part 1-第28部分

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church　work　were　discussed　in　the　family　like　the　routine



of　any　other　business。　　Sunday　was　the　hard　day　of　the



week　with　them；　just　as　Saturday　was　the　busy　day　with



the　merchants　on　Main　Street。　　Revivals　were　seasons　of



extra　work　and　pressure；　just　as　threshing…time　was　on　the



farms。　　Visiting　elders　had　to　be　lodged　and　cooked　for；



the　folding…bed　in　the　parlor　was　let　down；　and　Mrs。



Kronborg　had　to　work　in　the　kitchen　all　day　long　and



attend　the　night　meetings。







　　　　　During　one　of　these　revivals　Thea's　sister　Anna　professed



religion　with；　as　Mrs。　Kronborg　said；　〃a　good　deal　of



fluster。〃　　While　Anna　was　going　up　to　the　mourners'　bench



nightly　and　asking　for　the　prayers　of　the　congregation；　she



disseminated　general　gloom　throughout　the　household；　and



after　she　joined　the　church　she　took　on　an　air　of　〃set…apart…



ness〃　that　was　extremely　trying　to　her　brothers　and　her



sister；　though　they　realized　that　Anna's　sanctimoniousness



was　perhaps　a　good　thing　for　their　father。　　A　preacher　ought



to　have　one　child　who　did　more　than　merely　acquiesce　in



religious　observances；　and　Thea　and　the　boys　were　glad



enough　that　it　was　Anna　and　not　one　of　themselves　who



assumed　this　obligation。







　　　　　〃Anna；　she's　American；〃　Mrs。　Kronborg　used　to　say。



The　Scandinavian　mould　of　countenance；　more　or　less



marked　in　each　of　the　other　children；　was　scarcely　dis…



cernible　in　her；　and　she　looked　enough　like　other　Moon…















stone　girls　to　be　thought　pretty。　　Anna's　nature　was　con…



ventional；　like　her　face。　　Her　position　as　the　minister's



eldest　daughter　was　important　to　her；　and　she　tried　to



live　up　to　it。　　She　read　sentimental　religious　story…books



and　emulated　the　spiritual　struggles　and　magnanimous



behavior　of　their　persecuted　heroines。　　Everything　had　to



be　interpreted　for　Anna。　　Her　opinions　about　the　small…



est　and　most　commonplace　things　were　gleaned　from　the



Denver　papers；　the　church　weeklies；　from　sermons　and



Sunday…School　addresses。　　Scarcely　anything　was　attrac…



tive　to　her　in　its　natural　stateindeed；　scarcely　anything



was　decent　until　it　was　clothed　by　the　opinion　of　some



authority。　　Her　ideas　about　habit；　character；　duty；　love；



marriage；　were　grouped　under　heads；　like　a　book　of　popular



quotations；　and　were　totally　unrelated　to　the　emergencies



of　human　living。　　She　discussed　all　these　subjects　with　other



Methodist　girls　of　her　age。　　They　would　spend　hours；　for



instance；　in　deciding　what　they　would　or　would　not　toler…



ate　in　a　suitor　or　a　husband；　and　the　frailties　of　masculine



nature　were　too　often　a　subject　of　discussion　among　them。



In　her　behavior　Anna　was　a　harmless　girl；　mild　except



where　her　prejudices　were　concerned；　neat　and　industrious；



with　no　graver　fault　than　priggishness；　but　her　mind　had



really　shocking　habits　of　classification。　　The　wickedness　of



Denver　and　of　Chicago；　and　even　of　Moonstone；　occupied



her　thoughts　too　much。　　She　had　none　of　the　delicacy　that



goes　with　a　nature　of　warm　impulses；　but　the　kind　of　fishy



curiosity　which　justifies　itself　by　an　expression　of　horror。







　　　　　Thea；　and　all　Thea's　ways　and　friends；　seemed　indecor…



ous　to　Anna。　　She　not　only　felt　a　grave　social　discrimination



against　the　Mexicans；　she　could　not　forget　that　Spanish



Johnny　was　a　drunkard　and　that　〃nobody　knew　what　he



did　when　he　ran　away　from　home。〃　　Thea　pretended；　of



course；　that　she　liked　the　Mexicans　because　they　were



fond　of　music；　but　every　one　knew　that　music　was　no…



thing　very　real；　and　that　it　did　not　matter　in　a　girl's　re…















lations　with　people。　　What　was　real；　then；　and　what　did



matter？　　Poor　Anna！







　　　　　Anna　approved　of　Ray　Kennedy　as　a　young　man　of



steady　habits　and　blameless　life；　but　she　regretted　that　he



was　an　atheist；　and　that　he　was　not　a　passenger　conductor



with　brass　buttons　on　his　coat。　　On　the　whole；　she　won…



dered　what　such　an　exemplary　young　man　found　to　like　in



Thea。　　Dr。　Archie　she　treated　respectfully　because　of　his



position　in　Moonstone；　but　she　KNEW　he　had　kissed　the



Mexican　barytone's　pretty　daughter；　and　she　had　a　whole



DOSSIER　of　evidence　about　his　behavior　in　his　hours　of　relax…



ation　in　Denver。　　He　was　〃fast；〃　and　it　was　because　he　was



〃fast〃　that　Thea　liked　him。　　Thea　always　liked　that　kind



of　people。　　Dr。　Archie's　whole　manner　with　Thea；　Anna



often　told　her　mother；　was　too　free。　　He　was　always　putting



his　hand　on　Thea's　head；　or　holding　her　hand　while　he



laughed　and　looked　down　at　her。　　The　kindlier　manifesta…



tion　of　human　nature　（about　which　Anna　sang　and　talked；



in　the　interests　of　which　she　went　to　conventions　and　wore



white　ribbons）　were　never　realities　to　her　after　all。　　She　did



not　believe　in　them。　　It　was　only　in　attitudes　of　protest　or



reproof；　clinging　to　the　cross；　that　human　beings　could　be



even　temporarily　decent。







　　　　　Preacher　Kronborg's　secret　convictions　were　very　much



like　Anna's。　　He　believed　that　his　wife　was　absolutely　good；



but　there　was　not　a　man　or　woman　in　his　congregation



whom　he　trusted　all　the　way。







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg；　on　the　other　hand；　was　likely　to　find



something　to　admire　in　almost　any　human　conduct　that



was　positive　and　energetic。　　She　could　always　be　taken



in　by　the　stories　of　tramps　and　runaway　boys。　　She　went



to　the　circus　and　admired　the　bareback　riders；　who　were



〃likely　good　enough　women　in　their　way。〃　　She　admired



Dr。　Archie's　fine　physique　and　well…cut　clothes　as　much



as　Thea　did；　and　said　she　〃felt　it　was　a　privilege　to　be



handled　by　such　a　gentleman　when　she　was　sick。〃



















　　　　　Soon　after　Anna　became　a　church　member　she　began　to



remonstrate　with　Thea　about　practicingplaying　〃secu…



lar　music〃on　Sunday。　　One　Sunday　the　dispute　in　the



parlor　grew　warm　and　was　carried　to　Mrs。　Kronborg　in



the　kitchen。　　She　listened　judicially　and　told　Anna　to　read



the　chapter　about　how　Naaman　the　leper　was　permitted



to　bow　down　in　the　house　of　Rimmon。　　Thea　went　back　to



the　piano；　and　Anna　lingered　to　say　that；　since　she　was　in



the　right；　her　mother　should　have　supported　her。







　　　　　〃No；〃　said　Mrs。　Kronborg；　rather　indifferently；　〃I　can't



see　it　that　way；　Anna。　　I　never　forced　you　to　practice；　and



I　don't　see　as　I　should　keep　Thea　from　it。　　I　like　to　hear　her；



and　I　guess　your　father　does。　　You　and　Thea　will　likely　fol…



low　different　lines；　and　I　don't　see　as　I'm　called　upon　to



bring　you　up　alike。〃







　　　　　Anna　looked　meek　and　abused。　　〃Of　course　all　the　church



people　must　hear　her。　　Ours　is　the　only　noisy　house　on　this



street。　　You　hear　what　she's　playing　now；　don't　you？〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　rose　from　browning　her　coffee。　　〃Yes；



it's　the　Blue　Danube　waltzes。　　I'm　familiar　with　'em。　　If



any　of　the　church　people　come　at　you；　you　just　send　'em



to　me。　　I　ain't　afraid　to　speak　out　on　occasion；　and　I



wouldn't　mind　one　bit　telling　the　Ladies'　Aid　a　few　things



about　standard　composers。〃　　Mrs。　Kronborg　smiled；　and



added　thoughtfully；　〃No；　I　wouldn't　mind　that　one　bit。〃







　　　　　Anna　went　about　with　a　reserved　and　distant　air　for　a



week；　and　Mrs。　Kronborg　suspected　that　she　held　a　larger



place　than　usual　in　her　daughter's　prayers；　but　that　was



another　thing　she　didn't　mind。











　　　　　Although　revivals　were　merely　a　part　of　the　year's　work；



like　examination　week　at　school；　and　although　Anna's



piety　impressed　her　very　little；　a　time　came　when　Thea　was



perplexed　about　religion。　　A　scourge　of　typhoid　broke　out



in　Moonstone　and　several　of　Thea's　schoolmates　died　of



it。　　She　went　to　their　funerals；　saw　them　put　into　the















ground；　and　wondered　a　good　deal　about　them。　　But　a



certain　grim　incident；　which　caused　the　epidemic；　troubled



her　even　more　than　the　death　of　her　friends。







　　　　　Early　in　July；　soon　after　Thea's　fifteenth　birthday；　a



particularly　disgusting　sort　of　tramp　came　into　Moonstone



in　an　empty　box　car。　　Thea　was　sitting　in　the　hammock　in



the　front　yard　when　he　first　crawled　up　to　the　town　from



the　depot；　carrying　a　bundle　wrapped　in　dirty　ticking



under　one　arm；　and　under　the　other　a　wooden　box　with



rusty　screening　nailed　over　one　end。　　He　had　a　thin；　hungry



face　covered　with　black　hair。　　It　was　just　before　supper…



time　when　he　came　along；　and　the　street　smelled　of　fried



potatoes　and　fried　onions　and　coffee。　　Thea　saw　him　sniffing



the　air　greedily　and　walking　slower　and　slower。　　He　looked



over　the　fence。　　She　hoped　he　would　not　stop　at　their　gate；



for　her　mother　never　turned　any　one　away；　and　this　was



the　dirtiest　and　most　utterly　wretched…looking　tramp　she



had　ever　seen。　　There　was　a　terrible　odor　about　him；　too。



She　caught　it　even　at　that　distance；　and　put　her　handker…



chief　to　her　nose。　　A　moment　later　she　was　sorry；　for　she



knew　that　he　had　noticed　it。　　He　looked　away　and　shuffled



a　little　faster。







　　　　　A　few　days　later　Thea　heard　that　the　tramp　had　camped



in　an　empty　shack　over　on　the　east　edge　of　town；　beside



the　ravine；　and　was　trying　to　give　a　miserable　sort　of　show



there。　　He　told　the　boys　who　went　to　see　what　he　was　doing；



that　he　had　traveled　with　a　circus。　　His　bundle　contained



a　filthy　clown's　suit；　and　his　box　held　half　a　dozen　rattle…



snakes。







　　　　　Saturday　night；　wh