CHAPTER III. A NOTEWORTHY EVENING.

 Chester enjoyed his supper. Mr. Morris, though a minister, had none of the starched¹ dignity that many of his profession think it necessary to assume. He was kindly² and genial³, with a pleasant humor that made him agreeable company for the young as well as the old. Mr. Conrad spoke⁴ much of New York and his experiences there, and Chester listened to him eagerly.

 

"You have never been to New York, Chester?" said the young artist.

 

"No, sir, but I have read about it—and dreamed about it. Sometime I hope to go there."

 

"I think that is the dream of every country boy. Well, it is the country boys that make the most successful men."

 

"How do you account for that, Herbert?" asked the minister.

 

"Generally they have been brought up to work, and work more earnestly than the city boys."

 

When the supper table was cleared, Mr. Conrad took from his valise two or three of the latest issues of Puck, Judge and Life. He handed them to Chester, who looked over them eagerly.

 

"Do you ever contribute to these papers, Mr. Conrad?" he asked.

 

"Yes; here is a sketch⁵ in Judge, and another in Life, which I furnished."

 

"And do you get good pay for them?"

 

"I received ten dollars for each."

 

Chester's eyes opened with surprise.

 

"Why," he said, "they are small. It couldn't have taken you long to draw them."

 

"Probably half an hour for each one."

 

"And you received ten dollars each?"

 

"Yes, but don't gauge⁶ such work by the time it takes. It is the idea that is of value. The execution is a minor⁷ matter."

 

Chester looked thoughtful.

 

"I should like to be an artist," he said, after a pause.

 

"Won't you give me a specimen⁸ of your work? You have seen mine."

 

"I have not done any comic work, but I think I could."

 

"Here is a piece of drawing paper. Now, let me see what you can do."

 

Chester leaned his head on his hand and began to think. He was in search of an idea. The young artist watched him with interest. At last his face brightened up. He seized the pencil, and began to draw rapidly. In twenty minutes he handed the paper to Mr. Conrad.

 

The latter looked at it in amazement⁹.

 

"Why, you are an artist," he said. "I had no idea you were capable of such work."

 

"I am glad you like it," said Chester, much pleased.

 

"How long have you been drawing?"

 

"Ever since I can remember. I used to make pictures in school on my slate¹⁰. Some of them got me into trouble with the teacher."

 

"I can imagine it, if you caricatured him. Did you ever take lessons?"

 

"No; there was no one in Wyncombe to teach me. But I got hold of a drawing book once, and that helped me."

 

"Do you know what I am going to do with this sketch of yours?"

 

Chester looked an inquiry¹¹.

 

"I will take it to New York with me, and see if I can dispose of it."

 

"I am afraid it won't be of much use, Mr. Conrad. I am only a boy."

 

"If a sketch is good, it doesn't matter how old or young an artist is."

 

"I should like very much to get something for it. Even fifty cents would be acceptable."

 

"You hold your talent cheap, Chester," said Mr. Conrad, with a smile. "I shall certainly ask more than that for it, as I don't approve of cheapening artistic¹² labor¹³."

 

The rest of the evening passed pleasantly.

 

When Chester rose to go, Mr. Conrad said:

 

"Take these papers, Chester. You can study them at your leisure, and if any happy thoughts or brilliant ideas come to you, dash them off and send them to me. I might do something with them."

 

"Thank you, sir. What is your address?"

 

"Number one ninety-nine West Thirty-fourth Street. Well, good-by. I am glad to have met you. Sometime you may be an artist."

 

Chester flushed with pride, and a new hope rose in his breast. He had always enjoyed drawing, but no one had ever encouraged him in it. Even his mother thought of it only as a pleasant diversion for him. As to its bringing him in money, the idea had never occurred to him.

 

It seemed wonderful, indeed, that a little sketch, the work of half an hour, should bring ten dollars. Why compare with this the hours of toil¹⁴ in a grocery store—seventy, at least—which had been necessary to earn the small sum of three dollars. For the first time Chester began to understand the difference between manual and intelligent labor.

 

It was ten o'clock when Chester left the minister's house—a late hour in Wyncombe—and he had nearly reached his own modest home before he met anyone. Then he overtook a man of perhaps thirty, thinly clad and shivering in the bitter, wintry wind. He was a stranger, evidently, for Chester knew everyone in the village, and he was tempted¹⁵ to look back. The young man, encouraged perhaps by this evidence of interest, spoke, hurriedly:

 

"Do you know," he asked, "where I can get a bed for the night?"

 

"Mr. Tripp has a few rooms that he lets to strangers. He is the storekeeper."

 

The young man laughed, but there was no merriment in the laugh.

 

"Oh, yes. I know Silas Tripp," he said.

 

"Then you have been in Wyncombe before?"

 

"I never lived here, but I know Silas Tripp better than I want to. He is my uncle."

 

"Your uncle!" exclaimed Chester, in surprise.

 

"Yes, I am his sister's son. My name is Walter Bruce."

 

"Then I should think your uncle's house was the place for you."

 

"I have no money to pay for a bed."

 

"But, if you are a relation——"

 

"That makes no difference to Silas Tripp. He has no love for poor relations. You don't know him very well."

 

"I ought to, for I have worked for him in the store for a year."

 

"I didn't see you in there this evening."

 

"I left him last Saturday evening. There is another boy there now."

 

"Why did you leave him?"

 

"Because he wanted to cut down my wages from three dollars to two dollars and a quarter."

 

"Just like uncle Silas. I see you know him."

 

"Have you seen him since you came to Wyncombe?"

 

"I was in the store this evening."

 

"Did you make yourself known to him?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Didn't he invite you to spend the night in the house?"

 

"Not he. He saw by my dress that I was poor, and gave me a lecture on my shiftless ways."

 

"Still he might have taken care of you for one night."

 

"He wouldn't. He told me he washed his hands of me."

 

Chester looked sober. He was shocked by Silas Tripp's want of humanity.

 

"You asked me where you could find a bed," he said. "Come home with me, and I can promise you shelter for one night, at least."

 

"Thank you, boy," said Bruce, grasping Chester's hand. "You have a heart. But—perhaps your parents might object."

 

"I have no father. My mother is always ready to do a kind act."

 

"Then I will accept your kind offer. I feared I should have to stay out all night."

 

"And without an overcoat," said Chester, compassionately¹⁶.

 

"Yes, I had to part with my overcoat long since. I could not afford such a luxury. I suppose you understand!"

 

"You sold it?"

 

"No, I pawned¹⁷ it. I didn't get much for it—only three dollars, but it would be as easy for me to take the church and move it across the street as to redeem¹⁸ it."

 

"You appear to have been unfortunate."

 

"Yes. Fortune and I are at odds¹⁹. Yet I ought to have some money."

 

"How's that?"

 

"When my mother died uncle Silas acted as executor of her estate. It was always supposed that she had some money—probably from two to three thousand dollars—but when uncle Silas rendered in his account it had dwindled²⁰ to one hundred and twenty-five dollars. Of course that didn't last me long."

 

"Do you think that he acted wrongfully?" asked Chester, startled.

 

"Do I think so? I have no doubt of it. You know money is his god."

 

"Yet to cheat his own nephew would be so base."

 

"Is there anything too base for such a man to do to get money?"

 

The young man spoke bitterly.

 

By this time they had reached Chester's home. His mother was still up. She looked up in surprise at her son's companion.

 

"Mother," said Chester, "this is Mr. Bruce. Do you think we can give him a bed?"

 

"Why, certainly," replied Mrs. Rand, cordially. "Have you had supper, sir?"

 

"I wouldn't like to trouble you, ma'am."

 

"It will be no trouble. I can make some tea in five minutes. Chester, take out the bread and butter and cold meat from the closet."

 

So before he went to bed the homeless wayfarer²¹ was provided with a warm meal, and the world seemed brighter and more cheerful to him.

 

1 starched   

adj.浆硬的，硬挺的，拘泥刻板的v.把（衣服、床单等）浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• My clothes are not starched enough. 我的衣服浆得不够硬。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The ruffles on his white shirt were starched and clean. 白衬衫的褶边浆过了，很干净。 来自辞典例句

2 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

3 genial   

adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的

参考例句：

• Orlando is a genial man.奥兰多是一位和蔼可亲的人。
• He was a warm-hearted friend and genial host.他是个热心的朋友，也是友善待客的主人。

4 spoke   

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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 sketch   

n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述

参考例句：

• My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。
• I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。

6 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

7 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

8 specimen   

n.样本，标本

参考例句：

• You'll need tweezers to hold up the specimen.你要用镊子来夹这标本。
• This specimen is richly variegated in colour.这件标本上有很多颜色。

9 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

10 slate   

n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订

参考例句：

• The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。
• What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢？

11 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

12 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

13 labor   

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

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

14 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

15 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

16 compassionately   

adv.表示怜悯地，有同情心地

参考例句：

• The man at her feet looked up at Scarlett compassionately. 那个躺在思嘉脚边的人同情地仰望着她。 来自飘（部分）
• Then almost compassionately he said,"You should be greatly rewarded." 接着他几乎带些怜悯似地说：“你是应当得到重重酬报的。” 来自辞典例句

17 pawned   

v.典当，抵押( pawn的过去式和过去分词 )；以（某事物）担保

参考例句：

• He pawned his gold watch to pay the rent. 他抵当了金表用以交租。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has redeemed her pawned jewellery. 她赎回了当掉的珠宝。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 redeem   

v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等）

参考例句：

• He had no way to redeem his furniture out of pawn.他无法赎回典当的家具。
• The eyes redeem the face from ugliness.这双眼睛弥补了他其貌不扬之缺陷。

19 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

20 dwindled   

v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。
• His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 wayfarer   

n.旅人

参考例句：

• You are the solitary wayfarer in this deserted street.在这冷寂的街上，你是孤独的行人。
• The thirsty wayfarer was glad to find a fresh spring near the road.口渴的徒步旅行者很高兴在路边找到新鲜的泉水。