dream days(恂知議晩徨)-及15准
梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ● 辛指欺云匈競何
!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
scanned what text there was in the middle察in order to get a hint of what it
was all about。 Of course I was not going to waste any time in reading。
A clue察a sign´board察a finger´post was all I required。 To my dismay and
disgust it was all in a stupid foreign language Really察the perversity of
some people made one at times almost despair of the whole race。
However察 the pictures remained察 pictures never lied察 never shuffled nor
evaded察and as for the story察I could invent it myself。
Over the page I went察shifting the bit of coal to a new position察and察as
the scheme of the picture disengaged itself from out the medley of colour
that met my delighted eyes察 first there was a warm sense of familiarity察
then a dawning recognition察 and then O then along with blissful
certainty came the imperious need to clasp my stomach with both hands察
in order to repress the shout of rapture that struggled to escapeit was my
own little city
I knew it well enough察I recognized it at once察though I had never been
quite so near it before。 Here was the familiar gateway察 to the left that
strange察slender tower with its grim察square head shot far above the walls察
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to the right察outside the town察the hillas of oldbroke steeply down to the
sea。 But to´day everything was bigger and fresher and clearer察the walls
seemed newly hewn察gay carpets were hung out over them察fair ladies and
long´haired children peeped and crowded on the battlements。 Better still察
the portcullis was upI could even catch a glimpse of the sunlit square
withinand a dainty company was trooping through the gate on horseback察
two and two。 Their horses察in trappings that swept the ground察were gay
as themselves察and THEY were the gayest crew察for dress and bearing察I
had ever yet beheld。 It could mean nothing else but a wedding察I thought察
this holiday attire察this festal and solemn entry察and察wedding or whatever
it was察I meant to be there。 This time I would not be balked by any grim
portcullis察this time I would slip in with the rest of the crowd察find out just
what my little town was like察within those exasperating walls that had so
long confronted me察 and察 moreover察 have my share of the fun that was
evidently going on inside。 Confident察yet breathless with expectation察I
turned the page。
Joy At last I was in it察 at last I was on the right side of those
provoking walls察 and察 needless to say察 I looked about me with much
curiosity。 A public place察clearly察though not such as I was used to。 The
houses at the back stood on a sort of colonnade察beneath which the people
jostled and crowded。 The upper stories were all painted with wonderful
pictures。 Above the straight line of the roofs the deep blue of a cloudless
sky stretched from side to side。 Lords and ladies thronged the
foreground察while on a dais in the centre a gallant gentleman察just alighted
off his horse察 stooped to the fingers of a girl as bravely dressed out as
Selina's lady between the saints察 and round about stood venerable
personages察robed in the most variegated clothing。 There were boys察too察
in plenty察 with tiny red caps on their thick hair察 and their shirts had
bunched up and worked out at the waist察just as my own did so often察after
chasing anybody察and each boy of them wore an odd pair of stockings察one
blue and the other red。 This system of attire went straight to my heart。 I
had tried the same thing so often察 and had met with so much
discouragement察 and here察 at last察 was my justification察 painted
deliberately in a grown´up book I looked about for my saint´friends
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the armour man and the other fellowbut they were not to be seen。
Evidently they were unable to get off duty察even for a wedding察and still
stood on guard in that green meadow down below。 I was disappointed察
too察 that not an angel was visible。 One or two of them察 surely察 could
easily have been spared for an hour察to run up and see the show察and they
would have been thoroughly at home here察in the midst of all the colour
and the movement and the fun。
But it was time to get on察 for clearly the interest was only just
beginning。 Over went the next page察and there we were察the whole crowd
of us察assembled in a noble church。 It was not easy to make out exactly
what was going on察 but in the throng I was delighted to recognize my
angels at last察happy and very much at home。 They had managed to get
leave off察 evidently察 and must have run up the hill and scampered
breathlessly through the gate察 and perhaps they cried a little when they
found the square empty察and thought the fun must be all over。 Two of
them had got hold of a great wax candle apiece察 as much as they could
stagger under察and were tittering sideways at each other as the grease ran
bountifully over their clothes。 A third had strolled in among the company察
and was chatting to a young gentleman察with whom she appeared to be on
the best of terms。 Decidedly察 this was the right breed of angel for us。
None of your sick´bed or night nursery business for them
Well察 no doubt they were now being married察 He and She察 just as
always happened。 And then察of course察they were going to live happily
ever after察and THAT was the part I wanted to get to。 Story´books were
so stupid察always stopping at the point where they became really nice察but
this picture´story was only in its first chapters察and at last I was to have a
chance of knowing HOW people lived happily ever after。 We would all
go home together察He and She察and the angels察and I察and the armour´man
would be invited to come and stay。 And then the story would really
begin察at the point where those other ones always left off。 I turned the
page察and found myself free of the dim and splendid church and once more
in the open country。
This was all right察 this was just as it should be。 The sky was a
fleckless blue察the flags danced in the breeze察and our merry bridal party察
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with jest and laughter察jogged down to the water´ side。 I was through the
town by this time察and out on the other side of the hill察where I had always
wanted to be察and察sure enough察there was the harbour察all thick with curly
ships。 Most of them were piled high with wedding´presentsbales of silk察
and gold and silver plate察and comfortable´looking bags suggesting bullion察
and the gayest ship of all lay close up to the carpeted landing´stage。
Already the bride was stepping daintily down the gangway察 her ladies
following primly察one by one察a few minutes more and we should all be
aboard察 the hawsers would splash in the water察 the sails would fill and
strain。 From the deck I should see the little walled town recede and sink
and grow dim察 while every plunge of our bows brought us nearer to the
happy islandit was an island we were bound for察I knew well Already I
could see the island´people waving hands on the crowded quay察 whence
the little houses ran up the hill to the castle察crowning all with its towers
and battlements。 Once more we should ride together察a merry procession察
clattering up the steep street and through the grim gateway察and then we
should have arrived察then we should all dine together察then we should have
reached home And then
OW OW OW
Bitter it is to stumble out of an opalescent dream into the cold daylight察
cruel to lose in a second a sea´voyage察an island察and a castle that was to
be practically your own察 but cruellest