After supper I went over and asked Mr. Jones about these children, and he replied, significantly, looking around first to make sure that no one heard him:
"Mr. Durham, steer9 clear of those people. You know there are certain varmints on a farm to which we give a wide berth10 and kill 'em when we can. Of course we can't kill off this family, although a good contribution could be taken up any day to move 'em a hundred miles away. Still about everybody gives 'em a wide berth, and is civil to their faces. They'll rob you more or less, and you might as well make up your mind to it, and let 'em alone."
"Suppose I don't let them alone?"
"Well—remember, now, this is wholly between ourselves—there's been barns burned around here. Everybody's satisfied who sot 'em afire, but nothin' can be proved. Your cow or horse, too, might suddenly die. There's no tellin' what accidents would happen if you got their ill-will."
"I can't take the course you suggest toward this family," I said, after a little thought. "It seems to me wrong on both sides. On one hand, they are treated as outlaws11, and that would go far to make them such; on the other, they are permitted to levy12 a sort of blackmail13 and commit crime with impunity14. Of course I must keep my children away from them; but, if the chance offers, I shall show the family kindness, and if they molest15 me I shall try to give them the law to the utmost."
"Well," concluded Mr. Jones, with a shrug16, "I've warned you, if they git down on yer, yer'll find 'em snakes in the grass."
Returning home, I said nothing to Winnie and Bobsey against their recent companions, but told them that if they went with them again, or made the acquaintance of other strangers without permission, they would be put on bread and water for an entire day—that all such action was positively17 forbidden.
It was evident, however, that the Melissa Daggett element was present in the country, and in an aggravated18 form. That it was not next door, or, rather, in the next room, was the redeeming19 feature. Residents in the country are usually separated by wide spaces from evil association.
It must not be thought that my wife and children had no society except that afforded by Mr. Jones's family. They were gradually making pleasant and useful acquaintances, especially among those whom we met at church; but as these people have no material part in this simple history, they are not mentioned.
The most important activities of the season were now drawing very near. The cherries were swelling20 fast; the currants were growing red, and were already pronounced "nice for pies;" and one morning Merton came rushing in with a red raspberry from the Highland21 Hardy22 variety. I was glad the time was at hand when I should begin to receive something besides advice from Mr. Bogart; for, careful as we had been, the drain on my capital had been long and steady, and were eager for the turn of the tide.
I had bought a number of old Mr. Jamison's crates24, had painted out his name and replaced it with mine. I now wrote to Mr. Bogart for packages best adapted to the shipping25 of cherries, currants, and raspberries. For the first he sent me baskets that held about a peck. These baskets were so cheap that they could be sold with the fruit. For currants, crates containing twenty-four quart baskets were forwarded. These, he wrote, would also do for black-caps this season, and for strawberries next year. For the red raspberries he sent me quite different crates, filled with little baskets holding only half a pint26 of fruit. Limited supplies of these packages were sent, for he said that a telegram would bring more the same day.
The corn and potatoes were becoming weedy again. This time I made use of a light plow27, Merton leading old Bay as at first. Then, with our hoes, we gave the rows a final dressing28 out. By the time we had finished, some of our grass was fit to cut, the raspberries needed a careful picking over, and the cherries on one tree were ready for market. The children and robins29 had already feasted, but I was hungry for a check from New York.
I had long since decided30 not to attempt to carry on haying alone at this critical season, but had hired a man, too aged31 to hold his own among the harvesters on the neighboring farms. Mr. Jones had said of him: "He's a careful, trusty old fellow, who can do a good day's work yet if you don't hurry him. Most of your grass is in the meadow, some parts fit to cut before the others. Let the old man begin and mow32 what he can, every day. Then you won't have to cure and get in a great lot of hay all at once, and perhaps, too, when your raspberries most need pickin'."
So, during the last days of June, old Mr. Jacox, who came at moderate wages, put in his scythe33 on the uplands. I spread the grass and raked it up when dry, and, with the aid of Merton and a rude, extemporized34 rack on the market-wagon35, got the hay gradually into the barn. This labor36 took only part of the day; the rest of the time was employed in the garden and in picking fruit.
On the last day of June we gathered a crate23 of early raspberries and eight baskets of cherries. In the cool of the afternoon, these were placed in the wagon, and with my wife and the three younger children, I drove to the Maizeville Landing with our first shipment to Mr. Bogart.
"We are 'p'oducers,' at last, as Bobsey said," I cried, joyously37. "And I trust that this small beginning will end in such big loads as will leave us no room for wife and children, but will eventually give them a carriage to ride in."
After our departure he began a vigilant39 patrol of the place, feeling much like a sentinel left on guard. About sun-down, he told me, as he was passing through the raspberry field, he thought he caught a glimpse of an old straw hat dodging40 down behind the bushes. He bounded toward the spot, a moment later confronting three children with tin pails. The two younger proved to be Winnie's objectionable acquaintances that I had told to keep off the place. The eldest41 was a boy, not far from Merton's age, and had justly won the name of being the worst boy in the region. All were the children of the dangerous neighbor against whom Mr. Jones had warned me.
The boy at first regarded Merton with a sullen42, defiant43 look, while his brother and sister coolly continued to steal the fruit.
"Clear out," cried Merton. "We'll have you put in jail if you come here again."
"You shut up and clear out yerself," said the boy, threateningly, "or I'll break yer head. Yer pap's away, and we ain't afraid of you. What's more, we're goin' ter have some cherries before—"
Now Merton had a quick temper, and at this moment sprang at the fellow who was adding insult to injury, so quickly that he got in a blow that blackened one of the thief's eyes.
Then they clinched44, and, although his antagonist45 was the heavier, Merton thinks he could have whipped him had not the two younger marauders attacked him, tooth and nail, like cats. Finding himself getting the worst of it, he instinctively46 sent out a cry for his stanch47 friend Junior.
Fortunately, this ally was coming along the road toward our house, and he gave an answering halloo.
The vagrants48, apparently49, had a wholesome50 fear of John Jones, junior, for, on hearing his voice, they beat a hurried retreat; but knowing that no one was at the house, and in the spirit of revengeful mischief51, they took their flight in that direction. Seeing Mousie's flower-bed, they ran and jumped upon that, breaking down half the plants, then dashed off through the coops, releasing the hens, and scattering52 the broods of chickens. Merton and Junior, who for a few moments had lost sight of the invaders53 in the thick raspberry bushes, were now in hot pursuit, and would have caught them again, had they not seen a man coming up the lane, accompanied by a big dog. Junior laid a hand on headlong Merton, whose blood was now at boiling heat, and said, "Stop."
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1
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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rambles
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| （无目的地）漫游( ramble的第三人称单数 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论 | |
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3
urchin
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| n.顽童；海胆 | |
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scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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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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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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7
vernacular
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| adj.地方的，用地方语写成的；n.白话；行话；本国语；动植物的俗名 | |
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8
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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steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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outlaws
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| 歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯 | |
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12
levy
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| n.征收税或其他款项，征收额 | |
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blackmail
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| n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓 | |
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14
impunity
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| n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
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15
molest
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| vt.骚扰，干扰，调戏 | |
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16
shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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aggravated
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| 使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火 | |
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redeeming
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| 补偿的，弥补的 | |
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swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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crate
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| vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱 | |
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crates
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| n. 板条箱, 篓子, 旧汽车 vt. 装进纸条箱 | |
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shipping
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| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
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pint
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| n.品脱 | |
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plow
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| n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough | |
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dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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29
robins
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| n.知更鸟，鸫( robin的名词复数 )；（签名者不分先后，以避免受责的）圆形签名抗议书（或请愿书） | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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32
mow
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| v.割（草、麦等），扫射，皱眉；n.草堆，谷物堆 | |
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33
scythe
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| n. 长柄的大镰刀，战车镰； v. 以大镰刀割 | |
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34
extemporized
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| v.即兴创作，即席演奏( extemporize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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37
joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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38
ripening
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的现在分词 )；熟化；熟成 | |
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39
vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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40
dodging
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| n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避 | |
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41
eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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42
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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43
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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44
clinched
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| v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的过去式和过去分词 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议） | |
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45
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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46
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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47
stanch
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| v.止住（血等）；adj.坚固的；坚定的 | |
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48
vagrants
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| 流浪者( vagrant的名词复数 )； 无业游民； 乞丐； 无赖 | |
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49
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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50
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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51
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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52
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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53
invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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