When he returned from Simon Karlin's, he brought with him the latter's wife, whom he had healed of a fever; and here was another of the company whom he insisted upon helping—“Comrade” Abell, one of the men I had noticed at the meeting last night, and who appeared to be done up. This man, I learned, was secretary of the Socialist8 local of Western City. I had known there were Socialists9 in the city, just as I knew there were poor, but I had never seen one, and was curious about Abell. He was a lawyer; and that might suggest to you a certain type of person, brisk and well dressed—but apparently Socialist lawyers are not true to type. Comrade Abell was a shy, timid little man, with black hair straggling about his ears, and sometimes into his eyes. He had a gentle, pathetic face, and his voice was melancholy10 and caressing11. He was clad in a frock coat of black broadcloth, which had once been appropriate for Sunday; but I should judge it had been worn for twenty years, for it was green about the collar and the cuffs12 and button-holes.
Comrade Abell's office and also his home were in a second story, over a grocery-store in this neighborhood, and here also was a little hall used as a meeting-place by the Socialists. Every Saturday night Abell and two or three of his friends conducted a soap-box meeting on Western City Street, and gave away propaganda leaflets and sold a few pamphlets and books. He had had quite a supply of literature of all kinds at his office, nearly two thousand dollars worth, he told Carpenter, but a few months previously13 the place had been mobbed. A band of ex-service men, accompanied by a few police and detectives, had raided it and terrified the wife and children by breaking down the doors and throwing the contents of desks and bureaus out on the floor. They had dumped the literature into a truck and carted it away, and after two or three weeks they had dumped it back again, having found nothing criminal in it. “But they ruined it so that it can't be sold!” broke in James, indignantly. “Most of it was bought on credit, and how can we pay for it.”
James was also a Socialist, it appeared, while Korwsky and his friend Karlin advocated “industrial action,” and these fell to arguing over “tactics,” while Carpenter asked questions, so as to understand their different points of view. Presently Korwsky was called out of the room, and came back with an announcement which he evidently considered grave. John Colver was in the neighborhood, and wanted to know if Carpenter would meet him.
“Who is John Colver?” asked the prophet. And it was explained that this was a dangerous agitator14, now under sentence of twenty years in jail, but out on bail15 pending16 the appeal of his case to the supreme17 court. Colver was a “wobbly,” well known as one of their poets. Said Korwsky, “He tinks you vouldn't like to know him, because if de spies find it out, dey vould git after you.”
“I will meet any man,” said Carpenter. “My business is to meet men.” And so in a few minutes the terrible John Colver was escorted into the room.
Now, every once in a while I had read in the “Times” how another bunch of these I.W.W's. were put on trial, and how they were insolent18 to the judge, and how it was proved they had committed many crimes, and how they were sentenced to fourteen years in State's prison under our criminal syndicalism act. Needless to say, I had never seen one of these desperate men; but I had a quite definite idea what they looked like—dark and sinister19 creatures, with twisted mouths and furtive20 eyes. I knew that, because I had seen a couple of moving picture shows in which they figured. But now for the first time I met one, and behold21, he was an open-faced, laughing lad, with apple cheeks and two most beautiful rows of even white teeth that gleamed at you!
“Fellow-worker Carpenter!” he cried; and caught the prophet by his two hands. “You are an old friend of ours, though you may not know it! We drink a toast to you in our jungles.”
“Is that so?” said Carpenter.
“I suppose I really have no right to see you,” continued the other, “because I'm shadowed all the time, and you know my organization is outlawed23.”
“Why is it outlawed?”
“Well,” said Colver, “they say we burn crops and barns, and drive copper-nails into fruit-trees, and spikes24 into sawmill lumber25.”
“And do you do that?”
Colver laughed his merry laugh. “We do it just as often as you act for the movies, Fellow-worker Carpenter!”
“I see,” said Carpenter. “What do you really do?”
“What we really do is to organize the unskilled workers.”
“For what do you organize them?”
“So that they will be able to run the industries when the system of greed breaks down of its own rottenness.”
“I see,” said the prophet, and he thought for a moment. “It is a slave revolt!”
“Exactly,” said the other.
“I know what they do to slave revolts, my brother. You are fortunate if they only send you to prison.”
“They do plenty more than that,” said Colver. “I will give you our pamphlet, 'Drops of Blood,' and you may read about some of the lynching and tarring and feathering and shooting of Mobland.” His eyes twinkled. “That's a dandy name you've hit on! I shall be surprised if it doesn't stick.”
Carpenter went on questioning, bent26 upon knowing about this outlaw22 organization and its members. It was clear before long that he had taken a fancy to young John Colver. He made him sit beside him, and asked to hear some of his poetry, and when he found it really vivid and beautiful, he put his arm about the young poet's shoulders. Again I found memories of old childhood phrases stirring in my mind. Had there not once been a disciple27 named John, who was especially beloved?
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收听单词发音
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1
intruding
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| v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的现在分词)；把…强加于 | |
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2
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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3
swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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4
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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5
delirium
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| n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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6
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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7
miseries
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| n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人 | |
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8
socialist
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| n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的 | |
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9
socialists
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| 社会主义者( socialist的名词复数 ) | |
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10
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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11
caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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12
cuffs
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| n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打，拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 ) | |
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13
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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14
agitator
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| n.鼓动者；搅拌器 | |
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15
bail
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| v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人 | |
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16
pending
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| prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的 | |
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17
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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18
insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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19
sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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20
furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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21
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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outlaw
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| n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法 | |
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23
outlawed
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| 宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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24
spikes
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| n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划 | |
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25
lumber
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| n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动 | |
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26
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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27
disciple
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| n.信徒，门徒，追随者 | |
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