a girl of the limberlost-第30节

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and　she　was　gravely　presented　with　a　slip　calling　for

four　strings；　one　key；　and　a　coat　of　varnish；　total；　one

dollar　fifty。　　It　seemed　to　Elnora　she　never　could　put　the

precious　instrument　in　the　case　and　start　home。　　Wesley　left

her　in　the　music　store　where　the　proprietor　showed　her　all

he　could　about　tuning；　and　gave　her　several　beginners'

sheets　of　notes　and　scales。　　She　carried　the　violin　in　her

arms　as　far　as　the　crossroads　at　the　corner　of　their　land；

then　reluctantly　put　it　under　the　carriage　seat。



As　soon　as　her　work　was　done　she　ran　down　to　Sintons'

and　began　to　play；　and　on　Monday　the　violin　went　to

school　with　her。　　She　made　arrangements　with　the　superintendent

to　leave　it　in　his　office　and　scarcely　took　time　for　her　food

at　noon；　she　was　so　eager　to　practise。　　Often　one　of　the

girls　asked　her　to　stay　in　town　all　night　for　some　lecture

or　entertainment。　　She　could　take　the　violin　with　her；

practise；　and　secure　help。　　Her　skill　was　so　great　that

the　leader　of　the　orchestra　offered　to　give　her　lessons

if　she　would　play　to　pay　for　them；　so　her　progress　was

rapid　in　technical　work。　　But　from　the　first　day　the

instrument　became　hers；　with　perfect　faith　that　she　could

play　as　her　father　did；　she　spent　half　her　practice　time　in

imitating　the　sounds　of　all　outdoors　and　improvising　the

songs　her　happy　heart　sang　in　those　days。



So　the　first　year　went；　and　the　second　and　third　were

a　repetition；　but　the　fourth　was　different；　for　that　was　the

close　of　the　course；　ending　with　graduation　and　all　its

attendant　ceremonies　and　expenses。　　To　Elnora　these

appeared　mountain　high。　　She　had　hoarded　every　cent；

thinking　twice　before　she　parted　with　a　penny；　but　teaching

natural　history　in　the　grades　had　taken　time　from　her　studies

in　school　which　must　be　made　up　outside。　　She　was　a

conscientious　student；　ranking　first　in　most　of　her　classes；

and　standing　high　in　all　branches。　　Her　interest　in

her　violin　had　grown　with　the　years。　　She　went　to　school

early　and　practised　half　an　hour　in　the　little　room　adjoining

the　stage；　while　the　orchestra　gathered。　　She　put　in　a

full　hour　at　noon；　and　remained　another　half　hour　at　night。　

She　carried　the　violin　to　Sintons'　on　Saturday　and　practised

all　the　time　she　could　there；　while　Margaret　watched　the

road　to　see　that　Mrs。　Comstock　was　not　coming。　　She　had

become　so　skilful　that　it　was　a　delight　to　hear　her　play

music　of　any　composer；　but　when　she　played　her　own；　that

was　joy　inexpressible；　for　then　the　wind　blew；　the　water

rippled；　the　Limberlost　sang　her　songs　of　sunshine；　shadow；

black　storm；　and　white　night。



Since　her　dream　Elnora　had　regarded　her　mother　with

peculiar　tenderness。　　The　girl　realized；　in　a　measure；　what

had　happened。　　She　avoided　anything　that　possibly　could

stir　bitter　memories　or　draw　deeper　a　line　on　the　hard；

white　face。　　This　cost　many　sacrifices；　much　work；　and

sometimes　delayed　progress；　but　the　horror　of　that　awful

dream　remained　with　Elnora。　　She　worked　her　way　cheerfully；

doing　all　she　could　to　interest　her　mother　in　things

that　happened　in　school；　in　the　city；　and　by　carrying　books

that　were　entertaining　from　the　public　library。



Three　years　had　changed　Elnora　from　the　girl　of　sixteen

to　the　very　verge　of　womanhood。　　She　had　grown　tall；

round；　and　her　face　had　the　loveliness　of　perfect

complexion；　beautiful　eyes　and　hair　and　an　added　touch

from　within　that　might　have　been　called　comprehension。　

It　was　a　compound　of　self…reliance；　hard　knocks；　heart

hunger；　unceasing　work；　and　generosity。　　There　was　no

form　of　suffering　with　which　the　girl　could　not　sympathize；

no　work　she　was　afraid　to　attempt；　no　subject　she　had

investigated　she　did　not　understand。　　These　things　combined

to　produce　a　breadth　and　depth　of　character　altogether　unusual。　

She　was　so　absorbed　in　her　classes　and　her　music　that　she

had　not　been　able　to　gather　many　specimens。　　When　she

realized　this　and　hunted　assiduously；　she　soon　found

that　changing　natural　conditions　had　affected　such　work。　

Men　all　around　were　clearing　available　land。　　The　trees

fell　wherever　corn　would　grow。　　The　swamp　was　broken　by

several　gravel　roads；　dotted　in　places　around　the　edge

with　little　frame　houses；　and　the　machinery　of　oil　wells；

one　especially　low　place　around　the　region　of　Freckles's

room　was　nearly　all　that　remained　of　the　original。　

Wherever　the　trees　fell　the　moisture　dried；　the　creeks

ceased　to　flow；　the　river　ran　low；　and　at　times　the

bed　was　dry。　　With　unbroken　sweep　the　winds　of　the

west　came；　gathering　force　with　every　mile　and　howled　and

raved；　threatening　to　tear　the　shingles　from　the　roof；

blowing　the　surface　from　the　soil　in　clouds　of　fine　dust　and

rapidly　changing　everything。　　From　coming　in　with　two　or

three　dozen　rare　moths　in　a　day；　in　three　years'　time　Elnora

had　grown　to　be　delighted　with　finding　two　or　three。　

Big　pursy　caterpillars　could　not　be　picked　from　their　favourite

bushes；　when　there　were　no　bushes。　　Dragonflies　would

not　hover　over　dry　places；　and　butterflies　became　scarce

in　proportion　to　the　flowers；　while　no　land　yields　over　three

crops　of　Indian　relics。



All　the　time　the　expense　of　books；　clothing　and

incidentals　had　continued。　　Elnora　added　to　her　bank

account　whenever　she　could；　and　drew　out　when　she　was

compelled；　but　she　omitted　the　important　feature　of　calling

for　a　balance。　　So；　one　early　spring　morning　in　the　last

quarter　of　the　fourth　year；　she　almost　fainted　when　she

learned　that　her　funds　were　gone。　　Commencement　with　its

extra　expense　was　coming；　she　had　no　money；　and　very　few

cocoons　to　open　in　June；　which　would　be　too　late。　　She　had

one　collection　for　the　Bird　Woman　complete　to　a　pair　of

Imperialis　moths；　and　that　was　her　only　asset。　　On　the

day　she　added　these　big　Yellow　Emperors　she　had　been

promised　a　check　for　three　hundred　dollars；　but　she　would

not　get　it　until　these　specimens　were　secured。　

She　remembered　that　she　never　had　found　an　Emperor

before　June。



Moreover；　that　sum　was　for　her　first　year　in　college。　

Then　she　would　be　of　age；　and　she　meant　to　sell　enough　of

her　share　of　her　father's　land　to　finish。　　She　knew　her

mother　would　oppose　her　bitterly　in　that；　for　Mrs。

Comstock　had　clung　to　every　acre　and　tree　that　belonged　to

her　husband。　　Her　land　was　almost　complete　forest　where　her

neighbours　owned　cleared　farms；　dotted　with　wells　that

every　hour　sucked　oil　from　beneath　her　holdings；　but　she

was　too　absorbed　in　the　grief　she　nursed　to　know　or　care。　

The　Brushwood　road　and　the　redredging　of　the　big　Limberlost

ditch　had　been　more　than　she　could　pay　from　her　income；

and　she　had　trembled　before　the　wicket　as　she　asked

the　banker　if　she　had　funds　to　pay　it；　and　wondered　why　he

laughed　when　he　assured　her　she　had。　　For　Mrs。　Comstock

had　spent　no　time　on　compounding　interest；　and

never　added　the　sums　she　had　been　depositing　through

nearly　twenty　years。　　Now　she　thought　her　funds　were

almost　gone；　and　every　day　she　worried　over　expenses。　

She　could　see　no　reason　in　going　through　the　forms　of

graduation　when　pupils　had　all　in　their　heads　that　was

required　to　graduate。　　Elnora　knew　she　had　to　have　her

diploma　in　order　to　enter　the　college　she　wanted　to　attend；

but　she　did　not　dare　utter　the　word；　until　high　school

was　finished；　for；　instead　of　softening　as　she　hoped　her

mother　had　begun　to　do；　she　seemed　to　remain　very

much　the　same。



When　the　girl　reached　the　swamp　she　sat　on　a　log　and

thought　over　the　expense　she　was　compelled　to　meet。　

Every　member　of　her　particular　set　was　having　a　large

photograph　taken　to　exchange　with　the　others。　　Elnora　loved

these　girls　and　boys；　and　to　say　she　could　not　have

their　pictures　to　keep　was　more　than　she　could　endure。　

Each　one　would　give　to　all　the　others　a　handsome

graduation　present。　　She　knew　they　would　prepare　gifts　for

her　whether　she　could　make　a　present　in　return　or　not。　

Then　it　was　the　custom　for　each　graduating　class　to　give　a

great　entertainment　and　use　the　funds　to　present　the　school

with　a　statue　for　the　entrance　hall。　　Elnora　had　been　cast

for　and　was　practising　a　part　in　that　performance。　　She　was

expected　to　furnish　her　dress　and　personal　necessities。　

She　had　been　told　that　she　must　have　a　green　gauze　dress；

and　where　was　it　to　come　from？



Every　girl　of　the　class　would　have　three　beautiful　new

frocks　for　Commencement：　one　for　the　baccalaureate

sermon；　another；　which　could　be　plain；　for　graduation

exercises；　and　a　handsome　one　for　the　banquet　and　ball。　

Elnora　faced　the　past　three　years　and　wondered　how　she

could　have　spent　so　much　money　and　not　kept　account　of　it。　

She　did　not　realize　where　it　had　gone。　　She　did　not

know　what　she　could　do　now。　　She　thought　over　the

photographs；　and　at　last　settled　that　question　to

her　satisfaction。　　She　studied　longer　over　the　gifts；

ten　handsome　ones　there　must　be；　and　at　last　decided　she

could　arrang