eben holden-第30节

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ust　be　tall　and　handsome　and　strong　and　brave。'

Then　she　sang　a　tender　love　ballad。　I　have　often　shared　the　pleasure　of　thousands　under　the　spell　of　her　voice；　but　I　have　never　heard　her　sing　as　to　that　small　audience　on　Faraway　turnpike。

As　we　came　near　Rickard's　Hall　we　could　hear　the　fiddles　and　the　calling　off。

The　windows　on　the　long　sides　of　the　big　house　were　open。　Long　shafts　of　light　shot　out　upon　the　gloom。　It　had　always　reminded　me　of　a　picture　of　Noah's　ark　that　hung　in　my　bedroom　and　now　it　seemed　to　be　floating；　with　resting　oars　of　gold；　in　a　deluge　of　darkness。　We　were　greeted　with　a　noisy　welcome；　at　the　door。　Many　of　the　boys　and　girls　came；　from　all　sides　of　the　big　hall；　and　shook　hands　with　us。　Enos　Brown；　whose　long　forelocks　had　been　oiled　for　the　occasion　and　combed　down　so　they　touched　his　right　eyebrow；　was　panting　in　a　jig　that　jarred　the　house。　His　trouser　legs　were　caught　on　the　tops　of　his　fine　boots。　He　nodded　to　me　as　I　came　in；　snapped　his　fingers　and　doubled　his　energy。　It　was　an　exhibition　both　of　power　and　endurance。　He　was　damp　and　apologetic　when；　at　length；　he　stopped　with　a　mighty　bang　of　his　foot　and　sat　down　beside　me。　He　said　he　was　badly　out　of　practice　when　I　offered　congratulations。　The　first　fiddler　was　a　small　man；　with　a　short　leg；　and　a　character　that　was　minus　one　dimension。　It　had　length　and　breadth　but　no　thickness。　He　sat　with　his　fellow　player　on　a　little　platform　at　one　end　of　the　room。　He　was　an　odd　man　who　wandered　all　over　the　township　with　his　fiddle。　He　played　by　ear；　and　I　have　seen　babies　smile　and　old　men　dance　when　his　bow　was　swaying。　I　remember　that　when　I　heard　it　for　the　first　time；　I　determined　that　I　should　be　a　fiddler　if　I　ever　grew　to　be　a　man。　But　David　told　me　that　fiddlers　were　a　worthless　lot；　and　that　no　wise　man　should　ever　fool　with　a　fiddle。　One　is　lucky；　I　have　since　leamed；　if　any　dream　of　yesterday　shall　stand　the　better　light　of　today　or　the　more　searching　rays　of　tomorrow。

'Choose　yer　partners　fer　Money　Musk！'　the　caller　shouted。

Hope　and　I　got　into　line；　the　music　started；　the　circles　began　to　sway。　Darwin　Powers；　an　old　but　frisky　man；　stood　up　beside　the　fiddlers；　whistling；　with　sobriety　and　vigour；　as　they　played。　It　was　a　pleasure　to　see　some　of　the　older　men　of　the　neighbourhood　join　the　dizzy　riot　by　skipping　playfully　in　the　corners。　They　tried　to　rally　their　unwilling　wives；　and　generally　a　number　of　them　were　dancing　before　the　night　was　over。　The　life　and　colour　of　the　scene；　the　fresh；　young　faces　of　the　girls　some　of　them　models　of　rustic　beauty　…　the　playful　antics　of　the　young　men；　the　merrymaking　of　their　fathers；　the　laughter；　the　airs　of　gallantry；　the　glances　of　affection　…　there　is　a　magic　in　the　thought　of　it　all　that　makes　me　young　again。

There　were　teams　before　and　behind　us　when　we　came　home；　late　at　night；　so　sleepy　that　the　stars　went　reeling　as　we　looked　at　them。

'This　night　is　the　end　of　many　things；'　I　remarked。

'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　a