anne of the island-第6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！



in　garments　fashioned　like　those　of　her　youth。　　Here　and　there

it　sprouts　out　into　modernity；　but　at　heart　it　is　still　unspoiled；

it　is　full　of　curious　relics；　and　haloed　by　the　romance　of　many

legends　of　the　past。　　Once　it　was　a　mere　frontier　station　on　the

fringe　of　the　wilderness；　and　those　were　the　days　when　Indians

kept　life　from　being　monotonous　to　the　settlers。　　Then　it　grew

to　be　a　bone　of　contention　between　the　British　and　the　French；

being　occupied　now　by　the　one　and　now　by　the　other；　emerging　from

each　occupation　with　some　fresh　scar　of　battling　nations　branded　on　it。



It　has　in　its　park　a　martello　tower；　autographed　all　over

by　tourists；　a　dismantled　old　French　fort　on　the　hills　beyond

the　town；　and　several　antiquated　cannon　in　its　public　squares。

It　has　other　historic　spots　also；　which　may　be　hunted　out　by　the

curious；　and　none　is　more　quaint　and　delightful　than　Old　St。　John's

Cemetery　at　the　very　core　of　the　town；　with　streets　of　quiet；

old…time　houses　on　two　sides；　and　busy；　bustling；　modern

thoroughfares　on　the　others。　　Every　citizen　of　Kingsport　feels　a

thrill　of　possessive　pride　in　Old　St。　John's；　for；　if　he　be　of

any　pretensions　at　all；　he　has　an　ancestor　buried　there；　with　a

queer；　crooked　slab　at　his　head；　or　else　sprawling　protectively

over　the　grave；　on　which　all　the　main　facts　of　his　history　are

recorded。　　For　the　most　part　no　great　art　or　skill　was　lavished

on　those　old　tombstones。　　The　larger　number　are　of　roughly

chiselled　brown　or　gray　native　stone；　and　only　in　a　few　cases　is

there　any　attempt　at　ornamentation。　　Some　are　adorned　with　skull

and　cross…bones；　and　this　grizzly　decoration　is　frequently

coupled　with　a　cherub's　head。　　Many　are　prostrate　and　in　ruins。

Into　almost　all　Time's　tooth　has　been　gnawing；　until　some

inscriptions　have　been　completely　effaced；　and　others　can　only　be

deciphered　with　difficulty。　　The　graveyard　is　very　full　and　very

bowery；　for　it　is　surrounded　and　intersected　by　rows　of　elms　and

willows；　beneath　whose　shade　the　sleepers　must　lie　very　dreamlessly；

forever　crooned　to　by　the　winds　and　leaves　over　them；　and　quite

undisturbed　by　the　clamor　of　traffic　just　beyond。



Anne　took　the　first　of　many　rambles　in　Old　St。　John's　the　next　afternoon。

She　and　Priscilla　had　gone　to　Redmond　in　the　forenoon　and　registered　as

students；　after　which　there　was　nothing　more　to　do　that　day。　　The　girls

gladly　made　their　escape；　for　it　was　not　exhilarating　to　be　surrounded

by　crowds　of　strangers；　most　of　whom　had　a　rather　alien　appearance；

as　if　not　quite　sure　where　they　belonged。



The　〃freshettes〃　stood　about　in　detached　groups　of　two　or　three；

looking　askance　at　each　other；　the　〃freshies；〃　wiser　in　their　day

and　generation；　had　banded　themselves　together　on　the　big

staircase　of　the　entrance　hall；　where　they　were　shouting　out

glees　with　all　the　vigor　of　youthful　lungs；　as　a　species　of

defiance　to　their　traditional　enemies；　the　Sophomores；　a　few　of

whom　were　prowling　loftily　about；　looking　properly　disdainful　of

the　〃unlicked　cubs〃　on　the　stairs。　　Gilbert　and　Charlie　were

nowhere　to　be　seen。



〃Little　did　I　think　the　day　would　ever　come　when　I'd　be　glad　of

the　sight　of　a　Sloane；〃　said　Priscilla；　as　they　crossed　the

campus；　〃but　I'd　welcome　Charlie's　goggle　eyes　almost

ecstatically。　　At　least；　they'd　be　familiar　eyes。〃



〃Oh；〃　sighed　Anne。　　〃I　can't　describe　how　I　felt　when　I　was

standing　there；　waiting　my　turn　to　be　registered　　as

insignificant　as　the　teeniest　drop　in　a　most　enormous　bucket。

It's　bad　enough　to　feel　insignificant；　but　it's　unbearable　to

have　it　grained　into　your　soul　that　you　will　never；　can　never；

be　anything　but　insignificant；　and　that　is　how　I　did　feel　

as　if　I　were　invisible　to　the　naked　eye　and　some　of　those　Sophs

might　step　on　me。　　I　knew　I　would　go　down　to　my　grave　unwept；

unhonored　and　unsung。〃



〃Wait　till　next　year；〃　comforted　Priscilla。　　〃Then　we'll　be　able

to　look　as　bored　and　sophisticated　as　any　Sophomore　of　them　all。

No　doubt　it　is　rather　dreadful　to　feel　insignificant；　but　I　think

it's　better　than　to　feel　as　big　and　awkward　as　I　did　　as　if　I　were

sprawled　all　over　Redmond。　　That's　how　I　felt　　I　suppose　because

I　was　a　good　two　inches　taller　than　any　one　else　in　the　crowd。

I　wasn't　afraid　a　Soph　might　walk　over　me；　I　was　afraid　they'd　take

me　for　an　elephant；　or　an　overgrown　sample　of　a　potato…fed　Islander。〃



〃I　suppose　the　trouble　is　we　can't　forgive　big　Redmond　for　not

being　little　Queen's；〃　said　Anne；　gathering　about　her　the　shreds

of　her　old　cheerful　philosophy　to　cover　her　nakedness　of　spirit。

〃When　we　left　Queen's　we　knew　everybody　and　had　a　place　of　our　own。

I　suppose　we　have　been　unconsciously　expecting　to　take　life

up　at　Redmond　just　where　we　left　off　at　Queen's；　and　now　we　feel

as　if　the　ground　had　slipped　from　under　our　feet。　　I'm　thankful

that　neither　Mrs。　Lynde　nor　Mrs。　Elisha　Wright　know；　or　ever

will　know；　my　state　of　mind　at　present。　　They　would　exult　in

saying　‘I　told　you　so；'　and　be　convinced　it　was　the　beginning　of

the　end。　　Whereas　it　is　just　the　end　of　the　beginning。〃



〃Exactly。　　That　sounds　more　Anneish。　　In　a　little　while　we'll　be

acclimated　and　acquainted；　and　all　will　be　well。　　Anne；　did　you

notice　the　girl　who　stood　alone　just　outside　the　door　of　the

coeds'　dressing　room　all　the　morning　　the　pretty　one　with　the

brown　eyes　and　crooked　mouth？〃



〃Yes；　I　did。　　I　noticed　her　particularly　because　she　seemed　the

only　creature　there　who　LOOKED　as　lonely　and　friendless　as　I　FELT。

I　had　YOU；　but　she　had　no　one。〃



〃I　think　she　felt　pretty　all…by…herselfish；　too。　　Several　times　I

saw　her　make　a　motion　as　if　to　cross　over　to　us；　but　she　never

did　it　　too　shy；　I　suppose。　　I　wished　she　would　come。　　If　I　hadn't

felt　so　much　like　the　aforesaid　elephant　I'd　have　gone　to　her。

But　I　couldn't　lumber　across　that　big　hall　with　all　those　boys

howling　on　the　stairs。　　She　was　the　prettiest　freshette　I　saw　today；

but　probably　favor　is　deceitful　and　even　beauty　is　vain　on　your

first　day　at　Redmond；〃　concluded　Priscilla　with　a　laugh。



〃I'm　going　across　to　Old　St。　John's　after　lunch；〃　said　Anne。

〃I　don't　know　that　a　graveyard　is　a　very　good　place　to　go　to　get

cheered　up；　but　it　seems　the　only　get…at…able　place　where　there

are　trees；　and　trees　I　must　have。　　I'll　sit　on　one　of　those　old

slabs　and　shut　my　eyes　and　imagine　I'm　in　the　Avonlea　woods。〃



Anne　did　not　do　that；　however；　for　she　found　enough　of　interest

in　Old　St。　John's　to　keep　her　eyes　wide　open。　　They　went　in　by

the　entrance　gates；　past　the　simple；　massive；　stone　arch

surmounted　by　the　great　lion　of　England。



　　　　〃‘And　on　Inkerman　yet　the　wild　bramble　is　gory；

　　　　And　those　bleak　heights　henceforth　shall　be　famous　in　story；'〃



quoted　Anne；　looking　at　it　with　a　thrill。　　They　found　themselves

in　a　dim；　cool；　green　place　where　winds　were　fond　of　purring。

Up　and　down　the　long　grassy　aisles　they　wandered；　reading　the

quaint；　voluminous　epitaphs；　carved　in　an　age　that　had　more

leisure　than　our　own。



〃‘Here　lieth　the　body　of　Albert　Crawford；　Esq。；'〃　read　Anne

from　a　worn；　gray　slab；　〃‘for　many　years　Keeper　of　His　Majesty's

Ordnance　at　Kingsport。　　He　served　in　the　army　till　the　peace　of

1763；　when　he　retired　from　bad　health。　　He　was　a　brave　officer；

the　best　of　husbands；　the　best　of　fathers；　the　best　of　friends。

He　died　October　29th；　1792；　aged　84　years。'　There's　an　epitaph

for　you；　Prissy。　　There　is　certainly　some　‘scope　for　imagination'

in　it。　　How　full　such　a　life　must　have　been　of　adventure！　　And　as

for　his　personal　qualities；　I'm　sure　human　eulogy　couldn't　go

further。　　I　wonder　if　they　told　him　he　was　all　those　best　things

while　he　was　alive。〃



〃Here's　another；〃　said　Priscilla。　　〃Listen　



‘To　the　memory　of　Alexander　Ross；　who　died　on　the　22nd　of　September；

1840；　aged　43　years。　　This　is　raised　as　a　tribute　of　affection　by　one

whom　he　served　so　faithfully　for　27　years　that　he　was　regarded　as　a　friend；

deserving　the　fullest　confidence　and　attachment。'　〃



〃A　very　good　epitaph；〃　commented　Anne　thoughtfully。　　〃I　wouldn't

wish　a　better。　　We　are　all　servants　of　some　sort；　and　if　the　fact

that　we　are　faithful　can　be　truthfully　inscribed　on　our　tombstones

nothing　more　need　be　added。　　Here's　a　sorrowful　little　gray　stone；

Prissy　　‘to　the　memory　of　a　favorite　child。'　And　here　is　another

‘erected　to　the　memory　of　one　who　is　buried　elsewhere。'　　I　wonder

where　that　unknown　grave　is。　　Really；　Pris；　the　graveyards　of　today

will　never　be　as　interesting　as　this。　　You　were　right　　I　shall

come　here　often。　　I　love　it　already。　　I　see　we're　not　alone　here

　there's　a　girl　down　at　the　end　of　this　avenue。〃



〃Yes；　and　I　believe　it's　the　very　girl　we　saw　at　Redmond　this　morning。

I've　been　watching　her　for　five　minutes。　　She　has　started　to　come　up

the　avenue　exactly　half　a　dozen　times；　and　half　a　dozen　times　has　she

turned　and　gone　back。　　Either　she's　dreadfully　shy　or　she　has　got

s