drift from two shores(漂流)-第41节
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farm…house。 A light； evidently the lantern of a farm…hand； was swung
beside a barn。 Yes； the faintest tinge of rose in the far horizon。
Morning； surely； at last。
We had stopped at a station。 Two men had got into the car； and had
taken seats in the one vacant section； yawning occasionally and
conversing in a languid； perfunctory sort of way。 They sat opposite each
other； occasionally looking out of the window； but always giving the
strong impression that they were tired of each other's company。 As I
looked out of my curtains at them； the One Man said； with a feebly
concealed yawn：
〃Yes； well； I reckon he was at one time as poplar an ondertaker ez I
knew。〃
The Other Man （inventing a question rather than giving an answer； out
of some languid； social impulse）： 〃But was hethis yer ondertakera
Christianhed he jined the church？〃
The One Man （reflectively）： 〃Well； I don't know ez you might call him
a purfessin' Christian； but he hedyes； he hed conviction。 I think Dr。
Wylie hed him under conviction。 Et least that was the way I got it from
HIM。〃
A long； dreary pause。 The Other Man （feeling it was incumbent upon
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him to say something）： 〃But why was he poplar ez an ondertaker？〃
The One Man （lazily）： 〃Well； he was kinder poplar with widders and
widdererssorter soothen 'em a kinder； keerless way； slung 'em suthin'
here and there； sometimes outer the Book； sometimes outer hisself； ez a
man of experience as hed hed sorror。 Hed； they say （VERY
CAUTIOUSLY）； lost three wives hisself； and five children by this yer new
diseasediptheryout in Wisconsin。 I don't know the facts； but that's
what's got round。〃
The Other Man： 〃But how did he lose his poplarity？〃
The One Man： 〃Well； that's the question。 You see he interduced some
things into ondertaking that waz new。 He hed； for instance； a way； as he
called it； of manniperlating the features of the deceased。〃
The Other Man （quietly）： 〃How manniperlating？〃
The One Man （struck with a bright and aggressive thought）： 〃Look yer；
did ye ever notiss how； generally speakin'； onhandsome a corpse is？〃
The Other Man had noticed this fact。
The One Man （returning to his fact）： 〃Why there was Mary Peebles； ez
was daughter of my wife's bosom frienda mighty pooty girl and a
professing Christiandied of scarlet fever。 Well； that galI was one of
the mourners； being my wife's friendwell； that gal； though I hedn't；
perhaps； oughter saylying in that casket； fetched all the way from some
A1 establishment in Chicago； filled with flowers and furbelowsdidn't
really seem to be of much account。 Well； although my wife's friend； and
me a mournerwell； now； I wasdisappointed and discouraged。〃
The Other Man （in palpably affected sympathy）： 〃Sho！ now！〃
〃Yes； SIR！ Well； you see； this yer ondertaker； this Wilkins； hed a way
of correctin' all thet。 And just by manniperlation。 He worked over the
face of the deceased ontil he perduced what the survivin' relatives called a
look of resignation；you know； a sort of smile； like。 When he wanted to
put in any extrys； he perduced what he calledhevin' reglar charges for
this kind of worka Christian's hope。〃
The Other Man： 〃I want to know。〃
〃Yes。 Well； I admit； at times it was a little startlin'。 And I've allers
said （a little confidentially） that I had my doubts of its being Scriptoorl； or
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sacred； we being； ez you know； worms of the yearth； and I relieved my
mind to our pastor； but he didn't feel like interferin'； ez long ez it was
confined to church membership。 But the other day； when Cy Dunham
diedyou disremember Cy Dunham？〃
A long interval of silence。 The Other Man was looking out of the
window； and had apparently forgotten his companion completely。 But as
I stretched my head out of the curtain I saw four other heads as eagerly
reached out from other berths to hear the conclusion of the story。 One
head； a female one； instantly disappeared on my looking around； but a
certain tremulousness of her window…curtain showed an unabated interest。
The only two utterly disinterested men were the One Man and the Other
Man。
The Other Man （detaching himself languidly from the window）： 〃Cy
Dunham？〃
〃Yes； Cy never hed hed either convictions or purfessions。 Uster get
drunk and go round with permiscous women。 Sorter like the prodigal
son； only a little more so； ez fur ez I kin judge from the facks ez stated to
me。 Well； Cy one day petered out down at Little Rock； and was sent up
yer for interment。 The fammerly； being proud…like； of course didn't spare
no money on that funeral； and it waznow between you and meabout ez
shapely and first…class and prime…mess affair ez I ever saw。 Wilkins hed
put in his extrys。 He hed put onto that prodigal's face the A1 touch；hed
him fixed up with a 'Christian's hope。' Well； it was about the turning…
point； for thar waz some of the members and the pastor hisself thought that
the line oughter to be drawn somewhere； and thar was some talk at Deacon
Tibbet's about a reg'lar conference meetin' regardin' it。 But it wasn't thet
which made him onpoplar。〃
Another silence； no expression nor reflection from the face of the
Other Man of the least desire to know what ultimately settled the
unpopularity of the undertaker。 But from the curtains of the various
berths several eager and one or two even wrathful faces； anxious for the
result。
The Other Man （lazily recurring to the fading topic）： 〃Well； what made
him onpoplar？〃
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The One Man （quietly）： 〃Extrys； I thinkthat is； I suppose； not
knowin'〃 （cautiously） 〃all the facts。 When Mrs。 Widdecombe lost her
husband； 'bout two months ago； though she'd been through the valley of
the shadder of death twicethis bein' her third marriage； hevin' been John
Barker's widder〃
The Other Man （with an intense expression of interest）： 〃No； you're
foolin' me！〃
The One Man （solemnly）： 〃Ef I was to appear before my Maker to…
morrow； yes！ she was the widder of Barker。〃
The Other Man： 〃Well； I swow。〃
The One Man： 〃Well； this Widder Widdecombe； she put up a big
funeral for the deceased。 She hed Wilkins； and thet ondertaker just laid
hisself out。 Just spread hisself。 Onfort'natly； perhaps fort'natly in the
ways of Providence；one of Widdecombe's old friends； a doctor up thar in
Chicago； comes down to the funeral。 He goes up with the friends to look
at the deceased； smilin' a peaceful sort o' heavinly smile； and everybody
sayin' he's gone to meet his reward； and this yer friend turns round； short
and sudden on the widder settin' in her pew； and kinder enjoyin； as wimen
will； all the compliments paid the corpse； and he says； says he：
〃'What did you say your husband died of； marm？'
〃'Consumption；' she says； wiping her eyes； poor critter。 'Consumption
gallopin' consumption。'
〃'Consumption be dd；' sez he； bein' a profane kind of Chicago doctor；
and not bein' ever under conviction。 'Thet man died of strychnine。
Look at thet face。 Look at thet contortion of them fashal muscles。
Thet's strychnine。 Thet's risers Sardonikus' （thet's what he said； he was
always sorter profane）。
〃'Why； doctor；' says the widder； 'thetthet is his last smile。 It's a
Christian's resignation。'
〃'Thet be blowed； don't tell me；' sez he。 'Hell is full of thet kind of
resignation。 It's pizon。 And I'll' Why； dern my skin； yes we are； yes；
it's Joliet。 Wall； now； who'd
