painted windows-第7章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
make me a dress。 I had gone about
many a time； like love amid the ruins；
in the fragments of Aunt Bess's splen…
dour； and I was not happy in the
thought of dangling these dimmed re…
minders of Ireland's past around with
me。 But mother said she thought I'd
have a really truly white Sunday best
dress out of it by the time she was
through with it。 So she prepared a
strong solution of sodium and things；
and boiled the breadths； and every little
green harp came dancing back as if
awaiting the hand of a new Dublin poet。
The green of them was even more
charming than it had been at first； and
I； as happy as if I had acquired the
golden harp for which I then vaguely
longed； went to Sunday…school all that
summer in this miraculous dress of
now…you…see…them…and…now…you…don't；
and became so used to being asked if I
were Irish that my heart exulted when
I found that I might fractionally
claim to be； and that one of the Fenian
martyrs had been an ancestor。 For a
year； even； after that discovery of the
Fenian martyr； ancestors were a fa…
vorite study of mine。
Well； though the dress became some…
thing more than familiar to the eyes
of my associates； I was so attached to
it that I felt no objection to wearing
it on the great occasion； and； that be…
ing settled； all that remained was to
select the piece which was to reveal my
talents to a hitherto unappreciative
or； perhaps I should say； unsuspecting
group of friends and relatives。 It
seemed to me that I knew better than
my teacher （who had agreed to select
the pieces for her pupils） possibly
could what sort of a thing best repre…
sented my talents； and so； after some
thought； I selected 〃Antony and Cleo…
patra；〃 and as I lagged along the too…
familiar road to school； avoiding the
companionship of my acquaintances； I
repeated：
I am dying； Egypt； dying！
Ebbs the crimson life…tide fast；
And the dark Plutonian shadows
Gather on the evening blast。
Sometimes I grew so impassioned； so
heedless of all save my mimic sorrow
and the swing of the purple lines； that
I could not bring myself to modify my
voice； and the passers…by heard my
shrill tones vibrating with：
As for thee； star…eyed Egyptian！
Glorious sorceress of the Nile！
Light the path to Stygian horrors
With the splendour of thy smile。
I wiped dishes to the rhythm of such
phrases as 〃scarred and veteran le…
gions；〃 and laced my shoes to the music
of 〃Though no glittering guards sur…
round me。〃
Confident that no one could fail to
see the beauty of these lines； or the pro…
priety of the identification of myself
with Antony； I called upon my Sunday…
school teacher； Miss Goss； to report。 I
never had thought of Miss Goss as a
blithe spirit。 She was associated in my
mind with numerous solemn occasions；
and I was surprised to find that on this
day she unexpectedly developed a trait
of breaking into nervous laughter。 I
had got as far as 〃Should the base ple…
beian rabble 〃 when Miss Goss broke
down in what I could not but regard as
a fit of giggles； and I ceased abruptly。
She pulled herself together after a
moment or two； and said if I would fol…
low her to the library she thought she
could find something here she hesi…
tated； to conclude with； 〃more within
the understanding of the other chil…
dren。〃 I saw that she thought my feel…
ings were hurt； and as I passed a mir…
ror I feared she had some reason to
think so。 My face was uncommonly
flushed； and a look of indignation had
crept； somehow； even into my braids；
which； having been plaited too tightly；
stuck out in crooks and kinks from the
side of my head。 Incidentally； I was
horrified to notice how thin I was
thin； even for a dying Antony and my
frock was so outgrown that it hardly
covered my knees。 〃Ridiculous！〃 I
said under my breath； as I confronted
this miserable figure so shamefully in…
significant for the vicarious emotions
which it had been housing。 〃Ridicu…
lous！〃
I hated Miss Goss； and must have
shown it in my stony stare； for she put
her arm around me and said it was a
pity I had been to all the trouble to
learn a poem which was well； a trifle
too too old but that she hoped to find
something equally 〃pretty〃 for me to
speak。 At the use of that adjective in
connection with William Lytle's lines； I
wrenched away from her grasp and
stood in what I was pleased to think a
haughty calm； awaiting her directions。
She took from the shelves a little vol…
ume of Whittier； bound in calf； hand…
ling it as tenderly as if it were a price…
less possession。 Some pressed violets
dropped out as she opened it； and she
replaced them with devotional fingers。
After some time she decided upon a
lyric lament entitled 〃Eva。〃 I was
asked to run over the verses； and found
them remarkably easy to learn； fatally
impossible to forget。 I presently arose
and with an impish betrayal of the pov…
erty of rhyme and the plethora of sen…
timent； repeated the thing relentlessly。
O for faith like thine； sweet Eva；
Lighting all the solemn reevah ＇river＇；
And the blessings of the poor；
Wafting to the heavenly shoor ＇shore＇。
〃I do think；〃 said Miss Goss gently；
〃that if you tried； my child； you might
manage the rhymes just a little better。〃
〃But if you're born in Michigan；〃 I
protested； 〃how can you possibly make
'Eva' rhyme with 'never' and 'be…
liever'？〃
〃Perhaps it is a little hard；〃 Miss
Goss agreed； and still clinging to her
Whittier； she exhumed 〃The Pump…
kin；〃 which she thought precisely fitted
for our Harvest Home festival。 This
was quite another thing from 〃Eva；〃
and I saw that only hours of study
would fix it in my mind。 I went to my
home； therefore； with 〃The Pumpkin〃
delicately transcribed in Miss Goss's
running hand； and I tried to get some
comfort from the foreign allusions glit…
tering through Whittier's kindly verse。
As the days went by I came to have a
certain fondness for those homely lines：
O fruit loved of boyhood！ the old days re…
calling；
When wood grapes were purpling and brown
nuts were falling！
When wild； ugly faces we carved in the skin；
Glaring out through the dark with a candle
within！
When we laughed round the corn…heap； with
hearts all in tune；
Our chair a broad pumpkin our lantern the
moon；
Telling tales of the fairy who travelled like
steam
In a pumpkin…shell coach； with two rats for her
team！
On all sides this poem was considered
very fitting； and I went to the festival
with that comfortable feeling one has
when one is moving with the majority
and is wearing one's best clothes。
I sat rigid with expectancy while my
schoolmates spoke their 〃pieces〃 and
sang their songs。 With frozen faces
they faced each other in dialogues； lost
their quavering voices； and stumbled
down the stairs in their anguish of
spirit。 I pitied them； and thought how
lucky it was that my memory never
failed me； and that my voice carried so
well that I could arouse even old Elder
Waite from his slumbers。
Then my turn came。 My crimps
were beautiful； the green harps danced
on my freshly…ironed frock； and I had
on my new chain and locket。 I relied
upon a sort of mechanism in me to say：
O greenly and fair in the lands of the sun；
The vines of the gourd and the rich melon run。
In this seemly manner Whittier's ode
to the pumpkin began。 I meant to go
on to verses which I knew would de…
light my audience to references to the
〃crook…necks〃 ripening under the Sep…
tember sun； and to Thanksgiving gath…
erings at which all smiled at the reun…
ion of friends and the bounty of the board。
What moistens the lip and brightens the eye！
What calls back the past like the rich pumpkin pie！
I was sure these lines would meet
with approval； and having 〃come down
to the popular taste；〃 I was prepared
to do my best to please。
After a few seconds； when the golden
pumpkins that lined the stage had
ceased to dance before my eyes； I
thought I ought to begin to 〃get hold
of my audience。〃 Of course； my mem…
ory would be giving me the right words；
and my facile tongue running along re…
liably； but I wished to demonstrate that
〃ability〃 which was to bring
