“How is your grandmother?” he asked. “I hear she is ill.”
“Better,” whispered Berty. “Bonny is with her, but I’ve got another trouble.”
“What is it?” inquired Tom, tenderly.
They were standing1 in the front hall, and he bent2 his head low to hear what she said.
“There’s a tramp out in the wood-shed,” she went on, “and I don’t know what to do with him.”
“I’ll go put him out,” said Tom, promptly3 starting toward the back hall.
“No, no, I don’t want him put out. Come back, Tom. I want you to help me do something for him. Just think, he was once a doctor. He cured[196] other people, and couldn’t cure himself. He drinks like a fish.”
“Well, I’ll find a place for him to disport4 himself other than this,” said Tom, decidedly. “He isn’t going to spend the night in your back yard.”
“Oh, Tom, don’t be foolish. He is as quiet as a lamb. He hasn’t been drinking to-day.”
“I tell you, Berty, he’s got to come out. If you make a fuss, I’ll call Bonny down.”
“Why, Tom Everest, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Your face is as red as a beet6. What about the Golden Rule?”
“I beg your pardon, Berty,” said Tom, trying to look calm, “but I know more about tramps than you do. This fellow may be a thief.”
“Tom—suppose you were the thief, and the thief were you? Would you like him to talk about you that way?”
“Yes, I’d enjoy it. Come, Berty, lead the way.”
“What do you want to do with him?” asked the girl, curiously7.
“Put him in the street.”
“Well, suppose he is a thief. He may rob your neighbour’s house.”
“My neighbour can look out for himself.”
“You don’t mean that,” said Berty, quickly.[197] “Please do find this man a good place for the night. Keep him out of harm.”
“But, Berty, it won’t do any good. I know those fellows. They are thoroughly8 demoralized. You might just as well let this one go.”
“Go where?” asked the girl, quickly.
“To his appointed place.”
The two young people stood staring at each other for a few minutes, then Berty said, seriously, “Tom Everest, you are a moral, upright man.”
Tom modestly cast his eyes to the oilcloth on the floor.
“How many other young men are there like you in the republic?” pursued Berty.
“I don’t know,” he said, demurely9.
“How many tramps are there?”
“I don’t know that—thousands and thousands, I guess.”
“Well, suppose every honest young man took a poor, miserable10 tramp under his protection. Suppose he looked out for him, fed him, clothed him, and kept him from being a prey11 on society?”
“I should say that would be a most undesirable12 plan for the young men,” said Tom, dryly. “I’d be afraid they’d get demoralized themselves, and all turn tramps. It’s easier to loaf than to work.”
[198]
“Tom,” said Berty, firmly, “this is my tramp. I found him, I brought him home, I have a duty toward him. I can’t protect all the tramps in the union, but I can prevent this one from going on and being a worry to society. Why, he might meet some timid girl to-morrow and frighten her to death.”
“Oho! he tried to scare you, did he?” asked Tom, keenly.
“He asked me for money,” repeated Berty, “but of course I didn’t let him have it.”
“Tell me all about it.”
When she finished, Tom laughed softly. “So this is the gentleman you want me to befriend?”
“Do you feel revengeful toward him?” asked Berty.
“I’d like to horsewhip him.”
“That’s the way I felt at first. Then I said to myself, ‘Berty Gravely, you’ve got to get every revengeful feeling out of your head before you can benefit that man. What’s the use of being angry with him? You only stultify13 yourself. Try to find out how you can do him good.’”
“Oh, Berty,” interposed Tom, with a gesture of despair, “don’t talk mawkish14, sickly sentimentality[199] to me. Don’t throw honey water over tin cans, and expect them to blossom like the rose.”
“They will blossom, they can blossom,” said Berty, persistently15, “and even if they won’t blossom, take your old tin cans, clean them, and set them on end. Don’t kick them in the gutter16.”
“What do you want me to do?” asked Tom, helplessly. “I see you have some plan in your mind.”
This was Berty’s chance, and for a few minutes she so staggered him by her eloquence17 that he sank on the staircase, and, feebly propping18 his head on his hand, stared uninterruptedly at her.
“I’ve been thinking hard,” she said, in low, dramatic tones, “very, very hard for two hours, as I sat by Grandma’s bed. What can we do for wrecks19 of humanity? Shall we pet them, coddle them, spoil them, as you speak of doing? Not at all. We’ve got to do something, but we mustn’t be foolish. This tramp is like some wet, soggy piece of wood floating down our river. It doesn’t know, feel, nor care. You mustn’t give it a push and send it further down the stream, but pull it ashore20, and—and—”
“And dry it, and make a fire and burn it,” said Tom, briskly. “I don’t like your simile21, Berty.”
[200]
“It was unfortunate,” said the girl. “I will start again. I approve of societies and churches and clubs—I think they do splendid work, and if, in addition to what they do, every one of us would just reach out a helping22 hand to one solitary23 person in the world, how different things would be. We would have a paradise here below. It’s wicked, Tom, to say, ‘That is a worthless person, let him go—you can do nothing for him.’ Now I’ve got a plan for this tramp, and I want you to help me.”
“I know you have, and I wouldn’t mind hearing it, but I don’t think I’ll help you, Berty. I don’t favour the gentry24 of the road.”
“This is my plan,” said Berty, unheedingly; “but first let me say that I will make a concession25 to you. You may take the tramp with you, put him in a comfortable room for the night, see that he has a good bed, and a good breakfast in the morning.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you,” murmured the young man. “You are so very kind.”
“Don’t give him any money,” continued Berty, seriously, “and if you can keep him locked up without hurting his feelings, I wish you would—but don’t blight26 his self-respect.”
“His what?” asked Tom, mildly.
[201]
“His self-respect—even an animal must be protected in that way. Don’t you know that a dog gets well a great deal quicker, if you keep up his good opinion of himself?”
“Does he?” murmured Tom. “I—I don’t know. I fear I have sometimes helped to lessen27 a dog’s good opinion of himself.”
“And, furthermore,” pursued Berty, “I want that tramp to stay in Riverport. He’s going to be my tramp, Tom, and yours, too, if you will be good.”
“Oh, I will be good, Berty, extra good to deserve a partnership28 like that.”
“And you and I will look out for him. Now I’ve been wondering what employment we can find for him, for of course you know it isn’t good for any man to live in idleness.”
“Just so, Berty.”
“Well, we must be very cautious about what work we find for him, for he hasn’t worked for years.”
“Something light and genteel, Berty.”
“Light, but not so very genteel. He isn’t proud. He’s only unaccustomed to work. He talked quite frankly29 about himself.”
“Oh—did he?”
[202]
“Yes, and do you know what I have decided5?”
“No, I’m sure I don’t.”
“Well, I have just found the very thing for him, and I dare say, if you have any money laid aside, you may want to invest in it. First of all, I want you to hire Bobbetty’s Island.”
“Bobbetty’s Island—out in the river—old man Bobbetty’s?”
“The same, Tom.”
“Ghost thrown in?”
“I want you to hire it,” said Berty, severely30, “and get some of your friends to make up a party, and go down there and put up a big, comfortable camp for our tramp to live in.”
“Why the island, Berty?” inquired Tom, in a suppressed voice. “Why not set him up in Grand Avenue. There’s a first-class family mansion31 to let there, three doors from us.”
“Tom Everest, will you stop your fooling. Our tramp is to live on the island because if he were in the town he would spend half his time in drinking-places.”
“But won’t the river be suggestive, Berty? It would to me, and I’m not a drinking man.”
“No, of course not—he will have his work to do, and twice a week I want you to row over yourself,[203] or get some one to go and bring him to town, for he would go crazy if he were left there alone all the time.”
“I wonder you don’t get a companion for him.”
“I’m going to try. He has a wife, a nice woman in New Hampshire, who left him on account of his drinking habits. He says she will come back to him if he gets a good situation and promises to reform.”
“Has he promised?” asked Tom, acutely.
“He said he would think about it. I rather liked him for the hesitation32, for of course he is completely out of the way of continuous application to anything.”
“And what business, may I ask, are you going to establish him in? You seemed to be hinting at something.”
“I am going to start a cat farm, and put him in charge,” replied Berty, with the air of one making a great revelation.
“A cat farm,” echoed Tom, weakly, then, entirely33 collapsing34, he rolled over on his side on the staircase and burst into silent and convulsive laughter.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
promptly
|
|
| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
disport
|
|
| v.嬉戏，玩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
beet
|
|
| n.甜菜；甜菜根 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
curiously
|
|
| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
thoroughly
|
|
| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
demurely
|
|
| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
miserable
|
|
| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
prey
|
|
| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
undesirable
|
|
| adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
stultify
|
|
| v.愚弄；使呆滞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
mawkish
|
|
| adj.多愁善感的的；无味的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
persistently
|
|
| ad.坚持地；固执地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
gutter
|
|
| n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
eloquence
|
|
| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
propping
|
|
| 支撑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
wrecks
|
|
| n.沉船( wreck的名词复数 )；（事故中）遭严重毁坏的汽车（或飞机等）；（身体或精神上）受到严重损伤的人；状况非常糟糕的车辆（或建筑物等）v.毁坏[毁灭]某物( wreck的第三人称单数 )；使（船舶）失事，使遇难，使下沉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
ashore
|
|
| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
simile
|
|
| n.直喻，明喻 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
helping
|
|
| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
solitary
|
|
| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
gentry
|
|
| n.绅士阶级，上层阶级 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
concession
|
|
| n.让步，妥协；特许(权) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
blight
|
|
| n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
lessen
|
|
| vt.减少，减轻；缩小 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
partnership
|
|
| n.合作关系，伙伴关系 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
frankly
|
|
| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
severely
|
|
| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
mansion
|
|
| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
hesitation
|
|
| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
collapsing
|
|
| 压扁[平]，毁坏，断裂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |