samantha at saratoga-第6章

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　it　would　be　wrongin'　you；　not　to　give　you　that　treat。　　Read　it　Ardelia。〃　I　see　Ardelia　wuz　used　to　obeyin'　her　ma。　　She　opened　the　sheet　to　once；　and　begun。　Jest　the　minute　Ardelia　stopped　readin'　Miss　Tatt　says　proudly：　〃There！　haint　that　a　remarkable　poem；？〃　Sez　I；　calmly；　〃Yes　it　is　a　remarkable　one。〃　〃Did　you　ever　hear　anything　like　it？〃　says　she；　triumphly。　〃No；〃　sez　I　honestly；　〃I　never　did。〃　〃Ardelia；　read　the　poem　on　Little　Ardelia　Cordelia；　give　Miss　Allen　the　treat　of　hearin'　that　beautiful　thing。〃　I　sort　a　sithed　low　to　myself；　it　wuz　more　of　a　groan　than　a　common　sithe；　but　Miss　Tutt　didn't　heed　it；　she　kep'　right　on　　〃I　have　always　brought　up　my　children　to　make　other　folks　happy；　all　they　can；　and　in　rehearsin'　this　lovely　and　remarkable　poem；　Ardelia　will　be　not　only　makin'　you　perfectly　happy；　givin'　you　a　rich　intellectual　feast；　that　you　can't　often　have；　way　out　here　in　the　country；　fur　from　Tuttville；　but　she　will　also　be　attendin'　to　the　business　that　brought　us　here。　　I　have　always　fetched　my　children　up　to　combine　joy　and　business；　weld　'em　together　like　brass　and　steel。　　Ardelia；　begin！〃　So　Ardelia　commenced　agin'。　　It　wuz　wrote　on　a　big　sheet　of　paper　and　a　runnin'　vine　wuz　a　runnin'　all　'round　the　edge　of　the　paper；　made　with　a　pen。　Jest　as　soon　as　Ardelia　stopped　rehearsin'　the　verses；　Miss　Tutt　sez　agin　to　me：　〃Haint　that　a　most　remarkable　poem？〃　And　agin　I　sez　calmly；　and　trutbfully；　〃Yes；　it　is　a　very　remarkable　one！〃　〃And　now；〃　sez　Miss　Tutt；　plungin'　her　hand　in　the　bag；　and　drawin'　out　a　sheet　of　paper；　〃to　convince　you　that　Ardelia　has　always　had　this　divine　gift　of　poesy　　that　it　is　not；　all　the　effect　of　culture　and　high　education　　let　me　read　to　you　a　poem　she　wrote　when　she　wuz　only　a　mere　child；〃　and　Miss　Tutt　read：　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃LINES　ON　A　CAT　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃WRITTEN　BY　ARDELIA　TUTT；　　　　　〃At　the　age　of　fourteen　years；　two　months　and　eight　days。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Oh　Cat！　Sweet　Tabby　cat　of　mine；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　6　months　of　age　has　passed　o'er　thee；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　I　would　not　resign；　resign　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　pleasure　that　I　find　in　you。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Dear　old　cat！〃　〃Don't　you　think；〃　sez　Miss　Tutt；　〃that　this　poem　shows　a　fund　of　passion；　a　reserve　power　of　passion　and　constancy；　remarkable　in　one　so　young？〃　〃Yes；〃　sez　I　reasonably；　〃no　doubt　she　liked　the　cat。　　And；〃　sez　I；　wantin'　to　say　somethin'　pleasant　and　agreeable　to　her；　〃no　doubt　it　was　a　likely　cat。〃　〃Oh　the　cat　itself　is　of　miner　importance；〃　sez　Miss　Tutt。　　〃We　will　fling　the　cat　to　the　winds。　　It's　of　my　daughter　I　would　speak。　　I　simply　handled　the　cat　to　show　the　rare　precocious　intellect。　　Oh！　how　it　gushed　out　in　the　last　line　in　the　unconquerable　burst　of　repressed　passion　　‘Dear　old　cat！'　Shakespeare　might　have　wrote　that　line；　do　you　not　think　so？〃　〃No　doubt　he　might；〃　sez　I；　calmly；　〃but　he　didn't。〃　I　see　she　looked　mad　and　I　hastened　to　say：　〃He　wuzn't　aquainted　with　the　cat。〃　She　looked　kinder　mollyfied　and　continued：　〃Ardelia　dashes　off　things　with　a　speed　that　would　astonish　a　mere　common　writer。　　Why　she　dashed　off　thirty…nine　verses　once　while　she　wuz　waitin'　for　the　dish　water　to　bile；　and　sent　'em　right　off　to　the　printer；　without　glancin'　at　'em　agin。'　〃I　dare　say　so；〃　sez　I；　〃I　should　judge　so　by　the　sound　on　'em。〃　〃Out　of　envy　and　jealousy；　the　rankest　envy；　and　the　shearest　jealousy；　them　verses　wuz　sent　back　with　the　infamous　request　that　she　should　use　'em　for　curl　papers。　　But　she　sot　right　down　and　wrote　forty…eight　verses　on　a　‘Cruel　Request；'　wrote　'em　inside　of　eighteen　minutes。　　She　throws　off　things；　Ardelia　does；　in　half　an　hour；　that　it　would　take　other　poets；　weeks　and　weeks　to　write。〃　〃I　persume　so；〃　sez　I；　〃I　dare　persume　to　say；　they　never　could　write　'em。〃　〃And　now；〃　sez　Miss　Tutt；　〃the　question　is；　will　you　put　Ardelia　on　the　back　of　that　horse　that　poets　ride　to　glory　on？　　Will　you　lift　her　onto　the　back　of　that　horse；　and　do　it　at　once？　　I　require　nothin'　hard　of　you；〃　sez　she；　a　borin'　me　through　and　through　with　her　eyes。　　〃It　must　be　a　joy　to　you；　Josiah　Allen's　wife；　a　rare　joy；　to　be　the　means　of　bringin'　this　rare　genius　before　the　public。　　I　ask　nothin'　hard　of　you；　I　only　ask　that　you　demand；　demand　is　the　right　word；　not　ask；　that　would　be　grovelin'　trucklin'　folly；　but　demand　that　the　public　that　has　long　ignored　my　daugther　Ardelia's　claim　to　a　seat　amongst　the　immortal　poets；　demand　them；　compel　them　to　pause；　to　listen；　and　then　seat　her　there；　up；　up　on　the　highest；　most　perpendiciler　pinnacle　of　fame's　pillow。　　Will　you　do　this？〃　I　sat　in　deep　dejection　and　my　rockin'　chair；　and　knew　not　what　to　say　　and　Miss　Tutt　went　on：　〃We　demand　more　than　fame；　deathless；　immortal　fame　for　'em。　　We　want　money；　wealth　for　'em；　and　want　it　at　once！　　We　want　it　for　extra　household　expenses；　luxuries；　clothing；　jewelry；　charity；　etc。　　If　we　enrich　the　world　with　this　rare　genius；　the　world　must　enrich　us　with　its　richest　emmolients。　　Will　you　see　that　we　have　it！　　Will　you　at　once　do　as　I　asked　you　to？　　Will　you　seat　her　immegately　where　I　want　her　sot？　Sez　I；　considerin'；　〃I　can't　get　her　up　there　alone；　I　haint　strong　enough。〃　　Sez　I；　sort　a　mekanikly；　〃I　have　got　the　rheumatez。〃　〃So　you　scoff　me　do　you？　　I　came　to　you　to　get　bread；　am　I　to　get　worse　than　a　stun　　a　scoff？〃　〃I　haint　gin　you　no　scoff；〃　sez　I；　a　spunkin'　up　a　little；　〃I　haint　thought　on　it。　　I　like　Ardelia　and　wish　her　well；　but　I　can't　do　merikles；　I　can't　compel　the　public　to　like　things　if　they　don't。〃　Sez　Miss　Tutt；　〃You　are　jealous　of　her；　you　hate　her。〃　〃No；　I　don't；〃　sez　I；　〃I　haint　jealous　of　her；　and　I　like　her　looks　first…rate。　　I　love　a　pretty　young　girl；〃　sez　I　candidly；　〃jest　as　I　love　a　fresh　posy　with　the　dew　still　on　it；　a　dainty　rose…bud　with　the　sweet　fragrance　layin'　on　its　half…folded　heart。　I　love　'em；〃　sez　I；　a　beginnin'　to　eppisode　a　little　unbeknown　to　me；　〃I　love　'em　jest　as　I　love　the　soft　unbroken　silence　of　the　early　spring　mornin'；　the　sun　all　palely　tinted　with　rose　and　blue；　and　the　earth　alayin'　calm　and　unwoke…up；　fresh　and　fair。　　I　love　such　a　mornin'　and　such　a　life；　for　itself　and　for　the　unwritten　prophecis　in　it。　　And　when　I　see　genius　in　such　a　sweet；　young　life；　why　it　makes　me　feel　as　it　duz　to　see　through　all　the　tender　prophetic　beauty　of　the　mornin'　skies；　a　big　white　dove　a　soarin'　up　through　the　blue　heavens。〃　Sez　Miss　Tutt；　〃You　see　that　in　Ardelia；　but　you　wont　own　it；　you　know　you　do。〃　〃No！〃　sez　I；　〃I　would　love　to　tell　you　that　I　see　it　in　Ardelia；　I　would　honest；　but　I　can't　look　into　them　mornin'　skies　and　say　I　see　a　white　dove　there；　when　I　don't　see　nothin'　more　than　a　plump　pullet；　a　jumpin'　down　from　the　fence　or　a　pickin'　round　calmly　in　the　back　door…yard。　　Jest　as　likely　the　hen　is；　as　the　white　dove；　jest　as　honerable；　but　you　mustn't　confound　the　two　together。〃　〃A　hen；〃　sez　Miss　Tutt　bitterly。　　〃To　confound　my　Ardelia　with　a　hen！　　And　I　don't　think　there　wuz　ever　a　more　ironieler　‘hen'　than　that　wuz；　or　a　scornfuller　one。〃　〃Why；〃　sez　I　reasonably。　　〃Hens　are　necessary　and　useful　in　any　position；　both　walkin'　and　settin'；　and　layin'。　　You　can't　get'em　in　any　position　hardly；　but　what　they　are　useful　and　respectable；　only　jest　f