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Chapter 26 Over The Teacups
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    The summer term at Wareham had ended,and Huldah Meserve, Dick Carter, andLiving Perkins had finished school, leavingRebecca and Emma Jane to represent Riverboroin the year to come. Delia Weeks was at homefrom Lewiston on a brief visit, and Mrs. Robinsonwas celebrating the occasion by a small and selectparty, the particular day having been set becausestrawberries were ripe and there was a rooster thatwanted killing1. Mrs. Robinson explained this to herhusband, and requested that he eat his dinner onthe carpenter's bench in the shed, as the party wasto be a ladies' affair.

  "All right; it won't be any loss to me," said Mr.

  Robinson. "Give me beans, that's all I ask. Whena rooster wants to be killed, I want somebody elseto eat him, not me!"Mrs. Robinson had company only once or twicea year, and was generally much prostrated2 for severaldays afterward3, the struggle between pride andparsimony being quite too great a strain upon her.

  It was necessary, in order to maintain her standingin the community, to furnish a good "set out," yetthe extravagance of the proceeding4 goaded5 her fromthe first moment she began to stir the marble caketo the moment when the feast appeared upon thetable.

  The rooster had been boiling steadily6 over a slowfire since morning, but such was his power of resistancethat his shape was as firm and handsome inthe pot as on the first moment when he was loweredinto it.

  "He ain't goin' to give up!" said Alice, peeringnervously under the cover, "and he looks like ascarecrow.""We'll see whether he gives up or not when Itake a sharp knife to him," her mother answered;"and as to his looks, a platter full o' gravy7 makesa sight o' difference with old roosters, and I'll putdumplings round the aidge; they're turrible fillin',though they don't belong with boiled chicken."The rooster did indeed make an impressive showing,lying in his border of dumplings, and the dishwas much complimented when it was borne in byAlice. This was fortunate, as the chorus of admirationceased abruptly8 when the ladies began to eatthe fowl9.

  "I was glad you could git over to Huldy'sgraduation, Delia," said Mrs. Meserve, who sat at thefoot of the table and helped the chicken while Mrs.

  Robinson poured coffee at the other end. She wasa fit mother for Huldah, being much the most stylishperson in Riverboro; ill health and dress were,indeed, her two chief enjoyments10 in life. It wasrumored that her elaborately curled "front piece"had cost five dollars, and that it was sent into Portlandtwice a year to be dressed and frizzed; butit is extremely difficult to discover the precise factsin such cases, and a conscientious11 historian alwaysprefers to warn a too credulous12 reader againstimbibing as gospel truth something that might bethe basest perversion13 of it. As to Mrs. Meserve'sappearance, have you ever, in earlier years, soughtthe comforting society of the cook and hung overthe kitchen table while she rolled out sugargingerbread? Perhaps then, in some unaccustomedmoment of amiability14, she made you a dough15 lady,cutting the outline deftly16 with her pastry17 knife, andthen, at last, placing the human stamp upon it bysticking in two black currants for eyes. Just call tomind the face of that sugar gingerbread lady andyou will have an exact portrait of Huldah's mother,--Mis' Peter Meserve, she was generally called,there being several others.

  "How'd you like Huldy's dress, Delia?" sheasked, snapping the elastic18 in her black jet braceletsafter an irritating fashion she had.

  "I thought it was about the handsomest of any,"answered Delia; "and her composition was firstrate. It was the only real amusin' one there was,and she read it so loud and clear we didn't missany of it; most o' the girls spoke19 as if they hadhasty pudtin' in their mouths.""That was the composition she wrote for AdamLadd's prize," explained Mrs. Meserve, "and theydo say she'd 'a' come out first, 'stead o' fourth,if her subject had been dif'rent. There was threeministers and three deacons on the committee, andit was only natural they should choose a seriouspiece; hers was too lively to suit 'em."Huldah's inspiring theme had been Boys, and shecertainly had a fund of knowledge and experiencethat fitted her to write most intelligently upon it. Itwas vastly popular with the audience, who enjoyedthe rather cheap jokes and allusions20 with which itcoruscated; but judged from a purely21 literary standpoint,it left much to be desired.

  "Rebecca's piece wan't read out loud, but theone that took the boy's prize was; why was that?"asked Mrs. Robinson.

  "Because she wan't graduatin'," explained Mrs.

  Cobb, "and couldn't take part in the exercises;it'll be printed, with Herbert Dunn's, in the schoolpaper.""I'm glad o' that, for I'll never believe it wasbetter 'n Huldy's till I read it with my own eyes;it seems as if the prize ought to 'a' gone to one ofthe seniors.""Well, no, Marthy, not if Ladd offered it to anyof the two upper classes that wanted to try for it,"argued Mrs. Robinson. "They say they asked himto give out the prizes, and he refused, up and down.

  It seems odd, his bein' so rich and travelin' aboutall over the country, that he was too modest to gitup on that platform.""My Huldy could 'a' done it, and not winked22 aneyelash," observed Mrs. Meserve complacently23; aremark which there seemed no disposition24 on thepart of any of the company to controvert25.

  "It was complete, though, the governor happeningto be there to see his niece graduate," said DeliaWeeks. "Land! he looked elegant! They say he'sonly six feet, but he might 'a' been sixteen, and hecertainly did make a fine speech.""Did you notice Rebecca, how white she was,and how she trembled when she and Herbert Dunnstood there while the governor was praisin' 'em?

  He'd read her composition, too, for he wrote theSawyer girls a letter about it." This remark wasfrom the sympathetic Mrs. Cobb.

  "I thought 't was kind o' foolish, his makin' somuch of her when it wan't her graduation,"objected Mrs. Meserve; "layin' his hand on her head'n' all that, as if he was a Pope pronouncin' benediction26.

  But there! I'm glad the prize come to Riverboro't any rate, and a han'somer one never wasgive out from the Wareham platform. I guess thereain't no end to Adam Ladd's money. The fifty dollarswould 'a' been good enough, but he must needsgo and put it into those elegant purses.""I set so fur back I couldn't see 'em fairly,"complained Delia, "and now Rebecca has takenhers home to show her mother.""It was kind of a gold net bag with a chain," saidMrs. Perkins, "and there was five ten-dollar goldpieces in it. Herbert Dunn's was put in a fineleather wallet.""How long is Rebecca goin' to stay at the farm?"asked Delia.

  "Till they get over Hannah's bein' married, andget the house to runnin' without her," answeredMrs. Perkins. "It seems as if Hannah might 'a'

  waited a little longer. Aurelia was set against hergoin' away while Rebecca was at school, but she'sobstinate as a mule27, Hannah is, and she just tookher own way in spite of her mother. She's beendoin' her sewin' for a year; the awfullest coarsecotton cloth she had, but she's nearly blinded herselfwith fine stitchin' and rufflin' and tuckin'. Didyou hear about the quilt she made? It's white, andhas a big bunch o' grapes in the centre, quilted bya thimble top. Then there's a row of circle-borderin'

  round the grapes, and she done them the sizeof a spool28. The next border was done with a sherryglass, and the last with a port glass, an' all outsideo' that was solid stitchin' done in straight rows;she's goin' to exhibit it at the county fair.""She'd better 'a' been takin' in sewin' and earnin'

  money, 'stead o' blindin' her eyes on such foolishnessas quilted counterpanes," said Mrs. Cobb.

  "The next thing you know that mortgage will beforeclosed on Mis' Randall, and she and the childrenwon't have a roof over their heads.""Don't they say there's a good chance of therailroad goin' through her place?" asked Mrs.

  Robinson. "If it does, she'll git as much as the farmis worth and more. Adam Ladd 's one of the stockholders,and everything is a success he takes holtof. They're fightin' it in Augusty, but I'd backLadd agin any o' them legislaters if he thought hewas in the right.""Rebecca'll have some new clothes now," saidDelia, "and the land knows she needs 'em. Seemsto me the Sawyer girls are gittin' turrible near!""Rebecca won't have any new clothes out o' theprize money," remarked Mrs. Perkins, "for she sentit away the next day to pay the interest on thatmortgage.""Poor little girl!" exclaimed Delia Weeks.

  "She might as well help along her folks as spendit on foolishness," affirmed Mrs. Robinson. "I thinkshe was mighty29 lucky to git it to pay the interestwith, but she's probably like all the Randalls; itwas easy come, easy go, with them.""That's more than could be said of the Sawyerstock," retorted Mrs. Perkins; "seems like theyenjoyed savin' more'n anything in the world, andit's gainin' on Mirandy sence her shock.""I don't believe it was a shock; it stands toreason she'd never 'a' got up after it and been sosmart as she is now; we had three o' the worstshocks in our family that there ever was on thisriver, and I know every symptom of 'em better'nthe doctors." And Mrs. Peter Meserve shook herhead wisely.

  "Mirandy 's smart enough," said Mrs. Cobb,"but you notice she stays right to home, and she'smore close-mouthed than ever she was; never tooka mite30 o' pride in the prize, as I could see, thoughit pretty nigh drove Jeremiah out o' his senses. Ithought I should 'a' died o' shame when he cried`Hooray!' and swung his straw hat when the governorshook hands with Rebecca. It's lucky hecouldn't get fur into the church and had to standback by the door, for as it was, he made a spectacleof himself. My suspicion is"--and here every ladystopped eating and sat up straight--"that theSawyer girls have lost money. They don't know athing about business 'n' never did, and Mirandy'stoo secretive and contrairy to ask advice.""The most o' what they've got is in gov'mentbonds, I always heard, and you can't lose moneyon them. Jane had the timber land left her, an'

  Mirandy had the brick house. She probably tookit awful hard that Rebecca's fifty dollars had to beswallowed up in a mortgage, 'stead of goin' towardsschool expenses. The more I think of it, the moreI think Adam Ladd intended Rebecca should havethat prize when he gave it." The mind of Huldah'smother ran towards the idea that her daughter'srights had been assailed31.

  "Land, Marthy, what foolishness you talk!"exclaimed Mrs. Perkins; "you don't suppose hecould tell what composition the committee wasgoing to choose; and why should he offer anotherfifty dollars for a boy's prize, if he wan't interestedin helpin' along the school? He's give Emma Janeabout the same present as Rebecca every Christmasfor five years; that's the way he does.""Some time he'll forget one of 'em and give tothe other, or drop 'em both and give to some newgirl!" said Delia Weeks, with an experience bornof fifty years of spinsterhood.

  "Like as not," assented32 Mrs. Peter Meserve,"though it's easy to see he ain't the marryin' kind.

  There's men that would marry once a year if theirwives would die fast enough, and there's men thatseems to want to live alone.""If Ladd was a Mormon, I guess he could haveevery woman in North Riverboro that's a suitableage, accordin' to what my cousins say," remarkedMrs. Perkins.

  "'T ain't likely he could be ketched by any NorthRiverboro girl," demurred33 Mrs. Robinson; "notwhen he prob'bly has had the pick o' Boston. Iguess Marthy hit it when she said there's menthat ain't the marryin' kind.""I wouldn't trust any of 'em when Miss Rightcomes along!" laughed Mrs. Cobb genially34. "Younever can tell what 'n' who 's goin' to please 'em.

  You know Jeremiah's contrairy horse, Buster? Hewon't let anybody put the bit into his mouth if hecan help it. He'll fight Jerry, and fight me, till hehas to give in. Rebecca didn't know nothin' abouthis tricks, and the other day she went int' thebarn to hitch35 up. I followed right along, knowingshe'd have trouble with the headstall, and I declareif she wan't pattin' Buster's nose and talkin' tohim, and when she put her little fingers into hismouth he opened it so fur I thought he'd swallerher, for sure. He jest smacked36 his lips over the bitas if 't was a lump o' sugar. `Land, Rebecca,' Isays, `how'd you persuade him to take the bit?'

  `I didn't,' she says, `he seemed to want it; perhapshe's tired of his stall and wants to get out inthe fresh air.'"


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 killing kpBziQ     
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财
参考例句:
  • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
  • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
2 prostrated 005b7f6be2182772064dcb09f1a7c995     
v.使俯伏,使拜倒( prostrate的过去式和过去分词 );(指疾病、天气等)使某人无能为力
参考例句:
  • He was prostrated by the loss of his wife. 他因丧妻而忧郁。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • They prostrated themselves before the emperor. 他们拜倒在皇帝的面前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 afterward fK6y3     
adv.后来;以后
参考例句:
  • Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏,然后吃饭。
  • Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来,这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。
4 proceeding Vktzvu     
n.行动,进行,(pl.)会议录,学报
参考例句:
  • This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
  • The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。
5 goaded 57b32819f8f3c0114069ed3397e6596e     
v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 );激励;(用尖棒)驱赶;驱使(或怂恿、刺激)某人
参考例句:
  • Goaded beyond endurance, she turned on him and hit out. 她被气得忍无可忍,于是转身向他猛击。
  • The boxers were goaded on by the shrieking crowd. 拳击运动员听见观众的喊叫就来劲儿了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
参考例句:
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
7 gravy Przzt1     
n.肉汁;轻易得来的钱,外快
参考例句:
  • You have spilled gravy on the tablecloth.你把肉汁泼到台布上了。
  • The meat was swimming in gravy.肉泡在浓汁之中。
8 abruptly iINyJ     
adv.突然地,出其不意地
参考例句:
  • He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
  • I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
9 fowl fljy6     
n.家禽,鸡,禽肉
参考例句:
  • Fowl is not part of a traditional brunch.禽肉不是传统的早午餐的一部分。
  • Since my heart attack,I've eaten more fish and fowl and less red meat.自从我患了心脏病后,我就多吃鱼肉和禽肉,少吃红色肉类。
10 enjoyments 8e942476c02b001997fdec4a72dbed6f     
愉快( enjoyment的名词复数 ); 令人愉快的事物; 享有; 享受
参考例句:
  • He is fond of worldly enjoyments. 他喜爱世俗的享乐。
  • The humanities and amenities of life had no attraction for him--its peaceful enjoyments no charm. 对他来说,生活中的人情和乐趣并没有吸引力——生活中的恬静的享受也没有魅力。
11 conscientious mYmzr     
adj.审慎正直的,认真的,本着良心的
参考例句:
  • He is a conscientious man and knows his job.他很认真负责,也很懂行。
  • He is very conscientious in the performance of his duties.他非常认真地履行职责。
12 credulous Oacy2     
adj.轻信的,易信的
参考例句:
  • You must be credulous if she fooled you with that story.连她那种话都能把你骗倒,你一定是太容易相信别人了。
  • Credulous attitude will only make you take anything for granted.轻信的态度只会使你想当然。
13 perversion s3tzJ     
n.曲解;堕落;反常
参考例句:
  • In its most general sense,corruption means the perversion or abandonment.就其最一般的意义上说,舞弊就是堕落,就是背离准则。
  • Her account was a perversion of the truth.她所讲的歪曲了事实。
14 amiability e665b35f160dba0dedc4c13e04c87c32     
n.和蔼可亲的,亲切的,友善的
参考例句:
  • His amiability condemns him to being a constant advisor to other people's troubles. 他那和蔼可亲的性格使他成为经常为他人排忧解难的开导者。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • I watched my master's face pass from amiability to sternness. 我瞧着老师的脸上从和蔼变成严峻。 来自辞典例句
15 dough hkbzg     
n.生面团;钱,现款
参考例句:
  • She formed the dough into squares.她把生面团捏成四方块。
  • The baker is kneading dough.那位面包师在揉面。
16 deftly deftly     
adv.灵巧地,熟练地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He deftly folded the typed sheets and replaced them in the envelope. 他灵巧地将打有字的纸折好重新放回信封。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • At last he had a clew to her interest, and followed it deftly. 这一下终于让他发现了她的兴趣所在,于是他熟练地继续谈这个话题。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
17 pastry Q3ozx     
n.油酥面团,酥皮糕点
参考例句:
  • The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry.厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。
  • The pastry crust was always underdone.馅饼的壳皮常常烤得不透。
18 elastic Tjbzq     
n.橡皮圈,松紧带;adj.有弹性的;灵活的
参考例句:
  • Rubber is an elastic material.橡胶是一种弹性材料。
  • These regulations are elastic.这些规定是有弹性的。
19 spoke XryyC     
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
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
20 allusions c86da6c28e67372f86a9828c085dd3ad     
暗指,间接提到( allusion的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • We should not use proverbs and allusions indiscriminately. 不要滥用成语典故。
  • The background lent itself to allusions to European scenes. 眼前的情景容易使人联想到欧洲风光。
21 purely 8Sqxf     
adv.纯粹地,完全地
参考例句:
  • I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
  • This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。
22 winked af6ada503978fa80fce7e5d109333278     
v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 );递眼色(表示友好或高兴等);(指光)闪烁;闪亮
参考例句:
  • He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼,她便知道他的想法和她一样。
  • He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
23 complacently 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
24 disposition GljzO     
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署
参考例句:
  • He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
  • He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。
25 controvert ZZ0y0     
v.否定;否认
参考例句:
  • The statement of the last witness controvert the evidence of the first two.最后一个证人的陈述反驳了前两人的证词。
  • She would never controvert with her father.她绝不会跟她的父亲争论。
26 benediction 6Q4y0     
n.祝福;恩赐
参考例句:
  • The priest pronounced a benediction over the couple at the end of the marriage ceremony.牧师在婚礼结束时为新婚夫妇祈求上帝赐福。
  • He went abroad with his parents' benediction.他带着父母的祝福出国去了。
27 mule G6RzI     
n.骡子,杂种,执拗的人
参考例句:
  • A mule is a cross between a mare and a donkey.骡子是母马和公驴的杂交后代。
  • He is an old mule.他是个老顽固。
28 spool XvgwI     
n.(缠录音带等的)卷盘(轴);v.把…绕在卷轴上
参考例句:
  • Can you wind this film back on to its spool?你能把这胶卷卷回到卷轴上去吗?
  • Thomas squatted on the forward deck,whistling tunelessly,polishing the broze spool of the anchor winch.托马斯蹲在前甲板上擦起锚绞车的黄铜轴,边擦边胡乱吹着口哨。
29 mighty YDWxl     
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。
30 mite 4Epxw     
n.极小的东西;小铜币
参考例句:
  • The poor mite was so ill.可怜的孩子病得这么重。
  • He is a mite taller than I.他比我高一点点。
31 assailed cca18e858868e1e5479e8746bfb818d6     
v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 );困扰;质问;毅然应对
参考例句:
  • He was assailed with fierce blows to the head. 他的头遭到猛烈殴打。
  • He has been assailed by bad breaks all these years. 这些年来他接二连三地倒霉。 来自《用法词典》
32 assented 4cee1313bb256a1f69bcc83867e78727     
同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The judge assented to allow the prisoner to speak. 法官同意允许犯人申辩。
  • "No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women -- they're too noble. “对,”汤姆表示赞同地说,“他们不杀女人——真伟大!
33 demurred demurred     
v.表示异议,反对( demur的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • At first she demurred, but then finally agreed. 她开始表示反对,但最终还是同意了。
  • They demurred at working on Sundays. 他们反对星期日工作。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
34 genially 0de02d6e0c84f16556e90c0852555eab     
adv.亲切地,和蔼地;快活地
参考例句:
  • The white church peeps out genially from behind the huts scattered on the river bank. 一座白色教堂从散布在岸上的那些小木房后面殷勤地探出头来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • "Well, It'seems strange to see you way up here,'said Mr. Kenny genially. “咳,真没想到会在这么远的地方见到你,"肯尼先生亲切地说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
35 hitch UcGxu     
v.免费搭(车旅行);系住;急提;n.故障;急拉
参考例句:
  • They had an eighty-mile journey and decided to hitch hike.他们要走80英里的路程,最后决定搭便车。
  • All the candidates are able to answer the questions without any hitch.所有报考者都能对答如流。
36 smacked bb7869468e11f63a1506d730c1d2219e     
拍,打,掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He smacked his lips but did not utter a word. 他吧嗒两下嘴,一声也不言语。
  • She smacked a child's bottom. 她打孩子的屁股。


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