"They can't be far away," replied my wife, looking up from her preparations for supper. "Bobsey was here a moment ago. As soon as my back's turned he's out and away. I haven't seen Merton since he brought his books from school, and I suppose Winnie is upstairs with the Daggetts."
"I wish, my dear, you could keep the children at home more," I said, a little petulantly1.
"I wish you would go and find them for me now, and to-morrow take my place—for just one day."
"Well, well," I said, with a laugh that had no mirth in it; "only one of your wishes stands much chance of being carried out. I'll find the children now if I can without the aid of the police. Mousie, do you feel stronger to-night?"
These words were spoken to a pale girl of fourteen, who appeared to be scarcely more than twelve, so diminutive3 was her frame.
"Yes, papa," she replied, a faint smile flitting like a ray of light across her features. She always said she was better, but never got well. Her quiet ways and tones had led to the household name of "Mousie."
As I was descending4 the narrow stairway I was almost overthrown5 by a torrent6 of children pouring down from the flats above. In the dim light of a gas-burner I saw that Bobsey was one of the reckless atoms. He had not heard my voice in the uproar7, and before I could reach him, he with the others had burst out at the street door and gone tearing toward the nearest corner. It seemed that he had slipped away in order to take part in a race, and I found him "squaring off" at a bigger boy who had tripped him up. Without a word I carried him home, followed by the jeers8 and laughter of the racers, the girls making their presence known in the early December twilight9 by the shrillness10 of their voices and by manners no gentler than those of the boys.
I put down the child—he was only seven years of age—in the middle of our general living-room, and looked at him. His little coat was split out in the back; one of his stockings, already well-darned at the knees, was past remedy; his hands were black, and one was bleeding; his whole little body was throbbing11 with excitement, anger, and violent exercise. As I looked at him quietly the defiant12 expression in his eyes began to give place to tears.
"There is no use in punishing him now," said my wife. "Please leave him to me and find the others."
"I wasn't going to punish him," I said.
"What are you going to do? What makes you look at him so?"
"He's a problem I can't solve—with the given conditions."
"O Robert, you drive me half wild. If the house was on fire you'd stop to follow out some train of thought about it all. I'm tired to death. Do bring the children home. When we've put them to bed you can figure on your problem, and I can sit down."
As I went up to the Daggetts' flat I was dimly conscious of another problem. My wife was growing fretful and nervous. Our rooms would not have satisfied a Dutch housewife, but if "order is heaven's first law" a little of Paradise was in them as compared to the Daggetts' apartments. "Yes," I was told, in response to my inquiries13; "Winnie is in the bed-room with Melissy."
The door was locked, and after some hesitation14 the girls opened it. As we were going downstairs I caught a glimpse of a newspaper in my girl's pocket. She gave it to me reluctantly, and said "Melissy" had lent it to her. I told her to help her mother prepare supper while I went to find Merton. Opening the paper under a street lamp, I found it to be a cheap, vile15 journal, full of flashy pictures that so often offend the eye on news-stands. With a chill of fear I thought, "Another problem." The Daggett children had had the scarlet16 fever a few months before. "But here's a worse infection," I reflected. "Thank heaven, Winnie is only a child, and can't understand these pictures;" and I tore the paper up and thrust it into its proper place, the gutter17.
"Now," I muttered, "I've only to find Merton in mischief18 to make the evening's experience complete."
In mischief I did find him—a very harmful kind of mischief, it appeared to me. Merton was little over fifteen, and he and two or three other lads were smoking cigarettes which, to judge by their odor, must certainly have been made from the sweepings19 of the manufacturer's floor.
"Well, sir," was the sullen21 reply, "I'd like to know what there is for a boy to do in this street."
During the walk home I tried to think of an answer to his implied question. What would I do if I were in Merton's place? I confess that I was puzzled. After sitting in school all day he must do something that the police would permit. There certainly seemed very little range of action for a growing boy. Should I take him out of school and put him into a shop or an office? If I did this his education would be sadly limited. Moreover he was tall and slender for his age, and upon his face there was a pallor which I dislike to see in a boy. Long hours of business would be very hard upon him, even if he could endure the strain at all. The problem which had been pressing on me for months—almost years—grew urgent.
With clouded brows we sat down to our modest little supper. Winifred, my wife, was hot and flushed from too near acquaintance with the stove, and wearied by a long day of toil22 in a room that would be the better for a gale23 of wind. Bobsey, as we called my little namesake, was absorbed—now that he was relieved from the fear of punishment—by the wish to "punch" the boy who had tripped him up. Winnie was watching me furtively24, and wondering what had become of the paper, and what I thought of it. Merton was somewhat sullen, and a little ashamed of himself. I felt that my problem was to give these children something to do that would not harm them, for do SOMETHING they certainly would. They were rapidly attaining25 that age when the shelter of a narrow city flat would not answer, when the influence of a crowded house and of the street might be greater than any we could bring to bear upon them.
I looked around upon the little group for whom I was responsible. My will was still law to them. While my little wife had positive ways of her own, she would agree to any decided26 course that I resolved upon. The children were yet under entire control, so that I sat at the head of the table, commander-in-chief of the little band. We called the narrow flat we lived in "home." The idea! with the Daggetts above and the Ricketts on the floor beneath. It was not a home, and was scarcely a fit camping-ground for such a family squad27 as ours. Yet we had stayed on for years in this long, narrow line of rooms, reaching from a crowded street to a little back-yard full of noisy children by day, and noisier cats by night. I had often thought of moving, but had failed to find a better shelter that was within my very limited means. The neighborhood was respectable, so far as a densely28 populated region can be. It was not very distant from my place of business, and my work often kept me so late at the office that we could not live in the suburb. The rent was moderate for New York, and left me some money, after food and clothing were provided, for occasional little outings and pleasures, which I believe to be needed by both body and mind. While the children were little—so long as they would "stay put" in the cradle or on the floor—we did not have much trouble. Fortunately I had good health, and, as my wife said, was "handy with children." Therefore I could help her in the care of them at night, and she had kept much of her youthful bloom. Heaven had blessed us. We had met with no serious misfortunes, nor had any of our number been often prostrated29 by prolonged and dangerous illness. But during the last year my wife had been growing thin, and occasionally her voice had a sharpness which was new. Every month Bobsey became more hard to manage. Our living-room was to him like a cage to a wild bird, and slip away he would, to his mother's alarm; for he was almost certain to get into mischief or trouble. The effort to perform her household tasks and watch over him was more wearing than it had been to rock him through long hours at night when he was a teething baby. These details seem very homely30 no doubt, yet such as these largely make up our lives. Comfort or discomfort31, happiness or unhappiness, springs from them. There is no crop in the country so important as that of boys and girls. How could I manage my little home-garden in a flat?
I looked thoughtfully from one to another, as with children's appetites they became absorbed in one of the chief events of the day.
"Well," said my wife, querulously, "how are you getting on with your problem?"
"Take this extra bit of steak and I'll tell you after the children are asleep," I said.
"I can't eat another mouthful," she exclaimed, pushing back her almost untasted supper. "Broiling32 the steak was enough for me."
"You are quite tired out, dear," I said, very gently.
"I don't know what is the matter with me," she faltered34. "I am so nervous some days that I feel as if I should fly to pieces. I do try to be patient, but I know I'm growing cross!"
"She IS cross," Bobsey cried; "she boxed my ears this very day."
"And you deserved it," was Merton's retort. "It's a pity they are not boxed oftener."
"Yes, Robert, I did," continued my wife, sorrowfully. "Bobsey ran away four times, and vexed35 me beyond endurance, that is, such endurance as I have left, which doesn't seem to be very much."
"I understand, dear," I said. "You are a part of my problem, and you must help me solve it." Then I changed the subject decidedly, and soon brought sunshine to our clouded household. Children's minds are easily diverted; and my wife, whom a few sharp words would have greatly irritated, was soothed36, and her curiosity awakened37 as to the subject of my thoughts.
该作者的其它作品
《他爱上了自己的妻子 He Fell In Love With His Wife》
《爱伦坡小说选 Allan Poe’s stories》
该作者的其它作品
《他爱上了自己的妻子 He Fell In Love With His Wife》
《爱伦坡小说选 Allan Poe’s stories》
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1
petulantly
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2
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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3
diminutive
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| adj.小巧可爱的，小的 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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overthrown
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| adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词 | |
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6
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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8
jeers
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| n.操纵帆桁下部（使其上下的）索具；嘲讽( jeer的名词复数 )v.嘲笑( jeer的第三人称单数 ) | |
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9
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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shrillness
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| 尖锐刺耳 | |
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throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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12
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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13
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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17
gutter
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| n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟 | |
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18
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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19
sweepings
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| n.笼统的( sweeping的名词复数 )；（在投票等中的）大胜；影响广泛的；包罗万象的 | |
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20
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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23
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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24
furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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25
attaining
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的现在分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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26
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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27
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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28
densely
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| ad.密集地；浓厚地 | |
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29
prostrated
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| 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 | |
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30
homely
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| adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的 | |
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31
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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32
broiling
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| adj.酷热的，炽热的，似烧的v.（用火）烤（焙、炙等）( broil的现在分词 )；使卷入争吵；使混乱；被烤（或炙） | |
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33
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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34
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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35
vexed
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| 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 | |
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36
soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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37
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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