太子爷小说网 > 杂集电子书 > 汤姆.索亚历险记 >

第6节

汤姆.索亚历险记-第6节

小说: 汤姆.索亚历险记 字数: 每页4000字

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!



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; 

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的