the american claimant-第4节

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〃Why；　Colonel；　there's　nothing　to　it。　　That　little　narrow；　desolate；
unpeopled；　oblong　streak　of　grass　and　gravel；　lost　in　the　remote　wastes
of　the　vast　continentwhy；　it's　like　representing　a　billiard　tablea
discarded　one。〃

〃Tut…tut；　it's　a　great；　it's　a　staving　preferment；　and　just　opulent　with
influence　here。〃

〃Shucks；　Colonel；　I　haven't　even　a　vote。〃

〃That's　nothing；　you　can　make　speeches。〃

〃No；　I　can't。　　The　population's　only　two；　hundred〃

〃That's　all　right；　that's　all　right〃

〃And　they　hadn't　any　right　to　elect　me；　we're　not　even　a　territory；
there's　no　Organic　Act；　the　government　hasn't　any　official　knowledge　of
us　whatever。〃

〃Never　mind　about　that；　I'll　fix　that。　　I'll　rush　the　thing　through；　I'll
get　you　organized　in　no　time。〃

〃Will　you；　Colonel？it's　too　good　of　you；　but　it's　just　your　old
sterling　self；　the　same　old　ever…faithful　friend；〃　and　the　grateful　tears
welled　up　in　Washington's　eyes。

〃It's　just　as　good　as　done；　my　boy；　just　as　good　as　done。　　Shake　hands。
We'll　hitch　teams　together；　you　and　I；　and　we'll　make　things　hum！〃



CHAPTER　III。

Mrs。　Sellers　returned；　now；　with　her　composure　restored；　and　began　to　ask
after　Hawkins's　wife；　and　about　his　children；　and　the　number　of　them；　and
so　on；　and　her　examination　of　the　witness　resulted　in　a　circumstantial
history　of　the　family's　ups　and　downs　and　driftings　to　and　fro　in　the　far
West　during　the　previous　fifteen　years。　　There　was　a　message；　now；　from
out　back；　and　Colonel　Sellers　went　out　there　in　answer　to　it。　　Hawkins
took　this　opportunity　to　ask　how　the　world　had　been　using　the　Colonel
during　the　past　half…generation。

〃Oh；　it's　been　using　him　just　the　same；　it　couldn't　change　its　way　of
using　him　if　it　wanted　to；　for　he　wouldn't　let　it。〃

〃I　can　easily　believe　that；　Mrs。　　Sellers。〃

〃Yes；　you　see；　he　doesn't　change；　himselfnot　the　least　little　bit　in
the　worldhe's　always　Mulberry　Sellers。〃

〃I　can　see　that　plain　enough。〃

〃Just　the　same　old　scheming；　generous；　good…hearted；　moonshiny；　hopeful；
no…account　failure　he　always　was；　and　still　everybody　likes　him　just　as
well　as　if　he　was　the　shiningest　success。〃

〃They　always　did：　and　it　was　natural；　because　he　was　so　obliging　and
accommodating；　and　had　something　about　him　that　made　it　kind　of　easy　to
ask　help　of　him；　or　favorsyou　didn't　feel　shy；　you　know；　or　have　that
wishyoudidn'thavetotry　feeling　that　you　have　with　other
people。〃

〃It's　just　so；　yet；　and　a　body　wonders　at　it；　too；　because　he's　been
shamefully　treated；　many　times；　by　people　that　had　used　him　for　a　ladder
to　climb　up　by；　and　then　kicked　him　down　when　they　didn't　need　him　any
more。　　For　a　time　you　can　see　he's　hurt；　his　pride's　wounded；　because　he
shrinks　away　from　that　thing　and　don't　want　to　talk　about　itand　so　I
used　to　think　now　he's　learned　something　and　he'll　be　more　careful
hereafterbut　laws！　in　a　couple　of　weeks　he's　forgotten　all　about　it；
and　any　selfish　tramp　out　of　nobody　knows　where　can　come　and　put　up　a
poor　mouth　and　walk　right　into　his　heart　with　his　boots　on。〃

〃It　must　try　your　patience　pretty　sharply　sometimes。〃

〃Oh；　no；　I'm　used　to　it；　and　I'd　rather　have　him　so　than　the　other　way。
When　I　call　him　a　failure；　I　mean　to　the　world　he's　a　failure；　he　isn't
to　me。　　I　don't　know　as　I　want　him　different　much　different；　anyway。
I　have　to　scold　him　some；　snarl　at　him；　you　might　even　call　it；　but　I
reckon　I'd　do　that　just　the　same；　if　he　was　differentit's　my　make。
But　I'm　a　good　deal　less　snarly　and　more　contented　when　he's　a　failure
than　I　am　when　he　isn't。〃

〃Then　he　isn't　always　a　failure；〃　said　Hawking；　brightening。

〃Him？　　Oh；　bless　you；　no。　　He　makes　a　strike；　as　he　calls　it；　from　time
to　time。　　Then's　my　time　to　fret　and　fuss。　　For　the　money　just　flies
first　come　first　served。　　Straight　off；　he　loads　up　the　house　with
cripples　and　idiots　and　stray　cats　and　all　the　different　kinds　of　poor
wrecks　that　other　people　don't　want　and　he　does；　and　then　when　the
poverty　comes　again　I've　got　to　clear　the　most　of　them　out　or　we'd
starve；　and　that　distresses　him；　and　me　the　same；　of　course。

Here's　old　Dan'l　and　old　Jinny；　that　the　sheriff　sold　south　one　of　the
times　that　we　got　bankrupted　before　the　warthey　came　wandering　back
after　the　peace；　worn　out　and　used　up　on　the　cotton　plantations；
helpless；　and　not　another　lick　of　work　left　in　their　old　hides　for　the
rest　of　this　earthly　pilgrimageand　we　so　pinched；　oh　so　pinched　for　the
very　crumbs　to　keep　life　in　us；　and　he　just　flung　the　door　wide；　and　the
way　he　received　them　you'd　have　thought　they　had　come　straight　down　from
heaven　in　answer　to　prayer。　　I　took　him　one　side　and　said；　'Mulberry　we
can't　have　themwe've　nothing　for　ourselveswe　can't　feed　them。'
He　looked　at　me　kind　of　hurt；　and　said；　'Turn　them　out？and　they've　come
to　me　just　as　confident　and　trusting　asaswhy　Polly；　I　must　have
bought　that　confidence　sometime　or　other　a　long　time　ago；　and　given　my
note；　so　to　speakyou　don't　get　such　things　as　a　giftand　how　am　I
going　to　go　back　on　a　debt　like　that？　　And　you　see；　they're　so　poor；
and　old；　and　friendless；　and　But　I　was　ashamed　by　that　time；　and　shut
him　off；　and　somehow　felt　a　new　courage　in　me；　and　so　I　said；　softly；
'We'll　keep　themthe　Lord　will　provide。'　　He　was　glad；　and　started　to
blurt　out　one　of　those　over…confident　speeches　of　his；　but　checked
himself　in　time；　and　said　humbly；　'I　will；　anyway。'　　It　was　years　and
years　and　years　ago。　　Well；　you　see　those　old　wrecks　are　here　yet。〃

〃But　don't　they　do　your　housework？〃

〃Laws！　　The　idea。　　They　would　if　they　could；　poor　old　things；　and　perhaps
they　think　they　do　do　some　of　it。　　But　it's　a　superstition。　　Dan'l　waits
on　the　front　door；　and　sometimes　goes　on　an　errand；　and　sometimes　you'll
see　one　or　both　of　them　letting　on　to　dust　around　in　herebut　that's
because　there's　something　they　want　to　hear　about　and　mix　their　gabble
into。　　And　they're　always　around　at　meals；　for　the　same　reason。　　But　the
fact　is；　we　have　to　keep　a　young　negro　girl　just　to　take　care　of　them；
and　a　negro　woman　to　do　the　housework　and　help　take　care　of　them。〃

〃Well；　they　ought　to　be　tolerably　happy；　I　should　think。

〃It's　no　name　for　it。　　They　quarrel　together　pretty　much　all　the　time
most　always　about　religion；　because　Dan'l's　a　Dunker　Baptist　and　Jinny's
a　shouting　Methodist；　and　Jinny　believes　in　special　Providences　and　Dan'l
don't；　because　he　thinks　he's　a　kind　of　a　free…thinkerand　they　play　and
sing　plantation　hymns　together；　and　talk　and　chatter　just　eternally　and
forever；　and　are　sincerely　fond　of　each　other　and　think　the　world　of
Mulberry；　and　he　puts　up　patiently　with　all　their　spoiled　ways　and
foolishness；　and　so…ah；　well；　they're　happy　enough　if　it　comes　to　that。
And　I　don't　mindI've　got　used　to　it。　　I　can　get　used　to　anything；　with
Mulberry　to　help；　and　the　fact　is；　I　don't　much　care　what　happens；　so
long　as　he's　spared　to　me。〃

〃Well；　here's　to　him；　and　hoping　he'll　make　another　strike　soon。〃

〃And　rake　in　the　lame；　the　halt　and　the　blind；　and　turn　the　house　into　a
hospital　again？　　It's　what　he　would　do。　　I've　seen　aplenty　of　that　and
more。　　No；　Washington；　I　want　his　strikes　to　be　mighty　moderate　ones　the
rest　of　the　way　down　the　vale。〃

〃Well；　then；　big　strike　or　little　strike；　or　no　strike　at　all；　here's
hoping　he'll　never　lack　for　friendsand　I　don't　reckon　he　ever　will
while　there's　people　around　who　know　enough　to〃

〃Him　lack　for　friends！〃　and　she　tilted　her　head　up　with　a　frank　pride
〃why；　Washington；　you　can't　name　a　man　that's　anybody　that　isn't　fond　of
him。　　I'll　tell　you　privately；　that　I've　had　Satan's　own　time　to　keep
them　from　appointing　him　to　some　office　or　other。　　They　knew　he'd　no
business　with　an　office；　just　as　well　as　I　did；　but　he's　the　hardest　man
to　refuse　anything　to；　a　body　ever　saw。　　Mulberry　Sellers　with　an　office！
laws　goodness；　you　know　what　that　would　be　like。　　Why；　they'd　come　from
the　ends　of　the　earth　to　see　a　circus　like　that。　　I'd　just　as　lieves　be
married　to　Niagara　Falls；　and　done　with　it。〃　　After　a　reflective　pause
she　addedhaving　wandered　back；　in　the　interval；　to　the　remark　that　had
been　her　text：　〃Friends？　oh；　indeed；　no　man　ever　had　more；　and　such
friends：　Grant；　Sherman；　Sheridan；　Johnston；　Longstreet；　Lee　many's　the
time　they've　sat　in　that　chair　you're　sitting　in〃　Hawkins　was　out　of　it
instantly；　and　contemplating　it　with　a　reverential　surprise；　and　with　the
awed　sense　of　having　trodden　shod　upon　holy　ground

〃They！〃　he　said。

〃Oh；　indeed；　yes；　a　many　and　a　many　a　time。〃

He　continued　to　gaze　at　the　chair　fascinated；　magnetized；　and　for　once　in
his　life　that　continental　stretch　of　dry　prairie　which　stood　for　his
imagination　was　afire；　and　across　it　was　marching　a　slanting　flamefront
that　joined　its　wide　horizons　together　and　smothered　the　skies　with
smoke。　　He　was　experiencing　what　one　or　another　drowsing；　geographically
ignorant　alien　experiences　every　day　in　the　year　when　he　turns　a　dull　and
indifferent　eye　out　of　the　car　window　and　it　falls　upon　a　certain
station…sign　which　reads　〃Stratford　…on…Avon！〃　Mrs。　　Sellers　went
gossiping　comfortably　along：

〃Oh；　they　like　to　hear　him　talk；　especially　if　their　load　is　getting
rathe