Mr. Simpson spent little time with hisfamily, owing to certain awkward methodsof horse-trading, or the "swapping1"of farm implements3 and vehicles of various kinds,--operations in which his customers were never longsuited. After every successful trade he generallypassed a longer or shorter term in jail; for when apoor man without goods or chattels4 has the inveteratehabit of swapping, it follows naturally that hemust have something to swap2; and having nothingof his own, it follows still more naturally that hemust swap something belonging to his neighbors.
Mr. Simpson was absent from the home circlefor the moment because he had exchanged theWidow Rideout's sleigh for Joseph Goodwin'splough. Goodwin had lately moved to NorthEdgewood and had never before met the urbaneand persuasive5 Mr. Simpson. The Goodwin ploughMr. Simpson speedily bartered6 with a man "overWareham way," and got in exchange for it an oldhorse which his owner did not need, as he wasleaving town to visit his daughter for a year,Simpson fattened7 the aged8 animal, keeping him forseveral weeks (at early morning or after nightfall) inone neighbor's pasture after another, and thenexchanged him with a Milltown man for a top buggy.
It was at this juncture9 that the Widow Rideoutmissed her sleigh from the old carriage house.
She had not used it for fifteen years and mightnot sit in it for another fifteen, but it wasproperty, and she did not intend to part with itwithout a struggle. Such is the suspicious nature ofthe village mind that the moment she discoveredher loss her thought at once reverted10 to AbnerSimpson. So complicated, however, was the natureof this particular business transaction, and sotortuous the paths of its progress (partly owing to thecomplete disappearance11 of the owner of the horse,who had gone to the West and left no address),that it took the sheriff many weeks to prove Mr.
Simpson's guilt12 to the town's and to the WidowRideout's satisfaction. Abner himself avowed13 hiscomplete innocence14, and told the neighbors howa red-haired man with a hare lip and a pepper-and-salt suit of clothes had called him up one morningabout daylight and offered to swap him a goodsleigh for an old cider press he had layin' out inthe dooryard. The bargain was struck, and he,Abner, had paid the hare-lipped stranger four dollarsand seventy-five cents to boot; whereupon themysterious one set down the sleigh, took the presson his cart, and vanished up the road, never to beseen or heard from afterwards.
"If I could once ketch that consarned old thief,"exclaimed Abner righteously, "I'd make himdance,--workin' off a stolen sleigh on me an'
takin' away my good money an' cider press, to saynothin' o' my character!""You'll never ketch him, Ab," responded thesheriff. "He's cut off the same piece o' goods asthat there cider press and that there character andthat there four-seventy-five o' yourn; nobody eversee any of 'em but you, and you'll never see 'emagain!"Mrs. Simpson, who was decidedly Abner's betterhalf, took in washing and went out to do days'
cleaning, and the town helped in the feeding andclothing of the children. George, a lanky15 boy offourteen, did chores on neighboring farms, andthe others, Samuel, Clara Belle16, Susan, Elijah, andElisha, went to school, when sufficiently17 clothedand not otherwise more pleasantly engaged.
There were no secrets in the villages that layalong the banks of Pleasant River. There weremany hard-working people among the inhabitants,but life wore away so quietly and slowly that therewas a good deal of spare time for conversation,--under the trees at noon in the hayfield; hangingover the bridge at nightfall; seated about thestove in the village store of an evening. Thesemeeting-places furnished ample ground for thediscussion of current events as viewed by the mas-culine eye, while choir18 rehearsals19, sewing societies,reading circles, church picnics, and the like, gaveopportunity for the expression of feminine opinion.
All this was taken very much for granted, as arule, but now and then some supersensitive personmade violent objections to it, as a theory of life.
Delia Weeks, for example, was a maiden20 ladywho did dressmaking in a small way; she fell ill,and although attended by all the physicians inthe neighborhood, was sinking slowly into adecline when her cousin Cyrus asked her to come andkeep house for him in Lewiston. She went, and ina year grew into a robust21, hearty22, cheerful woman.
Returning to Riverboro on a brief visit, she wasasked if she meant to end her days away fromhome.
"I do most certainly, if I can get any otherplace to stay," she responded candidly23. "I wasbein' worn to a shadder here, tryin' to keep mylittle secrets to myself, an' never succeedin'. Firstthey had it I wanted to marry the minister, andwhen he took a wife in Standish I was known tobe disappointed. Then for five or six years theysuspicioned I was tryin' for a place to teach school,and when I gave up hope, an' took to dressmakin',they pitied me and sympathized with me for that.
When father died I was bound I'd never let anybodyknow how I was left, for that spites 'emworse than anything else; but there's ways o'
findin' out, an' they found out, hard as I fought'em! Then there was my brother James that wentto Arizona when he was sixteen. I gave good newsof him for thirty years runnin', but aunt AchsyTarbox had a ferretin' cousin that went out toTombstone for her health, and she wrote to apostmaster, or to some kind of a town authority, andfound Jim and wrote back aunt Achsy all abouthim and just how unfortunate he'd been. Theyknew when I had my teeth out and a new setmade; they knew when I put on a false front-piece; they knew when the fruit peddler askedme to be his third wife--I never told 'em, an' youcan be sure HE never did, but they don't NEED to betold in this village; they have nothin' to do butguess, an' they'll guess right every time. I wasall tuckered out tryin' to mislead 'em and deceive'em and sidetrack 'em; but the minute I got whereI wa'n't put under a microscope by day an' atelescope by night and had myself TO myself withoutsayin' `By your leave,' I begun to pick up. CousinCyrus is an old man an' consid'able trouble, but hethinks my teeth are handsome an' says I've gota splendid suit of hair. There ain't a person inLewiston that knows about the minister, or father'swill, or Jim's doin's, or the fruit peddler; an' ifthey should find out, they wouldn't care, an' theycouldn't remember; for Lewiston 's a busy place,thanks be!"Miss Delia Weeks may have exaggerated matterssomewhat, but it is easy to imagine that Rebeccaas well as all the other Riverboro childrenhad heard the particulars of the Widow Rideout'smissing sleigh and Abner Simpson's supposedconnection with it.
There is not an excess of delicacy24 or chivalry25 inthe ordinary country school, and several choiceconundrums and bits of verse dealing26 with the Simpsonaffair were bandied about among the scholars,uttered always, be it said to their credit, inundertones, and when the Simpson children were not inthe group.
Rebecca Randall was of precisely27 the same stock,and had had much the same associations as herschoolmates, so one can hardly say why she so hatedmean gossip and so instinctively28 held herself alooffrom it.
Among the Riverboro girls of her own age was acertain excellently named Minnie Smellie, who wasanything but a general favorite. She was a ferret-eyed, blond-haired, spindle-legged little creaturewhose mind was a cross between that of a parrotand a sheep. She was suspected of copying answersfrom other girls' slates29, although she hadnever been caught in the act. Rebecca and EmmaJane always knew when she had brought a tart30 ora triangle of layer cake with her school luncheon,because on those days she forsook31 the cheerfulsociety of her mates and sought a safe solitude32 inthe woods, returning after a time with a jocundsmile on her smug face.
After one of these private luncheons33 Rebeccahad been tempted34 beyond her strength, and whenMinnie took her seat among them asked, "Is yourheadache better, Minnie? Let me wipe off thatstrawberry jam over your mouth."There was no jam there as a matter of fact,but the guilty Minnie's handkerchief went to hercrimson face in a flash.
Rebecca confessed to Emma Jane that sameafternoon that she felt ashamed of her prank35. "Ido hate her ways," she exclaimed, "but I'm sorryI let her know we 'spected her; and so to makeup36, I gave her that little piece of broken coral Ikeep in my bead37 purse; you know the one?""It don't hardly seem as if she deserved that,and her so greedy," remarked Emma Jane.
"I know it, but it makes me feel better," saidRebecca largely; "and then I've had it two years,and it's broken so it wouldn't ever be any realgood, beautiful as it is to look at."The coral had partly served its purpose as areconciling bond, when one afternoon Rebecca,who had stayed after school for her grammar lessonas usual, was returning home by way of theshort cut. Far ahead, beyond the bars, she espiedthe Simpson children just entering the woodsybit. Seesaw38 was not with them, so she hastenedher steps in order to secure company on her homewardwalk. They were speedily lost to view, butwhen she had almost overtaken them she heard,in the trees beyond, Minnie Smellie's voice liftedhigh in song, and the sound of a child's sobbing39.
Clara Belle, Susan, and the twins were runningalong the path, and Minnie was dancing up anddown, shrieking:--"`What made the sleigh love Simpson so?'
The eager children cried;`Why Simpson loved the sleigh, you know,'
The teacher quick replied."The last glimpse of the routed Simpson tribe,and the last Rutter of their tattered40 garments,disappeared in the dim distance. The fall of one smallstone cast by the valiant41 Elijah, known as "the fightingtwin," did break the stillness of the woods fora moment, but it did not come within a hundredyards of Minnie, who shouted "Jail Birds" at thetop of her lungs and then turned, with an agreeablefeeling of excitement, to meet Rebecca, standingperfectly still in the path, with a day of reckoningplainly set forth42 in her blazing eyes.
Minnie's face was not pleasant to see, for a cowarddetected at the moment of wrongdoing is notan object of delight.
"Minnie Smellie, if ever--I--catch--you--singing--that--to the Simpsons again--do youknow what I'll do?" asked Rebecca in a tone ofconcentrated rage.
"I don't know and I don't care," said Minniejauntily, though her looks belied43 her.
"I'll take that piece of coral away from you, andI THINK I shall slap you besides!""You wouldn't darst," retorted Minnie. "Ifyou do, I'll tell my mother and the teacher, sothere!""I don't care if you tell your mother, my mother,and all your relations, and the president," saidRebecca, gaining courage as the noble words fell fromher lips. "I don't care if you tell the town, thewhole of York county, the state of Maine and--and the nation!" she finished grandiloquently44.
"Now you run home and remember what I say.
If you do it again, and especially if you say `JailBirds,' if I think it's right and my duty, I shallpunish you somehow."The next morning at recess45 Rebecca observedMinnie telling the tale with variations to HuldahMeserve. "She THREATENED me," whispered Minnie,"but I never believe a word she says."The latter remark was spoken with the directintention of being overheard, for Minnie had spasmsof bravery, when well surrounded by the machineryof law and order.
As Rebecca went back to her seat she askedMiss Dearborn if she might pass a note to MinnieSmellie and received permission. This was the note:--Of all the girls that are so meanThere's none like Minnie Smellie.
I'll take away the gift I gaveAnd pound her into jelly.
_P. S. Now do you believe me?_R. Randall.
The effect of this piece of doggerel46 was entirelyconvincing, and for days afterwards whenever Minniemet the Simpsons even a mile from the brickhouse she shuddered47 and held her peace.
收听单词发音 |
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swapping
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| 交换，交换技术 | |
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swap
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| n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易 | |
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implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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chattels
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| n.动产，奴隶( chattel的名词复数 ) | |
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persuasive
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| adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的 | |
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bartered
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| v.作物物交换，以货换货( barter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fattened
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| v.喂肥( fatten的过去式和过去分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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reverted
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| 恢复( revert的过去式和过去分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还 | |
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disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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avowed
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| adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词) | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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lanky
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| adj.瘦长的 | |
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belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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choir
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| n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱 | |
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rehearsals
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| n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 )；排练；复述；重复 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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candidly
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| adv.坦率地，直率而诚恳地 | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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slates
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| （旧时学生用以写字的）石板( slate的名词复数 )； 板岩； 石板瓦； 石板色 | |
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tart
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| adj.酸的；尖酸的，刻薄的；n.果馅饼；淫妇 | |
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forsook
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| forsake的过去式 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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luncheons
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| n.午餐，午宴( luncheon的名词复数 ) | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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prank
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| n.开玩笑，恶作剧；v.装饰；打扮；炫耀自己 | |
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makeup
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| n.组织；性格；化装品 | |
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bead
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| n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠 | |
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seesaw
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| n.跷跷板 | |
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sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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belied
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| v.掩饰( belie的过去式和过去分词 )；证明（或显示）…为虚假；辜负；就…扯谎 | |
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grandiloquently
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recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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46
doggerel
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| n.拙劣的诗，打油诗 | |
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47
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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