the complete writings-4-第10章

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　so　much　interest　in　the　farm。　　If　John　could　have　had　his　way；　he　would　have　discovered　a　cave　full　of　diamonds；　and　lots　of　nail…　kegs　full　of　gold…pieces　and　Spanish　dollars；　with　a　pretty　little　girl　living　in　the　cave；　and　two　beautifully　caparisoned　horses；　upon　which；　taking　the　jewels　and　money；　they　would　have　ridden　off　together；　he　did　not　know　where。　　John　had　got　thus　far　in　his　studies；　which　were　apparently　arithmetic　and　geography；　but　were　in　reality　the　Arabian　Nights；　and　other　books　of　high　and　mighty　adventure。　　He　was　a　simple　country…boy；　and　did　not　know　much　about　the　world　as　it　is；　but　he　had　one　of　his　own　imagination；　in　which　he　lived　a　good　deal。　　I　daresay　he　found　out　soon　enough　what　the　world　is；　and　he　had　a　lesson　or　two　when　he　was　quite　young；　in　two　incidents；　which　I　may　as　well　relate。

If　you　had　seen　John　at　this　time；　you　might　have　thought　he　was　only　a　shabbily　dressed　country　lad；　and　you　never　would　have　guessed　what　beautiful　thoughts　he　sometimes　had　as　he　went　stubbing　his　toes　along　the　dusty　road；　nor　what　a　chivalrous　little　fellow　he　was。　You　would　have　seen　a　short　boy；　barefooted；　with　trousers　at　once　too　big　and　too　short；　held　up　perhaps　by　one　suspender　only；　a　checked　cotton　shirt；　and　a　hat　of　braided　palm…leaf；　frayed　at　the　edges　and　bulged　up　in　the　crown。　　It　is　impossible　to　keep　a　hat　neat　if　you　use　it　to　catch　bumblebees　and　whisk　'em；　to　bail　the　water　from　a　leaky　boat；　to　catch　minnows　in；　to　put　over　honey…bees'　nests；　and　to　transport　pebbles；　strawberries；　and　hens'　eggs。　　John　usually　carried　a　sling　in　his　hand；　or　a　bow；　or　a　limber　stick；　sharp　at　one　end；　from　which　he　could　sling　apples　a　great　distance。　If　he　walked　in　the　road；　he　walked　in　the　middle　of　it；　shuffling　up　the　dust；　or　if　he　went　elsewhere；　he　was　likely　to　be　running　on　the　top　of　the　fence　or　the　stone　wall；　and　chasing　chipmunks。

John　knew　the　best　place　to　dig　sweet…flag　in　all　the　farm；　it　was　in　a　meadow　by　the　river；　where　the　bobolinks　sang　so　gayly。　　He　never　liked　to　hear　the　bobolink　sing；　however；　for　he　said　it　always　reminded　him　of　the　whetting　of　a　scythe；　and　that　reminded　him　of　spreading　hay；　and　if　there　was　anything　he　hated；　it　was　spreading　hay　after　the　mowers。　　〃I　guess　you　would　n't　like　it　yourself；〃　said　John；　〃with　the　stubbs　getting　into　your　feet；　and　the　hot　sun；　and　the　men　getting　ahead　of　you；　all　you　could　do。〃

Towards　evening；　once；　John　was　coming　along　the　road　home　with　some　stalks　of　the　sweet…flag　in　his　hand；　there　is　a　succulent　pith　in　the　end　of　the　stalk　which　is　very　good　to　eat；tender；　and　not　so　strong　as　the　root；　and　John　liked　to　pull　it；　and　carry　home　what　he　did　not　eat　on　the　way。　　As　he　was　walking　along　he　met　a　carriage；　which　stopped　opposite　to　him；　he　also　stopped　and　bowed；　as　country　boys　used　to　bow　in　John's　day。　　A　lady　leaned　from　the　carriage；　and　said：

〃What　have　you　got；　little　boy？

She　seemed　to　be　the　most　beautiful　woman　John　had　ever　seen；　with　light　hair；　dark；　tender　eyes；　and　the　sweetest　smile。　　There　was　that　in　her　gracious　mien　and　in　her　dress　which　reminded　John　of　the　beautiful　castle　ladies；　with　whom　he　was　well　acquainted　in　books。　He　felt　that　he　knew　her　at　once；　and　he　also　seemed　to　be　a　sort　of　young　prince　himself。　　I　fancy　he　did　n't　look　much　like　one。　　But　of　his　own　appearance　he　thought　not　at　all；　as　he　replied　to　the　lady's　question；　without　the　least　embarrassment：

〃It's　sweet…flag　stalk；　would　you　like　some？〃

〃Indeed；　I　should　like　to　taste　it；〃　said　the　lady；　with　a　most　winning　smile。　　〃I　used　to　be　very　fond　of　it　when　I　was　a　little　girl。〃

John　was　delighted　that　the　lady　should　like　sweet…flag；　and　that　she　was　pleased　to　accept　it　from　him。　　He　thought　himself　that　it　was　about　the　best　thing　to　eat　he　knew。　　He　handed　up　a　large　bunch　of　it。　　The　lady　took　two　or　three　stalks；　and　was　about　to　return　the　rest；　when　John　said：

〃Please　keep　it　all；　ma'am。　　I　can　get　lots　more。〃

〃I　know　where　it's　ever　so　thick。〃

〃Thank　you；　thank　you；〃　said　the　lady；　and　as　the　carriage　started；　she　reached　out　her　hand　to　John。　　He　did　not　understand　the　motion；　until　he　saw　a　cent　drop　in　the　road　at　his　feet。　　Instantly　all　his　illusion　and　his　pleasure　vanished。　　Something　like　tears　were　in　his　eyes　as　he　shouted：

〃I　don't　want　your　cent。　　I　don't　sell　flag！〃

John　was　intensely　mortified。　　〃I　suppose；〃　he　said；　〃she　thought　I　was　a　sort　of　beggar…boy。　　To　think　of　selling　flag！〃

At　any　rate；　he　walked　away　and　left　the　cent　in　the　road；　a　humiliated　boy。　　The　next　day　he　told　Jim　Gates　about　it。　　Jim　said　he　was　green　not　to　take　the　money；　he'd　go　and　look　for　it　now；　if　he　would　tell　him　about　where　it　dropped。　　And　Jim　did　spend　an　hour　poking　about　in　the　dirt；　but　he　did　not　find　the　cent。　　Jim；　however；　had　an　idea；　he　said　he　was　going　to　dig　sweet…flag；　and　see　if　another　carriage　wouldn't　come　along。

John's　next　rebuff　and　knowledge　of　the　world　was　of　another　sort。　He　was　again　walking　the　road　at　twilight；　when　he　was　overtaken　by　a　wagon　with　one　seat；　upon　which　were　two　pretty　girls；　and　a　young　gentleman　sat　between　them；　driving。　　It　was　a　merry　party；　and　John　could　hear　them　laughing　and　singing　as　they　approached　him。　　The　wagon　stopped　when　it　overtook　him；　and　one　of　the　sweet…faced　girls　leaned　from　the　seat　and　said；　quite　seriously　and　pleasantly：

〃Little　boy；　how's　your　mar？〃

John　was　surprised　and　puzzled　for　a　moment。　　He　had　never　seen　the　young　lady；　but　he　thought　that　she　perhaps　knew　his　mother；　at　any　rate；　his　instinct　of　politeness　made　him　say：

〃She's　pretty　well；　I　thank　you。〃

〃Does　she　know　you　are　out？〃

And　thereupon　all　three　in　the　wagon　burst　into　a　roar　of　laughter；　and　dashed　on。

It　flashed　upon　John　in　a　moment　that　he　had　been　imposed　on；　and　it　hurt　him　dreadfully。　　His　self…respect　was　injured　somehow；　and　he　felt　as　if　his　lovely；　gentle　mother　had　been　insulted。　　He　would　like　to　have　thrown　a　stone　at　the　wagon；　and　in　a　rage　he　cried：

〃You're　a　nice。。。。〃　but　he　could　n't　think　of　any　hard；　bitter　words　quick　enough。

Probably　the　young　lady；　who　might　have　been　almost　any　young　lady；　never　knew　what　a　cruel　thing　she　had　done。




XI

HOME　INVENTIONS

The　winter　season　is　not　all　sliding　downhill　for　the　farmer…boy；　by　any　means；　yet　he　contrives　to　get　as　much　fun　out　of　it　as　from　any　part　of　the　year。　　There　is　a　difference　in　boys：　some　are　always　jolly；　and　some　go　scowling　always　through　life　as　if　they　had　a　stone…bruise　on　each　heel。　　I　like　a　jolly　boy。

I　used　to　know　one　who　came　round　every　morning　to　sell　molasses　candy；　offering　two　sticks　for　a　cent　apiece；　it　was　worth　fifty　cents　a　day　to　see　his　cheery　face。　　That　boy　rose　in　the　world。　　He　is　now　the　owner　of　a　large　town　at　the　West。　　To　be　sure；　there　are　no　houses　in　it　except　his　own；　but　there　　is　a　map　of　it；　and　roads　and　streets　are　laid　out　on　it；　with　dwellings　and　churches　and　academies　and　a　　college　and　an　opera…house；　and　you　could　scarcely　tell　it　from　Springfield　or　Hartford；on　paper。　　He　and　all　his　family　have　the　fever　and　ague；　and　shake　　worse　than　the　people　at　Lebanon；　but　they　do　not　mind　it；　it　makes　them　lively；　in　fact。　　Ed　May　is　just　as　jolly　as　he　used　to　be。　　He　calls　his　town　Mayopolis；　and　expects　to　be　mayor　of　it；　his　wife；　however；　calls　the　town　Maybe。

The　farmer…boy　likes　to　have　winter　come　for　one　thing；　because　it　freezes　up　the　ground　so　that　he　can't　dig　in　it；　and　it　is　covered　with　snow　so　that　there　is　no　picking　up　stones；　nor　driving　the　cows　to　pasture。　　He　would　have　a　very　easy　time　if　it　were　not　for　the　getting　up　before　daylight　to　build　the　fires　and　do　the　〃chores。〃　Nature　intended　the　long　winter　nights　for　the　farmer…boy　to　sleep；　but　in　my　day　he　was　expected　to　open　his　sleepy　eyes　when　the　cock　crew；　get　out　of　the　warm　bed　and　light　a　candle；　struggle　into　his　cold　pantaloons；　and　pull　on　boots　in　which　the　thermometer　would　have　gone　down　to　zero；　rake　open　the　coals　on　the　hearth　and　start　the　morning　fire；　and　then　go　to　the　barn　to　〃fodder。〃　　The　frost　was　thick　on　the　kitchen　windows；　the　snow　was　drifted　against　the　door；　an