汤姆.索亚历险记-第27节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ul　form；　arrayed　in　snowy　robes；　is　whirling　through　the　mazes　of　the　joyous　dance；　her　eye　is　brightest；　her　step　is　lightest　in　the　gay　assembly。
〃In　such　delicious　fancies　time　quickly　glides　by；　and　the　welcome　hour　arrives　for　her　entrance　into　the　Elysian　world；　of　which　she　has　had　such　bright　dreams。　How　fairy…like　does　everything　appear　to　her　enchanted　vision！　Each　new　scene　is　more　charming　than　the　last。　But　after　a　while　she　finds　that　beneath　this　goodly　exterior；　all　is　vanity；　the　flattery　which　once　charmed　her　soul；　now　grates　harshly　upon　her　ear；　the　ball…room　has　lost　its　charms；　and　with　wasted　health　and　imbittered　heart；　she　turns　away　with　the　conviction　that　earthly　pleasures　cannot　satisfy　the　longings　of　the　soul！〃
And　so　forth　and　so　on。　There　was　a　buzz　of　gratification　from　time　to　time　during　the　reading；　accompanied　by　whispered　ejaculations　of　〃How　sweet！〃　〃How　eloquent！〃　〃So　true！〃　etc。；　and　after　the　thing　had　closed　with　a　peculiarly　afflicting　sermon　the　applause　was　enthusiastic。
Then　arose　a　slim；　melancholy　girl；　whose　face　had　the　〃interesting〃　paleness　that　comes　of　pills　and　indigestion；　and　read　a　〃poem。〃　Two　stanzas　of　it　will　do：
〃A　MISSOURI　MAIDEN'S　FAREWELL　TO　ALABAMA
〃Alabama；　good…bye！　I　love　thee　well！　
But　yet　for　a　while　do　I　leave　thee　now！　
Sad；　yes；　sad　thoughts　of　thee　my　heart　doth　swell；　
And　burning　recollections　throng　my　brow！　
For　I　have　wandered　through　thy　flowery　woods；　
Have　roamed　and　read　near　Tallapoosa's　stream；　
Have　listened　to　Tallassee's　warring　floods；　
And　wooed　on　Coosa's　side　Aurora's　beam。
〃Yet　shame　I　not　to　bear　an　o'er…full　heart；　
Nor　blush　to　turn　behind　my　tearful　eyes；　
'Tis　from　no　stranger　land　I　now　must　part；　
'Tis　to　no　strangers　left　I　yield　these　sighs。　
Welcome　and　home　were　mine　within　this　State；　
Whose　vales　I　leave　　whose　spires　fade　fast　from　me　
And　cold　must　be　mine　eyes；　and　heart；　and　tête；　
When；　dear　Alabama！　they　turn　cold　on　thee！〃
There　were　very　few　there　who　knew　what　〃tête〃　meant；　but　the　poem　was　very　satisfactory；　nevertheless。
Next　appeared　a　dark…complexioned；　black…eyed；　black…haired　young　lady；　who　paused　an　impressive　moment；　assumed　a　tragic　expression；　and　began　to　read　in　a　measured；　solemn　tone：
〃A　VISION
〃Dark　and　tempestuous　was　night。　Around　the　throne　on　high　not　a　single　star　quivered；　but　the　deep　intonations　of　the　heavy　thunder　constantly　vibrated　upon　the　ear；　whilst　the　terrific　lightning　revelled　in　angry　mood　through　the　cloudy　chambers　of　heaven；　seeming　to　scorn　the　power　exerted　over　its　terror　by　the　illustrious　Franklin！　Even　the　boisterous　winds　unanimously　came　forth　from　their　mystic　homes；　and　blustered　about　as　if　to　enhance　by　their　aid　the　wildness　of　the　scene。
〃At　such　a　time；so　dark；so　dreary；　for　human　sympathy　my　very　spirit　sighed；　but　instead　thereof；
〃'My　dearest　friend；　my　counsellor；　my　comforter　and　guide　
My　joy　in　grief；　my　second　bliss　in　joy；'　came　to　my　side。　
She　moved　like　one　of　those　bright　beings　pictured　in　the　sunny　walks　of　fancy's　Eden　by　the　romantic　and　young；　a　queen　of　beauty　unadorned　save　by　her　own　transcendent　loveliness。　So　soft　was　her　step；　it　failed　to　make　even　a　sound；　and　but　for　the　magical　thrill　imparted　by　her　genial　touch；　as　other　unobtrusive　beauties；　she　would　have　glided　away　un…perceived　　unsought。　A　strange　sadness　rested　upon　her　features；　like　icy　tears　upon　the　robe　of　December；　as　she　pointed　to　the　contending　elements　without；　and　bade　me　contemplate　the　two　beings　presented。〃
This　nightmare　occupied　some　ten　pages　of　manuscript　and　wound　up　with　a　sermon　so　destructive　of　all　hope　to　non…Presbyterians　that　it　took　the　first　prize。　This　composition　was　considered　to　be　the　very　finest　effort　of　the　evening。　The　mayor　of　the　village；　in　delivering　the　prize　to　the　author　of　it；　made　a　warm　speech　in　which　he　said　that　it　was　by　far　the　most　〃eloquent〃　thing　he　had　ever　listened　to；　and　that　Daniel　Webster　himself　might　well　be　proud　of　it。
It　may　be　remarked；　in　passing；　that　the　number　of　compositions　in　which　the　word　〃beauteous〃　was　over…fondled；　and　human　experience　referred　to　as　〃life's　page；〃　was　up　to　the　usual　average。
Now　the　master；　mellow　almost　to　the　verge　of　geniality；　put　his　chair　aside；　turned　his　back　to　the　audience；　and　began　to　draw　a　map　of　America　on　the　blackboard；　to　exercise　the　geography　class　upon。　But　he　made　a　sad　business　of　it　with　his　unsteady　hand；　and　a　smothered　titter　rippled　over　the　house。　He　knew　what　the　matter　was；　and　set　himself　to　right　it。　He　sponged　out　lines　and　remade　them；　but　he　only　distorted　them　more　than　ever；　and　the　tittering　was　more　pronounced。　He　threw　his　entire　attention　upon　his　work；　now；　as　if　determined　not　to　be　put　down　by　the　mirth。　He　felt　that　all　eyes　were　fastened　upon　him；　he　imagined　he　was　succeeding；　and　yet　the　tittering　continued；　it　even　manifestly　increased。　And　well　it　might。　There　was　a　garret　above；　pierced　with　a　scuttle　over　his　head；　and　down　through　this　scuttle　came　a　cat；　suspended　around　the　haunches　by　a　string；　she　had　a　rag　tied　about　her　head　and　jaws　to　keep　her　from　mewing；　as　she　slowly　descended　she　curved　upward　and　clawed　at　the　string；　she　swung　downward　and　clawed　at　the　intangible　air。　The　tittering　rose　higher　and　higher　　the　cat　was　within　six　inches　of　the　absorbed　teacher's　head　　down；　down；　a　little　lower；　and　she　grabbed　his　wig　with　her　desperate　claws；　clung　to　it；　and　was　snatched　up　into　the　garret　in　an　instant　with　her　trophy　still　in　her　possession！　And　how　the　light　did　blaze　abroad　from　the　master's　bald　pate　　for　the　sign…painter's　boy　had　gilded　it！
That　broke　up　the　meeting。　The　boys　were　avenged。　Vacation　had　come。
＇NOTE：　The　pretended　〃compositions〃　quoted　in　this　chapter　are　taken　without　alteration　from　a　volume　entitled　〃Prose　and　Poetry；　by　a　Western　Lady〃　　but　they　are　exactly　and　precisely　after　the　schoolgirl　pattern；　and　hence　are　much　happier　than　any　mere　imitations　could　be。＇　
CHAPTER　XXII
TOM　joined　the　new　order　of　Cadets　of　Temperance；　being　attracted　by　the　showy　character　of　their　〃regalia。〃　He　promised　to　abstain　from　smoking；　chewing；　and　profanity　as　long　as　he　remained　a　member。　Now　he　found　out　a　new　thing　　namely；　that　to　promise　not　to　do　a　thing　is　the　surest　way　in　the　world　to　make　a　body　want　to　go　and　do　that　very　thing。　Tom　soon　found　himself　tormented　with　a　desire　to　drink　and　swear；　the　desire　grew　to　be　so　intense　that　nothing　but　the　hope　of　a　chance　to　display　himself　in　his　red　sash　kept　him　from　withdrawing　from　the　order。　Fourth　of　July　was　coming；　but　he　soon　gave　that　up　　gave　it　up　before　he　had　worn　his　shackles　over　forty…eight　hours　　and　fixed　his　hopes　upon　old　Judge　Frazer；　justice　of　the　peace；　who　was　apparently　on　his　deathbed　and　would　have　a　big　public　funeral；　since　he　was　so　high　an　official。　During　three　days　Tom　was　deeply　concerned　about　the　Judge's　condition　and　hungry　for　news　of　it。　Sometimes　his　hopes　ran　high　　so　high　that　he　would　venture　to　get　out　his　regalia　and　practise　before　the　lookingglass。　But　the　Judge　had　a　most　discouraging　way　of　fluctuating。　At　last　he　was　pronounced　upon　the　mend　　and　then　convalescent。　Tom　was　disgusted；　and　felt　a　sense　of　injury；　too。　He　handed　in　his　resignation　at　once　　and　that　night　the　Judge　suffered　a　relapse　and　died。　Tom　resolved　that　he　would　never　trust　a　man　like　that　again。
The　funeral　was　a　fine　thing。　The　Cadets　paraded　in　a　style　calculated　to　kill　the　late　member　with　envy。　Tom　was　a　free　boy　again；　however　　there　was　something　in　that。　He　could　drink　and　swear；　now　　but　found　to　his　surprise　that　he　did　not　want　to。　The　simple　fact　that　he　could；　took　the　desire　away；　and　the　charm　of　it。
Tom　presently　wondered　to　find　that　his　coveted　vacation　was　beginning　to　hang　a　little　heavily　on　his　hands。
He　attempted　a　diary　　but　nothing　happened　during　three　days；　and　so　he　abandoned　it。
The　first　of　all　the　negro　minstrel　shows　came　to　town；　and　made　a　sensation。　Tom　and　Joe　Harper　got　up　a　band　of　performers　and　were　happy　for　two　days。
Even　the　Glorious　Fourth　was　in　some　sense　a　failure；　for　it　rained　hard；　there　was　no　procession　in　consequence；　and　the　greatest　man　in　the　world　（as　Tom　supposed）；　Mr。　Benton；　an　actual　United　States　Senator；　proved　an　overwhelming　disappointment　　for　he　was　not　twenty…five　feet　high；　nor　even　anywhere　in　the　neighborhood　of　it。
A　circus　came。　The　boys　played　circus　for　three　days　afterward　in　tents　made　of　rag　carpeting　　admission；　three　pins　for　boys；　two　for　girls　　and　then　circusing　was　abandoned。
A　phrenologist　and　a　mesmerizer　came　　and　went　again　and　left　the　village　duller　and　drearier　than　ever。
There　were　some　boys…and…girls'　parties；　but　they　were　so　few　and　so　delightful　that　they　only　made　the　aching　voids　between　ache　the　harder。
Becky　Thatcher　was　gone　to　her　Constantinople　home　to　stay　with　her　parents　during　vacation　　so　there　was　no　bright　side　to　life　anywhere。
The　dreadful　secret　of　the　murder　was　a　chronic　misery。　It　was　a　very　cancer　for　permanency　and　pain。
Then　came　the　measles。
During　two　long　weeks　Tom　lay　a　prisoner；　dead　to　the　world　and　its　happenings。　He　was　very　ill；　he　was　interested　in　nothing。