the way to peace-第2部分

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〃But　what　a　difference！〃　she　exclaimed；　and　Lewis　smiled。



〃I've　come　up　for　pennyroyal；〃　the　Shaker　explained；　sociably；　〃it　grows

thick　round　here。〃



〃Tell　me　about　the　Shakers；〃　Athalia　pleaded。　　〃What　do　you　believe？〃



〃Well；〃　he　said；　a　simple　shrewdness　glimmering　in　his　brown　eyes；

〃if　you　go　to　the　Trustees'　House；　down　there　in　the　valley；

Eldress　Hannah'll　tell　you　all　about　us。　　And　the　sisters　have

baskets　and　pretty　truck　to　sellthings　the　world's　people　like。

Go　and　ask　the　Eldress　what　we　believe；　and　she'll　show

you　the　baskets。〃



She　turned　eagerly　to　her　husband。　　〃Never　mind　the　ten…o'clock

train；　Lewis。　　Let　us　go！〃



〃We　could　take　a　later　train；　all　right；〃　he　admitted；　〃but〃



〃Oh；　PLEASE！〃　she　entreated；　joyously。　　〃We'll　help　you　pick　pennyroyal；〃

she　added　to　the　Shaker。



But　this　he　would　not　allow。　　〃I　doubt　you'd　be　careful　enough；〃

he　said；　mildly；　〃Sister　Lydia　was　the　only　female　I　ever　knew

who　could　pick　herbs。〃



〃Do　you　get　paid　for　the　work　you　do？〃　　Athalia　asked；　practically。

Lewis　flushed　at　the　boldness　of　such　a　question；　but　the

old　man　chuckled。



〃Should　I　pay　myself？〃　he　asked。



〃You　own　everything　in　common；　don't　you？〃　　Lewis　said。



〃Yee；〃　said　the　Shaker；　〃we're　all　brothers　and　sisters。

Nobody　tries　to　get　ahead　of　anybody　else。〃



〃And　you　don't　believe　in　marriage？〃　　Athalia　asserted。



〃We　are　as　the　angels　of　God；〃　he　said；　simply。



He　left　them　and　began　to　sickle　his　herbs；　with　the　cheerfully

obvious　purpose　of　escaping　further　interruption。



Athalia　instantly　bubbled　over　with　questions；　but　Lewis　could

tell　her　hardly　more　of　the　Shakers　than　she　knew　already。



〃No；　it　isn't　free　love；〃　he　said；　〃they're　decent　enough。

They　believe　in　general　love；　not　particular；　I　suppose。　。　。　。　'Thalia；

do　you　think　it's　worth　while　to　wait　over　a　train　just　to

see　the　settlement？〃



〃Of　course　it　is！　　He　said　they　were　happy；　I　would　like　to　see

what　kind　of　life　makes　people　happy。〃



He　looked　at　the　lighted　end　of　his　cigar　and　smiled；

but　he　said　nothing。　　Afterward；　as　they　followed　the　cart　across

the　field　and　out　into　the　road；　Athalia　asked　the　old　herb…gatherer

many　questions　about　the　happiness　of　the　community　life；

which　he　answered　patiently　enough。　　Once　or　twice　he　tried

to　draw　into　their　talk　the　silent　husband　who　walked　at　her　side；

but　Lewis　had　nothing　to　say。　　Only　when　some　reference　was　made

to　one　of　the　Prophecies　did　he　look　up　in　sudden　interest。

〃You　take　that　to　mean　the　Judgment；　do　you？〃　he　said。

And　for　the　rest　of　the　walk　to　the　settlement　the　two　men　discussed

the　point；　the　Shaker　walking　with　one　hand　on　the　heavy　shaft；

for　the　support　it　gave　him；　and　Lewis　keeping　step　with　him。



At　the　foot　of　the　hill　the　road　widened　into　a　grassy　street；

on　both　sides　of　which；　under　the　elms　and　maples；　were　the

community　houses；　big　and　substantial；　but　gauntly　plain；

their　yellow　paint；　flaking　and　peeling　here　and　there；

shone　clean　and　fresh　in　the　sparkle　of　morning。　　Except　for　a　black

cat　whose　fur　glistened　like　jet；　dozing　on　a　white　doorstep；

the　settlement；　steeped　in　sunshine；　showed　no　sign　of　life。

There　was　a　strange　remoteness　from　time　about　the　place；

a　sort　of　emptiness；　and　a　silence　that　silenced　even　Athalia。



〃Where　IS　everybody？〃　she　said；　in　a　lowered　voice；　as　she　spoke；

a　child　in　a　blue　apron　came　from　an　open　doorway　and　tugged　a　basket

across　the　street。



〃Are　there　children　here？〃　　Lewis　asked；　surprised；　and　their

guide　said；　sadly：



〃Not　as　many　as　there　ought　to　be。　　The　new　school　laws　have　made

a　great　difference。　　We've　only　got　two。　　Folks　used　to　send　'em

to　us　to　bring　up；　oftentimes　they　stayed　on　after　they　were　of　age。

Sister　Lydia　came　that　way。　　Well；　well；　she　tired　of　us；　Lydy　did；

poor　girl！　　She　went　back　into　the　world　twenty　years　ago；　now。

And　Sister　Jane；　she　was　a　bound…out　child；　too；〃　he　rambled　on；

〃she　came　here　when　she　was　six；　she's　seventy　now。〃



〃What！〃　　Lewis　exclaimed；　〃has　she　never　known　anything　butthis？〃



His　shocked　tone　did　not　disturb　the　old　man。

〃Want　to　see　my　herb…house？〃　he　said。　　〃Guess　you'll　find

some　of　the　sisters　in　the　sorting…room。　I'm　Nathan　Dale；〃

he　added；　courteously。



They　had　come　to　the　open　door　of　a　great；　weather…beaten　building；

from　whose　open　windows　an　aromatic　breath　wandered　out　into

the　summer　air。　　As　they　crossed　the　worn　threshold；　Athalia　stopped

and　caught　her　breath　in　the　overpowering　scent　of　drying　herbs；

then　they　followed　Brother　Nathan　up　a　shaky　flight　of　steps　to　the　loft。

Here　some　elderly　women；　sitting　on　low　benches；　were　sorting　over

great　piles　of　herbs　in　silencethe　silence；　apparently；　of　peace

and　meditation。　　Two　of　them　were　dressed　like　world's　people；

but　the　others　wore　small　gray　shoulder…capes　buttoned　to　their　chins；

and　little　caps　of　white　net　stretched　smoothly　over　wire　frames；

the　narrow　shirrings　inside　the　frames　fitted　so　close　to　their　peaceful；

wrinkled　foreheads　that　no　hair　could　be　seen。



〃I　wish　I　could　sit　and　sort　herbs！〃　　Athalia　said；　under　her　breath。



Brother　Nathan　chuckled。　　〃For　how　long？〃　he　asked；　and　then

introduced　her　to　the　three　workers；　who　greeted　her　calmly

and　went　on　sorting　their　herbs。　　The　loft　was　dark　and　cool；

the　window…frames；　in　which　there　were　no　sashes；　opened　wide

on　the　still　August　fields　and　woods；　the　occasional　brief　words

of　the　sorting…women　seemed　to　drop　into　a　pool　of　fragrant　silence。

The　two　visitors　followed　Brother　Nathan　down　the　room　between

piles　of　sorted　herbs；　and　out　into　the　sunshine　again。

Athalia　drew　a　breath　of　ecstasy。



〃It's　all　so　beautifully　tranquil！〃　she　whispered；　looking　about

her　with　blue；　excited　eyes。



〃Tay　and　tranquillity！〃　　Lewis　said；　with　an　amused　laugh。



But　as　they　went　along　the　grassy　street　this　sense

of　tranquillity　closed　about　them　like　a　palpable　peace。

Now　and　then　they　stopped　and　spoke　to　some　onealways　an

elderly　person；　and　in　each　old　face　the　experiences　that　life

writes　in　unerasable　lines　about　eyes　and　lips　were　hidden

by　a　veil　of　calmness　that　was　curiously　unhuman。



〃It　isn't　canny；　exactly；〃　Lewis　told　his　wife；　in　a　low　voice。

But　she　did　not　seem　to　hear　him。　　She　asked　many　questions

of　Eldress　Hannah；　who　had　taken　them　in　charge；　and　once

or　twice　she　burst　into　impetuous　appreciation　of　the　idea

of　brotherhood；　and　even　of　certain　theological　principles

which　last　diverted　her　husband　very　much。　　Eldress　Hannah　showed

them　the　dairy；　and　the　work…room；　and　all　there　was　to　see；

with　a　patient　hospitality　that　kept　them　at　an　infinite　distance。

She　answered　Lewis's　questions　about　the　community　with

a　sad　directness。



〃Yee；　there　are　not　many　of　us　now。　　The　world's　people　say　we're

dying　out。　　But　the　Lord　will　preserve　the　remnant　to　redeem

the　world；　young　man。　　Yee；　when　they　come　in　from　the　world

they　cast　their　possessions　into　the　whole；　we　own　nothing；

for　ourselves。　　Nay；　we　don't　have　many　come。　　Brother　William

was　the　last。　　Why　did　he　come？〃　　She　looked　coldly　at　Athalia；

who　had　asked　the　question。　　〃Because　he　saw　the　way　to　peace。

He'd　had　strife　enough　in　the　world。　　Yee；〃　she　admitted；　briefly；

〃some　fall　from　grace；　and　leave　us。　　The　last　was　Lydia。

She　was　one　of　our　children；　and　I　thought　she　was　of　the　chosen。

But　she　was　only　thirty　when　she　fell　away；　and　you　can't

expect　wisdom　at　that　age。　　That　was　nearly　twenty　years　ago。

When　she　has　tasted　the　dregs　of　the　world　she　will　come　back　to　us

if　she　lives；〃　Eldress　Hannah　ended。



Athalia　listened　breathlessly；　her　rapt；　unhumorous　eyes　fixed

on　Eldress　Hannah's　still　face。　　Now　and　then　she　asked　a　question；

and　once　cried　out　that；　after　all；　why　wasn't　it　the　way　to　live？

Peace　and　self…sacrifice　and　love！　　〃Oh；〃　she　said；

turning　to　her　husband；　〃can't　you　feel　the　attraction　of　it？

I　should　think　even　you　could　feel　it！〃



〃I　think　I　feel　itafter　a　fashion；〃　he　said；　mildly；　〃I　think

I　have　always　felt　the　attraction　of　community　life。〃



Afterward；　when　they　had　left　all　this　somnolent　peace　and　begun

the　long　walk　back　to　the　station；　he　explained　what　he　meant：

〃I　couldn't　say　so　before　the　Eldress；　but　of　course　there　are　times

when　anybody　can　feel　the　charm　of　getting　rid　of　personal　responsibility

and　that　is　what　community　life　really　means。　　It's　the　relief

of　being　a　little　cog　in　a　big　machine；　in　fact；　the　very　attraction

of　it　is　a　sort　of　temptation；　to　my　way　of　looking　at　it。

But　itwell；　it　made　me　sleepy；〃　he　confessed。



For　once　his　wife　had　no　reply。　　She　was　very　quiet　on　that　return

journey　in　the　cars；　and　in　the　days　that　followed　she　kept　referring

to　their　visit　with　a　persistence　that　surprised　her　husband。

She　thought　the　net　caps　were　beautiful；　she　thought　the　exquisite

cleanness　of　everything　was　like　a　perfume〃the　perfume　of　a　wild　rose！〃

she　said；　ecstatically。　　She　thought　the　having　everything　in　common

was　the　way　to　live。　　〃And　just　think　how　peaceful　it　is！〃



〃Well；　yes；〃　Lewis　said；　〃I　suppose　it's　peacefulafter　a　fashion。

Anything　that　isn't　alive　is　peaceful。〃



〃But　their　idea　of　brotherhood　is　the　highest　kind　of　life！〃



〃The　only　fault　I　have　to　find　with　it　is　that　it　isn't　human；〃

he　said；　mildly。　　He　had　no　desire　to　prove　or　disprove　anything；

Athalia　was　looking　better；　just　because　she　was　interested

in　something；　and　that　was　enough　for　Lewis。　　When　she　proposed　to　read

a　book　on　Shakerism　aloud；　he　fell　into　her　mood　with　what　was；

for　him；　enthusiasm；　he　declared　he　would　like　nothing　better；

and　he　put　his　daily　paper　aside　without　a　visible　regret。



〃Well；〃　he　admitted；　〃I　must　say　there's　more　to　it　than　I　supposed。

They've　studied　the　Prophecies；　that's　evident。　　And　they're　not　narrow