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by shore and sedge(沙滩和苔草旁)-第2章

小说: by shore and sedge(沙滩和苔草旁) 字数: 每页3500字

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                                  BY SHORE AND SEDGE 



and distant but not repellent; the moisture that had been denied his eyes at 

the prayer…meeting overflowed them here; the words that had choked his 

utterance   an   hour   ago   now   rose   to   his   lips。   He   threw   himself   from   his 

horse; and kneeling in the withered grassa mere atom in the boundless 

plainlifted his pale face against the irresponsive blue and prayed。 

     He    prayed     that   the   unselfish    dream     of   his  bitter   boyhood;      his 

disappointed youth; might come to pass。 He prayed that he might in higher 

hands   become   the   humble   instrument   of   good   to   his   fellow…   man。   He 

prayed that the deficiencies of his scant education; his self…taught learning; 

his    helpless    isolation;   and   his   inexperience      might    be   overlooked      or 

reinforced      by   grace。   He    prayed    that   the   Infinite   Compassion       might 

enlighten his ignorance and solitude with a manifestation of the Spirit; in 

his   very   weakness   he   prayed   for   some   special   revelation;   some   sign   or 

token; some visitation or gracious unbending from that coldly lifting sky。 

The   low   sun   burned   the   black   edge   of   the   distant   tules   with   dull   eating 

fires as he prayed; lit the dwarfed hills with a brief but ineffectual radiance; 

and then died out。 The lingering trade winds fired a few volleys over its 

grave and then lapsed into a chilly silence。 The young man staggered to 

his feet; it was quite dark now; but the coming night had advanced a few 

starry vedettes so near the plain they looked like human watch…fires。 For 

an instant he could not remember where he was。 Then a light trembled far 

down at the entrance of the valley。 Brother Gideon recognized it。 It was in 

the lonely farmhouse of the widow of the last Circuit preacher。 



                                                  II 



       The    abode    of   the  late   Reverend      Marvin     Hiler   remained     in   the 

disorganized   condition   he   had   left   it   when   removed   from   his   sphere   of 

earthly uselessness and continuous accident。 The straggling fence that only 

half inclosed the house and barn had stopped at that point where the two 

deacons who had each volunteered to do a day's work on it had completed 

their  allotted   time。 The  building   of the barn   had been   arrested   when the 

half load of timber contributed by Sugar Mill brethren was exhausted; and 

three    windows       given    by   〃Christian     Seekers〃     at   Martinez     painfully 

accented the boarded spaces for the other three that 〃Unknown Friends〃 in 



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                                BY SHORE AND SEDGE 



Tasajara had promised but not yet supplied。 In the clearing some trees that 

had been felled but not taken away added to the general incompleteness。 

     Something of this unfinished character clung to the Widow Hiler and 

asserted    itself  in  her   three  children;    one   of  whom     was   consistently 

posthumous。   Prematurely   old   and   prematurely   disappointed;   she   had   all 

the inexperience of girlhood with the cares of maternity; and kept in her 

family circle the freshness of an old maid's misogynistic antipathies with a 

certain guilty and remorseful consciousness of widowhood。 She supported 

the meagre household to which her husband had contributed only the extra 

mouths to feed with reproachful astonishment and weary incapacity。 She 

had long since grown tired of trying to make both ends meet; of which she 

declared 〃the Lord had taken one。〃 During her two years' widowhood she 

had waited on Providence; who by a pleasing local fiction had been made 

responsible     for  the  disused   and   cast…off   furniture  and   clothing   which; 

accompanied with scriptural texts; found their way mysteriously into her 

few   habitable   rooms。  The   providential   manna   was   not   always   fresh;   the 

ravens who fed her and her little ones with flour from the Sugar Mills did 

not always select the best quality。 Small wonder that; sitting by her lonely 

hearthstone;a      borrowed      stove    that   supplemented        the   unfinished 

fireplace; surrounded by her mismatched furniture and clad in misfitting 

garments; she had contracted a habit of sniffling during her dreary watches。 

In her weaker moments she attributed it to grief; in her stronger intervals 

she knew that it sprang from damp and draught。 

     In her apathy the sound of horses' hoofs at her unprotected door even 

at that hour neither surprised nor alarmed her。 She lifted her head as the 

door opened and the pale face of Gideon Deane looked into the room。 She 

moved aside the cradle she was rocking; and; taking a saucepan and tea… 

cup from a chair beside her; absently dusted it with her apron; and pointing 

to the vacant seat said; 〃Take a chair;〃 as quietly as if he had stepped from 

the next room instead of the outer darkness。 

     〃I'll put up my horse first;〃 said Gideon gently。 

     〃So do;〃 responded the widow briefly。 

     Gideon led his horse across the inclosure; stumbling over the heaps of 

rubbish;    dried   chips;  and   weather…beaten      shavings    with   which    it  was 



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                                  BY SHORE AND SEDGE 



strewn;     until   he   reached    the   unfinished     barn;   where     he  temporarily 

bestowed his beast。 Then taking a rusty axe; by the faint light of the stars; 

he attacked one of the fallen trees with such energy that at the end of ten 

minutes he reappeared at the door with an armful of cut boughs and chips; 

which he quietly deposited behind the stove。 Observing that he was still 

standing as if looking for something; the widow lifted her eyes and said; 

〃Ef it's the bucket; I reckon ye'll find it at the spring; where one of them 

foolish Filgee boys left it。 I've been that tuckered out sens sundown; I ain't 

had the ambition to go and tote it back。〃 Without a word Gideon repaired 

to the spring; filled the missing bucket; replaced the hoop on the loosened 

staves of another he found lying useless beside it; and again returned to the 

house。 The widow once more pointed to the chair; and Gideon sat down。 

〃It's quite a spell sens you wos here;〃 said the Widow Hiler; returning her 

foot   to   the   cradle…rocker;   〃not   sens   yer   was   ordained。   Be'n   practicin';   I 

reckon; at the meetin'。〃 

     A   slight   color   came   into   his   cheek。   〃My   place   is   not   there;   Sister 

Hiler;〃   he   said   gently;   〃it's   for   those   with   the   gift   o'   tongues。   I  go   forth 

only   a   common   laborer   in   the   vineyard。〃   He   stopped   and   hesitated;   he 

might have said more; but the widow; who was familiar with that kind of 

humility as the ordinary perfunctory expression of her class; suggested no 

sympathetic interest in his mission。 

     〃Thar's a deal o' talk over there;〃 she said dryly; 〃and thar's folks ez 

thinks thar's a deal o' money spent in picnicking the Gospel that might be 

given to them ez wish to spread it; or to their widows and children。 But 

that don't consarn you; Brother Gideon。 Sister Parsons hez money enough 

to settle her darter Meely comfortably on her own land; and I've heard tell 

that   you   and   Meely   was   only   waitin'   till   you   was   ordained   to   be   jined 

together。 You'll hev an easier time of it; Brother Gideon; than poor Marvin 

Hiler had;〃 she continued; suppressing her tears with a certain astringency 

that took the place of her lost pride; 〃but the Lord wills that some should 

be tried and some not。〃 

     〃But I am not going to marry Meely Parsons;〃 said Gideon quietly。 

     The   widow   took   her   foot   from   the   rocker。   〃Not   marry   Meely!〃   she 

repeated vaguely。 But relapsing into her despondent mood she continued: 



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                                  BY SHORE AND SEDGE 



〃Then   I   reckon   it's   true   what   other   folks   sez   of   Brother   Silas   Braggley 

makin' up to her and his powerful exhortin' influence over her ma。 Folks 

sez ez Sister Parsons hez just resigned her soul inter his keepin'。〃 

     〃Brother Silas hez a heavenly gift;〃 said the young man; with gentle 

enthusiasm; 〃and perhaps it may be so。 If it is; it is the Lord's will。 But I 

do not marry Meely because my life and my ways henceforth must lie far 

beyond   her sphere   of   strength。  I oughtn't to   drag   a   young   inexperienced 

soul with me to battle and struggle in the thorny paths that I must tread。〃 

     〃I   reckon   you   know   your   own   mind;〃   said   Sister   Hiler   grimly。   〃But 

thar's folks ez might allow that Meely Parsons ain't any better than others; 

that she shouldn't have her share o' trials and keers and crosses。 Riches and 

bringin' up don't   exempt folks from  the shadder。 I   married Marvin   Hiler 

outer   a house   ez good   ez   Sister   Parsons';   and   at   a   time   when   old   Cyrus 

Parsons hadn't a roof to his head but the cover of the emigrant wagon he 

kem across the plains in。 I might say ez Marvin knowed pretty well wot it 

was to have a helpmeet in his ministration; if it wasn't vanity of sperit to 

say   it   now。   But   the   flesh   is   weak;   Brother   Gideon。〃   Her   influenza   here 

resolved   itself   into   unmistakable   tears;   which   she   wiped   away   with   the 

first article that was accessible in the work…bag before her。 As it chanced to 

be a black silk neckerchief of the deceased Hiler; the result was funereal; 

suggestive; but practically ineffective。 

     〃You were a good wife to Brother Hiler;〃 said the young man gently。 

〃Everybody knows that。〃 

     〃It's suthin' to think of since he's gone;〃 continued the widow; bringing 

her work nearer to her eyes to adjust it to their tear… dimmed focus。 〃It's 

suthin'  to   lay  to   heart   in   the  lonely  days   and   nights   when   thar's no   man 

round to fetch water and wood and lend a hand to doin' chores; it's suthin' 

to remember; with his three children to feed; and little Selby; the eldest; 

that vain and useless that he can't even tote the baby round while I do the 

work of a hired man。〃 

     〃It's   a   hard   trial;   Sister   Hiler;〃   said   Gideon;   〃but   the   Lord   has   His 

appointed time。〃 

     Familiar as consolation by vague quotation was to Sister Hiler; there 

was an occult sympathy in the tone in which this was offered that lifted 



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                                  BY SHOR

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