herland(她乡)-第35节
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us assume it to be so。 How does this idea strike you？〃
Again she smiled at me； that adorable； dimpling； tender；
mischievous； motherly smile of hers。 〃Shall I be quite； quite honest？〃
〃You couldn't be anything else；〃 I said； half gladly and half a
little sorry。 The transparent honesty of these women was a never…ending
astonishment to me。
〃It seems to me a singularly foolish idea；〃 she said calmly。 〃And
if true； most disagreeable。〃
Now I had always accepted the doctrine of personal immortality
as a thing established。 The efforts of inquiring spiritualists； always
seeking to woo their beloved ghosts back again； never seemed to me
necessary。 I don't say I had ever seriously and courageously discussed
the subject with myself even； I had simply assumed it to be a fact。 And
here was the girl I loved； this creature whose character constantly revealed
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new heights and ranges far beyond my own； this superwoman of a
superland； saying she thought immortality foolish！ She meant it； too。
〃What do you WANT it for？〃 she asked。
〃How can you NOT want it！〃 I protested。 〃Do you want to go
out like a candle？ Don't you want to go on and ongrowing and and
being happy； forever？〃
〃Why； no；〃 she said。 〃I don't in the least。 I want my child
and my child's childto go onand they will。 Why should _I_ want to？〃
〃But it means Heaven！〃 I insisted。 〃Peace and Beauty and
Comfort and Lovewith God。〃 I had never been so eloquent on the
subject of religion。 She could be horrified at Damnation； and question
the justice of Salvation； but Immortalitythat was surely a noble faith。
〃Why； Van；〃 she said； holding out her hands to me。 〃Why Van…
…darling！ How splendid of you to feel it so keenly。 That's what we all
want； of coursePeace and Beauty； and Comfort and Lovewith God！
And Progress too； remember； Growth； always and always。 That is what
our religion teaches us to want and to work for； and we do！〃
〃But that is HERE； I said； 〃only for this life on earth。〃
〃Well？ And do not you in your country； with your beautiful
religion of love and service have it here； toofor this lifeon earth？〃
None of us were willing to tell the women of Herland about the evils
of our own beloved land。 It was all very well for us to assume them to be
necessary and essential； and to criticize strictly among ourselvestheir
all…too…perfect civilization； but when it came to telling them about the
failures and wastes of our own； we never could bring ourselves to do it。
Moreover； we sought to avoid too much discussion； and to press
the subject of our approaching marriages。
Jeff was the determined one on this score。
〃Of course they haven't any marriage ceremony or service； but
we can make it a sort of Quaker wedding； and have it in the templeit is
the least we can do for them。〃
It was。 There was so little； after all； that we could do for them。
Here we were； penniless guests and strangers； with no chance even to use
our strength and couragenothing to defend them from or protect them
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against。
〃We can at least give them our names；〃 Jeff insisted。
They were very sweet about it； quite willing to do whatever we
asked； to please us。 As to the names； Alima； frank soul that she was；
asked what good it would do。
Terry； always irritating her； said it was a sign of possession。
〃You are going to be Mrs。 Nicholson；〃 he said。 〃Mrs。 T。 O。 Nicholson。
That shows everyone that you are my wife。〃
〃What is a ‘wife' exactly？〃 she demanded； a dangerous gleam in
her eye。
〃A wife is the woman who belongs to a man；〃 he began。
But Jeff took it up eagerly： 〃And a husband is the man who
belongs to a woman。 It is because we are monogamous； you know。
And marriage is the ceremony； civil and religious； that joins the two
together‘until death do us part；'〃 he finished； looking at Celis with
unutterable devotion。
〃What makes us all feel foolish；〃 I told the girls； 〃is that here we
have nothing to give youexcept； of course； our names。〃
〃Do your women have no names before they are married？〃 Celis
suddenly demanded。
〃Why； yes；〃 Jeff explained。 〃They have their maiden names
their father's names； that is。〃
〃And what becomes of them？〃 asked Alima。
〃They change them for their husbands'； my dear；〃 Terry
answered her。
〃Change them？ Do the husbands then take the wives' ‘maiden
names'？〃
〃Oh； no；〃 he laughed。 〃The man keeps his own and gives it to
her； too。〃
〃Then she just loses hers and takes a new onehow unpleasant！
We won't do that！〃 Alima said decidedly。
Terry was good…humored about it。 〃I don't care what you do or
don't do so long as we have that wedding pretty soon；〃 he said； reaching a
strong brown hand after Alima's； quite as brown and nearly as strong。
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〃As to giving us thingsof course we can see that you'd like to；
but we are glad you can't；〃 Celis continued。 〃You see； we love you just
for yourselveswe wouldn't want you toto pay anything。 Isn't it enough
to know that you are loved personallyand just as men？〃
Enough or not； that was the way we were married。 We had a
great triple wedding in the biggest temple of all； and it looked as if most of
the nation was present。 It was very solemn and very beautiful。
Someone had written a new song for the occasion； nobly beautiful； about
the New Hope for their peoplethe New Tie with other lands
Brotherhood as well as Sisterhood； and； with evident awe； Fatherhood。
Terry was always restive under their talk of fatherhood。
〃Anybody'd think we were High Priests ofof Philoprogenitiveness！〃 he
protested。 〃These women think of NOTHING but children； seems to me！
We'll teach 'em！〃
He was so certain of what he was going to teach； and Alima so
uncertain in her moods of reception； that Jeff and I feared the worst。 We
tried to caution himmuch good that did。 The big handsome fellow drew
himself up to his full height； lifted that great chest of his； and laughed。
〃There are three separate marriages；〃 he said。 〃I won't interfere
with yoursnor you with mine。〃
So the great day came； and the countless crowds of women； and
we three bridegrooms without any supporting 〃best men；〃 or any other
men to back us up； felt strangely small as we came forward。
Somel and Zava and Moadine were on hand； we were thankful
to have them； toothey seemed almost like relatives。
There was a splendid procession； wreathing dances； the new
anthem I spoke of； and the whole great place pulsed with feeling the
deep awe； the sweet hope； the wondering expectation of a new miracle。
〃There has been nothing like this in the country since our
Motherhood began！〃 Somel said softly to me； while we watched the
symbolic marches。 〃You see； it is the dawn of a new era。 You don't
know how much you mean to us。 It is not only Fatherhood that
marvelous dual parentage to which we are strangersthe miracle of union
in life…givingbut it is Brotherhood。 You are the rest of the world。 You
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join us to our kindto all the strange lands and peoples we
