CHAPTER XXXII — HOPE DEFERRED

 Day after day Herbert and Abner went to the post office and inquired for letters, but alas¹! none came. Poor Herbert was in despair. He thought his father would have instantly sent the money, or come out himself to take him home. Was it possible his father had forgotten him, or was indifferent to his absence? He could not believe it, but what was he to think?

“I reckon your father didn't get the letter,” suggested Abner.

Herbert hailed this suggestion with relief.

“Or, maybe, marm has told the postmaster to give her any letters that come.”

This suggestion, too, seemed not improbable.

“What can we do?” asked Herbert, helplessly. “I reckon we'd better run away.”

“Without money?”

“We'll hire out to somebody for a week or two and write from where we are.”

“I'm afraid I couldn't do much work,” said the little boy.

“Then I'll work for both,” said Abner, stoutly². “I've got tired of stayin' at home, anyway.”

“I'll do whatever you say,” said Herbert, feeling that any change would be for the better.

“I'll tell you when I'm ready,” said Abner. “We'll start some time when marm's gone to the village.”

There was another reason for Herbert's being dissatisfied with his new home. A month had passed—the full time for which Willis Ford³ had paid the boy's board—and there were no indications that any more was to be paid. During the the first week the fare had been tolerable, though Mrs. Barton was not a skillful cook; but now there was no money left, and the family fell back upon what their limited resources could supply. Mush and milk now constituted their principal diet. It is well enough occasionally, but, when furnished at every meal, both Herbert and Abner became tired of it.

“Haven't you got anything else for dinner, marm?” asked Abner, discontentedly.

“No, I haven't,” answered the mother, snappishly.

“You used to have sassiges and bacon.”

“That was when I had money to buy 'em.”

“Where's all that money gone the man left with him?” indicating Herbert.

“It's spent, and I wish Willis Ford would send along some more mighty⁴ quick. He needn't expect me to take a free boarder.”

She looked severely⁵ at Herbert, as if he were in fault. Certainly the poor boy had no desire to live on the liberality of Mrs. Barton.

“Maybe he's sent you some money in a letter,” suggested Abner.

“Well, I never thought of that. It's a bright idee, ef it did come from you, Abner Barton. Jest go up to the postoffice after dinner, and ask if there's any letter for me. Ef there is, mind you, don't open it.”

“All right, marm.”

“Come along, bub,” said Abner.

This was the name he gave to Herbert, whom he liked in his own rough way.

“I don't think,” said Herbert, as they walked along, “that your mother can have got any letter written by my father. If she had, she would not be out of money.”

“I reckon you're right. Do you think that Ford feller will send money for your board?”

“I think he will, if he can, for he wants to keep me here; but I don't think he has much money with him.”

“All the worse for marm.”

“Abner,” said Herbert, after a pause, during which he had been thinking seriously, “would you mind running away pretty soon?”

“No, bub; I'm ready any time. Are you in a hurry?”

“You see, Abner, I don't want to live on your mother. She isn't rich—”

“No, I guess not. Ef she hadn't married sech a good-for-nothin' as dad—”

“I wouldn't speak so of your father, Abner.”

“Why not? Isn't it the truth? Dad's no grit⁶. He gits drunk whenever he has a chance. Marm's a good, hard-workin' woman. She'd git along well enough ef she was alone.”

“At any rate, she can't afford to board me for nothing. So I am ready to start whenever you are, Abner.”

“Suppose we get up early to-morror and start?”

“How early?”

“Three o'clock. Marm gets up at five. We must be on the road before that time.”

“I'm willing, Abner. You must wake me up in time.”

“You'd better go to bed early, bub, and git all the sleep you can. We'll have a hard day to-morrer.”

1 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

2 stoutly   

adv.牢固地，粗壮的

参考例句：

• He stoutly denied his guilt.他断然否认自己有罪。
• Burgess was taxed with this and stoutly denied it.伯杰斯为此受到了责难，但是他自己坚决否认有这回事。

3 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

4 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

5 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

6 grit   

n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关

参考例句：

• The soldiers showed that they had plenty of grit. 士兵们表现得很有勇气。
• I've got some grit in my shoe.我的鞋子里弄进了一些砂子。