samantha at saratoga-第38章

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own　country；　land　or　water。　　And　some　wimmen；〃　sez　I；　〃will　buy　anything　if　they　can　get　it　cheap；　things　they　don't　need；　and　would　be　better　off　without；　from　a　eliphant　down　to　a　magnificent　nothin'　to　call　husband。　　They'll　buy　any　worthless　and　troublesome　thing　jest　to　get　'em　to　goin'。　Now　such　wimmen　would　jest　jump　at　that　pool。　　But　that　haint　my　way。　　No；　I　don't　want　to　purchase　your　pool。〃　Sez　he；　〃You　are　mistaken；　mom！〃　〃No　I　haint；〃　sez　I　firmly　and　with　decesion。　　〃No　I　haint。　　I　don't　need　no　pool。　　It　wouldn't　do　me　no　good　to　keep　it　on　my　hands；　and　I　haint　no　notion　of　settin'　up　in　the　pool　or　pond　business；　at　my　age。〃　〃And　then；〃　sez　I　reasonably；　〃the　canal　runs　jest　down　below　our　orchard；　and　if　we　run　short；　we　could　get　all　the　water　we　wanted　from　there。　　And　we　have　got　two　good　cisterns　and　a　well　on　the　place。〃　Sez　he；　〃What　I　mean　is；　bettin'　on　a　horse。　　Do　you　want　to　bet　on　which　horse　will　go　the　fastest；　the　black　one　or　the　bay　one？〃　〃No；〃　sez　I；　〃I　don't　want　to　bet。〃　But　he　kep'　on　a　urgin'　me；　and　thinkin'　I　had　disappinted　him　in　sellin'　a　pool；　or　rather　pond；　I　thought　it　wouldn't　hurt　me　to　kinder　gin　in　to　him　in　this；　so　I　sez　mildly；　〃Bettin'　is　sunthin'　I　don't　believe　in；　but　seein'　I　have　disappinted　you　in　sellin'　your　water　power；　I　don't　know　as　it　would　be　wicked　to　humor　you　in　this　and　say　it　to　please　you。　　You　say　the　bay　horse　is　the　best；　so　I'll　say　for　jest　this　once　…　There！　　I'll　bet　the　bay　one　will　go　the　best。〃　〃Where　is　your　money？〃　sez　he。　　〃It　is　five　dollars　for　a　bet。　You　pay　five　dollars　and　you　have　a　chance　to　get　back　mebby　100。〃　I　riz　right　up　in　feerful　dignity；　and　the　buggy　and　I　sez　that　one　feerful　word　to　him；　〃Gamblin'！〃　　He　sort　a　quailed。　　But　sez　he；　〃you　had　better　take　a　five…dollar　chance　on　the　bay　horse。〃　〃No；〃　sez　I；　with　a　freezin'　coldness；　that　must　have　made　his　ears　fairly　tingle　it　wuz　so　cold；　〃no　I　shall　not　gamble；　neither　on　foot　nor　on　horseback。〃　Then　I　sot　down　and　I　sez　in　the　same　lofty　tones　to　Josiah　Allen；　〃Drive　on；　Josiah；　instantly　and　to　once。〃　He　too　had　heerd　the　fearful　word　and　his　princeples　too　wuz　rousted　up。　　He　driv　right　on　rapidly；　out　of　the　gate　and　into　the　highway。　　But　as　he　druv　on　fast　and　almost　furius　I　heerd　him　murmur　words　to　himself；　that　accounted　for　his　eager　looks　while　the　man　wuz　dickerin'　about　the　pool。　　He　sez；　〃It　is　dumb　hard　work　pumpin'　water　for　so　many　head　of　cattle。〃　　He　thought　a　pool　would　come　handy；　so　I　see。　　But　it　wuz　all　done　and　I　would　have　done　the　same　thing　if　it　was　to　do　over　agin；　so　I　didn't　say　nuthin'；　but　kep'　a　serene　silence；　and　let　him　drive　along　in　quiet；　and　anon；　I　see　the　turbelence　of　his　feelin's　subsided　in　a　measure。　It　wuz　a　gettin'　along　towards　sundown　and　the　air　wuz　a　growin'　cool　and　balmy；　as　if　it　wuz　a　blowin'　over　some　balm　flowers；　and　we　begun　to　feel　quite　well　in　our　minds；　though　the　crowd　in　the　road　wuz　too　big　for　comfert。　　The　crowd　of　carriages　and　horses；　and　vehicles　of　all　kinds；　seemed　to　go　in　two　big　full　rows　or　streams；　one　a　goin'　down　on　one　side　of　the　road；　and　the　other　a　goin'　up　on　the　other。　　So　the　2　tides　swept　past　each　other　constantly　　but　the　bubbles　on　the　tide　wuzn't　foam　but　feathers；　and　bows；　and　laces；　and　parasols；　and　buttons；　and　diamonds；　and　etcetry；　etcetry；　etcetry。　And　all　of　a　sudden　my　Josiah　jest　turned　into　a　big　gate　that　wuz　a　standin'　wide　open　and　we　drove　into　a　beautiful　quiet　road　that　went　a　windin'　in　under　the　shadows　of　the　tall　grand　old　trees。　　He　did　it　without　askin'　my　advice　or　sayin'　a　word　to　me。　　But　I　wuzn't　sorry。　　Fur　it　wuz　beautiful　in　there。　　It　seemed　as　if　we　had　left　small　cares　and　vexations　and　worryments　out　there　in　the　road　and　dust；　and　took　in　with　us　only　repose　and　calmness；　and　peace；　and　they　wuz　a　journeyin'　along　with　us　on　the　smooth　road　under　the　great　trees；　a　bendin'　down　on　each　side　on　us。　　And　pretty　soon　we　came　to　a　beautiful　piece　of　water　crossed　by　a　rustick　bridge；　and　all　surrounded　by　green　trees　on　every　side。　　Then　up　on　the　broad　road　agin；　sweepin'　round　a　curve　where　we　could　see　a　little　ways　off　a　great　mansion　with　a　wall　built　high　round　it　as　if　to　shet　in　the　repose　and　sweet　home…life　and　shet　out　intrusion；　sort　a　protect　it　from　the　too　curius　glances　of　a　curius　generation。　　Some　as　I　hold　my　hand　up　before　my　face　to　keep　off　the　too…scorchin'　rays　of　the　sun；　when　I　am　a　lookin'　down　the　western　road　for　my　Josiah。　It　wuz　a　good　lookin'　spot　as　I　ever　want　to　see；　sheltered；　quiet　and　lovely。　　But　we　left　it　behind　us　as　we　rode　onwards；　till　we　came　out　along　another　broad　piece　of　the　water；　and　we　rode　along　by　the　side　of　it　for　some　time。　Beautiful　water　with　the　trees　growin'　up　on　every　side　of　it；　and　their　shadows　reflected　so　clearly　in　the　shinin'　surface；　that　they　seemed　to　be　trees　a　growin'　downwards；　tall　grand　trees；　wavin'　branches；　goin'　down　into　the　water　and　livin'　agin　in　another　world；　　a　more　beautiful　one。　The　sun　wuz　a　gettin'　low　and　piles　of　clouds　wuz　in　the　west　and　all　their　light　wuz　reflected　in　the　calm　water。　　And　the　beautiful　soft　shadows　rested　there　on　that　rosy　and　golden　light；　some　like　the　shadow　of　a　beautiful　and　sorrowful　memory；　a　restin'　down　and　reposin'　on　a　divine　hope；　an　infinite　sweetness。


XIII。　VISITS　TO　NOTABLE　PLACES。

It　is　a　perfect　sight　to　behold；　to　set　on　the　piazzas　at　Saratoga；　and　see　the　folks　a　goin'　past。　Now　in　Jonesville；　when　there　wuz　a　4th　of　July；　or　campmeetin'；　or　sunthin'　of　that　kind　a　goin'　on；　why；　I　thought　I　had　seen　the　streets　pretty　full。　　Why；　I　had　counted　as　many　as　seven　teams　in　the　road　at　one　time；　and　I　had　thought　that　wuz　pretty　lively　times。　　But　good　land？　　Good　land！　　You　would　have　gin　up　in　ten　minutes　time　here；　that　you　had　never　seen　a　team　（as　it　were）。　Why　I　call　my　head　a　pretty　sound　one；　but　I　declare；　it　did　fairly　make　my　head　swim　to　set　there　kinder　late　in　the　afternoon；　and　see　the　drivin'　a　goin'　on。　　See　the　carriages　a　goin'　this　way；　and　a　goin'　that　way；　horses　of　all　colers；　and　men　and　wimmen　of　all　colers；　and　parasols　of　all　colers；　and　hats；　and　bonnets　and　parasols；　and　satins；　and　laces；　and　ribbins；　and　buttons；　and　dogs；　and　flowers；　and　plumes；　and　parasols。　　And　horses　a　turnin'　out　to　go　by；　and　horses　havin'　gone　by；　and　horses　that　hadn't　gone　by。　　And　big　carriages　with　folks　inside　all　dressed　up　in　every　coler　of　the　rain　beaux。　And　elligent　gentlemen　dressed　perfectly　splendid；　a　settin'　up　straight　behind。　　With　thin　yellow　legs；　or　stripes　down　the　side　on　'em；　and　their　hats　all　trimmed　off　with　ornaments　and　buttons　up　and　down　their　backs。　Haughty　creeters　they　wuz；　I　make　no　doubt。　　They　showed　it　in　their　looks。　　But　I　never　loved　so　much　dress　in　a　man。　　And　I　would　jest　as　soon　have　told　them　so；　as　to　tell　you。　　I　hain't　one　to　say　things　to　a　man's　back　that　I　won't　say　to　his　face；　whether　it　be　a　plain　back　or　buttoned。　Wall；　as　I　say；　it　wuz　a　dizzy　sight　to　set　there　on　them　piazzas　and　see　the　seemin'ly　endless　crowd　a　goin'　by；　back　and　forth；　back　and　forth；　to　and　fro；　to　and　fro。　　I　didn't　enjoy　it　so　much　as　some　did；　though　for　a　few　　minutes　a