rung；　he　rose　and　went　to　the　table；　still　with　his　book　in　his　hand。　He　asked　the　blessing　with　a　tremor　in　his　voice；　which　showed　the　intense　excitement　under　which　he　was　laboring。　We　were　alone　at　the　table；　and　there　was　nothing　to　distract　his　thoughts。　He　drank　his　coffee；　ate　but　little；　and　returned　to　his　reading；　with　no　thought　of　indulging　in　his　usual　nap。　His　almost　uncontrollable　excitement　revealed　itself　in　frequent　half…suppressed　sobs。

〃Mr。　Beecher　was　a　very　slow　reader。　I　was　getting　uneasy　over　the　marks　of　strong　feeling　and　excitement；　and　longed　to　have　him　finish　the　book。　I　could　see　that　he　entered　into　the　whole　story；　every　scene；　as　if　it　were　being　acted　right　before　him；　and　he　himself　were　the　sufferer。　He　had　always　been　a　pronounced　Abolitionist；　and　the　story　he　was　reading　roused　intensely　all　he　had　felt　on　that　subject。

〃The　night　came　on。　It　was　growing　late；　and　I　felt　impelled　to　urge　him　to　retire。　Without　raising　his　eyes　from　the　book；　he　replied：

〃'Soon；　soon；　you　go；　I'll　come　soon。'

〃Closing　the　house；　I　went　to　our　room；　but　not　to　sleep。　The　clock　struck　twelve；　one；　two；　three；　and　then；　to　my　great　relief；　I　heard　Mr。　Beecher　coming　up…stairs。　As　he　entered；　he　threw　Uncle　Tom's　Cabin　on　the　table；　exclaiming：　'There；　I've　done　it！　But　if　Hattie　Stowe　ever　writes　anything　more　like　that　I'llwell！　She　has　nearly　killed　me。'

〃And　he　never　picked　up　the　book　from　that　day。〃

Any　one　who　knew　Henry　Ward　Beecher　at　all　knew　of　his　love　of　books。　He　was；　however；　most　prodigal　in　lending　his　books　and　he　always　forgot　the　borrowers。　Then　when　he　wanted　a　certain　volume　from　his　library　he　could　not　find　it。　He　would；　of　course；　have　forgotten　the　borrower；　but　he　had　a　unique　method　of　tracing　the　book。

One　evening　the　great　preacher　suddenly　appeared　at　a　friend's　house　and；　quietly　entering　the　drawing…room　without　removing　his　overcoat；　he　walked　up　to　his　friend　and　said：

〃Rossiter；　why　don't　you　bring　back　that　Ruskin　of　mine　that　I　lent　you？〃

The　man　colored　to　the　roots　of　his　hair。　〃Why；　Mr。　Beecher；〃　he　said；　〃I'll　go　up…stairs　and　get　it　for　you　right　away。　I　would　not　have　kept　it　so　long；　only　you　told　me　I　might。〃

At　this　Beecher　burst　into　a　fit　of　merry　laughter。　〃Found！　Found！〃　he　shouted；　as　he　took　off　his　overcoat　and　threw　himself　into　a　chair。

When　he　could　stop　laughing；　he　said：　〃You　know；　Rossiter；　that　I　am　always　ready　to　lend　my　books　to　any　one　who　will　make　good　use　of　them　and　bring　them　back；　but　I　always　forget　to　whom　I　lend　them。　It　happened；　in　this　case；　that　I　wanted　that　volume　of　Ruskin　about　a　week　ago；　but　when　I　went　to　the　shelf　for　it；　it　was　gone。　I　knew　I　must　have　lent　it；　but　to　whom　I　could　not　remember。　During　the　past　week；　I　began　to　demand　the　book　of　every　friend　I　met　to　whom　I　might　have　lent　it。　Of　course；　every　one　of　them　protested　innocence；　but　at　last　I've　struck　the　guilty　man。　I　shall　know；　in　future；　how　to　find　my　missing　books。　The　plan　works　beautifully。〃

One　evening；　after　supper；　Mr。　Beecher　said　to　his　wife：

〃Mother；　what　material　have　we　among　our　papers　about　our　early　Indiana　days？〃

Mr。　Beecher　had　long　been　importuned　to　write　his　autobiography；　and　he　had　decided　to　do　it　after　he　had　finished　his　Life　of　Christ。

Mrs。　Beecher　had　two　boxes　brought　into　the　room。

〃Suppose　you　look　into　that　box；　if　you　will；〃　said　Mr。　Beecher　to　Edward；　〃and　I'll　take　this　one；　and　we'll　see　what　we　can　find　about　that　time。　Mother；　you　supervise　and　see　how　we　look　on　the　floor。〃

And　Mr。　Beecher　sat　down　on　the　floor　in　front　of　one　box；　shoemaker…fashion；　while　Edward；　likewise　on　the　floor；　started　on　the　other　box。

It　was　a　dusty　job；　and　the　little　room　began　to　be　filled　with　particles　of　dust　which　set　Mrs。　Beecher　coughing。　At　last　she　said：　〃I'll　leave　you　two　to　finish。　I　have　some　things　to　do　up…stairs；　and　then　I'll　retire。　Don't　be　too　late；　Henry；〃　she　said。

It　was　one　of　those　rare　evenings　for　Mr。　Beecherabsolutely　free　from　interruption；　and；　with　his　memory　constantly　taken　back　to　his　early　days；　he　continued　in　a　reminiscent　mood　that　was　charmingly　intimate　to　the　boy。

〃Found　something？〃　he　asked　at　one　intermission　when　quiet　had　reigned　longer　than　usual；　and　he　saw　Edward　studying　a　huge　pile　of　papers。

〃No；　sir；〃　said　the　boy。　〃Only　a　lot　of　papers　about　a　suit。〃

〃What　suit？〃　asked　Mr。　Beecher　mechanically；　with　his　head　buried　in　his　box。

〃I　don't　know；　sir；〃　Edward　replied　naively；　little　knowing　what　he　was　reopening　to　the　preacher。　〃'Tilton　versus　Beecher'　they　are　marked。〃

Mr。　Beecher　said　nothing；　and　after　the　boy　had　fingered　the　papers　he　chanced　to　look　in　the　preacher's　direction　and　found　him　watching　him　intently　with　a　curiously　serious　look　in　his　face。

〃Must　have　been　a　big　suit；〃　commented　the　boy。　〃Here's　another　pile　of　papers　about　it。〃

Edward　could　not　make　out　Mr。　Beecher's　steady　look　at　him　as　he　sat　there　on　the　floor　mechanically　playing　with　a　paper　in　his　hand。

〃Yes；〃　he　finally　said；　〃it　was　a　big　suit。　What　does　it　mean　to　you？〃　he　asked　suddenly。

〃To　me？〃　Edward　asked。　〃Nothing；　sir。　Why？〃

Mr。　Beecher　said　nothing　for　a　few　moments；　and　turned　to　his　box　to　examine　some　more　papers。

Then　the　boy　asked：　〃Was　the　Beecher　in　this　suit　you；　Mr。　Beecher？〃

Again　was　turned　on　him　that　serious；　questioning　look。

〃Yes；〃　he　said　after　a　bit。　Then　he　thought　again　for　a　few　moments　and　said：　〃How　old　were　you　in　1875？〃

〃Twelve；〃　the　boy　replied。

〃Twelve；〃　he　repeated。　〃Twelve。〃

He　turned　again　to　his　box　and　Edward　to　his。

〃There　doesn't　seem　to　be　anything　more　in　this　box；〃　the　boy　said；　〃but　more　papers　in　that　suit；〃　and　he　began　to　put　the　papers　back。

〃What　do　you　know　about　that　'suit；'　as　you　call　it？〃　asked　Mr。　Beecher；　stopping　in　his　work。

〃Nothing；〃　was　the　reply。　〃I　never　heard　of　it。〃

〃Never　heard　of　it？〃　he　repeated；　and　he　fastened　that　curious　look　upon　Edward　again。　It　was　so　compelling　that　it　held　the　boy。　For　several　moments　they　looked　at　each　other。　Neither　spoke。

〃That　seems　strange；〃　he　said；　at　last；　as　he　renewed　the　search　of　his　box。　〃Never　heard　of　it；〃　he　repeated　almost　to　himself。

Then　for　fully　five　minutes　not　a　word　was　spoken。

〃But　you　will　some　day；〃　said　Mr。　Beecher　suddenly。

〃I　will　what；　Mr。　Beecher？〃　asked　the　boy。　He　had　forgotten　the　previous　remark。

Mr。　Beecher　looked　at　Edward　and　sighed。　〃Hear　about　it；〃　he　said。

〃I　don't　think　I　understand　you；〃　was　the　reply。

〃No；　I　don't　think　you　do；〃　he　said。　〃I　mean；　you　will　some　day　hear　about　that　suit。　And　I　don't　know；〃　then