the story of a bad boy-第31节

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Many　a　Rivermouth　boy　has　tremblingly　put　this　question　in　the　dark；　and；　sure　enough；　Polly　Haines　invariably　answered　nothing！

A　low　red…brick　wall；　broken　down　in　many　places　and　frosted　over　with　silvery　moss；　surrounded　this　burial…ground　of　our　Pilgrim　Fathers　and　their　immediate　descendants。　The　latest　date　on　any　of　the　headstones　was　1780。　A　crop　of　very　funny　epitaphs　sprung　up　here　and　there　among　the　overgrown　thistles　and　burdocks；　and　almost　every　tablet　had　a　death's…head　with　cross…bones　engraved　upon　it；　or　else　a　puffy　round　face　with　a　pair　of　wings　stretching　out　from　the　ears；　like　this：



Cherub　Graphic



These　mortuary　emblems　furnished　me　with　congenial　food　for　reflection。　I　used　to　lie　in　the　long　grass；　and　speculate　on　the　advantages　and　disadvantages　of　being　a　cherub。

I　forget　what　I　thought　the　advantages　were；　but　I　remember　distinctly　of　getting　into　an　inextricable　tangle　on　two　points：　How　could　a　cherub；　being　all　head　and　wings；　manage　to　sit　down　when　he　was　tired？　To　have　to　sit　down　on　the　back　of　his　head　struck　me　as　an　awkward　alternative。　Again：　Where　did　a　cherub　carry　those　indispensable　articles　（such　as　jack…knives；　marbles；　and　pieces　of　twine）　which　boys　in　an　earthly　state　of　existence　usually　stow　away　in　their　trousers…pockets？

These　were　knotty　questions；　and　I　was　never　able　to　dispose　of　them　satisfactorily。

Meanwhile　Pepper　Whitcomb　would　scour　the　whole　town　in　search　of　me。　He　finally　discovered　my　retreat；　and　dropped　in　on　me　abruptly　one　afternoon；　while　I　was　deep　in　the　cherub　problem。

〃Look　here；　Tom　Bailey！〃　said　Pepper；　shying　a　piece　of　clam…shell　indignantly　at　the　file　jacet　on　a　neighboring　gravestone。　〃You　are　just　going　to　the　dogs！　Can't　you　tell　a　fellow　what　in　thunder　ails　you；　instead　of　prowling　round　among　the　tombs　like　a　jolly　old　vampire？〃

〃Pepper；〃　I　replied；　solemnly；　〃don't　ask　me。　All　is　not　well　here〃…touching　my　breast　mysteriously。　If　I　had　touched　my　head　instead；　I　should　have　been　nearer　the　mark。

Pepper　stared　at　me。

〃Earthly　happiness；〃　I　continued；　〃is　a　delusion　and　a　snare。　You　will　never　be　happy；　Pepper；　until　you　are　a　cherub。〃

Pepper；　by　the　by；　would　have　made　an　excellent　cherub；　he　was　so　chubby。　Having　delivered　myself　of　these　gloomy　remarks；　I　arose　languidly　from　the　grass　and　moved　away；　leaving　Pepper　staring　after　me　in　mute　astonishment。　I　was　Hamlet　and　Werter　and　the　late　Lord　Byron　all　in　one。

You　will　ask　what　my　purpose　was　in　cultivating　this　factitious　despondency。　None　whatever。　Blighted　beings　never　have　any　purpose　in　life　excepting　to　be　as　blighted　as　possible。

Of　course　my　present　line　of　business　could　not　long　escape　the　eye　of　Captain　Nutter。　I　don't　know　if　the　Captain　suspected　my　attachment　for　Miss　Glentworth。　He　never　alluded　to　it；　but　he　watched　me。　Miss　Abigail　watched　me；　Kitty　Collins　watched　me；　and　Sailor　Ben　watched　me。

〃I　can't　make　out　his　signals；〃　I　overheard　the　Admiral　remark　to　my　grandfather　one　day。　〃I　hope　he　ain't　got　no　kind　of　sickness　aboard。〃

There　was　something　singularly　agreeable　in　being　an　object　of　so　great　interest。　Sometimes　I　had　all　I　could　do　to　preserve　my　dejected　aspect；　it　was　so　pleasant　to　be　miserable。　I　incline　to　the　opinion　that　people　who　are　melancholy　without　any　particular　reason；　such　as　poets；　artists；　and　young　musicians　with　long　hair；　have　rather　an　enviable　time　of　it。　In　a　quiet　way　I　never　enjoyed　myself　better　in　my　life　than　when　I　was　a　Blighted　Being。







Chapter　Twenty

In　Which　I　Prove　Myself　To　Be　the　Grandson　of　My　Grandfather



It　was　not　possible　for　a　boy　of　my　temperament　to　be　a　blighted　being　longer　than　three　consecutive　weeks。

I　was　gradually　emerging　from　my　self…imposed　cloud　when　events　took　place　that　greatly　assisted　in　restoring　me　to　a　more　natural　frame　of　mind。　I　awoke　from　an　imaginary　trouble　to　face　a　real　one。

I　suppose　you　don't　know　what　a　financial　crisis　is？　I　will　give　you　an　illustration。

You　are　deeply　in　debt…say　to　the　amount　of　a　quarter　of　a　dollar…to　the　little　knicknack　shop　round　the　corner；　where　they　sell　picture…papers；　spruce…gum；　needles；　and　Malaga　raisins。　A　boy　owes　you　a　quarter　of　a　dollar；　which　he　promises　to　pay　at　a　certain　time。　You　are　depending　on　this　quarter　to　settle　accounts　with　the　small　shop…keeper。　The　time　arrives…and　the　quarter　doesn't。　That's　a　financial　crisis；　in　one　sense…twenty…five　senses；　if　I　may　say　so。

When　this　same　thing　happens；　on　a　grander　scale；　in　the　mercantile　world；　it　produces　what　is　called　a　panic。　One　man's　inability　to　pay　his　debts　ruins　another　man；　who；　in　turn；　ruins　someone　else；　and　so　on；　until　failure　after　failure　makes　even　the　richest　capitalists　tremble。　Public　confidence　is　suspended；　and　the　smaller　fry　of　merchants　are　knocked　over　like　tenpins。

These　commercial　panics　occur　periodically；　after　the　fashion　of　comets　and　earthquakes　and　other　disagreeable　things。

Such　a　panic　took　place　in　New　Orleans　in　the　year　18…；　and　my　father's　banking…house　went　to　pieces　in　the　crash。

Of　a　comparatively　large　fortune　nothing　remained　after　paying　his　debts　excepting　a　few　thousand　dollars；　with　which　he　proposed　to　return　North　and　embark　in　some　less　hazardous　enterprise。　In　the　meantime　it　was　necessary　for　him　to　stay　in　New　Orleans　to　wind　up　the　business。

My　grandfather　was　in　some　way　involved　in　this　failure；　and　lost；　I　fancy；　a　considerable　sum　of　money；　but　he　never　talked　much　on　the　subject。　He　was　an　unflinching　believer　in　the　spilt…milk　proverb。

〃It　can't　be　gathered　up；〃　he　would　say；　〃and　it's　no　use　crying　over　it。　Pitch　into　the　cow　and　get　some　more　milk；　is　my　motto。〃

The　suspension　of　the　banking…house　was　bad　enough；　but　there　was　an　attending　circumstance　that　gave　us；　at　Rivermouth；　a　great　deal　more　anxiety。　The　cholera；　which　someone　predicted　would　visit　the　country　that　year；　and　which；　indeed；　had　made　its　appearance　in　a　mild　form　at　several　points　along　the　Mississippi　River；　had　broken　out　with　much　violence　at　New　Orleans。

The　report　that　first　reached　us　through　the　newspapers　was　meagre　and　contradictory；　many　people　discredited　it；　but　a　letter　from　my　mother　left　us　no　room　for　doubt。　The　sickness　was　in　the　city。　The　hospitals　were　filling　up；　and　hundreds　of　the　citizens　were　flying　from　the　stricken　place　by　every　steamboat。　The　unsettled　state　of　my　father's　affairs　made　it　imperative　for　him　to　remain　at　his　post；　his　desertion　at　that　moment　would　have　been　at　the　sacrifice　of　all　he　had　saved　from　the　general　wreck。

As　he　would　be　detained　in　New　Orleans　at　least　three　months；　my　mother　declined　to　come　North　without　him。

After　this　we　awaited　with　feverish　impatience　the　weekly　news　that　came　to　us　from　the　South。　The　next　letter　advised　us　that　my　parents　were　well；　and　that　the　sickness；　so　far；　had　not　penetrated　to　the　faubourg；　or　district；　where　they　lived。　The　following　week　brought　less　cheering　tidings。　My　father's　business；　in　consequence　of　the　flight　of　the　other　partners；　would　keep　him　in　the　city　beyond　the　period　he　had　mentioned。　The　family　had　moved　to　Pass　Christian；　a　favorite　watering…place　on　Lake　Pontchartrain；　near　New　Orleans；　where　he　was　able　to　spend　part　of　each　week。　So　the　return　North　was　postponed　indefinitely。

It　was　now　that　the　old　longing　to　see　my　parents　came　back　to　me　with　irresistible　force。　I　knew　my　grandfather　would　not　listen　to　the　idea　of　my　going　to　New　Orleans　at　such　a　dangerous　time；　since　he　had　opposed　the　journey　so　strongly　when　the　same　objection　did　not　exist。　But　I　determined　to　go　nevertheless。

I　think　I　have　mentioned　the　fact　that　all　the　male　members　of　our　family；　on　my　father's　side…as　far　back　as　the　Middle　Ages…have　exhibited　in　early　youth　a　decided　talent　for　running　away。　It　was　an　hereditary　talent。　It　ran　in　the　blood　to　run　away。　I　do　not　pretend　to　explain　the　peculiarity。　I　simply　admit　it。

It　was　not　my　fate　to　change　the　prescribed　order　of　things。　I；　too；　was　to　run　away；　thereby　proving；　if　any　proof　were　needed；　that　I　was　the　grandson　of　my　grandfather。　I　do　not　hold　myself　responsible　for　the　step　any　more　than　I　do　for　the　shape　of　my　nose；　which　is　said　to　be　a　facsimile　of　Captain　Nutter's。

I　have　frequently　noticed　how　circumstances　conspire　to　help　a　man；　or　a　boy；　when　he　has　thoroughly　resolved　on　doing　a　thing。　That　very　week　the　Rivermouth　Barnacle　printed　an　advertisement　that　seemed　to　have　been　written　on　purpose　for　me。　It　read　as　follows：

WANTED。　A　Few　Able…bodied　Seamen　and　a　Cabin…Boy；　for　the　ship　Rawlings；　now　loading　for　New　Orleans　at　Johnson's　Wharf；　Boston。　Apply　in　person；　within　four　days；　at　the　office　of　Messrs。…　&　Co。；　or　on　board　the　Ship。

How　I　was　to　get　to　New　Orleans　with　only　4。62　was　a　question　that　had　been　bothering　me。　This　advertisement　made　it　as　clear　as　day。　I　would　go　as　cabin…boy。

I　had　taken　Pepper　into　my　confidence　again；　I　had　told　him　the　story　of　my　love　for　Miss　Glentworth；　with　all　its　harrowing　details；　and　now　conceived　it　judicious　to　confide　in　him　the　change　about　to　take　place　in　my　life；　so　that；　if　the　Rawlings　went　down　in　a　gale；　my　friends