the story of a pioneer-第8节

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our　different　viewpoints。　　Beyond　doubt　I　was　a　pert　and　

trying　young　person。　　I　lost　no　opportunity　to　lead　Prudence　

beyond　her　intellectual　depth　and　leave　her　there；　and　

Prudence　vented　her　chagrin　not　alone　upon　me；　but　upon　

my　little　brother。　　I　became　a　thorn　in　her　side；　and　one　

day；　after　an　especially　unpleasant　episode　in　which　Harry　

also　figured；　she　plucked　me　out；　as　it　were；　and　cast　me　

for　ever　from　her。　　From　that　time　I　studied　at　home；　where　

I　was　a　much　more　valuable　economic　factor　than　I　had　

been　in　school。



The　second　spring　after　our　arrival　Harry　and　I

extended　our　operations　by　tapping　the　sugar…

bushes；　collecting　all　the　sap；　and　carrying　it　home

in　pails　slung　from　our　yoke…laden　shoulders。　　To…

gether　we　made　one　hundred　and　fifty　pounds　of

sugar　and　a　barrel　of　syrup；　but　here　again；　as　al…

ways；　we　worked　in　primitive　ways。　　To　get　the　sap

we　chopped　a　gash　in　the　tree　and　drove　in　a　spile。　

Then　we　dug　out　a　trough　to　catch　the　sap。　　It　was

no　light　task　to　lift　these　troughs　full　of　sap　and

empty　the　sap　into　buckets；　but　we　did　it　success…

fully；　and　afterward　built　fires　and　boiled　it　down。　

By　this　time　we　had　also　cleared　some　of　our　ground；

and　during　the　spring　we　were　able　to　plow；　dividing

the　work　in　a　way　that　seemed　fair　to　us　both。　

These　were　strenuous　occupations　for　a　boy　of　nine

and　a　girl　of　thirteen；　but；　though　we　were　not　in…

ordinately　good　children；　we　never　complained；　we

found　them　very　satisfactory　substitutes　for　more

normal　bucolic　joys。　　Inevitably；　we　had　our　little

tragedies。　　Our　cow　died；　and　for　an　entire　winter

we　went　without　milk。　　Our　coffee　soon　gave　out；

and　as　a　substitute　we　made　and　used　a　mixture　of

browned　peas　and　burnt　rye。　　In　the　winter　we

were　always　cold；　and　the　water　problem；　until　we

had　built　our　well；　was　ever　with　us。



Father　joined　us　at　the　end　of　eighteen　months；

but　though　his　presence　gave　us　pleasure　and　moral

support；　he　was　not　an　addition　to　our　executive

staff。　　He　brought　with　him　a　rocking…chair　for

mother　and　a　new　supply　of　books；　on　which　I　fell

as　a　starving　man　falls　upon　food。　　Father　read　as

eagerly　as　I；　but　much　more　steadily。　　His　mind

was　always　busy　with　problems；　and　if；　while　he

was　laboring　in　the　field；　a　new　problem　presented

itself　to　him；　the　imperishable　curiosity　that　was

in　him　made　him　scurry　at　once　to　the　house　to

solve　it。　　I　have　known　him　to　spend　a　planting

season　in　figuring　on　the　production　of　a　certain

number　of　kernels　of　corn；　instead　of　planting　the

corn　and　raising　it。　　In　the　winter　he　was　supposed

to　spend　his　time　clearing　land　for　orchards　and

the　like；　but　instead　he　pored　over　his　books　and

problems　day　after　day　and　often　half　the　night　as

well。　　It　soon　became　known　among　our　neigh…

bors；　who　were　rapidly　increasing　in　number；　that

we　had　books　and　that　father　like　to　read　aloud；

and　men　walked　ten　miles　or　more　to　spend　the　night

with　us　and　listen　to　his　reading。　　Often；　as　his

fame　grew；　ten　or　twelve　men　would　arrive　at　our

cabin　on　Saturday　and　remain　over　Sunday。　　When

my　mother　once　tried　to　check　this　influx　of　guests

by　mildly　pointing　out；　among　other　things；　the

waste　of　candles　represented　by　frequent　all…night

readings；　every　man　humbly　appeared　again　on　the

following　Saturday　with　a　candle　in　each　hand。　

They　were　not　sensitive；　and；　as　they　had　brought

their　candles；　it　seemed　fitting　to　them　and　to　father

that　we　girls　should　cook　for　them　and　supply　them

with　food。



Father's　tolerance　of　idleness　in　others；　however；

did　not　extend　to　tolerance　of　idleness　in　us；　and

this　led　to　my　first　rebellion；　which　occurred　when

I　was　fourteen。　　For　once；　I　had　been　in　the　woods

all　day；　buried　in　my　books；　and　when　I　returned

at　night；　still　in　the　dream　world　these　books　had

opened　to　me；　father　was　awaiting　my　coming　with

a　brow　dark　with　disapproval。　　As　it　happened；

mother　had　felt　that　day　some　special　need　of　me；

and　father　reproached　me　bitterly　for　being　beyond

reachan　idler　who　wasted　time　while　mother

labored。　　He　ended　a　long　arraignment　by　predicting

gloomily　that　with　such　tendencies　I　would　make

nothing　of　my　life。



The　injustice　of　the　criticism　cut　deep；　I　knew

I　had　done　and　was　doing　my　share　for　the　family；

and　already；　too；　I　had　begun　to　feel　the　call　of　my

career。　　For　some　reason　I　wanted　to　preachto

talk　to　people；　to　tell　them　things。　　Just　why；　just

what；　I　did　not　yet　knowbut　I　had　begun　to

preach　in　the　silent　woods；　to　stand　up　on　stumps

and　address　the　unresponsive　trees；　to　feel　the　stir

of　aspiration　within　me。



When　my　father　had　finished　all　he　wished　to

say；　I　looked　at　him　and　answered；　quietly；　‘‘Father；

some　day　I　am　going　to　college。''



I　can　still　see　his　slight；　ironical　smile。　　It　drove

me　to　a　second　prediction。　　I　was　young　enough　to

measure　success　by　material　results；　so　I　added；

recklessly：



‘‘And　before　I　die　I　shall　be　worth　ten　thousand

dollars！''



The　amount　staggered　me　even　as　it　dropped　from

my　lips。　　It　was　the　largest　fortune　my　imagination

could　conceive；　and　in　my　heart　I　believed　that　no

woman　ever　had　possessed　or　would　possess　so

much。　　So　far　as　I　knew；　too；　no　woman　had　gone

to　college。　　But　now　that　I　had　put　my　secret　hopes

into　words；　I　was　desperately　determined　to　make

those　hopes　come　true。　　After　I　became　a　wage…

earner　I　lost　my　desire　to　make　a　fortune；　but　the

college　dream　grew　with　the　years；　and　though　my

college　career　seemed　as　remote　as　the　most　distant

star；　I　hitched　my　little　wagon　to　that　star　and　never

afterward　wholly　lost　sight　of　its　friendly　gleam。



When　I　was　fifteen　years　old　I　was　offered　a　situa…

tion　as　school…teacher。　　By　this　time　the　com…

munity　was　growing　around　us　with　the　rapidity

characteristic　of　these　Western　settlements；　and　we

had　nearer　neighbors　whose　children　needed　instruc…

tion。　　I　passed　an　examination　before　a　school…

board　consisting　of　three　nervous　and　self…conscious

men　whose　certificate　I　still　hold；　and　I　at　once

began　my　professional　career　on　the　modest　salary

of　two　dollars　a　week　and　my　board。　　The　school

was　four　miles　from　my　home；　so　I　‘‘boarded　round''

with　the　families　of　my　pupils；　staying　two　weeks

in　each　place；　and　often　walking　from　three　to　six

miles　a　day　to　and　from　my　little　log　school…house

in　every　kind　of　weather。　　During　the　first　year　I

had　about　fourteen　pupils；　of　varying　ages；　sizes；

and　temperaments；　and　there　was　hardly　a　book　in

the　school…room　except　those　I　owned。　　One　little

girl；　I　remember；　read　from　an　almanac；　while　a

second　used　a　hymn…book。



In　winter　the　school…house　was　heated　by　a　wood…

stove；　to　which　the　teacher　had　to　give　close　personal

attention。　　I　could　not　depend　on　my　pupils　to

make　the　fires　or　carry　in　the　fuel；　and　it　was　often

necessary　to　fetch　the　wood　myself；　sometimes　for

long　distances　through　the　forest。　　Again　and　again；

after　miles　of　walking　through　winter　storms；　I

reached　the　school…house　with　my　clothing　wet

through；　and　in　these　soaked　garments　I　taught

during　the　day。　　In　‘‘boarding　round''　I　often　found

myself　in　one…room　cabins；　with　bunks　at　the　end

and　the　sole　partition　a　sheet　or　a　blanket；　behind

which　I　slept　with　one　or　two　of　the　children。　　It

was　the　custom　on　these　occasions　for　the　man　of

the　house　to　delicately　retire　to　the　barn　while　we

women　got　to　bed；　and　to　disappear　again　in　the

morning　while　we　dressed。　　In　some　places　the

meals　were　so　badly　cooked　that　I　could　not　eat

them；　and　often　the　only　food　my　poor　little　pupils

brought　to　school　for　their　noonday　meal　was　a

piece　of　bread　or　a　bit　of　raw　pork。



I　earned　my　two　dollars　a　week　that　year；　but　I

had　to　wait　for　my　wages　until　the　dog　tax　was　col…

lected　in　the　spring。　　When　the　money　was　thus

raised；　and　the　twenty…six　dollars　for　my　thirteen

weeks　of　teaching　were　graciously　put　into　my

hands；　I　went　‘‘outside''　to　the　nearest　shop　and

joyously　spent　almost　the　entire　amount　for　my

first　‘‘party　dress。''　　The　gown　I　bought　was；　I　con…

sidered；　a　beautiful　creation。　　In　color　it　was　a　rich

magenta；　and　the　skirt　was　elaborately　braided　with

black　cable…cord。　　My　admiration　for　it　was　justi…

fied；　for　it　did　all　a　young　girl's　eager　heart　could

ask　of　any　gownit　led　to　my　first　proposal。



The　youth　who　sought　my　hand　was　about　twenty

years　old；　and　by　an　unhappy　chance　he　was　also

the　least　attractive　young　person　in　the　country…

sidethe　laughing…stock　of　the　neighbors；　the　butt

of　his　associates。　　The　night　he　came　to　offer　me

his　heart　there　were　already　two　young　men　at　our

home　calling　on　my　sisters；　and　we　were　all　sitting

around　the　fire　in　the　living…room　when　my　suitor

appeared。　　His　costume；　like　himself；　left　much　to

be　desired。　　He　wore　a　blue　flanne