The excitement which preceded the first Reconstruction1 election in the South paralyzed the industries of the country. When demagogues poured down from the North and began their raving2 before crowds of ignorant negroes, the plow3 stopped in the furrow4, the hoe was dropped, and the millennium5 was at hand.
Negro tenants6, working under contracts issued by the Freedman’s Bureau, stopped work, and rode their landlords’ mules8 and horses around the county, following these orators10.
The loss to the cotton crop alone from the abandonment of the growing plant was estimated at over $60,000,000.
The one thing that saved the situation from despair was the large grain and forage12 crops of the previous season which thrifty13 farmers had stored in their barns. So important was the barn and its precious contents that Dr. Cameron hired Jake to sleep in his.
This immense barn, which was situated14 at the foot of the hill some two hundred yards behind the house, had become a favourite haunt of Marion and Hugh. She had made a pet of the beautiful thoroughbred mare15 which had belonged to Ben during the war. Marion went every day to give her an apple or lump of sugar, or 245 carry her a bunch of clover. The mare would follow her about like a cat.
Another attraction at the barn for them was Becky Sharpe, Ben’s setter. She came to Marion one morning, wagging her tail, seized her dress and led her into an empty stall, where beneath the trough lay sleeping snugly17 ten little white-and-black spotted18 puppies.
The girl had never seen such a sight before and went into ecstasies19. Becky wagged her tail with pride at her compliments. Every morning she would pull her gently into the stall just to hear her talk and laugh and pet her babies.
Whatever election day meant to the men, to Marion it was one of unalloyed happiness: she was to ride horseback alone and dance at her first ball. Ben had taught her to ride, and told her she could take Queen to Lover’s Leap and back alone. Trembling with joy, her beautiful face wreathed in smiles, she led the mare to the pond in the edge of the lot and watched her drink its pure spring water.
When he helped her to mount in front of the hotel under her mother’s gaze, and saw her ride out of the gate, with the exquisite20 lines of her little figure melting into the graceful21 lines of the mare’s glistening22 form, he exclaimed:
“I declare, I don’t know which is the prettier, Marion or Queen!”
“I know,” was the mother’s soft answer.
“They are both thoroughbreds,” said Ben, watching them admiringly. 246
“Wait till you see her to-night in her first ball dress,” whispered Mrs. Lenoir.
At noon Ben and Phil strolled to the polling-place to watch the progress of the first election under negro rule. The Square was jammed with shouting, jostling, perspiring23 negroes, men, women, and children. The day was warm, and the African odour was supreme24 even in the open air.
A crowd of two hundred were packed around a peddler’s box. There were two of them—one crying the wares25, and the other wrapping and delivering the goods. They were selling a new patent poison for rats.
“I’ve only a few more bottles left now, gentlemen,” he shouted, “and the polls will close at sundown. A great day for our brother in black. Two years of army rations26 from the Freedman’s Bureau, with old army clothes thrown in, and now the ballot27—the priceless glory of American citizenship28. But better still the very land is to be taken from these proud aristocrats29 and given to the poor down-trodden black man. Forty acres and a mule9—think of it! Provided, mind you—that you have a bottle of my wonder-worker to kill the rats and save your corn for the mule. No man can have the mule unless he has corn; and no man can have corn if he has rats—and only a few bottles left——”
“Gimme one,” yelled a negro.
“Forty acres and a mule, your old masters to work your land and pay his rent in corn, while you sit back in the shade and see him sweat.”
“Gimme er bottle and two er dem pictures!” bawled30 another candidate for a mule. 247
The peddler handed him the bottle and the pictures and threw a handful of his labels among the crowd. These labels happened to be just the size of the ballots31, having on them the picture of a dead rat lying on his back, and above, the emblem32 of death, the crossbones and skull33.
“Forty acres and a mule for every black man—why was I ever born white? I never had no luck, nohow!”
Phil and Ben passed on nearer the polling-place, around which stood a cordon34 of soldiers with a line of negro voters two hundred yards in length extending back into the crowd.
The negro Leagues came in armed battalions35 and voted in droves, carrying their muskets37 in their hands. Less than a dozen white men were to be seen about the place.
The negroes, under the drill of the League and the Freedman’s Bureau, protected by the bayonet, were voting to enfranchise38 themselves, disfranchise their former masters, ratify39 a new constitution, and elect a legislature to do their will. Old Aleck was a candidate for the House, chief poll-holder, and seemed to be in charge of the movements of the voters outside the booth as well as inside. He appeared to be omnipresent, and his self-importance was a sight Phil had never dreamed. He could not keep his eyes off him.
“By George, Cameron, he’s a wonder!” he laughed.
Aleck had suppressed as far as possible the story of the painted stakes and the deed, after sending out warnings to the brethren to beware of two enticing40 strangers. The surveyors had reaped a rich harvest and passed on. Aleck made up his mind to go to Columbia, make the laws himself, and never again trust a white man from the North 248 or South. The agent of the Freedman’s Bureau at Piedmont tried to choke him off the ticket. The League backed him to a man. He could neither read nor write, but before he took to whiskey he had made a specialty41 of revival42 exhortation43, and his mouth was the most effective thing about him. In this campaign he was an orator11 of no mean powers. He knew what he wanted, and he knew what his people wanted, and he put the thing in words so plain that a wayfaring44 man, though a fool, couldn’t make any mistake about it.
As he bustled45 past, forming a battalion36 of his brethren in line to march to the polls, Phil followed his every movement with amused interest.
Besides being so bow-legged that his walk was a moving joke he was so striking a negro in his personal appearance, he seemed to the young Northerner almost a distinct type of man.
His head was small and seemed mashed46 on the sides until it bulged47 into a double lobe48 behind. Even his ears, which he had pierced and hung with red earbobs, seemed to have been crushed flat to the side of his head. His kinked hair was wrapped in little hard rolls close to the skull and bound tightly with dirty thread. His receding49 forehead was high and indicated a cunning intelligence. His nose was broad and crushed flat against his face. His jaws50 were strong and angular, mouth wide, and lips thick, curling back from rows of solid teeth set obliquely51 in their blue gums. The one perfect thing about him was the size and setting of his mouth—he was a born African orator, undoubtedly52 descended53 from a long line 249 of savage54 spell-binders, whose eloquence55 in the palaver56 houses of the jungle had made them native leaders. His thin spindle-shanks supported an oblong, protruding57 stomach, resembling an elderly monkey’s, which seemed so heavy it swayed his back to carry it.
The animal vivacity58 of his small eyes and the flexibility59 of his eyebrows60, which he worked up and down rapidly with every change of countenance61, expressed his eager desires.
He had laid aside his new shoes, which hurt him, and went barefooted to facilitate his movements on the great occasion. His heels projected and his foot was so flat that what should have been the hollow of it made a hole in the dirt where he left his track.
He was already mellow62 with liquor, and was dressed in an old army uniform and cap, with two horse pistols buckled63 around his waist. On a strap64 hanging from his shoulder were strung a half-dozen tin canteens filled with whiskey.
A disturbance65 in the line of voters caused the young men to move forward to see what it meant.
Two negro troopers had pulled Jake out of the line, and were dragging him toward old Aleck.
The election judge straightened himself up with great dignity:
“What wuz de rapscallion doin’?”
“In de line, tryin’ ter vote.”
“Fetch ’im befo’ de judgment66 bar,” said Aleck, taking a drink from one of his canteens.
The troopers brought Jake before the judge.
“Tryin’ ter vote, is yer?” 250
“’Lowed I would.”
“You hear ’bout de great sassieties de Gubment’s fomentin’ in dis country?”
“Yas, I hear erbout ’em.”
“Is yer er member er de union League?”
“Na-sah. I’d rudder steal by myself. I doan’ lak too many in de party!”
“En yer ain’t er No’f Ca’liny gemmen, is yer—yer ain’t er member er de ‘Red Strings67?’”
“Na-sah, I come when I’se called—dey doan’ hatter put er string on me—ner er block, ner er collar, ner er chain, ner er muzzle——”
“Will yer ’splain ter dis cote——” railed Aleck.
“What cote? Dat ole army cote?” Jake laughed in loud peals68 that rang over the square.
Aleck recovered his dignity and demanded angrily:
“Does yer belong ter de Heroes ob Americky?”
“Na-sah. I ain’t burnt nobody’s house ner barn yet, ner hamstrung no stock, ner waylaid69 nobody atter night—honey, I ain’t fit ter jine. Heroes ob Americky! Is you er hero?”
“Ef yer doan’ b’long ter no s’iety,” said Aleck with judicial70 deliberation, “what is you?”
“Des er ole-fashun all-wool-en-er-yard-wide nigger dat stan’s by his ole marster ’cause he’s his bes’ frien’, stays at home, en tends ter his own business.”
“En yer pay no ’tenshun ter de orders I sent yer ter jine de League?”
“Na-sah. I ain’t er takin’ orders f’um er skeer-crow.” 251
Aleck ignored his insolence71, secure in his power.
“You doan b’long ter no s’iety, what yer git in dat line ter vote for?”
“Ain’t I er nigger?”
“But yer ain’t de right kin7’ er nigger. ‘Res’ dat man fer ‘sturbin’ de peace.”
They put Jake in jail, persuaded his wife to leave him, and expelled him from the Baptist church, all within the week.
As the troopers led Jake to prison, a young negro apparently72 about fifteen years old approached Aleck, holding in his hand one of the peddler’s rat labels, which had gotten well distributed among the crowd. A group of negro boys followed him with these rat labels in their hands, studying them intently.
“Look at dis ticket, Uncle Aleck,” said the leader.
“Mr. Alexander Lenoir, sah—is I yo’ uncle, nigger?”
The youth walled his eyes angrily.
“Den doan’ you call me er nigger!”
“Who’ yer talkin to, sah? You kin fling yer sass at white folks, but, honey, yuse er projeckin’ wid death now!”
“I ain’t er nigger—I’se er gemman, I is,” was the sullen73 answer.
“How ole is you?” asked Aleck in milder tones.
“Me mudder say sixteen—but de Buro man say I’se twenty-one yistiddy, de day ‘fo’ ’lection.”
“Is you voted to-day?”
“Yessah; vote in all de boxes ‘cept’n dis one. Look at dat ticket. Is dat de straight ticket?” 252
Aleck, who couldn’t read the twelve-inch letters of his favourite bar-room sign, took the rat label and examined it critically.
“What ail16 it?” he asked at length.
The boy pointed74 at the picture of the rat.
“What dat rat doin’, lyin’ dar on his back, wid his heels cocked up in de air—’pear ter me lak a rat otter75 be standin’ on his feet!”
Aleck re?xamined it carefully, and then smiled benignly76 on the youth.
“De ignance er dese folks. What ud yer do widout er man lak me enjued wid de sperit en de power ter splain tings?”
“You sho’ got de sperits,” said the boy impudently77, touching78 a canteen.
Aleck ignored the remark and looked at the rat label smilingly.
“Ain’t we er votin’, ter-day, on de Constertooshun what’s ter take de ballot away f’um de white folks en gib all de power ter de cullud gemmen—I axes yer dat?”
The boy stuck his thumbs under his arms and walled his eyes.
“Yessah!”
“Den dat means de ratification79 ob de Constertooshun!”
Phil laughed, followed, and watched them fold their tickets, get in line, and vote the rat labels.
Ben turned toward a white man with gray beard, who stood watching the crowd.
He was a pious80 member of the Presbyterian church but his face didn’t have a pious expression to-day. He had 253 been refused the right to vote because he had aided the Confederacy by nursing one of his wounded boys.
He touched his hat politely to Ben.
“What do you think of it, Colonel Cameron?” he asked with a touch of scorn.
“What’s your opinion, Mr. McAllister?”
“Well, Colonel, I’ve been a member of the church for over forty years. I’m not a cussin’ man—but there’s a sight I never expected to live to see. I’ve been a faithful citizen of this State for fifty years. I can’t vote, and a nigger is to be elected to-day to represent me in the Legislature. Neither you, Colonel, nor your father are good enough to vote. Every nigger in this county sixteen years old and up voted to-day—I ain’t a cussing man, and I don’t say it as a cuss word, but all I’ve got to say is, IF there BE such a thing as a d—d shame—that’s it!”
“Mr. McAllister, the recording81 angel wouldn’t have made a mark had you said it without the ‘IF.’”
“God knows what this country’s coming to—I don’t,” said the old man bitterly. “I’m afraid to let my wife and daughter go out of the house, or stay in it, without somebody with them.”
Ben leaned closer and whispered, as Phil approached:
“Come to my office to-night at ten o’clock; I want to see you on some important business.”
The old man seized his hand eagerly.
“Shall I bring the boys?”
Ben smiled.
“No. I’ve seen them some time ago.”
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收听单词发音
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1
reconstruction
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| n.重建，再现，复原 | |
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raving
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| adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地 | |
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3
plow
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| n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough | |
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furrow
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| n.沟；垄沟；轨迹；车辙；皱纹 | |
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millennium
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| n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世 | |
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tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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orators
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| n.演说者，演讲家( orator的名词复数 ) | |
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orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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12
forage
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| n.(牛马的)饲料，粮草；v.搜寻，翻寻 | |
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13
thrifty
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| adj.节俭的；兴旺的；健壮的 | |
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14
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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15
mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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16
ail
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| v.生病，折磨，苦恼 | |
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17
snugly
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| adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地 | |
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18
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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19
ecstasies
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| 狂喜( ecstasy的名词复数 )； 出神； 入迷； 迷幻药 | |
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20
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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21
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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22
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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23
perspiring
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| v.出汗，流汗( perspire的现在分词 ) | |
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24
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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25
wares
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| n. 货物, 商品 | |
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26
rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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ballot
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| n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票 | |
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28
citizenship
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| n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份) | |
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aristocrats
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| n.贵族( aristocrat的名词复数 ) | |
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30
bawled
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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31
ballots
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| n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 ) | |
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32
emblem
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| n.象征，标志；徽章 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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cordon
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| n.警戒线，哨兵线 | |
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35
battalions
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| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
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battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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enfranchise
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| v.给予选举权，解放 | |
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39
ratify
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| v.批准，认可，追认 | |
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enticing
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| adj.迷人的；诱人的 | |
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specialty
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| n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长 | |
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revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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43
exhortation
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| n.劝告，规劝 | |
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44
wayfaring
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| adj.旅行的n.徒步旅行 | |
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45
bustled
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| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
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mashed
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| a.捣烂的 | |
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bulged
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| 凸出( bulge的过去式和过去分词 )； 充满； 塞满（某物） | |
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lobe
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| n.耳垂，（肺，肝等的）叶 | |
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49
receding
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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50
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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51
obliquely
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| adv.斜； 倾斜； 间接； 不光明正大 | |
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52
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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53
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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54
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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55
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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56
palaver
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| adj.壮丽堂皇的；n.废话，空话 | |
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57
protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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58
vivacity
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| n.快活，活泼，精神充沛 | |
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59
flexibility
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| n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性 | |
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60
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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61
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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62
mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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63
buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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64
strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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65
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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66
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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67
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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68
peals
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| n.（声音大而持续或重复的）洪亮的响声( peal的名词复数 )；隆隆声；洪亮的钟声；钟乐v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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69
waylaid
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| v.拦截，拦路( waylay的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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70
judicial
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| adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的 | |
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71
insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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72
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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73
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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74
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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75
otter
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| n.水獭 | |
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76
benignly
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| adv.仁慈地，亲切地 | |
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77
impudently
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78
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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79
ratification
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| n.批准，认可 | |
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80
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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81
recording
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| n.录音，记录 | |
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