samantha at saratoga-第28节

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　and　knew　not　what　he　did。　　The　mariner　in　charge　looked　destracted。　　And　the　bystanders　a　standin'　by　wuz　amazed；　and　horrowfied　by　the　spectacle　of　his　actin'　and　behavin'。　　And　I　knew　not　how　I　should　termonate　the　seen；　and　withdraw　him　away　from　where　he　wuz。　But　in　my　destraction　and　agony　of　sole；　I　bethought　me　of　one　meens　of　quietin'　him　and　as　it　were　terrifyin'　him　into　silence　and　be　the　meens　of　gettin'　on　him　to　leave　the　seen。　　I　begoned　to　Ardelia　to　come　forward　and　I　sez　in　a　whisper　to　her；　〃Take　out　your　pencil　and　a　piece　of　paper　and　stand　up　in　front　of　him　and　go　to　writin'　some　of　your　poetry；〃　And　then　I　sez　agin　in　tender　agents；　〃Be　calm；　Josiah。〃　〃And　I　tell　you　that　I　won't　be　calm！　　And　I　tell　you；〃　a　shakin'　his　fist　at　that　pale　mariner；　〃I　tell　you　to　bring　out　　〃　At　that　very　minute　he　turned　his　eyes　onto　Ardelia；　who　stood　with　a　kind　of　a　fur…away　look　in　her　eyes　in　front　of　him　with　the　paper　in　her　hand；　and　sez　he　to　me；　〃What　is　she　doin'？〃　〃She　is　composin'　some　poetry　onto　you；　Josiah　Allen；〃　sez　I；　in　tremblin'　axents；　for　I　felt　that　if　that　skeme　failed；　I　wuz　undone；　for　I　knew　I　had　no　ingredients　there　to　get　him　a　extra　good　meal。　　No；　I　felt　that　my　tried　and　true　weepon　wuz　fur　away；　and　this　wuz　my　last　hope。　But　as　I　thought　these　thoughts　with　almost　a　heatlightnin'　rapidety；　I　see　a　change　in　his　liniment。　　It　did　not　look　so　thick　and　dark；　it　began　to　look　more　natural　and　clear。　And　sez　he　in　the　same　old　way　I　have　heerd　him　say　it　so　many　times；　〃Dumb　it　all！　　What　duz　she　want　to　write　poetry　on　me　for？　　It　is　time　to　go　home。〃　　And　so　sayin'；　he　almost　tore　us　from　the　seen。　I　gin　Ardelia　that　night　2　yards　of　lute…string　ribbon；　a　light　pink；　and　didn't　begrech　it。　　But　I　have　never　dast；　not　in　his　most　placid　and　serene　moments　…　I　have　never　dast；　to　say　the　word　〃Mermaid'　to　him。　Truly　there　is　something　that　the　boldest　female　pardner　dassent　do。　　Mermaids　is　one　of　the　things　I　don'　dast　to　bring　up。　　No！　no；　fur　be　it　from　me　to　say　〃Mermaid〃　to　Josiah　Allen。


XII。　A　DRIVE　TO　SARATOGA　LAKE。

Josiah　and　me　took　a　short　drive　this　afternoon；　he　hirin'　a　buggy　for　the　occasion。　　He　called　it　〃goin'　in　his　own　conveniance；〃　and　I　didn't　say　nothin'　aginst　his　callin'　it　so。　　I　didn't　break　it　up　for　this　reasun；　thinkses　I　it　is　a　conveniance　for　us　to　ride　in　it；　for　us　2　tried　and　true　souls　to　get　off　for　a　minute　by　ourselves。　Wall；　Josiah　wuz　dretful　good　behaved　this　afternoon。　　He　helped　me　in　a　good　deal　politer　than　usual　and　tucked　the　bright　lap…robe　almost　tenderly　round　my　form。　Men　do　have　sech　spells。　　They　are　dretful　good　actin'　at　times。　Why　they　act　better　and　more　subdueder　and　mellerer　at　sometimes　than　at　others；　is　a　deep　subject　which　we　mortals　cannot　as　yet　fully　understand。　　Also　visey　versey；　their　cross；　up　headeder　times；　over　bearin'　and　actin'。　　It　is　a　deep　subject　and　one　freighted　with　a　great　deal　of　freight。　But　Josiah's　goodness　on　this　afternoon　almost　reached　the　Scripteral　and　he　sez；　when　we　first　sot　out；　and　I　see　that　the　horse's　head　wuz　turned　towards　the　Lake。　　Sez　he；　〃I　guess　we'll　go　to　the　Lake；　but　where　do　you　want　to　go；　Samantha？　　I　will　go　anywhere　you　want　to　go。〃　And　he　still　drove　almost　recklessly　on　lakewards。　　And　sez　he；　〃We　had　better　go　straight　on；　but　say　the　word；　and　you　can　go　jest　where　you　want　to。〃　　And　he　urged　the　horse　on　to　still　greater　speed。　　And　he　sez　agin；　〃Do　you　want　to　go　any　particular　place；　Samantha？〃　〃Yes；〃　sez　I；　〃I　had　jest　as　leves　go　there　as　not。〃　〃Wall；　I　knew　there　would　be　where　you　would　want　to　go。〃　　And　he　drove　on　at　a　good　jog。　　But　no　better　jog　than　we　had　been　a　goin'　on。　Wall　the　weather　wuz　delightful。　　It　wuz　soft　and　balmy。　　And　my　feelin's　towered　my　pardner　（owin'　to　his　linement）　wuz　soft　and　balmy　as　the　air。　　And　so　we　moved　onwards；　past　the　home　of　one　who　wuz　true　to　his　country；　when　all　round　him　wuz　false；　who　governed　his　state　wisely　and　well；　held　the　lines　firm；　when　she　wuz　balky；　and　would　have　been　glad　to　take　the　lines　in　her　teeth　and　run　away　onto　ruin；　past　the　big　grand　house　of　him　who　carried　a　piece　of　our　American　justice　way　off　into　Egypt　and　carried　it　firm　and　square　too　right　there　in　the　dark。　　I　s'pose　it　is　dark。　　I　have　always　hearn　about　its　bein'　as　dark　as　Egypt。　　Wall；　anyway　he　is　a　good　lookin'　man。　　They　both　on　'em　are　and　Josiah　admitted　it　…　after　some　words。　Wall　anon；　or　perhaps　a　little　after；　we　came　to　where　we　could　see　the　face　of　Beautiful　Saratoga　Lake；　layin'　a　smilin'　up　into　the　skies。　　A　little　white　cloud　wuz　a　restin'　up　on　the　top　of　the　tree…covered　mountain　that　riz　up　on　one　side　of　the　lake；　and　I　felt　that　it　might　be　the　shadow　form　of　the　sacred　dove　Saderrosseros　a　broodin'　down　over　the　waters　she　loved。　That　she　loved　still；　though　another　race　wuz　a　bathin'　their　weary　forwards　in　the　tide。　　And　I　wondered　as　I　looked　down　on　it；　whether　the　great　heart　of　the　water　wuz　constant；　if　it　ever　heaved　up　into　deep　sithes　a　thinkin'　of　the　one　who　had　passed　away；　of　them　who　once　rested　lightly　on　her　bosem；　bathed　their　dark　forwards　and　read　the　meanin'　of　the　heavens；　in　the　moon　and　stars　reflected　there。　I　don't　know　as　she　remembered　'em；　and　Josiah　don't。　　But　I　know　as　we　stood　there；　a　lookin'　down　on　her；　the　lake　seemed　to　give　a　sort　of　a　sithe　and　a　shiver　kind　a　run　over　her；　not　a　cold　shiver　exactly；　but　a　sort　of　a　shinin'；　glorified　shiver。　　I　see　it　a　comin'　from　way　out　on　the　lake　and　it　swept　and　sort　a　shivered　on　clean　to　the　shore　and　melted　away　there　at　our　feet。　Mebby　it　wuz　a　sort　o'　sithe；　and　mebby　agin　it　wuzn't。　I　guess　it　felt　that　it　wuz　all　right；　that　a　fairer　race　had　brought　fairer　customs　and　habits　of　thoughts；　and　the　change　wuz　not　a　bad　one。　　I　guess　she　looked　forward　to　the　time　when　a　still　grander　race　should　look　down　into　her　shinin'　face；　a　race　of　free　men；　and　free　wimmen；　sons　and　daughters　of　God；　who　should　hold　their　birthright　so　grandly　and　nobly　that　they　will　look　back　upon　the　people　of　to…day；　as　we　look　back　upon　the　dark　sons　and　daughters　of　the　forest；　in　pity　and　dolor。　I　guess　she　thought　it　wuz　all　right。　　Any　way　she　acted　as　if　she　did。　　She　looked　real　sort　o'　serene　and　calm　as　we　left　her；　and　sort　o'　prophetic　too；　and　glowin'。　Wall；　we　went　by　a　long　first　rate　lookin'　sort　of　a　tarven；　I　guess。　　It　wuz　a　kind　of　a　dark　red　color；　and　dretfully　flowered　off　in　wood　…　red　wood。　　And　there　we　see　standin'　near　the　house；　a　great　big　round　sort　of　a　buildin'；　and　my　Josiah　sez；　〃There！　that　is　a　buildin'　I　like　the　looks　on。　That　is　a　barn　I　like；　built　perfectly　round。　　That　is　sunthin'　uneek。　　I'll　have　a　barn　like　that　if　I　live。　　I　fairly　love　that　barn。〃　　And　he　stopped　the　horse　stun　still　to　look　at　it。　And　I　sez　in　sort　o'　cool　tones；　not　entirely　cold；　but　coolish：　〃What　under　the　sun　do　you　want　with　a　round　barn？　　And　you　don't　need　another　one。〃　〃Wall；　I　don't　exactly　need　it；　Samantha；　but　it　would　be　a　comfert　to　me　to　own　one。　　I　should　dearly　love　a　round　barn。〃　And　he　went　on　pensively；　…　〃I　wonder　how　much　it　would　cost。　　I　wouldn't　have　it　quite　so　big　as　this　is。　　I'd　have　it　for　a　horse　barn；　Samantha。　　It　would　look　so　fashionable；　and　genteel。　Think　what　it　would　be；　Samantha；　to　keep　our　old　mair　in　a　round　barn；　why　the　mair　would　renew　her　age。〃　〃She　wouldn't　pay　no　attention　to　it；〃　sez　I。　　〃She　knows　too　much。〃　　And　I　added　in　cooler；　more　dignifieder　tones；　but　dretful　meanin'　ones；　〃The　old　mair；　Josiah　Allen；　don't　run　after　every　new　fancy　she　hears　on。　　She　don't　try　to　be　fashionable；　and　she　haint　high…headed；　except；〃　sez　I；　reasenably；　〃when　you　check　her　up　too　much。〃　〃Wall；〃　sez　he；　〃I　am　bound　to　make　some　enquiries。　　Hello！〃　says　he　to　a　bystander　a　comin'　by。　　〃Have　you　any　idee　what　such　a　barn　as　that　would　cost？　　A　little　smaller　one；　I　don't　need　so　big　a　one。　　How　many　feet　of　lumber　do　you　s'pose　it　would　take　for　it？　　I　ask　you；〃　sez　he；　〃as　between　man　and　man。〃　I　nudged　him　there；　for　as　I　have　said；　I　didn't　believe　then；　and　I　don't　believe　now；　that　he　or　any　other　man　ever　knew　or　mistrusted　what　they　meant　by　that　term　〃as　between　man　and　man。〃　I　think　it　sounds　kind　o'　flat；　and　I　always　oppose　Josiah's　usin'　it；　he　loves　it。　Wall；　the　man　broke　out　a'　laughin'　and　sez　he；　〃That　haint　a　barn；　that　is　a　tree。〃　〃A　tree！〃　sez　I；　a　sort　o'　cranin'　my　neck　forward　in　deep　amaze。　And　what　exclamation　Josiah　Allen　made；　I　will　not　be　coaxed　into　revealin'；　no；　it　is　better　not。　But　suffice　it　to　say　that　after　a　long　explanation　my　companion　at　last　gin　in　that　the　man　wuz　a　tellin'　the　truth；　and　it　wuz　the　lower　part　of　a　tree…trunk；　that　growed　once　near　the　Yo　Semity　valley　of　California。　　Good　land！　good　land！　Josiah　drove　on　quick　after　the　man　explained　it；　he　felt　meachin'；　but　I　didn't　notice　his　linement　so　much；　I　wuz　so　deep　in　thought；　and　a　wonderin'　about　it；　a　wonderin'　how　the　old　tree　felt　with　her　feet　a　restin'　here　on　strange　soil　…　her　withered；　dry　old　feet　a　standin'　here；　as　if　jest　ready　to　walk　away　restless　like　and　feverish；　a　wantin'　to　get　back　by　the　rushin'　river　that　used　to　bathe　them　feet　in　the　spring　overflow　of　the　pure　cold　m