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                                          DREAM DAYS 



Billy would never come back any more察and I stared out of the window at 

the    sun   which    came     back察  right   enough察    every    day察 and    their  news 

conveyed nothing whatever to me。               Martha's sorrow hit home a little察but 

only because the actual sight and sound of it gave me a dull察bad sort of 

pain low down insidea pain not to be actually located。                 Moreover察I was 

still wanting my bootlace。 

     This   was   a   poor   sort   of   a   beginning   to   a   day   that察  so   far   as   outside 

conditions went察had promised so well。               I rigged up a sort of jurymast of 

a bootlace with a bit of old string察and wandered off to look up the girls察

conscious      of  a  jar  and    a  discordance     in  the   scheme     of  things。    The 

moment I entered the schoolroom something in the air seemed to tell me 

that    here察  too察 matters    were    strained    and   awry。     Selina     was   staring 

listlessly out of the window察one foot curled round her leg。                When I spoke 

to her she jerked a shoulder testily察but did not condescend to the civility 

of   a   reply。  Charlotte察  absolutely   unoccupied察  sprawled   in   a   chair察  and 

there were signs of sniffles about her察even at that early hour。               It was but a 

trifling matter that had caused all this electricity in the atmosphere察and the 

girls' manner of taking it seemed to me most unreasonable。                      Within the 

last   few   days   the time   had   come   round   for   the   despatch of   a   hamper   to 

Edward   at   school。      Only   one   hamper   a   term   was   permitted   him察  so   its 

preparation was a sort of blend of revelry and religious ceremony。                     After 

the    main    corpus    of  the   thing   had   been    carefully   selected    and   safely 

bestowedthe   pots   of   jam察  the   cake察  the   sausages察  and   the   apples   that 

filled up corners so nicelyafter the last package had been wedged in察the 

girls had deposited their own private and personal offerings on the top。                     I 

forget   their   precise   nature察  anyhow察  they   were   nothing   of   any   particular 

practical   use   to   a   boy。  But   they   had   involved   some   contrivance   and 

labour察   some     skimping     of  pocket    money察    and   much     delightful    cloud´ 

building   as   to   the   effect   on   their   enraptured   recipient。  Well察  yesterday 

there     had    come      a   terse   acknowledgment          from     Edward察     heartily 

commending the cakes and the jam察stamping the sausages with the seal of 

Smith major's approval察and finally hinting that察fortified as he now was察

nothing more was necessary but a remittance of five shillings in postage 

stamps to enable him to face the world armed against every buffet of fate。 



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´ Page 13´

                                          DREAM DAYS 



That   was   all。   Never  a  word   or  a  hint   of  the  personal tributes or   of his 

appreciation of them。         To usto Harold and me察that isthe letter seemed 

natural   and   sensible   enough。       After   all察  provender   was   the   main   thing察

and    five   shillings    stood   for   a  complete     equipment      against    the   most 

unexpected turns of luck。          The presents were very well in their wayvery 

nice察and so onbut life was a serious matter察and the contest called for 

cakes and half crowns to carry it on察not gew´ gaws and knitted mittens 

and   the   like。    The   girls察  however察  in   their   obstinate   way察  persisted   in 

taking   their   own   view   of   the   slight。   Hence   it   was   that   I   received   my 

second rebuff of the morning。 

     Somewhat disheartened察I   made my way downstairs and out into the 

sunlight察  where   I   found   Harold   playing   conspirators   by   himself   on   the 

gravel。     He had dug a small hole in the walk and had laid an imaginary 

train of powder thereto察and察as he sought refuge in the laurels from the 

inevitable   explosion察  I   heard   him   murmur此        ─My   God'   said   the   Czar察

`my  plans   are   frustrated';     It seemed   an   excellent   occasion   for   being   a 

black   puma。      Harold   liked   black   pumas察  on   the   whole察  as   well   as   any 

animal we were familiar with。 

     So I launched myself on him察with the appropriate howl察rolling him 

over on the gravel。 

     Life may be said to be composed of things that come off and things 

that don't come off。        This thing察unfortunately察was one of the things that 

didn't   come   off。    From   beneath   me   I   heard   a   shrill   cry  of察   Oh察  it's   my 

sore knee ─      And Harold wriggled himself free from the puma's clutches察

bellowing dismally。         Now察I honestly didn't know he had a sore knee察and察

what's   more察 he   knew  I   didn't know  he   had   a sore   knee。        According   to 

boy   ethics察  therefore察  his   attitude   was   wrong察  sore   knee   or   not察  and   no 

apology      was    due    from    me。     I   made     half´way     advances察    however察

suggesting we should lie in ambush by the edge of the pond and cut off the 

ducks as they waddled down in simple察unsuspecting single file察then hunt 

them     as  bisons    flying   scattered    over   the   vast   prairie。   A    fascinating 

pursuit this察and strictly illicit。       But Harold would none of my overtures察

and retreated to the house wailing with full lungs。 

     Things were getting simply infernal。             I struck out blindly for the open 



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                                          DREAM DAYS 



country察and even as I made for the gate a shrill voice from a window bade 

me   keep   off   the   flower´beds。     When   the   gate   had   swung   to   behind   me 

with   a  vicious   click   I  felt   better察 and   after   ten  minutes   along   the  road   it 

began to grow on me that some radical change was needed察that I was in a 

blind alley察and that this intolerable state of things must somehow cease。 

All that I could do I had already done。             As well´meaning a fellow as ever 

stepped   was   pounding   along   the   road   that   day察  with   an   exceeding   sore 

heart察one who only wished to live and let live察in touch with his fellows察

and appreciating what joys life had to offer。             What was wanted now was a 

complete change of environment。               Some where in the world察I felt sure察

justice and sympathy still resided。           There were places called pampas察for 

instance察 that sounded   well。        League   upon   league   of grass察 with   just   an 

occasional wild horse察and not a relation within the horizon                  To a bruised 

spirit   this   seemed   a   sane   and   a   healing   sort   of   existence。 There   were 

other   pleasant   corners察  again察  where   you   dived   for   pearls   and   stabbed 

sharks in the stomach with your big knife。                No relations would be likely 

to   come   interfering   with   you   when   thus blissfully  occupied。         And  yet   I 

did not wishjust yetto have done with relations entirely。                 They should 

be made to feel their position first察to see themselves as they really were察

and to wishwhen it was too latethat they had behaved more properly。 

     Of all professions察the army seemed to lend itself the most thoroughly 

to   the   scheme。     You     enlisted察  you    followed    the   drum察   you   marched察

fought察  and   ported   arms察  under   strange   skies察  through   unrecorded   years。 

At   last察  at   long   last察  your   opportunity  would   come察  when   the  horrors   of 

war were flickering through the quiet country´side where you were cradled 

and bred察but where the memory of you had long been dim。                       Folk would 

run together察clamorous察palsied with fear察and among the terror´stricken 

groups   would   figure   certain   aunts。      ;What   hope  is   left   us拭─they  would 

ask   themselves察   save   in   the   clemency   of   the   General察  the   mysterious察

invincible   General察  of   whom   men   tell   such   romantic   tales拭─        And   the 

army would march in察and the guns would rattle and leap along the village 

street察and察last of all察youyou察the General察the fabled heroyou would 

enter察   on   your    coal´black    charger察   your    pale   set  face   seamed     by   an 

interesting sabre´cut。       And thenbut every boy has rehearsed this familiar 



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                                           DREAM DAYS 




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