gs.earthabides-第31部分

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mes　said；　not　altogether　as　a　joke；　that　the　loss　of　the　mon　cold　pensated　for　the　acpanying　loss　of　civilization。　
　　That　autumn；　however；　the　good　luck　ran　out。　No　one　ever　knew　exactly　what　happened；　but　three　of　the　children　fell　ill　with　violent　diarrhoea；　and　died。　Most　likely　they　had　been　wandering　about　at　play　in　one　of　the　near…by　uninhabited　houses；　and　had　found　some　poison…ant…poison；　perhaps。　Tasting　it　curiously　they　had　found　it　sweet；　and　shared　it。　Even　when　dead；　civilization　seemed　to　lay　traps。　
　　One　of　the　children　had　been　Ish's　own　son。　He　had　always　worried；　not　about　himself；　but　about　Em；　in　such　a　case。　Yet；　though　she　moumed　for　the　child；　he　saw　that　he　had　underestimated　her　strength。　Her　hold　on　life　was　so　strong　that；　paradoxically；　she　could　accept　death　also　as　a　part　of　life。　Both　Molly　and　Jean；　the　other　bereaved　mothers；　grieved　hysterically；　and　were　much　more　stricken。　
　　That　year　two　children　were　born；　but　nevertheless　the　total　number　of　The　Tribe　for　the　first　time　was　smaller　at　the　end　than　at　the　beginning　of　a　year。　They　called　it　the　Year　of　the　Deaths。　
　　The　Year　10　had　no　remarkable　events；　and　no　one　was　convinced　as　to　what　it　should　be　called。　But　when　they　sat　on　the　flat　rock　and　Ish　poised　his　hammer　and　began　to　cut　with　the　chisel；　for　the　first　time　some　of　the　children　spoke　up；　and　they　said　it　should　be　called　the　Year　of　the　Fishing。　This　was　because　during　this　year　they　had　discovered　that　the　Bay　was　swarming　with　beautiful　striped　bass；　and　they　had　had　a　great　deal　of　fun　going　fishing　and　catching　them。　Besides　supplying　a　very　fine　variety　to　the　diet；　the　fishing　had　also　been　a　real　source　of　amusement　to　everybody。　But　in　general；　Ish　was　surprised　how　little　actual　necessity　they　had　to　seek　amusement。　In　the　kind　of　life　that　they　lived　there　always　seemed　to　bea　good　deal　to　do　just　to　get　food　and　to　support　oneself　in　fort　and　there　was　in　it　a　great　deal　of　satisfaction　which　did　not　call　for　anything　as　definite　as　amusement。　
　　In　the　Year　11；　Molly　and　Jean　bore　children；　but　Molly's　died　at　birth。　This　was　a　great　disappointment；　because　it　was　the　first　one　that　they　had　lost　at　childbirth；　and　in　the　course　of　the　years　the　women　had　bee　very　skillful　at　helping　one　another。　They　thought　that　perhaps　this　death　was　caused　from　Molly's　being　old　now。　
　　When　it　came　to　naming　the　year；　however；　there　was　a　dispute　between　old　and　young。　The　older　ones　thought　it　should　be　called　the　Year　when　Princess　Died。。。。　She　had　been　ailing；　an　old　dog；　for　some　time。　No　one　knew　just　how　ancient　she　was；　because　she　might　have　been　anywhere　from　one　year　to　three　or　four　when　she　first　picked　up　Ish。　She　had　remained　the　same…always　the　princess；　expecting　the　best　of　treatment；　always　unreliable；　always　ready　to　disappear　on　the　trail　of　an　imaginary　rabbit　just　when　you　wanted　her。　But　for　all　you　might　say　against　her；　she　had　shown　a　very　real　character；　and　the　older　people　could　remember　the　time　when　she　seemed　very　important　along　San　Lupo　Drive；　almost　another　person。　
　　By　now　there　were　dozens　of　dogs　around。　Nearly　all　of　them　must　be　children　or　grandchildren　or　great…grandchildren　of　Princess；　who　on　various　occasions　had　disappeared　for　a　day　or　two　and　apparently　met　an　old　friend　among　the　wild　dogs　or　picked　up　a　new　one。　As　the　result　of　a　lot　of　inbreeding　and　out…breeding　and　cross…breeding；　these　present　dogs　were　very　little　like　beagles；　but　varied　tremendously　in　size　and　color　and　temperament。　
　　But　to　the　children　Princess　had　been　an　old　and　not　very　interesting　dog　of　uncertain　temper。　They　said　that　this　should　be　the　Year　of　the　Wood…Carving；　and　after　a　momentary　hesitation　Ish　supported　them；　even　though　Princess　had　meant　more　to　him　than　to　anyone　else。　She　had　taken　him　out　of　himself　in　those　first　bad　days　and　let　him　free　himself　of　fear；　and　her　wild　barking　dash　had　taken　him　into　the　house　where　he　found　Em；　when　otherwise　he　might　have　hesitated　and　driven　on。　But　also；　he　thought；　Princess　was　over　and　done　with；　and　only　a　link　with　the　past；　to　be　remembered　by　people　who　were　growing　older　and　older。　Soon　the　younger　children　would　not　remember　her　at　all。　After　a　while　she　would　be　wholly　forgotten。　（Then　the　icy　thought　came　to　him：　〃So　too　I　may　grow　old；　and　older；　and　be　merely　a　link　to　the　past；　and　be　an　unregarded　old　duffer；　and　then　die　and　be　soon　forgotten…yet　that　is　as　it　should　be！〃）　
　　Then；　as　the　others　argued；　he　thought　of　the　wood…carving。　It　had　swept　over　them　as　a　kind　of　fad　or　craze；　like　bubble…blowing　or　mah…jongg　in　the　Old　Times。　Suddenly　all　the　children　were　raiding　lumber　yards　for　good　boards　of　soft　sugar…pine；　and　were　trying　to　carve　running　designs　of　figures　of　cattle　or　dogs　or　people。　They　worked　awkwardly　at　first；　but　soon　some　of　them　grew　skillful。　Though；　like　all　fads；　it　had　fallen　off；　still　the　children　worked　at　it　on　rainy　days。　
　　Ish　had　studied　enough　anthropology　to　know　that　any　healthy　people　should　have　creative　outlets；　and　he　was　worried　that　The　Tribe　had　not　developed　artistically　but　was　still　living　under　the　shadow　of　the　past；　listening　to　old　records　on　the　wind…up　phonographs　and　looking　at　old　picture　books。　Accordingly　he　had　been　pleased　at　the　fad　for　wood…carving。　
　　At　a　pause　in　the　argument　he　spoke　up；　supporting　the　children。　So　it　came　to　be　known　as　the　Year　of　the　Wood…Carving；　and　in　Ish's　mind　the　Year　11　had　a　symbolic　value；　as　a　breaking　with　the　past　and　a　turning　to　the　future。　Yet　the　naming　was　a　small　matter；　and　he　was　not　sure　that　he　should　attach　any　significance　to　it。　
　　In　the　Year　12；　Jean　lost　a　child　in　childbirth；　but　Em　made　up　for　it　by　bearing　the　first　pair　of　twins；　whom　they　called　Joseph　and　Josephine；　or　more　monly；　Joey　and　Josey。　So　this　was　the　Year　of　the　Twins。　
　　The　Year　13　saw　the　birth　of　two　children　who　both　lived。　It　was　a　quiet　and　fortable　year；　with　nothing　to　mark　it　especially。　So；　for　lack　of　anything　better；　they　merely　called　it　the　Good　Year。　
　　The　Year　14　was　much　like　it；　so　they　called　that　the　Second　Good　Year。　
　　The　Year　15　was　also　excellent；　and　they　considered　calling　it　the　Third　Good　Year；　but　there　was　a　difference。　Ish　and　the　older　people　again　felt　that　first　loneliness　and　the　drawing　in　of　the　darkness。　Not　to　grow　more　numerous　was　essentially　to　grow　fewer；　and　this　was　the　first　year　since　the　very　beginning　when　there　had　been　no　children　born。　All　the　women…Em；　Molly；　Jean　and　Maurine…were　now　getting　old；　and　the　younger　girls　were　not　yet　quite　old　enough　to　marry；　except　for　Evie；　the　half…witted　one；　who　should　never　be　allowed　to　have　children。　So　they　did　not　like　to　call　this　the　Third　Good　Year；　because　it　was　not　wholly　good。　Instead；　the　children　remembered　that　this　year　could　be　thought　remarkable　because　Ish　had　got　out　his　old　accordion　and　to　its　wheezing　they　had　sung　songs　together…old　songs　like　Home　on　the　Range　or　She'll　Be　in'　Round　the　Mountain；　and　so　they　called　this；　at　the　children's　prompting；　the　Year　That　We　Sang。　（No　one　except　Ish　seemed　to　think　that　anything　was　wrong　with　the　grammar。）　
　　The　Year　16；　however；　was　remarkable　because　the　first　marriage　actually　took　place。　Those　married　were　Mary；　who　was　Ish　and　Em's　oldest　daughter；　and　Ralph；　who　had　been　bom　to　Molly　just　before　the　Great　Disaster。　They　were　younger　than　would　have　been　thought　suitable　or　even　decent　for　marriage　in　the　Old　Days；　but　in　this　also　standards　had　changed。　Ish　and　Em；　when　they　discussed　the　matter　privately；　were　not　even　sure　that　Mary　was　especially　fond　of　Ralph；　or　Ralph　of　Mary。　But　everyone　had　always　assumed　that　the　two　of　them　would　get　married　because　there　was　nobody　else　available　whom　either　of　them　could　take；　just　as　it　once　was　with　princes　and　princesses。　So　perhaps；　as　Ish　concluded；　romantic　love　had　merely　been　another　necessary　casualty　of　the　Great　Disaster。　
　　Maurine　and　Molly　and　Jean　were　all　for　〃a　real　wedding；〃　as　they　said。　They　hunted　up　a　Lohengrin　record　for　the　windup　phonograph；　and　were　making　a　wedding　costume　in　white　with　a　veil；　and　everything　to　go　with　it。　But；　to　Ish；　all　this　seemed　a　horrible　parody　of　things　that　had　once　been；　Em；　in　her　quiet　way；　supported　him。　Since　Mary　was　their　daughter；　they　controlled　the　wedding。　In　the　end；　they　had　no　ceremony　at　all；　except　that　Ralph　and　Mary　stood　before　Ezra；　and　he　told　them　that　now　they　were　being　married　and　that　they　would　assume　a　new　responsibility　to　the　munity　and　that　they　must　try　to　fulfill　it　well。　Mary　bore　a　child　before　the　year　was　out；　and　so　for　that　reason；　it　was　called　the　Year　of　the　Grandchild。　
　　The　Year　17　they　called；　mostly　at　the　children's　prompting；　the　Year　the　House　Busted。　The　reason　was　that　one　of　the　nearby　houses　had　suddenly　collapsed　and　crashed　down　with　a　great　noise　just　in　time　for　some　of　the　children　to　see　it　as　they　came　running　out　at　the　first　crack。　On　investigation；　the　matter　proved　simple　enough；　because　termites　had　had　a　chance　now　to　work　in　the　house　for　seventeen　years　undisturbed；　and　had　eaten　through　the　underpinning。　But　the　incident　had　made　a　great　impression　upon　the　children；　and　so　it　gave　the　name　to　the　year；　although　it　was　not　really　a　matter　of　importance。　
　　In　the　Year　18；　Jean　bore　still　another　child。　This　was　the　last　of　all　that　were　born　to　the　older　generation；　but　by　this　time　there　were　two　marriages　of　the　second　generation；　and　two　more　grandchildren　were　born。　
　　This　was　called　the　Year　of　the　Schoolteaching。。。。　Ever　since　the　first　children　had　been　old　enough；　Ish　had　tried；　in　a　more　or　less　desultory　way；　to　give　them　some　kind　of　teaching；　so　that　they　could　at　least　read　and　write　and　do　a　little　arithmetic；　and　know　something　of　geography。　But　it　had　always　been　difficult　to　get　the　children　together；　and　there　seemed　to　be　so　many　things　that　they　wanted　to　do；　either　in　play　or　in　earnest；　and　the　schoolteaching　had　never　acplished　very　much；　although　most　of　the　older　children　could　read　after　a　fashion。　At　least　they　had　once　been　able　to　read；　but　Ish　doubted　whether　some　of　them…such　as　Mary；