the american claimant-第4部分

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〃It　must　try　your　patience　pretty　sharply　sometimes。〃

〃Oh；　no；　I'm　used　to　it；　and　I'd　rather　have　him　so　than　the　other　way。
When　I　call　him　a　failure；　I　mean　to　the　world　he's　a　failure；　he　isn't
to　me。　　I　don't　know　as　I　want　him　different　much　different；　anyway。
I　have　to　scold　him　some；　snarl　at　him；　you　might　even　call　it；　but　I
reckon　I'd　do　that　just　the　same；　if　he　was　differentit's　my　make。
But　I'm　a　good　deal　less　snarly　and　more　contented　when　he's　a　failure
than　I　am　when　he　isn't。〃

〃Then　he　isn't　always　a　failure；〃　said　Hawking；　brightening。

〃Him？　　Oh；　bless　you；　no。　　He　makes　a　strike；　as　he　calls　it；　from　time
to　time。　　Then's　my　time　to　fret　and　fuss。　　For　the　money　just　flies
first　come　first　served。　　Straight　off；　he　loads　up　the　house　with
cripples　and　idiots　and　stray　cats　and　all　the　different　kinds　of　poor
wrecks　that　other　people　don't　want　and　he　does；　and　then　when　the
poverty　comes　again　I've　got　to　clear　the　most　of　them　out　or　we'd
starve；　and　that　distresses　him；　and　me　the　same；　of　course。

Here's　old　Dan'l　and　old　Jinny；　that　the　sheriff　sold　south　one　of　the
times　that　we　got　bankrupted　before　the　warthey　came　wandering　back
after　the　peace；　worn　out　and　used　up　on　the　cotton　plantations；
helpless；　and　not　another　lick　of　work　left　in　their　old　hides　for　the
rest　of　this　earthly　pilgrimageand　we　so　pinched；　oh　so　pinched　for　the
very　crumbs　to　keep　life　in　us；　and　he　just　flung　the　door　wide；　and　the
way　he　received　them　you'd　have　thought　they　had　come　straight　down　from
heaven　in　answer　to　prayer。　　I　took　him　one　side　and　said；　'Mulberry　we
can't　have　themwe've　nothing　for　ourselveswe　can't　feed　them。'
He　looked　at　me　kind　of　hurt；　and　said；　'Turn　them　out？and　they've　come
to　me　just　as　confident　and　trusting　asaswhy　Polly；　I　must　have
bought　that　confidence　sometime　or　other　a　long　time　ago；　and　given　my
note；　so　to　speakyou　don't　get　such　things　as　a　giftand　how　am　I
going　to　go　back　on　a　debt　like　that？　　And　you　see；　they're　so　poor；
and　old；　and　friendless；　and　But　I　was　ashamed　by　that　time；　and　shut
him　off；　and　somehow　felt　a　new　courage　in　me；　and　so　I　said；　softly；
'We'll　keep　themthe　Lord　will　provide。'　　He　was　glad；　and　started　to
blurt　out　one　of　those　over…confident　speeches　of　his；　but　checked
himself　in　time；　and　said　humbly；　'I　will；　anyway。'　　It　was　years　and
years　and　years　ago。　　Well；　you　see　those　old　wrecks　are　here　yet。〃

〃But　don't　they　do　your　housework？〃

〃Laws！　　The　idea。　　They　would　if　they　could；　poor　old　things；　and　perhaps
they　think　they　do　do　some　of　it。　　But　it's　a　superstition。　　Dan'l　waits
on　the　front　door；　and　sometimes　goes　on　an　errand；　and　sometimes　you'll
see　one　or　both　of　them　letting　on　to　dust　around　in　herebut　that's
because　there's　something　they　want　to　hear　about　and　mix　their　gabble
into。　　And　they're　always　around　at　meals；　for　the　same　reason。　　But　the
fact　is；　we　have　to　keep　a　young　negro　girl　just　to　take　care　of　them；
and　a　negro　woman　to　do　the　housework　and　help　take　care　of　them。〃

〃Well；　they　ought　to　be　tolerably　happy；　I　should　think。

〃It's　no　name　for　it。　　They　quarrel　together　pretty　much　all　the　time
most　always　about　religion；　because　Dan'l's　a　Dunker　Baptist　and　Jinny's
a　shouting　Methodist；　and　Jinny　believes　in　special　Providences　and　Dan'l
don't；　because　he　thinks　he's　a　kind　of　a　free…thinkerand　they　play　and
sing　plantation　hymns　together；　and　talk　and　chatter　just　eternally　and
forever；　and　are　sincerely　fond　of　each　other　and　think　the　world　of
Mulberry；　and　he　puts　up　patiently　with　all　their　spoiled　ways　and
foolishness；　and　so…ah；　well；　they're　happy　enough　if　it　comes　to　that。
And　I　don't　mindI've　got　used　to　it。　　I　can　get　used　to　anything；　with
Mulberry　to　help；　and　the　fact　is；　I　don't　much　care　what　happens；　so
long　as　he's　spared　to　me。〃

〃Well；　here's　to　him；　and　hoping　he'll　make　another　strike　soon。〃

〃And　rake　in　the　lame；　the　halt　and　the　blind；　and　turn　the　house　into　a
hospital　again？　　It's　what　he　would　do。　　I've　seen　aplenty　of　that　and
more。　　No；　Washington；　I　want　his　strikes　to　be　mighty　moderate　ones　the
rest　of　the　way　down　the　vale。〃

〃Well；　then；　big　strike　or　little　strike；　or　no　strike　at　all；　here's
hoping　he'll　never　lack　for　friendsand　I　don't　reckon　he　ever　will
while　there's　people　around　who　know　enough　to〃

〃Him　lack　for　friends！〃　and　she　tilted　her　head　up　with　a　frank　pride
〃why；　Washington；　you　can't　name　a　man　that's　anybody　that　isn't　fond　of
him。　　I'll　tell　you　privately；　that　I've　had　Satan's　own　time　to　keep
them　from　appointing　him　to　some　office　or　other。　　They　knew　he'd　no
business　with　an　office；　just　as　well　as　I　did；　but　he's　the　hardest　man
to　refuse　anything　to；　a　body　ever　saw。　　Mulberry　Sellers　with　an　office！
laws　goodness；　you　know　what　that　would　be　like。　　Why；　they'd　come　from
the　ends　of　the　earth　to　see　a　circus　like　that。　　I'd　just　as　lieves　be
married　to　Niagara　Falls；　and　done　with　it。〃　　After　a　reflective　pause
she　addedhaving　wandered　back；　in　the　interval；　to　the　remark　that　had
been　her　text：　〃Friends？　oh；　indeed；　no　man　ever　had　more；　and　such
friends：　Grant；　Sherman；　Sheridan；　Johnston；　Longstreet；　Lee　many's　the
time　they've　sat　in　that　chair　you're　sitting　in〃　Hawkins　was　out　of　it
instantly；　and　contemplating　it　with　a　reverential　surprise；　and　with　the
awed　sense　of　having　trodden　shod　upon　holy　ground

〃They！〃　he　said。

〃Oh；　indeed；　yes；　a　many　and　a　many　a　time。〃

He　continued　to　gaze　at　the　chair　fascinated；　magnetized；　and　for　once　in
his　life　that　continental　stretch　of　dry　prairie　which　stood　for　his
imagination　was　afire；　and　across　it　was　marching　a　slanting　flamefront
that　joined　its　wide　horizons　together　and　smothered　the　skies　with
smoke。　　He　was　experiencing　what　one　or　another　drowsing；　geographically
ignorant　alien　experiences　every　day　in　the　year　when　he　turns　a　dull　and
indifferent　eye　out　of　the　car　window　and　it　falls　upon　a　certain
station…sign　which　reads　〃Stratford　…on…Avon！〃　Mrs。　　Sellers　went
gossiping　comfortably　along：

〃Oh；　they　like　to　hear　him　talk；　especially　if　their　load　is　getting
rather　heavy　on　one　shoulder　and　they　want　to　shift　it。　　He's　all　air；
you　know；breeze；　you　may　sayand　he　freshens　them　up；　it's　a　trip　to
the　country；　they　say。　　Many　a　time　he's　made　General　Grant　laughand
that's　a　tidy　job；　I　can　tell　you；　and　as　for　Sheridan；　his　eye　lights　up
and　he　listens　to　Mulberry　Sellers　the　same　as　if　he　was　artillery。
You　see；　the　charm　about　Mulberry　is；　he　is　so　catholic　and　unprejudiced
that　he　fits　in　anywhere　and　everywhere。　　It　makes　him　powerful　good
company；　and　as　popular　as　scandal。　　You　go　to　the　White　House　when　the
President's　holding　a　general　receptionsometime　when　Mulberry's　there。
Why；　dear　me；　you　can't　tell　which　of　them　it　is　that's　holding　that
reception。〃

〃Well；　he　certainly　is　a　remarkable　manand　he　always　was。　　Is　he
religious？〃

〃Clear　to　his　marrowdoes　more　thinking　and　reading　on　that　subject　than
any　other　except　Russia　and　Siberia：　thrashes　around　over　the　whole
field；　too；　nothing　bigoted　about　him。〃

〃What　is　his　religion？〃

〃He〃　She　stopped；　and　was　lost　for　a　moment　or　two　in　thinking；　then
she　said；　with　simplicity；　〃I　think　he　was　a　Mohammedan　or　something　last
week。〃

Washington　started　down　town；　now；　to　bring　his　trunk；　for　the　hospitable
Sellerses　would　listen　to　no　excuses；　their　house　must　be　his　home　during
the　session。　　The　Colonel　returned　presently　and　resumed　work　upon　his
plaything。　　It　was　finished　when　Washington　got　back。

〃There　it　is；〃　said　the　Colonel；　〃all　finished。〃

〃What　is　it　for；　Colonel？〃

〃Oh；　it's　just　a　trifle。　　Toy　to　amuse　the　children。〃

Washington　examined　it。

〃It　seems　to　be　a　puzzle。〃

〃Yes；　that's　what　it　is。　　I　call　it　Pigs　in　the　Clover。　　Put　them　insee
if　you　can　put　them　in　the　pen。〃

After　many　failures　Washington　succeeded；　and　was　as　pleased　as　a　child。

〃It's　wonderfully　ingenious；　Colonel；　it's　ever　so　clever　and
interestingwhy；　I　could　play　with　it　all　day。　　What　are　you　going　to　do
with　it？〃

〃Oh；　nothing。　　Patent　it　and　throw　it　aside。〃

〃Don't　you　do　anything　of　the　kind。　　There's　money　in　that　thing。〃

A　compassionate　look　traveled　over　the　Colonel's　countenance；　and　he
said：

〃Moneyyes；　pin　money：　a　couple　of　hundred　thousand；　perhaps。　　Not
more。〃

Washington's　eyes　blazed。

〃A　couple　of　hundred　thousand　dollars！　　do　you　call　that　pin　money？〃

The　colonel　rose　and　tip…toed　his　way　across　the　room；　closed　a　door　that
was　slightly　ajar；　tip…toed　his　way　to　his　seat　again；　and　said；　under
his　breath：

〃You　can　keep　a　secret？〃

Washington　nodded　his　affirmative；　he　was　too　awed　to　speak。

〃You　have　heard　of　materialization…materialization　of　departed　spirits？〃

Washington　had　heard　of　it。

〃And　probably　didn't　believe　in　it；　and　quite　right；　too。　　The　thing　as
practised　by　ignorant　charlatans　is　unworthy　of　attention　or　respect…
where　there's　a　dim　light　and　a　dark　cabinet；　and　a　parcel　of　sentimental
gulls　gathered　together；　with　their　faith　and　their　shudders　and　their
tears　all　ready；　and　one　and　the　same　fatty　degeneration　of　protoplasm
and　humbug　comes　out　and　materializes　himself　into　anybody　you　want；
grandmother；　grandchild；　brother…in…law；　Witch　of　Endor；　John　Milton；
Siamese　twins；　Peter　the　Great；　and　all　such　frantic　nonsenseno；　that
is　all　foolish　and　pitiful。　　But　when　a　man　that　is　competent　brings　the
vast　powers　of　science　to　bear；　it's　a　different　matter；　a　totally
different　matter；　you　see。　　The　spectre　that　answers　that　call　has　come
to　stay。　　Do　you　note　the　commercial　value　of　that　detail？〃

〃Well；　Ithethe　truth　is；　that　I　don't　quite　know　that　I　do。　　Do　you
mean　that　such；　being　permanent；　not　transitory；　would　give　more　general
satisfaction；　and　so　enhance　the　priceof　tickets　to　the　show〃

〃Show？　　Follylisten　to　me；　and　get　a　good　grip　on　your　breath；　for　you
are　going　to　need　it。　　Within　three　days　I　shall　have　completed　my
method；　and　thenlet　the　world　stand　aghast；　for　it　shall　see　marvels。
Washington；　within　three　daysten　at　the　outsideyou　shall　see　me　call
the　dead　of　any　century；　and　they　will　arise　and　walk。