winesburg,ohio-第8章

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　the　land　to　do；〃　he　declared　in　a　loud　voice　and　his　short　figure　straightened　and　he　thought　that　something　like　a　halo　of　Godly　ap…　proval　hung　over　him。


It　will　perhaps　be　somewhat　difficult　for　the　men　and　women　of　a　later　day　to　understand　Jesse　Bent…　ley。　　In　the　last　fifty　years　a　vast　change　has　taken　place　in　the　lives　of　our　people。　　A　revolution　has　in　fact　taken　place。　　The　coming　of　industrialism；　at…　tended　by　all　the　roar　and　rattle　of　affairs；　the　shrill　cries　of　millions　of　new　voices　that　have　come　among　us　from　overseas；　the　going　and　coming　of　trains；　the　growth　of　cities；　the　building　of　the　inter…　urban　car　lines　that　weave　in　and　out　of　towns　and　past　farmhouses；　and　now　in　these　later　days　the　coming　of　the　automobiles　has　worked　a　tremen…　dous　change　in　the　lives　and　in　the　habits　of　thought　of　our　people　of　Mid…America。　　Books；　badly　imag…　ined　and　written　though　they　may　be　in　the　hurry　of　our　times；　are　in　every　household；　magazines　cir…　culate　by　the　millions　of　copies；　newspapers　are　ev…　erywhere。　　In　our　day　a　farmer　standing　by　the　stove　in　the　store　in　his　village　has　his　mind　filled　to　over…　flowing　with　the　words　of　other　men。　　The　newspa…　pers　and　the　magazines　have　pumped　him　full。　Much　of　the　old　brutal　ignorance　that　had　in　it　also　a　kind　of　beautiful　childlike　innocence　is　gone　for…　ever。　　The　farmer　by　the　stove　is　brother　to　the　men　of　the　cities；　and　if　you　listen　you　will　find　him　talking　as　glibly　and　as　senselessly　as　the　best　city　man　of　us　all。

In　Jesse　Bentley's　time　and　in　the　country　districts　of　the　whole　Middle　West　in　the　years　after　the　Civil　War　it　was　not　so。　　Men　labored　too　hard　and　were　too　tired　to　read。　　In　them　was　no　desire　for　words　printed　upon　paper。　　As　they　worked　in　the　fields；　vague；　half…formed　thoughts　took　possession　of　them。　　They　believed　in　God　and　in　God's　power　to　control　their　lives。　　In　the　little　Protestant　churches　they　gathered　on　Sunday　to　hear　of　God　and　his　works。　　The　churches　were　the　center　of　the　social　and　intellectual　life　of　the　times。　　The　figure　of　God　was　big　in　the　hearts　of　men。

And　so；　having　been　born　an　imaginative　child　and　having　within　him　a　great　intellectual　eagerness；　Jesse　Bentley　had　turned　wholeheartedly　toward　God。　　When　the　war　took　his　brothers　away；　he　saw　the　hand　of　God　in　that。　　When　his　father　became　ill　and　could　no　longer　attend　to　the　running　of　the　farm；　he　took　that　also　as　a　sign　from　God。　　In　the　city；　when　the　word　came　to　him；　he　walked　about　at　night　through　the　streets　thinking　of　the　matter　and　when　he　had　come　home　and　had　got　the　work　on　the　farm　well　under　way；　he　went　again　at　night　to　walk　through　the　forests　and　over　the　low　hills　and　to　think　of　God。

As　he　walked　the　importance　of　his　own　figure　in　some　divine　plan　grew　in　his　mind。　　He　grew　avari…　cious　and　was　impatient　that　the　farm　contained　only　six　hundred　acres。　　Kneeling　in　a　fence　corner　at　the　edge　of　some　meadow；　he　sent　his　voice　abroad　into　the　silence　and　looking　up　he　saw　the　stars　shining　down　at　him。

One　evening；　some　months　after　his　father's　death；　and　when　his　wife　Katherine　was　expecting　at　any　moment　to　be　laid　abed　of　childbirth；　Jesse　left　his　house　and　went　for　a　long　walk。　　The　Bentley　farm　was　situated　in　a　tiny　valley　watered　by　Wine　Creek；　and　Jesse　walked　along　the　banks　of　the　stream　to　the　end　of　his　own　land　and　on　through　the　fields　of　his　neighbors。　　As　he　walked　the　valley　broadened　and　then　narrowed　again。　　Great　open　stretches　of　field　and　wood　lay　before　him。　　The　moon　came　out　from　behind　clouds；　and；　climbing　a　low　hill；　he　sat　down　to　think。

Jesse　thought　that　as　the　true　servant　of　God　the　entire　stretch　of　country　through　which　he　had　walked　should　have　come　into　his　possession。　　He　thought　of　his　dead　brothers　and　blamed　them　that　they　had　not　worked　harder　and　achieved　more。　　Be…　fore　him　in　the　moonlight　the　tiny　stream　ran　down　over　stones；　and　he　began　to　think　of　the　men　of　old　times　who　like　himself　had　owned　flocks　and　lands。

A　fantastic　impulse；　half　fear；　half　greediness；　took　possession　of　Jesse　Bentley。　　He　remembered　how　in　the　old　Bible　story　the　Lord　had　appeared　to　that　other　Jesse　and　told　him　to　send　his　son　David　to　where　Saul　and　the　men　of　Israel　were　fighting　the　Philistines　in　the　Valley　of　Elah。　　Into　Jesse's　mind　came　the　conviction　that　all　of　the　Ohio　farmers　who　owned　land　in　the　valley　of　Wine　Creek　were　Philistines　and　enemies　of　God。　　〃Suppose；〃　he　whispered　to　himself；　〃there　should　come　from　among　them　one　who；　like　Goliath　the　　Philistine　of　Gath；　could　defeat　me　and　take　from　me　my　posses…　sions。〃　In　fancy　he　felt　the　sickening　dread　that　he　thought　must　have　lain　heavy　on　the　heart　of　Saul　before　the　coming　of　David。　　Jumping　to　his　feet；　he　began　to　run　through　the　night。　　As　he　ran　he　called　to　God。　　His　voice　carried　far　over　the　low　hills。　〃Jehovah　of　Hosts；〃　he　cried；　〃send　to　me　this　night　out　of　the　womb　of　Katherine；　a　son。　　Let　Thy　grace　alight　upon　me。　　Send　me　a　son　to　be　called　David　who　shall　help　me　to　pluck　at　last　all　of　these　lands　out　of　the　hands　of　the　Philistines　and　turn　them　to　Thy　service　and　to　the　building　of　Thy　kingdom　on　earth。〃



II

DAVID　HARDY　OF　Winesburg；　Ohio；　was　the　grand…　son　of　Jesse　Bentley；　the　owner　of　Bentley　farms。　When　he　was　twelve　years　old　he　went　to　the　old　Bentley　place　to　live。　　His　mother；　Louise　Bentley；　the　girl　who　came　into　the　world　on　that　night　when　Jesse　ran　through　the　fields　crying　to　God　that　he　be　given　a　son；　had　grown　to　womanhood　on　the　farm　and　had　married　young　John　Hardy　of　Wines…　burg；　who　became　a　banker。　　Louise　and　her　hus…　band　did　not　live　happily　together　and　everyone　agreed　that　she　was　to　blame。　　She　was　a　small　woman　with　sharp　grey　eyes　and　black　hair。　　From　childhood　she　had　been　inclined　to　fits　of　temper　and　when　not　angry　she　was　often　morose　and　si…　lent。　　In　Winesburg　it　was　said　that　she　drank。　　Her　husband；　the　banker；　who　was　a　careful；　shrewd　man；　tried　hard　to　make　her　happy。　　When　he　began　to　make　money　he　bought　for　her　a　large　brick　house　on　Elm　Street　in　Winesburg　and　he　was　the　first　man　in　that　town　to　keep　a　manservant　to　drive　his　wife's　carriage。

But　Louise　could　not　be　made　happy。　　She　flew　into　half　insane　fits　of　temper　during　which　she　was　sometimes　silent；　sometimes　noisy　and　quarrelsome。　She　swore　and　cried　out　in　her　anger。　　She　got　a　knife　from　the　kitchen　and　threatened　her　husband's　life。　　Once　she　deliberately　set　fire　to　the　house；　and　often　she　hid　herself　away　for　days　in　her　own　room　and　would　see　no　one。　　Her　life；　lived　as　a　half　re…　cluse；　gave　rise　to　all　sorts　of　stories　concerning　her。　It　was　said　that　she　took　drugs　and　that　she　hid　herself　away　from　people　because　she　was　often　so　under　the　influence　of　drink　that　her　condition　could　not　be　concealed。　　Sometimes　on　summer　afternoons　she　came　out　of　the　house　and　got　into　her　carriage。　Dismissing　the　driver　she　took　the　reins　in　her　own　hands　and　drove　off　at　top　speed　through　the　streets。　　If　a　pedestrian　got　in　her　way　she　drove　straight　ahead　and　the　frightened　citizen　had　to　es…　cape　as　best　he　could。　　To　the　people　of　the　town　it　seemed　as　though　she　wanted　to　run　them　down。　When　she　had　driven　through　several　streets；　tear…　ing　around　corners　and　beating　the　horses　with　the　whip；　she　drove　off　into　the　country。　　On　the　country　roads　after　she　had　gotten　out　of　sight　of　the　houses　she　let　the　horses　slow　down　to　a　walk　and　her　wild；　reckless　mood　passed。　　She　became　thoughtful　and　muttered　words。　　Sometimes　tears　came　into　her　eyes。　　And　then　when　she　came　back　into　town　she　again　drove　furiously　through　the　quiet　streets。　　But　for　the　influence　of　her　husband　and　the　respect　he　inspired　in　people's　minds　she　would　have　been　arrested　more　than　once　by　the　town　marshal。

Young　David　Hardy　grew　up　in　the　house　with　this　woman　and　as　can　well　be　imagined　there　was　not　much　joy　in　his　childhood。　　He　was　too　young　then　to　have　opinions　of　his　own　about　people；　but　at　times　it　was　difficult　for　him　not　to　have　very　definite　opinions　about　the　woman　who　was　his　mother。　　David　was　always　a　quiet；　orderly　boy　and　for　a　long　time　was　thought　by　the　people　of　Wines…　burg　to　be　something　of　a　dullard。　　His　eyes　were　brown　and　as　a　child　he　had　a　habit　of　looking　at　things　and　people　a　long　time　without　appearing　to　see　what　he　was　looking　at。　　When　he　heard　his　mother　spoken　of　harshly　or　when　he　overheard　her　berating　his　father；　he　was　frightened　and　ran　away　to　hide。　　Sometimes　he　could　not　find　a　hiding　place　and　that　confused　him。　　Turning　his　face　toward　a　tree　or　if　he　was　indoors　toward　the　wall；　he　closed　his　eyes　and　tried　not　to　think　of　anything。　　He　had　a　habit　of　talking　aloud　to　himself；　and　early　in　life　a　spirit　of　quiet　sadness　often　took　possession　of　him。

On　the　occasions　when　David　went　to　visit　his　grandfather　on　the　Bentley　farm；　he　was　altogether　contented　and　happy。　　Often　he　wished　that　he　would　never　have　to　go　back　to　town　and　once　when　he　had　come　home　from　the　farm　after　a　long　visit；　something　happened　that　had　a　lasting　effect　on　his　mind。

David　had　come　back　into　town　with　one　of　the　hired　men。　　The　man　was　in　a　hurry　to　go　about　his　own　affairs　and　left　the　boy　at　the　head　of　the　street　in　which　the　Hardy　house　stood。　　It　was　early　dusk　of　a　fall　evening　and　the　sky　was　overcast　with　clouds。　　Something　happened　to　David。　　He　could　not　bear　to　go　into　the　house　where　his　mother　and　father　lived；　and　on　an　impulse　he　decided　to　run　away　from　home。　　He　intended　to　go　back　to　the　farm　and　to　his　grandfather；　but　lost　his　way　and　for　hours　he　wandered　weeping　and　frightened　on　country　roads。　　It　started　to　rain　and　lightning　flashed　in　the　sky。　　The　boy's　imagination　was　ex…　cited　and　he　fancied　that　he　could　see　and　hear　strange　things　in　the　darkness。　　Into　his　mind　came　the　conviction　that　he　was　walking　and　running　in　some　terrible　void　where　no　one　had　ever　been　be…　fore。　　The　darkness　about　him　seemed　limitless。　　The　sound　of　the　wind　blowing　in　trees　was　terrifying。　When　a　team　of　horses　approached　along　the　road　in　which　he　walked　he　was　frightened　and　climbed　a　fence。　　Through　a　field　he　ran　until　he　came　into　another　road　and　getting　upon　his　knees　felt　of　the　soft　ground　with　his　fingers。　　But　for　the　figure　of　his　grandfather；　whom　he　was　afraid　he　would　never　find　in　the　darkness；　he　thought　the　world　must　be　altogether　empty。　　When　his　cries　were　heard　by　a　farmer　who　was　walking　home　from　town　and　he　was　brought　back　to　his　father's　house；　he　was　so　tired　and　excited　that　he　did　not　know　what　was　happening　to　him。

By　chance　David's　father　knew　that　he　had　disap…　peared。　　On　the　street　he　had　met　the　farm　hand　from　the　Bentley　place　and　knew　of　his　son's　return　to　town。　　When　the　boy　did　not　come　home　an　alarm　was　set　up　and　John　Hardy　with　several　men　of　the　town　went　to　search　the　country。　　The　report　that　David　had　been　kidnapped　ran　about　through　the　streets　of　Winesburg。　　When　he　came　home　there　were　no　lights　in　the　house；　but　his　mother　ap…　peared　and　clutched　him　eagerly　in　her　arms。　　David　thought　she　had　suddenly　become　another　woman。　He　could　not　believe　that　so　delightful　a　thing　had　happened。　　With　her　own　hands　Louise