the choir invisible-第9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！


n　or　delay；　one　of　themMcGarysuddenly　waved　his　hat　in　the　air；　spurred　his　horse　into　the　river；　and　shouted：

〃'Let　all　who　are　not　cowards　follow　me！'

〃They　all　followed；　and　then　followed　also　the　shame　of　defeat；　the　awful　massacre；　the　sorrow　that　lasts　among　us　still；　and　the　loss　to　Kentucky　of　many　a　gallant　young　life　that　had　helped　to　shape　her　destiny　in　the　nation。

〃Some　day　perhaps　some　historian　will　write　it　down　that　the　Kentuckians　followed　McGary　because　no　man　among　them　could　endure　such　a　taunt。　Do　not　believe　him。　No　man　among　them　even　thought　of　the　taunt：　it　had　no　meaning。　They　followed　him　because　they　were　too　loyal　to　desert　him　and　those　who　went　with　him　in　his　folly。　Your　fathers　always　stood　together　and　fought　together　as　one　man；　or　Kentucky　would　never　have　been　conquered；　and　in　no　battle　of　all　the　many　that　they　ever　fought　did　they　ever　leave　a　comrade　to　perish　because　he　had　made　a　mistake　or　was　in　the　wrong。

〃This；　then；　is　your　lesson　from　the　battle　of　Blue　Licks：　Never　go　into　a　battle　merely　to　show　that　you　are　not　a　coward：　that　of　itself　shows　what　a　coward　you　are。

〃Do　not　misunderstand　me！　whether　you　be　men　or　women；　you　will　never　do　anything　in　the　world　without　courage。　It　is　the　greatest　quality　of　the　mindnext　to　honor。　It　is　your　king。　But　the　king　must　always　have　a　good　cause。　Many　a　good　king　has　perished　in　a　bad　one；　and　this　noblest　virtue　of　courage　has　perhaps　ruined　more　of　us　than　any　other　that　we　possess。　You　know　what　character　the　old　kings　used　always　to　have　at　their　courts。　I　have　told　you　a　great　deal　about　him。　It　was　the　Fool。　Do　you　know　what　personage　it　is　that　Courage；　the　King；　is　so　apt　to　have　in　the　Court　of　the　Mind？　It　is　the　Fool　also。　Lay　these　words　away；　you　will　understand　them　better　when　you　are　older　and　you　will　need　to　understand　them　very　well。　Then　also　you　will　know　what　I　mean　when　I　say　to　you　this　morning　that　the　battle　of　the　Blue　Licks　was　the　work　of　the　Fool；　jesting　with　the　King。〃

He　had　gone　to　the　field　himself　one　Saturday　not　long　before；　walking　thoughtfully　over　it。　He　had　had　with　him　two　of　the　Lexington　militia　who；　in　the　battle；　had　been　near　poor　Todd；　their　colonel；　while　fighting　like　a　lion　to　the　last　and　bleeding　from　many　wounds。　　The　recollection　of　it　all　was　very　clear　now；　very　poignant：　the　bright　winding　river；　there　broadening　at　its　ford；　the　wild　and　lonely　aspect　of　the　country　round　about。　On　the　farther　bank　the　long　lofty　ridge　of　rock；　trodden　and　licked　bare　of　vegetation　for　ages　by　the　countless　passing　buffalo；　blackened　by　rain　and　sun；　only　the　more　desolate　for　a　few　dwarfish　cedars　and　other　timber　scant　and　dreary　to　the　eye。　Encircling　this　hill　in　somewhat　the　shape　of　a　horseshoe；　a　deep　ravine　heavily　wooded　and　rank　with　grass　and　underbrush。　The　Kentuckians；　disorderly　foot　and　horse；　rushing　in　foolhardiness　to　the　top　of　this　uncovered　expanse　of　rock；　the　Indians；　twice；　thrice；　their　number；　engirdling　its　base；　ringing　them　round　with　hidden　death。　The　whole　tragedy　repossessed　his　imagination　and　his　emotions。　His　face　had　grown　pale；　his　voice　took　the　measure　and　cadence　of　an　old…time　minstrel's　chant；　his　nervous　fingers　should　have　been　able　to　reach　out　and　strike　the　chords　of　a　harp。With　uplifted　finger　he　was　going　on　to　impress　them　with　another　lesson：　that　in　the　battles　which　would　be　sure　to　await　them；　they　must　be　warned　by　this　error　of　their　fathers　never　to　be　over…hasty　or　over…confident；　never　to　go　forward　without　knowing　the　nature　of　the　ground　they　were　to　tread；　or　throw　themselves　into　a　struggle　without　measuring　the　force　of　the　enemy。　He　was　doing　this　when　a　child　came　skipping　joyously　across　the　common；　and　pushing　her　way　up　to　him　through　the　circle　of　his　listeners；　handed　him　a　note。　He　read　it；　and　in　an　instant　the　great　battle；　hills；　river；　horse；　rider；　shrieks；　groans；　all　vanished　from　his　mind　as　silently　as　a　puff　of　white　smoke　from　a　distant　cannon。

For　a　while　he　stood　with　his　eyes　fixed　upon　the　paper；　so　absorbed　as　not　to　note　the　surprise　that　had　fallen　upon　the　children。　At　length　merely　saying；　〃I　shall　have　to　tell　you　the　rest　some　other　day；〃　he　walked　rapidly　across　the　common　in　the　direction　from　which　the　little　messenger　had　come。

A　few　minutes　later　he　stood　at　the　door　of　Father　Poythress；　the　Methodist　minister；　asking　for　Amy。　But　she　and　Kitty　had　ridden　away　and　would　not　return　till　night。　Leaving　word　that　he　would　come　to　see　her　in　the　evening；　he　turned　away。

The　children　were　scattered：　there　could　be　no　more　of　the　battle　that　day。　But　it　was　half　an　hour　yet　before　his　duties　would　recommence　at　the　school。　As　he　walked　slowly　along　debating　with　himself　how　he　should　employ　the　time；　a　thought　struck　him；　he　hastened　to　the　office　of　one　of　many　agents　for　the　locating　and　selling　of　Kentucky　lands；　and　spent　the　interval　in　determining　the　titles　to　several　tracts　near　townan　intricate　matter　in　those　times。　But　he　found　one　farm；　the　part　of　an　older　military　grant　of　the　French　and　Indian　wars；　to　which　the　title　was　unmistakably　direct。

As　soon　as　his　school　was　out；　he　went　to　look　at　this　property　again；　now　that　he　was　thinking　of　buying　it。　He　knew　it　very　well　already；　his　walks　having　often　brought　him　into　its　deep　majestic　woods；　and　he　penetrated　at　once　to　an　open　knoll　sloping　toward　the　west　and　threw　himself　down　on　the　deep　green　turf　with　the　freedom　of　ownership。

VI

YES；　this　property　would　suit　him；　it　would　suit　Amy。　It　was　near　town；　it　was　not　far　from　Major　Falconer's。　He　could　build　his　house　on　the　hill…top　where　he　was　lying。　At　the　foot　of　it；　out　of　its　limestone　caverns；　swelled　a　bountiful　spring。　As　he　listened　he　could　hear　the　water　of　the　branch　that　ran　winding　away　from　it　toward　the　Elkhorn。　That　would　be　a　pleasant　sound　when　he　sat　with　her　in　their　doorway　of　summer　evenings。　On　that　southern　slope　he　would　plant　his　peach　orchard；　and　he　would　have　a　vineyard。　On　this　side　Amy　could　have　her　garden；　have　her　flowers。　Sloping　down　from　the　front　of　the　house　to　the　branch　would　be　their　lawn；　after　he　had　cleared　away　everything　but　a　few　of　the　noblest　old　trees：　under　one　of　them；　covered　with　a　vine　that　fell　in　long　green　cascades　from　its　summit　to　the　ground；　he　would　arrange　a　wild…grape　swing　for　her；　to　make　good　the　loss　of　the　one　she　now　had　a〃　Major　Falconer's。

Thus；　out　of　one　detail　after　another；　he　constructed　the　whole　vision　of　the　future；　with　the　swiftness　of　desire；　the　unerring　thoughtfulness　of　love；　and；　having　transformed　the　wilderness　into　his　home；　he　feasted　on　his　banquet　of　ideas；　his　rich　red　wine　of　hopes　and　plans。

One　of　the　subtlest；　most　saddening　effects　of　the　entire　absence　of　possessions　is　the　inevitable　shrinkage　of　nature　that　must　be　undergone　by　those　who　have　nothing　to　own。　When　a　man；　by　some　misfortune；　has　suddenly　suffered　the　loss　of　his　hands；　much　of　the　bewilderment　and　consternation　that　quickly　follow　have　their　origin　in　the　thought　that　he　never　again　shall　be　able　to　grasp。　To　his　astonishment；　he　finds　that　no　small　part　of　his　range　of　mental　activity　and　sense　of　power　was　involved　in　that　exercise　alone。　He　has　not　lost　merely　his　hands；　much　of　his　inner　being　has　been　stricken　into　disuse。

But　the　hand　itself　is　only　the　rudest　type　of　the　universal　necessity　that　pervades　us　to　take　hold。　The　body　is　furnished　with　two；　the　mind；　the　heart；　the　spiritwho　shall　number　the　invisible；　the　countless　hands　of　these？　All　growth；　all　strength；　all　uplift；　all　power　to　rise　in　the　world　and　to　remain　arisen；　comes　from　the　myriad　hold　we　have　taken　upon　higher　surrounding　realities。

Some　time；　wandering　in　a　thinned　wood；　you　may　have　happened　upon　an　old　vine；　the　seed　of　which　had　long　ago　been　dropped　and　had　sprouted　in　an　open　spot　where　there　was　no　timber。　Every　May；　in　response　to　Nature's　joyful　bidding　that　it　yet　shall　rise；　the　vine　has　loosed　the　thousand　tendrils　of　its　hope；　those　long；　green；　delicate　fingers　searching　the　empty　air。　Every　December　you　may　see　these　turned　stiff　and　brown；　and　wound　about　themselves　like　spirals　or　knotted　like　the　claw　of　a　frozen　bird。　Year　after　year　the　vine　has　grown　only　at　the　head；　remaining　empty…handed；　and　the　head　itself；　not　being　lifted　always　higher　by　anything　the　hands　have　seized；　has　but　moved　hither　and　thither；　back　and　forth；　like　the　head　of　a　wounded　snake　in　a　path。　Thus　every　summer　you　may　see　the　vine；　fallen　back　and　coiled　upon　itself；　and　piled　up　before　you　like　a　low　green　mound；　its　own　tomb；　in　winter　a　black　heap；　its　own　ruins。　So；　it　often　is　with　the　poorest；　who　live　on　at　the　head；　remaining　empty…handed；　fallen　in　and　coiled　back　upon　themselves；　their　own　inescapable　tombs；　their　own　unavertible　ruins。　The　prospect　of　having　what　to　him　was　wealth　had　instantly　bestowed　upon　John　Gray　the　liberation　of　his　strength。　It　had　untied　the　hands　of　his　idle　powers；　and　the　first　thing　he　had　reached　fiercely　out　to　grasp　was　Amyhis　share　in　the　possession　of　women；　the　second　thing　was　landhis　share　in　the　possession　of　the　earth。　With　these　at　the　start；　the　one