samantha at saratoga-第47章

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a　lark　watched　by　young　eyes；　two　pairs　of　'em；　that　made　the　seein'　a　blessedness？　　Did　a　baby's　first　sweet　blunders　of　speech；　and　happy　laughter　come　back　to　her；　as　she　sot　there　a　drawin'　out　with　her　wrinkled　hands　them　miserable　sounds　from　the　groanin'　instrument？　　Did　home；　love；　happiness　sound　out　to　her；　out　of　them　hombly　strains？　　I'd　have　gin　a　cent　to　know。　And　I'd　have　gin　a　cent　quick　to　know　if　the　tread　　tread　　tread　of　the　crowd　goin'　past　her　day　after　day；　hour　after　hour；　seems　to　her　like　the　trample　of　Time　a　marchin'　on。　　Did　she　hear　in　'em　the　footsteps　of　child；　or　lover；　or　friend；　a　steppin'　away　from　her；　and　youth　and　happiness；　and　hope；　a　stiddy　goin'　away　from　her？　Did　she　ever　listen　through　the　constant　sound　of　them　steps；　listen　to　hear　the　tread　of　them　feet　that　she　must　know　wuz　a　comin'　nigh　to　her　　the　icy　feet　that　will　approach　us；　if　their　way　leads　over　rocks　or　roses？　Did　she　hate　to　hear　them　steps　a　comin'　nearer　to　her；　or　did　she　strain　her　ears　to　hear　'em；　to　welcome　'em？　　I　thought　like　as　not　she　did。　　For　thinkses　I　to　myself；　and　couldn't　help　it；　if　she　is　a　Christian　she　must　be　glad　to　change　that　old　accordeun　for　a　harp　of　any　size　or　shape。　　For　mournfuller　and　more　melancholy　sounds　than　her　voice　and　that　instrument　made　I　never　hearn；　nor　ever　expect　to　hear；　and　thin。　Poor；　old；　hombly　critter；　I　gin　her　quite　a　lot　of　change　one　day；　and　she　braced　up　and　sung　and　drawed　out　faster　than　ever；　and　thinner。　　Though　I'd　have　gladly　hearn　her　stop。　When　I　come　up　out　of　my　revery；　I　see　Ardelia　lookin'　at　her　stiddy　and　kind　a　sot。　　And　I　mistrusted　trouble　wuz　ahead　on　me；　and　I　hurried　Josiah　down　the　street。　　Ardelia　a　sayin'　she　had　got　to　turn　the　corner；　to　go　to　another　place　for　her　3d　cousin。　Jest　as　we　wuz　a　crossin'　a　street　my　companion　drawed　my　attention　to　a　sign　that　wuz　jest　overhead；　and　sez　lie；　〃That　means　me；　I'm　spoke　of　right　out；　and　hung　up　overhead。〃　And　sez　I；　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　Sez　he；　〃Read　it　　'The　First　Man…I…Cure　Of　The　Day。'　　That's　me；　Samantha；　I　haint　a　doubt　of　it。　　And　I　s'pose　I　ort　to　go　in　and　be　cured。　　I　s'pose　probably　it　will　be　expected　of　me；　that　I　should　go　in；　and　let　him　look　at　my　corns。〃　Sez　I；　〃Josiah　Allen；　I've　heerd　you　talk　time　and　agin　aginst　big　feelin'　folks；　and　here　you　be　a　talkin'　it　right　to　yourself；　and　callin'　yourself　the　first　man　of　the　day。〃　〃Wall；〃　sez　he　firmly；　〃I　believe　it；　and　I　believe　you　do；　and　you'd　own　up　to　it；　if　you　wuzn't　so　aggravatin'。〃　〃Wall；　sez　I　mildly；　〃I　do　think　you　are　the　first　in　some　things；　though　what　them　things　are；　I　would　be　fur　from　wantin'　to　tell　you。　　But；〃　I　continued　on；　〃I　don't　see　you　should　think　that　means　you。　　Saratoga　is　full　of　men；　and　most　probable　every　man　of　'em　thinks　it　means　him。〃　〃Wall；〃　sez　he；　〃I　don't　think　it　means　me；　I　know　it。　　And　I　s'pose；〃　he　continued　dreamily；　〃they'd　cure　me；　and　not　charge　a　cent。〃　〃Wall；〃　sez　I；　〃wait　till　another　time；　Josiah　Allen。〃　　And　jest　at　this　minute；　right　down　under　our　feet；　we　see　the　word　〃Pray；〃　in　big　letters　scraped　right　out　in　stun。　　And　Josiah　sez；　〃I　wonder　if　the　dumb　fools　think　anybody　is　goin　to　kneel　down　right　here　in　the　street；　and　be　run　over。　　Why　a　man　would　be　knocked　over　a　dozen　times；　before　he　got　through　one　prayer；　Now　I　lay　me　down　to　sleep；　or　anything。〃　〃Wall；〃　sez　I；　mildly；　〃I　don't　think　that　would　be　a　very　suitable　prayer　under　the　circumstances。　　It　haint　expected　that　you'd　lay　down　here　for　a　nap　　howsumever；〃　sez　I　reesunably　〃their　puttin'　the　word　there　shows　what　good　streaks　the　folks　here　have；　and　I　don't　want　you　to　make　light　on't；　and　if　you　don't　want　to　act　like　a　perfect　backslider　you'll　ceese　usin'　such　profane　language　on　sech　a　solemn　subject。〃　Wall；　we　went　into　a　good　lookin'store　and　I　wuz　jest　a　lookin'　at　some　lawn　and　a　wonderin'　how　many　yards　I　should　want；　when　who　should　come　in　but　Miss　Flamm　to　get　a　rooch　for　her　neck。　And　she　told　me　that　I　didn't　need　any　lawn；　and　that　it　wuz　a　Garden　party；　and　folks　dressed　in　anything　they　wuz　a　mind　to；　though　sez　she；　〃A　good　many　go　in　full　dress。〃　〃Wall；〃　sez　I　calmly；　〃I　have　got　one。〃　　And　she　told　me　to　come　in　good　season。　That　afternoon；　Josiah　a　bein'　out　for　a　walk；　I　took　out　of　my　trunk　a　dress　that　Alminy　Hagidon　had　made　for　me　out　of　a　very　full　pattern　I　had　got　of　a　peddler；　and　wanted　it　all　put　in；　so's　it　would　fade　all　alike；　for　I　mistrusted　it　wouldn't　wash。　It　wuz　gethered…in　full　round　the　waist；　and　the　sleeves　wuz　set　in　full；　and　the　waist　wuz　kinder　full　before；　and　it　had　a　deep　high　ruffle　gathered…in　full　round　the　neck。　　It　wuz　a　very　full　dress；　though　I　haint　proud；　and　never　wuz　called　so。　　Yet　anybody　duz　take　a　modest　pleasure　in　bein'　equal　to　any　occasion　and　comin'　up　nobly　to　a　emergency。　　And　I　own　that　I　did　say　to　myself；　as　I　pulled　out　the　gethers　in　front；　〃Wall；　there　may　be　full　dresses　there　to…night；　but　there　will　be　none　fuller　than　mine。〃　And　I　wuz　glad　that　Alminy　had　made　it　jest　as　she　had。　　She　had　made　it　a　little　fuller　than　even　I　had　laid　out　to　have　it；　for　she　mistrusted　it　would　shrink　in　washin'。　　It　wuz　a　very　full　dress。　　It　wuz　cambrick　dark　chocolate；　with　a　set　flower　of　a　kind　of　a　cinnamon　brown　and　yellow；　it　wuz　bran　new　and　looked　well。　Wall；　I　had　got　it　on；　and　wuz　contemplatin'　its　fullness　with　complacency　and　a　hand…glass；　a　seein'　how　nobly　it　stood　out　behind；　and　how　full　it　wuz；　when　Josiah　Allen　came　in。　　I　had　talked　it　over　with　him；　before　he　went　out　　and　he　wuz　as　tickled　as　I　wuz；　and　tickleder；　to　think　I　had　got　jest　the　right　dress　for　the　occasion。　　But　he　sez　to　me　the　first　thing　　　〃You　are　all　wrong；　Samantha；　full　dress　means　low　neck　and　short　sleeves。〃　Sez　I；　〃I　know　better！〃　Sez　he；　〃It　duz。〃　Sez　I；　〃Somebody　has　been　a　foolin'　you；　Josiah　Allen！　　There　ain't　no　sense　in　it。　　Do　you　s'pose　folks　would　call　a　dress　full；　when　there　wuzn't　more'n　half　a　waist　and　sleeves　to　it。　I'd　try　to　use　a　little　judgment；　Josiah　Allen！　〃　But　he　contended　that　he　wuz　in　the　right　on't。　　And　he　took　up　his　best　vest　that　lay　on　the　bed；　and　sot　down；　and　took　out　his　jack　knife　and　went　a　rippin'　open　one　of　the　shoulders；　and　sez　I；　〃What　are　you　doin'；　Josiah　Allen？〃　〃Why；　you　can　do　as　you　are　a　mind　to；　Samantha　Allen；〃　sez　he。　〃But　I　shall　go　fashionable；　I　shall　go　in　full　dress。〃　Sez　I；　〃Josiah　Allen　　do　you　look　me　in　the　face　and　say　you　are　a　goin'　in　a　low　neck　vest；　and　everything；　to　that　party　to…night？〃　〃Yes；　mom；　I　be。　　I　am　bound　to　be　fashionable。〃　　And　he　went　to　rollin'　up　his　shirt　sleeves　and　turnin'　in　the　neck　of　his　shirt；　in　a　manner　that　wuz　perfectly　immodest。　I　turned　my　head　away　instinctively；　for　I　felt　that　my　cheek　wuz　a　gettin'　as　red　as　blood；　partly　through　delicacy　and　partly　through　righteous　anger。　　Sez　I；　〃Josiah　Allen；　be　you　a　calculatin'　to　go　there　right　out　in　public　before　men　and　wimmen；　a　showin'　your　bare　bosom　to　a　crowd？　　Where　is　your　modesty；　Josiah　Allen？　　Where　is　your　decency？〃　Sez　he　firmly；　〃I　keep　'em　where　all　the　rest　do；　who　go　in　full　dress。〃　I　sot　right　down　in　a　chair　and　sez　I；　〃Wall　there　is　one　thing　certain；　if　you　go　in　that