Mary Sands stood in the doorway1, leaning on her broom and looking out over the pleasant autumn country. It was a golden morning, and the world shone and sparkled in quite a wonderful way.
The green dooryard had its special show of emeralds, set off here and there by a tuft of dandelion that had escaped the watchful2 eye of Mr. Sam. The stone wall of the barnyard was almost hidden by the hollyhocks; they were a pretty sight, Mary thought; she did admire hollyhocks.
The vast dog, who had been lying on the door-step, rose slowly, shook himself elaborately, pricked3 his ears, and looked down the road.
"What is it, Rover?" asked Mary[Pg 64] Sands. "Do you feel good this mornin', same as I do? What you lookin' at? Somebody comin' along the road? So there is! It can't be Cousin Sam back again; he hasn't been gone but an hour. Why—can it—it surely is Mr. Parks!"
Involuntarily her hand went up to the smooth ripples4 of her brown hair; unconsciously she glanced down at her fresh print dress and blue apron5.
"I wish't I'd had me a white apron!" she said. "But there! he'll have to take me as he finds me. Workin' time ain't perkin' time, as Gran'm'ther used to say. Good mornin', Mr. Parks! isn't this a pretty day?"
"Good mornin' to you, Miss Hands!" said Calvin Parks as he drove up to the door. "It is a pretty day, and everything to match, far as I can see. And the prettiest thing I've seen this mornin' is you," he added, but not aloud.[Pg 65]
"I was lookin' at them hollyhocks," said Mary. "See 'em down by the wall yonder? Ain't they handsome? Them pink and white ones look to me like girls, slim young ones all ready to bob a curtsey. I don't know but you'll think it foolish, but I'm always seein' likenesses between flowers and folks."
"Be you?" said Calvin. "That's a pretty idee now. I believe women folks have pretty idees right along; it must be real agreeable. Now when I see a hollyhock there ain't nothin' to it but hollyhock—except the cheese!" he added meditatively6. "I used to think a sight of hollyhock cheese when I was a youngster."
"So did I!" cried Mary with her tinkling7 laugh. "But aren't you comin' in, Mr. Parks? Do light down! Cousin Sam's gone to market, but Cousin Sim'll be real pleased to see you. He's been feelin' slim for two or three days."
"That so?" said Calvin. "Well, I[Pg 66] didn't know as I should stop, more'n just to pass the time o' day, but if he's feelin' slim—" he threw the reins8 on the horse's neck and clambered out of the wagon9.
"Hossy'll be glad to rest a spell, won't you, hossy?"
"He looks real clever!" said Mary. "I should think he'd be pleasant to ride behind."
"You try it some day and see!" said Calvin. "He's the cleverest horse on the ro'd, and the cutest. What do you think he did yesterday? Now I don't know as you'll believe me when I tell you, but it's a fact. I was in at the store down at the Corners, havin' some truck with Si Turner, and there come along a boy as wasn't any more honest than he had to be, and he thought 'twould be smart to reach in over the wheel and help himself to candy out of the drawers. Well, mebbe 'twas smart; but hossy was smarter, for he reached round[Pg 67] his head and c'ot him by the seat of his pants—Jerusalem! if you'll excuse the expression, Miss Hands, how that feller did holler! Me and Si come hikin' out, thought he was killed and got the hives besides; when we see what was up, we sot down and laughed till, honest, we had to lean against one another or we'd rolled over an' over on the ground. Hossy held on like a good 'un till I told him to let go, and then he dropped the pants and went to work eatin' grass as if nothin' had been goin' on at all."
"Did you ever?" cried Mary Sands. "I never knew a hoss could have that much sense, Mr. Parks. Why, 'twas like a person more than a dumb critter."
"There's critters and critters!" said Calvin Parks. "Hossy's a prize package, that's a fact. Want a bite, hossy? tain't dinner time yet, but a bite won't hurt you."
He took a nose-bag from the wagon and[Pg 68] hung it over the brown horse's head. The horse, who had gone to sleep as soon as he stopped, opened one eye, blinked at his master, and shut it again.
"Oh, all right!" said Calvin. "Any time; suit yourself! Only I can't wag your jaws10 for ye, ye know."
Mary had turned to enter the house, saying something about telling Cousin he was coming.
"Oh! wait just a minute, Miss Hands!" Calvin called. "I took the liberty—" he rummaged11 among his drawers, and finally brought out a small parcel.
"I dono—most prob'ly it ain't just what you'd like. I couldn't tell what flavor you'd prefer, and I always think myself that pep'mint is the wholesomest—"
Amazed and embarrassed at finding himself embarrassed, Calvin paused awkwardly, holding the box of peppermints12 in his hand; but when he saw Mary Sands blushing[Pg 69] in the delightful13 red and brown way she had, and caught the twinkle in her eye, he was suddenly at ease again.
"You try 'em!" he said simply, and gave her the box.
"Why, Mr. Parks!" cried Mary. "You don't mean to say you brought these for me? Well, you are more than kind, I must say. Why, they're deleecious! There's nothing like pep'mint to my taste; now this is surely a treat. I'm a thousand times obliged to you, Mr. Parks. These don't taste like boughten candy; there's a real kind of home-made flavor to 'em."
"That's right!" said Calvin. "That's just it; they are home-made. Them pep'mints is made by an old gentleman in East Cyrus. I lighted on 'em by accident, as you might say, and 'twas a good job I did."
"How was that?" Mary inquired civilly.
"Why, I ain't greatly acquainted in these parts, you know, Miss Hands; been away[Pg 70] so much, you understand, and never was one to go much when I was to home, only amongst the near neighbors. I dono as ever I was in East Cyrus before. 'Tis a pleasant-lookin' place. Nice street; not many stores, but what there was was ship-shape and Bristol fashion; folks personable and well-appearin'; I was pleased with East Cyrus. I druv along kind o' slow, lookin' for my kind of a place; sure enough, I come to a little store with candy in the window. Hossy saw it too, and stopped of his own accord.
"'That so?' says I. 'Friend of yours, hossy?' He nods his head real sociable14, hossy doos, and I was just goin' to ramble15 down out of that squirrel-cage, when the door opens kind o' smart, and someone hollers out, 'I don't want any! You can go right along!'
"'Can!' says I. 'Now that's real accommodatin' of you. Anywheres special[Pg 71] you'd like me to go? That's what I come to inquire about,' I says.
"He was a little man, kind o' dried up, but yet smart-lookin', and he was smart. He looks at hossy. 'You can go to Thunder!' he says.
"'First turn to the right, or second to the left?' says I. Then he looks at me. 'Hello!' he says; 'it ain't you!'
"'No,' I says; 'it ain't. It's my half-uncle's widder from out west,' I says.
"He kind o' laughed. 'What are you doin' with his hoss, then?' says he.
"'I bought it off'n him,' says I; 'it's my hoss now, and my team. Like to know how many teeth we've got between us?'
"'Well, all the same I don't want any!' he says; and he starts to go back into the store.
"'Excuse me!' I says, as polite as I knew how. 'Would you have any objections to namin' over the things you don't[Pg 72] want? I didn't know as I'd offered you anything, but mebbe I done it in my sleep.'
"'Glucose16 is one thing,' he says. 'Terry alba, coal-tar, plaster-of-Paris; them's some of the things I don't want. And you're another. Is that enough?'
"'Not quite I says. 'Go slow, shipmate! If you wanted them things the wust way in the world you couldn't get 'em off'n me, 'cause I ain't got 'em."
"'I am,' I says, 'or the nearest I can see to one.'
"'He always had 'em he says,'and tried to sell 'em to me every time he come by.'
"'I know!' says I. 'I found 'em in the stock, and I sot 'em on the fire and seen 'em burn. Gitty up, hossy!' I says. 'We'll go on and see if there's any place in this village where they keep manners,'[Pg 73] I says, 'and we'll send this old gentleman a half a pound to stock up with!' I says.
"So I went. Had half a mind not to, but 'twan't the sensible half. I tell you, I had a real pleasant time, Miss Hands. Come to get him smoothed down and combed out, and he was as pleasant an old gentleman as ever I see. But he was an old-fashioned candy-maker, you see, and he didn't like these new-fangled ways any more than what I do. Never had a pound of glucose on his premises19, nor never will; nothin' but pure sugar. We had a real good time together; and he gave me them pep'mints, and I'm goin' to have 'em reg'lar every week. He's got a little kitchen in back there that's a perfect pictur' to look at. I'd like to have you see it, Miss Hands, honest I would."[Pg 74]
"There!" said Mary Sands. "We must be goin' in, Mr. Parks. Cousin's gettin' impatient, I expect."
They found Mr. Sim fairly spluttering with impatience21.
"What—what—what—" he began as they entered; "I didn't know as you was ever comin', Cousin. I'd oughter have had my med'cine—that you, Cal?—half an hour ago; set down, won't you? half a glass, with sugar and hot water! pretty well, be ye? I'm most choked to death, settin' here waitin'."
"There, Cousin!" said Mary Sands in her mellow22, soothing23 voice. "I'll get you the medicine right away; though if the truth was told I expect you'd be better off without it. I don't hold with all this dosin', do you, Mr. Parks?"
"I do not!" said Calvin Parks. "Looks[Pg 75] to me as if all the doses he'd been takin' for a week was havin' it out inside him, and no two agreein'. Say, Sim! s'pose you let Miss Hands throw away all that stuff, and take a pep'mint instead."
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
doorway
|
|
| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
watchful
|
|
| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
pricked
|
|
| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
ripples
|
|
| 逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
apron
|
|
| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
meditatively
|
|
| adv.冥想地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
tinkling
|
|
| n.丁当作响声 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
reins
|
|
| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
wagon
|
|
| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
jaws
|
|
| n.口部；嘴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
rummaged
|
|
| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的过去式和过去分词 )； 已经海关检查 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
peppermints
|
|
| n.薄荷( peppermint的名词复数 )；薄荷糖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
delightful
|
|
| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
sociable
|
|
| adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
ramble
|
|
| v.漫步，漫谈，漫游；n.漫步，闲谈，蔓延 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
glucose
|
|
| n.葡萄糖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
grunted
|
|
| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
premises
|
|
| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
peevish
|
|
| adj.易怒的，坏脾气的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
impatience
|
|
| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
mellow
|
|
| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
soothing
|
|
| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |