象人-第3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！


like　the　children　in　the　theatre。　He　was　like　a　child。　For　him；　everything　in　the　story　was　true。　

Once　he　was　very　afraid；　because　the　bad　man　in　the　play　was　angry　and　had　a　knife。　At　first　Merrick　wanted　to　leave　the　theatre；　but　I　stopped　him。　Then　he　was　very　angry　with　this　bad　man　in　the　play。　He　hit　his　hand　on　his　chair；　and　stood　up　and　talked　to　the　man。　But　nobody　heard　him。　When　　42the　bad　man　went　to　prison；　Merrick　laughed。　

Merrick　thought　the　beautiful　young　lady　in　the　play　was　wonderful。　He　wanted　to　talk　to　her　too。　At　the　end　of　the　play　he　was　very　happy　because　she　married　a　good　young　man。　

He　remembered　this　play　for　a　long　time；　and　he　talked　a　lot　about　the　people　in　it。　‘What　do　you　think　they　did　after　we　left？’he　asked　me。　‘Where　do　the　young　lady　and　the　young　man　live？　What　are　they　doing　now？’

‘I　don't　know；　I　said。　‘Perhaps　they　live　in　the　country。　’

Merrick　thought　about　this　for　a　long　time。　Then　he　said：‘Dr　Treves；　can　I　go　to　the　country；　please？I　saw　the　country　once　from　a　train；　but　I　never　went　there。　I　often　read　about　it　in　books。　It's　very　beautiful；　isn't　it？I　would　like　to　see　it。　’

The　visit　to　the　theatre　was　difficult　but　a　visit　to　the　country　was　more　difficult。　But　again；　one　of　his　new　friends　helped　us。　She　had　a　small　house　in　the　country；　and　Merrick　could　stay　in　it　for　the　summer；　she　said。　

I　took　Merrick　to　the　country　in　a　train　with　dark　windows；　so　nobody　could　see　him。　Then　we　went　in　a　cab　to　the　country　house。　

There　were　a　lot　of　trees　near　the　house；　but　no　people　lived　near　it。　A　countryman　brought　food　to　the　house　everyday；　but　no　people　came　near　it。　

I　stayed　with　him　that　night。　At　night；　it　was　very　dark　　44and　quiet。　In　the　morning；　hundreds　of　birds　sang　in　the　trees；　and　everything　outside　the　house　was　green。　Merrick　walked　under　the　big　trees；　looking　at　things　happily；　and　singing　his　strange　song。　

I　went　back　to　London；　but　Merrick　stayed　there　for　six　weeks。　He　was　wonderfully　happy。　Every　week；　he　wrote　me　a　letter。　

　　

Apple　Tree　House；　

West　Wickham；　

Berkshire。　

21st　July　1889

　　

Dear　Dr　Treves；　

I　had　a　wonderful　day　again　today；　It　was　very　warm；　so　I　walked　under　the　trees　and　sat　by　a　stream。　The　water　in　the　stream　made　a　beautiful　noise；　like　singing。　Did　you　know　that？I　listened　to　it　for　two　hours。　

Lots　of　little　birds　came　near　me　。　One　had　a　red　body　in　front；　and　a　brown　back。　I　gave　it　some　bread；　and　it　sat　on　my　hand。　A　lot　of　birds　are　my　friends；　now。　

I　watched　the　fish　in　the　stream；　too。　They　were　very　exciting；　because　they　move　very　fast。　One　minute　they　were　there；　and　the　next　minute　I　couldn't　see　them。　But　I　waited　quietly；　and　they　always　came　back。　I　put　my　hand　in　the　water；　but　I　couldn't　touch　them。　

I　met　a　big　dog　yesterday。　It　made　a　very　loud　noise；　but　I　was　not　afraid。　I　sat　down　quietly　and　looked　it；　and　it　came　and　smelt　my　hand。　I　saw　it　again　today；　and　gave　it　some　bread。　It　likes　me　now。　

I　am　going　to　put　some　flowers　from　the　country　in　this　letter。　There　are　hundreds　of　flowers　here。　Did　you　know　that？I　like　the　little　blue　ones　best；　but　they　are　all　beautiful。　I　have　lots　of　them　in　my　room。　I　give　them　water　every　morning。　Little　flowers　are　very　thirsty；　you　know！　

I　am　very　happy　here；　doctor；　but　I　want　to　see　you　again　soon；　too。　

　　

With　love　from　your　friend；　

Joseph　Merrick

　　

At　the　end　of　the　summer　he　came　back　to　London。　He　was　very　well；　and　his　skin　looked　much　better。　He　talked　about　the　country　a　lot；　but　he　was　happy　to　see　his　friends　and　his　books　again；　


Chapter　7

　　

The　Last　Letter

　　

Six　months　later；　in　April　1890；　I　found　him　dead　inbed。　He　was　on　his　back　in　bed；　so　at　first　I　thought　he　was　asleep。　I　talked　to　him；　but　he　did　not　move。　Then　I　saw　that　the　skin　on　his　face　was　blue；　so　I　knew　he　was　dead。　

He　did　not　usually　sleep　on　his　back。　His　enormous　head　was　very　heavy；　so　he　usually　sat　up　in　bed　with　his　arms　round　his　legs；　and　his　head　on　his　knees。　He　could　sleep　well　like　this。　

But　he　wanted　to　sleep　on　his　back　like　you　and　me。　Hetried　to　sleep　on　his　back　that　night；　but　his　heavy　head　came　off　the　bed；　and　he　broke　his　neck。　He　died　very　quickly。　

Next　day；　the　Chairman　of　the　London　Hospital；　Mr　Carr　Gomm；　wrote　to　the　editor　of　The　Times　again。　

　　

The　Times；　April　16th；　1890

　　

Dear　Sir；　

Three　and　a　half　years　ago　I　wrote　to　you　about　a　man　called　Joseph　Merrick。　This　man　was　called‘The　Elephant　Man'　because　he　aws　born　with　a　very　ugly　body。　Merrick　was　not　ill；　but　he　could　not　work；　and　he　had　no　money。　

The　readers　of　The　Times　felt　sorry　for　him；　and　they　gave　me　a　lot　of　money　for　Merrick。　Because　of　this　money；　we　could　giveMerrick　a　home　in　the　Lon…don　Hospital。　It　was　his　first　good　home；　and　for　three　and　a　half　years　he　lived　here　happily。　The　doctors　and　nurses　of　the　hospital　helped　him；　and　many　important　people　visited　him。　He　read　many　books；　he　went　to　the　the　atre；　and　in　the　summer　he　stayed　in　the　country　for　six　weeks。　Because　of　your　readers’　money；　we　couldgive　him　a　happy　life。　

Last　night　Joseph　Merrick　died　quietly　in　his　bed。　He　was　a　man　with　a　very　ugly　body；　but　he　was　a　good；　kind　man；　and　he　had　a　lot　of　friends。　We　liked　to　talk　to　him；　and　we　are　all　very　sorry　because　he　is　dead。　A　lot　of　people　are　going　to　remember　him　for　a　longtime。　

There　is　some　money　left；　so　I　am　going　to　give　it　to　the　hospital。　Thank　you；　sir；　for　your　help。　

　　

Yours　faithfully

F。　C。　Carr　Gomm

Chairman　of　The　London

Hospital

　　

TXT之家　免费TXT电子书下载　　www。txtjia
附：【本作品来自互联网；本人不做任何负责】内容版权归作者所有。