samantha at saratoga-第30章

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z　a　doin'？　　I　knew　he　wuz　always　a　settin'　up　there　in　the　moon；　but　it　never　passed　my　mind　that　he　wuz　a　fryin'　potatoes。〃　But　I　sez；　〃Keep　still；　Josiah。　　It　is　a　deep　subject；　a　great　undertakin'；　and　it　requires　caution　and　deliberation。〃　But　he　sez；〃I　haint　a　goin'；　Samantha！　　Nor　I　haint　a　goin'　to　let　you　go。　　It　is　dangerus。〃　But　I　kinder　nudged　him；　for　she　had　the　dog　down　on　her　lap；　and　was　ready　to　resoom　conversation。　　And　about　that　time　we　got　to　the　entrance　of　the　spring；　and　one　of　her　relatives　got　down　and　opened　the　carriage　door。　I　wondered　ag'in　that　she　didn't　introduce　us。　　But　I　didn't　care　if　she　didn't。　　I　felt　that　I　wuz　jest　as　good　as　they　wuz；　if　they　wuz　so　haughty。　　But　Josiah　wantin'　to　make　himself　agreeable　to　'em　（he　hankers　after　gettin'　into　high　society）；　he　took　off　his　hat　and　bowed　low　to　'em；　before　he　got　out；　and　sez　he；　〃I　am　proud　to　know　you；　sir；〃　and　tried　to　shake　hands　with　him。　　But　the　man　rejected　his　overtoors　and　looked　perfectly　wooden；　and　oninterested。　　A　big…feelin'；　high…headed　creeter。　Josiah　Allen　is　as　good　as　he　is　any　day。　　And　I　whispered　to　him　and　sez；　〃Don't　demean　yourself　by　tryin'　to　force　your　company　onto　them　any　more。〃　〃Wall；〃　he　whispered　back；　〃I　do　love　to　move　in　high　circles。〃　Sez　I；　〃Then　I　shouldn't　think　you　would　be　so　afraid　of　the　undertakin'　ahead　on　us。　　If　neighborin'　with　the　old　man　in　the　moon；　and　eatin'　supper　with　him；　haint　movin'　in　high　circles；　then　I　don't　know　what　is。〃　〃But　I　don't　want　to　go　into　anything　dangerus；〃　sez　he。　But　jest　then　Miss　Flamm。spoke　to　me；　and　I　moved　forward　by　her　side　and　into　a　middlin'　big　room；　and　in　the　middle　wuz　a　great　sort　of　a　well　like；　with　the　water　a　bubblin'　up　into　a　clear　crystal　globe；　and　a　sprayin'　up　out　of　it；　in　a　slender　misty　sparklin'　spray。　　It　wuz　a　pretty　sight。　　And　we　drinked　a　glass　full　of　it　a　piece；　and　then　we　wandered　out　of　the　back　door…way；　and　went　down　into　the　pretty；　old…fashioned　garden　back　of　the　house。　Josiah　and　me　and　Miss　Flamm　went。　　The　dog　and　the　two　relatives　didn't　seem　to　want　to　go。　　The　relatives　sot　up　there　straight　as　two　sticks；　one　of　'em　holdin'　the　dog；　and　they　didn't　even　look　round　at　us。　〃Felt　too　big　to　go　with　us；〃　sez　Josiah；　bitterly；　as　we　went　down　the　steps。　　〃They　won't　associate　with　me。〃　〃Wall；　I　wouldn't　care　if　I　wuz　in　your　place；　Josiah　Allen；〃　sez　I；　〃you　are　jest　as　good　as　they　be；　and　I　know　it。〃　〃You　couldn't　make　'em　think　so；　dumb　'em；〃　sez　he。　I　liked　the　looks　of　it　down　there。　　It　seems　sometimes　as　if　Happiness　gets　kinder　homesick；　in　the　big　dusty　fashionable　places；　and　so　goes　back　to　the　wild；　green　wood；　and　kinder　wanders　off；　and　loafs　round；　amongst　the　pine　trees；　and　cool　sparklin'　brooks　and　wild　flowers　and　long　shinin'　grasses　and　slate　stuns；　and　etc。；　etc。　I　don't　believe　she　likes　it　half　so　well　up　in　the　big　hotel　gardens　or　Courtin'　yards；　as　she　does　down　there。　　You　see　it　seems　as　if　Happiness　would　have　to　be　more　dressed　up；　up　there；　and　girted　down；　and　stiff　actin'；　and　on　her　good　behavior；　and　afraid　of　actin'　or　lookin'　onfashionable。　　But　down　here　by　the　side　of　the　quiet　little　brook；　amongst　the　cool；　green　grasses；　fur　away　from　diamonds；　and　satins；　and　big　words；　and　dogs；　and　parasols；　and　so　many；　many　that　are　a　chasin'　of　her　and　a　follerin'　of　her　up；　it　seemed　more　as　if　she　loved　to　get　away　from　it　all；　and　get　where　she　could　take　her　crown　off；　lay　down　her　septer；　onhook　her　corset；　and　put　on　a　long　loose　gown；　and　lounge　round　and　enjoy　herself　（metafor）。　We　had　a　happy　time　there。　　We　went　over　the　little　rustick　bridges　which　would　have　been　spilte　in　my　eyes　if　they　had　been　rounded　off　on　the　edges；　or　a　mite　of　paint　on　'em。　　Truly；　I　felt　that　I　had　seen　enough　of　paint　and　gildin'　to　last　me　through　a　long　life；　and　it　did　seem　such　a　treat　to　me　to　see　a　board　ag'in；　jest　a　plain　rough　bass…wood　board；　and　some　stuns　a　lyin'　in　the　road；　and　some　deep　tall　grass　that　you　had　to　sort　a　wade　through。　Miss　Flamm　seemed　to　enjoy　it　some　down　there；　though　she　spoke　of　the　dog；　which　she　had　left　up　with　her　relatives。　〃3　big…feelin'　ones　together；〃　I　whispered　to　Josiah。　And　he　sez；　〃Yes；　that　dog　is　a　big…feelin'　little　cuss…tomer。　And　if　I　wuz　a　chipmunk　he　couldn't　bark　at　me　no　more　than　he　duz。〃　And　I　looked　severe　at　Josiah　and　sez　I；　〃If　you　don't　jine　your　syllables　closer　together　you　will　see　trouble；　Josiah　Allen。　You'll　find　yourself　swearin'　before　you　know　it。〃　〃Oh　shaw；　sez　he；　〃customer　haint　a　swearin'　word；　ministers　use　it。　　I've　hearn　'em　many　a　time。〃　〃Yes；〃　sez　I；　〃but　they　don't　draw　it　out　as　you　did；　Josiah　Allen。〃　〃Oh！　wall！　　Folks　can't　always　speak　up　pert　and　quick　when　they　are　off　on　pleasure　exertions　and　have　been　barked　at　as　long　as　I　have　been。　　But　now　I've　got　a　minutes　chance；〃　sez　he；　〃let　me　tell　you　ag'in；　don't　you　make　no　arraingments　to　go　to　the　Moon。　It　is　dangerus；　and　I　won't　go　myself；　nor　let　you　go。〃　〃Let；〃　sez　I　to　myself。　　〃That　is　rather　of　a　gaulin'　word　to　me。　Won't　let　me　go。〃　　But　then　I　thought　ag'in；　and　thought　how　love　and　tenderness　wuz　a　dictatin'　the　term；　and　I　thought　to　myself；　it　has　a　good　sound　to　me；　I　like　the　word。　　I　love　to　hear　him　say　he　won't　let　me　go。　And　truly　to　me　it　looked　hazerdus。　　But　Miss　Flamm　seemed　ready　to　go　on；　and　onwillin'ly　I　followed　on　after　her　footsteps。　　But　I　looked　'round；　and　said　〃Good…bye〃　in　my　heart；　to　the　fine　trees；　and　cleer；　brown　waters　of　the　brook；　the　grass；　and　the　wild　flowers；　and　the　sweet　peace　that　wuz　over　all。　〃Good…bye；〃　sez　I。　　〃If　I　don't　see　you　ag'in；　you'll　find　some　other　lover　that　will　appreciate　you；　though　I　am　fur　away。〃　They　didn't　answer　me　back；　none　on　'em；　but　I　felt　that　they　understood　me。　　The　pines　whispered　sunthin'　to　each　other；　and　the　brook　put　its　moist　lips　up　to　the　pebbly　shore　and　whispered　sunthin'　to　the　grasses　that　bent　down　to　hear　it。　　I　don't　know　exactly　what　it　wuz；　but　it　wuz　sunthin'　friendly　I　know；　for　I　felt　it　speak　right　through　the　soft；　summer　sunshine　into　my　heart。　　They　couldn't　exactly　tell　what　they　felt　towards　me；　and　I　couldn't　exactly　tell　what　I　felt　towards　them；　yet　we　understood　each　other；　curi'us；　haint　it？　Wall；　we　got　into　the　carriage　ag'in；　one　of　her　relatives　gettin'　down　to　open　the　door。　　They　knew　what　good　manners　is；　I'll　say　that　for　'em。　　And　Miss　Flamm　took　her　dog　into　her　arms　seemin'ly　glad　to　get　holt　of　him　ag'in；　and　kissed　it　several　times　with　a　deep　love　and　devotedness。　　She　takes　good　care　of　that　dog。　　And　what　makes　it　harder　for　her　to　handle　him　is；　her　dress　is　so　tight；　and　her　sleeves。　　I　s'pose　that　is　why　she　can't　breathe　any　better；　and　what　makes　her　face　and　hands　red；　and　kinder　swelled　up。　　She　can't　get　her　hands　to　her　head　to　save　her；　and　if　a　assassin　should　strike　her；　she　couldn't　raise　her　arm　to　ward　off　the　blow　if　he　killed　her。　　I　s'pose　it　worrys　her。　And　she　has　to　put　her　bunnet　on　jest　as　quick　as　she　gets　her　petticoats　on；　for　she　can't　lift　he　arms　to　save　her　life　after　she　gets　her　corsets　on。　　She　owned　up　to　me　once　that　it　made　her　feel　queer　to　be　a　walkin'　'round　her　room　with　not　much　on　only　her