Dear Mother and Sis:—
To-day I’m using my fountain pen instead of my opera-glass. I’m giving the birds of the air an afternoon off. My pen doesn’t write very good—I guess it’s the opal. But I won’t take it off just for spite. I’m supposed to wear it so I will no matter what happens. I’m afraid I’m not going to drop dead. I feel fine. I can’t find my heart when I put my hand there but I guess it’s there all right. Don’t worry, I’m keeping my promise, safety first that’s what you say. Tom Slade’s all the time asking about you, Sis. He said I didn’t get my disposition1 from you.
What do you think? Al Berry is here with his patrol. I wish he’d keep still about me. He sneaked2 up and took a banner from the Ravens3 and I didn’t run after him so I got put out. I didn’t exactly get put out but they sort of said, here’s your hat. There’s a lame4 boy here and he makes me feel I don’t want to let anybody know I have anything the matter with me ’cause they’ll think I’m like him. Anyway there’s nothing the matter with me but don’t worry I’m keeping my promise no matter what, the same as I’m wearing my pin no matter what. I got that five dollars you sent me, Sis, and I’m saving it up for a scout5 suit.
I’m in the Elks6 now, and I have to swim in the contest. Don’t worry it’s not till August tenth. I’m going to see the doctor here on the first like Doctor Brent said. If he says my heart is still bad I’ll blame it to the opal—only he won’t say it. Anyway don’t worry. If I say I’ll do a thing I’ll do it. I like these fellows. Mom and Sis you have to come up for the tenth. I’m glad I’ll be in the water so I won’t see the people looking at me. I can do things as long as I can forget that people are looking at me like when I was looking at Madden I didn’t see the others. Anyway they won’t be looking at me, they’ll be looking at you, Sis. Tom Slade says I’ve got the same way of looking that you have. I told him a scout is observant—that’s in the book. I send you a four leaf clover, Sis. I’m all the time looking on the ground and taking it easy, notice how I underline taking it easy, Mom.
Wilfred.
P. S. The four leaf clover and the opal don’t speak to each other.
Wilfred liked the Elks so much that he did not ask any of them to walk down to Terryville with him where he intended to mail his letter. He wanted to walk there alone and think about his little triumph among them. They had fallen for him, as the saying is, and the realization8 of this was a balm to his spirit. One could not say the Ravens had not been good enough scouts9 to seek him out and find his winsome10 nature; they had been too scoutlike (as one might say) for that. That is, they were too busy with scouting11. Now he was a decidedly large fish in a small pond. He was the “big thing” in the struggling Elk7 Patrol.
He wanted to feast upon his success with them, to let his imagination bask12 in the sunshine of this new favor that was his, after the ordeal13 of ridicule14 and disgrace. He felt so much at home with them! He was at his best with them. Well, there is a place for every fellow, if he can only find it. Wilfred wanted to indulge these solacing15 thoughts and that is why he walked down to Terryville alone.
But there was another reason. Terryville was a perilous16 place where scouts bought ice cream sodas17 and cones18 and candy. They treated each other to these. The Elks, however humble19 their standing20 in scout lore21 and prowess, were not remiss22 in these convivial23 obligations. Charlie O’Conner was notably24 prodigal25 on his pilgrimages to the rural center of iniquity26. Wilfred had no money at all except his five dollar bill and this he wanted to save for a scout outfit27. He would not let the others treat him. They liked him so much that he was afraid if he asked one they all might go. Then, he would have to let one after another treat him. So he went alone.
At Terryville something occurred which was destined28 to have a bearing on his future. Along the village thoroughfare he paused to look in a window where, among other varieties of apparel, scout raiment and paraphernalia29 were displayed.
He was gazing wistfully at these things when the sudden noise of a quickly braked automobile30 caused him to turn about, and he beheld31 an all too common sight. An old man, having just escaped being run down, had returned to the curb32 where he stood gazing intently at the procession of cars in the forlorn hope that he might discover a gap where a second attempt might be made. One after another the heedless motorists sped past in complacent33 disdain34 of this little village which chanced to be upon the state highway. If the village itself had wanted to cross the road it would probably have fared no better than the bewildered old man. Again and again he stepped from the curb and back again. Yet this old man had fought his way across harder places than this in his time.
Approaching the baffled pedestrian, Wilfred took him gently by the arm, raised his right hand warningly, then started across the street with his tottering35 charge, without apparently36 so much as a glance at the hurrying traffic. There was another squeak37 of quickly applied38 brakes and the shiny bumper39 of a car all but touched Wilfred’s leg. But the car stood, and likewise the car behind it stood, and a man in a dilapidated Ford40 behind that who tried (as Ford drivers will) to make a flank move stopped also, and caused a jam in approaching traffic. But the Grand Army passed triumphantly41 across!
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1
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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2
sneaked
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| v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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3
ravens
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| n.低质煤；渡鸦( raven的名词复数 ) | |
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4
lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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5
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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6
elks
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| n.麋鹿( elk的名词复数 ) | |
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7
elk
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| n.麋鹿 | |
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8
realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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9
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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10
winsome
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| n.迷人的，漂亮的 | |
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11
scouting
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| 守候活动，童子军的活动 | |
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12
bask
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| vt.取暖，晒太阳，沐浴于 | |
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13
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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14
ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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15
solacing
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| v.安慰，慰藉( solace的现在分词 ) | |
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16
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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17
sodas
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| n.苏打( soda的名词复数 )；碱；苏打水；汽水 | |
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18
cones
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| n.（人眼）圆锥细胞；圆锥体( cone的名词复数 )；球果；圆锥形东西；（盛冰淇淋的）锥形蛋卷筒 | |
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19
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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20
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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21
lore
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| n.传说；学问，经验，知识 | |
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22
remiss
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| adj.不小心的，马虎 | |
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23
convivial
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| adj.狂欢的，欢乐的 | |
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24
notably
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| adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地 | |
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25
prodigal
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| adj.浪费的，挥霍的，放荡的 | |
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26
iniquity
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| n.邪恶；不公正 | |
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27
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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28
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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29
paraphernalia
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| n.装备；随身用品 | |
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30
automobile
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| n.汽车，机动车 | |
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31
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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32
curb
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| n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制 | |
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33
complacent
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| adj.自满的；自鸣得意的 | |
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34
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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35
tottering
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| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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36
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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37
squeak
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| n.吱吱声，逃脱；v.（发出）吱吱叫，侥幸通过；（俚）告密 | |
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38
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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39
bumper
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| n.(汽车上的)保险杠；adj.特大的，丰盛的 | |
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40
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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41
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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