"Nancy, it's a meal fit for a king!"
The supper over, he smoked his pipe before the cabin fire of blazing logs, while she cleared the wooden dishes. He watched her get the paper, goose-quill1 pen and ink as a prisoner sees the scaffold building for his execution.
"Now we're all ready," she said cheerfully.
The man laid his pipe down with a helpless look. A brief respite2 flashed through his mind. Maybe he could sidestep the lessons before she pinned him down.
"Lord, Nancy, I forgot my gun. I must grease her right away," he cried.
He rose with a quick decisive movement and took his rifle from the rack. She knew it was useless to protest and let him have his way.
Over every inch of its heavy barrel and polished walnut3 stock he rubbed a piece of greased linen4 with loving care, drew back the flint-lock and greased carefully every nook and turn of its mechanism5, lifted the gun finally to his shoulder and drew an imaginary bead6 on the head of a turkey gobbler two hundred yards away. A glowing coal of hickory wood in the fire served for his game.
He lowered the gun and held it before him with pride:
"Nancy, she's the dandiest piece o' iron that wuz ever twisted inter7 the shape of a weepon. Old 'Speakeasy's her name! She's got the softest voice that ever whispered death to a varmint or an Injun—hit ain't much louder'n the crack of a whip, but, man alive, when she talks she says somethin'. 'Kerpeow!' she whispers soft an' low! She's got a voice like yourn, Nancy—kinder sighs when she speaks——"
"Well," the wife broke in with a shake of her dark head, "has mother's little boy played long enough with his toy?"
"I reckon so," Tom laughed.
"Then it's time for school." She gently took the rifle from his hands, placed it on the buck8 horns and took her seat at the table.
The man looked ruefully at the stool, suddenly straightened his massive frame, lifted his hand above his head and cocked his eye inquiringly:
"May I git er drink er water fust?"
The teacher laughed in spite of herself:
"Yes, you big lubber, and hurry up."
Tom seized the water bucket and started for the door.
"Where are you going?" she cried in dismay.
"I'll jest run down to the spring fer a fresh bucket——"
"O Tom!" she exclaimed.
"I'll be right back in a minute, Honey," he protested softly. "Hit's goin' ter be powerful hot—I'll need a whole bucket time I'm through."
Before she could answer he was gone.
He managed to stay nearly a half hour. She put the baby to sleep and sat waiting with her pensive9 young eyes gazing at the leaping flames. She heard him stop and answer the call of an owl10 from the woods. A whip-poor-will was softly singing from the bushes nearby. He stopped to call him also, and then found an excuse to linger ten minutes more fooling with his dogs.
The laggard11 came at last and dropped on his stool by her side. He sat for five minutes staring helplessly at the copy she had set. Big beads12 of perspiration13 stood on his forehead when he took the pen. He held it awkwardly and timidly as if it were a live reptile14. She took his clumsy hand in hers and showed him how to hold it.
"My, but yo' hand's soft an' sweet, Nancy,—jest lemme hold that a while——"
She rapped his knuckles15.
"All right, teacher, I'll be good," he protested, and bent16 his huge shoulders low over his task. He bore so hard on the frail17 quill pen the ink ran in a big blot18.
"Not so hard, Tom!" she cried.
"But I got so much strenk in my right arm I jist can't hold it back."
"You must try again."
He tried again and made a heavy tremulous line. His arm moved at a snail's gait and wobbled frightfully.
"Make the line quicker," she urged encouragingly. "Begin at the top and come down——"
"Here, you show me how!"
She took his rough hand quietly in hers, and guided it swiftly from right to left in straight smooth lines until a dozen were made, when he suddenly drew her close, kissed her lips, and held the slender fingers in a grip of iron. She lay still in his embrace for a moment, released herself and turned from him with a sigh. He drew her quickly to the light of the fire and saw the unshed tears in her eyes.
"What's the use ter worry, Nancy gal19?" he said. "Give it up ez a bad job. I wouldn't fool with no sech scholar ef I wuz you. Ye can't teach an old dog new tricks——"
"I won't give up!" she cried with sudden energy. "I can teach you and I will. I won't give up and be nobody. O Tom, you promised me before we were married to let me teach you—didn't you promise?"
"Yes, Honey, I did——" he paused and his fine teeth gleamed through the black beard—"but ye know a feller'll promise any thing ter git his gal——"
"Didn't you mean to keep your word?" She broke in sharply.
"Of course I did, Nancy, I never wuz more earnest in my life—'ceptin when I got religion. But I had no idee larnin' come so hard. I'd ruther fight Injuns an' wil' cats or rob a bee tree any day than ter tackle them pot hooks you're sickin' after me——"
"Well, I won't give up," she interrupted impatiently, "and you'd just as well make up your mind to stick to it. You can do what other men have done. You're good, honest and true, you're kindhearted and popular. They've already made you the road supervisor20 of this township. Learn to read and write and you can make a good speech and go to the Legislature."
"Ah, Nancy, what do ye want me ter do that fur, anyhow, gal? I'd be the happiest man in the world right here in this cabin by the woods ef you'd jest be happy with me. Can't ye quit hankerin' after them things, Honey?"
She shook her dark head firmly.
"You know, Nancy, we wuz neighbors to Dan'l Boone. We thought he wuz about the biggest man that ever lived. Somehow the love o' the woods an' fields is always singin' in my heart. Them still shinin' stars up in the sky out thar to-night keep a callin' me. I could hear the music o' my hounds in my soul ez I stood by the spring a while ago. Ye know what scares me most ter death sometimes, gal?" He paused and looked into her eyes intently.
"No, what?" she asked.
"That you'll make a carpenter outen me yit ef I don't mind."
Again a smile broke through the cloud in her eyes: "I don't think there's much danger of that, Tom——"
"Yes ther is, too," he laughed. "Ye see, I love you so and try ter make ye happy, an' ef there wuz ter come er time that there wuz plenty o' work an' real money in it, I'd stick to it jist ter please you, an' be a lost an' ruined soul! Yessir, they'd carve on my headstone jest one line:
"BORN A MAN—AND DIED A JACKLEG CARPENTER.
"Wouldn't that be awful?"
The momentary21 smile on the woman's sensitive face faded into a look of pain. She tried to make a good-natured reply, but her lips refused to move.
The man pressed on eagerly:
"O Nancy, why can't ye be happy here? We've a snug22 little cabin nest, we've enough to eat and enough to wear. The baby's laughin' at yer heels all day and snugglin' in her little bed at night. The birds make music fur ye in the trees. The creek23 down thar's laughin' an' singing' winter an' summer. The world's too purty an' life's too short ter throw hit away fightin' an' scramblin' fur nothin'."
"For something—Tom—something big——"
"Don't keer how big 'tis—what of it? All turns ter ashes in yer hands bye an' bye an' yer life's gone. We can't live these young days over again, can we? Ye know the preacher says: 'What shall hit profit a man ef he gain the whole world an' lose his life?' Let me off'n these lessons, Honey? I'm too old; ye can't larn me new tricks now. Let me off fer good an' all, won't ye?"
"No," was the firm answer. "It means too much. I won't give up and let the man I love sign his name forever with a cross mark."
"I ain't goin' ter sign no more papers nohow!" Tom broke in.
"I signed our marriage bond with a mark, Tom," she went on evenly, "just because you couldn't write your name. You've got to learn, I won't give up!"
"Well, it's too late to-night fur any more lessons, now ain't it?"
"Yes, we'll make up for it next time."
The tired hunter was soon sound asleep dreaming of the life that was the breath of his nostrils24.
Through the still winter's night the young wife lay with wide staring eyes. Over and over again she weighed her chances in the grim struggle begun for the mastery of his mind. The longer she asked herself the question of success or failure the more doubtful seemed the outcome. How still the world!
The new life within her strong young body suddenly stirred, and a feeling of awe25 thrilled her heart. God had suddenly signalled from the shores of Eternity26.
When her husband waked at dawn he stared at her smiling face in surprise.
"What ye laughin' about, Nancy?" he cried.
She turned toward him with a startled look:
"I had a vision, Tom!"
"A dream, I reckon."
"God had answered the prayer of my heart," she went on breathlessly, "and sent me a son. I saw him a strong, brave, patient, wise, gentle man. Thousands hung on his words and great men came to do him homage27. With bowed head he led me into a beautiful home that had shining white pillars. He bowed low and whispered in my ear: 'This is yours, my angel mother. I bought it for you with my life. All that I am I owe to you.'"
She paused a moment and whispered:
"O Tom, man, a new song is singing in my soul!"
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1
quill
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| n.羽毛管；v.给（织物或衣服）作皱褶 | |
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2
respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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3
walnut
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| n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色 | |
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4
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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6
bead
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| n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠 | |
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7
inter
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| v.埋葬 | |
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8
buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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9
pensive
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| a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的 | |
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10
owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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11
laggard
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| n.落后者；adj.缓慢的，落后的 | |
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12
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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13
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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14
reptile
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| n.爬行动物；两栖动物 | |
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15
knuckles
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| n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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16
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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17
frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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18
blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 | |
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19
gal
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| n.姑娘，少女 | |
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20
supervisor
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| n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师 | |
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21
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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22
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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23
creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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24
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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25
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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26
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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27
homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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