the way to peace-第1部分
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The Way to Peace
by Margaret Deland
TO LORIN DELAND
KENNEBUNKPORT； MAINE AUGUST 12TH； 1910
I
ATHALIA HALL stopped to get her breath and look back over the road
climbing steeply up from the covered bridge。 It was a little after five；
and the delicate air of dawn was full of wood and pasture scents
the sweetness of bay and the freshness of dew…drenched leaves。
In the valley night still hung like gauze under the trees； but the top
of the hill was glittering with sunshine。
〃Why； we've hardly come halfway！〃 she said。
Her husband； plodding along behind her； nodded ruefully。
〃Hardly；〃 he said。
In her slim prettiness Athalia Hall looked like a girl； but she
was thirty…four。 Part of the girlishness lay in the smoothness
of her white forehead and in the sincere intensity of her gaze。
She wore a blue linen dress； and there was a little； soft； blue scarf
under her chin； her white hat； with pink roses and loops
of gray…blue ribbon； shadowed eager； unhumorous eyes； the color
of forget…me…nots。 Her husband was her senior by several years
a large； loose…limbed man； with a scholarly face and mild；
calm eyeseyes that were full of a singular tenacity of purpose。
Just now his face showed the fatigue of the long climb up…hill；
and when his wife； stopping to look back over the glistening tops
of the birches； said； 〃I believe it's half a mile to the top yet！〃
he agreed； breathlessly。 〃Hard work！〃 he said。
〃It will be worth it when I get to the top and can see the view！〃
she declared； and began to climb again。
〃All the same； this road will be mighty hot when the sun gets full
on it；〃 her husband said； and added； anxiously； 〃I wish I had made
you rest in the station until train…time。〃 She flung out her hands
with an exclamation： 〃Rest！ I hate rest！〃
〃Hold on； and I'll give you a stick；〃 he called to her；
〃it's a help when you're climbing。〃 He pulled down a slender
birch； and； setting his foot on it； broke it off at the root。
She stopped； with an impatient gesture； and waited while he tore
off handfuls of leaves and whittled away the side…shoots。
〃Do hurry； Lewis！〃 she said。
They had left their train at five o'clock in the morning； and had
been sitting in the frowsy station； sleepily awaiting the express；
when Athalia had had this fancy for climbing the hill so that she
might see the view。
〃It looks pretty steep；〃 her husband warned her。
〃It will be something to do； anyhow！〃 she said； and added；
with a restless sigh； 〃but you don't understand that； I suppose。〃
〃I guess I doafter a fashion；〃 he said； smiling at her。
It was only in love's fashion； for really he was incapable
of quite understanding her。 To the country lawyer of sober
piety and granite sense of duty； the rich variety of her moods
was a continual wonder and sometimes a painful bewilderment。
But whether he understood the impetuous inconsequence of her
temperament 〃after a fashion；〃 or whether he failed entirely
to follow the complexity of her thought； he met all her fancies
with a sort of tender admiration。 People said that Squire Hall
was henpecked； they also said that he had married beneath him。
His father had been a judge and his grandfather a minister；
he himself was a graduate of a fresh…water college； which later；
when he published his exegesis on the Prophet Daniel； had conferred
its little degree upon him and felt that he was a 〃distinguished son。〃
With such a lineage he might have done better； people said；
than to marry that girl； who was the most fickle creature
and no housekeeper； and whose peoplethis they told one another
in reserved voiceswere PLAY…ACTORS！ Athalia's mother； who had
been the 〃play…actor；〃 had left her children an example of duty
domestic as well as professional dutyfaithfully done。
As she did not leave anything else； Athalia added nothing
to the Hall fortune； but Lewis's law practice； which was
hardly more than conveyancing now and then； was helped out
by a sawmill which the Halls had owned for two generations。
So； as things were； they were able to live in humdrum prosperity
which gave Lewis plenty of time to browse about among his
grandfather's old theological books； and by…and…by to become
a very sound Hebrew scholar； and spared Athalia much wholesome
occupation which would have been steadying to her eager nature。
She was one of those people who express every passing emotion；
as a flower expresses each wind that sways it upon its stalk。
But with expression the emotion ended。
〃But she isn't fickle；〃 Lewis had defended her once to a privileged
relation who had made the accusation； basing it on the fact that Athalia
had sewed her fingers off for the Missionary Society one winter and done
nothing the next〃Athalia ISN'T fickle；〃 Lewis explained； 〃fickle people
are insincere。 Athalia is perfectly sincere； but she is temporary；
that's all。 Anyway； she wants to do something else this winter；
and 'Thalia must have her head。〃
〃Your head's better than hers； young man；〃 the venturesome
relative insisted。
〃But it must be her head and not mine； Aunty； when it comes
to doing what she thinks is right； even if it's wrong；〃
he said； smiling。
〃Well； tell her she's a little fool！〃 cried the old lady； viciously。
〃You can't do that with 'Thalia；〃 Lewis explained； patiently； 〃because it
would make her unhappy。 She takes everything so dreadfully hard；
she feels things more than other people do。〃
〃Lewis；〃 said the little； old； wrinkled； privileged great…aunt；
〃think a little less of her feelings and a little more of your own；
or you'll make a mess of things。〃
Lewis Hall was too respectful to tell the old lady what
he thought of such selfish advice； he merely did not act
upon it。 Instead； he went on giving a great deal of thought
to Athalia's 〃feelings。〃 That was why he and she were climbing
the hill in the dewy silence of this August morning。
Athalia had 〃felt〃 that she wanted to see the viewthough it
would have been better for her to have rested in the station；
Lewis thought；（〃I ought to have coaxed her out of it；〃
he reproached himself。） It certainly was a hard walk；
considering that it followed a broken night in the sleeping…car。
They had left the train at five o'clock in the morning；
and were sitting in the station awaiting the express
when Athalia had had this impulse to climb the hill。
〃It looks pretty steep；〃 Lewis objected； and she flung out
her hands with an impatient gesture。
〃I love to climb！〃 she said。 So here they were； almost at the top；
panting and toiling； Athalia's skirts wet with dew； and Lewis's face
drawn with fatigue。
〃Look！〃 she said； 〃it's all open！ We can sit down and see all over
the world！〃 She left the road； springing lightly through the fringing
bay and briers toward an open space on the hillside。 〃There is a gate
in the wall！〃 she called out； 〃it seems to be some sort of enclosure。
Lewis； help me to open the gate！ Hurry！ What a queer place！
What do you suppose it is？〃
The gate opened into a little field bounded by a stone wall；
the grass had been lately mowed； and the stubble； glistening with dew；
showed the curving swaths of the scythe； across it； in even lines
from wall to wall； were rows of small stakes painted black。
Here and there were faint depressions； low； green cradles in the grass；
each depression was marked at the head and foot by these iron stakes；
hardly higher than the stubble itself。
〃Shakers' graveyard； I guess；〃 Lewis said； 〃I've heard that they
don't use gravestones。 Peaceful place； isn't it？〃
Her vivid face was instantly grave。 〃Very peaceful！ Oh；〃 she added；
as they sat down in the shadow of a pine； 〃don't you sometimes want
to lie down and sleepdeep down in the grass and flowers？〃
〃Well；〃 he confessed； 〃I don't believe it would be as interesting
as walking round on top of them。〃
She looked at him in despair。
〃Come； now；〃 he defended himself； 〃you don't take much to peace
yourself at home。〃
〃You don't understand！〃 she said； passionately。
〃There； there； little Tay；〃 he said； smiling； and putting a soothing
hand on hers； 〃I guess I doafter a fashion。〃
It was very still； below them the valley had suddenly brimmed
with sunshine that flickered and twinkled on the birch leaves
or shimmered on sombre stretches of pine and spruce。 Close at hand；
pennyroyal grew thick in the shadow of the wall； and just beyond；
mullen candles cast slender bars of shade across the grass。
The sunken graves and the lines of iron markers lay before them。
〃How quiet it is！〃 she said； in a whisper。
〃I guess I'll smoke；〃 Lewis said； and scratched a match on his trousers。
〃How can you！〃 she protested； 〃it is profane！〃
He gave her an amused look； but lighted his cigar and smoked dreamily
for a minute； then he drew a long breath。 〃I was pretty tired；〃 he said；
and turned to glance back at the road。 A horse and cart were coming in at
the open gate； the elderly driver； singing to himself； drew up abruptly
at the sight of the two under the pine…tree； then drove toward them；
the wheels of the cart jolting cheerfully over the cradling graves。
He had a sickle in his hand； and as he clambered down from the seat；
he said； with friendly curiosity：
〃You folks are out early； for the world's people。〃
〃Is this a graveyard？〃 Athalia demanded； impetuously。
〃Yee；〃 he said； smiling； 〃it's our burial…place； we're Shakers。〃
〃But why are there just the stakeswithout names？〃
〃Why should there be names？〃 he said； whimsically； 〃they have
new names now。〃
〃Where is your community？ Can we go and visit it？〃
〃Yee； but we're not much to see；〃 he said； 〃just men and women； like you。
Only we're happy。 I guess that's all the difference。〃
〃But what a difference！〃 she exclaimed； and Lewi
