CHAPTER X THE NEXT DAY

I was up to me eers in work—it being wash day. As I carried the clothes out to be hung I noted¹ the following: Mr. John was walking up and down taking triminjus long stips back and forth² over the back lon. Wid the tales of his coat flying out behind him and his spickticles hanging by a string from his eer he looked so like a loonytick that I drapped me baskit of clothes.
“My God, Mr. John” I exclaimed involuntarararily “Are you sun struck. Whats the trubble” ses I, and I stopped him in his mad careerer as Mr. James wud call it by grabbing him by his cote tales. He turned about, looks at me wid wild eyes and ses horsely:
“Twinty-two and a harf—twinty-two and a—Bother the girl!” ses he interrupting himsilf, “Are you crazy? Let go me cote tales.” I releesed him. Ses he irrytibly:
“Can’t you see I’m bizzy? I’m meshuring off me vigitible garden” and wid that he starts marching over the same line agin.
“My God, Mr. John!” ses I “are you using yur legs for a meshure?”
But he herd³ me not. I toar me horryfied eyes away frum the madman, and just then I seen Mr. James. He was standing⁴ also on the lon, neerer the frunt of the house. He’s leening on the lon mower⁵, and if ever I seen dispare in human eyes it was in those orbs⁶ of Mr. James. I wint to him wid me hart full of sympathy for the lad.
“Whats ailing⁷ you Mr. James?” I arsks.
 
“‘Mr. John,’ I exclamed involuntarararily, ‘are you sun struck? What’s the trubble?’ ses I.”
“The lons!” ses he. “You will obsarve Delia, that I’m commincing me tax at the beginning of the week, for I am firmly convinsed no human arm cood cut those lons in less than sivin days.”
“Why don’t you get a dago, Mr. James” ses I.
“Sh!” ses Mr. James, guving me arm a shuv. “Spake lowly Delia. Ob-sarve” and he poynted acrost the lons.
There aginst the finse which divides our place from a grate estate was Miss Claire hersilf digging. She had a little red gingum aprun over her dress and the slaves was rolled oop to the ilbos. On her hed was the strangest looking site of a hat. I reckynised it wid horrer. It wuz a Spanish monsterosity Mr. James brot back wid him that time he wint to Pannyma to expose the Prissydint. Until this day Miss Claire had yused it for a waste paper barsket in her room, tying it in a boonch wid ribbon and hanging it artisticully upon the wall. Now she woar it on her hed! Joost thin she looked up from her digging and seen me.
“Now Delia” ses she “don’t be bothering Jimmy. Hes got lots to do. We all have” she adds swately.
“What be you doing Miss Claire?” arsks I, going over to her, and looking wid suspisshon at the hole she’s after diggin. “My God Miss” ses I “it looks like a grave.”
“Delia! Why” ses she “I’m sitting out a flouring hidge. I’m follring the rules of the bist orthorities on hortyculcheer. See:” and she poynted to her pockets which were boolging out wid books. “All are agreed” ses she “that a gardin shud be begun wid a flouring hidge. My gardin will be one glow of luvliness from spring till frorst and maybe later. Its possible.”
“But miss” ses I “ye’ll nade a gardiner for the tax”
“Never! Why I’ve been setting up nites studying me subjeck. I expect to devoat——” just thin she guv a little joomp and her cheeks turned pink wid excitemint.
“My goodness Delia!” ses she wispering, “th-theres a man” ses she.
“Whare?” ses I, glaring about me, riddy for war upon anny dirty tramps trispessing upon our place.
“The other side the fince” ses she, wispering. I looked over, but seen no wan⁸.
“Are you quite sure?” asks she, trimbling a bit.
“I am” ses I. She turned pale, and siesed hold of me arm.
“Delia!” ses she whispering “d-d-d-do you remimber that—that—young man who——”
“Is it your future hoosband ye’re maning?”
“Nonsinse” ses she blushing, “but—but I meen him anyhow. Well—well—do you know—I—I—I’m afrade he’s honting me” ses she.
“My God miss” ses I “do you think he’s a banshee?”
“No, no Delia—but—but well” ses she, “the fack is I’m always thinking about him, and now—now ackshully I thort I saw him—over there” ses she.
“Suppose” ses I “you tak a look again Miss Claire.”
“I cant” ses she, shinking aginst me, “and beside the finse is so high. Its—its—much taller than I am” ses she.
“Ah come on” ses I, and pulled her to the finse. “Here miss, I’ll lift you up,” and wid that I grabbed her by the waste and hawled her up. She screemed. I dropped her wid a boomp, for there looking over, rubbing his hed where Miss Claire has boomped aginst it, is the Madison Avenoo dood. Miss Claire tuk to her feet and wint flying tord the house, her books drapping out of her pockits as she run.

1 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

2 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

3 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 mower   

n.割草机

参考例句：

• We need a lawn mower to cut the grass.我们需要一台草坪修剪机来割草。
• Your big lawn mower is just the job for the high grass.割高草时正需要你的大割草机。

6 orbs   

abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球，天体，圆形物( orb的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• So strange did It'seem that those dark wild orbs were ignorant of the day. 那双狂热的深色眼珠竟然没有见过天日，这似乎太奇怪了。 来自辞典例句
• HELPERKALECGOSORB01.wav-> I will channel my power into the orbs! Be ready! 我会把我的力量引导进宝珠里！准备！ 来自互联网

7 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

8 wan   

(wide area network)广域网

参考例句：

• The shared connection can be an Ethernet,wireless LAN,or wireless WAN connection.提供共享的网络连接可以是以太网、无线局域网或无线广域网。