osc.am1.seventhson-第22部分

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　　Miller　himself　answered。　〃Because　once　we　were　strangers；　and　good　folk　took　us　in。〃
　　〃I　lived　in　Philadelphia　for　a　time；　and　it　strikes　me　to　ask　you；　are　you　of　the　Society　of　Friends？〃
　　Faith　shook　her　head。　〃I'm　Presbyterian。　So　are　many　of　the　children。〃
　　Taleswapper　looked　at　Miller。
　　〃I'm　nothing；〃　he　said。
　　〃A　Christian　isn't　nothing；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　〃I'm　no　Christian；　either。〃
　　〃Ah；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃A　Deist；　then；　like　Tom　Jefferson。〃　The　children　murmured　at　his　mention　of　the　great　man's　name。
　　〃Taleswapper；　I'm　a　father　who　loves　his　children；　a　husband　who　loves　his　wife；　a　farmer　who　pays　his　debts；　and　a　miller　without　a　millstone。〃　Then　the　man　stood　up　from　the　table　and　walked　away。　They　heard　a　door　close。　He　was　gone　away　outside。
　　Taleswapper　turned　to　Faith。　〃Oh；　milady；　I'm　afraid　you　must　regret　my　ing　to　your　house。〃
　　〃You　ask　a　powerful　lot　of　questions；〃　she　said。
　　〃I　told　you　my　name；　and　my　name　is　what　I　do。　Whenever　I　sense　that　there's　a　story；　one　that　matters；　one　that's　true；　I　hunger　for　it。　And　if　I　hear　it；　and　believe　it；　then　I　remember　it　forever；　and　tell　it　again　wherever　I　go。〃
　　〃That's　how　you　earn　your　way？〃　asked　one　of　the　girls。
　　〃I　earn　my　way　by　helping　mend　wagons　and　dig　ditches　and　spin　thread　and　anything　else　that　needs　doing。　But　my　life　work　is　tales；　and　I　swap　them　one　for　one。　You　may　think　right　now　that　you　don't　want　to　tell　me　any　of　your　stories；　and　that's　fine　with　me；　because　I　never　took　a　story　that　wasn't　willingly　told。　I'm　no　thief。　But　you　see；　I've　already　got　a　story　　the　things　that　happened　to　me　today。　The　kindest　people　and　the　softest　bed　between　the　Mizzipy　and　the　Alph。〃
　　〃Where's　the　Alph？　Is　that　a　river？〃　asked　Cally。
　　〃What；　you　want　a　story？〃　asked　Taleswapper。
　　Yes；　clamored　the　children。
　　〃But　not　about　the　river　Alph；〃　said　Al　Junior。　〃That's　not　a　real　place。〃
　　Taleswapper　looked　at　him　in　genuine　surprise。　〃How　did　you　know？　Have　you　read　Lord　Byron's　collection　of　Coleridge's　poetry？〃
　　Al　Junior　looked　around　in　bafflement。
　　〃We　don't　get　much　bookstuff　here；〃　said　Faith。　〃The　preacher　gives　them　Bible　lessons；　so　they　can　learn　to　read。〃
　　〃Then　how　did　you　know　the　river　Alph　isn't　real？〃
　　Al　Junior　scrunched　his　face；　as　if　to　say；　Don't　ask　me　questions　when　I　don't　even　know　the　answer　myself。　〃The　story　I　want　is　about　Jefferson。　You　said　his　name　like　you　met　him。〃
　　〃Oh；　I　did。　And　Tom　Paine；　and　Patrick　Henry　before　they　hanged　him；　and　I　saw　the　sword　that　cut　off　George　Washington's　head。　I　even　saw　King　Robert　the　Second；　before　the　French　sank　his　ship　back　in　naught　one　and　took　him　to　the　bottom　of　the　sea。〃
　　〃Where　he　belonged；〃　murmured　Faith。
　　〃If　not　deeper；〃　said　one　of　the　older　girls。
　　〃I'll　say　amen　to　that。　They　say　in　Appalachee　that　he　had　so　much　blood　on　his　hands　that　even　his　bones　are　stained　brown　with　it；　and　even　the　most　indiscriminate　fish　won't　gnaw　at　them。〃
　　The　children　laughed。
　　〃Even　more　than　Tom　Jefferson；〃　said　Al　Junior；　〃I　want　a　tale　of　the　greatest　American　wizard。　I　bet　you　knew　Ben　Franklin。〃
　　Again；　the　child　had　startled　him。　How　did　he　guess　that　of　all　tales；　those　about　Ben　Franklin　were　the　ones　he　best　loved　to　tell？　〃Know　him？　Oh；　a　little；〃　said　Taleswapper；　knowing　that　the　way　he　said　it　promised　them　all　the　stories　they　could　hope　for。　〃I　lived　with　him　only　half　a　dozen　years；　and　there　were　eight　hours　every　night　that　I　wasn't　with　him　　so　I　can't　say　I　know　much。〃
　　Al　Junior　leaned　over　the　table；　his　eyes　bright　and　unblinking。　〃Was　he　truly　a　maker？〃
　　〃All　those　stories；　each　in　its　own　time；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃As　long　as　your　father　and　mother　are　willing　to　have　me　around；　and　as　long　as　I　believe　I'm　being　useful；　I'll　stay　and　tell　stories　night　and　day。〃
　　〃Starting　with　Ben　Franklin；〃　insisted　Alvin　Junior。　〃Did　he　really　pull　lightning　out　of　the　sky？〃
　　
　　
　　Chapter　Ten　　Visions
　　
　　Alvin　Junior　woke　up　sweating　from　the　nightmare。　It　was　so　real；　and　he　was　panting　just　as　if　he　had　been　trying　to　run　away。　But　there　was　no　running　away；　he　knew　that。　He　lay　there　with　his　eyes　closed；　afraid　to　open　them　for　a　while；　knowing　that　when　he　did；　it　would　still　be　there。　A　long　time　ago；　when　he　was　still　little；　he　used　to　cry　out　when　this　nightmare　came。　But　when　he　tried　to　explain　it　to　Pa　and　Mama；　they　always　said　the　same　thing。　〃Why；　that's　just　nothing；　son。　You're　telling　me　you're　so　a…scared　of　nothing？〃　So　he　learned　himself　to　stifle　and　never　cry　when　the　dream　came。
　　He　opened　his　eyes；　and　it　fled　away　to　the　corners　of　the　room；　where　he　didn't　have　to　look　right　at　it。　That　was　good　enough。　Stay　there　and　let　me　be；　he　said　silently。
　　Then　he　realized　that　it　was　full　daylight；　and　Mama　had　laid　out　his　black　broadcloth　pants　and　jacket　and　a　clean　shirt。　His　Sunday　go…to…meeting　clothes。　He'd　almost　rather　go　back　to　the　nightmare　than　wake　up　to　this。
　　Alvin　Junior　hated　Sunday　mornings。　He　hated　getting　all　dressed　up；　so　he　couldn't　set　on　the　ground　or　kneel　in　the　grass　or　even　bend　over　without　something　getting　messed　up　and　Mama　telling　him　to　have　some　respect　for　the　Lord's　day。　He　hated　having　to　tiptoe　around　the　house　all　morning　because　it　was　the　Sabbath　and　there　wasn't　to　be　no　playing　or　making　noise　on　the　Sabbath。　Worst　of　all　he　hated　the　thought　of　sitting　on　a　hard　bench　down　front；　with　Reverend　Thrower　looking　him　in　the　eye　while　he　preached　about　the　fires　of　hell　that　were　waiting　for　the　ungodly　who　despised　the　true　religion　and　put　their　faith　in　the　feeble　understanding　of　man。　Every　Sunday；　it　seemed　like。
　　And　it　wasn't　that　Alvin　really　despised　religion。　He　just　despised　Reverend　Thrower。　It　was　all　those　hours　in　school；　now　that　harvest　was　over。　Alvin　Junior　was　a　good　reader；　and　he　got　right　answers　most　of　the　time　in　his　ciphering。　But　that　wasn't　enough　for　old　Thrower。　He　also　had　to　teach　religion　right　along　with　it。　The　other　children　　the　Swedes　and　Knickerbockers　from　upriver；　the　Scotch　and　English　from　down　　only　got　a　licking　when　they　sassed　or　got　three　wrong　answers　in　a　row。　But　Thrower　took　his　cane　to　Alvin　Junior　every　chance　he　got；　it　seemed　like；　and　it　wasn't　over　book…learning；　it　was　always　about　religion。
　　Of　course　it　didn't　help　much　that　the　Bible　kept　striking　Alvin　funny　at　all　the　wrong　times。　That's　what　Measure　said；　the　time　that　Alvin　ran　away　from　school　and　hid　in　David's　house　till　Measure　found　him　nigh　onto　suppertime。　〃If　you　just　didn't　laugh　when　he　reads　from　the　Bible；　you　wouldn't　get　whupped　so　much。〃
　　But　it　was　funny。　When　Jonathan　shot　all　those　arrows　in　the　sky　and　they　missed。　When　Jeroboam　didn't　shoot　enough　arrows　out　his　window。　When　Pharaoh　kept　finding　tricky　ways　to　keep　the　Israelites　from　leaving。　When　Samson　was　so　dumb　he　told　his　secret　to　Delilah　after　she　already　betrayed　him　twice。　〃How　can　I　keep　from　laughing？〃
　　〃Just　think　about　getting　blisters　on　your　butt；〃　said　Measure。　〃That　ought　to　take　the　smile　off　your　face。〃
　　〃But　I　never　remember　till　after　I　already　laughed。〃
　　〃Then　you'll　probably　never　need　a　chair　till　you're　fifteen　years　old；〃　said　Measure。　〃Cause　Mama　won't　ever　let　you　out　of　that　school；　and　Thrower　won't　ever　let　up　on　you；　and　you　can't　hide　in　David's　house　forever。〃
　　〃Why　not？〃
　　〃Because　hiding　from　your　enemy　is　the　same　as　letting　him　win。〃
　　So　Measure　wouldn't　keep　him　safe；　and　he　had　to　go　back　　and　take　a　licking　from　Pa；　too；　for　scaring　everybody　by　running　away　and　hiding　so　long。　Still；　Measure　had　helped　him。　It　was　a　fort　to　know　that　somebody　else　was　willing　to　say　that　Thrower　was　his　enemy。　All　the　others　were　so　full　of　how　wonderful　and　godly　and　educated　Thrower　was；　and　how　kind　he　was　to　teach　the　children　from　his　fount　of　wisdom；　that　it　like　to　made　Alvin　puke。
　　Even　though　Alvin　mostly　kept　his　face　under　control　during　school；　and　so　got　less　lickings；　Sunday　was　the　most　terrible　struggle　of　all；　because　he　sat　there　on　that　hard　bench　listening　to　Thrower；　half　the　time　wanting　to　bust　out　laughing　till　he　fell　on　the　floor；　and　half　the　time　wanting　to　stand　up　and　shout；　〃That's　just　about　the　stupidest　thing　I　ever　heard　a　growed　man　say！〃　He　even　had　a　feeling　Pa　wouldn't　lick　him　very　hard　for　saying　that　to　Thrower；　since　Pa　never　had　much　of　an　opinion　of　the　man。　But　Mama　　she'd　never　forgive　him　for　doing　blasphemy　in　the　house　of　the　Lord。
　　Sunday　morning；　he　decided；　is　designed　to　let　sinners　have　a　sample　of　the　first　day　of　eternity　in　hell。
　　Probably　Mama　wouldn't　even　let　Taleswapper　tell　so　much　as　the　tiniest　story　today；　lessen　it　came　from　the　Bible。　And　since　Taleswapper　never　seemed　to　tell　stories　from　the　Bible；　Alvin　Junior　guessed　that　nothing　good　would　e　today。
　　Mama's　voice　blasted　up　the　stairs。　〃Alvin　Junior；　I'm　so　sick　and　tired　of　you　taking　three　hours　to　get　dressed　on　Sunday　morning　that　I'm　about　to　take　you　to　church　naked！〃
　　〃I　ain't　naked！〃　Alvin　shouted　down。　But　since　what　he　was　wearing　was　his　nightgown；　it　was　probably　worse　than　being　naked。　He　shucked　off　the　flannel　nightgown；　hung　it　on　a　peg；　and　started　dressing　as　fast　as　he　could。
　　It　was　funny。　On　any　other　day；　he　only　had　to　reach　out　for　his　clothes　without　even　thinking；　and　they'd　be　there；　just　the　piece　he　wanted。　Shirt；　trousers；　stockings；　shoes。　Always　there　in　his　hand　when　he　reached。　But　on　Sunday　morning；　it　was　like　the　clothes　ran　away　from　his　hand。　He'd　go　for　his　shirt　and　e　back　with　his　pants。　He'd　reach　for　a　sock　and　e　up　with　a　shoe；　time　after　time。　It　was　like　as　if　the　clothes　didn't　want　to　get　put　on　his　body　any　more　than　he　wanted　them　there。
　　So　when　Mama　banged　open　the　door；　it　wasn't　altogether　Alvin's　fault　that　he　didn't　even　have　his　pants　on　yet。
　　〃You've　missed　breakfast！　You're　still　half…naked！　If　you　think　I'm　going　to　make　the　whole　family　parade　into　church　late　on　account　of　you；　you've　got〃
　　〃Another　think　ing；〃　said　Alvin。
　　It　wasn't　his　fault　that　she　always　said　the　same　thing。　But　she　got　mad　at　him