samantha at saratoga-第19章

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it；　and　she　had　some　mits　on　（her　hands　prespired　dretfully；　and　she　sweat　easy）。　　As　I　have　said；　she　is　a　good　lookin'　girl　but　soft。　　And　most　any　dress　she　puts　on　kinder　falls　into　the　same　looks。　　It　may　be　quite　a　hard　lookin'　dress　before　she　puts　it　on；　but　before　she　has　wore　it　half　a　hour　it　will　kinder　crease　down　into　the　softest　lookin；　thing　you　ever　see。　　And　so　with　her　bonnets；　and　mantillys；　and　everything。　The　down　onto　a　goslin's　breast　never　looked　softer　than　every　rag　she　had　on　this　very　afternoon；　and　no　tender　goslin'　itself　wuz　ever　softer　than　she　wuz　on　the　inside　on't。　　But　that　didn't　hinder　my　likin'　her。　Wall；　anon；　or　a　little　before；　we　came　to　that　long；　long　buildin'；　beautiful　and　dretful　ornimental；　but　I　could　see　plain　by　daylight　what　I　had　mistrusted　before；　that　it　wuzn't　built　for　warmth。　　It　must　be　dretful　cold　in　the　winter；　and　I　don't　see　how　the　wimmen　folks　of　the　home　could　stand　it；　unless　they　hang　up　bed　quilts　and　blankets　round　the　side；　and　then；　I　should　think　they　would　freeze。　　They　couldn't　keep　their　house　plants　over　winter　any　way　…　and　I　see　they　had　sights　of　'em　…　unless　they　kep'　'em　down　suller。　But　howsumever；　that　is　none　of　my　lookout。　　If　they　want　to　be　so　fashionable；　as　to　try　to　live　out　doors　and　in　the　house　too；　that　is　none　of　my　business。　　And　of　course　it　looked　dretful　ornimental　and　pretty。　　But　I　will　say　this；　it　haint　bein'　mejum。　I　should　rather　live　either　out　doors；　or　in　the　house；　one　of　the　2。　　But　I　am　a　eppisodin'。　　And　to　resoom。　Josiah　Allen　paid　the　money　demanded　of　him　and　we　went　in　and　advanced　onwards　to　where　a　boy　wuz　a　pullin'　up　the　water　and　handin'　of　it　round。　It　looked　dretful　bubblin'　and　sparklin'。　　Why　sunthin'　seemed　to　be　a　sparklin'　up　all　the　time　in　the　water　and　I　thought　to　myself　mebby　it　wuz　water　thoughts；　mebby　it　wanted　to　tell　sunthin'；　mebby　it　has　all　through　these　years　been　a　tryin'　to　bubble　up　and　sparkle　out　in　wisdom　but　haint　found　any　one　yet　who　could　understand　its　liquid　language。　　Who　knows　now？　I　took　my　glass　and　looked　close　…　sparkle；　sparkle；　up　came　the　tiny　thought　sparks！　　But　I　wuzn't　wise　enough　to　read　the　glitterin'　language。　　No　I　wuzn't　deep　enough。　　It　would　take　a　deep　mind；　mebby　thousands　of　feet　deep；　to　understand　the　great　glowin'　secret　that　it　has　been　a　tryin'　to　reveal　and　couldn't。　Mebby　it　has　been　a　tryin'　to　tell　of　big　diamond　mines　that　it　has　passed　through　…　great　cliffs　and　crags　of　gold　sot　deep　with　the　crystalized　dew　of　diamonds。　But　no；　I　didn't　believe　that　wuz　it。　　That　wouldn't　help　the　world；　only　to　make　it　happier；　and　these　seemed　to　me　to　be　dretful　inspirin'；　upliftin'　thoughts。　　No；　mebby　it　is　a　tryin'　to　tell　a　cold　world　about　a　way　to　heat　it。　　Mebby　it　has　been　a　runnin'　over　and　is　sparklin'　with　bright　thoughts　about　how　deep　underneath　the　earth　lay　a　big　fireplace；　that　all　the　cold　beggars　of　mortality　could　set　round　and　warm　their　frozen　fingers　by；　…　a　tryin'　to　tell　how　the　heat　of　that　fire　that　escapes　now　up　the　chimbleys　of　volcanoes；　and　sometimes　in　sudden　drafts　blows　out　sideways　into　earthquakes；　etc。；　could　be　utilized　by　conveyin'　it　up　on　top　of　the　ground；　and　have　it　carried　into　the　houses　like　Croton　water。　　Who　knows　now？　　Mebby　that　is　it！　Oh！　　I　felt　that　it　would　be　a　happy　hour　for　Samantha　when　she　could　bile　her　potatoes　by　the　heat　of　that　large　noble　fire…place。　And　more　than　that；　far　more　wuz　the　thought　that　heat　might　become；　in　the　future；　as　cheap　as　cold。　　That　the　little　cold　hands　that　freeze　every　winter　in　the　big　cities；　could　be　stretched　out　before　the　big　generous　warmth　of　that　noble　fire…place。　　And　who　built　that　fire　in　the　first　place？　　Who　laid　the　first　sticks　on　the　handirons；　and　put　the　match　to　it？　　Who　wuz　it　that　did　it；　and　how　did　he　look；　and　when　wuz　he　born；　and　why；　and　where？　These；　and　many　other　thoughts　of　similar　size　and　shape；　filled　my　brane　almost　full　enough　to　lift　up　the　bunnet；　that　reposed　gracefully　on　my　foretop；　as　I　stood　and　held　the　sparklin'　glass　in　my　hands。　Sparkle！　sparkle！　sparkle！　what　wuz　it；　it　wuz　a　tryin'　to　say　to　me　and　couldn't？　　Good　land！　　I　couldn't　tell；　and　Josiah　couldn't；　I　knew　instinctively　he　couldn't；　though　I　didn't　ask　him。　No；　I　turned　and　looked　at　that　beloved　man；　for　truly　I　had　for　the　time　bein'　been　by　the　side　of　myself；　and　I　see　that　he　wuz　a　drinkin'　lavishly　of　the　noble　water。　　I　see　that　he　wuz　a　drinkin'　more　than　wuz　for　his　good；　his　linement　showed　it；　and　sez　I；　for　he　wuz　a　liftin'　another　tumbler　full　onto　his　lips；　sez　I；　〃Pause；　Josiah　Allen；　and　don't　imbibe　too　much。〃　〃Why；〃　he　whispered；　〃you　can　drink　all　you　are　a　mind　to　for　5　cents。　　I　am　bound　for　once；　Samantha　Allen；　to　get　the　worth　of　my　money。〃　And　he　drinked　the　tumbler　full　down　at　one　swoller　almost；　and　turned　to　the　weary　boy　for　another。　　He　looked　bad；　and　eager；　and　sez　I；　〃How　many　have　you　drinked？〃　Sez　he；　in　a　eager；　animated　whisper；　〃9。〃　　And　he　whispered　in　the　same　axents；　〃5　times　9　is　45　；　if　it　had　been　to　a　fair；　or　Fourth　of　July；　or　anything；　it　would　have　cost　me　45　cents；　and　if　it　had　been　to　a　church　social　…　lemme　see　…　9　times　10　is　90。　It　would　have　cost　me　a　dollar　bill！　　And　here　I　am　a　havin'　it　all　for　5　cents。　　Why；〃　sez　he；　〃I　never　see　the　beat　on't　in　my　life。〃　And　ag'in　he　drinked　a　tumbler　full　down；　and　motioned　to　the　frightened　boy　for　another。　But　I　took　him　by　the　vest　and　whispered　to　him；　sez　I；　〃Josiah　Allen；　do　you　want　to　die；　because　you　can　die　cheap？　　Why；〃　sez　I；　〃it　will　kill　you　to　drink　so　much。〃　〃But　think　of　the　cheapness　on't　Samantha！　　The　chance　I　have　of　getting　the　worth　of　my　money。〃　But　I　whispered　back　to　him　in　anxus　axents　and　told　him；　that　I　guessed　if　funeral　expenses　wuz　added　to　that　5　cents　it　wouldn't　come　so　cheap；　and　sez　I；　〃you　wont　live　through　many　more　glasses；　and　you'll　see　you　wont。　　Why；〃　sez　I；　〃you　are　a　drowndin'　out　your　insides。〃　He　wuz　fairly　a　gettin'　white　round　the　mouth；　and　I　finally　got　him　to　withdraw；　though　he　looked　back　longingly　at　the　tumblers　and　murmured　even　after　I　had　got　him　to　the　door；　that　it　wuz　a　dumb　pity　when　anybody　got　a　chance　to　get　the　worth　of　their　money；　which　wuzn't　often；　to　think　they　couldn't　take　advantage　on　it。　And　I　sez　back　to　him　in　low　deep　axents；　〃There　is　such　a　thing　as　bein'　too　graspin'；　Josiah　Allen。〃　　Sez　I；　〃The　children　of　Israel　used　to　want　to　lay　up　more　manny　than　they　wanted　or　needed；　and　it　spilte　on　their　hands。〃　　And　sez　I；　〃you　see　if　it　haint　jest　so　with　you；　you　have　been　in　too　great　haste　to　enrich　yourself；　and　you'll　be　sorry　for　it；　you　see　if　you　haint。〃　And　he　was。　　Though　he　uttered　language　I　wouldn't　wish　to　repeat；　about　the　children　of　Israel　and　about　me　for　bringin'　of　'em　up。　But　the　man　wuz　dethly　sick。　　Why　he　had　drinked　11　tumblers　full；　and　I　trembled　to　think　what　would　have　follered　on；　and　ensued；　if　I　hadn't　interfered。　　As　it　wuz；　he　wuz　confined　to　our　abode　for　the　rest　of　the　day。　But　I　wouldn't　have　Josiah　Allen　blamed　more　than　is　due　for　this　little　incedent；　for　it　only　illustrates　a　pervailin'　trait　in　men's　nater；　and　sometimes　wimmen's　…　a　too