gs.earthabides-第51节

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　　No…more　likely；　the　car　would　break　down。　Then　they　would　be　marooned；　hundreds　or　even　thousands　of　miles　away！　
　　But　what　raised　the　worst　shivers　in　Ish　at　such　moments　in　the　night　was　the　thought　of　men！　What　people　might　the　boys　encounter？　What　strange　munities…warped　and　perverted　by　curious　circumstances；　unrestrained　by　any　flywheel　of　tradition！　There　might　be　munities　with　universal　and　death…dealing　hostility　to　the　stranger。　Outlandish　religious　rites　might　have　developed…human　sacrifice；　cannibalism！　Perhaps；　like　Odysseus　himself；　the　two　youngsters　would　encounter　lotus…eaters　and　sirens　and　unspeakable　Laestrygonians。　
　　This　munity　of　their　own；　here　on　the　hillside；　might　be　stodgy　and　dull　and　uncreative；　but　it　had　at　least　preserved　the　human　decencies。　That　was　no　guarantee　that　other　unities　had　done　the　same。　
　　But　in　the　morning　light；　all　these　bug…a…boos　of　the　darkness　lost　their　reality。　Then　he　thought　of　the　two　boys　as　enjoying　themselves；　stimulated　by　new　scenes；　perhaps　by　new　people。　Even　if　the　car　should　break　down　and　they　were　unable　to　start　another　one；　still　they　could　walk　back　over　the　same　road　they　had　driven。　There　would　be　no　lack　of　food。　Twenty　miles　a　day；　at　least　a　hundred　a　week…even　if　they　had　to　walk　a　thousand　miles；　they　should　be　home　before　fall。　Actually；　if　they　kept　a　car　running；　they　should　be　home　a　great　deal　sooner。　When　he　thought　of　it；　he　could　scarcely　contain　himself　for　excitement　at　the　thought　of　all　the　news　they　would　bring。　
　　So　the　weeks　passed；　and　the　rains　were　over。　The　grass　on　the　hills　lost　its　fresh　greenness；　and　then　seeded　and　turned　brown。　In　the　mornings　the　low　summer　clouds　hung　so　close　that　the　towers　of　the　bridges　sometimes　reached　up　into　them。　
　　
　　Chapter　5
　　As　time　passed；　Ish　stopped　thinking；　and　dreaming；　so　much　about　the　two　boys。　Their　being　gone　so　long　seemed　to　show　that　they　had　traveled　far。　It　was　barely　time　to　expect　their　return　from　a　transcontinental　journey；　and　certainly　not　time　to　begin　worrying　over　their　failure　to　return。　Other　thoughts；　and　worries；　occupied　his　mind。　
　　He　had　reorganized　the　school；　and　was　back　at　what　he　felt　to　be　his　essential　work　of　teaching　the　young　ones　to　read　and　write　and　work　a　little　arithmetic；　and　thus　to　maintain　for　The　Tribe　some　hold　on　the　basic　skills　of　civilization。　But　the　young　ones；　ungratefully；　fidgeted　on　their　chairs；　and　looked　restlessly　toward　the　windows；　and　he　knew　that　they　wanted　to　be　outside；　running　on　the　hillside；　and　playing　at　bulldodging；　fishing。　He　tried　various　lures；　attempting　the　techniques　which　in　the　old　days　he　remembered　had　been　called　〃progressive　education。〃　
　　Wood…carving！　Curiously　to　Ish；　wood…carving　had　bee　the　chief　means　of　artistic　expression。　Obviously　this　was　a　heritage　from　old　George。　Perhaps；　stupid　as　he　was；　George　had　unconsciously　managed　to　pass　along　to　the　children　his　love　of　wood…working。　Ish　himself　had　no　interest　in　it；　and　no　knack。　
　　No　matter　what　it　had　e　from！　Could　he；　Ish；　as　a　teacher；　make　use　of　this　hobby　to　stimulate　an　intellectual　interest？　
　　So　he　began　to　teach　them　geometry；　and　to　show　them　how　with　pass　and　ruler　they　could　lay　out　designs　on　the　surface　of　the　wood。　
　　The　bait　took；　and　soon　with　great　enthusiasm　everyone　talked　of　circles　and　triangles　and　hexagons；　and　had　laid　out　a　geometrical　design；　and　was　eagerly　carving。　Ish　himself　became　interested。　He　felt　the　fascination　of　the　work　as　the　mellow　sugar…pine　block…aged　for　almost　a　quarter　century…began　to　peel　off　from　his　knife…edge。　
　　But　even　before　the　first　geometrical　designs　were　executed；　the　children　were　losing　interest。　To　draw　your　knife　along　the　edge　of　a　steel　square　and　thus　get　a　straight　linethat　was　easy　and　uninteresting。　To　follow　the　outline　of　a　circle…that　was　difficult　enough；　but　was　mechanical　and　dull。　And　the　designs　when　finished；　even　Ish　had　to　admit；　looked　like　bad　imitations　of　old…time　machine…work。　
　　The　children　reverted　to　free…running　handwork；　often　improvising　as　they　went。　It　was　more　fun　to　do；　and　in　the　end　it　looked　be　tter　also。　
　　Best　of　them　all　at　carving　was　Walt；　although　he　could　never　read；　except　in　a　halting　stammer。　But　when　it　came　to　doing　a　frieze　of　cattle　on　the　smooth　surface　of　a　plank；　Walt　carved　with　sure　touch。　He　did　not　have　to　measure　things　out　ahead；　or　to　use　the　tricks　of　geometry。　If　his　row　of　three　cows　did　not　quite　fill　up　the　space；　he　merely　carved　a　calf　at　the　end　of　the　line　to　take　up　what　was　left。　And　yet；　when　he　finished；　it　all　looked　as　if　he　had　planned　it　from　the　beginning。　He　could　work　in　low　relief；　or　in　three…quarters；　or　even　sometimes　in　the　full　round。　The　children　admired　his　work；　and　him；　tremendously。　
　　So；　Ish　realized；　he　had　failed　in　what　had　seemed　his　shrewdly　planned　attempt　at　using　a　hobby　to　stimulate　an　intellectual　interest；　and　again　he　was　left　with　little　Joey。　Joey　had　no　talent　at　wood…carving；　but　of　them　all；　only　he　had　kindled　at　those　eternal　truths　of　line　and　angle　which　had　survived　even　the　Great　Disaster。　Once　Ish　found　him　cutting　different…shaped　triangles　from　pieces　of　paper　and　then　recutting　the　ends　from　each　triangle　and　placing　them　together　to　form　a　straight　line。　
　　〃Does　it　always　work？〃　Ish　asked。　
　　〃Yes；　always。　You　said　it　always　would。〃　
　　〃Why　do　you　do　it　then？〃　
　　Joey　could　not　explain　why　he　did　it；　but　Ish　shared　enough　of　the　workings　of　his　son's　mind　to　be　sure　that　Joey　must　be　really　paying　a　kind　of　homage　to　universal　and　unchangeable　truth。　He　was　as　much　as　saying　to　the　powers　of　chance　and　change：　〃Here；　make　this　one　e　out　different；　if　you　can！〃　And　when　those　dark　powers　could　not　prevail；　it　was　again　a　triumph　for　intellect。　
　　So　Ish　was　left　with　little　Joey…spiritually；　and　sometimes　also　physically。　For；　when　the　other　children　ran　out　of　school　whooping　loudly；　Joey　often　made　a　point　of　not　going；　but　of　sitting　with　some　biggish…looking　book；　and　even　seeming　a　little　superior　in　his　attitude。　
　　Physically；　the　other　boys　were　stalwart　young　giants；　and　Joey　lagged　at　all　sports　and　outdoor　adventures。　His　head　seemed　big　for　his　body；　though　that　might　be；　Ish　realized；　because　you　thought　of　it　as　containing　an　undue　amount　of　knowledge。　His　eyes　also　were　big　for　his　head；　and　exceptionally　quick　and　alert。　Alone　among　the　children；　he　suffered　from　sick　spells；　with　an　upset　stomach。　Ish　wondered　whether　these　attacks　were　truly　physical　or　sprang　from　some　emotional　disturbance；　but　since　there　was　no　chance　of　sending　Joey　to　either　a　doctor　or　a　psychiatrist；　the　actuality　would　never　be　known。　In　any　case；　Joey　remained　underweight；　and　often　came　home　exhausted　after　playing　with　the　other　boys。　〃It's　not　good！〃　said　Ish　to　Em。　
　　〃No；〃　said　Em；　〃but　still；　you　like　him　interested　in　books　and　geometry。　That's　merely　the　other　side　of　his　not　being　as　strong　as　the　others。〃　
　　〃Yes；　I　suppose　so。　He　has　to　find　his　satisfaction　somewhere。　But　still　I　wish　he　would　get　to　be　stronger。〃　
　　〃You　wouldn't　really　have　him　different；　would　you？〃　
　　And；　as　she　went　away　about　some　other　matter；　Ish　thought　that　again　she　had　been　right。　
　　〃No；〃　he　thought；　〃we　have　plenty　of　galumphing　young　huskies。　Still　I　wish　he　were　stronger。　Yet；　even　if　he　is　something　of　a　weakling；　and　even　a　freak　and　a　pedant；　we　must　have　one　person　like　that；　to　carry　on　intellectually。〃　
　　And　so；　of　all　his　children；　his　heart　went　out　to　Joey。　He　saw　in　Joey　the　hope　of　the　future；　and　he　talked　often　with　him；　and　taught　him　many　things。　
　　Thus　the　school　dragged　along　through　those　weeks　while　they　waited　for　Dick　and　Bob　to　return。　Even　Ish　could　hardly　use　a　more　optimistic　word　than　〃dragged。〃　Altogether　there　were　eleven　children　whom　he　taught；　or　tried　to　teach；　that　summer。　
　　He　held　school　in　the　living…room；　and　the　eleven　children　came　there　from　all　the　houses。　The　session　lasted　only　from　nine　to　twelve；　with　a　long　recess。　Ish　realized　that　he　must　ride　them　with　a　light　rein。　
　　He　taught　them　arithmetic；　now　that　he　had　failed　in　his　attempt　to　sugar…coat　the　pill　of　geometry。　He　tried　to　make　practical　applications　of　arithmetic；　and　found　it　surprisingly　difficult。　〃If　A　builds　30　feet　of　fence。。。〃　the　old　book　read。　But　nobody　built　any　fences　now；　and　he　found　himself　having　to　start　by　explaining　why　people　once　had　built　them…a　much　more　plicated　matter　to　explain　than　you　would　think；　until　you　tried　it。　He　thought　of　emulating　the　progressive　school　again　by　setting　up　a　shop　where　the　pupils　could　buy　and　sell　and　keep　accounts。　But　this　was　not　practical；　for　there　were　no　more　store…keepers　now。　He　would　have　had　to　start　with　a　whole　exposition　of　ancient　economics。　
　　Then　he　tried　valiantly　to　present　to　them　some　of　the　wonders　of　pure　number。　For　himself；　indeed；　he　was　successful；　and　the　more　he　tried　to　tell　it　to　the　children　the　more　he　himself　felt　the　basic　quality　of　mathematics　to　all　that　had　been　civilization。　At　the　same　time；　he　felt　more　and　more；　even　though　he　could　not　express　it；　all　the　wonder