samantha at saratoga-第21章

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heerful；　…　by　music　and　good　company；　and　bein'　out　so　much　in　the　sunshine　and　pure　air。〃　　（Better　air　than　Saratoga　has　got　never　wuz　made；　that　is　my　opinion　and　Josiah's　too。）　　And　sez　I；　〃I　lay　a　good　deal　to　that　air。〃　〃No；〃　she　said；　〃it　wuz　the　water。〃　Sez　I；　〃The　water　is　good；　I　don't　make　no　doubts　on't。〃　　But　I　continued　calmly　…　for　though　I　never　dispute；　I　do　most　always　maintain　my　opinion　…　and　I　sez　again　calmly；　〃There　has　been　a　great　change　in　you　for　the　better；　sense　you　come　here；　Miss　Pixley。　　But　some　on't　I　lay　to　your　bein'　where　things　are　so　much　more　cheerful　and　happyfyin'。　　You　say　you　haint　heerd　a　strain　of　music　except　a　base　viol　for　over　14　years　before　you　come　here。　　And　though　base　viols　if　played　right　may　be　melodious；　yet　Sam　Pixley's　base　viol　wuz　a　old　one；　and　sort　a　cracked　and　grumbly　in　tone；　and　he　wuzn't　much　of　a　player　anyway；　and　to　me；　base　viols　always　sounded　kinder　base　anyway。〃　And　sez　I；　〃Don't　you　believe　a　gettin'　out　of　your　little　low　dark　rooms；　shaded　by　Pollard　willers　and　grave　stuns；　and　gettin'　out　onto　a　place　where　you　can　heer　sweet　music　from　mornin'　till　night；　a　liftin'　you　up　and　makin'　you　happier　…　don't　you　believe　that　has　sunthin'　to　do　with　your　feelin'　so　much　better　…　that　and　the　pure　sweet　air　of　the　mountains　comin'　down　and　bein'　softened　and　enriched　by　the　breath　of　the　valley；　and　the　minerals；　makin'　a　balmy　atmosphere　most　full　of　balm　…　I　lay　a　good　deal　to　that。〃　〃Oh　no；〃　sez　she；　〃it　is　the　water。〃　〃Yes；〃　sez　I；　in　a　very　polite　way；　…　I　will　be　polite；　〃the　water　is　good；　first　rate。〃　But　at　that　very　minute；　word　come　to　her　that　she　had　company；　and　she　sot　sail　homewards　immegetly；　and　to　once。　And　now　I　don't　care　anything　for　the　last　word；　some　wimmen　do；　but　I　don't。　　But　I　sez　to　her；　as　I　watched　her　a　goin'　down　the　stairway；　steppin'　out　like　a　girl　almost；　sez　I；　〃How　well　you　do　seem；　Aunt　Polly；　and　I　lay　a　good　deal　on't　to　that　air。〃　Now　who　would　have　thought　she　would　speak　out　from　the　bottom　of　the　stairway　and　say；　〃No；　it　is　the　water？〃　Wall；　the　water　is　good；　there　haint　no　doubt；　and　anyway；　through　the　water　and　the　air；　and　bein'　took　out　of　her　home　cares；　and　old　surroundin's　onto　a　brght　happy　place；　the　change　in　Polly　Pixley　is　sunthin'　to　be　wondered　at。　Yes；　the　water　is　good。　　And　it　is　dretful　smart；　knowin'　water　too。　　Why；　wouldn't　anybody　think　that　when　it　all　comes　from　the　same　place；　or　pretty　nigh　the　same　place　anyway；　that　they　would　get　kinder　flustrated　and　mixed　up　once　in　a　while？　But　they　don't。　　These　hundreds　and　thousands　of　years；　and　I　don't　know　how　much　longer；　they　have　kep'　themselves　separate　from　each　other；　livin'　nigh　neighbors　there　down　under　the　ground；　but　never　neighborin'　with　each　other；　or　intermarryin'　in　each　other's　families。　　No；　they　have　kep'　themselves　apart；　livin'　exclosive　down　below　and　bubblin'　up　exclosive。　They　know　how　to　make　each　other　keep　their　proper　distance；　and　I　s'pose　through　all　the　centuries　to　come　they　will　bubble　up；　right　side　by　side；　entirely　different　from　each　other。　Curius；　hain't　it？　　Dretful　smart；　knowin'　waters　they　be；　fairly　sparklin'　and　flashin'　with　light　and　brightness；　and　intelligence。　They　are　for　the　healin'　and　refreshin'　of　；the　nations；　and　the　nations　are　all　here　this　summer；　a　bein'　healed　by　'em。　　But　still　I　lay　a　good　deal　to　that　air。　Amongst　the　things　that　Aunt　Polly　told　me　about　wimmen　that　day；　wuz　this；　that　Ardelia　Tutt　had　got　a　new　Bo；　Bial　Flamburg；　by　name。　She　said　Mr。　Flamburg　had　asked　Ardelia's　3d　cousin　to　introduce　him　to　her；　and　from　that　time　his　attentions　to　her　had　been　unremittent；　voyalent；　and　close。　　She　said　that　to　all　human　appearance　he　wuz　in　love　with　her　from　his　hat　band　down　to　his　boots　and　she　didn't　know　what　the　result　would　be；　though　she　felt　that　the　situation　wuz　dangerus；　and　more'n　probable　Abram　Gee　had　more　trouble　ahead　on　him。　　（Aunt　Polly　jest　worships　Abram　Gee；　jest　as　everybody　duz　that　gets　to　know　him　well。）　And　I　too；　felt　that　the　situation　wuz　dubersome。　　For　Ardelia　I　knew　wuz　one　of　the　soft　little　wimmen　that　has　got　to　have　men　a　trailin'　round　after　'em；　and　her　bein'　so　uncommon　tender　hearted；　and　Mr。　Flamburg　so　deep　in　love；　I　feared　the　result。　Wall；　I　wuz　jest　a　thinkin'　of　this　that　day　after　dinner　when　Josiah　proposed　a　walk；　so　we　sot　out。　　He　proposed　we　should　walk　through　the　park；　so　we　did。　　The　air　wuz　heavenly　sweet　and　that　park　is　one　of　the　most　restful　and　beautiful　places　this　side　of　Heaven；　or　so　it　seemed　to　us　that　pleasant　afternoon。　　The　music　was　very　soft　and　sweet　that　day；　sweet　with　a　undertone　of　sadness；　some　like　a　great　sorrowful　soul　in　a　beautiful　body。　The　balmy　south　wind　whispered　through　the　branches　of　the　bendin'　trees　on　the　hill　where　we　sot。　　The　light　was　a　shinin'　and　a　siftin'　down　through　the　green　leaves；　in　a　soft　golden　haze；　and　the　music　seemed　to　go　right　up　into　them　shadowy；　shinin'　pathways　of　golden　misty　light；　a　climbin'　up　on　them　shadowy　steps　of　mist　and　gold；　and　amber；　up；　up　into　the　soft　depths　of　the　blue　overhead　…　up　to　the　abode　of　melody　and　love。　Down　the　hill　in　the　beautiful　little　valley；　all　amongst　the　fountains　and　windin'　walks　and　white　statutes；　and　green；　green；　grass；　little　children　wuz　a　playin'。　　Sweet　little　toddlers；　jest　able　to　walk　about；　and　bolder　spirits；　though　small；　a　trudgin'　about　with　little　canes；　and　jumpin'　round；　and　havin'　a　good　time。　Little　boys　and　little　girls　（beautiful　creeters；　the　hull　on　'em）；　for　if　their　faces；　every　one　on　'em；　wuzn't　jest　perfect！　They　all　had　the　beauty　of　childhood　and　happiness。　　And　crowds　of　older　folks　wuz　there。　　And　some　happy　young　couples；　youths　and　maidens；　wuz　a　settin'　round；　and　a　wanderin'　off　by　themselves；　and　amongst　them　we　see　the　form　of　Ardelia；　and　a　young　man　by　her　side。　She　wuz　a　leanin'　on　the　stun　railin'　that　fences　in　the　trout　pond。　　She　wuz　evidently　a　lookin'　down　pensively　at　the　shinin'　dartin'　figures　of　the　trout；　a　movin'　round　down　in　the　cool　waters。　I　wuzn't　nigh　enough　to　'em　to　see　really　how　her　companion　looked；　but　even　at　that　distance　I　recognized　a　certain　air　and　atmosphere　a　surroundin'　Ardelia　that　I　knew　meant　poetry。　And　Josiah　recognized　it　too；　and　he　sez　to　me；　〃We　may　as　well　go　round　the　hill　and　out　to　the　road　that　way；〃　sez　he；　（a　pointin'　to　the　way　furthest　from　Ardelia）　〃and　we　may　as　well　be　a　goin'。〃　That　man　abhors　poetry。　Wall；　we　wandered　down　into　the　high　way　and　havin'　most　the　hull　afternoon　before　us；　we　kinder　sauntered　round　amongst　the　stores　that　wuz　pretty　nigh　to　where　we　wuz。　　There　is　some　likely　good　lookin'　stores　kep'　by　the　natives；　as　they　call　the　stiddy　dwellers　in　Saratoga。　　Good　lookin'　respectable　stores　full　of　comfort　and　consolation；　for　the　outer　or　inner　man　or　woman。　　（I　speak　it　in　a　mortal　sense）。　But　with　the　hundred　thousand　summer　dwellers；　who　flock　here　with　the　summer　birds；　and　go　out　before　the　swallers　go　south；　there　comes　lots　of　summer　stores；　and　summer　shops；　and　picture　studios；　etc。；　etc。　　Like　big　summer　bird's…nests；　all　full　and　a　runnin'　over　with　summer　wealth；　to　be　blowed　down　by　t