the story of a bad boy-第5节

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didn't　chance　to　fancy　what　was　sent　her；　she　had　no　hesitation　in　sending　it　back　to　the　giver　with　〃Miss　Jocelyn's　respectful　compliments。〃

But　I　have　been　gossiping　too　long…and　yet　not　too　long　if　I　have　impressed　upon　the　reader　an　idea　of　what　a　rusty；　delightful　old　town　it　was　to　which　I　had　come　to　spend　the　next　three　or　four　years　of　my　boyhood。

A　drive　of　twenty　minutes　from　the　station　brought　us　to　the　door…step　of　Grandfather　Nutter's　house。　What　kind　of　house　it　was；　and　what　sort　of　people　lived　in　it；　shall　be　told　in　another　chapter。



Chapter　Five

The　Nutter　House　and　the　Nutter　Family



The　Nutter　House…all　the　more　prominent　dwellings　in　Rivermouth　are　named　after　somebody；　for　instance；　there　is　the　Walford　House；　the　Venner　House；　the　Trefethen　House；　etc。；　though　it　by　no　means　follows　that　they　are　inhabited　by　the　people　whose　names　they　bear…the　Nutter　House；　to　resume；　has　been　in　our　family　nearly　a　hundred　years；　and　is　an　honor　to　the　builder　（an　ancestor　of　ours；　I　believe）；　supposing　durability　to　be　a　merit。　If　our　ancestor　was　a　carpenter；　he　knew　his　trade。　I　wish　I　knew　mine　as　well。　Such　timber　and　such　workmanship　don't　often　come　together　in　houses　built　nowadays。

Imagine　a　low…studded　structure；　with　a　wide　hall　running　through　the　middle。　At　your　right　band；　as　you　enter；　stands　a　tall　black　mahogany　clock；　looking　like　an　Egyptian　mummy　set　up　on　end。　On　each　side　of　the　hall　are　doors　（whose　knobs；　it　must　be　confessed；　do　not　turn　very　easily）；　opening　into　large　rooms　wainscoted　and　rich　in　wood…carvings　about　the　mantel…pieces　and　cornices。　The　walls　are　covered　with　pictured　paper；　representing　landscapes　and　sea…views。　In　the　parlor；　for　example；　this　enlivening　figure　is　repeated　all　over　the　room。　A　group　of　English　peasants；　wearing　Italian　hats；　are　dancing　on　a　lawn　that　abruptly　resolves　itself　into　a　sea…beach；　upon　which　stands　a　flabby　fisherman　（nationality　unknown）；　quietly　hauling　in　what　appears　to　be　a　small　whale；　and　totally　regardless　of　the　dreadful　naval　combat　going　on　just　beyond　the　end　of　his　fishing…rod。　On　the　other　side　of　the　ships　is　the　main…land　again；　with　the　same　peasants　dancing。　Our　ancestors　were　very　worthy　people；　but　their　wall…papers　were　abominable。

There　are　neither　grates　nor　stoves　in　these　quaint　chambers；　but　splendid　open　chimney…places；　with　room　enough　for　the　corpulent　back…log　to　turn　over　comfortably　on　the　polished　andirons。　A　wide　staircase　leads　from　the　hall　to　the　second　story；　which　is　arranged　much　like　the　first。　Over　this　is　the　garret。　I　needn't　tell　a　New　England　boy　what…a　museum　of　curiosities　is　the　garret　of　a　well…regulated　New　England　house　of　fifty　or　sixty　years'　standing。　Here　meet　together；　as　if　by　some　preconcerted　arrangement；　all　the　broken…down　chairs　of　the　household；　all　the　spavined　tables；　all　the　seedy　hats；　all　the　intoxicated…looking　boots；　all　the　split　walking…sticks　that　have　retired　from　business；　〃weary　with　the　march　of　life。〃　The　pots；　the　pans；　the　trunks；　the　bottles…who　may　hope　to　make　an　inventory　of　the　numberless　odds　and　ends　collected　in　this　bewildering　lumber…room？　But　what　a　place　it　is　to　sit　of　an　afternoon　with　the　rain　pattering　on　the　roof！　20What　a　place　in　which　to　read　Gulliver's　Travels；　or　the　famous　adventures　of　Rinaldo　Rinaldini！

My　grandfather's　house　stood　a　little　back　from　the　main　street；　in　the　shadow　of　two　handsome　elms；　whose　overgrown　boughs　would　dash　themselves　against　the　gables　whenever　the　wind　blew　hard。　In　the　rear　was　a　pleasant　garden；　covering　perhaps　a　quarter　of　an　acre；　full　of　plum…trees　and　gooseberry　bushes。　These　trees　were　old　settlers；　and　are　all　dead　now；　excepting　one；　which　bears　a　purple　plum　as　big　as　an　egg。　This　tree；　as　I　remark；　is　still　standing；　and　a　more　beautiful　tree　to　tumble　out　of　never　grew　anywhere。　In　the　northwestern　comer　of　the　garden　were　the　stables　and　carriage…house　opening　upon　a　narrow　lane。　You　may　imagine　that　I　made　an　early　visit　to　that　locality　to　inspect　Gypsy。　Indeed；　I　paid　her　a　visit　every　half…hour　during　the　first　day　of　my　arrival。　At　the　twenty…fourth　visit　she　trod　on　my　foot　rather　heavily；　as　a　reminder；　probably；　that　I　was　wearing　out　my　welcome。　She　was　a　knowing　little　pony；　that　Gypsy；　and　I　shall　have　much　to　say　of　her　in　the　course　of　these　pages。

Gypsy's　quarters　were　all　that　could　be　wished；　but　nothing　among　my　new　surroundings　gave　me　more　satisfaction　than　the　cosey　sleeping　apartment　that　had　been　prepared　for　myself。　It　was　the　hall　room　over　the　front　door。

I　had　never　had　a　chamber　all　to　myself　before；　and　this　one；　about　twice　the　size　of　our　state…room　on　board　the　Typhoon；　was　a　marvel　of　neatness　and　comfort。　Pretty　chintz　curtains　hung　at　the　window；　and　a　patch　quilt　of　more　colors　than　were　in　Joseph's　coat　covered　the　little　truckle…bed。　The　pattern　of　the　wall…paper　left　nothing　to　be　desired　in　that　line。　On　a　gray　background　were　small　bunches　of　leaves；　unlike　any　that　ever　grew　in　this　world；　and　on　every　other　bunch　perched　a　yellow…bird；　pitted　with　crimson　spots；　as　if　it　had　just　recovered　from　a　severe　attack　of　the　small…pox。　That　no　such　bird　ever　existed　did　not　detract　from　my　admiration　of　each　one。　There　were　two　hundred　and　sixty…eight　of　these　birds　in　all；　not　counting　those　split　in　two　where　the　paper　was　badly　joined。　I　counted　them　once　when　I　was　laid　up　with　a　fine　black　eye；　and　falling　asleep　immediately　dreamed　that　the　whole　flock　suddenly　took　wing　and　flew　out　of　the　window。　From　that　time　I　was　never　able　to　regard　them　as　merely　inanimate　objects。

A　wash…stand　in　the　corner；　a　chest　of　carved　mahogany　drawers；　a　looking…glass　in　a　filigreed　frame；　and　a　high…backed　chair　studded　with　brass　nails　like　a　coffin；　constituted　the　furniture。　Over　the　head　of　the　bed　were　two　oak　shelves；　holding　perhaps　a　dozen　books…among　which　were　Theodore；　or　The　Peruvians；　Robinson　Crusoe；　an　odd　volume　of　Tristram　Shandy；　Baxter's　Saints'　Rest；　and　a　fine　English　edition　of　the　Arabian　Nights；　with　six　hundred　wood…cuts　by　Harvey。

Shall　I　ever　forget　the　hour　when　I　first　overhauled　these　books？　I　do　not　allude　especially　to　Baxter's　Saints'　Rest；　which　is　far　from　being　a　lively　work　for　the　young；　but　to　the　Arabian　Nights；　and　particularly　Robinson　Crusoe。　The　thrill　that　ran　into　my　fingers'　ends　then　has　not　run　out　yet。　Many　a　time　did　I　steal　up　to　this　nest　of　a　room；　and；　taking　the　dog's…eared　volume　from　its　shelf；　glide　off　into　an　enchanted　realm；　where　there　were　no　lessons　to　get　and　no　boys　to　smash　my　kite。　In　a　lidless　trunk　in　the　garret　I　subsequently　unearthed　another　motley　collection　of　novels　and　romances；　embracing　the　adventures　of　Baron　Trenck；　Jack　Sheppard；　Don　Quixote；　Gil　Blas；　and　Charlotte　Temple…all　of　which　I　fed　upon　like　a　bookworm。

I　never　come　across　a　copy　of　any　of　those　works　without　feeling　a　certain　tenderness　for　the　yellow…haired　little　rascal　who　used　to　lean　above　the　magic　pages　hour　after　hour；　religiously　believing　every　word　he　read；　and　no　more　doubting　the　reality　of　Sindbad　the　Sailor；　or　the　Knight　of　the　Sorrowful　Countenance；　than　he　did　the　existence　of　his　own　grandfather。

Against　the　wall　at　the　foot　of　the　bed　hung　a　single…barrel　shot…gun…placed　there　by　Grandfather　Nutter；　who　knew　what　a　boy　loved；　if　ever　a　grandfather　did。　As　the　trigger　of　the　gun　had　been　accidentally　twisted　off；　it　was　not；　perhaps；　the　most　dangerous　weapon　that　could　be　placed　in　the　hands　of　youth。　In　this　maimed　condition　its　〃bump　of　destructiveness〃　was　much　less　than　that　of　my　small　brass　pocket…pistol；　which　I　at　once　proceeded　to　suspend　from　one　of　the　nails　supporting　the　fowling…piece；　for　my　vagaries　concerning　the　red　man　had　been　entirely　dispelled。

Having　introduced　the　reader　to　the　Nutter　House；　a　presentation　to　the　Nutter　family　naturally　follows。　The　family　consisted　of　my　grandfather；　his　sister；　Miss　Abigail　Nutter；　and　Kitty　Collins；　the　maid…of…all…work。

Grandfather　Nutter　was　a　hale；　cheery　old　gentleman；　as　straight　and　as　bald　as　an　arrow。　He　had　been　a　sailor　in　early　life；　that　is　to　say；　at　the　age　of　ten　years　he　fled　from　the　multiplication…table；　and　ran　away　to　sea。　A　single　voyage　satisfied　him。　There　never　was　but　one　of　our　family　who　didn't　run　away　to　sea；　and　this　one　died　at　his　birth。　My　grandfather　had　also　been　a　soldier…a　captain　of　militia　in　1812。　If　I　owe　the　British　nation　anything；　I　owe　thanks　to　that　particular　British　soldier　who　put　a　musket…ball　into　the　fleshy　part　of　Captain　Nutter's　leg；　causing　that　noble　warrior　a　slight　permanent　limp；　but　offsetting　the　injury　by　furnishing　him　with　the　material　for　a　story　which　the　old　gentleman　was　never　weary　of　telling　and　I　never　weary　of　listening　to。　The　story；　in　brief；　was　as　follows。

At　the　breaking　out　of　the　war；　an　English　frigate　lay　for　several　days　off　the　coast　near　Rivermouth。　A　strong　fort　defended　the　harbor；　and　a　regiment　of　minute…men；　scattered　at　various　points　along…shore；　stood　ready　to　repel　the　boats；　should　the　enemy　try　to　effect　a　landing。　Captain　Nutter　had　charge　of　a　slight　earthwork　just　outside　the　mouth　of　the　river。　Late　one　thic