back home-第26部分

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：　〃This　sway　t'　the　Fair　Groun's！　　Going　RIGHT　over！〃　　Only　he　always　waited　till　he　got　a　good　load　before　he　turned　a　wheel。　　（Dinny's　foreman　at　the　chair　factory　now。　　Did　you　know　that？　　Doing　fine。　　Gets　15　a　week；　and　hasn't　drunk　a　drop　for　nearly　two　years。）

Everybody　goes　the　middle　day　of　the　Fair；　everybody　that　you　ever　did　know　or　hear　tell　of。　　You'll　be　going　along；　kind　of　half…listening　to　the　man　selling　Temperance　Bitters；　and　denouncing　the　other　bitters　because　they　have　〃al…cue…hawl〃　in　them；　and　〃al…cue…hawl　will　make　you　drunk；〃　（which　is　perfectly　true）；　and　kind　of　half…listening　to　the　man　with　the　electric　machine；　declaring：　〃Ground　is　the　first　conductor；　water　is　the　second　conductor；〃　and　you'll　be　thinking　how　slippery　the　grass　is　to　walk　on；　when　a　face　in　the　crowd　will；　as　it　were；　sting　your　memory。　　〃I　ought　to　know　that　man；〃　says　you　to　yourself。　　〃Now；　who　the　mischief　is　he？　　Barker？　　No；　't　isn't　Barker；　Barkdull？　No。　　Funny　I　can't　think　of　his　name。　　Begins　with　B　I'm　pretty　certain。〃　　And　you　trail　along　after　him；　as　if　you　were　a　detective；　sort　of　keeping　out　of　his　sight；　and　yet　every　once　in　a　while　getting　a　good　look　at　him。　　〃Mmmmmm！〃　　says　you。　　〃What　is　that　fellow's　name？　　Why；　sure。　McConica。〃　　And　you　walk　up　to　him　and　stick　out　your　hand　while　he's　gassing　with　somebody；　and　there's　that　smile　on　your　face　that　says：　〃I　know　you　but　you　don't　know　me；〃　and　he　takes　it　in　a　limp　sort　of　fashion；　and　starts　to　say：　〃You　have　the　advantage　of　…　〃　when；　all　of　a　sudden；　he　grabs　your　hand　as　if　he　were　going　to　jerk　your　arm　out　of　its　socket　and　beat　you　over　the　head　with　the　bloody　end；　and　shouts　out：　〃Why；　HELLO；　Billy！　　Well；　suffering　Cyrus　and　all　hands　round！　　Hold　still　a　second　and　let　me　look　at　you。　　Gosh　darn　your　hide；　where　you　been　for　so　long？　　I　though　you'd　clean　evaporated　off　the　face　the　earth。　Why；　how　AIR　you？　　How's　everything？　　That's　good。　　Let　me　make　you　acquainted　with　my　wife。　　Molly；　this　is　Mr。　…　〃　　But　she　says：　〃Now　don't　you　tell　me　what　his　name　is。　　Let　me　think。　　Why；　Willie　Smith！　　Well；　of　all　things！　　Why；　how　you've　changed！　Honest；　I　wouldn't　have　knowed　you。　　Do　you　mind　the　time　we　went　sleigh…ridin'　the　whole　posse　of　us；　and　got　upset　down　there　by　Hanks's　place？〃　And　then　you　start　in　on　〃D'　you　mind？〃　and　〃Don't　you　recollect？〃　and　you　talk　about　the　old　school…days；　and　who's　married；　and　who's　moved　out　to　Kansas；　and　who's　got　the　Elias　Hoover　place　now；　and　how　Ella　Trimble　…　You　know　Ella　Diefenbaugh；　old　Jake　Diefenbaugh's　daughter；　the　one　that　lisped。　　Course　you　do。　　Well；　she　married　Ed　Trimble；　and　he　died　along　in　the　early　part　of　the　summer。　　Typhoid。　Was　getting　well　but　he　took　a　relapse；　and　went　off　like　that！　　And　now　she's　left　with　three　little　ones；　and　they　guess　poor　Ella　has　a　pretty　hard　time　making　out。　　And　this　old　schoolmate　that　you　start　to　tell　a　funny　story　about　is　dead；　and　the　freckle…faced　boy　with　the　buck　teeth　that　put　the　rabbit　in　the　teacher's　desk；　he's　dead；　too；　and　the　boy　that　used　to　cry　in　school　when　they　read：

　　　〃Give　me　three　grains　of　corn；　mother；　　　　　Only　three　grains　o　f　corn；　　　　　To　save　what　little　life　I　have；　mother；　　　　　Till　the　coming　o　f　the　morn。〃

well；　he　studied　law　with　old　judge　Rodehaver；　and　got　to　be　Prosecuting　Attorney；　but　he　took　to　drinking　…　politics；　you　know　　…　and　now　he's　just　gone　to　the　dogs。　　Smart　as　a　steel…trap；　and　bright　as　a　dollar。　　Oh；　a　terrible　pity！　　A　terrible　pity。　　And　as　you　hear　the　fate　of　one　after　another　of　the　happy　companions　of　your　childhood；　and　the　sadness　of　life　comes　over　you；　they　start　to　tell　something　that　makes　you　laugh　again。　　I　tell　you。　Did　you　ever　see　one　of　these　concave　glasses；　such　as　the　artists　use　when　they　want　to　get　an　idea　of　how　a　picture　looks　all　together　as　a　whole；　and　not　as　an　assemblage　of　parts？　　Well；　what　the　concave　glass　is　to　a　picture；　so　such　talk　is　to　life。　It　sort　of　draws　it　all　together；　and　you　see　it　as　a　whole；　its　sunshine　and　its　shadow；　its　laughter　and　its　tears；　its　work　and　its　play；　its　past　and　its　present。　　But　not　its　future。　　The　Good　Man　has　mercifully　hidden　that　from　us。

It　does　a　body　good　to　get　such　a　talk　once　in　a　while。

And　there　are　the　young　fellows　and　the　girls。　　This　young　gentleman　in　the　rimless　eye…glasses；　who　is　now　beginning　to　〃go　out　among　'em〃　the　last　time　you　saw　him　was　in　meeting　when　Elder　Drown　was　preaching；　and　my　gentleman　stood　up　in　the　seat　and　shouted　shrilly：　〃'T　ain't　at　all；　man。　　'T　ain't　at　all！〃　　And　this　sweet　girl…graduate　…　the　last　time　you　saw　her　was　just　after　Becky　Daly；　in　the　vain　effort　to　〃peacify〃　the　squalling　young　one；　had　given　her　a　fresh　egg　to　play　with。　　I　kind　o'　like　the　looks　of　the　younger　generation　of　girls。　　But　I　don't　know　about　the　young　fellows。　　They　look　to　me　like　a　trifling　lot。　　Nothing　like　what　they　were　in　our　young　days。　　I　don't　see　but　what　us　old　codgers　had　better　hold　on　a　while　longer　to　the　County　Clerk's　office；　and　the　Sheriff's　office；　and　the　Probate　judgeship；　and　the　presidency　of　the　National　Bank。　　It　wouldn't　be　safe　to　trust　the　destinies　of　the　country　in　the　hands　of　such　heedless　young　whiffets。　　Engaged　to　be　married！　Oh；　get　out！　　What？　Those　babies？

I　kept　awake　most　of　the　time　the　man　was　lecturing　on：　〃The　Republic：　Will　it　Endure？〃　but　I　don't　remember　that　he　said　anything　in　it　about　the　crops。　　（We　can't　go　'round　meeting　the　folks　all　day。　　We　really　must　give　a　glance　at　the　exhibition。）　And　I　am　one　of　those　who　hold　to　the　belief　that　while　the　farmers　can　raise　ears　of　corn　as　long　as　from　your　elbow　to　your　fingertips；　as　big　'round　as　a　rollingpin；　and　set　with　grains　as　regular　and　even　as　an　eight…dollar　set　of　artificial　teeth；　as　long　as　they　grow　potatoes　the　size　of　your　foot；　and　such　pretty　oats　and　wheat；　and　turnips；　and　squashes；　and　onions；　and　apples　and　all　kinds　of　truck；　and　raise　them　not　only　in　increasing　size　but　increasing　quantities　to　the　acre　I　feel　as　if　the　Republic　would　last　the　year　out　anyway。　　Not　that　I　have　any　notion　that　mere　material　prosperity　will　make　and　keep　us　a　free　people；　but　it　goes　to　show　that　the　farmers　are　not　plodding　along；　doing　as　their　fathers　did　before　them；　but　that　they　are　reading　and　studying；　and　taking　advantage　of　modern　methods。　　There　are　two　ways　of　increasing　your　income。　　One　is　by　enlarging　your　output；　and　the　other　is　by　enlarging　your　share　of　the　proceeds　from　the　sale　of　that　output。　　The　Grand　Dukes　will　not　always　run　this　country。　　The　farmers　saved　the　Union　once　by　dying　for　it；　they　will　save　it　again　by　living　for　it。

The　scientific　fellows　tell　us　that　we　have　not　nearly　reached　the　maximum　of　yield　to　the　acre　of　crops　that　are　harvested　once　a　year；　but　in　regard　to　the　crops　that　are　harvested　twice　a　day　it　looks　to　me　as　if　we　were　doing　fairly　well。　　Nowadays　we　hardly　know　what　is　meant　by　the　expression；　〃Spring　poor。〃　　It　is　a　sinister　phrase；　and　tells　a　story　of　the　old；　cruel　days　when　farmers　begrudged　their　cattle　the　little　bite　they　ate　in　wintertime；　so　that　when　the　grass　came　again　the　poor　creatures　would　fall　over　trying　to　crop　it。　　They　were　so　starved　and　weak　that；　as　the　saying　went；　they　had　to　lean　up　against　the　fence　to　breathe。　　They　don't　do　that　way　now；　as　one　look　at　the　fine；　sleek　cows　will　show　you。　　A　cow　these　days　is　a　different　sort　of　a　being；　her　coat　like　satin；　and　her　udder　generous；　compared　with　the　wild…eyed　things　with　burrs　in　their　tails；　and　their　flanks　crusted　with　filth；　their　udders　the　size　of　a　kid　glove；　and　yielding　such　a　little　dab　of　milk　and　for　such　a　short　period。　Hear　the　dairymen　boast　now　of　the　miraculous　yearly　yield　in　pounds　of　butter　and　milk；　and　when　they　say：　〃You've　got　to　treat　a　cow　as　if　she　were　a　lady；〃　it　sounds　like　good　sense。

Pigs　are　naturally　so　untidy　about　their　persons；　and　have　such　shocking　table…manners　that　it　seems　difficult　to　treat　a　sow　like　a　lady；　but　that　one　in　the　pen　yonder；　with　her　litter　of　sucking　pigs；　seems　very　interesting。　　Come；　let's　have　a　look。　　Aren't　the　little　pigs　dear　things？　　I'd　like　to　climb　in　and　take　one　of　them　up　to　pet　it；　do　you　s'pose　she'd　mind　it　if　I　did？　　I　can　see　decided　improvement　in　the　modern　hogs　over　old　Mose　Batcheller's。　If　you　remember；　his　were　what　were　known　as　〃razorbacks。〃　　They　could　go　like　the　wind；　and　the　fence　was　not　made　that　could　stop　them。　　If　they　couldn't　root　under　it；　they　could　turn　themselves　sidewise　and　slide　through　between　the　rails。　　It　was　told　me　that；　failing　all　else；　they　could　give　their　tails　a　swing　…　you　remember　the　big　balls　of　mud　they　used　to　have　on　their　tails'　ends　…　they　could　swing　their　tails　after　the　manner　of　an　athlete　throwing　the　hammer；　and　fly　over　the　top　of　the　tallest　stake…and…rider　fence　ever　put　up。　　I　don't　know　whether　this　is　the　strict　truth　or　not；　but　it　is　what　was　told　me　as　a　little　boy；　and　I　don't　think　people　would　wilfully　deceive　an　innocent　child。

The　pigs　nowaday　aren't　as　smart　as　that；　but　they　cut　up　better　at　hog…killing　time。　　They　aren't　quite　so　trim；　indeed；　they　are　nothing　but　cylinders　of　meat；　whittled　to　a　point　at　the　front　end；　and　set　on　four　pegs；　but　as　you　lean　on　the　top…rail　of　the　pens　out　at　the　County　Fair　and　look　down　upon　them；　you　can　picture　in　your　mind；　without　much　effort；　ham；　and　sidemeat；　and　bacon；　and　spare…ribs；　and　smoked　shoulder；　and　head…cheese；　and　liver…wurst；　and　sausages；　and　glistening　white　lard　for　crullers　and　pie…crust　…　Yes；　I　think　pigs　are　right　interesting。　　I　know　they've　got　Scripture　for　it；　the　folks　that　think　it　is　wrong　to　eat　pork；　but　somehow　I　feel　sorry　for　them；　they　miss　such　a　lot；　not　only　in　the　eating　line；　but　other　ways。　　They　are　always　being　persecuted；　and　harassed；　and　picked　at。　　Whereas　the　pork…fed　man；　it　seems　to　me；　sort　of　hankers　to　be　picked　at。　　It　gives　him　a　good　chance　to　slap　somebody　slonchways。　　He　feels　better　after　he　has　seen　his　persecutors　go　away　with　a　cut　lip；　and　fingering　of　their　teeth　to　see　if　they're　all　there。

You'll　just　have　to　take　me　gently　but　firmly　by　the　sleeve　and　lead　me　past　the　next　exhibit；