The tide was in, the wide harbor was surrounded by its dark woods, and the small wooden houses stood as near as they could get to the landing. Mrs. Todd's was the last house on the way inland. The gray ledges7 of the rocky shore were well covered with sod in most places, and the pasture bayberry and wild roses grew thick among them. I could see the higher inland country and the scattered8 farms. On the brink9 of the hill stood a little white schoolhouse, much wind-blown and weather-beaten, which was a landmark10 to seagoing folk; from its door there was a most beautiful view of sea and shore. The summer vacation now prevailed, and after finding the door unfastened, and taking a long look through one of the seaward windows, and reflecting afterward11 for some time in a shady place near by among the bayberry bushes, I returned to the chief place of business in the village, and, to the amusement of two of the selectmen, brothers and autocrats12 of Dunnet Landing, I hired the schoolhouse for the rest of the vacation for fifty cents a week.
Selfish as it may appear, the retired13 situation seemed to possess great advantages, and I spent many days there quite undisturbed, with the sea-breeze blowing through the small, high windows and swaying the heavy outside shutters14 to and fro. I hung my hat and luncheon-basket on an entry nail as if I were a small scholar, but I sat at the teacher's desk as if I were that great authority, with all the timid empty benches in rows before me. Now and then an idle sheep came and stood for a long time looking in at the door. At sundown I went back, feeling most businesslike, down toward the village again, and usually met the flavor, not of the herb garden, but of Mrs. Todd's hot supper, halfway15 up the hill. On the nights when there were evening meetings or other public exercises that demanded her presence we had tea very early, and I was welcomed back as if from a long absence.
Once or twice I feigned16 excuses for staying at home, while Mrs. Todd made distant excursions, and came home late, with both hands full and a heavily laden17 apron18. This was in pennyroyal time, and when the rare lobelia was in its prime and the elecampane was coming on. One day she appeared at the schoolhouse itself, partly out of amused curiosity about my industries; but she explained that there was no tansy in the neighborhood with such snap to it as some that grew about the schoolhouse lot. Being scuffed19 down all the spring made it grow so much the better, like some folks that had it hard in their youth, and were bound to make the most of themselves before they died.
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2 detailed | |
adj.详细的,详尽的,极注意细节的,完全的 | |
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3 therapeutic | |
adj.治疗的,起治疗作用的;对身心健康有益的 | |
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4 landlady | |
n.女房东,女地主 | |
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5 resolutely | |
adj.坚决地,果断地 | |
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6 fragrant | |
adj.芬香的,馥郁的,愉快的 | |
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7 ledges | |
n.(墙壁,悬崖等)突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 );(平窄的)壁架;横档;(尤指)窗台 | |
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8 scattered | |
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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9 brink | |
n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘,边沿 | |
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10 landmark | |
n.陆标,划时代的事,地界标 | |
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11 afterward | |
adv.后来;以后 | |
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12 autocrats | |
n.独裁统治者( autocrat的名词复数 );独断专行的人 | |
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13 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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14 shutters | |
百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 ); (照相机的)快门 | |
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15 halfway | |
adj.中途的,不彻底的,部分的;adv.半路地,在中途,在半途 | |
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16 feigned | |
a.假装的,不真诚的 | |
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17 laden | |
adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
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18 apron | |
n.围裙;工作裙 | |
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19 scuffed | |
v.使磨损( scuff的过去式和过去分词 );拖着脚走 | |
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