汤姆.索亚历险记-第6节

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y　and　laboriously　produced　by　the　young　men　by　sitting　with　their　toes　pressed　against　a　wall　for　hours　together。　Mr。　Walters　was　very　earnest　of　mien；　and　very　sincere　and　honest　at　heart；　and　he　held　sacred　things　and　places　in　such　reverence；　and　so　separated　them　from　worldly　matters；　that　unconsciously　to　himself　his　Sunday…school　voice　had　acquired　a　peculiar　intonation　which　was　wholly　absent　on　week…days。　He　began　after　this　fashion：
〃Now；　children；　I　want　you　all　to　sit　up　just　as　straight　and　pretty　as　you　can　and　give　me　all　your　attention　for　a　minute　or　two。　There　　that　is　it。　That　is　the　way　good　little　boys　and　girls　should　do。　I　see　one　little　girl　who　is　looking　out　of　the　window　　I　am　afraid　she　thinks　I　am　out　there　somewhere　　perhaps　up　in　one　of　the　trees　making　a　speech　to　the　little　birds。　＇Applausive　titter。＇　I　want　to　tell　you　how　good　it　makes　me　feel　to　see　so　many　bright；　clean　little　faces　assembled　in　a　place　like　this；　learning　to　do　right　and　be　good。〃　And　so　forth　and　so　on。　It　is　not　necessary　to　set　down　the　rest　of　the　oration。　It　was　of　a　pattern　which　does　not　vary；　and　so　it　is　familiar　to　us　all。
The　latter　third　of　the　speech　was　marred　by　the　resumption　of　fights　and　other　recreations　among　certain　of　the　bad　boys；　and　by　fidgetings　and　whisperings　that　extended　far　and　wide；　washing　even　to　the　bases　of　isolated　and　incorruptible　rocks　like　Sid　and　Mary。　But　now　every　sound　ceased　suddenly；　with　the　subsidence　of　Mr。　Walters'　voice；　and　the　conclusion　of　the　speech　was　received　with　a　burst　of　silent　gratitude。
A　good　part　of　the　whispering　had　been　occasioned　by　an　event　which　was　more　or　less　rare　　the　entrance　of　visitors：　lawyer　Thatcher；　accompanied　by　a　very　feeble　and　aged　man；　a　fine；　portly；　middle…aged　gentleman　with　iron…gray　hair；　and　a　dignified　lady　who　was　doubtless　the　latter's　wife。　The　lady　was　leading　a　child。　Tom　had　been　restless　and　full　of　chafings　and　repinings；　conscience…smitten；　too　　he　could　not　meet　Amy　Lawrence's　eye；　he　could　not　brook　her　loving　gaze。　But　when　he　saw　this　small　new…comer　his　soul　was　all　ablaze　with　bliss　in　a　moment。　The　next　moment　he　was　〃showing　off〃　with　all　his　might　　cuffing　boys；　pulling　hair；　making　faces　　in　a　word；　using　every　art　that　seemed　likely　to　fascinate　a　girl　and　win　her　applause。　His　exaltation　had　but　one　alloy　　the　memory　of　his　humiliation　in　this　angel's　garden　　and　that　record　in　sand　was　fast　washing　out；　under　the　waves　of　happiness　that　were　sweeping　over　it　now。
The　visitors　were　given　the　highest　seat　of　honor；　and　as　soon　as　Mr。　Walters'　speech　was　finished；　he　introduced　them　to　the　school。　The　middle…aged　man　turned　out　to　be　a　prodigious　personage　　no　less　a　one　than　the　county　judge　　altogether　the　most　august　creation　these　children　had　ever　looked　upon　　and　they　wondered　what　kind　of　material　he　was　made　of　　and　they　half　wanted　to　hear　him　roar；　and　were　half　afraid　he　might；　too。　He　was　from　Constantinople；　twelve　miles　away　　so　he　had　travelled；　and　seen　the　world　　these　very　eyes　had　looked　upon　the　county　court…house　　which　was　said　to　have　a　tin　roof。　The　awe　which　these　reflections　inspired　was　attested　by　the　impressive　silence　and　the　ranks　of　staring　eyes。　This　was　the　great　Judge　Thatcher；　brother　of　their　own　lawyer。　Jeff　Thatcher　immediately　went　forward；　to　be　familiar　with　the　great　man　and　be　envied　by　the　school。　It　would　have　been　music　to　his　soul　to　hear　the　whisperings：
〃Look　at　him；　Jim！　He's　a　going　up　there。　Say　　look！　he's　a　going　to　shake　hands　with　him　　he　is　shaking　hands　with　him！　By　jings；　don't　you　wish　you　was　Jeff？〃
Mr。　Walters　fell　to　〃showing　off；〃　with　all　sorts　of　official　bustlings　and　activities；　giving　orders；　delivering　judgments；　discharging　directions　here；　there；　everywhere　that　he　could　find　a　target。　The　librarian　〃showed　off〃　　running　hither　and　thither　with　his　arms　full　of　books　and　making　a　deal　of　the　splutter　and　fuss　that　insect　authority　delights　in。　The　young　lady　teachers　〃showed　off〃　　bending　sweetly　over　pupils　that　were　lately　being　boxed；　lifting　pretty　warning　fingers　at　bad　little　boys　and　patting　good　ones　lovingly。　The　young　gentlemen　teachers　〃showed　off〃　with　small　scoldings　and　other　little　displays　of　authority　and　fine　attention　to　discipline　　and　most　of　the　teachers；　of　both　sexes；　found　business　up　at　the　library；　by　the　pulpit；　and　it　was　business　that　frequently　had　to　be　done　over　again　two　or　three　times　（with　much　seeming　vexation）。　The　little　girls　〃showed　off〃　in　various　ways；　and　the　little　boys　〃showed　off〃　with　such　diligence　that　the　air　was　thick　with　paper　wads　and　the　murmur　of　scufflings。　And　above　it　all　the　great　man　sat　and　beamed　a　majestic　judicial　smile　upon　all　the　house；　and　warmed　himself　in　the　sun　of　his　own　grandeur　　for　he　was　〃showing　off；〃　too。
There　was　only　one　thing　wanting　to　make　Mr。　Walters'　ecstasy　complete；　and　that　was　a　chance　to　deliver　a　Bible…prize　and　exhibit　a　prodigy。　Several　pupils　had　a　few　yellow　tickets；　but　none　had　enough　　he　had　been　around　among　the　star　pupils　inquiring。　He　would　have　given　worlds；　now；　to　have　that　German　lad　back　again　with　a　sound　mind。
And　now　at　this　moment；　when　hope　was　dead；　Tom　Sawyer　came　forward　with　nine　yellow　tickets；　nine　red　tickets；　and　ten　blue　ones；　and　demanded　a　Bible。　This　was　a　thunderbolt　out　of　a　clear　sky。　Walters　was　not　expecting　an　application　from　this　source　for　the　next　ten　years。　But　there　was　no　getting　around　it　　here　were　the　certified　checks；　and　they　were　good　for　their　face。　Tom　was　therefore　elevated　to　a　place　with　the　Judge　and　the　other　elect；　and　the　great　news　was　announced　from　headquarters。　It　was　the　most　stunning　surprise　of　the　decade；　and　so　profound　was　the　sensation　that　it　lifted　the　new　hero　up　to　the　judicial　one's　altitude；　and　the　school　had　two　marvels　to　gaze　upon　in　place　of　one。　The　boys　were　all　eaten　up　with　envy　　but　those　that　suffered　the　bitterest　pangs　were　those　who　perceived　too　late　that　they　themselves　had　contributed　to　this　hated　splendor　by　trading　tickets　to　Tom　for　the　wealth　he　had　amassed　in　selling　whitewashing　privileges。　These　despised　themselves；　as　being　the　dupes　of　a　wily　fraud；　a　guileful　snake　in　the　grass。
The　prize　was　delivered　to　Tom　with　as　much　effusion　as　the　superintendent　could　pump　up　under　the　circumstances；　but　it　lacked　somewhat　of　the　true　gush；　for　the　poor　fellow's　instinct　taught　him　that　there　was　a　mystery　here　that　could　not　well　bear　the　light；　perhaps；　it　was　simply　preposterous　that　this　boy　had　warehoused　two　thousand　sheaves　of　Scriptural　wisdom　on　his　premises　　a　dozen　would　strain　his　capacity；　without　a　doubt。
Amy　Lawrence　was　proud　and　glad；　and　she　tried　to　make　Tom　see　it　in　her　face　　but　he　wouldn't　look。　She　wondered；　then　she　was　just　a　grain　troubled；　next　a　dim　suspicion　came　and　went　　came　again；　she　watched；　a　furtive　glance　told　her　worlds　　and　then　her　heart　broke；　and　she　was　jealous；　and　angry；　and　the　tears　came　and　she　hated　everybody。　Tom　most　of　all　（she　thought）。
Tom　was　introduced　to　the　Judge；　but　his　tongue　was　tied；　his　breath　would　hardly　come；　his　heart　quaked　　partly　because　of　the　awful　greatness　of　the　man；　but　mainly　because　he　was　her　parent。　He　would　have　liked　to　fall　down　and　worship　him；　if　it　were　in　the　dark。　The　Judge　put　his　hand　on　Tom's　head　and　called　him　a　fine　little　man；　and　asked　him　what　his　name　was。　The　boy　stammered；　gasped；　and　got　it　out：
〃Tom。〃
〃Oh；　no；　not　Tom　　it　is　〃
〃Thomas。〃
〃Ah；　that's　it。　I　thought　there　was　more　to　it；　maybe。　That's　very　well。　But　you've　another　one　I　daresay；　and　you'll　tell　it　to　me；　won't　you？〃
〃Tell　the　gentleman　your　other　name；　Thomas；〃　said　Walters；　〃and　say　sir。　You　mustn't　forget　your　manners。〃
〃Thomas　Sawyer　　sir。〃
〃That's　it！　That's　a　good　boy。　Fine　boy。　Fine；　manly　little　fellow。　Two　thousand　verses　is　a　great　many　　very；　very　great　many。　And　you　never　can　be　sorry　for　the　trouble　you　took　to　learn　them；　for　knowledge　is　worth　more　than　anything　there　is　in　the　world；　it's　what　makes　great　men　and　good　men；　you'll　be　a　great　man　and　a　good　man　yourself；　some　day；　Thomas；　and　then　you'll　look　back　and　say；　It's　all　owing　to　the　precious　Sunday…school　privileges　of　my　boyhood　　it's　all　owing　to　my　dear　teachers　that　taught　me　to　learn　　it's　all　owing　to　the　good　superintendent；　who　encouraged　me；　and　watched　over　me；　and　gave　me　a　beautiful　Bible　　a　splendid　elegant　Bible　　to　keep　and　have　it　all　for　my　own；　always　　it's　all　owing　to　right　bringing　up！　That　is　what　you　will　say；　Thomas　　and　you　wouldn't　take　any　money　for　those　two　thousand　verses　　no　indeed　you　wouldn't。　And　now　you　wouldn't　mind　telling　me　and　this　lady　some　of　the　things　you've　learned　　no；　I　know　you　wouldn't　　for　we　are　proud　of　little　boys　that　learn。　Now；　no　doubt　you　know　the　names　of　all　the　twelve　disciples。　Won't　you　tell　us　the　names　of　the　first　two　that　were　appointed？〃
Tom　was　tugging　at　a　button…hole　and　looking　sheepish。　He　blushed；　now；　and　his　eyes　fell。　Mr。　Walters'　heart　sank　within　him。　He　said　to　himself；　it　is　not　possible　that　the　boy　can　answer　the　simplest　question　　why　did　the　Judge　ask　him？　Yet　he　felt　obliged　to　speak　up　and　say：
〃Answer　the　gentleman；