a summer in a canyon-第15章

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far　as　I　can　judge；　he　looks　at　it　as　one　prolonged　picnic。'

'My　sentiments　exactly！'　cried　Bell；　energetically。　　'I　can't　stand
many　more　of　these　trying　scenes；　I　am　worn　to　a　〃shadder。〃'

Dicky　tucked　his　head　under　his　mother's　arm；　with　a　sigh　of　relief
that　there　was　one　person；　at　least；　whose　sentiments　were　always
favourable　and　always　to　be　relied　upon。

'I　love　you　the　best　of　anybuddy；　mamma；'　whispered　he；　and　fell
asleep。



CHAPTER　IV：　　RHYME　AND　REASON



A　BUDGET　OF　LETTERS　FROM　THE　CAMP　MAIL…BAG

'The　letter　of　a　friend　is　a　likeness　passing　true。'


Our　friend　Polly　was　seated　in　a　secluded　spot　whence　all　but　her　had
fled；　her　grave　demeanour；　her　discarded　sun…bonnet；　her　corrugated
brow；　all　bespoke　more　than　common　fixedness　of　purpose；　the　cause　of
which　will　be　discovered　in　what　follows。

I。　　FROM　THE　COUNTESS　PAULINA　OLIVERA　TO　HER　FRIEND　AND　CONFIDANTE；
THE　LADY　ELSIE　HOWARD。　｛1｝

Scene：　　A　sequestered　nook　in　the　Valley　of　the　Flowers。

CAMP　CHAPARRAL；　July　6；　188…。

The　countess　is　discovered　at　her　ommerlu　｛1a｝　writing…table。　　A
light　zephyr　｛1b｝　plays　with　her　golden　locks　｛1c｝　and　caresses　her
Grecian　｛1d｝　nosea　nose　that　carries　on　its　surface　a　few　trifling
freckles；　which　serve　but　to　call　attention　to　its　exquisite　purity
of　outline　and　the　height　of　its　ambition。　　Her　eyes　reflect　the
changing　shadows　of　moonlight；　and　her　mouth　is　one　fit　for　sweet
sounds；　｛1e｝　yet　this　only　gives　you　a　faint　idea　of　the　beauteous
creature　whose　fortunes　we　shall　follow　in　our　next　number。　｛1f｝

I　have　given　that　style　a　fair　trial；　my　dear　darling；　but　I　cannot
stand　it　another　minute；　not　being　familiar　with　the　language　of　what
our　cook　used　to　call　the　'fuddal　aristocracy'　（feudal；　you　know）。

I；　your　faithful　Polly；　am　seated　in　the　card…room；　writing　with　a
dreadful　pen　which　Phil　gave　me　yesterday。　　Its　internal　organs　are
filled　with　ink；　which　it　disgorges　when　PRESSED　to　do　so；　but　just
now　it　is　'too　full　for　utterance；'　as　you　will　see　by　the　blots。

We　have　decided　not　to　make　this　a　real　round…robin　letter；　like　the
last；　because　we　want　to　write　what　we　like；　and　not　have　it　read　by
the　person　who　comes　next。

I　have　been　badgered　to　death　over　my　part　of　the　communication　sent
to　you　last　week；　for　the　young　persons　connected　with　this　camp　have
a　faculty　of　making　mountains　out　of　mole…hills；　as　you　know；　and　I
have　to　suffer　for　every　careless　little　speech。　　However；　as　we
didn't　wish　to　bore　you　with　six　duplicate　letters；　we　invented　a
plan　for　keeping　off　each　other's　ground；　and　appointed　Geoff　a
committee　of　one　to　settle　our　line　of　march。　　It　is　to　be　a
collective　letter；　made　up　of　individual　notes；　and　these　are　Geoff's
sealed　orders；　which　must　be　obeyed；　on　pain　of　dismissal　from　the
camp：

No。　1　（Polly）　is　to　amuse！
No。　2　（Phil）　　。。。　inform！
No。　3　（Geoff）　。。。　edify！！
No。　4　（Madge）　。。。　gossip。
No。　5　（Bell）　　。。。　versify。
No。　6　（Jack）　　。。。　illustrate

So；　my　dear；　if　you　get　any　'information'　or　happen　to　be　'edified'
by　what　I　write；　don't　mention　it　for　worlds！　　（I　just　screamed　my
fears　about　this　matter　to　Jack；　and　he　says　'I　needn't　fret。'　　I
shall　certainly　slap　that　boy　before　the　summer　is　over。）

I　could　just　tell　you　a　lovely　story　about　Dicky's　getting　lost　in
the　woods　the　day　before　yesterday；　and　our　terrible　fright　about
him；　and　how　we　all　joined　in　the　boy…hunt；　until　Geoff　and　Bell
found　him　at　the　Lone　Stump；　but　I　suppose　the　chronicle　belongs　to
Phil's　province；　so　I　desist。　　But　what　can　I　say？　　Suppose　I　tell
you　that　Uncle　Doc　and　the　boys　have　been　shooting　innocent；　TAME
sheep；　skinning　and　cutting　them　up　on　the　way　home；　and　making　us
believe　for　two　days　that　we　were　eating　venison；　and　we　never　should
have　discovered　the　imposition　had　not　Dicky　dragged　home　four　sheep…
skins　from　the　upper　pool；　and　told　us　that　he　saw　the　boys　'PEELING
THEM　OFF　A　VENISON。'　　Perhaps　Phil　may　call　this　information；　and
Margery　will　vow　that　it　is　gossip　and　belongs　to　her；　any　way；　they
consider　it　a　splendid　joke；　and　chuckle　themselves　to　sleep　over　it
every　night；　but　I　think　the　whole　affair　is　perfectly　maddening；　and
it　makes　me　boil　with　rage　to　be　taken　in　so　easily。　　Such　a　to…do　as
they　make　over　the　matter　you　never　saw；　you　would　think　it　was　the
first　successful　joke　since　the　Deluge。　　（That　wasn't　a　DRY　joke；　was
it？　　Ha；　ha！）

This　is　the　way　they　twang　on　their　harp　of　a　thousand　strings。　　At
breakfast；　this　morning；　when　Jack　passed　me　the　corn…bread；　I　said
innocently；　'Why；　what　have　we　here？'　　'It　is　manna　that　fell　in　the
night；'　answered　Jack；　with　an　exasperating　snicker。　　'You　didn't
know　mutton；　but　I　thought；　being　a　Sunday…school　teacher；　you　would
know　something　about　manna。'　　（N。B。He　alludes　to　that　time　I　took
the　infant　class　for　Miss　Jones；　and　they　all　ran　out　to　see　a
military　funeral　procession。）　　'I　wish　you　knew　something　about
manners；'　snapped　I；　and　then　Aunt　Truth　had　to　warn　us　both；　as
usual。　　Oh　dear！　it's　a　weary　world。　　I'd　just　like　to　get　Jack　at　a
disadvantage　once！

＇Next　paragraph　crossed　out＇
We　climbed　Pico　Negro　yesterday。　　Bell；　Geoff；　Phil；　and　I　had　quite
an　experience　in　losing　the　trail。　　I　will　tell　you　about　it。　　Just
as　…

（Goodness　me！　what　have　I　written？　　Oh；　Elsie；　pray　excuse　those
HORIZONTAL　EVIDENCES　of　my　forgetfulness　and　disobedience。　　I　have
bumped　my　head　against　the　table　three　times；　as　penance；　and　will
now　try　to　turn　my　thoughts　into　right　channels。　　This　letter　is　a
black…and…white　evidence　that　_I_　have　not　a　frivolous　order　of　mind；
and　have　always　been　misunderstood　from　my　birth　up　to　this　date。）

We　have　had　beautiful　weather　sincebut　no；　of　course　Phil　will　tell
you　about　the　weather；　for　that　is　scarcely　an　amusing　topic。　　I　do
want　to　be　as　prudent　as　possible；　for　Uncle　Doc　is　going　to　read　all
the　letters　（not；　of　course；　aloud）　and　see　whether　we　have　fulfilled
our　specific　obligations。

（I　just　asked　Bell　whether　'specific'　had　a　'c'　or　an's　in　the
middle；　and　she　answered　'〃c；〃　of　course；'　with　such　an　air；　you
should　have　heard　her！　　I　had　to　remind　her　of　the　time　she　spelled
'Tophet'　with　an　'f'　in　the　middle；　then　she　subsided。）

（I　just　read　this　last　paragraph　to　Madge；　to　see　if　she　called　it
gossip；　as　I　was　going　to　take　it　out　if　it　belonged　to　her　topic；
but　she　said　No；　she　didn't　call　it　gossip　at　allthat　she　should
call　it　slander！）

You　don't　know　how　we　all　long　to　see　you；　dear　darling　that　you　are。
We　live　in　the　hope　of　having　you　with　us　very　soon；　and　meanwhile
the　beautiful　bedstead　is　almost　finished；　and　a　perfect　success。　　（I
wish　to　withdraw　the　last　three　quarters　of　that　sentence；　for
obvious　reasons！！）

Dear；　dear！　　Geoffrey　calls　'Time　up；'　and　I've　scarcely　said
anything　I　should。　　Never；　never　again　will　I　submit　to　this　method
of　correspondence；　it　is　absolutely　petrifying　to　one's　genius。　　When
I　am　once　forced　to　walk　in　a　path；　nothing　but　the　whole　out…of…
doors　will　satisfy　me。

I'm　very　much　afraid　I　haven't　amused　you；　dear；　…


But　when　I　lie　in　the　green　kirkyard；
With　the　mould　upon　my　breast；
Say　not　that　'She　did　well　or　ill；'
Only；　'She　did　her　best。'


Now；　do　you　think　that　will　interfere　with　Bell；　when　it's　only　a
quotation？　　Any　way；　it's　so　appropriate　that　Uncle　Doc　will　never
have　the　heart　to　strike　it　out。　　The　trouble　is　that　Geoff　thinks
all　the　poetry　in　the　universe　is　locked　up　in　Bell's　head；　and　if
she　once　allows　it　to　escape；　Felicia　Hemans　and　the　rest　will　be　too
discouraged　ever　to　try　again！　　（I　can't　remember　whether　F。　H。　is
alive　or　not；　and　am　afraid　to　ask；　but　you　will　know　that　I　don't
mean　to　be　disrespectful。）

Laura；　Anne；　and　Scott　Burton　were　here　for　the　play；　and　Laura　is
coming　down　again　to　spend　the　week。　　I　can't　abide　her；　and　there
will　probably　be　trouble　in　the　camp。

The　flame　of　my　genius　blazes　high　just　now；　but　Geoff　has　spoken；
and　it　must　be　snuffed。　　So　good…bye！

Sizz…z…z！！　and　I'm　OUT！

POLLIOLIVER。


II。　　FROM　PHILIP　TO　ELSIE。


CAMP　CHAPARRAL；　July　8；　188…。

My　dear　Elsie；I　believe　I　am　to　inform