samantha at saratoga-第16章

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！


　rousted　up　for　2　cents　is　as　high　as　he　usually　goes　in　betted。　　I　see　he　felt　deep　and　I　didn't　blame　him。　　Why；〃　sez　he；　〃jest　imagine；　Samantha；　a　hull　letter　wrote　like　that！　how　I'd　love　to　send　one　back　to　Uncle　Nate　Gowdey。　〃How　Uncle　Nate's　eyes　would　open；　and　he　wouldn't　want　no　spectacles　nor　nothin'　to　read　it　with；　would　he？　　I　wonder　if　I　could　do　it；〃　sez　he；　a　beginnin'　to　be　all　rousted　up。　But　I　sez；　〃Be　calm；〃　for　so　deep　is　my　mind　that　I　grasped　the　difficuties　of　the　undertaken'　at　once。　　〃How　could　yon　send　it；　Josiah　Allen？　　Where　would　you　get　a　envelop？　　How　could　you　get　it　into　the　mail　bag？〃　　Sez　I；　〃When　anybody　would　send　a　letter　wrote　like　that；　they　would　want　to　write　it　on　sheets　of　lightnin'；　and　fold　it　up　in　the　envelopin'　clouds　of　the　skies；　and　it　should　be　received　by　a　kneelin'　and　reverent　soul。　　Who　is　Uncle　Nate　that　he　should　get　it？　　He　has　not　a　reverent　Soul　and　he　has　also　rheumatiz　in　his　legs。〃　And　then　I　thought；　so　quick　and　active　is　my　mind　when　it　gets　to　startin'　off　on　a　tower；　I　thought　of　what　I　had　hearn　a　few　days　before；　of　how　the　secret　had　been　learnt　by　somebody　who　lived　right　there　in　the　village；　of　floatin'　letters　up　at　sea　from　one　ship　to　another；　sigualin'　out　in　letters　of　flame　…　〃Help！　　I'm　a　sinkin'！〃　or　〃Danger　ahead！　　Look　out！〃　And　I　thought　what　it　must　be　to　stand　on　a　dusky　night　on　a　lone　deck　and　see　up　on　the　broad；　dark；　lonesome　sky　above；　a　sudden　message；　a　flash　of　vivid　lightnin'；　takin'　to　itself　the　form　of　language。　　And　I　wondered　to　myself　if　in　the　future　we　should　use　the　great　pages　of　the　night…sky　to　write　messages　from　one　city　to　another；　or　from　sea　to　land；　of　danger　and　warnin'；　and　then　I　thought　to　myself；　if　souls　clog…bound　to　earth　are　able　to　accomplish　so　much；　who　knows　but　the　freed　soul　goin'　outward　and　onward　from　height　to　height　of　wisdom　may　yet　be　able　to　signal　down　from　the　Safe　Land　messages　of　help　and　warnin'　to　the　souls　it　loved　below。　The　souls　a　sailin'　and　a　driftin'　through　the　dark　night　of　despair　…　a　dashin'　along　through　fog　and　mist　and　darkness　aginst　rocks。　　What　it　would　be　to　one　kneelin'　in　the　lonesome　night　watches　by　a　grave；　if　the　dark　sky　could　grow　luminous　and　he　could　read；　…　〃Do　not　despair！　　I　am　alive！　　I　love　you！〃　Or；　in　the　hour　of　the　blackest　temptation　and　dread；　when　the　earth　is　hollow　and　the　sky　a　black　vault；　and　the　only　way　of　happiness　on　God's　earth　seems　down　the　dangerous；　beautiful　way；　God…forbidden；　what　would　it　be　to　have　the　empty　vault　lit　up　with　〃Danger　ahead！　　We　will　help　you！　be　patient　a　little　longer！〃　Oh　how　fur　my　thoughts　wuz　a　travellin'；　and　at　what　a　good　jog；　but　not　one　trace　did　my　companion　see　on　my　forward　of　these　thoughts　that　wuz　a　passin'　through　my　foretop：　and　at　that　very　minute；　we　came　up　nigh　enough　to　see　that　right　back　of　the　glitterin'　language　overhead；　went　a　long　line　of　big；　glowin'　stars　of　glory　way　up　over　our　heads；　and　leadin'　down　a　gentle　declivity　and　Josiah　sez；　〃Let's　foller　on；　and　see　what　it　will　lead　us　to；　Samantha。〃　〃Wall；〃　sez　I；　〃light　is　pretty　generally；　safe　to　foller；　Josiah　Allen。〃　　And　so　we　meandered　along；　keepin'　our　2　heads　as　nigh　as　we　could　under　that　long　glitterin'　chain　of　golden　drops　that　wuz　high　overhead。　　And　on；　and　on；　we　follered　it　dilligently；　till　for　the　land's　sake！　if　it　didn't　lead　us　to　another　one　of　them　openwork　buildin's；　fixed　off　beautiful；　and　we　could　see　inside　2　big　wells　like；　with　acres　of　floor　seemin'ly　on　each　side　of　'em；　and　crowds　of　folks　a　walkin'　about　and　settin'　at　little　tables　and　most　all　of　'em　a　drinkin'。　The　water　they　drinked　we　could　see　wuz　a　bubblin'　up　and　a　runnin'　over　all　the　time；　in　big　round　crystal　globes。　　And　up；　up　on　a　slender　pole　way　up　over　one　of　the　wells　hung　another　one　of　them　crystal　bowls；　a　bubblin'　over　with　the　water　and　sparklin'。　And　ag'in　Josiah　asked　me　if　I　thought　Beuler　land　could　compare　with　it？　And　I　told　him　ag'in　kinder　sharp；　That　I　wuzn't　a　thinkin'　about　Beuler；　I　didn't　know　any　sech　a　place　or　name。　　I　wish　he　would　call　things　right。　Wall；　he　wuz　so　dead　tired　by　this　time；　that　we　sot　sail　homewards；　that　is；　my　feet　wuz　tired；　and　my　bones；　but　my　mind　seemed　more　rousted　up　than　common。


VI。　SARATOGA　BY　DAYLIGHT。

Wall；　the　next　mornin'　Josiah　and　me　sallied　out　middlin'　early　to　explore　still　further　the　beauties　and　grandness　of　Saratoga。　　I　had　on　a　black　straw　bonnet；　a　green　vail；　and　a　umbrell。　　I　also　have　my　black　alpacky；　that　good　moral　dress。　My　dress　bein'　such　a　high　mission　one　choked　me。　　It　wuz　so　high　in　the　neck　it　held　my　chin　up　in　a　most　uncomfortable　position；　but　sort　a　grand　and　lofty　lookin'。　　My　sleeves　wuz　so　long　that　more'n　half　the　time　my　hand　wuz　covered　up　by　'em　and　I　wuz　too　honerable　to　wear　'em　for　mits；　no；　in　the　name　of　principle　I　wore　'em　for　sleeves；　good　long　sleeves；　a　pattern　to　other　grandmas　that　I　might　meet。　I　felt　that　when　they　see　me　and　see　what　I　wuz　a　doin'　and　endurin'　fur　the　cause　of　female　dressin'　they　would　pause　in　their　wild　career；　and　cover　up　their　necks　and　pull　their　sleeves　down。　Wall；　it　haint　to　be　expected　that　I　could　walk　along　carryin'　such　hefty　emotions　as　I　wuz　a　carryin'；　and　havin'　my　neck　held　high　and　stiddy　both　by　principle　and　alpacky；　and　see　to　every　step　I　wuz　a　takin'。　　And；　first　I　knew；　right　while　I　was　enjoyin'　the　loftiest　of　these　emotions；　I　ketched　my　foot　in　sunthin'；　and　most　fell　down。　　Instinctively　（such　is　the　power　of　love）　I　put　out　my　hand　and　clutched　at　the　arm　of　my　pardner。　But　he　too　wuz　nearly　fallin'　at　the　same　time。　　It　wuz　a　narrow　chance　that　we　wuz　a　runnin'　from　having　our　prostrate　forms　a　layin'　there　outstretched　on　the　highway。　Instinctively　I　sez；　〃Good　land！〃　and　Josiah　sez　　wall；　it　is　fur　from　me　to　tell　what　he　said；　but　it　ended　up　with　these　words；　〃Dumb　them　dumb　sidewalks　anyway；〃　and　sez　he；　〃I　should　think　it　would　pay　to　have　a　little　less　gilt　paint　and　spangles　and　orniments　overhead　and　a　few　more　solid　bricks　unless　they　want　more　funerals　here；　dumb　'em！〃　Sez　I；〃Be　calm！　who　be　you　a　talkin'　about？　who　do　you　want　to　bring　down　your　fearful　curses　on；　Josiah　Allen？〃　〃Why；　onto　the　dumb　bricks；〃　sez　he。　He　wuz　agitated　and　I　said　no　more。　　But　four　times　in　that　first　walk；　did　I　descend　almost　precipitously　into　declivities　amongst　the　bricks；　risin'　simultaneously　on　similar　elevations。　It　wuz　a　fearful　ordeel　and　I　felt　it　so；　but　upheld　by　principle　and　Josiah；　I　moved　onwards；　through　what　seemed　to　be　5　great　throngs　and　masses　of　people；　3　on　the　ground　and　2　hinted　up　above　us　on　tall　pillows。　Them　immense　places　overhead　long　as　the　streets；　wuz　kinder　scalloped　out　and　trimmed　off　handsum　with　railin's；　etc。　　And　on　it　　oh！　what　a　vast　congregation　of　heads　of　all　sorts　and　sizes　and　colors。　　And　oh！　what　a　immense　display　of　parasols；　why　no　parasol　store　in　the　land　could　begin　with　what　I　see　there。　I　can　truly　say　that　I　thought　I　knew　somethin'　about　parasols；；　havin'　owned　3　different　ones　in　the　course　of　my　life；　and　havin'　one　covered　over。　　I　thought　I　knew　somethin'　of　their　nater　and　habits；　which　is　a　good　deal；　so　I　ha