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Chapter 23 The Hill DIfficulty
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    The first happy year at Wareham, withits widened sky-line, its larger vision, itsgreater opportunity, was over and gone.

  Rebecca had studied during the summer vacation,and had passed, on her return in the autumn,certain examinations which would enable her, if shecarried out the same programme the next season,to complete the course in three instead of fouryears. She came off with no flying colors,--thatwould have been impossible in consideration of herinadequate training; but she did wonderfully wellin some of the required subjects, and so brilliantlyin others that the average was respectable. Shewould never have been a remarkable1 scholar underany circumstances, perhaps, and she was easily out-stripped in mathematics and the natural sciencesby a dozen girls, but in some inexplicable2 way shebecame, as the months went on, the foremost figurein the school. When she had entirely3 forgotten thefacts which would enable her to answer a questionfully and conclusively4, she commonly had someoriginal theory to expound5; it was not alwayscorrect, but it was generally unique and sometimesamusing. She was only fair in Latin or Frenchgrammar, but when it came to translation, her freedom,her choice of words, and her sympatheticunderstanding of the spirit of the text made her thedelight of her teachers and the despair of her rivals.

  "She can be perfectly6 ignorant of a subject,'

  said Miss Maxwell to Adam Ladd, "but entirelyintelligent the moment she has a clue. Most of theother girls are full of information and as stupid assheep."Rebecca's gifts had not been discovered save bythe few, during the first year, when she was adjustingherself quietly to the situation. She was distinctlyone of the poorer girls; she had no finedresses to attract attention, no visitors, no friendsin the town. She had more study hours, and lesstime, therefore, for the companionship of other girls,gladly as she would have welcomed the gayety ofthat side of school life. Still, water will find its ownlevel in some way, and by the spring of the secondyear she had naturally settled into the same sort ofleadership which had been hers in the smallercommunity of Riverboro. She was unanimously electedassistant editor of the Wareham School Pilot, beingthe first girl to assume that enviable, though somewhatarduous and thankless position, and when hermaiden number went to the Cobbs, uncle Jerry andaunt Sarah could hardly eat or sleep for pride.

  "She'll always get votes," said Huldah Meserve,when discussing the election, "for whether sheknows anything or not, she looks as if she did, andwhether she's capable of filling an office or not, shelooks as if she was. I only wish I was tall and darkand had the gift of making people believe I wasgreat things, like Rebecca Randall. There's onething: though the boys call her handsome, younotice they don't trouble her with much attention."It was a fact that Rebecca's attitude towards theopposite sex was still somewhat indifferent andoblivious, even for fifteen and a half! No one couldlook at her and doubt that she had potentialities ofattraction latent within her somewhere, but that sideof her nature was happily biding7 its time. A humanbeing is capable only of a certain amount of activityat a given moment, and it will inevitably8 satisfyfirst its most pressing needs, its most ardent9 desires,its chief ambitions. Rebecca was full of smallanxieties and fears, for matters were not going wellat the brick house and were anything but hopefulat the home farm. She was overbusy and overtaxed,and her thoughts were naturally drawn10 towards thedifficult problems of daily living.

  It had seemed to her during the autumn andwinter of that year as if her aunt Miranda hadnever been, save at the very first, so censorious andso fault-finding. One Saturday Rebecca ran upstairsand, bursting into a flood of tears, exclaimed,"Aunt Jane, it seems as if I never could stand hercontinual scoldings. Nothing I can do suits auntMiranda; she's just said it will take me my wholelife to get the Randall out of me, and I'm notconvinced that I want it all out, so there we are!"Aunt Jane, never demonstrative, cried withRebecca as she attempted to soothe11 her.

  "You must be patient," she said, wiping first herown eyes and then Rebecca's. "I haven't told you,for it isn't fair you should be troubled when you'restudying so hard, but your aunt Miranda isn't well.

  One Monday morning about a month ago, she hada kind of faint spell; it wasn't bad, but the doctoris afraid it was a shock, and if so, it's the beginningof the end. Seems to me she's failing right along,and that's what makes her so fretful and easy vexed12.

  She has other troubles too, that you don't knowanything about, and if you're not kind to your auntMiranda now, child, you'll be dreadful sorry sometime."All the temper faded from Rebecca's face, andshe stopped crying to say penitently13, "Oh! the poordear thing! I won't mind a bit what she says now.

  She's just asked me for some milk toast and Iwas dreading14 to take it to her, but this will makeeverything different. Don't worry yet, aunt Jane,for perhaps it won't be as bad as you think."So when she carried the toast to her aunt a littlelater, it was in the best gilt-edged china bowl, witha fringed napkin on the tray and a sprig of geraniumlying across the salt cellar.

  "Now, aunt Miranda," she said cheerily, "I expectyou to smack15 your lips and say this is good; it's notRandall, but Sawyer milk toast.""You've tried all kinds on me, one time an'

  another," Miranda answered. "This tastes realkind o' good; but I wish you hadn't wasted thatnice geranium.""You can't tell what's wasted," said Rebeccaphilosophically; "perhaps that geranium has beenhoping this long time it could brighten somebody'ssupper, so don't disappoint it by making believe youdon't like it. I've seen geraniums cry,--in the veryearly morning!"The mysterious trouble to which Jane had alludedwas a very real one, but it was held in profoundsecrecy. Twenty-five hundred dollars of the smallSawyer property had been invested in the businessof a friend of their father's, and had returned thema regular annual income of a hundred dollars. Thefamily friend had been dead for some five years,but his son had succeeded to his interests and allwent on as formerly16. Suddenly there came a lettersaying that the firm had gone into bankruptcy,that the business had been completely wrecked17, andthat the Sawyer money had been swept away witheverything else.

  The loss of one hundred dollars a year is a verytrifling matter, but it made all the difference betweencomfort and self-denial to the two old spinstersTheir manner of life had been so rigid18 and carefulthat it was difficult to economize19 any further, and theblow had fallen just when it was most inconvenient,for Rebecca's school and boarding expenses, smallas they were, had to be paid promptly20 and in cash.

  "Can we possibly go on doing it? Shan't wehave to give up and tell her why?" asked Janetearfully of the elder sister.

  "We have put our hand to the plough, and wecan't turn back," answered Miranda in her grimmesttone; "we've taken her away from her motherand offered her an education, and we've got to keepour word. She's Aurelia's only hope for years tocome, to my way o' thinkin'. Hannah's beau takesall her time 'n' thought, and when she gits ahusband her mother'll be out o' sight and out o' mind.

  John, instead of farmin', thinks he must be a doctor,--as if folks wasn't gettin' unhealthy enoughthese days, without turnin' out more young doctorsto help 'em into their graves. No, Jane; we'll skimp'n' do without, 'n' plan to git along on our interestmoney somehow, but we won't break into our principal,whatever happens.""Breaking into the principal" was, in the mindsof most thrifty21 New England women, a sin onlysecond to arson22, theft, or murder; and, though therule was occasionally carried too far for commonsense,--as in this case, where two elderly womenof sixty might reasonably have drawn somethingfrom their little hoard23 in time of special need,--itdoubtless wrought24 more of good than evil in thecommunity.

  Rebecca, who knew nothing of their businessaffairs, merely saw her aunts grow more and moresaving, pinching here and there, cutting off thisand that relentlessly25. Less meat and fish werebought; the woman who had lately been comingtwo days a week for washing, ironing, and scrubbingwas dismissed; the old bonnets26 of the seasonbefore were brushed up and retrimmed; there wereno drives to Moderation or trips to Portland. Economywas carried to its very extreme; but thoughMiranda was well-nigh as gloomy and uncompromisingin her manner and conversation as a woman couldwell be, she at least never twitted her niece of beinga burden; so Rebecca's share of the Sawyers'

  misfortunes consisted only in wearing her old dresses,hats, and jackets, without any apparent hope of achange.

  There was, however, no concealing27 the state ofthings at Sunnybrook, where chapters of accidentshad unfolded themselves in a sort of serial28 story thathad run through the year. The potato crop hadfailed; there were no apples to speak of; the hayhad been poor; Aurelia had turns of dizziness inher head; Mark had broken his ankle. As this washis fourth offense29, Miranda inquired how manybones there were in the human body, "so 't they'dknow when Mark got through breakin' 'em." Thetime for paying the interest on the mortgage, thatincubus that had crushed all the joy out of theRandall household, had come and gone, and therewas no possibility, for the first time in fourteenyears, of paying the required forty-eight dollars.

  The only bright spot in the horizon was Hannah'sengagement to Will Melville,--a young farmerwhose land joined Sunnybrook, who had a goodhouse, was alone in the world, and his own master.

  Hannah was so satisfied with her own unexpectedlyradiant prospects30 that she hardly realized her mother'sanxieties; for there are natures which flourish,in adversity, and deteriorate31 when exposed to suddenprosperity. She had made a visit of a week atthe brick house; and Miranda's impression, conveyedin privacy to Jane, was that Hannah was closeas the bark of a tree, and consid'able selfish too;that when she'd clim' as fur as she could in theworld, she'd kick the ladder out from under her,everlastin' quick; that, on being sounded as to herability to be of use to the younger children in thefuture, she said she guessed she'd done her sharea'ready, and she wan't goin' to burden Will withher poor relations. "She's Susan Randall throughand through!" ejaculated Miranda. "I was glad tosee her face turned towards Temperance. If thatmortgage is ever cleared from the farm, 't won't beHannah that'll do it; it'll be Rebecca or me!"


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
参考例句:
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
2 inexplicable tbCzf     
adj.无法解释的,难理解的
参考例句:
  • It is now inexplicable how that development was misinterpreted.当时对这一事态发展的错误理解究竟是怎么产生的,现在已经无法说清楚了。
  • There are many things which are inexplicable by science.有很多事科学还无法解释。
3 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
4 conclusively NvVzwY     
adv.令人信服地,确凿地
参考例句:
  • All this proves conclusively that she couldn't have known the truth. 这一切无可置疑地证明她不可能知道真相。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • From the facts,he was able to determine conclusively that the death was not a suicide. 根据这些事实他断定这起死亡事件并非自杀。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 expound hhOz7     
v.详述;解释;阐述
参考例句:
  • Why not get a diviner to expound my dream?为什么不去叫一个占卜者来解释我的梦呢?
  • The speaker has an hour to expound his views to the public.讲演者有1小时时间向公众阐明他的观点。
6 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
7 biding 83fef494bb1c4bd2f64e5e274888d8c5     
v.等待,停留( bide的现在分词 );居住;(过去式用bided)等待;面临
参考例句:
  • He was biding his time. 他正在等待时机。 来自辞典例句
  • Applications:used in carbide alloy, diamond tools, biding admixture, high-temperature alloy, rechargeable cell. 用作硬质合金,磁性材料,金刚石工具,高温合金,可充电池等。 来自互联网
8 inevitably x7axc     
adv.不可避免地;必然发生地
参考例句:
  • In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去,毫无疑问是会散伙的。
  • Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。
9 ardent yvjzd     
adj.热情的,热烈的,强烈的,烈性的
参考例句:
  • He's an ardent supporter of the local football team.他是本地足球队的热情支持者。
  • Ardent expectations were held by his parents for his college career.他父母对他的大学学习抱着殷切的期望。
10 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
11 soothe qwKwF     
v.安慰;使平静;使减轻;缓和;奉承
参考例句:
  • I've managed to soothe him down a bit.我想方设法使他平静了一点。
  • This medicine should soothe your sore throat.这种药会减轻你的喉痛。
12 vexed fd1a5654154eed3c0a0820ab54fb90a7     
adj.争论不休的;(指问题等)棘手的;争论不休的问题;烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 );使苦恼;使生气;详细讨论
参考例句:
  • The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 会议花了几天的时间讨论边境关卡这个难题。
  • He was vexed at his failure. 他因失败而懊恼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
13 penitently d059038e074463ec340da5a6c8475174     
参考例句:
  • He sat penitently in his chair by the window. 他懊悔地坐在靠窗的椅子上。 来自柯林斯例句
14 dreading dreading     
v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • She was dreading having to broach the subject of money to her father. 她正在为不得不向父亲提出钱的事犯愁。
  • This was the moment he had been dreading. 这是他一直最担心的时刻。
15 smack XEqzV     
vt.拍,打,掴;咂嘴;vi.含有…意味;n.拍
参考例句:
  • She gave him a smack on the face.她打了他一个嘴巴。
  • I gave the fly a smack with the magazine.我用杂志拍了一下苍蝇。
16 formerly ni3x9     
adv.从前,以前
参考例句:
  • We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
  • This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。
17 wrecked ze0zKI     
adj.失事的,遇难的
参考例句:
  • the hulk of a wrecked ship 遇难轮船的残骸
  • the salvage of the wrecked tanker 对失事油轮的打捞
18 rigid jDPyf     
adj.严格的,死板的;刚硬的,僵硬的
参考例句:
  • She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
  • The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严,几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。
19 economize Sr3xZ     
v.节约,节省
参考例句:
  • We're going to have to economize from now on. 从现在开始,我们不得不节约开支。
  • We have to economize on water during the dry season. 我们在旱季不得不节约用水。
20 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
21 thrifty NIgzT     
adj.节俭的;兴旺的;健壮的
参考例句:
  • Except for smoking and drinking,he is a thrifty man.除了抽烟、喝酒,他是个生活节俭的人。
  • She was a thrifty woman and managed to put aside some money every month.她是个很会持家的妇女,每月都设法存些钱。
22 arson 3vOz3     
n.纵火,放火
参考例句:
  • He was serving a ten spot for arson.他因纵火罪在服十年徒刑。
  • He was arraigned on a charge of arson.他因被指控犯纵火罪而被传讯。
23 hoard Adiz0     
n./v.窖藏,贮存,囤积
参考例句:
  • They have a hoard of food in the basement.地下室里有他们贮藏的食物。
  • How many curios do you hoard in your study?你在你书房里聚藏了多少古玩?
24 wrought EoZyr     
v.引起;以…原料制作;运转;adj.制造的
参考例句:
  • Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。
  • It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。
25 relentlessly Rk4zSD     
adv.不屈不挠地;残酷地;不间断
参考例句:
  • The African sun beat relentlessly down on his aching head. 非洲的太阳无情地照射在他那发痛的头上。
  • He pursued her relentlessly, refusing to take 'no' for an answer. 他锲而不舍地追求她,拒不接受“不”的回答。
26 bonnets 8e4529b6df6e389494d272b2f3ae0ead     
n.童帽( bonnet的名词复数 );(烟囱等的)覆盖物;(苏格兰男子的)无边呢帽;(女子戴的)任何一种帽子
参考例句:
  • All the best bonnets of the city were there. 城里戴最漂亮的无边女帽的妇女全都到场了。 来自辞典例句
  • I am tempting you with bonnets and bangles and leading you into a pit. 我是在用帽子和镯子引诱你,引你上钩。 来自飘(部分)
27 concealing 0522a013e14e769c5852093b349fdc9d     
v.隐藏,隐瞒,遮住( conceal的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Despite his outward display of friendliness, I sensed he was concealing something. 尽管他表现得友善,我还是感觉到他有所隐瞒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • SHE WAS BREAKING THE COMPACT, AND CONCEALING IT FROM HIM. 她违反了他们之间的约定,还把他蒙在鼓里。 来自英汉文学 - 三万元遗产
28 serial 0zuw2     
n.连本影片,连本电视节目;adj.连续的
参考例句:
  • A new serial is starting on television tonight.今晚电视开播一部新的电视连续剧。
  • Can you account for the serial failures in our experiment?你能解释我们实验屡屡失败的原因吗?
29 offense HIvxd     
n.犯规,违法行为;冒犯,得罪
参考例句:
  • I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
  • His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。
30 prospects fkVzpY     
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。
31 deteriorate Zm8zW     
v.变坏;恶化;退化
参考例句:
  • Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗?
  • He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为,这只会使局势更加恶化。


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