CHAPTER XVIII. TOM'S OLD HOME.

 Leaving Tom for a time, we will cross the continent, and, a little earlier in point of time, look in upon Mark Nelson and his family at their humble¹ home in New Hampshire.

 

For years Mr. Nelson had been struggling to provide a comfortable living for his wife and children. The struggle was not an easy one. His small farm was sterile², and yielded grudgingly³ its annual crops. Then the mortgage held by Squire⁴ Hudson imposed a burden of interest very hard to meet. Each half year sixty-six dollars must be raised somehow to satisfy the squire's demand. Though a rich man, with ready money in plenty, he never failed to call for his money on the very day it was due. Once or twice he had granted a delay of a day or two; but his manner was so unpleasant that the[Pg 169] farmer, except from dire⁵ necessity, was hardly likely to ask a renewal⁶ of the favor.

 

The six months immediately following Tom's departure from home were not favorable to his father. There was a drought of considerable duration, which made the crops smaller than usual, and thus materially decreased the farmer's income. When the semi-annual interest became due, with the most energetic effort Mark Nelson had got together but thirty-six dollars towards it, leaving a deficit⁷ of thirty dollars.

 

"I feel anxious about to-morrow, Mary," he said, as the little family sat together the night before in the plain sitting-room⁸. "I have never been so much behindhand before with the interest."

 

"How much do you lack, Mark?" asked Mrs. Nelson.

 

"Thirty dollars."

 

"That is a good deal of money," said his wife, gravely.

 

"Yes; I don't know where to raise it. If Squire Hudson were only a little considerate. But he isn't, and, even if he were, I am afraid[Pg 170] there is no prospect⁹ of my raising the money at present."

 

"You may get some money from Tom soon," suggested Sarah.

 

"I can't rely upon that. Tom will doubtless send when he is able, for he understands my circumstances, and is a thoughtful boy; but it is going to take time for him to earn a surplus—enough to send on."

 

"He may find a big nugget," said Walter, the second boy, who eagerly read the letters from California which from time to time appeared in the weekly paper.

 

"He may, but the chances are against it."

 

"I was reading in last week's paper about a man finding a nugget worth over two thousand dollars."

 

"Such nuggets are as rare as large prizes in a lottery¹⁰, I suspect," said Mark Nelson, who had a large share of plain common-sense.

 

Walter looked rather disappointed, having made up his mind that Tom would certainly find a big lump of gold, and come home rich.[Pg 171]

 

"Don't you think Tom will find some gold?" he asked.

 

"Yes, I have no doubt he will gather some gold-dust. I have no doubt, too, that he will earn more than he or I can do at home; but I haven't much faith in these extraordinary pieces of good luck."

 

"Still, Tom may find a nugget," persisted Walter.

 

"Yes, he may, and I shall be very glad if he does; but we must not build too many air-castles on that chance."

 

"I wish I could see the dear boy again," sighed his mother, looking up from the stocking she was laboriously¹¹ darning.

 

"So do I," said Walter. "He would have a lot to tell us."

 

"California seems so far away," resumed Mrs. Nelson, "and he has no one there to look after him, and mend his clothes—"

 

"And darn his stockings," said Walter, smiling.

 

"If he walked all the way across the continent,"[Pg 172] said Sarah, "I don't believe he would have larger holes in his stockings than you have, Walter."

 

"Oh, well, I exercise a good deal," said Walter. "Ask father if I don't."

 

"Walter will be more successful as a farmer than as a scholar," said Mr. Nelson. "He helps me a good deal."

 

"Tom was a good scholar," said Sarah, "and he was always ready to work too. Walter will never astonish or electrify¹² the world by his learning."

 

"I don't want to," said her brother. "It isn't in my line."

 

"That's true enough."

 

"Don't tease Walter," said Mrs. Nelson. "He helps your father a good deal, and he is not a dunce."

 

"Thank you, mother, for taking my part. Sarah is going to be a strong-minded woman. I should not wonder if she came out as a lecturer on 'Woman's Rights' some time. I think I see her, with a pair of iron-bowed spectacles on[Pg 173] her nose, and her back hair tied up in a big knot, flinging her arms about, and—"

 

"That'll do, Walter," said Sarah. "It is an unusually powerful effort for you. I have no desire to lecture on 'Woman's Rights,' though I think they ought to have them all the same."

 

"I guess you'll get yours. You'll make your husband stand round, if you ever get one."

 

Sarah laughed good-naturedly, and retorted, "I shall pity your wife, if she has to darn your stockings."

 

The next day about dinner-time Squire Hudson walked up to the front door, and knocked. His approach was witnessed, not without trepidation¹³, for he was not an easy creditor¹⁴.

 

The squire looked about him searchingly as he entered. He suspected that the interest was not ready, and the farmer's grave face confirmed his suspicions. That he was glad of this of course Mark Nelson did not dream, for he was not aware of his creditor's deep-laid plans.

 

"A fine day!" said the squire, with suavity¹⁵. "I hope you are well, Mrs. Nelson."[Pg 174]

 

"Pretty well, thank you, sir."

 

"Have you heard from Tom lately?"

 

"Yes; he had just reached California."

 

"Then of course he could not say anything of his prospects¹⁶?"

 

"It was too soon."

 

"You must miss him a good deal—all of you."

 

"I am thinking of him all the time," said Mrs. Nelson.

 

"To be sure, that is natural in a mother. But if the boy does well, that will repay you hereafter."

 

"If I only felt sure he would do well."

 

"Oh, he is young and industrious¹⁷. He will be sure to make his way. He'll like it too. Why, my Sinclair envies him the chance of leaving home. He wanted to go with him."

 

"Sinclair would not like to go in the same way as Tom, with the prospect of having to work hard after he got there," said Mark Nelson.

 

"To be sure not, neighbor Nelson. My boy has never been brought up to work. My circumstances—ahem!—have[Pg 175] not made it necessary."

 

"Sinclair is fortunate in having a rich father," said the farmer.

 

"So I tell him," said the squire, complacently¹⁸. "His fortune is already made."

 

"What are you going to do with him, squire?"

 

"Oh, I shall make a professional man of him,—a lawyer, most likely," said the rich man, complacently. "I can give him a suitable income till he gets into a paying practice."

 

"That will be a good many years," thought Sarah, "unless Sinclair works harder than he has lately at school;" but the shrewd young lady kept this thought to herself.

 

One by one wife and children left the room, for it was well understood that the squire came on business, and would be likely to desire a private interview with the farmer. They went into the kitchen, closing the door behind them, and awaited anxiously the result of the interview.[Pg 176]

 

"I do hope Squire Hudson will be considerate," said Mrs. Nelson, anxiously.

 

"I am afraid he won't be, mother," said Sarah. "He is a hard man."

 

"Sinclair puts on no end of airs," said Walter. "By the way he struts¹⁹ round you would think he owned the whole town. You had better set your cap for him, Sarah, for he will be rich some day."

 

"I would rather be an old maid than marry him," said Sarah, decidedly.

 

"Very likely your wish will be gratified," said her brother.

 

Mrs. Nelson did not smile at this sally, for her mind was too full of anxiety.

1 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

2 sterile   

adj.不毛的，不孕的，无菌的，枯燥的，贫瘠的

参考例句：

• This top fits over the bottle and keeps the teat sterile.这个盖子严实地盖在奶瓶上，保持奶嘴无菌。
• The farmers turned the sterile land into high fields.农民们把不毛之地变成了高产田。

3 grudgingly   

参考例句：

• He grudgingly acknowledged having made a mistake. 他勉强承认他做错了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Their parents unwillingly [grudgingly] consented to the marriage. 他们的父母无可奈何地应允了这门亲事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

5 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

6 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

7 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

8 sitting-room   

n.（BrE）客厅，起居室

参考例句：

• The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。
• Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。

9 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

10 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。

11 laboriously   

adv.艰苦地；费力地；辛勤地；（文体等）佶屈聱牙地

参考例句：

• She is tracing laboriously now. 她正在费力地写。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She is laboriously copying out an old manuscript. 她正在费劲地抄出一份旧的手稿。 来自辞典例句

12 electrify   

v.使充电；使电气化；使触电；使震惊；使兴奋

参考例句：

• The country is now making effort to electrify and informationize manufacture.国家正在致力于制造业的电气化和信息化。
• He needs money to electrify his surface lines.他需要钱把他的地面线路电气化。

13 trepidation   

n.惊恐，惶恐

参考例句：

• The men set off in fear and trepidation.这群人惊慌失措地出发了。
• The threat of an epidemic caused great alarm and trepidation.流行病猖獗因而人心惶惶。

14 creditor   

n.债仅人，债主，贷方

参考例句：

• The boss assigned his car to his creditor.那工头把自己的小汽车让与了债权人。
• I had to run away from my creditor whom I made a usurious loan.我借了高利贷不得不四处躲债。

15 suavity   

n.温和；殷勤

参考例句：

• He's got a surface flow of suavity,but he's rough as a rasp underneath.他表面看来和和气气的，其实是个粗野狂暴的恶棍。
• But the well-bred,artificial smile,when he bent upon the guests,had its wonted steely suavity.但是他哈着腰向宾客招呼的那种彬彬有礼、故意装成的笑容里，却仍然具有它平时那种沉着的殷勤。

16 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

17 industrious   

adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的

参考例句：

• If the tiller is industrious,the farmland is productive.人勤地不懒。
• She was an industrious and willing worker.她是个勤劳肯干的员工。

18 complacently   

adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地

参考例句：

• He complacently lived out his life as a village school teacher. 他满足于一个乡村教师的生活。
• "That was just something for evening wear," returned his wife complacently. “那套衣服是晚装，"他妻子心安理得地说道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

19 struts   

（框架的）支杆( strut的名词复数 )； 支柱； 趾高气扬的步态； （尤指跳舞或表演时）卖弄

参考例句：

• The struts are firmly braced. 那些支柱上得很牢靠。
• The Struts + EJB framework is described in part four. 三、介绍Struts+EJB框架的技术组成：Struts框架和EJB组件技术。