In the late afternoons they could always be found in the Bermuda fields, but at other times, especially on a warm day, their favourite playground was under the wide-spreading elms in front of the post-office. Amusing themselves there in the fine weather, they could see the people come and go, many of them looking for letters that never came. When the conflict at the front became warm and serious, and when the very newspapers, as Mrs. Absalom said, smelt4 of blood, there was always a large crowd of men, old and young, gathered at the post-office when the mail-coach came from Malvern. As few of the people subscribed5 for a daily newspaper, Judge Odom (he was Judge of the Inferior Court, now called the Court of Ordinary) took upon himself to mount a chair or a dry-goods box, and read aloud the despatches printed in the Malvern Recorder. This enterprising journal had a number of volunteer correspondents at the front who made it a point to send with their letters the lists of the killed and wounded in the various Georgia regiments6; and these lists grew ominously7 long as the days went by.
And then, in the course of time, came the collapse8 of the Confederacy, an event that blew away with a breath, as it were, the hopes and dreams of those who had undertaken to build a new government in the South; and this march of time brought about a gradual change in the relations between Nan and Gabriel. It was almost as imperceptible in its growth as the movement of the shadow on the sun-dial. Somehow, and to her great disgust, Nan awoke one morning and was told that she was a young woman, or dreamt that she was told. Anyhow, she realised, all of a sudden, that she was now too tall for short dresses, and too old to be playing with the boys as if she were one of them; and the consciousness of this change gave her many a bad quarter of an hour, and sometimes made her a trifle irritable9; for, sweet as she was, she had a temper.
She asked herself a thousand times why she should now begin to feel shy of Gabriel, and why she should be so self-conscious, she who had never thought of herself with any degree of seriousness until now. It was all a puzzle to her. As it was with Nan, so it was with Gabriel. As Nan grew shy and shyer, so the newly-awakened Gabriel grew more and more and more timid, and the two soon found themselves very far apart without knowing why. For a long time Cephas was the only connecting link between them. He was a sly little rascal10, this same Cephas, and he found in the situation food for both curiosity and amusement. He had not the least notion why the two friends and comrades were inclined to avoid each other. He only knew that he was not having as pleasant a time as fell to his portion when they were all going about together with no serious notions of life or conduct.
Cephas got no satisfaction from either Nan or Gabriel when he asked them what the trouble was. Nan tried to explain matters, but her explanation was a very lame11 one. "I am getting old enough to be serious, Cephas; and I must begin to make myself useful. That's what Miss Polly Gaither says, and she's old enough to know. Oh, I hate it all!" said Nan.
"Is Miss Polly Gaither useful?" inquired Cephas.
"I'm sure I don't know," replied Nan; "but that's what she told me, and then she held up her ear-trumpet for me to talk in it; but I just couldn't, she looked so very much in earnest. It was all I could do to keep from laughing. Did you ever notice, Cephas, how funny people are when they are really in earnest?"
Alas12! Cephas had often pinched himself in Sunday-school to keep from laughing at old Mrs. Crafton, his teacher. She was so dreadfully in earnest that she kept her face in a pucker13 the whole time. Outside of the Sunday-school she was a very pleasant old lady.
Gabriel had no explanation to make whatever. He simply told Cephas that Nan was becoming vain. This Cephas denied with great emphasis, but Gabriel only shook his head and looked wise, as much as to say that he knew what he knew, and would continue to know it for some time to come. The truth is, however, that Gabriel was as ignorant of the feminine nature as it is possible for a young fellow to be; whereas, Nan, by means of the instinct or intuition which heaven has conferred on her sex for their protection, knew Gabriel a great deal better than she knew herself.
When the war came to a close, Gabriel was nearly eighteen, and Nan was seventeen, though she appeared to be a year or two younger. She was still childish in her ways and tastes, and carried with her an atmosphere of simplicity14 and sweetness in which very few girls of her age are fortunate enough to move. Simplicity was a part of her nature, though some of her young lady friends used to whisper to one another that it was all assumed. She was even referred to as Miss Prissy, a term that was probably intended to be an abbreviation of Priscilla.
Regularly, she used to hunt Cephas up and carry him home with her for the afternoon; and on the other hand, Gabriel manifested a great fondness for the little fellow, who enjoyed his enviable popularity with a clear conscience. It was years and years afterwards before the secret of his popularity dawned on him. If he had suspected it at the time, his pride, such as he had, would have had a terrible fall.
One day, it was the year of Appomattox, and the month was June, Cephas heard his name called, and answered very promptly15, for the voice was the voice of Gabriel, and it was burdened with an invitation to visit the woods and fields that surrounded the town. The weather itself was burdened with the same invitation. The birds sang it, and it rustled16 in the leaves of the trees. And Cephas leaped from the house, glad of any excuse to escape from the domestic task at which he had been set. They wandered forth17, and became a part and parcel of the wild things. The hermit18 thrush, with his silver bell, was their brother, and the cat-bird, distressed19 for the safety of her young, was their sister. Yea, and the gray squirrel was their playmate, a shy one, it is true, but none the less a genuine one for all that. They roamed about the green-wood, and over the hills and fields, and finally found themselves in the public highway that leads to Malvern.
Cephas found a cornstalk, and with hardly an effort of his mind, changed it into a fine saddle-horse. The contagion20 seized Gabriel, and though he was close upon his eighteenth birthday, he secured a cornstalk, which at once became a saddle-horse at his bidding. The magical powers of youth are wonderful, and for a little while the cornstalk horses were as real as any horses could be. The steed that Cephas bestrode was comparatively gentle, but Gabriel's horse developed a desire to take fright at everything he saw. A creature more skittish21 and nervous was never seen, and his example was soon followed by the steed that Cephas rode. The two boys were so busily engaged in trying to control their perverse22 horses, that they failed to see a big covered waggon23 that came creeping up the hill behind them. So, while they were cutting up their queer capers24, the big waggon, drawn25 by two large mules26, was plumb28 upon them. As for Cephas, he didn't care, being at an age when such capers are permissible29, but Gabriel blushed when he discovered that his childish pranks31 had witnesses; and he turned a shade redder when he saw that the occupants of the waggon were, of all the persons in the world, Mr. Billy Sanders and Francis Bethune.
Both of the boys would have passed on but for the compelling voice of Mr. Sanders. "Why, it's little Gabe, and he's little Gabe no longer. And Cephas ain't growed a mite32. Hello, Gabe! Hello, Cephas! Howdy, howdy?"
Francis Bethune's salutation was somewhat constrained33, or if that be too large a word, was lacking in cordiality. "What is the matter with Gabriel?" he asked.
"It's a thousand pities, Frank," remarked Mr. Sanders, "that Sarah Clopton wouldn't let you be a boy along with the other boys; but she coddled you up jest like you was a gal34. Be jigged35 ef I don't believe you've got on pantalettes right now."
Bethune blushed hotly, while Gabriel and Cephas fairly yelled with laughter—and there was a little resentment36 in Gabriel's mirth. "But I don't see what could possess Tolliver," Bethune insisted.
"Shucks, Frank! you wouldn't know ef he was to write it down for you, an' Nan Dorrin'ton would know wi'out any tellin'. You ain't a bit brighter about sech matters than you was the day Nan give you a thumpin'."
At this Gabriel laughed again, for he had been an eye-witness to the episode to which Mr. Sanders referred. A boy has his prejudices, as older persons have theirs. Bethune had always had the appearance of being too fond of himself; when other boys of his age were playing and pranking, he would be primping, and in the afternoon, before he went off to the war, he would strut37 around town in the uniform of a cadet, and seemed to think himself better than any one else. These things count with boys as much as they do with older persons.
"Climb in the waggin, Gabe an' Cephas, an' tell us about ever'thing an' ever'body. The Yanks didn't take the town off, did they?"
The boys accepted the invitation without further pressing, for they were both fond of Mr. Sanders, and proceeded to give their old friend all the information he desired. Francis Bethune asked no questions, and Gabriel was very glad of it. At bottom, Bethune was a very clever fellow, but the boys are apt to make up their judgments38 from what is merely superficial. Francis had a very handsome face, and he could have made himself attractive to a youngster on the lookout39 for friends, but he had chosen a different line of conduct, and as a result, Gabriel had several scores against the young man. And so had Cephas; for, on one occasion, the latter had gone to the Clopton Place for some wine for his mother, who was something of an invalid40, and, coming suddenly on Sarah Clopton, found her in tears. Cephas never had a greater shock than the sight gave him, for he had never connected this self-contained, gray-haired woman with any of the tenderer emotions. In the child's mind, she was simply a sort of superintendent41 of affairs on the Clopton Place, who, in the early mornings, stood on the back porch of the big house, and, in a voice loud enough to be heard a considerable distance, gave orders to the domestics, and allotted42 to the field hands their tasks for the day.
Sarah Clopton must have seen how shocked the child was, for she dried her eyes and tried to laugh, saying, "You never expected to see me crying, did you, little boy?" Cephas had no answer for this, but when she asked if he could guess why she was crying, the child remembered what he had heard Nan and Gabriel say, and he gave an answer that was both prompt and blunt. "I reckon Frank Bethune has been making a fool of himself again," said he.
"But how did you know, child?" she asked, placing her soft white fingers under his chin, and lifting his face toward the light. "You are a wise lad for your years," she said, when he made no reply, "and I am sure you are sensible enough to do me a favour. Please say nothing about what you have seen. An old woman's tears amount to very little. And don't be too hard on Frank. He has simply been playing some college prank30, and they are sending him home."
The most interesting piece of news that Gabriel had in his budget related to the hanging of Mr. Absalom Goodlett by some of Sherman's men, when that commander came marching through Georgia. It seems that a negro had told the men that Mr. Goodlett knew where the Clopton silver had been concealed43, and they took him in hand and tried to frighten him into giving them information which he did not possess. Threats failing, they secured a rope and strung him up to a tree. They strung him up three times, and the third time, they went off and left him hanging; and but for the promptness of the negro who was the cause of the trouble, and who had been an interested spectator of the proceedings44, Mr. Goodlett would never have opened his eyes on the affairs of this world again. The negro cut him down in the nick of time, and as soon as he recovered, he sent the darkey with instructions to go after the men, and tell them where they could find the plate, indicating an isolated45 spot. Whereupon Mr. Goodlett took his gun, and went to the point indicated. The negro carried out his instructions to the letter. He found the men, who had not gone far, pointed46 out the spot from a safe distance, and then waited to see what would happen. If he saw anything unusual, he never told of it; but the men were never seen again. Some of their companions returned to search for them, but the search was a futile47 one. The negro went about with a frightened face for several days, and then he settled down to work for Mr. Goodlett, in whom he seemed to have a strange interest. He showed this in every way.
"You keep yo' eye on 'im," he used to say to his coloured acquaintances, in speaking of Mr. Goodlett; "keep yo' eye on 'im, an' when you see his under-jaw stickin' out, des turn you' back, an' put yo' fingers in yo' ears."
"You never know," said Mr. Sanders, in commenting on the story, "what a man will do ontell he gits rank pizen mad, or starvin' hongry, or in love."
"What would you do, Mr. Sanders, if you were in love?" Gabriel asked innocently enough.
"Maybe I'd do as Frank does," replied Mr. Sanders, smiling blandly48; "shed scaldin' tears one minnit, an' bite my finger-nails the next; maybe I would, but I don't believe it."
"Now, I'll swear you ought not to tell these boys such stuff as that!" exclaimed Francis Bethune angrily. "I don't know about Cephas, but Tolliver doesn't like me any way."
"How do you know?" inquired Gabriel.
"Because you used to make faces at me," replied Bethune, half laughing.
"Why, so did Nan," Gabriel rejoined. "Mine must have been terrible ones for you to remember them so well."
The reference to Nan struck Bethune, and he began to gnaw49 at the end of his thumb, whereupon Mr. Sanders smiled broadly. The young man reflected a moment and then remarked, his face a trifle redder than usual; "Isn't the young lady old enough for you to call her Miss Dorrington?"
"She is," replied Gabriel; "but if she permits me to call her Nan, why should any one else object?"
There was no answer to this, but presently Bethune turned to Gabriel and said: "Why do you dislike me, Tolliver?"
For a little time the lad was silent; he was trying to formulate50 his prejudices into something substantial and sufficient, but the effort was a futile one. While he was silent, Bethune regarded him with a curious stare. "Honestly," said Gabriel, "I can give no reason; and I'm not sure I dislike you. But you always held your head so high that I kept away from you. I had an idea that you felt yourself above me because my grandmother is not as rich as the Cloptons."
The statement seemed to amaze Bethune. "You couldn't have been more than ten or twelve when I left here for the war," he remarked.
"Yes, I was more than thirteen," Gabriel replied.
"Well, I never thought that a boy so young could have such thoughts," Bethune declared.
"Pooh!" exclaimed Mr. Sanders; "a fourteen-year-old boy can have some mighty51 deep thoughts, specially3 ef he' been brung up in a house full of books, as Gabriel was. I hope, Gabriel," he went on, "that you'll stick to your cornstalk hoss as long as you want to. You'll live longer for it, an' your friends will love you jest the same. Frank here has never been a boy. Out of bib an' hippin, he jumped into long britches an' a standin' collar, an' the only fun he ever had in his life he got kicked out of college for, an' served him right, too. I'll bet you a thrip to a pint52 of pot-licker that Nan'll ride a stick hoss tomorrer ef she takes a notion—an' she's seventeen. Don't you forgit, Gabriel, that you'll never be a boy but once, an' you better make the most on it whilst you can."
The waggon came just then to the brow of the hill that overlooked Shady Dale, and here Mr. Sanders brought his team to a standstill. It had been many long months since his eyes or Bethune's had gazed on the familiar scene. "I'll tell you what's the fact, boys," he said, drawing in a long breath—"the purtiest place this side of Paradise lies right yander before our eyes. Ef I had some un to give out the lines, I'd cut loose and sing a hime. Yes, sirs! you'd see me break out an' howl jest like my old coon dog, Louder, used to do when he struck a hot track. The Lord has picked us out of the crowd, Frank, an' holp us along at every turn an' crossin'. But before the week's out, we'll forgit to be thankful. J'inin' the church wouldn't do us a grain of good. By next Sunday week, Frank, you'll be struttin' around as proud as a turkey gobbler, an' you'll git wuss an' wuss less'n Nan takes a notion for to frail53 you out ag'in."
Bethune relished54 the remark so little that he chirped55 to the mules, but Mr. Sanders seized the reins56 in his own hands. "We've fit an' we've fout, an' we've got knocked out," he went on, "an' now, here we are ready for to take a fresh start. The Lord send that it's the right start." He would have driven on, but at that moment, a shabby looking vehicle drew up alongside the waggon. Gabriel and Cephas knew at once that the outfit58 belonged to Mr. Goodlett. His mismatched team consisted of a very large horse and a very small mule27, both of them veterans of the war. They had been left by the Federals in a broken-down condition, and Mr. Goodlett found them grazing about, trying to pick up a living. He appropriated them, fed them well, and was now utilising them not only for farm purposes, but for conveying stray travellers to and from Malvern, earning in this way many a dollar that would have gone elsewhere.
Mr. Goodlett drew rein57 when he saw Mr. Sanders and Francis Bethune, and gave them as cordial a greeting as he could, for he was a very undemonstrative and reticent59 man. At that time both Gabriel and Cephas thought he was both sour and surly, but, in the course of events, their opinions in regard to that and a great many other matters underwent a considerable change.
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1
freckles
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| n.雀斑，斑点( freckle的名词复数 ) | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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subscribed
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| v.捐助( subscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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ominously
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| adv.恶兆地，不吉利地；预示地 | |
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collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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pucker
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| v.撅起，使起皱；n.（衣服上的）皱纹，褶子 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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rustled
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| v.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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hermit
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| n.隐士，修道者；隐居 | |
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distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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contagion
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| n.(通过接触的疾病)传染；蔓延 | |
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skittish
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| adj.易激动的，轻佻的 | |
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perverse
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| adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的 | |
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waggon
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| n.运货马车，运货车；敞篷车箱 | |
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capers
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| n.开玩笑( caper的名词复数 )；刺山柑v.跳跃，雀跃( caper的第三人称单数 ) | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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plumb
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| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
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permissible
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| adj.可允许的，许可的 | |
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prank
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| n.开玩笑，恶作剧；v.装饰；打扮；炫耀自己 | |
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pranks
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| n.玩笑，恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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mite
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| n.极小的东西；小铜币 | |
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constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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gal
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| n.姑娘，少女 | |
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jigged
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| v.（使）上下急动( jig的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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strut
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| v.肿胀，鼓起；大摇大摆地走；炫耀；支撑；撑开；n.高视阔步；支柱，撑杆 | |
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judgments
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| 判断( judgment的名词复数 )； 鉴定； 评价； 审判 | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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45
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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47
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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48
blandly
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| adv.温和地，殷勤地 | |
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49
gnaw
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| v.不断地啃、咬；使苦恼，折磨 | |
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50
formulate
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| v.用公式表示；规划；设计；系统地阐述 | |
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51
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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52
pint
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| n.品脱 | |
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53
frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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54
relished
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| v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望 | |
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55
chirped
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| 鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的过去式 ) | |
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56
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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58
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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reticent
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| adj.沉默寡言的；言不如意的 | |
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