gs.earthabides-第66部分

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　　Then　where　there　had　been　three；　now　there　was　only　one；　for　Death　had　gone　and　she　too。　He　sat　there　bowed　and　dry…eyed。　That　too　was　finished。　They　would　bury　her；　Mother　of　Nations；　and　place　no　marker；　for　that　was　their　custom。　And；　as　it　was　in　the　beginning；　since　love　first　and　sorrow　with　it　came　to　the　world；　he　sat　with　his　dead。　And　he　knew　that　greatness　had　passed　from　them。　
　　Yet　still　the　years　flowed；　and　the　sun　swung　from　north　of　the　mountain。　south　past　the　Golden　Gate；　and　back　again。　More　years　were　carved　into　the　rock。　
　　One　spring　Molly　died　suddenly　of　what　they　took　to　be　heart…failure。　That　same　year　a　great　tumor　grew　within　Jean…swiftly；　like　a　nightmare　growth。　There　was　no　one　who　knew　how　to　help　her；　and　when　she　had　died　by　her　own　hand；　there　was　no　one　who　blamed　her。　
　　〃We　are　going；　we　are　going！〃　thought　Ish。　〃We　Americans　are　old；　and　are　dropping　like　last　spring's　leaves。〃　So　sometimes　he　was　sad。　Yet；　as　he　walked　along　the　hillside；　he　saw　many　children　playing　busily；　and　young　men　shouting　to　one　another；　and　mothers　nursing　their　babies…and　little　sadness；　and　much　merriment。　
　　One　day　Ezra　came　to　him；　saying：　〃You　should　take　another　wife。〃　Ish　looked　at　him　with　questioning　eyes。　〃No；〃　said　Ezra；　〃I　am　too　old。　You　are　younger。　There　is　a　young　woman　of　The　Others；　and　no　man　to　marry　her。　Except　for　an　old　man；　it　is　better　not　to　be　alone。　And　there　should　be　more　children。〃　
　　He　felt　no　love；　but　he　took　her。　She　forted　him　in　the　long　nights；　for　he　was　still　a　man　in　his　strength。　She　bore　him　children；　though　the　children　seemed　always　a　little　strange　to　him…scarcely　his；　because　they　were　not　also　Em's。　
　　More　years　were　carved　in　the　rock。　Except　for　Ish　and　Ezra；　all　the　Americans　now　were　gone；　and　Ezra　was　a　little　dried…up　wrinkled　man　who　coughed　and　grew　thinner　and　thinner。　Ish　himself　was　wholly　gray…haired　now。　Though　he　was　not　heavy；　his　paunch　stuck　out；　and　he　was　thin…legged　in　the　manner　of　old　men。　His　side　hurt　him　where　the　mountain…lion　had　clawed　him　years　back；　so　he　walked　little。　Yet　still　his　young　wife　bore　him　a　child　in　the　Year　42。　He　was　not　greatly　interested　in　that　child；　and　also　now　he　had　great…grandchildren。　
　　On　the　day　when　the　Year　43　had　ended；　Ish　did　not　feel　like　walking　as　far　as　the　flat　rock　where　they　carved　the　numerals；　and　Ezra　was　too　frail。　So　they　put　off　carving　the　date　in　the　rock　or　giving　a　name。　They　said　to　each　other　now　and　then　that　really　they　must　do　it；　or　else　arrange　with　some　of　the　younger　men　to　carve　the　numerals；　and　sometimes　also　the　younger　men　and　even　the　children　talked　of　it。　But　in　a　way　that　such　things　go；　once　it　had　been　put　off；　still　it　was　put　off　again。　〃Today　is　rainy；〃　or　〃It　is　too　cold；〃　or　〃We　are　going　fishing；　and　shall　do　it　later。〃　So　the　numerals　were　not　carved；　and　the　name　was　not　given；　and　life　went　on　with　no　one　caring　greatly。　After　that；　no　one　knew　how　many　years　passed。　
　　Now　no　more　children　were　born　to　Ish's　young　wife。　Then　one　day　she　came　to　him　with　a　younger　man；　and　the　two　asked；　respectfully；　that　Ish　should　give　her　to　that　one。　
　　Then　at　last　Ish　realized　that　in　this　his　curious　life；　he　had　now　e　close　to　the　last　stage　of　all。　More　and　more　often；　after　that；　he　and　Ezra　sat　together　as　two　old　men。　
　　There　was　nothing　strange　that　two　old　men　should　sit　together　and　talk；　but　what　was　strange　here　was　that　there　were　no　other　old　people　at　all。　Elsewhere　everything　was　youth；　at　least　by　parison。　There　were　births　and　there　were　deaths；　but　always　there　were　more　births　than　deaths；　and　because　everyone　was　youthful；　there　was　much　laughter。　
　　As　the　quick　years　passed　and　the　two　old　men　sat　on　the　hillside　in　the　sun；　they　began　to　talk　more　and　more　about　what　had　happened　long　ago。　There　was　little　that　anyone…they；　at　least…could　talk　about　as　far　as　these　years　now　were　concerned。　Some　years　were　called　good　years　and　some　were　called　bad　years；　but　there　was　not　much　difference。　So　chiefly　the　two　old　men　talked　about　things　of　long　ago；　and　occasionally　they　speculated　about　life。　
　　Often；　when　they　talked；　Ish　realized　that　there　was　still　wisdom　and　help　in　Ezra。　
　　〃A　tribe　is　like　a　child；〃　he　said　once；　in　that　thin　piping　old…man's　voice；　which　every　day　seemed　more　like　a　bird's…and　then　he　coughed。　When　he　recovered；　he　spoke　again；　〃Yes；　a　tribe　is　like　a　child。　You　can　show　it　the　way　by　which　it　should　grow　up；　and　perhaps　you　can　direct　it　a　little；　but　in　the　end　the　child　will　go　his　own　way；　and　so　will　the　tribe。〃　
　　〃Yes；〃　he　said　again　on　some　other　day；　〃time　makes　all　things　clear。　Everything　seems　plainer　to　me　now　than　it　once　did；　and　if　I　should　live　for　a　hundred　years　more；　perhaps　everything　that　has　happened　so　far　would　seem　very　plain　and　simple。〃　
　　Often　they　talked　of　the　other　Americans；　those　who　now　were　gone。　They　laughed；　remembering　good　old　George；　and　Maurine　with　her　fine　radio　that　would　never　play。　They　smiled　when　they　recalled　Jean；　and　her　refusal　to　go　to　church。　
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Ezra；　〃it　is　all　clearer　now　with　time。　Why　each　of　them　survived　the　Great　Disaster…that　I　still　do　not　know。　But　I　think　I　can　see　why　each　of　them　survived　the　shock　that　came　afterwards；　when　so　many　went　under。　George　and　Maurine；　and　perhaps　Molly　too；　they　lived　on　and　did　not　go　crazy　because　they　were　stolid　and　had　no　imagination。　And　Jean　survived　because　she　had　her　temper　and　fought　back　at　life；　and　I；　because　I　went　out　from　myself　and　shared　the　lives　of　other　people。　And　you　and　Em。。。〃　
　　But　here　Ezra　paused；　so　that　Ish　himself　could　speak。　
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Ish；　〃you　are　right；　I　think。。。。　And　I；　I　could　live　because　I　stood　at　one　side　and　watched　what　was　happening。　And　as　for　Em。。。〃　
　　There　he　too　paused；　and　Ezra　spoke　again。　
　　〃Well；　as　we　were；　so　The　Tribe　will　be。　It　will　not　be　brilliant　because　we　were　not　like　that。　Perhaps　the　brilliant　ones　were　not　suited　to　survive。。。。　But　as　for　Em；　there　is　no　need　to　explain；　for　we　know　that　she　was　the　strongest　of　us　all。　Yes；　we　needed　many　things。　We　needed　George　and　his　carpentry；　and　we　needed　your　foresight；　and　perhaps　we　needed　my　knack　of　making　one　person　work　better　with　another；　even　though　I　did　little　by　myself。　But　most　of　all；　I　think；　we　needed　Em；　for　she　gave　us　courage；　and　without　courage　there　is　only　a　slow　dying；　not　life。〃　
　　Almost　while　they　sat　there；　it　seemed　to　Ish；　a　fast…growing　tree　sprang　up　on　the　hillside　below　them；　and　grew　until　it　cut　off　the　view　across　the　Bay；　where　the　rust…red　towers　of　the　great　bridge　still　stood　high。　And　then　after　a　while　the　tree　seemed　to　sicken　and　die　and　fall。　Again；　from　where　he　liked　to　sit　in　the　sun　on　the　hillside；　he　could　look　out　and　see　the　bridge。　And　once；　as　he　looked；　there　was　great　fire　raging　in　the　ruinous　city　beyond　the　Bay；　and　he　remembered　that　far；　far　back…even　before　he　had　been　born…that　city　had　burned　before。　Now　it　burned　for　a　week；　with　the　dry　north　wind　driving　the　flames；　there　was　no　one　to　put　it　out；　and　no　one　even　to　care　whether　it　burned。　When　the　flames　died　down；　nothing　was　left　to　burn。　
　　There　came　a　time　when　even　talking　seemed　a　labor。　So　mostly　now　Ish　merely　sat　fortably　in　the　sun；　and　beside　him　sat　an　even　older　man　who　coughed　and　grew　thinner。　It　was　hard　to　tell　just　how　the　days　passed　and　how　they　ran　into　weeks；　and　even　the　years　seemed　to　flow　with　a　man's　scarcely　noticing　them。　Yet　Ezra　remained；　and　sometimes　Ish　thought　to　himself；　〃Though　he　coughs　and　coughs　and　grows　thinner；　yet　he　will　outlive　me。〃　
　　But　now；　since　even　talking　was　a　labor；　the　mind　turned　inward　on　itself；　and　Ish　thought　of　all　this　strange　life。　What　was　the　difference　in　the　end？　Even　if　there　had　been　no　Great　Disaster；　he　would　now　be　a　very　old　man。　Now　doubtless；　if　it　had　not　happened　otherwise；　he　would　be　Professor　Emeritus；　puttering　around；　taking　some　books　out　of　the　Library　and　intending　to　do　some　research；　a　little　of　a　nuisance　to　the　younger　men　in　their　fifties　and　sixties　who　now　ran　the　Department…though　they　might　say　loyally　to　the　graduate　students；　〃That's　Professor　Williams…a　great　scholar；　once。　We're　very　proud　of　him。〃　
　　Now　the　Old　Times　were　deeper　buried　than　Nineveh　or　Mohenjodaro。　He　himself　had　seen　everything　crash　and　go　under。　Yet　curiously；　too；　all　that　crash　had　not　been　able　to　destroy　his　personality。　He　was　still　the　same　person　he　would　have　been　as　Professor　Emeritus；　even　though　now　the　shadows　were　closing　in　on　his　mind　while　he　sat　on　a　lonely　hillside　as　the　dying　patriarch　of　a　primitive　tribe。　
　　At　some　time　in　those　years　something　else　strange　began　to　happen。　The　younger　men　had　always　e　to　Ish　for　advice；　but　now…even　though　the　shadows　were　closing　in　on　his　mind…they　began　to　e　in　a　different　way。　Whether　he　sat　on　the　hillside　in　the　sun；　or　whether；　during　rain　and　fog；　he　sat　in　the　house；　still　they　began　to　e　to　him　bearing　little　gifts…a　handful　of　ripe　berries　of　which　he　was　fond；　or　a　bright　stone　or　piece　of　colored　glass　to　flash　in　the　sun。　Ish　did　not　care　for　the　glass　or　stones；　even　though　the　stones　were　sometimes　sapphires　or　emeralds　taken　from　a　jewelry　store；　but　he　appreciated　the　gifts　because　he　realized　that　the　young　men　were　giving　him　things　by　which　they　themselves　would　be　pleased。　
　　Having　given　him　something；　they　would　formally　ask　a　question；　while　he　sat　holding　his　hammer。　Sometimes　they　asked　about　the　weather；　and　then　Ish　was　glad　to　answer。　He　could　still　look　at　his　father's　barometer；　and　so　he　could　often　say…what　the　young　men　could　not　know…whether　the　low　clouds　would　soon　vanish　before　the　sun's　heat　or　they　indicated　an　approaching　storm。　
　　But　sometimes　they　asked　him　other　questions…as；　for　instance；　in　which　direction　they　should　go　for　good　hunting。　Then　Ish　did　not　wish　to　answer；　for　he　knew　nothing　of　such　matters。　But　when　he　did　not　answer；　the　young　men　were　displeased；　and　then　they　would　pinch　him　roughly。　Because　he　was　in　pain　he　answered　them；　even　though　he　knew　nothing。　He　would　cry　out；　〃Go　south！〃　or　〃Go　beyond　the　hills！