samantha at saratoga-第46章

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ried　in　the　wrong　place。〃　Sez　I　coldly；　〃I　should　think　as　much。〃　And　Josiah　put　on　his　hat　and　hurried　out。　　He　meant　well。　　But　it　is　quite　a　nack　for　pardners　to　know　jest　when　to　cry；　and　when　to　laff。　Wall；　he　follered　up　that　spring；　and　drinked　more；　fur　more　than　wuz　good　for　him　of　that　water。　　And　then　anon；　he　would　hear　of　another　one；　and　some　dretful　big　story　about　it；　and　he　would　foller　that　up；　and　so　it　went　on；　he　a　follerin'　on；　and　I　a　bein'　megum；　and　drinkin'　stiddy；　but　moderate。　　And　as　it　might　be　expected；　I　gained　in　health　every　day；　and　every　hour。　　For　the　waters　is　good；　there　haint　no　doubt　of　it。　But　Josiah　takin'　em　as　he　did；　bobbin'　round　from　one　to　the　other；　drinkin'　'em　at　all　hours　of　day　and　night；　and　floodin'　himself　out　with　'em；　every　one　on　'em　　why；　he　lost　strength　and　health　every　day；　till　I　felt　truly；　that　if　it　went　on　much　longer；　I　should　go　home　in　weeds。　　Not　mullein；　or　burdock；　or　anything　of　that　sort；　but　crape。　But　at　last　a　event　occurred　that　sort　a　sot　him　to　thinkin'　and　quelled　him　down　some。　　One　day　we　sot　out　for　a　walk；　Josiah　and　Ardelia　Tutt　and　me。　　And　in　spite　of　all　my　protestations；　my　pardner　had　drinked　11　glasses　full　of　the　spring　he　wuz　a　follerin'　then。　　And　he　looked　white　round　the　lips　as　anything。　And　Ardelia　and　I　wuz　a　sittin'　in　a　good　shady　place；　and　Josiah　a　little　distance　off；　when　a　man　ackosted　him；　a　man　with　black　eyes　and　black　whiskers；　and　sez；　〃You　look　pale；　Sir。　　What　water　are　you　a　drinkin'？〃　And　Josiah　told　him　that　at　that　time　he　wuz　a　drinkin'　the　water　from　the　Immortal　spring。　〃Drinkin'　that　water？〃　sez　the　man；　startin'　back　horrefied。　〃Yes；〃　sez　Josiah；　turnin'　paler　than　ever；　for　the　man's　looks　wuz　skairful　in　the　extreme。　〃Oh！　oh！〃　groaned　the　man。　　〃And　you　are　a　married　man？〃　he　groaned　out　mournfully；　a　lookin'　pitifully　at　him。　　〃With　a　family？〃　〃Yes；〃　sez　Josiah；　faintly。　〃Oh　dear；〃　sez　the　man；　〃must　it　be　so；　to　die；　so　　so　lamented？〃　〃To　die！〃　sez　Josiah；　turnin'　white　jest　round　the　lip。　〃Yes；　to　die！　　Did　you　not　say　you　had　been　a　drinkin'　the　water　from　the　Immortal　spring？〃　〃Yes；〃　sez　Josiah。　〃Wall；　it　is　a　certain；　a　deadly　poison。〃　〃Haint　there　no　help　for　me？〃　sez　Josiah。　〃Yes；〃　sez　the　man；　〃You　must　drink　from　the　Live…forever　spring；　at　the　other　end　of　the　village。　　That　water　has　the　happy　effect　of　neutralizin'　the　poisons　of　the　Immortal　spring。　　If　anything　can　save　you　that　can。　　Why；〃　sez　he；　〃folks　that　have　been　entirely　broke　down；　and　made　helpless　and　hopeless　invalids；　them　that　have　been　brung　down　on　their　death…beds　by　the　use　of　that　vile　Immortal　water；　have　been　cured　by　a　few　glasses　of　the　pure　healin'　waters　of　the　Live…forever　spring。　　I'd　advise　you　for　your　own　sake；　and　the　sake　of　your　family；　who　would　mourn　your　ontimely　decese；　to　drink　from　that　spring　at　once。〃　〃But；〃　sez　Josiah；　with　a　agonized　and　hopeless　look；　〃I　can't　drink　no　more　now。〃　〃Why？〃　sez　the　man。　〃Because　I　don't　hold　any　more。　　I　don't　hold　but　two　quarts；　and　I　have　drinked　11　tumblers　full　now。〃　〃Eleven　glasses　of　that　poison？〃　sez　the　man。　〃Wall；　if　it　is　too　late　I　am　not　to　blame。　　I've　warned　you。　Farewell；〃　sez　he；　a　graspin'　holt　of　Josiah's　hand。　　〃Farewell；　forever。　　But　if　you　do　live；〃　sez　he；　〃if　by　a　miricle　you　are　saved；　remember　the　Live…forever　spring。　　If　there　is　any　help　for　you　it　is　in　them　waters。〃　And　he　dashed　away；　for　another　stranger　wuz　approachin'　the　seen。　I；　myself；　didn't　have　no　idee　that　Josiah　wuz　a　goin'　to　die。　But　Ardelia　whispered　to　me；　she　must　go　back　to　the　hotel；　so　she　went。　　I　see　she　looked　kinder　strange；　and　I　didn't　object　to　it。　　And　when　we　got　back　she　handed　me　some　verses　entitled：　〃Stanzas　on　the　death　of　Josiah　Allen。〃　She　handed　'em　to　me；　and　hastened　away；　quick。　　But　Josiah　Allen　didn't　die。　　And　this　incident　made　him　more　megum。　　More　as　I　wanted　him　to　be。　　Why；　you　have　to　be　megum　in　everything；　no　matter　how　good　it　is。　　Milk　porridge；　or　the　Bible；　or　anything。　You　can　kill　yourself　on　milk　porridge　if　you　drink　enough。　　And　you　can　set　down　and　read　the　Bible；　till　you　grow　to　your　chair；　and　lose　your　eyesight。　Now　these　waters　are　dretful　good；　but　you　have　got　to　use　some　megumness　with　'em；　it　stands　to　reason　you　have。　　Taint　megum　to　drink　from　10　to　12　glasses　at　a　time；　and　mix　your　drinks　goin'　round　from　spring　to　spring　like　a　luny。　　No；　get　a　good　doctor　to　tell　you　what　minerals　you　seem　to　stand　in　need　on　the　most；　and　then　try　to　get　'em　with　fear　and　tremblin'。　　You'll　get　help　I　haint　a　doubt　on't。　　For　they　are　dretful　good　for　varius　things　that　afflict　the　human　body。　　Dretful！


XVI。　AT　A　LAWN　PARTY。

Wall；　the　very　next　mornin'　Miss　Flamm　sent　word　for　Josiah　and　me　to　come　that　night　to　a　lawn　party。　　And　I　sez　at　once；　〃I　must　go　and　get　some　lawn。〃　Sez　Josiah；　〃What　will　you　do　with　it？〃　And　I　sez；　〃Oh；　I　s'pose　I　shall　wrap　it　round　me；　I'll　do　what　the　rest　do。〃　And　sez　Josiah；　〃Hadn't　I　ort　to　have　some　too？　　If　it　is　a　lawn　party　and　everybody　else　has　it；　I　shall　feel　like　a　fool　without　any　lawn。〃　And　I　looked　at　him　in　deep　thought；　and　through　him　into　the　causes　and　consequences　of　things；　and　sez　I；　〃I　s'pose　you　do　ort　to　have　a　lawn　necktie；　or　handkerchief；　or　sunthin'。〃　Sez　he；　〃How　would　a　vest　look　made　out　of　it；　a　kinder　sprigged　one；　light　gay　colors　on　a　yaller　ground…work？〃　But　I　sez　at　once；　〃You　never　will　go　out　with　me；　Josiah；　with　a　lawn　vest　on。〃　　And　I　settled　it　right　there　on　the　spot。　Then　he　proposed　to　have　some　wrapped　round　his　hat；　sort　a　festooned。　　But　I　stood　like　marble　aginst　that　idee。　　But　I　knew　I　had　got　to　have　some　lawn；　and　pretty　soon　we　sallied　out　together　and　wended　our　way　down　to　where　I　should　be　likely　to　find　a　lawn　store。　And　who　should　we　meet　a　comin'　out　of　a　store　but　Ardelia。　　Her　3d　cousin　had　sent　her　over　to　get　a　ingregient　for　cookin'。　Good；　willin'　little　creeter！　　She　walked　along　with　us　for　a　spell。　　And　while　she　wuz　a　walkin'　along　with　us；　we　come　onto　a　sight　that　always　looked　pitiful　to　me；　the　old　female　that　wuz　always　a'　sittin'　there　a　singin'　and　playin'　on　a　accordeun。　　And　it　seemed　to　me　that　she　looked　pitifuller　and　homblier　than　ever；　as　she　sot　there　amongst　the　dense　crowd　that　mornin'　a　singin'　and　a　playin'。　　Her　tone　wuz　thin；　thin　as　gauze；　hombly　gause　too。　　But　I　wondered　to　myself　how　she　wuz　a　feelin'　inside　of　her　own　mind；　and　what　voices　she　heard　a　speakin'　to　her　own　soul；　through　them　hombly　strains。　　And；　ontirely　unbeknown　to　myself；　I　fell　into　a　short　revery　（short　but　deep）　right　there　in　the　street；　as　I　looked　down　on　her；　a　settin'　there　so　old；　and　patient　and　helpless；　amongst　the　gay　movin'　throng。　And　I　wondered　what　did　she　see；　a　settin'　there　with　her　blind　eyes；　what　did　she　hear　through　them　hombly　tones　that　she　wuz　a　singin'　day　after　day　to　a　crowd　that　wuz　indifferent　to　her；　or　despised　her？　　Did　she　hear　the　song　of　the　mornin'；　the　spring　time　of　life？　　Did　the　song　of　a　lark　come　back　to　her；　a　lark　flyin'　up　through　the　sweet　mornin'　sky　over　the　doorway　of　a　home；　a　lark　watched　by　young　eyes；　two　pairs　of　'em；　that　made　the　seein'　a　blessedness？　　Did　a　baby's　fi