samantha at saratoga-第56章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


t　Spirit　who　inhabiteth　Eternity。　　No；　it　wuz　small；　and　cozy；　and　cheerful；　like　a　home。　　And　the　stained　glass　window　held　a　beautiful　picture　of　love　and　charity；　which　might　well　touch　the　children's　hearts；　sweetly　and　unconsciously；　with　the　divine　worth　of　love；　and　beauty；　and　goodness。　And　I　could　fancy　the　dear；　little　ones　kneelin'　here；　and　prayin'　〃Our　Father；　who　art　in　Heaven；〃　and　feelin'　that　He　wuz　indeed　their　Father；　and　not　a　stranger；　and　that　Heaven　wuz　not　fur　off　from　'em。　And　I　thought　to　myself　〃Never！　never！　through　all　their　life　will　they　get　entirely　away　from　the　pure；　sweet　lessons　they　learn　here。〃　I　enjoyed　the　hour　I　spent　here　with　a　deep；　heart　enjoyment；　and　so　did　Josiah。　　Or；　that　is；　I　guess　he　did；　though　he　whispered　to　me　from　time　to　time；　or　even　oftener；　as　we　went　through　the　buildin'；　that　we　wuz　a　devourin'　time　that　we　might　be　spendin'　at　the　Roller　Coaster。　Wall；　at　last；　greatly　to　my　pardner's　satisfaction；　we　sot　out　for　the　place　where　he　fain　would　be。　　On　our　way　there　we　roamed　through　another　Indian　Encampment；　a　smaller　one　than　that　where　we　had　the　fearful　incident　of　the　Mermaid　and　Sarah。　No；　it　wuzn't　so　big；　but　it　had　many　innocent　diversions　and　a　photograph　gallery；　and　other　things　for　its　comfert。　　And　a　standin'　up　a　leanin'　aginst　a　tree；　by　one　of　the　little　houses　stood　a　Injun。　　He　wuz　one　of　the　last　left　of　his　tribe。　　He　seemed　to　be　a　lookin'　pensively　on　　and　seein'　how　the　land　that　had　belonged　to　'em；　the　happy　huntin'…grounds；　the　springs　they　believed　the　Great　Spirit　had　gin　to　'em；　had　all　passed　away　into　the　bands　of　another　race。　I　wuz　sorry　for　that　Injun；　real　sorry。　　And　thinkses　I　to　myself；　we　feel　considerable　pert　now；　and　lively；　but　who　knows　in　another　three　or　four　hundred　years；　but　what　one　of　the　last　of　our　race；　may　be　a　leanin'　up　aginst　some　new　tree；　right　in　the　same　spot；　a　watchin'　the　old　places　passed　away　into　other　hands；　mebby　black　hands；　or　some　other　colored　ones；　mebby　yellow　ones；　who　knows？　　I　don't；　nor　Josiah　don't。　　But　my　pardner　wuz　a　hurryin'　me　on；　so　I　dropped　my　revery　and　my　umberell　in　my　haste　to　foller　on　after　his　footsteps。　Josiah　picked　up　my　umberell；　but　he　couldn't　pick　up　my　soarin'　emotions　for　me。　　No；　he　haint　never　been　able；　to　get　holt　of　'em。　　But　suffice　it　to　say；　that　soon；　preceded　by　my　companion；　I　found　myself　a　mountin'　the　nearly　precipitus　stairs；　that　led　to　the　Roller　Coaster。　And　havin'　reached　the　spot；　who　should　we　find　there　but　Ardelia　Tutt　and　Bial　Flamburg。　　They　had　been　on　the　Roller　Coaster　seven　times　in　succession；　and　the　car。　　And　they　wuz　now　a　sittin'　down　to　recooperate　their　energies；　and　collect　their　scattered　wits　together。　　The　Roller　Coaster　is　very　scatterin'　to　wits　that　are　not　collected　firm　and　sound；　and　cemented　by　strong　common　sense。　The　reason　why　the　Roller　Coaster　don't　scatter　such　folkses　wits　is　supposed　to　be　because；　they　don't　go　on　to　it。　　Ardelia　looked　as　if　her　idees　wuz　scattered　to　the　four　pints　of　the　compass。　　As　for　Bial；　it　seemed　to　me；　as　if　he　never　had　none　to　scatter。　　But　he　spoke　out　to　once；　and　said；　he　didn't　care　to　ride　on　'em。　　（Bial　Flamburg's　strong　pint；　is　his　truthfulness；　I　can't　deny　that。）　Ardelia　wouldn't　own　up　but　what　she　enjoyed　it　dretfully。　　You　know　folks　are　most　always　so。　　If　they　partake　of　a　pleasure　and　recreation　that　is　doubtful　in　its　effects；　they　will　always　say；　what　a　high　extreme　of　enjoyment　they　enjoyed　a　partakin'　of　it。　Curius；　haint　it？　　Wall；　Josiah　had　been　anticipatin'　so　much　enjoyment　from　the　exercise；　that　I　didn't　make　no　move　to　prevent　him　from　embarkin'　on　it　　though　it　looked　hazardous　and　dangerous　in　the　extreme。　I　looked　down　on　the　long　valleys；　and　precipitous　heights　of　the　assents　and　desents；　in　which　my　pardner　wuz　so　soon　to　be　assentin'　and　desentin'　and　I　trembled；　and　wuz　jest　about　to　urge　him　to　forego　his　diversion；　for　the　sake　of　his　pardner's　happiness；　but　as　I　turned　to　expostulate　with　him；　I　see　the　beautiful；　joyous；　hopeful　look　on　his　liniment；　and　the　words　fell　almost　dead　on　my　tongue。　　I　felt　that　I　had　ruther　suffer　in　silence　than　to　say　one　word　to　mar　that　bliss。　Such　is　the　love　of　pardners；　and　such　is　some　of　the　agonies　they　suffer　silently　to　save　from　woundin'　the　more　opposite　one。　No；　I　said　not　a　word；　but　silently　sat；　and　see　him　makin'　his　preparations　to　embark。　　He　see　the　expression　onto　my　face；　and　he　too　wuz　touched　by　it。　　He　never　said　one　word　to　me　about　embarkin'　too；　which　I　laid　to　two　reasons。　　One　wuz　my　immovable　determination　not　to　embark　on　the　voyage；　which　I　had　confided　to　him　before。　And　the　other　wuz；　the　added　expenses　of　the　journey　if　he　took　his　companion　with　him。　No；　I　felt　that　he　thought　it　wuz　better　we　should　part　temporarily　than　that　the　expenditure　should　be　doubled。　　But　as　the　time　drew　near　for　him　to　leave　me；　I　see　by　his　meen　that　he　felt　bad　about　leavin'　me。　　He　realized　what　a　companion　I　had　been　to　him。　　He　realized　the　safety　and　repose　he　had　always　found　at　my　side　and　the　unknown　dangers　he　wuz　a　rushin'　into。　And　he　got　up　and　silently　shook　hands　with　me。　　He　would　have　kissed　me；　I　make　no　doubt；　if　folks　hadn't　been　a　standin'　by。　He　then　embarked；　and　with　lightnin'　speed　wuz　bore　away　from　me；　as　he　dissapeared　down　the　desent；　his　few　gray　hairs　waved　back；　and　as　he　went　over　the　last　precipitus　hill；　I　heard　him　cry　out　in　agonizin'　axents；　〃Samantha！　Samantha！〃　And　I　rushed　forwards　to　his　rescue　but　so　lightnin'　quick　wuz　their　movements　that　I　met　my　companion　a　comin'　back；　and　I　sez；　the　first　thing；　〃I　heard　your　cry；　Josiah！　　I　rushed　to　save　you；　my　dear　pardner。〃　〃Yes；〃　sez　he；　〃I　spoke　out　to　you；　to　call　your　attention　to　the　landscape；　over　the　woods　there！〃　I　looked　at　him　in　a　curious；　still　sort　of　a　way；　and　didn't　say　nothin'　only　just　that　look。　　Why；　that　man　looked　all　trembly　and　broke　up；　but　he　kep'　on。　〃Yes；　it　wuz　beautiful　and　inspirin'；　and　I　knew　you　wuz　such　a　case　for　landscapes；　I　thought　I　would　call　your　attention　to　it。〃　Sez　I；　coldly；　〃You　wuz　skairt；　Josiah　Allen；　and　you　know　it。〃　〃Skairt！　the　idee　of　me　bein'　skairt。　　I　wuz　callin'　your　attention　to　the　beauty　of　the　view；　over　in　the　woods。〃　〃What　wuz　it？〃　sez　I；　still　more　coldly；　for　I　can't　bear　deceit；　and　coverin'　up。　〃Oh；　it　wuz　a　house；　and　a　tree；　and　a　barn；　and　things。〃　〃A　great　seen　to　scream　about；〃　sez　I。　　〃It　would　probable　have　stood　there　till　you　got　back；　but　you　couldn't　seem　to　wait。〃　〃No；　I　have　noticed　that　you　always　wanted　to　see　things　to　once。　I　have　noticed　it　in　you。〃　〃I　could　most　probable　have　waited　till　you　got　back；　to　see　a　house　and　a　tree。〃　　And　in　still　more　　frigid　axents；　I　added；　〃Or　a　barn。〃　　And　I　sez；　kinder　sarkastikly；　〃You　enjoyed　your　ride；　I　s'pose。〃　〃Immensely；　it　wuz　perfectly　beautiful！　　So　sort　a　free　and　soarin'　like。　　It　is　jest　what　suits　a　man。〃　〃You'd　better　go　right　over　it　agin；〃　sez　I。　〃Yes；〃　sez　the　man　who　runs　the　cars。　　〃You'd　better　go　agin。〃　〃Oh　no；〃　sez　Josiah。　〃Why　not？〃　sez　I。　〃Why　not？〃　sez　the　man。　Josiah　Allen　looked　all　around　the　room；　and　down　on　the　grass；　as　if　trying　to　find　a　good　reaso