It was Captain Carey's favorite Admiral who was responsible for the phrase by which mother and children had been known for some years. The Captain (then a Lieutenant1) had brought his friend home one Saturday afternoon a little earlier than had been expected, and they went to find the family in the garden.
Laughter and the sound of voices led them to the summer-house, and as they parted the syringa bushes they looked through them and surprised the charming group.
A throng2 of children like to flowers were sown
About the grass beside, or climbed her knee.
I looked who were that favored company.
That is the way a poet would have described what the Admiral saw, and if you want to see anything truly and beautifully you must generally go to a poet.
Mrs. Carey held Peter, then a crowing baby, in her lap. Gilbert was tickling3 Peter's chin with a buttercup, Nancy was putting a wreath of leaves on her mother's hair, and Kathleen was swinging from an apple-tree bough4, her yellow curls flying.
"Might I inquire what you think of that?" asked the father.
"Well," the Admiral said, "mothers and children make a pretty good picture at any time, but I should say this one couldn't be 'beat.' Two for the Navy, eh?"
"All four for the Navy, perhaps," laughed the young man. "Nancy has already chosen a Rear-Admiral and Kathleen a Commodore; they are modest little girls!"
"They do you credit, Peter!"
"I hope I've given them something,--I've tried hard enough, but they are mostly the work of the lady in the chair. Come on and say how d'ye do."
Before many Saturdays the Admiral's lap had superseded5 all other places as a gathering6 ground for the little Careys, whom he called the stormy petrels.
"Mother Carey," he explained to them, came from the Latin _mater cara_, this being not only his personal conviction, but one that had the backing of Brewer's "Dictionary of Phrase and Fable7."
"The French call them _Les Oiseaux de Notre Dame_. That means 'The Birds of our Lady,' Kitty, and they are the sailors' friends. Mother Carey sends them to warn seafarers of approaching storms and bids them go out all over the seas to show the good birds the way home. You'll have your hands full if you're going to be Mother Carey's chickens."
"I'd love to show good birds the way home!" said Gilbert.
"Can a naughty bird show a good bird the way home, Addy?" This bland8 question came from Nancy, who had a decided9 talent for sarcasm10, considering her years. (Of course the Admiral might have stopped the children from calling him Addy, but they seemed to do it because "Admiral" was difficult, and anyway they loved him so much they simply had to take some liberties with him. Besides, although he was the greatest disciplinarian that ever walked a deck, he was so soft and flexible on land that he was perfectly11 ridiculous and delightful12.)
The day when the children were christened Mother Carey's chickens was Nancy's tenth birthday, a time when the family was striving to give her her proper name, having begun wrong with her at the outset. She was the first, you see, and the first is something of an event, take it how you will.
It is obvious that at the beginning they could not address a tiny thing on a pillow as Nancy, because she was too young. She was not even alluded13 to at that early date as "she," but always as "it," so they called her "baby" and let it go at that. Then there was a long period when she was still too young to be called Nancy, and though, so far as age was concerned, she might properly have held on to her name of baby, she couldn't with propriety14, because there was Gilbert then, and he was baby. Moreover, she gradually became so indescribably quaint15 and bewitching and comical and saucy16 that every one sought diminutives17 for her; nicknames, fond names, little names, and all sorts of words that tried to describe her charm (and couldn't), so there was Poppet and Smiles and Minx and Rogue18 and Midget and Ladybird and finally Nan and Nannie by degrees, to soberer Nancy.
"Nancy is ten to-day," mused19 the Admiral. "Bless my soul, how time flies! You were a young Ensign, Carey, and I well remember the letter you wrote me when this little lass came into harbor! Just wait a minute; I believe the scrap20 of newspaper verse you enclosed has been in my wallet ever since. I always liked it."
"I recall writing to you," said Mr. Carey. "As you had lent me five hundred dollars to be married on, I thought I ought to keep you posted!"
"Oh, father! did you have to borrow money?" cried Kathleen.
"I did, my dear. There's no disgrace in borrowing, if you pay back, and I did. Your Uncle Allan was starting in business, and I had just put my little capital in with his when I met your mother. If you had met your mother wouldn't you have wanted to marry her?"
"Yes!" cried Nancy eagerly. "Fifty of her!" At which everybody laughed.
"And what became of the money you put in Uncle Allan's business?" asked Gilbert with unexpected intelligence.
There was a moment's embarrassment22 and an exchange of glances between mother and father before he replied, "Oh! that's coming back multiplied six times over, one of these days,--Allan has a very promising23 project on hand just now, Admiral."
"Glad to hear it! A delightful fellow, and straight as a die. I only wish he could perform once in a while, instead of promising."
"He will if only he keeps his health, but he's heavily handicapped there, poor chap. Well, what's the verse?"
The Admiral put on his glasses, prettily24 assisted by Kathleen, who was on his knee and seized the opportunity to give him a French kiss when the spectacles were safely on the bridge of his nose. Whereupon he read:--
"There came to port last Sunday night
The queerest little craft,
Without an inch of rigging on;
I looked, and looked, and laughed.
"It seemed so curious that she
Should cross the unknown water,
And moor25 herself within my room--
My daughter, O my daughter!
"Yet, by these presents, witness all,
She's welcome fifty times,
And comes consigned26 to Hope and Love
And common metre rhymes.
"She has no manifest but this;
No flag floats o'er the water;
She's rather new for British Lloyd's--
My daughter, O my daughter!
"Ring out, wild bells--and tame ones, too;
Ring out the lover's moon,
Ring in the little worsted socks,
Ring in the bib and spoon."[1]
[Footnote 1: George W. Cable.]
"Oh, Peter, how pretty!" said Mother Carey all in a glow. "You never showed it to me!"
"You were too much occupied with the aforesaid 'queer little craft,' wasn't she, Nan--I mean Nancy!" and her father pinched her ear and pulled a curly lock.
Nancy was a lovely creature to the eye, and she came by her good looks naturally enough. For three generations her father's family had been known as the handsome Careys, and when Lieutenant Carey chose Margaret Gilbert for his wife, he was lucky enough to win the loveliest girl in her circle.
Thus it was still the handsome Careys in the time of our story, for all the children were well-favored and the general public could never decide whether Nancy or Kathleen was the belle27 of the family. Kathleen had fair curls, skin like a rose, and delicate features; not a blemish28 to mar21 her exquisite29 prettiness! All colors became her; all hats suited her hair. She was the Carey beauty so long as Nancy remained out of sight, but the moment that young person appeared Kathleen left something to be desired. Nancy piqued30; Nancy sparkled; Nancy glowed; Nancy occasionally pouted31 and not infrequently blazed. Nancy's eyes had to be continually searched for news, both of herself and of the immediate32 world about her. If you did not keep looking at her every "once in so often" you couldn't keep up with the progress of events; she might flash a dozen telegrams to somebody, about something, while your head was turned away. Kathleen could be safely left unwatched for an hour or so without fear of change; her moods were less variable, her temper evener; her interest in the passing moment less keen, her absorption in the particular subject less intense. Walt Whitman might have been thinking of Nancy when he wrote:--
There was a child went forth33 every day
And the first object he looked upon, that object he became,
And that object became part of him for the day, or a certain part of the day
Or for many years, or stretching cycles of years.
Kathleen's nature needed to be stirred, Nancy's to be controlled, the impulse coming from within, the only way that counts in the end, though the guiding force may be applied34 from without.
Nancy was more impulsive35 than industrious36, more generous than wise, more plucky37 than prudent38; she had none too much perseverance39 and no patience at all.
Gilbert was a fiery40 youth of twelve, all for adventure. He kindled41 quickly, but did not burn long, so deeds of daring would be in his line; instantaneous ones, quickly settled, leaving the victor with a swelling42 chest and a feather in cap; rather an obvious feather suited Gilbert best.
Peter? Oh! Peter, aged43 four, can be dismissed in very few words as a consummate44 charmer and heart-breaker. The usual elements that go to the making of a small boy were all there, but mixed with white magic. It is painful to think of the dozens of girl babies in long clothes who must have been feeling premonitory pangs45 when Peter was four, to think they couldn't all marry him when they grew up!
收听单词发音 |
1
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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tickling
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| 反馈，回授，自旋挠痒法 | |
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bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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superseded
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| [医]被代替的，废弃的 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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fable
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| n.寓言；童话；神话 | |
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bland
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| adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的 | |
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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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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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saucy
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| adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的 | |
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diminutives
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| n.微小( diminutive的名词复数 )；昵称，爱称 | |
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rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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mar
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| vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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prettily
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| adv.优美地；可爱地 | |
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moor
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| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
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consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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blemish
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| v.损害；玷污；瑕疵，缺点 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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piqued
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| v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 )；激起（好奇心） | |
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pouted
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| v.撅（嘴）( pout的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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impulsive
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| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
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industrious
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| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
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plucky
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| adj.勇敢的 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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perseverance
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| n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠 | |
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fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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consummate
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| adj.完美的；v.成婚；使完美 [反]baffle | |
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45
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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