eben holden-第34章

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'And　the　beginning　of　better　ones；　I　hope；'　was　her　answer。

'Yes；　but　they　are　so　far　away；'　I　said；　'you　leave　home　to　study　and　I　am　to　be　four　years　in　college…possibly　I　can　finish　in　three。'

'Perfectly　terrible！'　she　said；　and　then　she　added　the　favourite　phrase　and　tone　of　her　mother：　'We　must　be　patient。'

'I　am　very　sorry　of　one　thing；'　I　said。　'What's　that？'

'I　promised　not　to　ask　you　for　one　more　kiss。'

'Well　then；'　said　she；　'you　…　you　…　needn't　ask　me。'　And　in　a　moment　I　helped　her　out　at　the　door。

Chapter　25

David　Brower　had　prospered；　as　I　have　said　before；　and　now　he　was　chiefly　concerned　in　the　welfare　of　his　children。　So；　that　he　might　give　us　the　advantages　of　the　town；　he　decided　either　to　lease　or　sell　his　farm…　by　far　the　handsomest　property　in　the　township。　I　was　there　when　a　buyer　came；　in　the　last　days　of　that　summer。　We　took　him　over　the　smooth　acres　from　Lone　Pine　to　Woody　Ledge；　from　the　top　of　Bowman's　Hill　to　Tinkie　Brook　in　the　far　valley。　He　went　with　us　through　every　tidy　room　of　the　house。　He　looked　over　the　stock　and　the　stables。

'Wall！　what's　it　wuth？'　he　said；　at　last；　as　we　stood　looking　down　the　fair　green　acres　sloping　to　the　sugar　bush。

David　picked　up　a　stick；　opened　his　knife；　and　began　to　whittle　thoughtfully；　a　familiar　squint　of　reflection　in　his　face。　I　suppose　he　thought　of　all　it　had　cost　him　…　the　toil　of　many　years；　the　strength　of　his　young　manhood；　the　youth　and　beauty　of　his　wife；　a　hundred　things　that　were　far　better　than　money。

'Fifteen　thousan'　dollars；'　he　said　slowly　…　'not　a　cent　less。'　The　man　parleyed　a　little　over　the　price。

'Don'　care　t'　take　any　less　t'day；'　said　David　calmly。　'No　harm　done。'

'How　much　down？'

David　named　the　sum。

'An'　possession？'

'Next　week'

'Everything　as　it　stan's？'

'Everything　as　it　stan's　'cept　the　beds　an'　bedding。'

'Here's　some　money　on　account；'　he　said。　'We'll　close　t'morrer？'

'Close　t'morrer；'　said　David；　a　little　sadness　in　his　tone；　as　he　took　the　money。

It　was　growing　dusk　as　the　man　went　away。　The　crickets　sang　with　a　loud；　accusing；　clamour。　Slowly　we　turned　and　went　into　the　dark　house；　David　whistling　under　his　breath。　Elizabeth　was　resting　in　her　chair。　She　was　humming　an　old　hymn　as　she　rocked。

'Sold　the　farm；　mother；'　said　David。

She　stopped　singing　but　made　no　answer。　In　the　dusk；　as　we　sat　down；　I　saw　her　face　leaning　upon　her　hand。　Over　the　hills　and　out　of　the　fields　around　us　came　many　voices　…　the　low　chant　in　the　stubble；　the　baying　of　a　hound　in　the　far　timber；　the　cry　of　the　tree　toad　…　a　tiny　drift　of　odd　things　（like　that　one　sees　at　sea）　on　the　deep　eternal　silence　of　the　heavens。　There　was　no　sound　in　the　room　save　the　low　creaking　of　the　rocker　in　which　Elizabeth　sat。　After　all　the　going；　and　corning；　and　doing；　and　saying　of　many　years　here　was　a　little　spell　of　silence　and　beyond　lay　the　untried　things　of　the　future。　For　me　it　was　a　time　of　reckoning。

'Been　hard　at　work　here　all　these　years；　mother；'　said　David。　'Oughter　be　glad　t'　git　away。'

'Yes；'　said　she　sadly；　'it's　been　hard　work。　Years　ago　I　thought　I　never　could　stan'　it。　But　now　I've　got　kind　o'　used　t'　it。'

'Time　ye　got　used　t'　pleasure　'n　comfort；'　he　said。　'Come　kind　o'　hard；　at　fast；　but　ye　mus'　try　t'　stan'　it。　If　we're　goin'　t'　hev　sech　flin　in　Heaven　as　Deacon　Hospur　tells　on　we　oughter　begin　t'　practice　er　we'll　be　'shamed　uv　ourselves。'

The　worst　was　over。　Elizabeth　began　to　laugh。

At　length　a　strain　of　song　came　out　of　the　distance。

'Maxwelton's　braes　are　bonnie　where　early　falls　the　dew。'

'It's　Hope　and　Uncle　Eb；'　said　David　while　I　went　for　the　lantern。　'Wonder　what's　kep'　'em　s'　late。'

When　the　lamps　were　lit　the　old　house　seemed　suddenly　to　have　got　a　sense　of　what　had　been　done。　The　familiar　creak　of　the　stairway　as　I　went　to　bed　had　an　appeal　and　a　protest。　The　rude　chromo　of　the　voluptuous　lady；　with　red　lips　and　the　name　of　Spring；　that　had　always　hung　in　my　chamber　had　a　mournful；　accusing　look。　The　stain　upon　her　cheek　that　had　come　one　day　from　a　little　leak　in　the　roof　looked　now　like　the　path　of　a　tear　drop。　And　when　the　wind　came　up　in　the　night　and　I　heard　the　creaking　of　Lone　Pine　it　spoke　of　the　doom　of　that　house　and　itsown　that　was　not　far　distant。

We　rented　a　new　home　in　town；　that　week；　and　were　soon　settled　in　it。　Hope　went　away　to　resume　her　studies　the　same　day　I　began　work　in　college。

Chapter　26

Not　much　in　my　life　at　college　is　essential　to　this　history　…　save　the　training。　The　students　came　mostly　from　other　and　remote　parts　of　the　north　country　…　some　even　from　other　states。　Coming　largely　from　towns　and　cities　they　were　shorn　of　those　simple　and　rugged　traits；　that　distinguished　the　men　o'　Faraway；　and　made　them　worthy　of　what　poor　fame　this　book　may　afford。　In　the　main　they　were　like　other　students　the　world　over；　I　take　it'　and　mostly；　as　they　have　shown；　capable　of　wiling　their　own　fame。　It　all　seemed　very　high　and　mighty　and　grand　to　me　especially　the　names　of　the　courses。　I　had　my　baptism　of　Sophomoric　scorn　and　many　a　heated　argument　over　my　title　to　life；　liberty　and　the　pursuit　of　learning。　It　became　necessary　to　establish　it　by　force　of　arms；　which　I　did　decisively　and　with　as　little　delay　as　possible。　I　took　much　interest　in　athletic　sports　and　was　soon　a　good　ball　player；　a　boxer　of　some　skill；　and　the　best　wrestler　in　college。　Things　were　going　on　comfortably　when　an　upper　classman　met　me　and　suggested　that　on　a　corning　holiday；　the　Freshmen　ought　to　wear　stove…pipe　hats。　Those　hats　were　the　seed　of　great　trouble。

'Stove…pipe　hats！'　I　said　thoughtfully。

'They're　a　good　protection；'　he　assured　me。

It　seemed　a　very　reasonable；　not　to　say　a　necessary　precaution。　A　man　has　to　be　young　and　innocent　sometime　or　what　would　become　of　the　Devil。　I　did　not　see　that　the　stove…pipe　hat　was　the　red　rag　of　insurrection　and；　when　I　did　see　it'　I　was　up　to　my　neck　in　the　matter。

You　see　the　Sophs　are　apt　to　be　very　nasty　that　day；'　he　continued。

I　acknowledged　they　were　quite　capable　of　it。

'And　they　don't　care　where　they　hit；'　he　went　on。

I　felt　of　my　head　that　was　still　sore；　from　a　forceful　argument　of　the　preceding　day；　and　admitted　there　was　good　ground　for　the　assertion。

When　I　met　my　classmen；　that　afternoon；　I　was　an　advocate　of　the　'stove…pipe'　as　a　means　of　protection。　There　were　a　number　of　husky　fellows；　in　my　class；　who　saw　its　resisting　power　and　seconded　my　suggestion。　We　decided　to　leave　it　to　the　ladies　of　the　class　and　they　greeted　our　plan　with　applause。　So；　that　morning；　we　arrayed　ourselves　mhigh　hats；　heavy　canes　and　fine　linen；　marching　together　up　College　Hill。　We　had　hardly　entered　the　gate　before　we　saw　the　Sophs　forming　in　a　thick　rank　outside　the　door　prepared；　as　we　took　it；　to　resist　our　entrance。　They　out…numbered　us　and　were；　in　the　main；　heavier　but　we　had　a　foot　or　more　of　good　stiff　material　between　each　head　and　harm。　Of　just　what　befell　us；　when　we　got　to　the　enemy；　I　have　never　felt　sure。　Of　the　total　inefficiency　of　the　stove…pipe　hat　as　an　article　of　armour；　I　have　never　had　the　slightest　doubt　since　then。　There　was　a　great　flash　and　rattle　of　canes。　Then　the　air　was　full　of　us。　In　the　heat　of　it　all　prudence　went　to　the　winds。　We　hit　out　right　and　left；　on　both　sides；　smashing　hats　and　bruising　heads　and　hands。　The　canes　went　down　in　a　jiffy　and　then　we　closed　with　each　other　hip　and　thigh。　Collars　were　ripped　off；　coats　were　torn；　shirts　were　gory　from　the　blood　of　noses；　and　in　this　condition　the　most　of　us　were　rolling　and　tumbling　on　the　ground。　I　had　flung　a　man；　heavily；　and　broke　away　and　was　tackling　another　when　I　heard　a　hush　in　the　tumult　and　then　the　voice　of　the　president。　He　stood　on　the　high　steps；　his　grey　head　bare；　his　right　hand　lifted。　It　must　have　looked　like　carnage　from　where　he　stood。

'Young　gentlemen！'　he　called。　'Cease；　I　command　you。　If　we　cannot　get　along　without　this　thing　we　will　shut　up　shop。'

Well；　that　was　the　end　of　it　and　came　near　being　the　end　of　our　careers　in　college。　We　looked　at　each　other；　torn　and　panting　and　bloody；　and　at　the　girls；　who　stood　by；　pale　with　alarm。　Then　we　picked　up　the　shapeless　hats　and　went　away　f