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第37章

the friendly road(友好的路)-第37章

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being named David Grayson I tried desperately to set up and support a sort 

of dummy creature which; so clad; so housed; so fed; should appear to be 

what I thought David Grayson ought to appear in the eyes of the world。 



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Oh; I spent quite a lifetime trying to satisfy other people! 

     Once I remember staying at home; in bed; reading 〃Huckleberry Finn;〃 

while I sent my trousers out to be mended。 

     Well;   that   dummy   Grayson   perished   in   a   cornfield。   His   empty   coat 

served well for a scarecrow。 A wisp of straw stuck out through a hole in 

his finest hat。 

     And Ithe man withinI escaped; and have been out freely upon the 

great adventure of life。 

     If a shabby coat (and I speak here also symbolically; not forgetful of 

spiritual significances) lets you into the adventurous world of those who 

are   poor   it   does   not   on   the   other   hand   rob   you   of   any   true   friendship 

among   those   who   are   rich   or   mighty。   I   say   true   friendship;   for   unless   a 

man who is rich and mighty is able to see through my shabby coat (as I see 

through his fine one); I shall gain nothing by knowing him。 

     I've   permitted   myself   all   this   digressionleft   myself   walking   alone 

there  in   the streets   of   Kilburn   while   I  philosophized   upon   the   ways   and 

means      of   lifenot    without     design;    for   I  could    have    had    no   such 

experiences as I did have in Kilburn if I had worn a better coat or carried 

upon me the evidences of security in life。 

     I think I have already remarked upon the extraordinary enlivenment of 

wits which comes to the man who has been without a meal or so and does 

not know when or where he is again to break his fast。 Try it; friend and see! 

It   was   already   getting   along   in   the   evening;   and   I   knew   or   supposed   I 

knew   no   one   in   Kilburn   save   only   Bill   Hahn;   Socialist   who   was   little 

better off than I was。 

     In    this  emergency       my    mind    began     to  work     swiftly。   A   score    of 

fascinating   plans   for   getting   my   supper   and   a   bed   to   sleep   in   flashed 

through my mind。 

     〃Why;〃 said I; 〃when I come to think of it; I'm comparatively rich。 I'll 

warrant there are plenty of places in Kilburn; and good ones; too; where I 

could barter a chapter of Montaigne and a little good conversation for a 

first…rate supper;   and   I've   no   doubt   that   I  could   whistle  up   a  bed   almost 

anywhere!〃 



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     I thought of a little motto I often repeat to myself: 

     TO KNOW LIFE; BEGIN ANYWHERE! 

     There   were   several   people   on   the   streets   of   Kilburn   that   night   who 

don't know yet how very near they were to being boarded by a somewhat 

shabby looking farmer who would have offered them; let us say; a notable 

musical production called 〃Old Dan Tucker;〃 exquisitely performed on a 

tin whistle; in exchange for a good honest supper。 

     There was one   man in   particulara   fine; pompous   citizen   who   came 

down the street swinging his cane and looking as though the universe was 

a sort of Christmas turkey; lying all brown and sizzling before him ready 

to be carveda fine pompous citizen who never realized how nearly Fate 

with a battered volume of Montaigne in one hand and a tin whistle in the 

othercame       to   pouncing     upon    him    that   evening!    And     I  am   firmly 

convinced   that   if   I   had   attacked   him   with   the   Great   Particular   Word   he 

would have carved me off a juicy slice of the white breast meat。 

     〃I'm getting hungry;〃 I said; 〃I must find Bill Hahn!〃 

     I had turned down a side street; and seeing there in front of a building 

a   number   of   lounging   men   with   two   or   three   cabs   or   carriages   standing 

nearby in the street I walked up to them。 It was a livery barn。 

     Now I like all sorts of out…of…door people: I seem to be related to them 

through   horses   and   cattle   and   cold   winds   and   sunshine。   I   like   them   and 

understand   them;   and   they   seem   to   like   me   and   understand   me。   So   I 

walked up to the group of jolly drivers and stablemen intending to ask my 

directions。     The   talking   died   out   and   they   all  turned   to  look   at  me。   I 

suppose I was not altogether a familiar type there in the city streets。 My 

bag; especially; seemed to set me apart as a curious person。 

     〃Friends;〃 I said; 〃I am a farmer〃 

     They  all   broke   out   laughing;   they  seemed   to   know   it   already!   I   was 

just a little taken aback; but I laughed; too; knowing that there was a way 

of getting at them if only I could find it。 

     〃It may surprise you;〃 I said; but this is the first time in some dozen 

years that I've been in a big city like this。〃 

     〃You hadn't 'ave told us; partner!〃 said one of them; evidently the wit 



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of the group; in a rich Irish brogue。 

     〃Well;〃   I   responded;   laughing   with   the   best   of   them;   〃you've   been 

living right here all the time; and don't realize how amusing and curious 

the city looks to me。 Why; I feel as though I had been away sleeping for 

twenty years; like Rip Van Winkle。 When I left the city there was scarcely 

an    automobile     to  be   seen   anywhereand        now    look   at  them    snorting 

through the streets。 I counted twenty…two passing that corner up there in 

five minutes by the clock。〃 

     This was a fortunate remark; for I found instantly that the invasion of 

the   automobile   was   a   matter   of   tremendous   import   to   such   Knights   of 

Bucephalus as these。 

     At first the wit interrupted me with amusing remarks; as wits will; but 

I   soon   had   him   as   quiet   as   the   others。   For   I   have   found   the   things   that 

chiefly interest people   are the  things they already  know  aboutprovided 

you    show     them    that  these    common      things    are  still  mysterious;     still 

miraculous; as indeed they are。 

     After a time some one pushed me a stable stool and I sat down among 

them;  and   we   had   quite   a   conversation;  which   finally  developed   into   an 

amusing comparison (I wish I had room to repeat it here) between the city 

and    the  country。    I  told   them   something     about    my   farm;   how    much     I 

enjoyed it; and what a wonderful free life one had in the country。 In this I 

was really taking an unfair advantage of them; for I was trading on the fact 

that every man; down deep in his heart; has more or less of an instinct to 

get back to the soilat least all outdoor men have。 And when I described 

the simplest things about my barn; and the cattle and pigs; and the bees 

and   the   good   things   we   have   to   eatI   had   every   one   of   them   leaning 

forward and hanging on my words。 

     Harriet sometimes laughs at me for the way I celebrate farm life。 She 

says all my apples are the size of Hubbard squashes; my eggs all double… 

yolked;   and   my   cornfields   tropical   jungles。   Practical   Harriet!   My   apples 

may not ALL be the size of Hubbard squashes; but they are good; sizable 

apples;   and   as   for   flavourall   the   spices   of   Arcady!   And   I   believe;   I 

KNOW; from my own experience that these fields and hills are capable of 



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