a girl of the limberlost-第4节

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her　out　at　the　edge　of　that　quagmire　calling　in　them

wild　spells　of　hers　off　and　on　for　the　last　sixteen　years；

and　imploring　the　swamp　to　give　him　back　to　her；　and

I've　got　out　of　bed　when　I　was　pretty　tired；　and　come

down　to　see　she　didn't　go　in　herself；　or　harm　you。　　What

she　feels　is　too　deep　for　me。　　I've　got　to　respectin'　her

grief；　and　I　can't　get　over　it。　　Go　home　and　tell　your

ma；　honey；　and　ask　her　nice　and　kind　to　help　you。　　If　she

won't；　then　you　got　to　swallow　that　little　lump　of

pride　in　your　neck；　and　come　to　Aunt　Maggie；　like　you

been　a…coming　all　your　life。〃



〃I'll　ask　mother；　but　I　can't　take　your　money；　Uncle

Wesley；　indeed　I　can't。　　I'll　wait　a　year；　and　earn　some；

and　enter　next　year。〃



〃There's　one　thing　you　don't　consider；　Elnora；〃　said

the　man　earnestly。　　〃And　that's　what　you　are　to　Maggie。　

She's　a　little　like　your　ma。　　She　hasn't　given　up　to　it；

and　she's　struggling　on　brave；　but　when　we　buried　our

second　little　girl　the　light　went　out　of　Maggie's　eyes；　and

it's　not　come　back。　　The　only　time　I　ever　see　a　hint　of

it　is　when　she　thinks　she's　done　something　that　makes　you

happy；　Elnora。　　Now；　you　go　easy　about　refusing　her

anything　she　wants　to　do　for　you。　　There's　times　in　this

world　when　it's　our　bounden　duty　to　forget　ourselves；　and

think　what　will　help　other　people。　　Young　woman；　you

owe　me　and　Maggie　all　the　comfort　we　can　get　out　of　you。　

There's　the　two　of　our　own　we　can't　ever　do　anything　for。　

Don't　you　get　the　idea　into　your　head　that　a　fool　thing

you　call　pride　is　going　to　cut　us　out　of　all　the　pleasure

we　have　in　life　beside　ourselves。〃



〃Uncle　Wesley；　you　are　a　dear；〃　said　Elnora。　　〃Just　a　dear！　

If　I　can't　possibly　get　that　money　any　way　else　on　earth；

I'll　come　and　borrow　it　of　you；　and　then　I'll　pay　it

back　if　I　must　dig　ferns　from　the　swamp　and　sell　them

from　door　to　door　in　the　city。　　I'll　even　plant　them；

so　that　they　will　be　sure　to　come　up　in　the　spring。　　I　have

been　sort　of　panic　stricken　all　day　and　couldn't　think。　

I　can　gather　nuts　and　sell　them。　　Freckles　sold　moths

and　butterflies；　and　I've　a　lot　collected。　　Of　course；

I　am　going　back　to…morrow！　　I　can　find　a　way　to　get　the　books。　

Don't　you　worry　about　me。　　I　am　all　right！



〃Now；　what　do　you　think　of　that？〃　inquired　Wesley

Sinton　of　the　swamp　in　general。　　〃Here's　our　Elnora

come　back　to　stay。　　Head　high　and　right　as　a　trivet！　

You've　named　three　ways　in　three　minutes　that　you

could　earn　ten　dollars；　which　I　figure　would　be　enough；

to　start　you。　　Let's　go　to　supper　and　stop　worrying！〃



Elnora　unlocked　the　case；　took　out　the　pail；　put　the

napkin　in　it；　pulled　the　ribbon　from　her　hair；　binding　it

down　tightly　again　and　followed　to　the　road。　　From　afar

she　could　see　her　mother　in　the　doorway。　　She　blinked

her　eyes；　and　tried　to　smile　as　she　answered　Wesley

Sinton；　and　indeed　she　did　feel　better。　　She　knew　now

what　she　had　to　expect；　where　to　go；　and　what　to　do。　

Get　the　books　she　must；　when　she　had　them；　she　would　show

those　city　girls　and　boys　how　to　prepare　and　recite　lessons；

how　to　walk　with　a　brave　heart；　and　they　could　show　her

how　to　wear　pretty　clothes　and　have　good　times。



As　she　neared　the　door　her　mother　reached　for　the　pail。　

〃I　forgot　to　tell　you　to　bring　home　your　scraps　for

the　chickens；〃　she　said。



Elnora　entered。　　〃There　weren't　any　scraps；　and　I'm

hungry　again　as　I　ever　was　in　my　life。〃



〃I　thought　likely　you　would　be；〃　said　Mrs。　Comstock；

〃and　so　I　got　supper　ready。　　We　can　eat　first；　and　do　the

work　afterward。　　What　kept　you　so？　　I　expected　you　an

hour　ago。〃



Elnora　looked　into　her　mother's　face　and　smiled。　　It　was

a　queer　sort　of　a　little　smile；　and　would　have　reached

the　depths　with　any　normal　mother。



〃I　see　you've　been　bawling；〃　said　Mrs。　Comstock。　

〃I　thought　you'd　get　your　fill　in　a　hurry。　　That's　why

I　wouldn't　go　to　any　expense。　　If　we　keep　out　of　the　poor…

house　we　have　to　cut　the　corners　close。　　It's　likely　this

Brushwood　road　tax　will　eat　up　all　we've　saved　in　years。　

Where　the　land　tax　is　to　come　from　I　don't　know。　　It　gets

bigger　every　year。　　If　they　are　going　to　dredge　the　swamp

ditch　again　they'll　just　have　to　take　the　land　to　pay　for　it。　

I　can't；　that's　all！　　We'll　get　up　early　in　the　morning　and

gather　and　hull　the　beans　for　winter；　and　put　in　the　rest

of　the　day　hoeing　the　turnips。〃



Elnora　again　smiled　that　pitiful　smile。



〃Do　you　think　I　didn't　know　that　I　was　funny　and

would　be　laughed　at？〃　she　asked。



〃Funny？〃　cried　Mrs。　Comstock　hotly。



〃Yes；　funny！　　A　regular　caricature；〃　answered　Elnora。　

〃No　one　else　wore　calico；　not　even　one　other。　　No　one

else　wore　high　heavy　shoes；　not　even　one。　　No　one

else　had　such　a　funny　little　old　hat；　my　hair　was　not

right；　my　ribbon　invisible　compared　with　the　others；

I　did　not　know　where　to　go；　or　what　to　do；　and　I　had

no　books。　　What　a　spectacle　I　made　for　them！〃　

Elnora　laughed　nervously　at　her　own　picture。　　〃But　there

are　always　two　sides！　　The　professor　said　in　the　algebra

class　that　he　never　had　a　better　solution　and　explanation

than　mine　of　the　proposition　he　gave　me；　which　scored

one　for　me　in　spite　of　my　clothes。〃



〃Well；　I　wouldn't　brag　on　myself！〃



〃That　was　poor　taste；〃　admitted　Elnora。　　〃But；　you　see；

it　is　a　case　of　whistling　to　keep　up　my　courage。　

I　honestly　could　see　that　I　would　have　looked　just　as

well　as　the　rest　of　them　if　I　had　been　dressed　as

they　were。　　We　can't　afford　that；　so　I　have　to　find

something　else　to　brace　me。　　It　was　rather　bad；　mother！〃



〃Well；　I'm　glad　you　got　enough　of　it！〃



〃Oh；　but　I　haven't〃　hurried　in　Elnora。　　〃I　just　got

a　start。　　The　hardest　is　over。　　To…morrow　they　won't

be　surprised。　　They　will　know　what　to　expect。　　I　am

sorry　to　hear　about　the　dredge。　　Is　it　really　going　through？〃



〃Yes。　　I　got　my　notification　today。　　The　tax　will

be　something　enormous。　　I　don't　know　as　I　can　spare

you；　even　if　you　are　willing　to　be　a　laughing…stock　for

the　town。〃



With　every　bite　Elnora's　courage　returned；　for　she　was

a　healthy　young　thing。



〃You've　heard　about　doing　evil　that　good　might　come

from　it；〃　she　said。　　〃Well；　mother　mine；　it's　something

like　that　with　me。　　I'm　willing　to　bear　the　hard　part

to　pay　for　what　I'll　learn。　　Already　I　have　selected　the

ward　building　in　which　I　shall　teach　in　about　four　years。　

I　am　going　to　ask　for　a　room　with　a　south　exposure　so

that　the　flowers　and　moths　I　take　in　from　the　swamp

to　show　the　children　will　do　well。〃



〃You　little　idiot！〃　said　Mrs。　Comstock。　　〃How　are

you　going　to　pay　your　expenses？〃



〃Now　that　is　just　what　I　was　going　to　ask　you！〃　said　Elnora。　

〃You　see；　I　have　had　two　startling　pieces　of　news　to…day。　

I　did　not　know　I　would　need　any　money。　　I　thought　the　city

furnished　the　books；　and　there　is　an　out…of…town　tuition；　also。　

I　need　ten　dollars　in　the　morning。　　Will　you　please　let　me　have　it？〃



〃Ten　dollars！〃　cried　Mrs。　Comstock。　　〃Ten　dollars！　

Why　don't　you　say　a　hundred　and　be　done　with　it！　　I　could

get　one　as　easy　as　the　other。　　I　told　you！　　I　told　you

I　couldn't　raise　a　cent。　　Every　year　expenses　grow　bigger

and　bigger。　　I　told　you　not　to　ask　for　money！〃



〃I　never　meant　to；〃　replied　Elnora。　　〃I　thought

clothes　were　all　I　needed　and　I　could　bear　them。　

I　never　knew　about　buying　books　and　tuition。〃



〃Well；　I　did！〃　said　Mrs。　Comstock。　　〃I　knew　what

you　would　run　into！　　But　you　are　so　bull…dog　stubborn；

and　so　set　in　your　way；　I　thought　I　would　just　let　you

try　the　world　a　little　and　see　how　you　liked　it！〃



Elnora　pushed　back　her　chair　and　looked　at　her　mother。



〃Do　you　mean　to　say；〃　she　demanded；　〃that　you　knew；

when　you　let　me　go　into　a　city　classroom　and　reveal　the

fact　before　all　of　them　that　I　expected　to　have　my　books

handed　out　to　me；　do　you　mean　to　say　that　you　knew　I　had

to　pay　for　them？〃



Mrs。　Comstock　evaded　the　direct　question。



〃Anybody　but　an　idiot　mooning　over　a　book　or　wasting

time　prowling　the　woods　would　have　known　you　had

to　pay。　　Everybody　has　to　pay　for　everything。　　Life　is

made　up　of　pay；　pay；　pay！　　It's　always　and　forever　pay！　

If　you　don't　pay　one　way　you　do　another！　　Of　course；

I　knew　you　had　to　pay。　　Of　course；　I　knew　you　would　come

home　blubbering！　　But　you　don't　get　a　penny！　　I　haven't

one　cent；　and　can't　get　one！　　Have　your　way　if　you　are

determined；　but　I　think　you　will　find　the　road　somewhat　rocky。〃



〃Swampy；　you　mean；　mother；〃　corrected　Elnora。　　She　arose

white　and　trembling。　　〃Perhaps　some　day　God　will　teach

me　how　to　understand　you。　　He　knows　I　do　not　now。　

You　can't　possibly　realize　just　what　you　let　me　go

through　to…day；　or　how　you　let　me　go；　but　I'll　tell　you　this：　

You　understand　enough　that　if　you　had　the　money；　and

would　offer　it　to　me；　I　wouldn't　touch　it　now。　　And　I'll

tell　you　this　much　more。　　I'll　get　it　myself。　　I'll　raise　it；

and　do　it　some　honest　way。　　I　am　go