the friendly road(友好的路)-第5节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
took his big comfortable pipe out of his mouth and cried out：
〃Fine； fine！〃
We had further music of the same sort and with one record the older
daughter； Kate； broke into the song with a full； strong though uncultivated
voicewhich pleased us all very much indeed。
Presently Mrs。 Stanley； who was sitting under the lamp with a basket
16
… Page 17…
THE FRIENDLY ROAD
of socks to mend； began to nod。
〃Mother's giving the signal；〃 said the older son。
〃No； no； I'm not a bit sleepy；〃 exclaimed Mrs。 Stanley。
But with further joking and laughing the family began to move about。
The older daughter gave me a hand lamp and showed me the way upstairs
to a little room at the end of the house。
〃I think；〃 she said with pleasant dignity； 〃you will find everything you
need。〃
I cannot tell with what solid pleasure I rolled into bed or how soundly
and sweetly I slept。
This was the first day of my real adventures。
17
… Page 18…
THE FRIENDLY ROAD
CHAPTER II。 I WHISTLE
When I was a boy I learned after many discouragements to play on a
tin whistle。 There was a wandering old fellow in our town who would sit
for hours on the shady side of a certain ancient hotel…barn； and with his
little whistle to his lips； and gently swaying his head to his tune and
tapping one foot in the gravel； he would produce the most wonderful and
beguiling melodies。 His favourite selections were very lively； he played； I
remember； 〃Old Dan Tucker；〃 and 〃Money Musk；〃 and the tune of a
rollicking old song； now no doubt long forgotten； called 〃Wait for the
Wagon。〃 I can see him yet； with his jolly eyes half closed； his lips
puckered around the whistle； and his fingers curiously and stiffly poised
over the stops。 I am sure I shall never forget the thrill which his music
gave to the heart of a certain barefoot boy。
At length； by means I have long since forgotten； I secured a tin whistle
exactly like Old Tom Madison's and began diligently to practise such
tunes as I knew。 I am quite sure now that I must have made a nuisance of
myself； for it soon appeared to be the set purpose of every member of the
family to break up my efforts。 Whenever my father saw me with the
whistle to my lips； he would instantly set me at some useful work （oh； he
was an adept in discovering useful work to dofor a boy！）。 And at the very
sight of my stern aunt I would instantly secrete my whistle in my blouse
and fly for the garret or cellar； like a cat caught in the cream。 Such are the
early tribulations of musical genius！
At last I discovered a remote spot on a beam in the hay…barn where；
lighted by a ray of sunlight which came through a crack in the eaves and
pointed a dusty golden finger into that hay…scented interior； I practised
rapturously and to my heart's content upon my tin whistle。 I learned
〃Money Musk〃 until I could play it in Old Tom Madison's best styleeven
to the last nod and final foot…tap。 I turned a certain church hymn called
〃Yield Not to Temptation〃 into something quite inspiriting； and I played
〃Marching Through Georgia〃 until all the 〃happy hills of hay〃 were to the
18
… Page 19…
THE FRIENDLY ROAD
fervid eye of a boy's imagination full of tramping soldiers。 Oh； I shall
never forget the joys of those hours in the hay…barn； nor the music of that
secret tin whistle！ I can hear yet the crooning of the pigeons in the eaves；
and the slatey sound of their wings as they flew across the open spaces in
the great barn； I can smell yet the odour of the hay。
But with years； and the city； and the shame of youth； I put aside and
almost forgot the art of whistling。 When I was preparing for the present
pilgrimage； however； it came to me with a sudden thrill of pleasure that
nothing in the wide world now prevented me from getting a whistle and
seeing whether I had forgotten my early cunning。 At the very first good…
sized town I came to I was delighted to find at a little candy and toy shop
just the sort of whistle I wanted； at the extravagant price of ten cents。 I
bought it and put it in the bottom of my knapsack。
〃Am I not old enough now；〃 I said to myself； 〃to be as youthful as I
choose？〃
Isn't it the strangest thing in the world how long it takes us to learn to
accept the joys of simple pleasures？and some of us never learn at all。
〃Boo！〃 says the neighbourhood； and we are instantly frightened into doing
a thousand unnecessary and unpleasant things； or prevented from doing a
thousand beguiling things。
For the first few days I was on the road I thought often with pleasure
of the whistle lying there in my bag； but it was not until after I left the
Stanleys' that I felt exactly in the mood to try it。
The fact is； my adventures on the Stanley farm had left me in a very
cheerful frame of mind。 They convinced me that some of the great things I
had expected of my pilgrimage were realizable possibilities。 Why； I had
walked right into the heart of as fine a family as I have seen these many
days。
I remained with them the entire day following the potato…planting。 We
were out at five o'clock in the morning； and after helping with the chores；
and eating a prodigious breakfast； we went again to the potato…field； and
part of the time I helped plant a few remaining rows； and part of the time I
drove a team attached to a wing…plow to cover the planting of the previous
19
… Page 20…
THE FRIENDLY ROAD
day。
In the afternoon a slashing spring rain set in； and Mr。 Stanley； who was
a forehanded worker； found a job for all of us in the barn。 Ben； the
younger son； and I sharpened mower…blades and a scythe or so； Ben
turning the grindstone and I holding the blades and telling him stories into
the bargain。 Mr。 Stanley and his stout older son overhauled the work…
harness and tinkered the corn…planter。 The doors at both ends of the barn
stood wide open； and through one of them； framed like a picture； we could
see the scudding floods descend upon the meadows； and through the other；
across a fine stretch of open country； we could see all the roads glistening
and the treetops moving under the rain。
〃Fine； fine！〃 exclaimed Mr。 Stanley； looking out from time to time；
〃we got in our potatoes just in the nick of time。〃
After supper that evening I told them of my plan to leave them on the
following morning。
〃Don't do that；〃 said Mrs。 Stanley heartily； 〃stay on with us。〃
〃Yes；〃 said Mr。 Stanley； 〃we're shorthanded； and I'd be glad to have a
man like you all summer。 There ain't any one around here will pay a good
man more'n I will； nor treat 'im better。〃
〃I'm sure of it； Mr。 Stanley；〃 I said； 〃but I can't stay with you。〃
At that the tide of curiosity which I had seen rising ever since I came
began to break through。 Oh； I know how difficult it is to let the wanderer
get by without taking toll of him！ There are not so many people here in the
country that we can afford to neglect them。 And as I had nothing in the
world to conceal； and； indeed； loved nothing better than the give and take
of getting acquainted； we were soon at it in good earnest。
But it was not enough to tell them that my name was David Grayson
and where my farm was located； and how many acres there were； and how
much stock I had； and what I raised。 The great particular 〃Why？〃 as I
knew it would beconcerned my strange presence on the road at this
season of the year and the reason why I should turn in by chance； as I had
done； to help at their planting。 If a man is stationary； it seems quite
impossible for him to imagine why any one should care to wander； and as
20
… Page 21…
THE FRIENDLY ROAD
for the wanderer it is inconceivable to him how any one can remain
permanently at home。
We were all sitting comfortably around the table in the living…room。
The lamps were lighted； and
