Mr. Sim shuffled1 in from one door, Mr. Sam from the other. As each raised his eyes to look at the table, he saw the figure opposite; both stopped short, and the two pairs of little gray eyes glared, one at a black waistcoat, the other at a red.
"Take your seats, Cousins, please!" said Mary Sands, quickly. "Mr. Parks, if you'll set opposite me—that's it! The Lord make us thankful, Cousins and Mr. Parks, this Christmas Day, and mindful of the wants of others, amen! You said you didn't mind carvin', Mr. Parks, so I've give you the turkey."
The four gray eyes, releasing the waistcoat buttons opposite, glanced furtively3 over the table, and opened wide. Never [Pg 205]had the Sill farm seen a Christmas dinner like this. "Ma" had liked a good set-out, but she aimed to be saving, holidays and all days. They always had a turkey, but it was apt to be the smallest hen in the flock, and the rest was to match. But here,—here was the Big Young Gobbler, the pride and glory of the poultry4 yard, no longer ruffling5 it in black and red, but shining in rich golden brown, with strings6 of nut-brown sausages about his portly breast. Here was cranberry7 sauce, not in a bowl, but moulded in the wheat-sheaf mould, and glowing like the Great Carbuncle. Here was an Alp of potato, a golden mountain of squash, onions glimmering8 translucent9 like moonstones, the jewels of the winter feast, celery tossing pale-green plumes—good gracious! celery enough for a hotel, Mr. Sam thought; here beside each plate was a roll—was this bread, Mr. Sim wondered, twisted into a knot and shining "like [Pg 206]artificial?" and on each roll a spray of scarlet10 geranium with its round green leaf. And what—what was that in the middle of the table? The twins forgot the waistcoats; forgot the waste too, forgot even each other, and stared with all their eyes. A castle! a real castle, towers and battlements, moat and drawbridge, all complete, all sparkling in crystal sugar. From the topmost turret11 a tiny pennon floating; in the gateway12 a knight13 on horseback, nearly as large as the pennon, with fairy lance couched. It was the triumph of Mr. Ivory Cheeseman's life.
"You take that to your lady friend," he said, "and say the man as made it wishes her well, and you too, friend Parks, you too!"
Mary Sands was gazing at it with delighted eyes.
"Did you ever, Cousins?" she said. "Now did you ever see anything so handsome [Pg 207]as that? It's a Christmas present from Mr. Parks, and it beats any present ever I had in my life. I declare, this is a Christmas, isn't it, Cousins? and look at you both dressed up to the nines, and lookin' real—" she caught Calvin's eye over the turkey, and faltered,—"real nice, I'm sure! And each one of you changin' his vest for Christmas! I'm sure it's real smart of you. Cousin Sim's got on his new slippers14, Cousin Sam! Cousin Sim, you see Cousin Sam's got the seal on, and don't it look elegant? Why, I'm just as proud of you both! Now you want to make a good dinner, Mr. Parks and Cousins, or I shall think it isn't good, and I own I've done my best."
"Good!" said Calvin Parks, as he handed a solid ivory slab15 to Mr. Sim; "if there's a better dinner than this in the State of Maine, the folks wouldn't get over it, I expect. I've seen dinners served from the [Pg 208]Roostick down to New Orleans, and I never see the ekal of this for style nor quality."
"I'm sure you are more than kind to say so!" said Mary Sands. "Dear me! times like this, any one thinks of days past and gone, don't they? You must have had real good times Christmas, when you was boys together, Mr. Parks, Cousins and you together."
"Well, I guess!" said Calvin Parks. "Sam, do you rec'lect one time I come over to spend Christmas Day with you when we was little shavers about ten year old, and we left the pig-pen gate open, and the pigs got all over the place? Gorry! do you rec'lect the back door stood open, and nothin' to it but old Marm Sow must projick right into the kitchen where your Ma was gettin' dinner? Haw! haw! do you rec'lect that?"
"He! he!" piped Mr. Sam; "I guess I do! and Ma up and basted16 her hide with [Pg 209]hot gravy17! My Juniper, how she hollered!"
Mr. Sim fixed18 Mary Sands with a glittering eye. "You tell him 'twarn't gravy, 'twas puddin' sauce!" he said.
"Cousin Sam, Cousin Sim says 'twas puddin' sauce!" said Mary Sands cheerfully.
"Think likely 'twas!" said Mr. Sam. "Tell him he's right for once, and put that down on his little slate19."
"Then another time," Calvin went on; "another morsel20, Miss Hands? just a scrap21? can't? now ain't that a sight! I can, just as easy—watch me now! I rec'lect well, that Methody parson was here with his boy. What was his name? Lihu, was it, or 'Liphalet?"
"'Liphalet!" said Mr. Sim, a faint twinkle coming into his dim eyes. "'Liphalet Pinky!"
"'Liphalet Pinky! that's it!" Calvin [Pg 210]laid down his knife and fork to slap his thigh22. "Jerusalem crickets! how we did play it on that unfort'nate youngster! Miss Hands, you see Sim settin' there, sober as a judge; you'd think he'd been like that all his life now, wouldn't you? You'd never think he'd get an unfort'nate boy into the bucket and h'ist him up and down the well till he was e'enamost scairt to death, would you now?"
"I certin should not!" cried Mary Sands gleefully. "Why, Cousin Sim!"
"And he hollerin' all the time, 'Lemme out! I'll tell Pa on you, and he'll call down the wrath23 to come! You lemme out!' and then we'd slack on the old sweep and down he'd go again—haw! haw!"
"He! he!" cackled Mr. Sim, rubbing his little withered24 hands. "I can see the tossel on his cap now, bobbin' up and down, and his little pickéd nose under it—he! he!"[Pg 211]
"Ho! ho!" chimed in Mr. Sam suddenly. "And I can see you—I mean, tell him I can see him bobbin' up and down on Ma's knee when she spanked25 him for it."
"That's too long to say," said Mary Sands placidly26; "think likely he heard it, didn't you, Cousin Sim?"
"Tell him he got jest as good!" retorted Mr. Sim.
"Cousin Sam, Cousin Sim says you got it just as good!" said Mary. "Now, Mr. Parks, if you're a mind to carry the turkey out while I bring in the pies—if nobody'll have any more, that is to say!"
"Well!" said Calvin Parks, rising and lifting the huge platter; "if all had eat what I have, there'd be nothin' to carry out, that's all I have to say. After you, Miss Hands!"
He closed the pantry door cautiously after him.[Pg 212]
"How do you think it's goin'?" he asked eagerly.
"Splendid!" cried Mary Sands under her breath. "It's goin' splendid! They've looked at each other much as four or five times, and twice they only just stopped in time or they'd have spoke27 to each other. I saw Cousin Sam catch his breath and fairly choke the words back. Keep right on as you are, Mr. Parks, and we'll have 'em talkin' in another hour, see if we don't!"
The pies—such pies!—had come and gone. With furtive2 blinks, Mr. Sam had unbuttoned the lower buttons of a black, Mr. Sim of a red waistcoat; they leaned back in their chairs, their sharp little features relaxed, and they stirred their coffee with the air of men at peace with the world.
The twins started, and looked at the dark blue cup with gold on the handle.
"It was so!" said Mr. Sam.
"Certin!" said Mr. Sim.
"I thought so!" said Calvin. "Miss Hands, you ought to have this cup by rights; and yet I'm pleased to have it, for I thought a sight of the boys' Ma, and she knowed it. She was always good to me, if she did call me a rover; always good to me she was, from the time I was knee high to a grasshopper31. The boys was bigger than me in those days, Miss Hands; I dono as you'd think it now, but so it was. They stopped growin' at the same time; didn't you, boys? Along about fourteen year old, warn't it? You've been just the same height since then, haven't ye?"
"Tell him it ain't so!" piped Mr. Sim. "Tell him I am!"
"Sho!" said Calvin Parks. "I don't believe either one of you has the least idee, reelly. If there was any difference, I should say Sim was just a shade the tallest; how does it look it to you, Miss Hands?"
"You don't say!" said Calvin. "Now that's queer! Looks to me—well! I say, let's find out! 'Tis easy done. Come on into the front room, boys, and stand back to back, and I'll measure ye!"
The front room was open in honor of Christmas Day; "Ma's" best parlor34, with its cross-stitch embroideries35, its mourning pictures, its rigid36 black horse-hair chairs and sofas. Above the mantelpiece, with its tall vases of waving pampas grass, "Ma" herself gazed down from a portentous37 gold frame with a quelling38 glance; "Pa" [Pg 215]hung beside her, a meek39 young man with a feeble smile of apology; one could understand that he had backed out of existence as soon as might be. In one corner stood a tall dim mirror, and before it a little double chair of quaint40 shape, evidently made for two children.
"Sho!" said Calvin Parks. "How did that chair come here? Why, I haven't seen that for forty year. Jerusalem! that takes me back—why, Sim and Sam, it seems only yesterday, the first time ever I set foot in this room, and there sat you two in that little chair gogglin' at me, and your Ma standin' beside you. Say, boys, that kind of takes holt of me! your Ma was a good woman, if she did know her own mind. Well, we're all poor creatur's. Here! you stand back to back in front of the glass, and then I can see—hold your chins up—shoulders back; shoulders back, Sim! don't scrooch down that way; you ain't really [Pg 216]a crab41, you know—head up, Sam! there! now shut your eyes; any one can stand straighter with their eyes shut; now,—"
"Now you love each other pretty, right away, or I'll take the back of the hairbrush to you both!"
"Ma!" cried the twins; and they fell on their knees beside the little chair.
"I told 'em shut their eyes, and then slipped out!" said Calvin Parks. "They never missed me. Jerusalem! Miss Hands, if you'll excuse the expression, how did you manage it? you got her tone to the life, I tell you."
"I always had the trick of followin' a voice," said Mary Sands modestly. "And I remembered Cousin Lucindy's to Conference, [Pg 217]for she used to speak an amazin' deal. Oh! Mr. Parks, listen! do listen to them two poor old creatur's!"
They listened. From the front room came a babble43 of talk, two voices flowing together in a stream, pauseless, inseparable; so fast the stream flowed, there seemed no time for breathing. But now, as the conspirators44 listened, dish-cloth in hand and joy in their hearts, the voices ceased for a moment, and then, with one consent, broke out into quavering, squeaking45, piping song.
"Old John Twyseed;
Old John Twyseed;
Biled his corn,
As sure's you're born,
And come to borrow my seed.
"Old John Twyseed,
Bought a pound o' rye seed;
Paid a cent,
And warn't content,
But thought 'twas awful high seed.
[Pg 218]
"Old John Twyseed,
Sold his neighbor dry seed;
Says he 'Git out!
I thought 'twas extry spry seed!'"
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收听单词发音
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1
shuffled
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| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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2
furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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3
furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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4
poultry
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| n.家禽，禽肉 | |
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ruffling
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| 弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 )； 弄乱； 激怒； 扰乱 | |
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6
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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cranberry
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| n.梅果 | |
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glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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9
translucent
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| adj.半透明的；透明的 | |
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10
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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11
turret
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| n.塔楼，角塔 | |
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12
gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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13
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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14
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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15
slab
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| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
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16
basted
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| v.打( baste的过去式和过去分词 )；粗缝；痛斥；（烤肉等时）往上抹[浇]油 | |
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17
gravy
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| n.肉汁；轻易得来的钱，外快 | |
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18
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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19
slate
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| n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订 | |
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20
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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21
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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22
thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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23
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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24
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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25
spanked
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| v.用手掌打( spank的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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placidly
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| adv.平稳地，平静地 | |
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27
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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28
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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29
attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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30
pensively
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| adv.沉思地，焦虑地 | |
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31
grasshopper
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| n.蚱蜢，蝗虫，蚂蚱 | |
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32
mite
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| n.极小的东西；小铜币 | |
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33
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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34
parlor
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| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
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35
embroideries
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| 刺绣( embroidery的名词复数 )； 刺绣品； 刺绣法 | |
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36
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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37
portentous
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| adj.不祥的，可怕的，装腔作势的 | |
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38
quelling
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| v.（用武力）制止，结束，镇压( quell的现在分词 ) | |
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39
meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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40
quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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41
crab
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| n.螃蟹，偏航，脾气乖戾的人，酸苹果；vi.捕蟹，偏航，发牢骚；vt.使偏航，发脾气 | |
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42
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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43
babble
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| v.含糊不清地说，胡言乱语地说，儿语 | |
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44
conspirators
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| n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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45
squeaking
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| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的现在分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
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46
sprout
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| n.芽，萌芽；vt.使发芽，摘去芽；vi.长芽，抽条 | |
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