the diary of a goose girl(牧鹅女日记)-第2章
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！
Her accent is not of the farm； but of the town； and smacks wholly of the
marts of trade。 She is repetitious； too； as well as platitudinous。 〃I 'ope
if there's anythink you require you will let us know； let us know；〃 she says
several times each day； and whenever she enters my sitting…room she
prefaces her conversation with the remark： 〃I trust you are finding it
quiet here； miss？ It's the quietude of the plyce that is its charm； yes； the
quietude。 And yet〃 （she dribbles on） 〃it wears on a body after a while；
miss。 I often go into Woodmucket to visit one of my sons just for the
noise； simply for the noise； miss； for nothink else in the world but the
noise。 There's nothink like noise for soothing nerves that is worn
threadbare with the quietude； miss； or at least that's my experience； and
yet to a strynger the quietude of the plyce is its charm； undoubtedly its
chief charm； and that is what our paying guests always say； although our
charges are somewhat higher than other plyces。 If there's anythink you
require； miss； I 'ope you'll mention it。 There is not a commodious
assortment in Barbury Green； but we can always send the pony to
6
… Page 7…
The Diary of a Goose Girl
Woodmucket in case of urgency。 Our paying guest last summer was a Mrs。
Pollock； and she was by way of having sudden fancies。 Young and
unmarried though you are； miss； I think you will tyke my meaning without
my speaking plyner？ Well； at six o'clock of a rainy afternoon； she was
seized with an unaccountable desire for vegetable marrows； and Mr。
'Eaven put the pony in the cart and went to Woodmucket for them； which
is a great advantage to be so near a town and yet 'ave the quietude。〃
Mr。 Heaven is merged； like Mr。 Jellyby； in the more shining qualities
of his wife。 A line of description is too long for him。 Indeed； I can think
of no single word brief enough； at least in English。 The Latin 〃nil〃 will
do； since no language is rich in words of less than three letters。 He is
nice； kind； bald； timid； thin； and so colourless that he can scarcely be
discerned save in a strong light。 When Mrs。 Heaven goes out into the
orchard in search of him； I can hardly help calling from my window； 〃Bear
a trifle to the right； Mrs。 Heavennow to the leftjust in front of you now…
… if you put out your hands you will touch him。〃
Phoebe； aged seventeen； is the daughter of the house。 She is virtuous；
industrious； conscientious； and singularly destitute of physical charm。
She is more than plain； she looks as if she had been planned without any
definite purpose in view； made of the wrong materials； been badly put
together； and never properly finished off； but 〃plain〃 after all is a relative
word。 Many a plain girl has been married for her beauty； and now and
then a beauty； falling under a cold eye； has been thought plain。
Phoebe has her compensations； for she is beloved by； and reciprocates
the passion of； the Woodmancote carrier； Woodmucket being the English
manner of pronouncing the place of his abode。 If he 〃carries〃 as
energetically for the great public as he fetches for Phoebe； then he must be
a rising and a prosperous man。 He brings her daily； wild strawberries；
cherries； birds' nests； peacock feathers； sea…shells； green hazel…nuts；
samples of hens' food； or bouquets of wilted field flowers tied together
tightly and held with a large； moist； loving hand。 He has fine curly hair
of sandy hue； which forms an aureole on his brow； and a reddish beard；
which makes another inverted aureole to match； round his chin。 One
cannot look at him； especially when the sun shines through him； without
7
… Page 8…
The Diary of a Goose Girl
thinking how lovely he would be if stuffed and set on wheels； with a little
string to drag him about。
Phoebe confided to me that she was on the eve of loving the postman
when the carrier came across her horizon。
〃It doesn't do to be too hysty； does it； miss？〃 she asked me as we were
weeding the onion bed。 〃I was to give the postman his answer on the
Monday night； and it was on the Monday morning that Mr。 Gladwish
made his first trip here as carrier。 I may say I never wyvered from that
moment； and no more did he。 When I think how near I came to
promising the postman it gives me a turn。〃 （I can understand that； for I
once met the man I nearly promised years before to marry； and we both
experienced such a sense of relief at being free instead of bound that we
came near falling in love for sheer joy。）
The last and most important member of the household is the Square
Baby。 His name is Albert Edward； and he is really five years old and no
baby at all； but his appearance on this planet was in the nature of a
complete surprise to all parties concerned； and he is spoiled accordingly。
He has a square head and jaw； square shoulders； square hands and feet。
He is red and white and solid and stolid and slow…witted； as the young of
his class commonly are； and will make a bulwark of the nation in course
of time； I should think； for England has to produce a few thousand such
square babies every year for use in the colonies and in the standing army。
Albert Edward has already a military gait； and when he has acquired a
habit of obedience at all comparable with his power of command； he will
be able to take up the white man's burden with distinguished success。
Meantime I can never look at him without marvelling how the English
climate can transmute bacon and eggs； tea and the solid household loaf
into such radiant roses and lilies as bloom upon his cheeks and lips。
8
… Page 9…
The Diary of a Goose Girl
CHAPTER III
July 8th。
Thornycroft is by way of being a small poultry farm。
In reaching it from Barbury Green； you take the first left…hand road； go
till you drop； and there you are。
It reminds me of my 〃grandmother's farm at Older。〃 Did you know
the song when you were a child？ …
My grandmother had a very fine farm 'Way down in the fields of
Older。 With a cluck…cluck here； And a cluck…cluck there； Here and there a
cluck…cluck； Cluck…cluck here and there； Down in the fields at Older。
It goes on for ever by the simple subterfuge of changing a few words
in each verse。
My grandmother had a very fine farm 'Way down in the fields of
Older。 With a quack…quack here； And a quack…quack there； Here and there
a quack…quack； Quack…quack here and there； Down in the fields at Older。
This is followed by the gobble…gobble； moo…moo； baa…baa； etc。； as
long as the laureate's imagination and the infant's breath hold good。 The
tune is pretty； and I do not know； or did not； when I was young； a more
fascinating lyric。
Thornycroft House must have belonged to a country gentleman once
upon a time； or to more than one； men who built on a bit here and there
once in a hundred years； until finally we have this charmingly irregular
and dilapidated whole。 You go up three steps into Mrs。 Heaven's room；
down two into mine； while Phoebe's is up in a sort of turret with long；
narrow lattices opening into the creepers。 There are crooked little stair…
cases； passages that branch off into other passages and lead nowhere in
particular； I can't think of a better house in which to play hide and seek on
a wet day。 In front； what was once； doubtless； a green； is cut up into
greens； to wit； a vegetable garden； where the onions； turnips； and potatoes
grow cosily up to the very door…sill； the utilitarian aspect of it all being
varied by some scarlet…runners and a scattering of poppies on either side of
the path。
9
… Page 10…
The Diary of a Goose Girl
The Belgian hares have their habitation in a corner fifty feet distant；
one large enclosure for poultry lies just outside the sweetbrier hedge； the
others； with all the houses and coops； are in the meadow at the back；
where also our tumbler pigeons are kept。
Phoebe attends to the poultry； it is her department。 Mr。 Heaven has
neither the force nor the finesse required； and the gentle reader who thinks
these qualities unneeded in so humble a calling has only to spend a few
days at Thornycroft to be convinced。 Mrs。 Heaven would be of use； but
she is dressing the Square Baby in the morning and putting him to bed at
night just at the hours when the feathered young things are undergoing the
same operation。
A Goose Girl； like a poet； is sometimes born； sometimes otherwise。 I
am of the born variety。 No training was necessary； I put my head on my
pillow as a complicated product of modern civilisation on a Tuesday night；
and on a Wednesday morning I awoke as a Goose Girl。
My destiny slumbered during the day； but at eight o'clock I heard a
terrific squawking in the direction of the duck…ponds； and； aimlessly
drifting in that direction； I came upon Phoebe trying to induce ducks and
drakes； geese and ganders； to retire for the night。 They have to be driven
into enclosures behind fences of wire netting； fastened into little rat…proof
boxes； or shut into separate coops； so as to be safe from their natural
enemies； the rats and foxes； which； ob
