half a life-time ago-第1节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






Half　a　Life…Time　Ago



by　Elizabeth　Gaskell









CHAPTER　I。







Half　a　life…time　ago；　there　lived　in　one　of　the　Westmoreland　dales　a

single　woman；　of　the　name　of　Susan　Dixon。　　She　was　owner　of　the　small

farm…house　where　she　resided；　and　of　some　thirty　or　forty　acres　of

land　by　which　it　was　surrounded。　　She　had　also　an　hereditary　right　to

a　sheep…walk；　extending　to　the　wild　fells　that　overhang　Blea　Tarn。

In　the　language　of　the　country　she　was　a　Stateswoman。　　Her　house　is

yet　to　be　seen　on　the　Oxenfell　road；　between　Skelwith　and　Coniston。

You　go　along　a　moorland　track；　made　by　the　carts　that　occasionally

came　for　turf　from　the　Oxenfell。　　A　brook　babbles　and　brattles　by　the

wayside；　giving　you　a　sense　of　companionship；　which　relieves　the　deep

solitude　in　which　this　way　is　usually　traversed。　　Some　miles　on　this

side　of　Coniston　there　is　a　farmsteada　gray　stone　house；　and　a

square　of　farm…buildings　surrounding　a　green　space　of　rough　turf；　in

the　midst　of　which　stands　a　mighty；　funereal　umbrageous　yew；　making　a

solemn　shadow；　as　of　death；　in　the　very　heart　and　centre　of　the　light

and　heat　of　the　brightest　summer　day。　　On　the　side　away　from　the

house；　this　yard　slopes　down　to　a　dark…brown　pool；　which　is　supplied

with　fresh　water　from　the　overflowings　of　a　stone　cistern；　into　which

some　rivulet　of　the　brook　before…mentioned　continually　and

melodiously　falls　bubbling。　　The　cattle　drink　out　of　this　cistern。

The　household　bring　their　pitchers　and　fill　them　with　drinking…water

by　a　dilatory；　yet　pretty；　process。　　The　water…carrier　brings　with

her　a　leaf　of　the　hound's…tongue　fern；　and；　inserting　it　in　the

crevice　of　the　gray　rock；　makes　a　cool；　green　spout　for　the　sparkling

stream。



The　house　is　no　specimen；　at　the　present　day；　of　what　it　was　in　the

lifetime　of　Susan　Dixon。　　Then；　every　small　diamond　pane　in　the

windows　glittered　with　cleanliness。　　You　might　have　eaten　off　the

floor；　you　could　see　yourself　in　the　pewter　plates　and　the　polished

oaken　awmry；　or　dresser；　of　the　state　kitchen　into　which　you　entered。

Few　strangers　penetrated　further　than　this　room。　　Once　or　twice；

wandering　tourists；　attracted　by　the　lonely　picturesqueness　of　the

situation；　and　the　exquisite　cleanliness　of　the　house　itself；　made

their　way　into　this　house…place；　and　offered　money　enough　（as　they

thought）　to　tempt　the　hostess　to　receive　them　as　lodgers。　　They　would

give　no　trouble；　they　said；　they　would　be　out　rambling　or　sketching

all　day　long；　would　be　perfectly　content　with　a　share　of　the　food

which　she　provided　for　herself；　or　would　procure　what　they　required

from　the　Waterhead　Inn　at　Coniston。　　But　no　liberal　sumno　fair

wordsmoved　her　from　her　stony　manner；　or　her　monotonous　tone　of

indifferent　refusal。　　No　persuasion　could　induce　her　to　show　any　more

of　the　house　than　that　first　room；　no　appearance　of　fatigue　procured

for　the　weary　an　invitation　to　sit　down　and　rest；　and　if　one　more

bold　and　less　delicate　did　so　without　being　asked；　Susan　stood　by；

cold　and　apparently　deaf；　or　only　replying　by　the　briefest

monosyllables；　till　the　unwelcome　visitor　had　departed。　　Yet　those

with　whom　she　had　dealings；　in　the　way　of　selling　her　cattle　or　her

farm　produce；　spoke　of　her　as　keen　after　a　bargaina　hard　one　to

have　to　do　with；　and　she　never　spared　herself　exertion　or　fatigue；　at

market　or　in　the　field；　to　make　the　most　of　her　produce。　　She　led　the

hay…makers　with　her　swift；　steady　rake；　and　her　noiseless　evenness　of

motion。　　She　was　about　among　the　earliest　in　the　market；　examining

samples　of　oats；　pricing　them；　and　then　turning　with　grim

satisfaction　to　her　own　cleaner　corn。



She　was　served　faithfully　and　long　by　those　who　were　rather　her

fellow…labourers　than　her　servants。　　She　was　even　and　just　in　her

dealings　with　them。　　If　she　was　peculiar　and　silent；　they　knew　her；

and　knew　that　she　might　be　relied　on。　　Some　of　them　had　known　her

from　her　childhood；　and　deep　in　their　hearts　was　an　unspokenalmost

unconsciouspity　for　her；　for　they　knew　her　story；　though　they　never

spoke　of　it。



Yes；　the　time　had　been　when　that　tall；　gaunt；　hard…featured；　angular

womanwho　never　smiled；　and　hardly　ever　spoke　an　unnecessary　word

had　been　a　fine…looking　girl；　bright…spirited　and　rosy；　and　when　the

hearth　at　the　Yew　Nook　had　been　as　bright　as　she；　with　family　love

and　youthful　hope　and　mirth。　　Fifty　or　fifty…one　years　ago；　William

Dixon　and　his　wife　Margaret　were　alive；　and　Susan；　their　daughter；

was　about　eighteen　years　oldten　years　older　than　the　only　other

child；　a　boy　named　after　his　father。　　William　and　Margaret　Dixon　were

rather　superior　people；　of　a　character　belongingas　far　as　I　have

seenexclusively　to　the　class　of　Westmoreland　and　Cumberland

statesmenjust；　independent；　upright；　not　given　to　much　speaking；

kind…hearted；　but　not　demonstrative；　disliking　change；　and　new　ways；

and　new　people；　sensible　and　shrewd；　each　household　self…contained；

and　its　members　having　little　curiosity　as　to　their　neighbours；　with

whom　they　rarely　met　for　any　social　intercourse；　save　at　the　stated

times　of　sheep…shearing　and　Christmas；　having　a　certain　kind　of　sober

pleasure　in　amassing　money；　which　occasionally　made　them　miserable

（as　they　call　miserly　people　up　in　the　north）　in　their　old　age；

reading　no　light　or　ephemeral　literature；　but　the　grave；　solid　books

brought　round　by　the　pedlars　（such　as　the　〃Paradise　Lost〃　and

〃Regained；'〃　〃The　Death　of　Abel；〃　〃The　Spiritual　Quixote；〃　and　〃The

Pilgrim's　Progress〃）；　were　to　be　found　in　nearly　every　house：　　the

men　occasionally　going　off　laking；　i。e。　playing；　i。e。　drinking　for

days　together；　and　having　to　be　hunted　up　by　anxious　wives；　who　dared

not　leave　their　husbands　to　the　chances　of　the　wild　precipitous

roads；　but　walked　miles　and　miles；　lantern　in　hand；　in　the　dead　of

night；　to　discover　and　guide　the　solemnly…drunken　husband　home；　who

had　a　dreadful　headache　the　next　day；　and　the　day　after　that　came

forth　as　grave；　and　sober；　and　virtuous　looking　as　if　there　were　no

such　thing　as　malt　and　spirituous　liquors　in　the　world；　and　who　were

seldom　reminded　of　their　misdoings　by　their　wives；　to　whom　such

occasional　outbreaks　were　as　things　of　course；　when　once　the

immediate　anxiety　produced　by　them　was　over。　　Such　weresuch　are

the　characteristics　of　a　class　now　passing　away　from　the　face　of　the

land；　as　their　compeers；　the　yeomen；　have　done　before　them。　　Of　such

was　William　Dixon。　　He　was　a　shrewd　clever　farmer；　in　his　day　and

generation；　when　shrewdness　was　rather　shown　in　the　breeding　and

rearing　of　sheep　and　cattle　than　in　the　cultivation　of　land。　　Owing

to　this　character　of　his；　statesmen　from　a　distance　from　beyond

Kendal；　or　from　Borrowdale；　of　greater　wealth　than　he；　would　send

their　sons　to　be　farm…servants　for　a　year　or　two　with　him；　in　order

to　learn　some　of　his　methods　before　setting　up　on　land　of　their　own。

When　Susan；　his　daughter；　was　about　seventeen；　one　Michael　Hurst　was

farm…servant　at　Yew　Nook。　　He　worked　with　the　master；　and　lived　with

the　family；　and　was　in　all　respects　treated　as　an　equal；　except　in

the　field。　　His　father　was　a　wealthy　statesman　at　Wythburne；　up

beyond　Grasmere；　and　through　Michael's　servitude　the　families　had

become　acquainted；　and　the　Dixons　went　over　to　the　High　Beck　sheep…

shearing；　and　the　Hursts　came　down　by　Red　Bank　and　Loughrig　Tarn　and

across　the　Oxenfell　when　there　was　the　Christmas…tide　feasting　at　Yew

Nook。　　The　fathers　strolled　round　the　fields　together；　examined

cattle　and　sheep；　and　looked　knowing　over　each　other's　horses。　　The

mothers　inspected　the　dairies　and　household　arrangements；　each　openly

admiring　the　plans　of　the　other；　but　secretly　preferring　their　own。

Both　fathers　and　mothers　cast　a　glance　from　time　to　time　at　Michael

and　Susan；　who　were　thinking　of　nothing　less　than　farm　or　dairy；　but

whose　unspoken　attachment　was；　in　all　ways；　so　suitable　and　natural　a

thing　that　each　parent　rejoiced　over　it；　although　with　characteristic

reserve　it　was　never　spoken　aboutnot　even　between　husband　and　wife。



Susan　had　been　a　strong；　independent；　healthy　girl；　a　clever　help　to

her　mother；　and　a　spirited　companion　to　her　father；　more　of　a　man　in

her　（as　he　often　said）　than　her　delicate　little　brother　ever　would

have。　　He　was　his　mother's　darling；　although　she　loved　Susan　well。

There　was　no　positive　engagement　between　Michael　and　SusanI　doubt

whether　even　plain　words　of　love　had　been　spoken；　when　one　winter…

time　Margaret　Dixon　was　seized　with　inflammation　consequent　upon　a

neglected　cold。　　She　had　always　been　strong　and　notable；　and　had　been

too　busy　to　attend　to　the　early　symptoms　of　illness。　　It　would　go

off；　she　said　to　the　woman　who　helped　in　the　kitchen；　or　if　she　did

not　feel　better　when　they　had　got　the　hams　and　bacon　out　of　hand；　she

would　take　some　herb…tea　and　nurse　up　a　bit。　　But　Death　could　not

wait　till　the　hams　and　bacon　were　cured：　　he　came　on　with　rapid

strides；　and