the friendly road-第20节

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rk）　as　thoroughly；　I　think；　as　ever　I　enjoyed　any　meal。

How　little　we　knowwe　who　dread　lifehow　much　there　is　in　life！

My　activities　around　the　fire　had　warmed　me　to　the　bone；　and　after　I　was　well　through　with　my　meal　I　gathered　a　plentiful　supply　of　wood　and　placed　it　near　at　hand；　I　got　out　my　waterproof　cape　and　put　it　on；　and；　finally　piling　more　sticks　on　the　fire；　I　sat　down　comfortably　at　the　foot　of　the　tree。


I　wish　I　could　convey　the　mystery　and　the　beauty　of　that　night。　Did　you　ever　sit　by　a　campfire　and　watch　the　flames　dance；　and　the　sparks　fly　upward　into　the　cool　dark　air？　Did　you　ever　see　the　fitful　light　among　the　tree…depths；　at　one　moment　opening　vast　shadowy　vistas　into　the　forest；　at　the　next　dying　downward　and　leaving　it　all　in　sombre　mystery？　It　came　to　me　that　night　with　the　wonderful　vividness　of　a　fresh　experience。

And　what　a　friendly　and　companionable　thing　a　campfire　is！　How　generous　and　outright　it　is！　It　plays　for　you　when　you　wish　so　be　lively；　and　it　glows　for　you　when　you　wish　to　be　reflective。

After　a　while；　for　I　did　not　feel　in　the　least　sleepy；　I　stepped　out　of　the　woods　to　the　edge　of　the　pasture。　All　around　me　lay　the　dark　and　silent　earth；　and　above　the　blue　bowl　of　the　sky；　all　glorious　with　the　blaze　of　a　million　worlds。　Sometimes　I　have　been　oppressed　by　this　spectacle　of　utter　space；　of　infinite　distance；　of　forces　too　great　for　me　to　grasp　or　understand；　but　that　night　it　came　upon　me　with　fresh　wonder　and　power；　and　with　a　sense　of　great　humility　that　I　belonged　here　too；　that　I　was　a　part　of　it　alland　would　not　be　neglected　or　forgotten。　It　seemed　to　me　I　never　had　a　moment　of　greater　faith　than　that。

And　so；　with　a　sense　of　satisfaction　and　peace；　I　returned　to　my　fire。　As　I　sat　there　I　could　hear　the　curious　noises　of　the　woods；　the　little　droppings；　cracklings；　rustlings　which　seemed　to　make　all　the　world　alive。　I　even　fancied　I　could　see　small　bright　eyes　looking　out　at　my　fire；　and　once　or　twice　I　was　almost　sure　I　heard　voiceswhisperingperhaps　the　voices　of　the　woods。

Occasionally　I　added；　with　some　amusement；　a　few　dry　pages　of　Montaigne　to　the　fire；　and　watched　the　cheerful　blaze　that　followed。

〃No；〃　said　I；　〃Montaigne　is　not　for　the　open　spaces　and　the　stars。　Without　a　roof　over　his　head　Montaigne　wouldwell；　die　of　sneezing。〃

So　I　sat　all　night　long　there　by　the　tree。　Occasionally　I　dropped　into　a　light　sleep；　and　then；　as　my　fire　died　down；　I　grew　chilly　and　awakened；　to　build　up　the　fire　and　doze　again。　I　saw　the　first　faint　gray　streaks　of　dawn　above　the　trees；　I　saw　the　pink　glow　in　the　east　before　the　sunrise；　and　I　watched　the　sun　himself　rise　upon　a　new　day

When　I　walked　out　into　the　meadow　by　daylight　and　looked　about　me　curiously；　I　saw；　not　forty　rods　away；　the　back　of　a　barn。


〃Be　you　the　fellow　that　was　daown　in　my　cowpasture　all　night？〃　asked　the　sturdy　farmer。

〃I'm　that　fellow；〃　I　said。

〃Why　didn't　you　come　right　up　to　the　house？〃

〃Well〃　I　said；　and　then　paused。

〃Well　。　。　。〃　said　I。



CHAPTER　VIII。　　THE　HEDGE

Strange；　strange；　how　small　the　big　world　is！

〃Why　didn't　you　come　right　into　the　house？〃　the　sturdy　farmer　had　asked　me　when　I　came　out　of　the　meadow　where　I　had　spent　the　night　under　the　stars。

〃Well；〃　I　said；　turning　the　question　as　adroitly　as　I　could；　〃I'll　make　it　up　by　going　into　the　house　now。〃

So　I　went　with　him　into　his　fine；　comfortable　house。

〃This　is　my　wife；〃　said　he。

A　woman　stood　there　facing　me。　〃Oh！〃　she　exclaimed；　〃Mr。　Grayson！〃

I　recalled　swiftly　a　childa　child　she　seemed　thenwith　braids　down　her　back；　whom　I　had　known　when　I　first　came　to　my　farm。　She　had　grown　up；　married；　and　had　borne　three　children；　while　I　had　been　looking　the　other　way　for　a　minute　or　two。　She　had　not　been　in　our　neighborhood　for　several　years。

〃And　how　is　your　sister　and　Doctor　McAlway？〃

Well；　we　had　quite　a　wonderful　visit；　she　made　breakfast　for　me；　asking　and　talking　eagerly　as　I　ate。

〃We've　just　had　news　that　old　Mr。　Toombs　is　dead。〃

〃Dead！〃　I　exclaimed；　dropping　my　fork；　〃old　Nathan　Toombs！〃

〃Yes；　he　was　my　uncle。　Did　you　know　him？〃

〃I　knew　Nathan　Toombs；〃　I　said。

I　spent　two　days　there　with　the　Ransomes；　for　they　would　not　hear　of　my　leaving；　and　half　of　our　spare　time；　I　think；　was　spent　in　discussing　Nathan　Toombs。　I　was　not　able　to　get　him　out　of　my　mind　for　days；　for　his　death　was　one　of　those　events　which　prove　so　much　and　leave　so　much　unproven。

I　can　recall　vividly　my　astonishment　at　the　first　evidence　I　ever　had　of　the　strange　old　man　or　of　his　work。　It　was　not　very　long　after　I　came　to　my　farm　to　live。　I　had　taken　to　spending　my　spare　eveningsthe　long　evenings　of　summerin　exploring　the　country　roads　for　miles　around；　getting　acquainted　with　each　farmstead；　each　bit　of　grove　and　meadow　and　marsh；　making　my　best　bow　to　each　unfamiliar　hill；　and　taking　everywhere　that　toll　of　pleasure　which　comes　of　quiet　discovery。

One　evening；　having　walked　farther　than　usual；　I　came　quite　suddenly　around　a　turn　in　the　road　and　saw　stretching　away　before　me　an　extraordinary　sight。

I　feel　that　I　am　conveying　no　adequate　impression　of　what　I　beheld　by　giving　it　any　such　prim　and　decorous　name　asa　Hedge。　It　was　a　menagerie；　a　living；　green　menagerie！　I　had　no　sooner　seen　it　than　I　began　puzzling　my　brain　as　to　whether　one　of　the　curious　ornaments　into　which　the　upper　part　of　the　hedge　had　been　clipped　and　trimmed　was　made　to　represent　the　head　of　a　horse；　or　a　camel；　or　an　Egyptian　sphinx。

The　hedge　was　of　arbor　vite　and　as　high　as　a　man's　waist。　At　more　or　less　regular　intervals　the　trees　in　it　had　been　allowed　to　grow　much　taller　and　had　been　wonderfully　pruned　into　the　similitude　of　towers；　pinnacles；　bells；　and　many　other　strange　designs。　Here　and　there　the　hedge　held　up　a　spindling　umbrella　of　greenery；　sometimes　a　double　umbrellaa　little　one　above　the　big　oneand　over　the　gateway　at　the　centre；　as　a　sort　of　final　triumph；　rose　a　grandiose　arch　of　interlaced　branches　upon　which　the　artist　had　outdone　himself　in　marvels　of　ornamentation。

I　shall　never　forget　the　sensation　of　delight　I　had　over　this　discovery；　or　of　how　I　walked；　tiptoe；　along　the　road　in　front；　studying　each　of　the　marvellous　adornments。　How　eagerly；　too；　I　looked　over　at　the　house　beyonda　rather　bare；　bleak　house　set　on　a　slight　knoll　or　elevation　and　guarded　at　one　corner　by　a　dark　spruce　tree。　At　some　distance　behind　I　saw　a　number　of　huge　barns；　a　cattle　yard　and　a　siloall　the　evidences　of　prosperitywith　well…nurtured　fields；　now　yellowing　with　the　summer　crops；　spreading　pleasantly　away　on　every　hand。

It　was　nearly　dark　before　I　left　that　bit　of　roadside；　and　I　shall　never　forget　the　eerie　impression　I　had　as　I　turned　back　to　take　a　final　look　at　the　hedge；　the　strange；　grotesque　aspect　it　presented　there　in　the　half　light　with　the　bare；　lonely　house　rising　from　the　knoll　behind。


It　was　not　until　some　weeks　later　that　I　met　the　owner　of　the　wonderful　hedge。　By　that　time；　however；　having　learned　of　my　interest；　I　found　the　whole　countryside　alive　with　stories　about　it　and　about　Old　Nathan　Toombs；　its　owner。　It　was　as　though　I　had　struck　the　rock　of　refreshment　in　a　weary　land。

I　remember　distinctly　how　puzzled　was　by　the　stories　I　heard。　The　neighbourhood　portraitand　ours　is　really　a　friendly　neighbourhoodwas　by　no　means　flattering。　Old　Toombs　was　apparently　of　that　type　of　hard…shelled；　grasping；　self…reliant；　old…fashioned　farmer　not　unfamiliar　to　many　country　neighbourhoods。　He　had　come　of　tough　old　American　stock　and　he　was　a　worker；　a　saver；　and　thus　he　had　grown　rich；　the　richest　farmer　in　the　whole　neighbourhood。　He　was　a　regular　individualistic　American。

〃A　dour　man；〃　said　the　Scotch　Preacher；　〃but　justyou　must　admit　that　he　is　just。〃

There　was　no　man　living　about　whom　the　Scotch　Preacher　could　not　find　something　good　to　say。

〃Yes；　just；〃　replied　Horace；　〃but　hardhard；　and　as　mean　as　pusley。〃

This　portrait　was　true　enough　in　itself；　for　I　knew　just　the　sort　of　an　aggressive；　undoubtedly　irritable　old　fellow　it　pictured；　but　somehow；　try　as　I　would；　I　could　not　see　any　such　old　fellow　wasting　his　moneyed　hours　clipping　bells；　umbrellas；　and　camel's　heads　on　his　ornamental　greenery。　It　left　just　that　incongruity　which　is　at　once　the　lure；　the　humour；　and　the　perplexity　of　human　life。　Instead　of　satisfying　my　curiosity　I　was　more　anxious　than　ever　to　see　Old　Toombs　with　my　own　eyes。

But　the　weeks　passed　and　somehow　I　did　not　meet　him。　He　was　a　lonely；　unneighbourly　old　fellow。　He　had　apparently　come　to　fit　into　the　community　without　ever　really　becoming　a　part　of　it。　His　neighbours　accepted　him　as　they　accepted　a　hard　hill　in　the　town　road。　From　time　to　time　he　would　foreclose　a　mortgage　where　he　had　loaned　money　to　some　less　thrifty　farmer；　or　he　would　extend　his　acres　by　purchase；　hard　cash　down；　or　he　would　build　a　bigger　barn。　When　any　of　these　things　happened　the　community　would　crowd　over　a　little；　as　it　were；　to　give　him　more　room。　It　is　a　curious　thing；　and　tragic；　too；　when　you　come　to　think　of　it；　how　the　world　lets　alone　those　people　who　appear　to　want　to　be　let　alone。　〃I　can　live　to　myself；〃　says　the　unneighbourly　one。　〃Well；　live　to　yourself；　then；〃　chee