winesburg,ohio-第11节

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　his　mission　and　had　gone　on　at　some　length　about　the　advantages　to　come　through　having　the　boy　out　of　doors　and　in　the　quiet　atmosphere　of　the　old　farmhouse；　she　nodded　her　head　in　ap…　proval。　　〃It　is　an　atmosphere　not　corrupted　by　my　presence；〃　she　said　sharply。　　Her　shoulders　shook　and　she　seemed　about　to　fly　into　a　fit　of　temper。　　〃It　is　a　place　for　a　man　child；　although　it　was　never　a　place　for　me；〃　she　went　on。　　〃You　never　wanted　me　there　and　of　course　the　air　of　your　house　did　me　no　good。　　It　was　like　poison　in　my　blood　but　it　will　be　different　with　him。〃

Louise　turned　and　went　out　of　the　room；　leaving　the　two　men　to　sit　in　embarrassed　silence。　　As　very　often　happened　she　later　stayed　in　her　room　for　days。　　Even　when　the　boy's　clothes　were　packed　and　he　was　taken　away　she　did　not　appear。　　The　loss　of　her　son　made　a　sharp　break　in　her　life　and　she　seemed　less　inclined　to　quarrel　with　her　husband。　John　Hardy　thought　it　had　all　turned　out　very　well　indeed。

And　so　young　David　went　to　live　in　the　Bentley　farmhouse　with　Jesse。　　Two　of　the　old　farmer's　sisters　were　alive　and　still　lived　in　the　house。　　They　were　afraid　of　Jesse　and　rarely　spoke　when　he　was　about。　One　of　the　women　who　had　been　noted　for　her　flaming　red　hair　when　she　was　younger　was　a　born　mother　and　became　the　boy's　caretaker。　　Every　night　when　he　had　gone　to　bed　she　went　into　his　room　and　sat　on　the　floor　until　he　fell　asleep。　　When　he　became　drowsy　she　became　bold　and　whispered　things　that　he　later　thought　he　must　have　dreamed。

Her　soft　low　voice　called　him　endearing　names　and　he　dreamed　that　his　mother　had　come　to　him　and　that　she　had　changed　so　that　she　was　always　as　she　had　been　that　time　after　he　ran　away。　　He　also　grew　bold　and　reaching　out　his　hand　stroked　the　face　of　the　woman　on　the　floor　so　that　she　was　ec…　statically　happy。　　Everyone　in　the　old　house　became　happy　after　the　boy　went　there。　　The　hard　insistent　thing　in　Jesse　Bentley　that　had　kept　the　people　in　the　house　silent　and　timid　and　that　had　never　been　dispelled　by　the　presence　of　the　girl　Louise　was　ap…　parently　swept　away　by　the　coming　of　the　boy。　　It　was　as　though　God　had　relented　and　sent　a　son　to　the　man。

The　man　who　had　proclaimed　himself　the　only　true　servant　of　God　in　all　the　valley　of　Wine　Creek；　and　who　had　wanted　God　to　send　him　a　sign　of　approval　by　way　of　a　son　out　of　the　womb　of　Kather…　ine；　began　to　think　that　at　last　his　prayers　had　been　answered。　　Although　he　was　at　that　time　only　fifty…　five　years　old　he　looked　seventy　and　was　worn　out　with　much　thinking　and　scheming。　　The　effort　he　had　made　to　extend　his　land　holdings　had　been　suc…　cessful　and　there　were　few　farms　in　the　valley　that　did　not　belong　to　him；　but　until　David　came　he　was　a　bitterly　disappointed　man。

There　were　two　influences　at　work　in　Jesse　Bent…　ley　and　all　his　life　his　mind　had　been　a　battleground　for　these　influences。　　First　there　was　the　old　thing　in　him。　　He　wanted　to　be　a　man　of　God　and　a　leader　among　men　of　God。　　His　walking　in　the　fields　and　through　the　forests　at　night　had　brought　him　close　to　nature　and　there　were　forces　in　the　passionately　religious　man　that　ran　out　to　the　forces　in　nature。　The　disappointment　that　had　come　to　him　when　a　daughter　and　not　a　son　had　been　born　to　Katherine　had　fallen　upon　him　like　a　blow　struck　by　some　unseen　hand　and　the　blow　had　somewhat　softened　his　egotism。　　He　still　believed　that　God　might　at　any　moment　make　himself　manifest　out　of　the　winds　or　the　clouds；　but　he　no　longer　demanded　such　recog…　nition。　　Instead　he　prayed　for　it。　　Sometimes　he　was　altogether　doubtful　and　thought　God　had　deserted　the　world。　　He　regretted　the　fate　that　had　not　let　him　live　in　a　simpler　and　sweeter　time　when　at　the　beckoning　of　some　strange　cloud　in　the　sky　men　left　their　lands　and　houses　and　went　forth　into　the　wilderness　to　create　new　races。　　While　he　worked　night　and　day　to　make　his　farms　more　productive　and　to　extend　his　holdings　of　land；　he　regretted　that　he　could　not　use　his　own　restless　energy　in　the　building　of　temples；　the　slaying　of　unbelievers　and　in　general　in　the　work　of　glorifying　God's　name　on　earth。

That　is　what　Jesse　hungered　for　and　then　also　he　hungered　for　something　else。　　He　had　grown　into　maturity　in　America　in　the　years　after　the　Civil　War　and　he；　like　all　men　of　his　time；　had　been　touched　by　the　deep　influences　that　were　at　work　in　the　country　during　those　years　when　modem　industrial…　ism　was　being　born。　　He　began　to　buy　machines　that　would　permit　him　to　do　the　work　of　the　farms　while　employing　fewer　men　and　he　sometimes　thought　that　if　he　were　a　younger　man　he　would　give　up　farming　altogether　and　start　a　factory　in　Winesburg　for　the　making　of　machinery。　　Jesse　formed　the　habit　of　reading　newspapers　and　magazines。　　He　invented　a　machine　for　the　making　of　fence　out　of　wire。　Faintly　he　realized　that　the　atmosphere　of　old　times　and　places　that　he　had　always　cultivated　in　his　own　mind　was　strange　and　foreign　to　the　thing　that　was　growing　up　in　the　minds　of　others。　　The　beginning　of　the　most　materialistic　age　in　the　history　of　the　world；　when　wars　would　be　fought　without　patrio…　tism；　when　men　would　forget　God　and　only　pay　attention　to　moral　standards；　when　the　will　to　power　would　replace　the　will　to　serve　and　beauty　would　be　well…nigh　forgotten　in　the　terrible　headlong　rush　of　mankind　toward　the　acquiring　of　possessions；　was　telling　its　story　to　Jesse　the　man　of　God　as　it　was　to　the　men　about　him。　　The　greedy　thing　in　him　wanted　to　make　money　faster　than　it　could　be　made　by　tilling　the　land。　　More　than　once　he　went　into　Winesburg　to　talk　with　his　son…in…law　John　Hardy　about　it。　　〃You　are　a　banker　and　you　will　have　chances　I　never　had；〃　he　said　and　his　eyes　shone。　〃I　am　thinking　about　it　all　the　time。　　Big　things　are　going　to　be　done　in　the　country　and　there　will　be　more　money　to　be　made　than　I　ever　dreamed　of。　You　get　into　it。　　I　wish　I　were　younger　and　had　your　chance。〃　Jesse　Bentley　walked　up　and　down　in　the　bank　office　and　grew　more　and　more　excited　as　he　talked。　　At　one　time　in　his　life　he　had　been　threat…　ened　with　paralysis　and　his　left　side　remained　some…　what　weakened。　　As　he　talked　his　left　eyelid　twitched。　Later　when　he　drove　back　home　and　when　night　came　on　and　the　stars　came　out　it　was　harder　to　get　back　the　old　feeling　of　a　close　and　personal　God　who　lived　in　the　sky　overhead　and　who　might　at　any　moment　reach　out　his　hand；　touch　him　on　the　shoulder；　and　appoint　for　him　some　heroic　task　to　be　done。　　Jesse's　mind　was　fixed　upon　the　things　read　in　newspapers　and　magazines；　on　fortunes　to　be　made　almost　without　effort　by　shrewd　men　who　bought　and　sold。　　For　him　the　coming　of　the　boy　David　did　much　to　bring　back　with　renewed　force　the　old　faith　and　it　seemed　to　him　that　God　had　at　last　looked　with　favor　upon　him。

As　for　the　boy　on　the　farm；　life　began　to　reveal　itself　to　him　in　a　thousand　new　and　delightful　ways。　The　kindly　attitude　of　all　about　him　expanded　his　quiet　nature　and　he　lost　the　half　timid；　hesitating　manner　he　had　always　had　with　his　people。　　At　night　when　he　went　to　bed　after　a　long　day　of　adventures　in　the　stables；　in　the　fields；　or　driving　about　from　farm　to　farm　with　his　grandfather；　he　wanted　to　embrace　everyone　in　the　house。　　If　Sherley　Bentley；　the　woman　who　came　each　night　to　sit　on　the　floor　by　his　bedside；　did　not　appear　at　once；　he　went　to　the　head　of　the　stairs　and　shouted；　his　young　voice　ringing　through　the　narrow　halls　where　for　so　long　there　had　been　a　tradition　of　silence。　　In　the　morning　when　he　awoke　and　lay　still　in　bed；　the　sounds　that　came　in　to　him　through　the　windows　filled　him　with　delight。　　He　thought　with　a　shudder　of　the　life　in　the　house　in　Winesburg　and　of　his　mother's　angry　voice　that　had　always　made　him　tremble。　　There　in　the　country　all　sounds　were　pleasant　sounds。　　When　he　awoke　at　dawn　the　barnyard　back　of　the　house　also　awoke。　　In　the　house　people　stirred　about。　　Eliza　Stoughton　the　half…witted　girl　was　poked　in　the　ribs　by　a　farm　hand　and　giggled　noisily；　in　some　distant　field　a　cow　bawled　and　was　answered　by　the　cattle　in　the　stables；　and　one　of　the　farm　hands　spoke　sharply　to　the　horse　he　was　grooming　by　the　stable　door。　　David　leaped　out　of　bed　and　ran　to　a　window。　All　of　the　people　stirring　about　excited　his　mind；　and　he　wondered　what　his　mother　was　doing　in　the　house　in　town。

From　the　windows　of　his　own　room　he　could　not　see　directly　into　the　barnyard　where　the　farm　hands　had　now　all　assembled　to　do　the　morning　shores；　but　he　could　hear　the　voices　of　the　men　and　the　neighing　of　the　horses。　　When　one　of　the　men　laughed；　he　laughed　also。　　Leaning　out　at　the　open　window；　he　looked　into　an　orchard　where　a　fat　sow　wandered　about　with　a　litter　of　tiny　pigs　at　her　heels。　　Every　morning　he　counted　the　pigs。　　〃Four；　five；　six；　seven；〃　he　said　slowly；　wetting　his　finger　and　making　straight　up　and　down　marks　on　the　window　ledge。　　David　ran　to　put　on　his　trousers　and　shirt。　　A　feverish　desire　to　get　out　of　doors　took　pos…　session　of　him。　　Every　morning　he　made　such　a　noise　coming　down　stairs　that　Aunt　Callie；　the　house…　keeper；　declared　he　was　trying　to　tear　the　house　down。　　When　he　had　run　through　the　long　old　house；　shutting　the　doors　behind　him　with　a　bang；　he　came　into　the　barnyard　and　looked　about　with