Even in the character of the goods there was eloquence4, and not a drollery5 in the scene, not even an ugliness, but was touched, was rife6, with the woe7 of a war whose burning walls were falling in on us. And outward, too, upon others; a few up-ended cottonbales leaned against each other ragged8 and idle, while women and babes starved for want of them in far-away Lancaster.
One of the cars furthest from the engine had no freight proper, only a number of trunks; and these were nearly hidden by the widely crinolined flounces of an elegant elderly lady who sat on the middle one. And now she, too, was hidden, and the wide doorway9 in the side of the car more than filled, by the fashionable gowns of three girls. On the ground below there stood a lieutenant10 in a homemade gray uniform, and at his back half a dozen big, slouching, barefoot boys squirted tobacco juice and gazed at the ladies. The officer scanned me, spoke11 to the ladies, scanned me again, and threw up an arm. "Ho--o! Come here! Hullo! Come here--if you please."
If he had not said please he should have ho'd and hullo'd in vain, but at that word I turned. Before I had covered half the distance I read New Orleans! my dear, dear old New Orleans! in every line of those ladies' draperies, and at twenty-five yards I saw one noble family likeness12 in all four of their sweet faces. Oh, but those three maidens13 were fair! and I could name each by her name at a glance: Camille, Cécile, Estelle; eighteen, nineteen, twenty!
There was a hush14 of attention among them as the lieutenant and I saluted15. His left hand was gone at the wrist and the sleeve pinned back on itself. He asked my name; I told him. In the car there was a stir of deepening interest. I inquired if he was the post-quartermaster here. He was.
"Ain't you Major Harper's quartermaster-sergeant?" he asked.
"I am his clerk." In the car a flash of joy and then great decorum.
As he handed me a writing he glowed kindly16. It proved to be from Major Harper; a requisition upon this officer for shoes and clothing; not for a brigade, regiment17 or company, but for me alone, from hat to shoes. I tendered it back silently, and saw that he knew its purport18 already from the Major, and that the ladies knew it from him. The good fellow looked quite happy a moment, but then reddened as they joyfully19 crowded the car's doorway to see me fitted!
"We can select out sev'l pair--" he began, but heard a puerile20 titter and lost his nerve. "Now, you boys that ain't got any business here, jest clair out!--Go! I tell you, aw I'll--" The boys loitered off toward the engine. "We can select out sev'l si-izes," he drawled, uncovering a box, "and fit you ove' in my office. You ain't so pow'ful long nor so pow'ful slim, but these-yeh gov'ment contrac's they seldom ev' allow fo' anybody so slim in the waist bein' so long in the, eh,--so, eh,--so long f'om thah down. But yet still, if you'll jest light off yo' hoss and come and look into this-yeh box--"
Hmm! yes! I wouldn't have got off my horse and leaned over that box to save the Confederacy. "I thank you, Lieutenant, but I can't stop. If you'll hand me up a jacket and pair of shoes I'll sign for them and go. I don't want a hat, but I reckon I'd as well include shoes, although really,--" I glanced down brazenly21 at the stirrup-leathers that so snugly22 hid my naked toes.
As the quartermaster lifted out a pair of brogans as broad as they were long, there came a cry of protestation from the freight-car group, that brought the entire herd23 of rustics24 from the woodpile and the locomotive. Miss Harper rose behind her nieces, tall, slender, dark, with keen black eyes as kind as they were penetrating25. "My boy!" she cried, "you cannot wear those things!"
Camille, the youngest, whispered to her, whereupon she beckoned26. "Oh!--oh, do come here!--Mr. Smith, I am the sister of Major Harper. You're from New Orleans? Does your mother live in Apollo Street?"
"Yes, madam, between Melpomene and Terpsichore."
"Richard Thorndyke Smith! My dear boy," she cried, while the nieces gasped27 at each other with gestures and looks all the way between Terpsichore and Melpomene, and then the four cried in chorus, "We know your mother!"
"We've got a letter for you from her!" exclaimed Camille.
"And a suit of unie-fawm!" called Cécile, with her Creole accent.
"We smuggled28 it through!" chanted the trio, ready to weep for virtuous29 joy. And then they clasped arms like the graces, about their aunt, and let her speak.
"We all helped your mother make your uniform," she said. "In the short time we've known her we've learned to love her dearly." With military brevity she told how they had unexpectedly got a pass and were just out of New Orleans--"poor New Orleans!" put in Estelle, the eldest30, the pensive31 one; that they had come up from Pontchatoula yesterday and last night, and had thrown themselves on beds in the "hotel" yonder without venturing to disrobe, and so had let her brother pass within a few steps of them while they slept! "Telegraph? My dear boy, we came but ten miles an hour, but we outran our despatch32!" Now they had telegraphed again, to Brookhaven, and thanks to the post-quartermaster, were going down there at once on this train. While this was being told something else was going on. The youngest niece, Camille, had put herself entirely33 out of sight. Now she reappeared with very rosy34 cheeks, saying, "Here's the letter."
My thanks were few and awkward, for there still hung to the missive a basting35 thread, and it was as warm as a nestling bird. I bent36 low--everybody was emotional in those days--kissed the fragrant37 thing, thrust it into my bosom38, and blushed worse than Camille.
"Poor boy!" said the aunt. "It's the first line you've had for months. Your sweet mother wrote, but her letters were all intercepted39, and the last time she was warned that next time she'd be dealt with according to military usage! I'm glad we could give you this one at once. We can't give you the uniform, for we--why, girls, what--why, what nonsense!"
Maybe I did not say vindictive40 things inside me just then! The three nieces had turned open-mouthed upon one another and sunk down upon their luggage with averted41 faces.
"I say we can't give it to you now," Miss Harper persisted, with a motherly smile; "we're wearing it ourselves. We've had no time to take it off. I couldn't get the boots off me last night. And even if you had the boots, the other things--"
"Aunt Martha!" moaned some one. "Well, in short," said the aunt, twinkling like her brother, "we can't deliver the goods, and--" She started as though some one had slapped her between the shoulder-blades. It was the engine caused it, whistling in the old, lawless way, putting a whoop42, a howl, a scream and a wail43 into one. The young ladies quailed44, the train jerked like several collisions, the bell began tardily45 to clang, and my steed whirled, cleared a packing case, whirled again, and stood facing the train, his eyes blazing, his nostrils46 flapping, not half so much frightened as insulted. The post-quartermaster waved to the ladies and they to us. For a last touch I lifted my cap high and backed my horse on drooping47 haunches--you've seen Buffalo48 Bill do it--and then, with a leap like a cricket's, and to a clapping of maidens' hands that made me whooping49 drunk, we stretched away, my horse and I, on a long smooth gallop50, for Brookhaven.
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收听单词发音
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1
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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homely
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| adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的 | |
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eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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drollery
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| n.开玩笑，说笑话；滑稽可笑的图画（或故事、小戏等） | |
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rife
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| adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的 | |
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woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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8
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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11
spoke
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| 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 | |
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likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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14
hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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15
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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purport
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| n.意义，要旨，大要；v.意味著，做为...要旨，要领是... | |
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joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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puerile
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| adj.幼稚的，儿童的 | |
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brazenly
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| adv.厚颜无耻地；厚脸皮地肆无忌惮地 | |
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snugly
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| adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地 | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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rustics
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| n.有农村或村民特色的( rustic的名词复数 )；粗野的；不雅的；用粗糙的木材或树枝制作的 | |
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25
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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smuggled
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| 水货 | |
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virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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pensive
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| a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的 | |
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32
despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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basting
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| n.疏缝；疏缝的针脚；疏缝用线；涂油v.打( baste的现在分词 )；粗缝；痛斥；（烤肉等时）往上抹[浇]油 | |
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36
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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37
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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38
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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39
intercepted
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| 拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻 | |
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40
vindictive
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| adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的 | |
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41
averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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42
whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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43
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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44
quailed
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| 害怕，发抖，畏缩( quail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
tardily
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| adv.缓慢 | |
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46
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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47
drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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48
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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49
whooping
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| 发嗬嗬声的，发咳声的 | |
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50
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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