the bohemian girl-第8节
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I dreamt that I dwelt in ma…a…arble halls；
With vassals and serfs at my knee；〃
and Joe hummed like a big bumblebee。
〃There's one more you always played；〃 Clara said quietly； 〃I
remember that best。〃 She locked her hands over her knee and began
〃The Heart Bowed Down；〃 and sang it through without groping for the
words。 She was singing with a good deal of warmth when she came to
the end of the old song：
〃For memory is the only friend
That grief can call its own。〃
Joe flashed out his red silk handkerchief and blew his nose；
shaking his head。 〃No…no…no…no…no…no…no！ Too sad； too sad！ I not
like…a dat。 Play quick somet'ing gay now。〃
Nils put his lips to the instrument； and Joe lay back in his
chair； laughing and singing； 〃Oh； Evelina； Sweet Evelina！〃 Clara
laughed； too。 Long ago； when she and Nils went to high school； the
model student of their class was a very homely girl in thick
spectacles。 Her name was Evelina Oleson； she had a long； swinging
walk which somehow suggested the measure of that song； and they
used mercilessly to sing it at her。
〃Dat ugly Oleson girl； she teach in de school；〃 Joe gasped；
〃an' she still walks chust like dat； yup…a； yup…a； yup…a； chust
like a camel she go！ Now； Nils； we have some more li'l drink。 Oh；
yes…yes…yes…yes…yes…yes…yes！ Dis time you haf to drink； and
Clara she haf to； so she show she not jealous。 So； we all drink to
your girl。 You not tell her name； eh？ No…no…no； I no make you
tell。 She pretty； eh？ She make good sweetheart？ I bet！〃 Joe
winked and lifted his glass。 〃How soon you get married？〃
Nils screwed up his eyes。 〃That I don't know。 When she says。〃
Joe threw out his chest。 〃Das…a way boys talks。 No way for
mans。 Mans say； 'You come to de church； an' get a hurry on you。'
Das…a way mans talks。〃
〃Maybe Nils hasn't got enough to keep a wife；〃 put in Clara
ironically。 〃How about that； Nils？〃 she asked him frankly； as if
she wanted to know。
Nils looked at her coolly； raising one eyebrow。 〃oh； I can
keep her； all right。〃
〃The way she wants to be kept？〃
〃With my wife； I'll decide that；〃 replied Nils calmly。 〃I'll
give her what's good for her。〃
Clara made a wry face。 〃You'll give her the strap； I expect；
like old Peter Oleson gave his wife。〃
〃When she needs it；〃 said Nils lazily； locking his hands
behind his head and squinting up through the leaves of the cherry
tree。 〃Do you remember the time I squeezed the cherries all over
your clean dress； and Aunt Johanna boxed my ears for me？ My
gracious； weren't you mad！ You had both hands full of cherries；
and I squeezed 'em and made the juice fly all over you。 I liked to
have fun with you； you'd get so mad。〃
〃We did have fun； didn't we？ None of the other kids ever
had so much fun。 We knew how to play。〃
Nils dropped his elbows on the table and looked steadily
across at her。 〃I've played with lots of girls since； but I
haven't found one who was such good fun。〃
Clara laughed。 The late afternoon sun was shining full in her
face； and deep in the back of her eyes there shone something fiery；
like the yellow drops of Tokai in the brown glass bottle。 〃Can you
still play； or are you only pretending？〃
〃I can play better than I used to； and harder。〃
〃Don't you ever work； then？〃 She had not intended to say it。
It slipped out because she was confused enough to say just the
wrong thing。
〃I work between times。〃 Nils' steady gaze still beat upon her。
〃Don't you worry about my working； Mrs。 Ericson。 You're getting
like all the rest of them。〃 He reached his brown； warm hand across
the table and dropped it on Clara's； which was cold as an
icicle。 〃Last call for play； Mrs。 Ericson！〃 Clara shivered； and
suddenly her hands and cheeks grew warm。 Her fingers lingered in
his a moment； and they looked at each other earnestly。 Joe Vavrika
had put the mouth of the bottle to his lips and was swallowing the
last drops of the Tokai； standing。 The sun； just about to sink
behind his shop； glistened on the bright glass； on his flushed face
and curly yellow hair。 〃Look；〃 Clara whispered； 〃that's the way I
want to grow old。〃
VI
On the day of Olaf Ericson's barn…raising； his wife； for once
in a way； rose early。 Johanna Vavrika had been baking cakes and
frying and boiling and spicing meats for a week beforehand； but it
was not until the day before the party was to take place that Clara
showed any interest in it。 Then she was seized with one of her
fitful spasms of energy； and took the wagon and little Eric and
spent the day on Plum Creek； gathering vines and swamp goldenrod
to decorate the barn。
By four o'clock in the afternoon buggies and wagons began to
arrive at the big unpainted building in front of Olaf's house。
When Nils and his mother came at five； there were more than fifty
people in the barn； and a great drove of children。 On the ground
floor stood six long tables； set with the crockery of seven
flourishing Ericson families； lent for the occasion。 In the middle
of each table was a big yellow pumpkin； hollowed out and filled
with woodbine。 In one corner of the barn； behind a pile of green…
and…white striped watermelons； was a circle of chairs for the old
people； the younger guests sat on bushel measures or barbed…wire
spools； and the children tumbled about in the haymow。 The box
stalls Clara had converted into booths。 The framework was hidden
by goldenrod and sheaves of wheat； and the partitions were covered
'With wild grapevines full of fruit。 At one of these Johanna
Vavrika watched over her cooked meats； enough to provision an army；
and at the next her kitchen girls had ranged the ice…cream
freezers； and Clara was already cutting pies and cakes
against the hour of serving。 At the third stall； little Hilda； in
a bright pink lawn dress； dispensed lemonade throughout the
afternoon。 Olaf； as a public man； had thought it inadvisable
to serve beer in his barn； but Joe Vavrika had come over with two
demijohns concealed in his buggy； and after his arrival the wagon
shed was much frequented by the men。
〃Hasn't Cousin Clara fixed things lovely？〃 little Hilda
whispered； when Nils went up to her stall and asked for lemonade。
Nils leaned against the booth； talking to the excited little
girl and watching the people。 The barn faced the west； and the
sun； pouring in at the big doors； filled the whole interior with a
golden light； through which filtered fine particles of dust from
the haymow； where the children were romping。 There was a great
chattering from the stall where Johanna Vavrika exhibited to the
admiring women her platters heaped with fried chicken； her roasts
of beef； boiled tongues； and baked hams with cloves stuck in the
crisp brown fat and garnished with tansy and parsley。 The older
women； having assured themselves that there were twenty kinds of
cake； not counting cookies； and three dozen fat pies； repaired to
the corner behind the pile of watermelons； put on their white
aprons； and fell to their knitting and fancywork。 They were a fine
company of old women； and a Dutch painter would have loved to find
them there together； where the sun made bright patches on the floor
and sent long； quivering shafts of gold through the dusky shade up
among the rafters。 There were fat； rosy old women who looked hot
in their best black dresses； spare； alert old women with brown；
dark…veined hands； and several of almost heroic frame； not less
massive than old Mrs。 Ericson herself。 Few of them wore glasses；
and old Mrs。 Svendsen； a Danish woman； who was quite bald； wore the
only cap among them。 Mrs。 Oleson； who had twelve big
grandchildren； could still show two braids of yellow hair as thick
as her own wrists。 Among all these grandmothers there were more
brown heads than white。 They all had a pleased； prosperous air； as
if they were more than satisfied with themselves and with life。
Nils； leaning against Hilda's lemonade stand； watched them
as they sat chattering in four languages； their fingers never
lagging behind their tongues。
〃Look at them over there；〃 he whispered； detaining Clara as
she
