winesburg,ohio-第7章

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　land　they　had　settled　upon　was　heavily　wooded　and　covered　with　fallen　logs　and　underbrush。　　After　the　long　hard　labor　of　clearing　these　away　and　cutting　the　timber；　there　were　still　the　stumps　to　be　reck…　oned　with。　　Plows　run　through　the　fields　caught　on　hidden　roots；　stones　lay　all　about；　on　the　low　places　water　gathered；　and　the　young　corn　turned　yellow；　sickened　and　died。

When　Jesse　Bentley's　father　and　brothers　had　come　into　their　ownership　of　the　place；　much　of　the　harder　part　of　the　work　of　clearing　had　been　done；　but　they　clung　to　old　traditions　and　worked　like　driven　animals。　　They　lived　as　practically　all　of　the　farming　people　of　the　time　lived。　　In　the　spring　and　through　most　of　the　winter　the　highways　leading　into　the　town　of　Winesburg　were　a　sea　of　mud。　　The　four　young　men　of　the　family　worked　hard　all　day　in　the　fields；　they　ate　heavily　of　coarse；　greasy　food；　and　at　night　slept　like　tired　beasts　on　beds　of　straw。　Into　their　lives　came　little　that　was　not　coarse　and　brutal　and　outwardly　they　were　themselves　coarse　and　brutal。　　On　Saturday　afternoons　they　hitched　a　team　of　horses　to　a　three…seated　wagon　and　went　off　to　town。　　In　town　they　stood　about　the　stoves　in　the　stores　talking　to　other　farmers　or　to　the　store　keepers。　　They　were　dressed　in　overalls　and　in　the　winter　wore　heavy　coats　that　were　flecked　with　mud。　　Their　hands　as　they　stretched　them　out　to　the　heat　of　the　stoves　were　cracked　and　red。　　It　was　dif…　ficult　for　them　to　talk　and　so　they　for　the　most　part　kept　silent。　　When　they　had　bought　meat；　flour；　sugar；　and　salt；　they　went　into　one　of　the　Winesburg　saloons　and　drank　beer。　　Under　the　influence　of　drink　the　naturally　strong　lusts　of　their　natures；　kept　suppressed　by　the　heroic　labor　of　breaking　up　new　ground；　were　released。　　A　kind　of　crude　and　animal…　like　poetic　fervor　took　possession　of　them。　　On　the　road　home　they　stood　up　on　the　wagon　seats　and　shouted　at　the　stars。　　Sometimes　they　fought　long　and　bitterly　and　at　other　times　they　broke　forth　into　songs。　　Once　Enoch　Bentley；　the　older　one　of　the　boys；　struck　his　father；　old　Tom　Bentley；　with　the　butt　of　a　teamster's　whip；　and　the　old　man　seemed　likely　to　die。　　For　days　Enoch　lay　hid　in　the　straw　in　the　loft　of　the　stable　ready　to　flee　if　the　result　of　his　momentary　passion　turned　out　to　be　murder。　　He　was　kept　alive　with　food　brought　by　his　mother；　who　also　kept　him　informed　of　the　injured　man's　condition。　　When　all　turned　out　well　he　emerged　from　his　hiding　place　and　went　back　to　the　work　of　clearing　land　as　though　nothing　had　happened。


The　Civil　War　brought　a　sharp　turn　to　the　fortunes　of　the　Bentleys　and　was　responsible　for　the　rise　of　the　youngest　son；　Jesse。　　Enoch；　Edward；　Harry；　and　Will　Bentley　all　enlisted　and　before　the　long　war　ended　they　were　all　killed。　　For　a　time　after　they　went　away　to　the　South；　old　Tom　tried　to　run　the　place；　but　he　was　not　successful。　　When　the　last　of　the　four　had　been　killed　he　sent　word　to　Jesse　that　he　would　have　to　come　home。

Then　the　mother；　who　had　not　been　well　for　a　year；　died　suddenly；　and　the　father　became　alto…　gether　discouraged。　　He　talked　of　selling　the　farm　and　moving　into　town。　　All　day　he　went　about　shak…　ing　his　head　and　muttering。　　The　work　in　the　fields　was　neglected　and　weeds　grew　high　in　the　corn。　　Old　Tim　hired　men　but　he　did　not　use　them　intelligently。　When　they　had　gone　away　to　the　fields　in　the　morn…　ing　he　wandered　into　the　woods　and　sat　down　on　a　log。　　Sometimes　he　forgot　to　come　home　at　night　and　one　of　the　daughters　had　to　go　in　search　of　him。

When　Jesse　Bentley　came　home　to　the　farm　and　began　to　take　charge　of　things　he　was　a　slight；　sensitive…looking　man　of　twenty…two。　　At　eighteen　he　had　left　home　to　go　to　school　to　become　a　scholar　and　eventually　to　become　a　minister　of　the　Presbyte…　rian　Church。　　All　through　his　boyhood　he　had　been　what　in　our　country　was　called　an　〃odd　sheep〃　and　had　not　got　on　with　his　brothers。　　Of　all　the　family　only　his　mother　had　understood　him　and　she　was　now　dead。　　When　he　came　home　to　take　charge　of　the　farm；　that　had　at　that　time　grown　to　more　than　six　hundred　acres；　everyone　on　the　farms　about　and　in　the　nearby　town　of　Winesburg　smiled　at　the　idea　of　his　trying　to　handle　the　work　that　had　been　done　by　his　four　strong　brothers。

There　was　indeed　good　cause　to　smile。　　By　the　standards　of　his　day　Jesse　did　not　look　like　a　man　at　all。　　He　was　small　and　very　slender　and　womanish　of　body　and；　true　to　the　traditions　of　young　minis…　ters；　wore　a　long　black　coat　and　a　narrow　black　string　tie。　　The　neighbors　were　amused　when　they　saw　him；　after　the　years　away；　and　they　were　even　more　amused　when　they　saw　the　woman　he　had　married　in　the　city。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　Jesse's　wife　did　soon　go　under。　That　was　perhaps　Jesse's　fault。　　A　farm　in　Northern　Ohio　in　the　hard　years　after　the　Civil　War　was　no　place　for　a　delicate　woman；　and　Katherine　Bentley　was　delicate。　　Jesse　was　hard　with　her　as　he　was　with　everybody　about　him　in　those　days。　　She　tried　to　do　such　work　as　all　the　neighbor　women　about　her　did　and　he　let　her　go　on　without　interference。　　She　helped　to　do　the　milking　and　did　part　of　the　house…　work；　she　made　the　beds　for　the　men　and　prepared　their　food。　　For　a　year　she　worked　every　day　from　sunrise　until　late　at　night　and　then　after　giving　birth　to　a　child　she　died。

As　for　Jesse　Bentleyalthough　he　was　a　delicately　built　man　there　was　something　within　him　that　could　not　easily　be　killed。　　He　had　brown　curly　hair　and　grey　eyes　that　were　at　times　hard　and　direct；　at　times　wavering　and　uncertain。　　Not　only　was　he　slen…　der　but　he　was　also　short　of　stature。　　His　mouth　was　like　the　mouth　of　a　sensitive　and　very　determined　child。　　Jesse　Bentley　was　a　fanatic。　　He　was　a　man　born　out　of　his　time　and　place　and　for　this　he　suf…　fered　and　made　others　suffer。　　Never　did　he　succeed　in　getting　what　he　wanted　out　of　fife　and　he　did　not　know　what　he　wanted。　　Within　a　very　short　time　after　he　came　home　to　the　Bentley　farm　he　made　everyone　there　a　little　afraid　of　him；　and　his　wife；　who　should　have　been　close　to　him　as　his　mother　had　been；　was　afraid　also。　　At　the　end　of　two　weeks　after　his　coming；　old　Tom　Bentley　made　over　to　him　the　entire　ownership　of　the　place　and　retired　into　the　background。　　Everyone　retired　into　the　back…　ground。　　In　spite　of　his　youth　and　inexperience；　Jesse　had　the　trick　of　mastering　the　souls　of　his　people。　He　was　so　in　earnest　in　everything　he　did　and　said　that　no　one　understood　him。　　He　made　everyone　on　the　farm　work　as　they　had　never　worked　before　and　yet　there　was　no　joy　in　the　work。　　If　things　went　well　they　went　well　for　Jesse　and　never　for　the　people　who　were　his　dependents。　　Like　a　thousand　other　strong　men　who　have　come　into　the　world　here　in　America　in　these　later　times；　Jesse　was　but　half　strong。　　He　could　master　others　but　he　could　not　master　himself。　　The　running　of　the　farm　as　it　had　never　been　run　before　was　easy　for　him。　　When　he　came　home　from　Cleveland　where　he　had　been　in　school；　he　shut　himself　off　from　all　of　his　people　and　began　to　make　plans。　　He　thought　about　the　farm　night　and　day　and　that　made　him　successful。　Other　men　on　the　farms　about　him　worked　too　hard　and　were　too　fired　to　think；　but　to　think　of　the　farm　and　to　be　everlastingly　making　plans　for　its　success　was　a　relief　to　Jesse。　　It　partially　satisfied　something　in　his　passionate　nature。　　Immediately　after　he　came　home　he　had　a　wing　built　on　to　the　old　house　and　in　a　large　room　facing　the　west　he　had　windows　that　looked　into　the　barnyard　and　other　windows　that　looked　off　across　the　fields。　　By　the　window　he　sat　down　to　think。　　Hour　after　hour　and　day　after　day　he　sat　and　looked　over　the　land　and　thought　out　his　new　place　in　life。　　The　passionate　burning　thing　in　his　nature　flamed　up　and　his　eyes　became　hard。　　He　wanted　to　make　the　farm　produce　as　no　farm　in　his　state　had　ever　produced　before　and　then　he　wanted　something　else。　　It　was　the　indefinable　hunger　within　that　made　his　eyes　waver　and　that　kept　him　always　more　and　more　silent　before　people。　　He　would　have　given　much　to　achieve　peace　and　in　him　was　a　fear　that　peace　was　the　thing　he　could　not　achieve。

All　over　his　body　Jesse　Bentley　was　alive。　　In　his　small　frame　was　gathered　the　force　of　a　long　line　of　strong　men。　　He　had　always　been　extraordinarily　alive　when　he　was　a　small　boy　on　the　farm　and　later　when　he　was　a　young　man　in　school。　　In　the　school　he　had　studied　and　thought　of　God　and　the　Bible　with　his　whole　mind　and　heart。　　As　time　passed　and　he　grew　to　know　people　better；　he　began　to　think　of　himself　as　an　extraordinary　man；　one　set　apart　from　his　fellows。　　He　wanted　terribly　to　make　his　life　a　thing　of　great　importance；　and　as　he　looked　about　at　his　fellow　men　and　saw　how　like　clods　they　lived　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　could　not　bear　to　become　also　such　a　clod。　　Although　in　his　absorption　in　him…　self　and　in　his　own　destiny　he　was　blind　to　the　fact　that　his　young　wife　was　doing　a　strong　woman's　work　even　after　she　had　become　large　with　child　and　that　she　was　killing　herself　in　his　service；　he　did　not　intend　to　be　unkind　to　her。　　When　his　father；　who　was　old　and　twisted　with　toil；　made　over　to　him　the　ownership　of　the　farm　and　seemed　content　to　creep　away　to　a　corner　and　wait　for　death；　he　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　dismissed　the　old　man　from　his　mind。

In　the　room　by　the　window　overlooking　the　land　that　had　come　down　to　him　sat　Jesse　thinking　of　his　own　affairs。　　In　the　stables　he　could　hear　the　tramp…　ing　of　his　horses　and　the　restless　movement　of　his　cattle。　　Away　in　the　fields　he　could　see　other　cattle　wandering　over　green　hills。　　The　voices　of　men；　his　men　who　worked　for　him；　came　in　to　him　through　the　window。　　From　the　milkhouse　there　was　the　steady　thump；　thump　of　a　churn　being　manipulated　by　the　half…witted　girl；　Eliza　Stoughton。　　Jesse's　mind　went　back　to　the　men　of　Old　Testament　days　who　had　also　owned　lands　and　herds。　　He　remembered　how　God　had　come　down　out　of　the　skies　and　talked　to　these　men　and　he　wanted　God　to　notice　and　to　talk　to　him　also。　　A　kind　of　feverish　boyish　eagerness　to　in　some　way　achieve　in　his　own　life　the　flavor　of　significance　that　had　hung　over　these　men　took　possession　of　him。　　Being　a　prayerful　man　he　spoke　of　the　matter　aloud　to　God　and　the　sound　of　his　own　words　strengthened　and　fed　his　eagerness。

〃I　am　a　new　kind　of　man　come　into　possession　of　these　fields；〃　he　declared。　　〃Look　upon　me；　O　God；　and　look　Thou　also　upon　my　neighbors　and　all　the　men　who　have　gone　before　me　here！　O　God；　create　in　me　another　Jesse；　like　that　one　of　old；　to　rule　over　men　and　to　be　the　father　of　sons　who　shall　be　rul…　ers！〃　Jesse　grew　excited　as　he　talked　aloud　and　jumping　to　his　feet　walked　up　and　down　in　the　room。　　In　fancy　he　saw　himself　living　in　old　times　and　among　old　peoples。　　The　land　that　lay　stretched　out　before　him　became　of　vast　significance；　a　place　peopled　by　his　fancy　with　a　new　race　of　men　sprung　from　himself。　　It　seemed　to　him　that　in　his　day　as　in　those　other　and　older　days；　kingdoms　might　be　cre…　ated　and　new　impulses　given　to　the　lives　of　men　by　the　power　of　God　speaking　through　a　chosen　ser…　vant。　　He　longed　to　be　such　a　servant。　　〃It　is　God's　work　I　have　come　to　the　land　to　do；〃　he　declared　in　a　loud　voice　and　his　short　figure　straightened　and　he　thought　that