the story of an african farm-第37节

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with　our　little　feet　drawn　up　under　us　in　the　window；　and　look　out　at　the

boys　in　their　happy　play。　　We　want　to　go。　　Then　a　loving　hand　is　laid　on

us：　　'Little　one；　you　cannot　go；'　they　say；　'your　little　face　will　burn；

and　your　nice　white　dress　be　spoiled。'　　We　feel　it　must　be　for　our　good；　it

is　so　lovingly　said：　　but　we　cannot　understand；　and　we　kneel　still　with　one

little　cheek　wistfully　pressed　against　the　pane。　　Afterwards　we　go　and

thread　blue　beads；　and　make　a　string　for　our　neck；　and　we　go　and　stand

before　the　glass。　　We　see　the　complexion　we　were　not　to　spoil；　and　the

white　frock；　and　we　look　into　our　own　great　eyes。　　Then　the　curse　begins　to

act　on　us。　　It　finishes　its　work　when　we　are　grown　women；　who　no　more　look

out　wistfully　at　a　more　healthy　life；　we　are　contented。　　We　fit　our　sphere

as　a　Chinese　woman's　foot　fits　her　shoe；　exactly；　as　though　God　had　made

bothand　yet　he　knows　nothing　of　either。　　In　some　of　us　the　shaping　of　our

end　has　been　quite　completed。　　The　parts　we　are　not　to　use　have　been　quite

atrophied；　and　have　even　dropped　off；　but　in　others；　and　we　are　not　less　to

be　pitied；　they　have　been　weakened　and　left。　　We　wear　the　bandages；　but　our

limbs　have　not　grown　to　them；　we　know　that　we　are　compressed；　and　chafe

against　them。



〃But　what　does　it　help？　　A　little　bitterness；　a　little　longing　when　we　are

young；　a　little　futile　searching　for　work；　a　little　passionate　striving　for

room　for　the　exercise　of　our　powers；and　then　we　go　with　the　drove。　　A

woman　must　march　with　her　regiment。　　In　the　end　she　must　be　trodden　down　or

go　with　it；　and　if　she　is　wise　she　goes。



〃I　see　in　your　great　eyes　what　you　are　thinking；〃　she　said；　glancing　at

him；　〃I　always　know　what　the　person　I　am　talking　to　is　thinking　of。　　How　is

this　woman　who　makes　such　a　fuss　worse　off　than　I？　　I　will　show　you　by　a

very　little　example。　　We　stand　here　at　this　gate　this　morning；　both　poor；

both　young；　both　friendless；　there　is　not　much　to　choose　between　us。　　Let

us　turn　away　just　as　we　are；　to　make　our　way　in　life。　　This　evening　you

will　come　to　a　farmer's　house。　　The　farmer；　albeit　you　come　alone　on　foot；

will　give　you　a　pipe　of　tobacco　and　a　cup　of　coffee　and　a　bed。　　If　he　has

no　dam　to　build　and　no　child　to　teach；　tomorrow　you　can　go　on　your　way；

with　a　friendly　greeting　of　the　hand。　　I；　if　I　come　to　the　same　place

tonight；　will　have　strange　questions　asked　me；　strange　glances　cast　on　me。　

The　Boer…wife　will　shake　her　head　and　give　me　food　to　eat　with　the　Kaffers；

and　a　right　to　sleep　with　the　dogs。　　That　would　be　the　first　step　in　our

progressa　very　little　one；　but　every　step　to　the　end　would　repeat　it。　　We

were　equals　once　when　we　lay　new…born　babes　on　our　nurses'　knees。　　We　will

be　equals　again　when　they　tie　up　our　jaws　for　the　last　sleep！〃



Waldo　looked　in　wonder　at　the　little　quivering　face；　it　was　a　glimpse　into

a　world　of　passion　and　feeling　wholly　new　to　him。



〃Mark　you；〃　she　said；　〃we　have　always　this　advantage　over　youwe　can　at

any　time　step　into　ease　and　competence；　where　you　must　labour　patiently　for

it。　　A　little　weeping；　a　little　wheedling；　a　little　self…degradation；　a

little　careful　use　of　our　advantages；　and　then　some　man　will　say：　　〃Come；

be　my　wife！〃　　With　good　looks　and　youth　marriage　is　easy　to　attain。　　There

are　men　enough；　but　a　woman　who　has　sold　herself；　even　for　a　ring　and　a　new

name；　need　hold　her　skirt　aside　for　no　creature　in　the　street。　　They　both

earn　their　bread　in　one　way。　　Marriage　for　love　is　the　beautifulest

external　symbol　of　the　union　of　souls；　marriage　without　it　is　the

uncleanliest　traffic　that　defiles　the　world。〃　　She　ran　her　little　finger

savagely　along　the　topmost　bar；　shaking　off　the　dozen　little　dewdrops　that

still　hung　there。　　〃And　they　tell　us　we　have　men's　chivalrous　attention！〃

she　cried。　　〃When　we　ask　to　be　doctors；　lawyers；　law…makers；　anything　but

ill…paid　drudges；　they　sayNo；　but　you　have　men's　chivalrous　attention；

now　think　of　that　and　be　satisfied！　　What　would　you　do　without　it？〃



The　bitter　little　silvery　laugh；　so　seldom　heard；　rang　out　across　the

bushes。　　She　bit　her　little　teeth　together。



〃I　was　coming　up　in　Cobb　&　Co。's　the　other　day。　　At　a　little　wayside　hotel

we　had　to　change　the　large　coach　for　a　small　one。　　We　were　ten　passengers；

eight　men　and　two　women。　　As　I　sat　in　the　house　the　gentlemen　came　and

whispered　to　me；　'There　is　not　room　for　all　in　the　new　coach；　take　your

seat　quickly。'　　We　hurried　out；　and　they　gave　me　the　best　seat；　and　covered

me　with　rugs；　because　it　was　drizzling。　　Then　the　last　passenger　came

running　up　to　the　coachan　old　woman　with　a　wonderful　bonnet；　and　a　black

shawl　pinned　with　a　yellow　pin。



〃'There　is　no　room；'　they　said；　'you　must　wait　till　next　week's　coach　takes

you　up；'　but　she　climbed　on　to　the　step；　and　held　on　at　the　window　with

both　hands。



〃'My　son…in…law　is　ill；　and　I　must　go　and　see　him；'　she　said。



〃'My　good　woman；'　said　one；　'I　am　really　exceedingly　sorry　that　your　son…

in…law　is　ill；　but　there　is　absolutely　no　room　for　you　here。'



〃'You　had　better　get　down；'　said　another；　'or　the　wheel　will　catch　you。'



〃I　got　up　to　give　her　my　place。



〃'Oh；　no；　no！'　they　cried；　'we　will　not　allow　that。'



〃'I　will　rather　kneel；'　said　one；　and　he　crouched　down　at　my　feet；　so　the

woman　came　in。



〃There　were　nine　of　us　in　that　coach；　and　only　one　showed　chivalrous

attentionand　that　was　a　woman　to　a　woman。



〃I　shall　be　old　and　ugly；　too；　one　day；　and　I　shall　look　for　men's

chivalrous　help；　but　I　shall　not　find　it。



〃The　bees　are　very　attentive　to　the　flowers　till　their　honey　is　done；　and

then　they　fly　over　them。　　I　don't　know　if　the　flowers　feel　grateful　to　the

bees；　they　are　great　fools　if　they　do。〃



〃But　some　women；〃　said　Waldo；　speaking　as　though　the　words　forced

themselves　from　him　at　that　moment；　〃some　women　have　power。〃



She　lifted　her　beautiful　eyes　to　his　face。



〃Power！　　Did　you　ever　hear　of　men　being　asked　whether　other　souls　should

have　power　or　not？　　It　is　born　in　them。　　You　may　dam　up　the　fountain　of

water；　and　make　it　a　stagnant　marsh；　or　you　may　let　it　run　free　and　do　its

work；　but　you　cannot　say　whether　it　shall　be　there；　it　is　there。　　And　it

will　act；　if　not　openly　for　good；　then　covertly　for　evil；　but　it　will　act。

If　Goethe　had　been　stolen　away　a　child；　and　reared　in　a　robber　horde　in　the

depths　of　a　German　forest；　do　you　think　the　world　would　have　had　〃Faust〃

and　〃Iphegenie？〃　　But　he　would　have　been　Goethe　stillstronger；　wiser　than

his　fellows。　　At　night；　round　their　watch…fire；　he　would　have　chanted　wild

songs　of　rapine　and　murder；　till　the　dark　faces　about　him　were　moved　and

trembled。　　His　songs　would　have　echoed　on　from　father　to　son；　and　nerved

the　heart　and　armfor　evil。　　Do　you　think　if　Napoleon　had　been　born　a

woman　that　he　would　have　been　contented　to　give　small　tea…parties　and　talk

small　scandal？　　He　would　have　risen；　but　the　world　would　not　have　heard　of

him　as　it　hears　of　him　nowa　man　great　and　kingly　with　all　his　sins；　he

would　have　left　one　of　those　names　that　stain　the　leaf　of　every　history

the　names　of　women；　who；　having　power；　but　being　denied　the　right　to

exercise　it　openly；　rule　in　the　dark；　covertly；　and　by　stealth；　through　the

men　whose　passions　they　feed　on　and　by　whom　they　climb。



〃Power！〃　she　said；　suddenly；　smiting　her　little　hand　upon　the　rail。　　〃Yes；

we　have　power；　and　since　we　are　not　to　expend　it　in　tunnelling　mountains；

nor　healing　diseases；　nor　making　laws；　nor　money；　nor　on　any　extraneous

object；　we　expend　it　on　you。　　You　are　our　goods；　our　merchandise；　our

material　for　operating　on；　we　buy　you；　we　sell　you；　we　make　fools　of　you；

we　act　the　wily　old　Jew　with　you；　we　keep　six　of　you　crawling　to　our　little

feet；　and　praying　only　for　a　touch　of　our　little　hand；　and　they　say　truly；

there　was　never　an　ache　or　pain　or　broken　heart　but　a　woman　was　at　the

bottom　of　it。　　We　are　not　to　study　law；　nor　science；　nor　art；　so　we　study

you。　　There　is　never　a　nerve　or　fibre　in　a　man's　nature　but　we　know　it。　　We

keep　six　of　you　dancing　in　the　palm　of　one　little　hand；〃　she　said；

balancing　her　outstretched　arm　gracefully；　as　though　tiny　beings　disported

themselves　in　its　palm。　　〃There；　we　throw　you　away；　and　you　sink　to　the

devil；〃　she　said；　folding　her　arms　composedly。　　〃There　was　never　a　man　who

said　one　word　for　woman　but　he　said　two　for　man；　and　three　for　the　whole

human　race。〃



She　watched　the　bird　pecking　up　the　last　yellow　grains；　but　Waldo　looked

only　at　her。



When　she　spoke　again　it　was　very　measuredly。



〃They　bring　weighty　arguments　against　us　when　we　ask　for　the　perfect

freedom　of　women；〃　she　said；　〃but；　when　you　come　to　the　objections；　they

are　like　pumpkin　devils　with　candles　inside；　hollow；　and　can't　bite。　　They

say　that　women　do　not　wish　for　the　sphere　and　freedom　we　ask　for　them；　and

would　not　use　it！



〃If　the　bird　does　like　its　cage；　and　does　like　its　sugar　and　will　no