“It is beautiful to hear him talk when his heart is full of thankfulness for some manifestation1 of the Divine favor. You shall know him, some day my Louise, and knowing him you will honor him, as I do.”
“I pulled it through, Colonel, but it was a tough job, there is no question about that. There was not a friend to the measure in the House committee when I began, and not a friend in the Senate committee except old Dil himself, but they were all fixed3 for a majority report when I hauled off my forces. Everybody here says you can’t get a thing like this through Congress without buying committees for straight-out cash on delivery, but I think I’ve taught them a thing or two—if I could only make them believe it. When I tell the old residenters that this thing went through without buying a vote or making a promise, they say, ‘That’s rather too thin.’ And when I say thin or not thin it’s a fact, anyway, they say, ‘Come, now, but do you really believe that?’ and when I say I don’t believe anything about it, I know it, they smile and say, ‘Well, you are pretty innocent, or pretty blind, one or the other—there’s no getting around that.’ Why they really do believe that votes have been bought—they do indeed. But let them keep on thinking so. I have found out that if a man knows how to talk to women, and has a little gift in the way of argument with men, he can afford to play for an appropriation4 against a money bag and give the money bag odds5 in the game. We’ve raked in $200,000 of Uncle Sam’s money, say what they will—and there is more where this came from, when we want it, and I rather fancy I am the person that can go in and occupy it, too, if I do say it myself, that shouldn’t, perhaps. I’ll be with you within a week. Scare up all the men you can, and put them to work at once. When I get there I propose to make things hum.”
The great news lifted Sellers into the clouds. He went to work on the instant. He flew hither and thither6 making contracts, engaging men, and steeping his soul in the ecstasies7 of business. He was the happiest man in Missouri. And Louise was the happiest woman; for presently came a letter from Washington which said:
“Rejoice with me, for the long agony is over! We have waited patiently and faithfully, all these years, and now at last the reward is at hand. A man is to pay our family $40,000 for the Tennessee Land! It is but a little sum compared to what we could get by waiting, but I do so long to see the day when I can call you my own, that I have said to myself, better take this and enjoy life in a humble8 way than wear out our best days in this miserable9 separation. Besides, I can put this money into operations here that will increase it a hundred fold, yes, a thousand fold, in a few months. The air is full of such chances, and I know our family would consent in a moment that I should put in their shares with mine. Without a doubt we shall be worth half a million dollars in a year from this time—I put it at the very lowest figure, because it is always best to be on the safe side—half a million at the very lowest calculation, and then your father will give his consent and we can marry at last. Oh, that will be a glorious day. Tell our friends the good news—I want all to share it.”
And she did tell her father and mother, but they said, let it be kept still for the present. The careful father also told her to write Washington and warn him not to speculate with the money, but to wait a little and advise with one or two wise old heads. She did this. And she managed to keep the good news to herself, though it would seem that the most careless observer might have seen by her springing step and her radiant countenance11 that some fine piece of good fortune had descended12 upon her.
Harry joined the Colonel at Stone’s Landing, and that dead place sprang into sudden life. A swarm13 of men were hard at work, and the dull air was filled with the cheery music of labor14. Harry had been constituted engineer-in-general, and he threw the full strength of his powers into his work. He moved among his hirelings like a king. Authority seemed to invest him with a new splendor15. Col. Sellers, as general superintendent16 of a great public enterprise, was all that a mere17 human being could be—and more. These two grandees18 went at their imposing19 “improvement” with the air of men who had been charged with the work of altering the foundations of the globe.
They turned their first attention to straightening the river just above the Landing, where it made a deep bend, and where the maps and plans showed that the process of straightening would not only shorten distance but increase the “fall.” They started a cut-off canal across the peninsula formed by the bend, and such another tearing up of the earth and slopping around in the mud as followed the order to the men, had never been seen in that region before. There was such a panic among the turtles that at the end of six hours there was not one to be found within three miles of Stone’s Landing. They took the young and the aged10, the decrepit20 and the sick upon their backs and left for tide-water in disorderly procession, the tadpoles21 following and the bull-frogs bringing up the rear.
Saturday night came, but the men were obliged to wait, because the appropriation had not come. Harry said he had written to hurry up the money and it would be along presently. So the work continued, on Monday. Stone’s Landing was making quite a stir in the vicinity, by this time. Sellers threw a lot or two on the market, “as a feeler,” and they sold well. He re-clothed his family, laid in a good stock of provisions, and still had money left. He started a bank account, in a small way—and mentioned the deposit casually22 to friends; and to strangers, too; to everybody, in fact; but not as a new thing—on the contrary, as a matter of life-long standing23. He could not keep from buying trifles every day that were not wholly necessary, it was such a gaudy24 thing to get out his bank-book and draw a check, instead of using his old customary formula, “Charge it!” Harry sold a lot or two, also—and had a dinner party or two at Hawkeye and a general good time with the money. Both men held on pretty strenuously25 for the coming big prices, however.
At the end of a month things were looking bad. Harry had besieged26 the New York headquarters of the Columbus River Slack-water Navigation Company with demands, then commands, and finally appeals, but to no purpose; the appropriation did not come; the letters were not even answered. The workmen were clamorous27, now. The Colonel and Harry retired28 to consult.
“What’s to be done?” said the Colonel.
“Hang’d if I know.”
“Company say anything?”
“Not a word.”
“You telegraphed yesterday?”
“Yes, and the day before, too.”
“No answer?”
“None-confound them!”
“I’ve got it!”
“I’ve got it!”
“What’s yours?” said Harry.
“Give the boys thirty-day orders on the Company for the back pay.”
“That’s it-that’s my own idea to a dot. But then—but then——”
“Yes, I know,” said the Colonel; “I know they can’t wait for the orders to go to New York and be cashed, but what’s the reason they can’t get them discounted in Hawkeye?”
“Of course they can. That solves the difficulty. Everybody knows the appropriation’s been made and the Company’s perfectly30 good.”
So the orders were given and the men appeased31, though they grumbled32 a little at first. The orders went well enough for groceries and such things at a fair discount, and the work danced along gaily33 for a time. Two or three purchasers put up frame houses at the Landing and moved in, and of course a far-sighted but easy-going journeyman printer wandered along and started the “Napoleon Weekly Telegraph and Literary Repository”—a paper with a Latin motto from the Unabridged dictionary, and plenty of “fat” conversational34 tales and double-leaded poetry—all for two dollars a year, strictly35 in advance. Of course the merchants forwarded the orders at once to New York—and never heard of them again.
At the end of some weeks Harry’s orders were a drug in the market—nobody would take them at any discount whatever. The second month closed with a riot.—Sellers was absent at the time, and Harry began an active absence himself with the mob at his heels. But being on horseback, he had the advantage. He did not tarry in Hawkeye, but went on, thus missing several appointments with creditors36. He was far on his flight eastward37, and well out of danger when the next morning dawned. He telegraphed the Colonel to go down and quiet the laborers—he was bound east for money—everything would be right in a week—tell the men so—tell them to rely on him and not be afraid.
Sellers found the mob quiet enough when he reached the Landing. They had gutted38 the Navigation office, then piled the beautiful engraved39 stock-books and things in the middle of the floor and enjoyed the bonfire while it lasted. They had a liking40 for the Colonel, but still they had some idea of hanging him, as a sort of make-shift that might answer, after a fashion, in place of more satisfactory game.
But they made the mistake of waiting to hear what he had to say first. Within fifteen minutes his tongue had done its work and they were all rich men.—He gave every one of them a lot in the suburbs of the city of Stone’s Landing, within a mile and a half of the future post office and railway station, and they promised to resume work as soon as Harry got east and started the money along. Now things were blooming and pleasant again, but the men had no money, and nothing to live on. The Colonel divided with them the money he still had in bank—an act which had nothing surprising about it because he was generally ready to divide whatever he had with anybody that wanted it, and it was owing to this very trait that his family spent their days in poverty and at times were pinched with famine.
When the men’s minds had cooled and Sellers was gone, they hated themselves for letting him beguile41 them with fine speeches, but it was too late, now—they agreed to hang him another time—such time as Providence42 should appoint.
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收听单词发音
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1
manifestation
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| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
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2
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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3
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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4
appropriation
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| n.拨款，批准支出 | |
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odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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6
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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ecstasies
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| 狂喜( ecstasy的名词复数 )； 出神； 入迷； 迷幻药 | |
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8
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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9
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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10
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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12
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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13
swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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14
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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15
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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16
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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17
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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18
grandees
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| n.贵族，大公，显贵者( grandee的名词复数 ) | |
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19
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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20
decrepit
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| adj.衰老的，破旧的 | |
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tadpoles
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| n.蝌蚪( tadpole的名词复数 ) | |
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casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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24
gaudy
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| adj.华而不实的；俗丽的 | |
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strenuously
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| adv.奋发地，费力地 | |
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26
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
clamorous
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| adj.吵闹的，喧哗的 | |
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28
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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29
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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30
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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31
appeased
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| 安抚，抚慰( appease的过去式和过去分词 )； 绥靖（满足另一国的要求以避免战争） | |
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32
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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33
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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34
conversational
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| adj.对话的，会话的 | |
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35
strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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36
creditors
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| n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 ) | |
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37
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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38
gutted
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| adj.容易消化的v.毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的过去式和过去分词 )；取出…的内脏 | |
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39
engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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40
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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41
beguile
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| vt.欺骗，消遣 | |
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42
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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