winesburg,ohio-第8节

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re　was　a　pile　of　boards。　　〃Will　is　going　to　build　a　shed　to　store　berry　crates　here；〃　said　George　and　they　sat　down　upon　the　boards。


When　George　Willard　got　back　into　Main　Street　it　was　past　ten　o'clock　and　had　begun　to　rain。　　Three　times　he　walked　up　and　down　the　length　of　Main　Street。　　Sylvester　West's　Drug　Store　was　still　open　and　he　went　in　and　bought　a　cigar。　　When　Shorty　Crandall　the　clerk　came　out　at　the　door　with　him　he　was　pleased。　　For　five　minutes　the　two　stood　in　the　shelter　of　the　store　awning　and　talked。　　George　Wil…　lard　felt　satisfied。　　He　had　wanted　more　than　any…　thing　else　to　talk　to　some　man。　　Around　a　corner　toward　the　New　Willard　House　he　went　whistling　softly。

On　the　sidewalk　at　the　side　of　Winney's　Dry　Goods　Store　where　there　was　a　high　board　fence　covered　with　circus　pictures；　he　stopped　whistling　and　stood　perfectly　still　in　the　darkness；　attentive；　listening　as　though　for　a　voice　calling　his　name。　Then　again　he　laughed　nervously。　　〃She　hasn't　got　anything　on　me。　　Nobody　knows；〃　he　muttered　dog…　gedly　and　went　on　his　way。




GODLINESS

A　Tale　in　Four　Parts

THERE　WERE　ALWAYS　three　or　four　old　people　sitting　on　the　front　porch　of　the　house　or　puttering　about　the　garden　of　the　Bentley　farm。　　Three　of　the　old　people　were　women　and　sisters　to　Jesse。　　They　were　a　colorless；　soft　voiced　lot。　　Then　there　was　a　silent　old　man　with　thin　white　hair　who　was　Jesse's　uncle。

The　farmhouse　was　built　of　wood；　a　board　outer…　covering　over　a　framework　of　logs。　　It　was　in　reality　not　one　house　but　a　cluster　of　houses　joined　to…　gether　in　a　rather　haphazard　manner。　　Inside；　the　place　was　full　of　surprises。　　One　went　up　steps　from　the　living　room　into　the　dining　room　and　there　were　always　steps　to　be　ascended　or　descended　in　passing　from　one　room　to　another。　　At　meal　times　the　place　was　like　a　beehive。　　At　one　moment　all　was　quiet；　then　doors　began　to　open；　feet　clattered　on　stairs；　a　murmur　of　soft　voices　arose　and　people　appeared　from　a　dozen　obscure　corners。

Besides　the　old　people；　already　mentioned；　many　others　lived　in　the　Bentley　house。　　There　were　four　hired　men；　a　woman　named　Aunt　Callie　Beebe；　who　was　in　charge　of　the　housekeeping；　a　dull…witted　girl　named　Eliza　Stoughton；　who　made　beds　and　helped　with　the　milking；　a　boy　who　worked　in　the　stables；　and　Jesse　Bentley　himself；　the　owner　and　overlord　of　it　all。

By　the　time　the　American　Civil　War　had　been　over　for　twenty　years；　that　part　of　Northern　Ohio　where　the　Bentley　farms　lay　had　begun　to　emerge　from　pioneer　life。　　Jesse　then　owned　machinery　for　har…　vesting　grain。　　He　had　built　modern　barns　and　most　of　his　land　was　drained　with　carefully　laid　tile　drain；　but　in　order　to　understand　the　man　we　will　have　to　go　back　to　an　earlier　day。

The　Bentley　family　had　been　in　Northern　Ohio　for　several　generations　before　Jesse's　time。　　They　came　from　New　York　State　and　took　up　land　when　the　country　was　new　and　land　could　be　had　at　a　low　price。　　For　a　long　time　they；　in　common　with　all　the　other　Middle　Western　people；　were　very　poor。　　The　land　they　had　settled　upon　was　heavily　wooded　and　covered　with　fallen　logs　and　underbrush。　　After　the　long　hard　labor　of　clearing　these　away　and　cutting　the　timber；　there　were　still　the　stumps　to　be　reck…　oned　with。　　Plows　run　through　the　fields　caught　on　hidden　roots；　stones　lay　all　about；　on　the　low　places　water　gathered；　and　the　young　corn　turned　yellow；　sickened　and　died。

When　Jesse　Bentley's　father　and　brothers　had　come　into　their　ownership　of　the　place；　much　of　the　harder　part　of　the　work　of　clearing　had　been　done；　but　they　clung　to　old　traditions　and　worked　like　driven　animals。　　They　lived　as　practically　all　of　the　farming　people　of　the　time　lived。　　In　the　spring　and　through　most　of　the　winter　the　highways　leading　into　the　town　of　Winesburg　were　a　sea　of　mud。　　The　four　young　men　of　the　family　worked　hard　all　day　in　the　fields；　they　ate　heavily　of　coarse；　greasy　food；　and　at　night　slept　like　tired　beasts　on　beds　of　straw。　Into　their　lives　came　little　that　was　not　coarse　and　brutal　and　outwardly　they　were　themselves　coarse　and　brutal。　　On　Saturday　afternoons　they　hitched　a　team　of　horses　to　a　three…seated　wagon　and　went　off　to　town。　　In　town　they　stood　about　the　stoves　in　the　stores　talking　to　other　farmers　or　to　the　store　keepers。　　They　were　dressed　in　overalls　and　in　the　winter　wore　heavy　coats　that　were　flecked　with　mud。　　Their　hands　as　they　stretched　them　out　to　the　heat　of　the　stoves　were　cracked　and　red。　　It　was　dif…　ficult　for　them　to　talk　and　so　they　for　the　most　part　kept　silent。　　When　they　had　bought　meat；　flour；　sugar；　and　salt；　they　went　into　one　of　the　Winesburg　saloons　and　drank　beer。　　Under　the　influence　of　drink　the　naturally　strong　lusts　of　their　natures；　kept　suppressed　by　the　heroic　labor　of　breaking　up　new　ground；　were　released。　　A　kind　of　crude　and　animal…　like　poetic　fervor　took　possession　of　them。　　On　the　road　home　they　stood　up　on　the　wagon　seats　and　shouted　at　the　stars。　　Sometimes　they　fought　long　and　bitterly　and　at　other　times　they　broke　forth　into　songs。　　Once　Enoch　Bentley；　the　older　one　of　the　boys；　struck　his　father；　old　Tom　Bentley；　with　the　butt　of　a　teamster's　whip；　and　the　old　man　seemed　likely　to　die。　　For　days　Enoch　lay　hid　in　the　straw　in　the　loft　of　the　stable　ready　to　flee　if　the　result　of　his　momentary　passion　turned　out　to　be　murder。　　He　was　kept　alive　with　food　brought　by　his　mother；　who　also　kept　him　informed　of　the　injured　man's　condition。　　When　all　turned　out　well　he　emerged　from　his　hiding　place　and　went　back　to　the　work　of　clearing　land　as　though　nothing　had　happened。


The　Civil　War　brought　a　sharp　turn　to　the　fortunes　of　the　Bentleys　and　was　responsible　for　the　rise　of　the　youngest　son；　Jesse。　　Enoch；　Edward；　Harry；　and　Will　Bentley　all　enlisted　and　before　the　long　war　ended　they　were　all　killed。　　For　a　time　after　they　went　away　to　the　South；　old　Tom　tried　to　run　the　place；　but　he　was　not　successful。　　When　the　last　of　the　four　had　been　killed　he　sent　word　to　Jesse　that　he　would　have　to　come　home。

Then　the　mother；　who　had　not　been　well　for　a　year；　died　suddenly；　and　the　father　became　alto…　gether　discouraged。　　He　talked　of　selling　the　farm　and　moving　into　town。　　All　day　he　went　about　shak…　ing　his　head　and　muttering。　　The　work　in　the　fields　was　neglected　and　weeds　grew　high　in　the　corn。　　Old　Tim　hired　men　but　he　did　not　use　them　intelligently。　When　they　had　gone　away　to　the　fields　in　the　morn…　ing　he　wandered　into　the　woods　and　sat　down　on　a　log。　　Sometimes　he　forgot　to　come　home　at　night　and　one　of　the　daughters　had　to　go　in　search　of　him。

When　Jesse　Bentley　came　home　to　the　farm　and　began　to　take　charge　of　things　he　was　a　slight；　sensitive…looking　man　of　twenty…two。　　At　eighteen　he　had　left　home　to　go　to　school　to　become　a　scholar　and　eventually　to　become　a　minister　of　the　Presbyte…　rian　Church。　　All　through　his　boyhood　he　had　been　what　in　our　country　was　called　an　〃odd　sheep〃　and　had　not　got　on　with　his　brothers。　　Of　all　the　family　only　his　mother　had　understood　him　and　she　was　now　dead。　　When　he　came　home　to　take　charge　of　the　farm；　that　had　at　that　time　grown　to　more　than　six　hundred　acres；　everyone　on　the　farms　about　and　in　the　nearby　town　of　Winesburg　smiled　at　the　idea　of　his　trying　to　handle　the　work　that　had　been　done　by　his　four　strong　brothers。

There　was　indeed　good　cause　to　smile。　　By　the　standards　of　his　day　Jesse　did　not　look　like　a　man　at　all。　　He　was　small　and　very　slender　and　womanish　of　body　and；　true　to　the　traditions　of　young　minis…　ters；　wore　a　long　black　coat　and　a　narrow　black　string　tie。　　The　neighbors　were　amused　when　they　saw　him；　after　the　years　away；　and　they　were　even　more　amused　when　they　saw　the　woman　he　had　married　in　the　city。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　Jesse's　wife　did　soon　go　under。　That　was　perhaps　Jesse's　fault。　　A　farm　in　Northern　Ohio　in　the　hard　years　after　the　Civil　War　was　no　place　for　a　delicate　woman；　and　Katherine　Bentley　was　delicate。　　Jesse　was　hard　with　her　as　he　was　with　everybody　about　him　in　those　days。　　She　tried　to　do　such　work　as　all　the　neighbor　women　about　her　did　and　he　let　her　go　on　without　interference。　　She　helped　to　do　the　milking　and　did　part　of　the　house…　work；　she　made　the　beds　for　the　men　and　prepared　their　food。　　For　a　year　she　worked　every　day　from　sunrise　until　late　at　night　and　then　after　giving　birth　to　a　child　she　died。

As　for　Jesse　Bentleyalthough　he　was　a　delicately　built　man　there　was　something　within　him　that　could　not　easily　be　killed。　　He　had　brown　curly　hair　and　grey　eyes　that　were　at　times　hard　and　direct；　at　times　wavering　and　uncertain。　　Not　only　was　he　slen…　der　but　he　was　also　short　of　stature。　　His　mouth　was　like　the　mouth　of　a　sensitive　and　very　determined　child。　　Jesse　Bentley　was　a　fanatic。　　He　was　a　man　born　out　of　his　time　and　place　and　for　this　he　suf…　fered　and　made　others　suffer。　　Never　did　he　succeed　in　getting　what　he　wanted　out　of　fife　and　he　did　not　know　what　he　wanted。　　Within　a　very　short　time　after　he　came　home　to　the　Bentley　farm　he　made　everyone　there　a　little　afraid　of　him；　and　his　wife；　who　should　have　been　close　to　him　as　his　mother　had　been；　was　afraid　also。　　At　the　end　of　two　weeks　after　his　coming；　old　Tom　Bentley　made　over　to　him　the　entire　ownership