gs.earthabides-第54节

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　the　times　of　his　studies；　and　he　remembered　the　wide…spread　belief　that　certain　members　of　a　tribe　had　a　special　power　within　them。　Mana；　the　anthropologists　had　called　it。　Perhaps　the　children　believed　that　Joey　had　mana；　possibly　Joey　himself　believed　it。　
　　Yet；　though　Ish　recognized　Joey's　limitations　and　disabilities　and　bad　qualities；　still　he　kept　his　thought　centered　more　on　Joey　than　on　any　of　the　others。　Joey　held　the　hope　for　the　future。　Only　by　the　power　of　intelligence；　Ish　believed　firmly；　had　mankind　ever　risen　to　civilization；　and　only　by　further　exercise　of　that　same　power；　would　mankind　ever　rise　again。　And　Joey　possessed　intelligence。　Possibly　also　he　possessed　that　other　power。　Mana　might　be　a　fallacy　of　simple　minds；　but　even　the　most　civilized　peoples　had　realized　that　certain　individuals　carried　within　them　some　strange　power　that　went　for　leadership。　Had　anyone　ever　explained　why　certain　men　became　leaders；　and　others；　though　they　seemed　better　qualified；　did　not？　
　　How　much　of　all　this　did　Joey　realize？　Many　times　Ish　asked　himself　the　question；　but　he　could　not　as　yet　answer　it。　Yet　more　and　more；　as　the　summer　progressed；　he　felt　that　in　Joey　lay　the　hope　of　the　future。　
　　All　mysticism　aside！　All　idea　of　mana　discounted！　Still；　only　Joey　could　keep　the　light　burning　through　this　dark　time。　
　　Only　he　could　store　up　and　transmit　the　great　tradition　of　mankind！　
　　But　mere　acquisition　of　knowledge　was　not　all　in　which　Joey　excelled。　Even　though　he　was　only　ten；　he　was　beginning　to　branch　out　for　himself；　to　experiment；　to　discover　things　on　his　own。　Indeed；　that　was　the　way　he　had　really　taught　himself　to　read　in　the　beginning。　To　be　sure；　all　this　development　was　still　at　a　childish　level。　
　　There　was　that　matter　of　the　jig…saw　puzzles；　for　instance。　The　children　had　developed　a　sudden　craze　for　the　puzzles；　and　had　set　about　rifling　some　of　the　stores。　Ish　had　watched　them　at　their　play；　and　at　first　Joey　had　not　been　as　good　as　the　others。　He　seemed　to　lack　some　basic　spatial　sense。　Sometimes　he　tried　to　join　pieces　which　obviously　did　not　fit；　and　the　others　indignantly　told　him　so。　Joey　had　been　irked　at　his　inferiority；　and　for　a　while　had　withdrawn　from　the　game。　
　　Then　Joey　had　suddenly　got　a　new　idea　of　how　to　go　about　it。　He　collected　himself　a　number　of　pieces　bearing　the　same　shade　of　yellow；　and　thus　was　able　to　put　them　together　more　rapidly　and　make　better　progress　than　the　other　children。　
　　When　he　proudly　displayed　what　he　had　done；　the　others　were　impressed。　But　even　after　he　had　explained　his　system；　they　did　not　want　to　adopt　it。　
　　〃What's　the　use　anyway！〃　Weston　had　argued。　〃We　might　be　able　to　do　it　faster　your　way；　but　it　wouldn't　be　any　more　fun；　and　nobody　cares　how　soon　we　get　this　finished。〃　
　　Betty　had　agreed。　〃Yes；　it's　no　fun　just　going　through　all　the　work；　picking　up　the　yellow　pieces　and　the　blue　pieces　and　the　red　pieces；　and　putting　them　in　different　places！〃　
　　Joey；　Ish　noticed；　could　not　put　up　a　good　argument　for　his　method；　and　yet　Ish　could　understand　his　motives。　In　the　first　place；　granted　there　was　no　need　to　finish　the　puzzle　in　a　hurry；　still　to　work　efficiently　was　just　as　natural　and　as　pleasant　for　Joey　as　not　to　crawl　when　he　could　walk。　Besides；　he　had　the　petitive　spirit；　the　old…time　drive；　so　characteristic　of　Americans；　for　getting　to　the　front。　Lacking　a　native　gift　for　distinguishing　shapes；　really　as　much　a　physical　endowment　as　having　strong　muscles；　he　had　seen　the　way　to　take　the　lead　by　intellectual　means。　He　had　〃used　his　head；〃　as　they　once　had　liked　to　say。　
　　Though　the　〃discovery〃　was　at　all　remarkable　only　because　made　by　so　young　a　child；　still　Ish　was　pleased　to　note　that　it　was　the　discovery　of　one　phase　of　classification；　that　basic　tool　of　man's　progress。　Logic　rested　upon　classification；　language；　too…by　its　nouns　and　verbs　grouping　things　and　actions　into　neat　workable　partments。　Only　by　his　discovery　of　classification　had　man　been　able　to　impose　some　workable　degree　of　order　upon　the　infinite　apparent　disorder　of　the　natural　world。　
　　Ish　saw　Joey's　experimental　mind　also　at　work　with　language。　To　him　language　was　not　merely　a　practical　matter；　an　unconscious　implement　used　to　express　wants　and　feelings。　Language　to　him　was　also　a　wonderful　plaything。　He　had；　for　instance；　a　sense　of　puns　and　of　rhymes；　although　none　of　the　other　children　showed　much　interest　in　such　things。　He　liked　riddles。　
　　One　day　Ish　heard　him　asking　a　riddle　of　the　other　children。　〃I　made　this　one　up　myself；〃　Joey　was　saying　proudly。　〃Why　are　a　man；　a　bull；　a　fish；　and　a　snake　all　alike？〃　
　　The　other　children　were　not　much　interested。　
　　〃Because　they　all　eat　things；〃　Betty　suggested　languidly。　
　　〃That's　too　simple；〃　said　Joey。　〃Everything　eats　things。　Birds　eat　things　too。〃　
　　They　made　one　or　two　other　suggestions；　and　then　there　came　up　a　suggestion　to　run　off　and　do　something　else。　Joey　saw　that　he　was　in　immediate　danger　of　losing　his　audience；　to　prevent　plete　anticlimax；　he　had　to　e　out　with　his　own　answer。　〃Why；　they're　all　alike　because　not　one　of　them　can　fly！〃　
　　At　the　moment　Ish　was　not　impressed　with　the　riddle；　but　as　he　thought　about　it　afterwards。　he　felt　that　it　was　a　highly　developed　and　curious　kind　of　ten…year…old　mind　which　could　evolve　the　idea　of　negative　likeness。　And　into　Ish's　mind　popped　suddenly　an　old　definition：　〃Genius　is　the　capacity　for　seeing　what　is　not　there。〃　Of　course；　like　every　other　definition　of　genius；　that　one　could　be　shot　to　pieces　also；　because　it　obviously　included　the　madman；　as　well　as　the　genius。　Yet　there　might　be　something　in　it；　too；　the　great　thinkers　of　the　world　must　necessarily　have　made　their　reputations　by　sensing　what　was　not　there　and　looking　for　it　and　discovering　it；　but　the　first　requisite　for　making　the　discovery；　unless　it　depended　upon　mere　luck；　was　the　realization　that　something　unseen　was　there　to　be　discovered；　something　lacking　in　the　picture。　
　　This　was　Joey's　summer　for　experiment　apparently；　and　one　day　he　came　home　reeling　strangely　and　with　a　strong　smell　of　liquor　on　his　breath。　The　story　came　out　that　he；　along　with　Walt　and　Weston；　had　visited　one　of　the　liquorstores　in　the　nearest　business　district。　This　was　a　problem　that　Ish　had　often　considered。　He　had　once　even　gone　into　one　of　the　stores　and　started　opening　and　emptying　the　bottles。　After　an　hour's　work；　however；　he　had　found　that　he　had　made　too　little　progress；　the　project　was　obviously　impossible；　and　the　children　must　take　their　chances　with　an　unlimited　liquor　supply。　And　yet；　when　he　thought　about　it；　the　situation　for　his　children　was　not　so　different　from　that　which　he　himself　had　experienced。　In　those　days　his　father　had　always　had　a　shelf　holding　a　bottle　or　two　of　whiskey　and　brandy　and　sherry；　and　there　would　have　been　nothing　to　stop　Ish　from　carrying　on　a　clandestine　experiment　of　his　own。　He　had　not；　and　so　also　his　own　children　and　grandchildren　apparently　were　not　greatly　attracted　by　the　unlimited　stores　available　to　them。　In　fact；　drunkenness　had　never　been　a　problem　in　the　munity　at　all。　Perhaps　the　simpler　life　they　were　leading　took　away　the　need　for　such　stimulation；　or　perhaps　the　mere　fact　that　alcohol；　like　air；　was　free　to　everyone；　removed　the　lure　of　difficulty　which　had　previously　surrounded　it。　
　　As　for　Joey；　Ish　was　pleased　to　see　that　the　little　fellow　had　still　been　sufficiently　clever　to　drink　only　a　small　amount…not　enough　to　make　him　really　sick　or　even　to　make　him　pass　out。　He　had　obviously　again　been　showing　off　before　the　older　boys；　and　had　again　succeeded　in　impressing　them；　they　had　e　home　in　worse　shape　than　he。　
　　Nevertheless　Joey　was　definitely　tipsy；　and　made　no　objection　to　being　put　immediately　to　bed。　ish　took　the　opportunity　to　sit　at　the　bedside；　and　to　deliver　a　lecture　on　the　dangers　of　too　much　and　too　reckless　experimentation；　particularly　if　it　was　designed　chiefly　to　show　off　before　others。　He　looked　down　at　the　small　face　in　the　bed；　with　its　big　eyes。　There　was　intelligence　in　the　eyes；　and　he　knew　that　in　spite　of　being　tipsy；　Joey　was　prehending。　There　was　also　sympathy　in　the　eyes；　as　if　they　were　again　saying　to　Ish；　〃We　understand　together。　We　both　know　things。　We　are　not　like　these　others。〃　
　　In　a　sudden　flood　of　affection　for　his　youngest　son；　Ish　reached　down　and　took　one　of　the　little　hands　in　his　own。　He　saw　an　answering　look　of　affection　e　into　the　big　eyes；　and　suddenly　Ish　knew　that　behind　all　the　boyish　bumptiousness；　Joey　was　really　a　timid。　sensitive　child；　just　as　he　himself　had　once　been。　In　fact；　Joey's　brashness　was　only　the　expression　of　timidity　gone　too　far　the　other　way。　
　　〃Joey；　boy；〃　he　said　impulsively；　〃why　do　you　keep　straining　so　hard？　Weston　and　Walt…they're　two　years　older　than　you　are。　Why　don't　you　go　easier？　In　ten　years…twenty　years…you'll　be　away　ahead　of　anything　they　can　do。〃　
　　He　saw　the　boy　smile　slightly；　happily。　But　Ish　knew　that　the　happiness　was　merely　that　a　new…found　sympathy　with　his　father；　not　at　an　impression　that　the　words　might　have　made。　Any　child；　even　a　precocious　one　like　Joey；　lived　in　the　present；　to　talk　of　ten　years　awa