the complete writings-4-第10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！


ught　I　would　have　a　sort　of　perpetual　manger　that　should　shake　down　the　hay　when　it　was　wanted；　and　a　self…acting　machine　that　should　cut　up　the　turnips　and　pass　them　into　the　mangers；　and　water　always　flowing　for　the　cattle　and　horses　to　drink。　　With　these　simple　arrangements　I　could　lie　in　bed；　and　know　that　the　〃chores〃　were　doing　themselves。　It　would　also　be　necessary；　in　order　that　I　should　not　be　disturbed；　that　the　crow　should　be　taken　out　of　the　roosters；　but　I　could　think　of　no　process　to　do　it。　　It　seems　to　me　that　the　hen…breeders；　if　they　know　as　much　as　they　say　they　do；　might　raise　a　breed　of　crowless　roosters　for　the　benefit　of　boys；　quiet　neighborhoods；　and　sleepy　families。

There　was　another　notion　that　I　had　about　kindling　the　kitchen　fire；　that　I　never　carried　out。　　It　was　to　have　a　spring　at　the　head　of　my　bed；　connecting　with　a　wire；　which　should　run　to　a　torpedo　which　I　would　plant　over　night　in　the　ashes　of　the　fireplace。　　By　touching　the　spring　I　could　explode　the　torpedo；　which　would　scatter　the　ashes　and　cover　the　live　coals；　and　at　the　same　time　shake　down　the　sticks　of　wood　which　were　standing　by　the　side　of　the　ashes　in　the　chimney；　and　the　fire　would　kindle　itself。　　This　ingenious　plan　was　frowned　on　by　the　whole　family；　who　said　they　did　not　want　to　be　waked　up　every　morning　by　an　explosion。　　And　yet　they　expected　me　to　wake　up　without　an　explosion！　　A　boy's　plans　for　making　life　agreeable　are　hardly　ever　heeded。

I　never　knew　a　boy　farmer　who　was　not　eager　to　go　to　the　district　school　in　the　winter。　　There　is　such　a　chance　for　learning；　that　he　must　be　a　dull　boy　who　does　not　come　out　in　the　spring　a　fair　skater；　an　accurate　snow…baller；　and　an　accomplished　slider…down…hill；　with　or　without　a　board；　on　his　seat；　on　his　stomach；　or　on　his　feet。　Take　a　moderate　hill；　with　a　foot…slide　down　it　worn　to　icy　smoothness；　and　a　〃go…round〃　of　boys　on　it；　and　there　is　nothing　like　it　for　whittling　away　boot…leather。　　The　boy　is　the　shoemaker's　friend。　　An　active　lad　can　wear　down　a　pair　of　cowhide　soles　in　a　week　so　that　the　ice　will　scrape　his　toes。　　Sledding　or　coasting　is　also　slow　fun　compared　to　the　〃bareback〃　sliding　down　a　steep　hill　over　a　hard；　glistening　crust。　　It　is　not　only　dangerous；　but　it　is　destructive　to　jacket　and　pantaloons　to　a　degree　to　make　a　tailor　laugh。　　If　any　other　animal　wore　out　his　skin　as　fast　as　a　schoolboy　wears　out　his　clothes　in　winter；　it　would　need　a　new　one　once　a　month。　　In　a　country　district…school　patches　were　not　by　any　means　a　sign　of　poverty；　but　of　the　boy's　courage　and　adventurous　disposition。　　Our　elders　used　to　threaten　to　dress　us　in　leather　and　put　sheet…iron　seats　in　our　trousers。　　The　boy　said　that　he　wore　out　his　trousers　on　the　hard　seats　in　the　schoolhouse　ciphering　hard　sums。　　For　that　extraordinary　statement　he　received　two　castigations；one　at　home；　that　was　mild；　and　one　from　the　schoolmaster；　who　was　careful　to　lay　the　rod　upon　the　boy's　sliding…　place；　punishing　him；　as　he　jocosely　called　it；　on　a　sliding　scale；　according　to　the　thinness　of　his　pantaloons。

What　I　liked　best　at　school；　however；　was　the　study　of　history；　early　history；the　Indian　wars。　　We　studied　it　mostly　at　noontime；　and　we　had　it　illustrated　as　the　children　nowadays　have　〃object…　lessons；〃　though　our　object　was　not　so　much　to　have　lessons　as　it　was　to　revive　real　history。

Back　of　the　schoolhouse　rose　a　round　hill；　upon　which；　tradition　said；　had　stood　in　colonial　times　a　block…house；　built　by　the　settlers　for　defense　against　the　Indians。　　For　the　Indians　had　the　idea　that　the　whites　were　not　settled　enough；　and　used　to　come　nights　to　settlethem　with　a　tomahawk。　　It　was　called　Fort　Hill。　　It　was　very　steep　on　each　side；　and　the　river　ran　close　by。　　It　was　a　charming　place　in　summer；　where　one　could　find　laurel；　and　checkerberries；　and　sassafras　roots；　and　sit　in　the　cool　breeze；　looking　at　the　mountains　across　the　river；　and　listening　to　the　murmur　of　the　Deerfield。　　The　Methodists　built　a　meeting…house　there　afterwards；　but　the　hill　was　so　slippery　in　winter　that　the　aged　could　not　climb　it　and　the　wind　raged　so　fiercely　that　it　blew　nearly　all　the　young　Methodists　away　（many　of　whom　were　afterwards　heard　of　in　the　West）；　and　finally　the　meeting…house　itself　came　down　into　the　valley；　and　grew　a　steeple；　and　enjoyed　itself　ever　afterwards。　　It　used　to　be　a　notion　in　New　England　that　a　meeting…house　ought　to　stand　as　near　heaven　as　possible。

The　boys　at　our　school　divided　themselves　into　two　parties：　one　was　the　Early　Settlers　and　the　other　the　Pequots；　the　latter　the　most　numerous。　　The　Early　Settlers　built　a　snow　fort　on　the　hill；　and　a　strong　fortress　it　was；　constructed　of　snowballs；　rolled　up　to　a　vast　size　（larger　than　the　cyclopean　blocks　of　stone　which　form　the　ancient　Etruscan　walls　in　Italy）；　piled　one　upon　another；　and　the　whole　cemented　by　pouring　on　water　which　froze　and　made　the　walls　solid。　　The　Pequots　helped　the　whites　build　it。　　It　had　a　covered　way　under　the　snow；　through　which　only　could　it　be　entered；　and　it　had　bastions　and　towers　and　openings　to　fire　from；　and　a　great　many　other　things　for　which　there　are　no　names　in　military　books。　　And　it　had　a　glacis　and　a　ditch　outside。

When　it　was　completed；　the　Early　Settlers；　leaving　the　women　in　the　schoolhouse；　a　prey　to　the　Indians；　used　to　retire　into　it；　and　await　the　attack　of　the　Pequots。　　There　was　only　a　handful　of　the　garrison；　while　the　Indians　were　many；　and　also　barbarous。　　It　was　agreed　that　they　should　be　barbarous。　　And　it　was　in　this　light　that　the　great　question　was　settled　whether　a　boy　might　snowball　with　balls　that　he　had　soaked　over　night　in　water　and　let　freeze。　　They　were　as　hard　as　cobble…stones；　and　if　a　boy　should　be　hit　in　the　head　by　one　of　them；　he　could　not　tell　whether　he　was　a　Pequot　or　an　Early　Settler。　　It　was　considered　as　unfair　to　use　these　ice…balls　in　open　fight；　as　it　is　to　use　poisoned　ammunition　in　real　war。　　But　as　the　whites　were　protected　by　the　fort；　and　the　Indians　were　treacherous　by　nature；　it　was　decided　that　the　latter　might　use　the　hard　missiles。

The　Pequots　used　to　come　swarming　up　the　hill；　with　hideous　war…　whoops；　attacking　the　fort　on　all　sides　with　great　noise　and　a　shower　of　balls。　　The　garrison　replied　with　yells　of　defiance　and　well…　directed　shots；　hurling　back　the　invaders　when　they　attempted　to　scale　the　walls。　　The　Settlers　had　the　advantage　of　position；　but　they　were　sometimes　overpowered　by　numbers；　and　would　often　have　had　to　surrender　but　for　the　ringing　of　the　school…bell。　　The　Pequots　were　in　great　fear　of　the　school…bell。

I　do　not　remember　that　the　whites　ever　hauled　down　their　flag　and　surrendered　voluntarily；　but　once　or　twice　the　fort　was　carried　by　storm　and　the　garrison　were　massacred　to　a　boy；　and　thrown　out　of　the　fortress；　having　been　first　scalped。　　To　take　a　boy's　cap　was　to　scalp　him；　and　after　that　he　was　dead；　if　he　played　fair。　　There　were　a　great　many　hard　hits　given　and　taken；　but　always　cheerfully；　for　it　was　in　the　cause　of　our　early　history。　　The　history　of　Greece　and　Rome　was　stuff　compared　to　this。　　And　we　had　many　boys　in　our　school　who　could　imitate　the　Indian　war　whoop　enough　better　than　they　could　scan　arma；　virumque　cano。




XII

THE　LONELY　FARMHOUSE

The　winter　evenings　of　the　farmer…boy　in　New　England　used　not　to　be　so　gay　as　to　tire　him　of　the　pleasures　of　life　before　he　became　of　age。　　A　remote　farmhouse；　standing　a　little　off　the　road；　banked　up　with　sawdust　and　earth　to　keep　the　frost　out　of　the　cellar；　blockaded　with　snow；　and　flying　a　blue　flag　of　smoke　from　its　chimney；　looks　like　a　besieged　fort。　　On　cold　and　stormy　winter　nights；　to　the　traveler　wearily　dragging　along　in　his　creaking　sleigh；　the　light　from　its　windows　suggests　a　house　of　refuge　and　the　cheer　of　a　blazing　fire。　　But　it　is　no　less　a　fort；　into　which　the　family　retire　when　the　New　England　winter　on　the　hills　really　sets　in。

The　boy　is　an　important　part　of　the　garrison。　　He　is　not　only　one　of　the　best　means　of　communicating　with　the　outer　world；　but　he　furnishes　half　the　entertainment　and　takes　two　thirds　of　the　scolding　of　the　family　circle。　　A　farm　would　come　to　grief　without　a　boy…on　it；　but　it　is　impossible　to　think　of　a　farmhouse　without　a　boy　in　it。

〃That　boy〃　brings　life　into　the　house；　his　tracks　are　to　be　seen　everywhere；　he　leaves　all　the　doors　open；　he　has　n't　half　filled　the　wood…box；　he　makes　noise　enough　to　wake　the　dead；　or　he　is　in　a　brown…study　by　the　fire　and　cannot　be　stirred；　or　he　has　fastened　a　grip　into　some　Crusoe　book　which　cannot　easily　be　shaken　off。　　I　suppose　that　the　farmer…boy's　evenings　are　not　now　what　they　used　to　be；　that　he　has　more　books；　and　less　to　do；　and　is　not　half　so　good　a　boy　as　formerly；　when　he　used　to　think　the　almanac　was　pretty　lively　reading；　and　the　comic　almanac；　if　he　could　get　hold　of　that；　was　a　supreme　delight。

Of　course　he　had　the　evenings　to　himself；　after　he　had　done　the　〃chores〃　at　the　barn；　brought　in　the　wood　and　piled　it　high　in　the　box；　ready　to　be　heaped　upon　the　great　open　fire。　　It　was　nearly　dark　when　he　came　from　school　（with　its　continuation　of　snowballing　and　sliding）；　and　he　always　had　an　agreeable　time　stumbling　and　fumbling　around　in　barn　and