gs.earthabides-第30部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


us　disturbing　their　mothers　all　the　more；　they　set　up　a　vicious　circle。　October　was　a　month　of　horror。　
　　Then　came　the　miracle！　Two　weeks　after　the　first　rain　they　looked　out；　and　the　hills　were　a　faint　green　with　sprouting　grass。　Everyone　was　suddenly　happy；　and　Molly　and　Maurine　wept　with　pleasure。　Even　Ish　was　relieved；　for　in　the　last　weeks　the　despair　of　the　others　had　shaken　his　confidence　in　the　basic　recuperative　powers　of　the　earth　itself；　and　he　had　begun　to　doubt　whether　any　seed　remained。　
　　When；　at　the　time　of　the　winter　solstice；　the　people　all　gathered　once　more　at　the　smooth　expanse　of　rock　to　cut　the　numeral　into　the　surface　and　to　name　the　year；　they　were　uncertain　what　they　should　call　it。　It　might　be；　for　good　omen；　the　Year　of　the　Four　Babies。　But　it　might　be　the　Year　of　the　Dead　Cattle；　or　the　Year　of　the　Grasshoppers。　In　the　end　the　evilness　of　the　year　prevailed　in　their　thoughts。　So　they　called　it　simply　the　Bad　Year。　
　　The　Year　7　was　a　strange　one　also。　The　mountain…lions　suddenly　seemed　to　be　everywhere。　You　hardly　dared　to　walk　between　houses　without　carrying　a　rifle；　and　having　a　dog　at　heel　to　give　warning；　and　the　dog　kept　usually　very　close　at　heel　also。　The　lions　never　quite　dared　attack　a　man；　but　they　picked　up　four　dogs；　and　you　were　never　quite　sure　whether　one　of　them　might　not　just　suddenly　leap　from　a　tree。　The　children　had　to　be　kept　indoors。　What　had　happened　was　again　obvious　enough　to　Ish。　During　the　years　when　there　had　been　so　many　cattle；　the　lions　must　have　bred　rapidly；　and　now　that　the　cattle　had　perished；in　the　drought；　the　lions　were　left　without　food　and　ravenously　were　closing　in。　
　　In　the　end　there　was　bad　luck；　because　Ish　missed　his　shot　and　instead　of　killing　a　lion　merely　raked　it　across　the　shoulders；　and　it　charged　and　mauled　him　before　Ezra　could　get　another　shot　home。　After　that　he　walked　with　a　little　limp；　and　became　very　bred　when　he　had　to　sit　long　in　the　same　position；　as　in　driving　a　car。　（Butby　now　the　roads　had　gone　to　pieces　badly　and　the　cars　were　unreliable　and　there　were　few　placesto　go　anyway；　so　that　there　was　very　little　car…driving。）　Naturally；　they　called　it　the　Year　of　the　Lions。　
　　The　Year　8　was　paratively　uneventful。　They　called　it　the　Year　We　Went　to　Church。　（The　name　amused　Ish；　for　its　wording　implied　that　that　experiment　was　over　and　done　with。）　
　　This　had　happened　in　this　way。。。。　Being　merely　seven　ordinary　Americans；　they　were　of　varied　religious　affiliations　or　of　none　at　all；　and　even　among　the　church…members　no　one　had　felt　any　creative　religious　drive。　Ish　had　gone　to　SundaySchool　as　a　child；　but　when　Maurine　asked　him　what　church　he　belonged　to；　he　had　to　say　that　he　was　a　skeptic。　Maurine　did　not　know　the　word；　and　jumping　to　the　wrong　conclusion　she　always　referred　to　Ish　thereafter　as　being　a　member　of　the　Skeptic　Church。　
　　Maurine　herself　was　a　Catholic；　and　so　was　Molly。　They　could　still　cross　themselves　and　say　a　Hail　Mary；　but　otherwise　they　were　in　a　bad　situation；　having　no　confessor　and　no　way　of　celebrating　mass。　As　Ish　reflected；　the　Catholic　Church　had　considered　almost　all　possibilities；　but　apparently　never　the　one　of　getting　reorganized　after　the　Apostolic　Succession　was　broken　and　only　two　women　remained。　
　　Of　the　others；　George　had　been　a　Methodist；'and　a　deacon。　But　he　was　too　inarticulate　to　turn　preacher；　and　not　enough　of　a　leader　to　organize　a　congregation。　Ezra　was　tolerant　of　everyone's　beliefs；　but　never　let　himself　be　pinned　down　as　to　his　own；　and　so　probably　lacked　any　convictions。　Jean　had　been　a　member　of　some　loud…praying　modern　sect　called　Christ's　Own。　But　she　had　seen　the　congregation　pray　in　vain　at　the　time　of　the　Great　Disaster；　and　now　she　had　turned　definitely　anti…religious。　Em；　who　never　liked　to　turn　toward　the　past；　was　reticent。　As　far　as　Ish　could　tell；　she　never　prayed。　Now　and　then；　apparently　without　thinking　of　religious　implications；　she　sang　hymns　or　spirituals　in　her　full　throaty　contralto。　
　　George　and　Maurine；　sinking　the　Methodist…Catholic　differences；　were　the　ones　who　suggested　church　services…〃for　the　sake　of　the　children。〃　They　appealed　to　Ish；　who　was　something　of　a　leader；　especially　in　things　intellectual；　Maurine；　broad…mindedly；　even　told　him　that　she　would　not　object　to　the　use　of　〃the　Skeptic　form　of　services。〃　
　　Ish　felt　the　temptation。　He　could　easily　piece　together　some　harmless　bits　of　religion；　give　fort　and　confidence　to　people　who　might　often　need　it　badly；　and　supply　a　core　of　solidity　and　union　to　the　inunity。　George；　Maurine　and　Molly　would　wele　it；　Jean　should　be　easy　to　convert　again；　Ezra　would　not　stand　in　the　way。　But　Ish　himself　hated　building　upon　a　foundation　of　insincerity；　and　he　knew　that　Em　would　see　through　the　sham。　
　　In　the　end　they　held　a　service　each　Sunday…George　had　kept　track　of　Sunday；　or　at　least　thought　so。　They　sang　hymns；　and　read　from　the　Bible；　and　stood　uncovered　for　silent　prayer；　each　for　himself。　
　　But　Ish　never　prayed　during　the　period　of　silence；　and　he　did　not　think　that　Em　or　Ezra　did　either。　Moreover；　Jean　maintained　her　hostility　stoutly；　and　never　attended。　Ish　felt　that　if　he　had　had　more　fervor；　or　more　hypocrisy；　he　could　have　argued　Jean　over。　As　it　was；　however；　the　church　services　were　cultivating　disunion　rather　than　unity　of　feeling；　and　sham　more　than　true　religion。　One　day；　on　the　spur　of　the　moment；　Ish　put　an　end　to　them。　He　did　it　rather　neatly；　he　thought；　ending　his　speech　with　the　idea　that　they　were　not　really　giving　up　the　services　but　merely　extending　the　period　of　silent　prayer　indefinitely…〃letting　each　one　of　us　carry　on　in　his　heart　as　he　wishes。〃　
　　Molly　wept　a　little　at　what　seemed　to　her　such　a　lovely　thought；　and　so　the　experiment　with　the　church　at　least　was　ended　in　harmony。　
　　At　the　beginning　of　the　Year　9　there　were　seven　adults；　and　Evie；　and　thirteen　children；　ranging　in　age　from　new…born　babies　up　to　Molly's　Ralph；　who　was　nine；　and　Ish　and　Em's　Jack；　who　was　eight。　
　　Everybody　had　a　pleasant　sense　of　confidence　and　security　in　the　growth　of　the　munity；　or　of　The　Tribe；　as　they　now　said　more　often。　The　birth　of　each　baby　was　a　time　of　real　rejoicing；　as　the　shadows　seemed　to　draw　back　a　little　and　the　circle　of　light　to　enlarge。　
　　Soon　after　the　beginning　of　that　year；　a　decent…looking　oldish　man　came　up　to　George's　house　one　morning。　He　was　one　of　those　wanderers　who　still　occasionally；　though　less　and　less　often；　passed　through。　
　　They　received　him　hospitably；　but　like　the　others　he　showed　little　reaction　to　what　they　did　for　him。　He　stayed　only　over　one　night；　and　then　went　off　again；　without　even　saying　good…bye；　in　the　aimless　way　of　those　shocked　ones。　
　　He　had　scarcely　gone；　it　seemed；　before　people　began　feeling　irritable。　All　the　babies　started　crying。　Then　soon　there　were　sore　throats　and　running　noses　and　aching　heads　and　swollen　eyes；　and　The　Tribe　was　suddenly　in　all　the　throes　Of　an　epidemic。　
　　This　was　all　the　more　remarkable　because　throughout　the　preceding　years　the　general　health　had　been　so　unbelievably　good。　Ezra　and　some　of　the　others　had　suffered　with　bad　teeth；　George；　who　was　the　oldest；　had　plained　of　various　aching　joints　which　he　described　under　the　old…fashioned　term　〃rheumatism〃；　occasionally　a　scratch　became　infected。　But　even　the　mon　cold　seemed　to　have　vanished　entirely；　and　there　were　only　two　diseases　that　remained　active。　One　Of　these　struck　each　of　the　children　sooner　or　later；　it　was　a　great　deal　like　measles　in　its　symptoms；　and　doubtless　it　was　measles；　and　that　was　what　they　called　it；　lacking　any　doctor　to　make　them　sure。　The　other　began　with　a　violent　sore　throat；　but　yielded　so　quickly　to　sulfa　pills　that　no　one　really　knew　its　full　course。　As　long　as　there　were　sulfa　pills　in　any　drug　store　and　they　kept　potent　in　spite　of　age；　Ish　saw　no　need　to　find　out　experimentally　just　how　this　sore　throat　would　develop；　if　left　untreated。　
　　Why　so　few　diseases　remained…this　seemed　miraculous　to　people　like　George　and　Maurine；　and　they　were　inclined　to　be　superstitious　about　the　matter。　They　felt　that　God　in　some　great　anger　had　nearly　wiped　out　the　human　race　in　one　vast　plague；　and　thus　being　satisfied；　had　seen　fit　to　remove　the　minor　plagues　as　a　kind　of　pensation…just　as；　after　Noah's　flood；　he　had　set　the　rainbow　in　the　sky　as　a　sign　that　there　would　never　again　be　another　such　flood。　
　　To　Ish；　however；　the　explanation　was　plain。　Since　so　large　a　proportion　of　the　people　had　died；　the　chain　of　most　infections　had　been　broken；　and　many　individual　diseases　had；　you　might　say；　〃died〃　when　their　particular　kinds　of　bacteria　became　extinct。　Of　course　there　would　still　be　the　diseases　which　might　spring　from　the　mere　deterioration　of　the　human　body；　such　as　heart…failure　and　cancer；　and　George's　〃rheumatism；〃　and　there　might　also　be　animal…borne　infections；　like　tularemia　and　tick…fever。　Also　there　could　be；　here　and　there；　individual　survivors　who　carried　some　disease　in　chronic　form；　but　could　still　pass　it　on　to　others；　just　as　someone　of　themselves　had　probably　been　responsible　for　the　survival　of　〃measles。〃　
　　The　old　man；　everyone　remembered　too　late；　had　blown　his　nose　occasionally。　Doubtless　he　had　an　infected　sinus；　and　so　had　infected　them　all　with　what　used　to　be　called　〃die　mon　cold；〃　although　lately　it　had　been　so　unmon　as　to　seem　extinct。　
　　In　any　case　there　was　something　almost　ic　in　the　way　so　many　disgustingly　healthy　people　were　suddenly　transformed　into　sneezers　and　coughers　and　hawkers　and　noseblowers。　
　　Fortunately；　the　cold　ran　its　course　without　plications；　and　in　a　few　weeks　everyone　was　ivell　again。　Throughout　the　rest　of　that　year　Ish　lived　in　fear　of　another　outbreak。　There　was　a　good　chance；　he　knew；　that　the　infection　might　be　quiescent　in　one　of　them；　and　then　break　loose　again　when　die　short…time　immunity　of　the　others　had　worn　off。　But　the　long　dry　summer　（it　was　particularly　sunny　that　year）　doubtless　helped　everyone　to　throw。off　the　last　vestiges　of　the　infection。　That　was　great　luck！　Ish　had　been　highly　susceptible　in　the　Old　Times。　He　had　sometimes　said；　not　altogether　as　a　joke；　that　the　loss　of　the　mon　cold　pensated　for　the　acpanying　loss　of