the friendly road-第9节

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e？　We　talked　again　late　that　night；　but　the　next　morning；　at　the　leisurely　Sunday　breakfast；　I　set　my　hour　of　departure　with　all　the　firmness　I　could　command。　I　left　them；　indeed；　before　ten　o'clock　that　forenoon。　I　shall　never　forget　the　parting。　They　walked　with　me　to　the　top　of　the　hill；　and　there　we　stopped　and　looked　back。　We　could　see　the　cottage　half　hidden　among　the　trees；　and　the　little　opening　that　the　precious　garden　made。　For　a　time　we　stood　there　quite　silent。

〃Do　you　remember；〃　I　said　presently；　〃that　character　in　Homer　who　was　a　friend　of　men　and　lived　in　a　house　by　the　side　of　the　road？　I　shall　always　think　of　you　as　friends　of　menyou　took　in　a　dusty　traveller。　And　I　shall　never　forget　your　house　by　the　side　of　the　road。〃

〃The　House　by　the　Side　of　the　Roadyou　have　christened　it　anew；　David　Grayson；〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Vedder。

And　so　we　parted　like　old　friends；　and　I　left　them　to　return　to　their　garden；　where　〃'tis　very　sure　God　walks。〃



CHAPTER　IV。　　I　AM　THE　SPECTATOR　OF　A　MIGHTY　BATTLE；　IN　WHICH　CHRISTIAN　MEETS　APPOLLYON

It　is　one　of　the　prime　joys　of　the　long　road　that　no　two　days　are　ever　remotely　alikeno　two　hours　even；　and　sometimes　a　day　that　begins　calmly　will　end　with　the　most　stirring　events。

It　was　thus；　indeed；　with　that　perfect　spring　Sunday；　when　I　left　my　friends；　the　Vedders；　and　turned　my　face　again　to　the　open　country。　It　began　as　quietly　as　any　Sabbath　morning　of　my　life；　but　what　an　end　it　had！　I　would　have　travelled　a　thousand　miles　for　the　adventures　which　a　bounteous　road　that　day　spilled　carelessly　into　my　willing　hands。

I　can　give　no　adequate　reason　why　it　should　be　so；　but　there　are　Sunday　mornings　in　the　springat　least　in　our　country　which　seem　to　put　on；　like　a　Sabbath　garment；　an　atmosphere　of　divine　quietude。　Warm；　soft；　clear；　but；　above　all；　immeasurably　serene。

Such　was　that　Sunday　morning；　and　I　was　no　sooner　well　afoot　than　I　yielded　to　the　ingratiating　mood　of　the　day。　Usually　I　am　an　active　walker；　loving　the　sense　of　quick　motion　and　the　stir　it　imparts　to　both　body　and　mind；　but　that　morning　I　found　myself　loitering；　looking　widely　about　me；　and　enjoying　the　lesser　and　quieter　aspects　of　nature。　It　was　a　fine　wooded　country　in　which　I　found　myself；　and　I　soon　struck　off　the　beaten　road　and　took　to　the　forest　and　the　fields。　In　places　the　ground　was　almost　covered　with　meadow…rue；　like　green　shadows　on　the　hillsides；　not　yet　in　seed；　but　richly　umbrageous。　In　the　long　green　grass　of　the　meadows　shone　the　yellow　star…flowers；　and　the　sweet…flags　were　blooming　along　the　marshy　edges　of　the　ponds。　The　violets　had　disappeared；　but　they　were　succeeded　by　wild　geraniums　and　rank…growing　vetches。

I　remember　that　I　kept　thinking　from　time　to　time；　all　the　forenoon；　as　my　mind　went　back　swiftly　and　warmly　to　the　two　fine　friends　from　whom　I　had　so　recently　parted：

How　the　Vedders　would　enjoy　this！　Or；　I　must　tell　the　Vedders　that。　And　two　or　three　times　I　found　myself　in　animated　conversations　with　them　in　which　I　generously　supplied　all　three　parts。　It　may　be　true　for　some　natures；　as　Leonardo　said；　that　〃if　you　are　alone　you　belong　wholly　to　yourself；　if　you　have　a　companion；　you　belong　only　half　to　yourself〃；　but　it　is　certainly　not　so　with　me。　With　me　friendship　never　divides：　it　multiplies。　A　friend　always　makes　me　more　than　I　am；　better　than　I　am；　bigger　I　am。　We　two　make　four；　or　fifteen；　or　forty。

Well；　I　loitered　through　the　fields　and　woods　for　a　long　time　that　Sunday　forenoon；　not　knowing　in　the　least　that　Chance　held　me　close　by　the　hand　and　was　leading　me　onward　to　great　events。　I　knew；　of　course；that　I　had　yet　to　find　a　place　for　the　night；　and　that　this　might　be　difficult　on　Sunday；　and　yet　I　spent　that　forenoon　as　a　man　spends　his　immortal　youthwith　a　glorious　disregard　for　the　future。


Some　time　after　noonfor　the　sun　was　high　and　the　day　was　growing　much　warmer　I　turned　from　the　road；　climbed　an　inviting　little　hill；　and　chose　a　spot　in　an　old　meadow　in　the　shade　of　an　apple　tree；and　there　I　lay　down　on　the　grass；　and　looked　up　into　the　dusky　shadows　of　the　branches　above　me。　I　could　feel　the　soft　airs　on　my　face；　I　could　hear　the　buzzing　of　bees　in　the　meadow　flowers；　and　by　turning　my　head　just　a　little　I　could　see　the　slow　fleecy　clouds；　high　up；　drifting　across　the　perfect　blue　of　the　sky。　And　the　scent　of　the　fields　in　spring！he　who　has　known　it；　even　once；　may　indeed　die　happy。

Men　worship　God　in　various　ways：　seemed　to　me　that　Sabbath　morning；　as　I　lay　quietly　there　in　the　warm　silence　of　midday；　that　I　was　truly　worshipping　God。　That　Sunday　morning　everything　about　me　seemed　somehow　to　be　a　miracle；a　miracle　gratefully　accepted　and　explainable　only　by　the　presence　of　God。　There　was　another　strange；　deep　feeling　which　I　had　that　morning；　which　I　have　had　a　few　other　times　in　my　life　at　the　rare　heights　of　experienceI　hesitate　always　when　I　try　to　put　down　the　deep；　deep　things　of　the　human　hearta　feeling　immeasurably　real；　that　if　I　should　turn　my　head　quickly　I　should　indeed　SEE　that　Immanent　Presence。　。　。　。

One　of　the　few　birds　I　know　that　sings　through　the　long　midday　is　the　vireo。　The　vireo　sings　when　otherwise　the　woods　are　still。　You　do　not　see　him；　you　cannot　find　him；　but　you　know　he　is　there。　And　his　singing　is　wild；　and　shy；　and　mystical。　Often　it　haunts　you　like　the　memory　of　some　former　happiness。　That　day　I　heard　the　vireo　singing。　。　。　。

I　don't　know　how　long　I　lay　there　under　the　tree　in　the　meadow；　but　presently　I　heard；　from　no　great　distance；　the　sound　of　a　church…bell。　It　was　ringing　for　the　afternoon　service　which　among　the　farmers　of　this　part　of　the　country　often　takes　the　place；　in　summer；　of　both　morning　and　evening　services。

〃I　believe　I'll　go；〃　I　said；　thinking　first　of　all；　I　confess；　of　the　interesting　people　I　might　meet　there。

But　when　I　sat　up　and　looked　about　me　the　desire　faded；　and　rummaging　in　my　bag　I　came　across　my　tin　whistle。　Immediately　I　began　practising　a　tune　called　〃Sweet　Afton；〃　which　I　had　learned　when　a　boy；　and；　as　I　played；　my　mood　changed　swiftly；　and　I　began　to　smile　at　myself　as　a　tragically　serious　person；　and　to　think　of　pat　phrases　with　which　to　characterize　the　execrableness　of　my　attempts　upon　the　tin　whistle。　I　should　have　liked　some　one　near　to　joke　with。

Long　ago　I　made　a　motto　about　boys：　Look　for　a　boy　anywhere。　Never　be　surprised　when　you　shake　a　cherry　tree　if　a　boy　drops　out　of　it；　never　be　disturbed　when　you　think　yourself　in　complete　solitude　if　you　discover　a　boy　peering　out　at　you　from　a　fence　corner。

I　had　not　been　playing　long　before　I　saw　two　boys　looking　at　me　from　out　of　a　thicket　by　the　roadside；　and　a　moment　later　two　others　appeared。

Instantly　I　switched　into　〃Marching　Through　Georgia；〃　and　began　to　nod　my　head　and　tap　my　toe　in　the　liveliest　fashion。　Presently　one　boy　climbed　up　on　the　fence；　then　another；　then　a　third。　I　continued　to　play。　The　fourth　boy；　a　little　chap；　ventured　to　climb　up　on　the　fence。

They　were　bright…faced；　tow…headed　lads；　all　in　Sunday　clothes。

〃It's　hard　luck；〃　said　I；　taking　my　whistle　from　my　lips；　〃to　have　to　wear　shoes　and　stockings　on　a　warm　Sunday　like　this。〃

〃You　bet　it　is！〃　said　the　bold　leader。

〃In　that　case；〃　said　I；　〃I　will　play　'Yankee　Doodle。'〃

I　played。　All　the　boys；　including　the　little　chap；　came　up　around　me；　and　two　of　them　sat　down　quite　familiarly　on　the　grass。　I　never　had　a　more　devoted　audience。　I　don't　know　what　interesting　event　might　have　happened　next；　for　the　bold　leader；　who　stood　nearest；　was　becoming　dangerously　inflated　with　questionsI　don't　know　what　might　have　happened　had　we　not　been　interrupted　by　the　appearance　of　a　Spectre　in　Black。　It　appeared　before　us　there　in　the　broad　daylight　in　the　middle　of　a　sunny　afternoon　while　we　were　playing　〃Yankee　Doodle。〃　First　I　saw　the　top　of　a　black　hat　rising　over　the　rim　of　the　hill。　This　was　followed　quickly　by　a　black　tie；　a　long　black　coat；　black　trousers；　and；　finally；　black　shoes。　I　admit　I　was　shaken；　but　being　a　person　of　iron　nerve　in　facing　such　phenomena；　I　continued　to　play　〃Yankee　Doodle。〃　In　spite　of　this　counter…attraction；　toward　which　all　four　boys　turned　uneasy　glances；　I　held　my　audience。　The　Black　Spectre；　with　a　black　book　under　its　arm；　drew　nearer。　Still　I　continued　to　play　and　nod　my　head　and　tap　my　toe。　I　felt　like　some　modern　Pied　Piper　piping　away　the　children　of　these　modern　hillspiping　them　away　from　older　people　who　could　not　understand　them。

I　could　see　an　accusing　look　on　the　Spectre's　face。　I　don't　know　what　put　it　into　my　head；　and　I　had　no　sooner　said　it　I　was　sorry　for　my　levity；　but　the　figure　with　the　sad　garments　there　in　the　matchless　and　triumphant　spring　day　affected　me　with　a　curious；　sharp　impatience。　Had　any　one　the　right　to　look　out　so　dolefully　upon　such　a　day　and　such　a　scene　of　simple　happiness　as　this？　So　I　took　my　whistle　from　my　lips　and　asked：

〃Is　God　dead？〃

I　shall　never　forget　the　indescribable　look　of　horror　and　astonishment　that　swept　over　the　young　man's　face。

〃What　do　you　mean；　sir？〃　he　asked　with　an　air　of　stern　authority　which　surprised　me。　His　calling　for　the　moment　lifted　him　above　himself：　it　was　the　Church　which　spoke。

I　was　on　my　feet　in　an　insta