In short, there were never two sides to any question that interested Hotchkiss. He held the Southern people responsible for American slavery, and would have refused to listen to any statement of facts calculated to upset his belief. He was narrow-minded, bigoted5, and intensely in earnest. Some writer, Newman, perhaps, has said that a man will not become a martyr6 for the sake of an opinion; but Newman probably never came in contact with the whipper-snappers of Exeter Hall, or their prototypes in this country—the men who believe that philanthropy, and reform, and progress generally are worthless unless it be accompanied by strife7, and hate, and, if possible, by bloodshed. You find the type everywhere; it clings like a leech8 to the skirts of every great movement. The Hotchkisses swarm9 wherever there is an opening for them, and they always present the same general aspect. They are as productive of isms as a fly is of maggots, and they live and die in the belief that they are promoting the progress of the world; but if their success is to be measured by their operations in the South during the reconstruction10 period, the world would be much better off without them. They succeeded in dedicating millions of human beings to misery11 and injustice12, and warped13 the minds of the whites to such an extent that they thought it necessary to bring about peace and good order by means of various acute forms of injustice and lawlessness.
Mr. Hotchkiss was absolutely sincere in believing that the generation of Southern whites who were his contemporaries were personally responsible for slavery in this country, and for all the wrongs that he supposed had been the result of that institution. He felt it in every fibre of his cultivated but narrow mind, and he went about elated at the idea that he was able to contribute his mite15 of information to the negroes, and breed in their minds hatred16 of the people among whom they were compelled to live. If there had been a Booker Washington in that day, he would have been denounced by the Hotchkisses as a traitor17 to his race, and an enemy of the Government, just as they denounced and despised such negroes as Uncle Plato.
Hotchkiss went along the road in high spirits. He had delivered a blistering18 address to the negroes at the meeting of the league, and he was feeling happy. His work, he thought, was succeeding. Before he delivered his address, he had initiated19 Ike Varner, who was by all odds20 the most notorious negro in all that region. Ike was a poet in his way; if he had lived a few centuries earlier, he would have been called a minstrel. He could stand up before a crowd of white men, and spin out rhymes by the yard, embodying21 in this form of biography the weak points of every citizen. Some of his rhymes were very apt, and there are men living to-day who can repeat some of the extemporaneous22 satires23 composed by this negro. He had the reputation among the blacks of being an uncompromising friend of the whites. In the town, he was a privileged character; he could do and say what he pleased. He was a fine cook, and provided possum suppers for those who sat up late at night, and ice-cream for those who went to bed early. He tidied up the rooms of the young bachelors, he sold chicken-pies and ginger-cakes on public days, and Cephas, whose name was mentioned at the beginning of this chronicle, is willing to pay five dollars to the man or woman who can bake a ginger-cake that will taste as well as those that Ike Varner made. He was a happy-go-lucky negro, and spent his money as fast as he made it, not on himself, but on Edie, his wife, who was young, and bright, and handsome. She was almost white, and her face reminded you somehow of the old paintings of the Magdalene, with her large eyes and the melancholy24 droop25 of her mouth. Edie was the one creature in the world that Ike really cared for, and he had sense enough to know that she cared for him only when he could supply her with money. Yet he watched her like a hawk26, madly jealous of every glance she gave another man; and she gave many, in all directions. Ike's jealousy27 was the talk of the town among the male population, and was the subject for many a jest at his expense. His nature was such that he could jest about it too, but far below the jests, as any one could see, there was desperation.
In spite of all this, Ike was the most popular negro in the town. His wit and his good-humour commended him to the whole community. He had moved his wife and his belongings28 into the country, two or three miles from town, on the ground that the country is more conducive29 to health. Ike's white friends laughed at him, but the negro couldn't see the joke. Why should a negro be laughed at for taking precautions of this sort, when there is a whole nation of whites that keeps its women hid, or compels them to cover their faces when they go out for a breath of fresh air? The fact is that Ike didn't know what else to do, and so he sent his handsome wife into exile, and went along to keep her company. Nevertheless, all his interests were within the corporate30 limits of Shady Dale, and he was compelled by circumstances to leave Edie to pine alone, sometimes till late at night. Whether Edie pined or not, or whether she was lonely, is a question that this chronicler is not called on to discuss.
Now, the fact of Ike's popularity with the whites had struck Mr. Hotchkiss as a very unfavourable sign, and he set himself to work to bring about a change. He sent some of the negro leaders to talk with Ike, who sent them about their business in short order. Then Mr. Hotchkiss took the case in hand, and called on Ike at his house. The two had an argument over the matter, Ike interspersing31 his remarks with random32 rhymes which Hotchkiss thought very coarse and crude. At the conclusion of the argument, Hotchkiss saw that the negro had been laughing at him all the way through, and he resented this attitude more than another would. He went away in a huff, resolved to leave the negro with his idols33.
This would have been very well, if the matter had stopped there, but Edie put her finger in the pie. One day when Ike was away, she called to Hotchkiss as he was passing on his way to town, and invited him into the house. There was something about the man that had attracted the wild and untamed passions of the woman. He was not a very handsome man, but his refinement34 of manner and speech stood for something, and Edie had resolved to cultivate his acquaintance. He went in, in response to her invitation, and found that she desired to ask his advice as to the best and easiest method of converting Ike into a union Leaguer. Hotchkiss gave her such advice as he could in the most matter-of-fact way, and went on about his business. Otherwise he paid no more attention to her than if she had been a sign in front of a cigar-store. Edie was not accustomed to this sort of thing, and it puzzled her. She went to her looking-glass and studied her features, thinking that perhaps something was wrong. But her beauty had not even begun to fade. A melancholy tenderness shone in her lustrous35 eyes, her rosy36 lips curved archly, and the glow of the peach-bloom was in her cheeks.
"I didn't know the man was a preacher," she said, laughing at herself in the glass.
Time and again she called Mr. Hotchkiss in as he went by, and on some occasions they held long consultations37 at the little gate in front of her door. Ike was not at all blind to these things; if he had been, there was more than one friendly white man to call his attention to them. The negro was compelled to measure Hotchkiss by the standard of the most of the white men he knew. He was well aware of Edie's purposes, and he judged that Hotchkiss would presently find them agreeable.
Ike listened to Edie's arguments in behalf of the union League with a great deal of patience. Prompted by Hotchkiss, she urged that membership in that body would give him an opportunity to serve his race politically; he might be able to go to the legislature, and, in that event, Edie could go to Atlanta with him, where (she said to herself) she would be able to cut a considerable shine. Moreover, membership in the league, with his aptitude38 for making a speech, would give him standing39 among the negro leaders all over the State.
Ike argued a little, but not much, considering his feelings. He pointed40 out that all his customers, the people who ate his cakes and his cream, and so forth41 and so on, were white, and felt strongly about the situation. Should they cease their patronage42, what would he and Edie do for victuals43 to eat and clothes to wear?
"Maybe you will, but not me," replied Ike.
At last, however, he had consented to join the league, and appeared to be very enthusiastic over the matter. As Mr. Hotchkiss went along home that night—the night on which the young men had gone to the country dance—he was feeling quite exultant45 over Ike's conversion46, and the enthusiasm he had displayed over the proceedings47. After he had decided to go home rather than wait for Bridalbin, he hunted about in the crowd for Ike, but the negro was not to be found. As their roads lay in the same direction Hotchkiss would have been glad of the negro's company along the way, and he was somewhat disappointed when he was told that Ike had started for home as soon as the meeting adjourned48. Mr. Hotchkiss thereupon took the road and went on his way, walking a little more rapidly than usual, in the hope of overtaking Ike. At last, however, he came to the conclusion that the negro had remained in town. He was sorry, for there was nothing he liked better than to drop gall49 and venom50 into the mind of a fairly intelligent negro.
As for Ike, he had his own plans. He had told Edie that in all probability he wouldn't come home that night, and advised her to get a nearby negro woman to stay all night with her. This Edie promised to do. When the league adjourned, Ike lost no time in taking to the road, and for fear some one might overtake him he went in a dog-trot for the first mile, and walked rapidly the rest of the way. Before he came to the house, he stopped and pulled off his shoes, hiding them in a fence-corner. He then left the road, and slipped through the woods until he was close to the rear of the house. Here his wariness51 was redoubled. He wormed himself along like a snake, and crept and crawled, until he was close enough to see Edie sitting on the front step—there was but one—of their little cabin. He was close enough to see that she had on her Sunday clothes, and he thought he could smell the faint odour of cologne; he had brought her a bottle home the night before.
He lay concealed52 for some time, but finally he heard footsteps on the road, and he rose warily53 to a standing position. Edie heard the footsteps too, for she rose and shook out her pink frock, and went to the gate. The lonely pedestrian came leisurely54 along the road, having no need for haste. When he found that it was impossible to overtake Ike, Mr. Hotchkiss ceased to walk rapidly, and regulated his pace by the serenity55 of the hour and the deliberate movements of nature. The hour was rapidly approaching when solitude56 would be at its meridian57 on this side of the world, and a mocking-bird not far away was singing it in.
Mr. Hotchkiss would have passed Ike's gate without turning his head, but he heard a voice softly call his name. He paused, and looked around, and at the gate he saw the figure of Edie. "Is that you, Mr. Hotchkiss? What you do with Ike?"
"Isn't he at home? He started before I did."
"He ain't comin' home to-night, an' I was so lonesome that I had to set on the step here to keep myse'f company," said Edie. "Won't you come in an' rest? I know you must be tired; I got some cold water in here, fresh from the well."
"No, I'll not stop," replied Mr. Hotchkiss. "It is late, and I must be up early in the morning."
"Well, tell me 'bout14 Ike," said Edie. "You got 'im in the league all right, I hope?" She came out of the gate, as she said this, and moved nearer to Hotchkiss. In her hand she held a flower of some kind, and with this she toyed in a shamefaced sort of way.
"Mr. Varner is now a member in good standing," replied Hotchkiss, "and I think he will do good work for his race and for the party."
Edie moved a step or two nearer to him, toying with her flower. Now, Mr. Hotchkiss was a genuine reformer of the most approved type, and, as such, he was entitled to as many personal and private fads58 as he chose to have. He was a vegetarian59, holding to the theory that meat is a poison, though he was not averse60 to pie for breakfast. His pet aversion, leaving alcohol out of the question, was all forms of commercial perfumes. As Edie came close to him, he caught a whiff of her cologne-scented clothes, and his anger rose.
"Why will you ladies," he said, "persist in putting that sort of stuff on you?"
"I dunner what you mean," replied Edie, edging still closer to Hotchkiss.
"Why that infernal——"
He never finished the sentence. A pistol-shot rang out, and Hotchkiss fell like a log. Edie, fearing a similar fate for herself, ran screaming down the road, and never paused until she had reached the dwelling61 of Mahlon Butts62. She fell in the door when it was opened and lay on the floor, moaning and groaning63. When she could be persuaded to talk, her voice could have been heard a mile.
"They've killt him!" she screamed; "they've killt him! an' he was sech a good man! Oh, he was sech a good man!"
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1
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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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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3
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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4
laggard
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| n.落后者；adj.缓慢的，落后的 | |
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bigoted
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| adj.固执己见的，心胸狭窄的 | |
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martyr
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| n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲 | |
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strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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leech
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| n.水蛭，吸血鬼，榨取他人利益的人；vt.以水蛭吸血；vi.依附于别人 | |
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9
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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10
reconstruction
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| n.重建，再现，复原 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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12
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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13
warped
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| adj.反常的；乖戾的；（变）弯曲的；变形的v.弄弯，变歪( warp的过去式和过去分词 )；使（行为等）不合情理，使乖戾， | |
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14
bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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15
mite
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| n.极小的东西；小铜币 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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18
blistering
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| adj.酷热的；猛烈的；使起疱的；可恶的v.起水疱；起气泡；使受暴晒n.[涂料] 起泡 | |
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19
initiated
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| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
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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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embodying
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| v.表现( embody的现在分词 )；象征；包括；包含 | |
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extemporaneous
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| adj.即席的，一时的 | |
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satires
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| 讽刺，讥讽( satire的名词复数 )； 讽刺作品 | |
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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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droop
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| v.低垂，下垂；凋萎，萎靡 | |
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hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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belongings
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| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
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conducive
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| adj.有益的，有助的 | |
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corporate
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| adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的 | |
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interspersing
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| v.散布，散置( intersperse的现在分词 )；点缀 | |
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32
random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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33
idols
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| 偶像( idol的名词复数 )； 受崇拜的人或物； 受到热爱和崇拜的人或物； 神像 | |
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34
refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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lustrous
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| adj.有光泽的；光辉的 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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37
consultations
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| n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找 | |
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38
aptitude
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| n.(学习方面的)才能，资质，天资 | |
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39
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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40
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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42
patronage
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| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
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43
victuals
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| n.食物；食品 | |
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44
fret
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| v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损 | |
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45
exultant
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| adj.欢腾的，狂欢的，大喜的 | |
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46
conversion
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| n.转化，转换，转变 | |
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47
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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48
adjourned
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| （使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
gall
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| v.使烦恼，使焦躁，难堪；n.磨难 | |
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50
venom
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| n.毒液，恶毒，痛恨 | |
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51
wariness
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| n. 注意,小心 | |
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52
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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53
warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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54
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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55
serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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56
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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57
meridian
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| adj.子午线的；全盛期的 | |
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58
fads
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| n.一时的流行，一时的风尚( fad的名词复数 ) | |
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59
vegetarian
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| n.素食者；adj.素食的 | |
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60
averse
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| adj.厌恶的；反对的，不乐意的 | |
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61
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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62
butts
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| 笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂 | |
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63
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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