CHAPTER IX.—JOE HAS AN’ IDEA.

It was two weeks now since that dreadful afternoon up at Ellismere, and it has been a quiet two weeks for all of our little party. No one has had the heart for very much fun, for Grandma Ellis has been very ill up at Ellismere, and dear old Joe is lying helpless in bed in his own little cabin. After the storm had spent its force they had carried Joe up to the house, and there he had lain unmindful of everything about him for three whole days together. Then, when at last consciousness came back, power to move either right arm or leg did not come with it, and then they learned that poor old Joe was paralysed. As soon as possible after that they moved Joe up to Arlington, for he longed for his own bed and his own familiar cabin. And who do you suppose went up to care for Joe, but Mammy! “If you can spare me. Miss Lindy,” Mammy had said to Grandma Ellis, “I would like to look out for Joe de res’ of his days. I ain’t allers been ober kin’ to dat ole gem’an, an’ I ain’t had no idea what splendid stuff he had in 098him,” and it seemed a very little thing to Grandma Ellis to spare Mammy for the sake of the one who had saved Brevet’s life. That Joe had saved it there was but little question, for the storm had seemed to be at its very height when it reached the island, levelling and demolishing¹ everything upon it. The tent had been carried off bodily, no one knew where, and the little pine trees uprooted² lay wedged in the rocks as though pounded in with an anvil³, so that it seemed impossible that Brevet could have escaped being hurled⁴ into the river, or dashed against the rocks with the same terrible force as the pine trees.

Harry⁵ had been unable to bring any one from the stables, for both the men, as it happened, were three miles away at the blacksmith’s, and but for Joe’s instant action, any help would have come too late.

I doubt if Teddy will ever quite forgive Grandma Ellis, or his sister Mary, for forbidding him to join the party in search of Brevet, or ever cease to be thankful that at last, rushing out of the house in spite of all their protests, he was able to render such timely aid.

As for Joe, he accepted his utter helplessness with a beautiful resignation, but there was something on Joe’s mind, and one day he said to Mammy: 099"Would you min’, Mammy, just sendin’ fo’ Miss Courage to come heah for awhile dis ebenin’. I’se somethin’ important ter say ter lier, ‘Tain’t dat I couldn’t trus’ you wid it, Mammy, only you knows dey am times when a ‘spectable cullud pusson seem ter need der advice of a pusson what is born ter a different colour and station.’

“Miss Courage shall be sent for dis bery ebenin’, Joe,” for Mammy had made up her mind that Joe was to be humoured in every particular. And so Courage came, and with Brevet, who had happened to be spending the day at Homespun, for her companion. They stopped to leave the buckboard at the stable, where a young mulatto boy was now doing Joe’s work, and then Brevet asked permission to run on ahead. He had something on his mind, as well as Joe, and he was longing⁶ to ask him a question that had just occurred to him the day before, and which had made his little heart very heavy.

“Joe,” he said in an awed⁷ whisper, stepping into the cabin and looking quickly about to see if Mammy happened to be out of hearing, “are you asleep, Joe?”

“No, bless your little heart,” and Joe’s old face lighted up with the joy of Brevet’s coming, “I was des habin a bit o’ a day-dream.” 100"Joe,” whispered Brevet, tip-toeing close to his side, “I want you to tell me something. You’re paralysed, you know, Joe.”

“Yes, Honey, I knows.”

“Well, it wasn’t because you went in the river for me, was it, Joe? It just happened to come then, didn’t it, Joe?” in anxious inquiry⁸, and as though to find out that he was responsible for Joe’s illness would be more than he could bear.

“Des happen? o’ course, chile, des happen. Why, des look at me, Honey! I’se pow’ful ole; reckon nobody knows how ole I be,” (which was the truth, for Joe, if he knew himself, had never told any one), “whereas mos’ white-haired cullud pussons is par’Iysed long afore my time o’ life, par’Iysed all over too, not des a sort o’ half par’Iysed like me. No, neber you b’lieve it anythin’ but des happened, no matter what folks say, case you ‘member Joe tol’ you so, an’ I ought ter know, I reckon, better’n anybody.”

It was as though a great shadow had been lifted from Brevet. Courage, wondering how to account for the little fellow’s apparent spiritlessness all day, wondered now, as she entered, at the little illumined face.

“See here, Brevet,” said Joe, smiling a welcome to Courage, “will you look ober de 101place while I’se talkin’ ter Miss Courage. Go up to de house and down ‘roun’ General Sheridan’s grave, an’ my Oder special fav’rites, an’ see if eberythin’ is bein’ kept up ter de handle, case no one knows as well as you, Brevet, how Joe allers like ter hab ‘em kep’.”

Brevet joyously⁹ obeyed, proud to be sent on such an important errand; and after Courage and Joe had exchanged a few words of greeting, Joe at once settled to the particular business in hand.

“Miss Courage,” he said, very solemnly, “I don’ b’lieve dey’s such anoder mean contemptible¹⁰ good for nothin’ darkey in all dis county as I is. Look at dis cabin! des as orderly as can be, an’ den¹¹ ‘member how I’se allers treated Mammy. She ain’t nowhere roun’, is she?” raising himself on one arm and looking cautiously about the room.

“No; Mammy is way up the hill yonder, knitting under the chestnut¹² tree. I met her as I came, and she told me that you had something important to say to me, and that she wouldn’t come back until I called her.”

“Beats me,” answered Joe, “ter see Mammy so considerate an’ behavin’ hersel’ in dis fashion. Why, dere ain’t nothin’ Mammy can think of to make me mo’ comfortable dat she doesn’t up an’ do in a jiffy. Why, when yo’ 102Sylvy comes down ebry day or so, ter see if she can len’ a hand as you are so good as ter sen’ her, dey ain’t, as a rule, nuffin lef for her ter do, ‘ceptin’ Mammy set her ter make some little relish¹³ for me to pay her fo’ de trouble of cornin’. Now can you ‘magine, Miss Courage, how all dis mak’ me feel, case I’se allers been down on Mammy? You ‘member I neber so much as invite her ter my Fo’th July dinner. I allers ‘spect Grandma Ellis staid away so as to let Mammy think she was nowise invited either.”

“But you mustn’t blame yourself too much, Joe,” Courage interrupted, “for if I’m not mistaken, Mammy has been always rather down upon you. No wonder that she wants to make amends¹⁴. You’re a perfect hero in all our eyes now, Joe. Just think of the terrible risk you ran and of all it has cost you, Joe—”

“‘Tain’t cost me nuffin, Miss Courage,” Joe said, almost angrily. “Oh, I des hope for Brevet’s sake dey won’t be sayin’ any such foolish t’ing as dat. I happen ter know dat Brevet would neber get over it if he thought he was ‘sponsible for me lyin’ here in bed. No, Miss Courage, dat paralysis¹⁵ des happened ter come. I want it ter be so understood. I’d had the queerest numb¹⁶ sort o’ feelin’s creepin’ over me a whole week ‘fo’ I took dat plunge¹⁷ 103in de riber—but—-but, what I sent for you for am dis: I’se had a heap o’ time, lyin’ heah, an’ I’se been usin’ my eyes, an’ sure huff I hab an idea. You know your Sylvy? Well, she tol’ me dat day when ole Colonel Anderson an’ all of you were at Arlington, an’ we was clearin’ up de dinner dishes, dat she been ris up in an institution in Brooklyn, an’ so far as she knew she didn’t hab a relashun in de worl’. Now, do you happen ter know, Miss Courage, who took Sylvy to dat ‘sylum?”

“No, Joe; and I’m quite sure Sylvia once told me that nobody knew; but if you wish, I can write and make some inquiry. But why do you want to know, Joe?”

“Why, case I b’lieve it isn’t de mos’ impossible t’ing in de worl’ dat Mammy and Sylvy is related,” and Joe lowered his voice to an almost imperceptible whisper.

“But whatever do you found that upon?” Courage asked, eagerly.

“Observation, Miss Courage, an’ what you might call human probability,” (Joe was perfectly¹⁸ delighted to find two such fine long words at his command) “an’ as I tol’ you, I’se been usin’ my eyes lyin’ heah, an’ dey has little ways an’ gestures, Mammy and Sylvy, common to bof of ‘em. Den you know Mammy had a daughter sol’ way from her des befo’ de 104wah, an’ as Sylvy ain’t no idea what name she was born to, ‘tain’t impossible is it, dat she should be Mammy’s gran’chile?”

“No, it isn’t impossible, Joe, but I must honestly say I do not think it probable. Just think how very little you really have to build upon.”

“Mighty little, I grant you, Miss Courage, ‘cepting dose little ways an’ gestures; but you’ll write, won’t you, case there ain’t the least harm in writing is there?”

“Yes, indeed I will, Joe, this very night, but you mustn’t hang too many hopes upon it, so as not to be too much disappointed.”

“Dey’s hung dere already. Miss Courage,” said incorrigible¹⁹ Joe, “an’ I’se not goin’ter take ‘em down till I has ter.”

“All right,” laughed Courage. “May I call Mammy back now? for I should like to see her for awhile before I go home.”

“Yes, you call her, an’ des you notice, now your ‘tention’s called ter it, if dere isn’t some ways dat ‘mind you of Sylvy.”

And Courage did notice, and was really so surprised at some points of resemblance, that she wrote her letter that night with a deeper conviction that they might be on the verge²⁰ of a discovery than she had that morning thought possible.

1 demolishing   

v.摧毁( demolish的现在分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光

参考例句：

• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings. 这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。 来自《用法词典》
• Conventional demolishing work would have caused considerable interruptions in traffic. 如果采用一般的拆除方法就要引起交通的严重中断。 来自辞典例句

2 uprooted   

v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园

参考例句：

• Many people were uprooted from their homes by the flood. 水灾令许多人背井离乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hurricane blew with such force that trees were uprooted. 飓风强烈地刮着，树都被连根拔起了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 anvil   

n.铁钻

参考例句：

• The blacksmith shaped a horseshoe on his anvil.铁匠在他的铁砧上打出一个马蹄形。
• The anvil onto which the staples are pressed was not assemble correctly.订书机上的铁砧安装错位。

4 hurled   

v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂

参考例句：

• He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。
• The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

6 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

7 awed   

adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The audience was awed into silence by her stunning performance. 观众席上鸦雀无声，人们对他出色的表演感到惊叹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was awed by the huge gorilla. 那只大猩猩使我惊惧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

9 joyously   

ad.快乐地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She opened the door for me and threw herself in my arms, screaming joyously and demanding that we decorate the tree immediately. 她打开门，直扑我的怀抱，欣喜地喊叫着要马上装饰圣诞树。
• They came running, crying out joyously in trilling girlish voices. 她们边跑边喊，那少女的颤音好不欢快。 来自名作英译部分

10 contemptible   

adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的

参考例句：

• His personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.他气貌不扬，言语粗俗。
• That was a contemptible trick to play on a friend.那是对朋友玩弄的一出可鄙的把戏。

11 den   

n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室

参考例句：

• There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
• The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。

12 chestnut   

n.栗树，栗子

参考例句：

• We have a chestnut tree in the bottom of our garden.我们的花园尽头有一棵栗树。
• In summer we had tea outdoors,under the chestnut tree.夏天我们在室外栗树下喝茶。

13 relish   

n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味

参考例句：

• I have no relish for pop music.我对流行音乐不感兴趣。
• I relish the challenge of doing jobs that others turn down.我喜欢挑战别人拒绝做的工作。

14 amends   

n. 赔偿

参考例句：

• He made amends for his rudeness by giving her some flowers. 他送给她一些花，为他自己的鲁莽赔罪。
• This country refuses stubbornly to make amends for its past war crimes. 该国顽固地拒绝为其过去的战争罪行赔罪。

15 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。

16 numb   

adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木

参考例句：

• His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
• Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。

17 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

18 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

19 incorrigible   

adj.难以纠正的，屡教不改的

参考例句：

• Because he was an incorrigible criminal,he was sentenced to life imprisonment.他是一个死不悔改的罪犯，因此被判终生监禁。
• Gamblers are incorrigible optimists.嗜赌的人是死不悔改的乐天派。

20 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。