“Lor’, child, that’s the stage,” was the lucid2 explanation of Martha’s cousin, to whom she applied3 for information. “Haven’t you ever been to the theatre before?”
“No, never,” said Helen.
The cousin looked at her with some curiosity, as if there must be something out of the common way about a person who had never been to the theatre, and expressed her decided4 conviction that Helen’s education had been shockingly neglected.
“Why,” said she, “before I was half as high as you, I had been to the theatre ever so many times.”
She spoke5 with so much complacency that Helen imagined she must be a very superior person, and possessed6 great knowledge of the world.
While these and other thoughts were passing through her mind, the bell rang twice, and then the curtain rose.
47Helen nearly uttered an exclamation7 of surprise, so unprepared was she for the spectacle which was presented to her dazzled gaze. The play was a fairy extravaganza, which depended for its success chiefly upon scenery and stage effect. In the first scene was represented the palace of the Queen of the fairies, crowning the summit of a hill, rising in the centre of a beautiful island. Above floated fleecy clouds, from a break in which streamed the sunshine, lending its glory to the scene.
In the foreground stood a circle of children about Helen’s age or younger, who figured as sylphs. With united voices they sang a song in honor of the Queen of the fairies, who directly afterwards was seen floating through the air above the stage, arrayed in such style as seemed befitting her illustrious rank.
So complete was the illusion to Helen, that she gazed with suspended breath and a feeling, half of awe8, as if the scene she looked upon was really one of enchantment9.
“Is she really a fairy?” she asked of Martha’s cousin.
“No, child, of course not. It’s Henrietta Blake. I’ve seen her in the street many a time. Once I was introduced to her.”
“What a beautiful creature she must be!” said Helen, admiringly.
“Beautiful!” repeated the cousin, with some disdain10. “For my part, I don’t think she’s anything to boast of in that line. Just notice what a poor complexion11 she has. You’d see it if it wasn’t for the paint. You wouldn’t have thought her very fairy-like if you had seen her in at Taylor’s the other evening, eating oysters12.”
Helen could scarcely believe her ears. It seemed to be almost like sacrilege to associate such a gross idea with the etherial being that floated before her in all the majestic13 beauty of a fairy queen. It took from the scene before her 48something of the charm with which her fancy had invested it. Still it was with a feeling of intense enjoyment14 that she followed the play to its conclusion, watching scene after scene pass before her, and the music was truly enchanting15.
At length the play was finished, and the curtain dropped. This, however, did not conclude the performance. After a short pause the curtain rose once more, and a young girl came forward and sang the well-known little Scotch16 song, “Comin’ thro’ the Rye.” It was sung correctly and in good taste, but with no remarkable17 display of power. Still it was vociferously18 encored, and, on its repetition, was applauded warmly.
There was an afterpiece, but, as it was already late in the afternoon, Martha and her cousin decided not to remain.
“Well, how did you like it?” asked the cousin, patronizingly.
“Oh, it was beautiful!” exclaimed Helen, enthusiastically. “I am so much obliged to you for taking me.”
“They have better plays sometimes,” returned the cousin, with an air of superior knowledge of the world. “I didn’t think much of the acting19 to-day, for my part. I’ll take you again some time when they’ve got something else.”
Even after she was fairly in the street, Helen found it difficult to throw off the illusion of the stage. She could still see in imagination the gorgeous spectacle, the splendid fairy palace, the graceful20 sylphs, and the queen in her regal magnificence. She was so entirely21 under the dominion22 of fancy that to her the outer world seemed unreal, and that which she had seen, the real. She walked on, heeding23 little, till she was suddenly roused from her reverie in a very forcible manner, by coming in collision with some person. It proved to be a very fat old lady, who was walking, or rather waddling24, slowly along the sidewalk, with her head thrown back. At the unexpected collision, she screamed, 49and gasped25 for breath, eyeing Helen, meanwhile, with no very amiable26 expression of countenance27.
“You’ve just about beaten the breath out of my body, you young trollop. Where was you brought up, I’d like to know, not to have any better manners?”
“I hope you’ll excuse me,” said Helen, humbly28, somewhat ashamed of her preoccupation. “I didn’t mean to run against you.”
“Don’t tell me,” said the irritated old lady. “You did it a purpose. I know you did.”
“She might as well say you ran into her on purpose,” retorted Martha’s cousin.
“I didn’t speak to you, ma’am,” said the exasperated29 old lady. “It’s my belief that you’re all in league together, and I’ve a great mind to have you given in charge of the police.”
“Indeed!” said the cousin, ironically.
“Come away,” said Martha, in a low voice. “Don’t let us have a scene here.”
As quickly as possible they escaped from the irate30 old lady. She stood panting for breath, and glaring at them over the rims31 of her glasses, which had been accidentally misplaced. This encounter, ludicrous as it was, served to bring Helen back from the ideal world to the real, and without any further adventures she reached home.
It was already time to prepare their frugal32 meal. She found her father as busily occupied as ever. She was glad of this, for it showed that her presence had not been missed.
The next day Martha Grey was at work harder than ever. She felt that she must make up by extra exertion33 for the unwonted relaxation35 of the day before.
“What are you thinking of, Martha?” asked Helen, playfully, as she stole in unperceived, and placed her hands 50over the eyes of the seamstress. “Come, tell me before I take my hands away.”
“I was thinking,” said Martha, “that I should like to hear once more the song that was sung at the theatre yesterday.”
“You enjoyed it, then?”
“Very much.”
“Shall I sing it to you?” asked Helen, quietly.
“You, Helen?” asked Martha, lifting up her eyes in astonishment36. “Can you sing? I never heard you.”
“I do not sing very often,” said Helen, sadly. “My mother taught me, and whenever I sing it brings up thoughts of her.”
“I should like very much to hear you sing, Helen,” said Martha; “but do not do it if it will make you sad.”
“Never mind, Martha. I will sing, if it will give you pleasure.”
Helen commenced the song, and sang it to the end in a voice of remarkable richness and power. She was gifted with a voice of extraordinary flexibility37 and compass, whose natural power had evidently been improved by cultivation38. Martha, who, though no singer herself, was very fond of listening to music, and could judge when it had merit, listened with unaffected astonishment and delight. She felt that she had never heard a voice of equal sweetness and power.
“You have a beautiful voice,” she said, when Helen had finished the song. “You sang it much better than it was sung at the theatre yesterday. Some day you may become a great singer.”
“Do you really think so?” asked Helen, her eyes sparkling with delight. “I am very glad.”
Martha looked up in some surprise, not understanding why it was that Helen felt so much pleased. But a new thought had come to the child.
51“Is there anything else you would like to hear?” she asked.
“I should like to hear ‘Home, Sweet Home.’”
It was a song which Helen had often sung, and to which she could do full justice. It was not difficult to account for the feeling which led Martha Grey to make choice of this song. She was one of a large family, who had never known sorrow or separation till the death of her parents, following each other in quick succession, turned them all adrift upon the world.
As the song proceeded, Martha called up in fancy the humble39 farm-house among the New Hampshire hills, with its comfortable barn and well-tilled acres around it. She recalled the broad, low kitchen, with its large fireplace and blazing back-log, around which the family was wont34 to gather in the cheerful winter evenings. She recalled her little sister Ruth, who was about the age of Helen when their home was broken up, but whom she had not seen since, Ruth having been placed in the family of an uncle. She recalled her happy school-days, her school companions, and, above all, her father and mother, who had never been otherwise than kind to her, and then looked about the small and desolate40 room which she now called home. She could not help contrasting her present lonely position with what it had been when she was at home in the midst of her family, and as the last strain died away upon Helen’s lips, she burst into tears.
Helen looked up in surprise at this unwonted display of emotion on the part of one, usually so quiet and composed as Martha Grey.
“Don’t mind me, Helen,” said Martha, through her tears. “It came over me, and I couldn’t help it. Some time, perhaps, I will tell you why it is that that song always makes me shed tears.”
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收听单词发音
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1
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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2
lucid
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| adj.明白易懂的，清晰的，头脑清楚的 | |
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3
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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4
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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5
spoke
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| 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 | |
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6
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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7
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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8
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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9
enchantment
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| n.迷惑，妖术，魅力 | |
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10
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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11
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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12
oysters
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| 牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 ) | |
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13
majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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14
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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15
enchanting
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| a.讨人喜欢的 | |
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16
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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17
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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18
vociferously
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| adv.喊叫地，吵闹地 | |
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19
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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20
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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21
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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22
dominion
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| n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图 | |
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23
heeding
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的现在分词 ) | |
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24
waddling
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| v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的现在分词 ) | |
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25
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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26
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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27
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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28
humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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29
exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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30
irate
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| adj.发怒的，生气 | |
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31
rims
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| n.（圆形物体的）边( rim的名词复数 )；缘；轮辋；轮圈 | |
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32
frugal
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| adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的 | |
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33
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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34
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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35
relaxation
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| n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐 | |
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36
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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37
flexibility
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| n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性 | |
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38
cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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39
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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40
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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