The Maxwells were, in fact, effectively stirring up the ambitions of their flock, routing the older members out of a too easy-going acceptance of things-as-they-are, and giving to the younger ones vistas1 of a life imbued2 with more color and variety than had hitherto entered their consciousness. And yet it happened at Durford, on occasion, that this awakening3 of new talents and individuality produced unlocked for complications.
"Oh yes," Hepsey remarked one day to Mrs. Betty, when the subject of conversation had turned to Mrs. Burke's son and heir, "Nickey means to be a good boy, but he's as restless as a kitten on a hot Johnny-cake. He isn't a bit vicious, but he do run his heels down at the corners, and he's awful wearin' on his pants-bottoms and keeps me patchin' and mendin' most of the time--'contributing to the end in view,' as Abraham Lincoln said. But, woman-like, I guess he finds the warmest spot in my heart when I'm doin' some sort of repairin' on him or his clothes. It would be easier if his intentions wasn't so good, 'cause I could spank4 him with a clear conscience if he was vicious. But after all, Nickey seems to have a winnin' way about him. He knows every farmer within three miles; he'll stop any team he meets, climb into the wagon5 seat, take the reins6, and enjoy himself to his heart's content. All the men seem to like him and give in to him; more's the pity! And he seems to just naturally lead the other kids in their games and mischief7."
"Oh well, I wouldn't give a cent for a boy who didn't get into mischief sometimes," consoled Mrs. Betty.
At which valuation Nickey was then in process of putting himself and his young friends at a premium8. For, about this time, in their efforts to amuse themselves, Nickey and some of his friends constructed a circus ring back of the barn: After organizing a stock company and conducting several rehearsals9, the rest of the boys in the neighborhood were invited to form an audience, and take seats which had been reserved for them without extra charge on an adjoining lumber10 pile. Besides the regular artists there were a number of specialists or "freaks," who added much to the interest and excitement of the show.
For example, Sam Cooley, attired11 in one of Mrs. Burke's discarded underskirts, filched13 from the ragbag, with some dried cornstalk gummed on his face, impersonated the famous Bearded Lady from Hoboken.
Billy Burns, wearing a very hot and stuffy14 pillow buttoned under his coat and thrust down into his trousers, represented the world-renowned Fat Man from Spoonville. His was rather a difficult role to fill gracefully15, because the squashy pillow would persist in bulging16 out between his trousers and his coat in a most indecent manner; and it kept him busy most of the time tucking it in.
Dimple Perkins took the part of the Snake Charmer from Brooklyn, and at intervals17 wrestled18 fearlessly with a short piece of garden hose which was labeled on the bills as an "Anna Condy." This he wound around his neck in the most reckless manner possible; it was quite enough to make one's blood run cold to watch him.
The King of the Cannibal Islands was draped in a buffalo19 robe, with a gilt20 paper crown adorning21 his head, and a very suggestive mutton-bone in his hand.
Poor little Herman Amdursky was selected for the Living Skeleton, because of the spindle-like character of his nethermost22 limbs. He had to remove his trousers and his coat, and submit to having his ribs23 wound with yards of torn sheeting, in order that what little flesh he had might be compressed to the smallest possible compass. The result was astonishingly satisfactory.
The Wild Man from Borneo wore his clothes wrong side out, as it is well known wild men from Borneo always do; and he ate grass with avidity. Wry-mouthed and squint-eyed, he was the incarnation of the cubist ideal.
When all this splendid array of talent issued from the dressing-room and marched triumphantly24 around the ring, it was indeed a proud moment in the annals of Durford, and the applause from the lumber pile could be heard at least two blocks.
After the procession, the entertainment proper consisted of some high and lofty tumbling, the various "turns" of the respective stars, and then, last of all, as a grand finale, Charley, the old raw-boned farm horse who had been retired25 on a pension for at least a year, was led triumphantly into the ring, with Nickey Burke standing26 on his back!
Charley, whose melancholy27 aspect was a trifle more abject28 than usual, and steps more halting, meekly29 followed the procession of actors around the ring, led by Dimple, the Snake Charmer. Nickey's entree30 created a most profound sensation, and was greeted with tumultuous applause--a tribute both to his equestrian31 feat32 and to his costume.
Nickey had once attended a circus at which he had been greatly impressed by the artistic33 decorations on the skin of a tattooed34 man, and by the skill of the bareback rider who had turned somersaults while the horse was in motion. It occurred to him that perhaps he might present somewhat of both these attractions, in one character.
Maxwell had innocently stimulated35 this taste by lending him a book illustrated36 with lurid37 color-plates of Indians in full war paint, according to tribe.
So Nickey removed his clothes, attired himself in abbreviated38 red swimming trunks, and submitted to the artistic efforts of Dimple, who painted most intricate, elaborate, and beautiful designs on Nickey's person, with a thick solution of indigo39 purloined40 from the laundry.
Nickey's breast was adorned41 with a picture of a ship under full sail. On his back was a large heart pierced with two arrows. A vine of full blown roses twined around each arm, while his legs were powdered with stars, periods, dashes, and exclamation42 points in rich profusion43. A triangle was painted on each cheek, and dabs44 of indigo were added to the end of his nose and to the lobe45 of each ear by way of finishing touches.
When the work was complete, Nickey surveyed himself in a piece of broken mirror in the dressing-room, and to tell the truth, was somewhat appalled46 at his appearance; but Dimple Perkins hastened to assure him, saying that a dip in the river would easily remove the indigo; and that he was the living spit and image of a tattooed man, and that his appearance, posed on the back of Charley, would certainly bring the house down.
Dimple proved to be quite justified47 in his statement, so far as the effect on the audience was concerned; for, as Nickey entered the ring, after one moment of breathless astonishment48, the entire crowd arose as one man and cheered itself hoarse49, in a frenzy50 of frantic51 delight. Now whether Charley was enthused by the applause, or whether the situation reminded him of some festive52 horseplay of his youth, one cannot tell. At any rate, what little life was left in Charley's blood asserted itself. Quickly jerking the rope of the halter from the astonished hand of Dimple Perkins, Charley turned briskly round, and trotted53 out of the yard and into the road, while Nickey, who had found himself suddenly astride Charley's back, made frantic efforts to stop him.
As Charley emerged from the gate, the freaks, the regular artists, the gymnasts, and the entire audience followed, trailing along behind the mounted tattooed man, and shouting themselves hoarse with encouragement or derision.
As Charley rose to the occasion and quickened his pace, the heat of the sun, the violent exercise of riding bareback, and the nervous excitement produced by the horror of the situation, threw Nickey into a profuse54 sweat. The bluing began to run. The decorations on his forehead trickled55 down into his eyes; and as he tried to rub off the moisture with the back of his hand the indigo was smeared56 liberally over his face. His personal identity was hopelessly obscured in the indigo smudge; and the most vivid imagination could not conjecture57 what had happened to the boy. It was by no means an easy feat to retain his seat on Charley's back; it would have been still more difficult to dismount, at his steed's brisk pace; and Nickey was most painfully conscious of his attire12, as Charley turned up the road which led straight to the village. At each corner the procession was reinforced by a number of village boys who added their quota58 to the general uproar59 and varied60 the monotony of the proceeding61 by occasionally throwing a tin can at the rider on the white horse. When Charley passed the rectory, and the green, and turned into Church Street, Nickey felt that he had struck rock bottom of shameful62 humiliation63.
For many years it had been Charley's habit to take Mrs. Burke down to church on Wednesday afternoons for the five o'clock service; and although he had been out of commission and docked for repairs for some time, his subliminal64 self must have got in its work, and the old habit asserted itself: to the church he went, attended at a respectful distance by the Bearded Lady, the Fat Man, the Snake Charmer, the King of the Cannibal Islands, the Living Skeleton, and the Wild Man from Borneo, to say nothing of a large and effective chorus of roaring villagers bringing up the rear.
It really was quite clever of Charley to recall that, this being Wednesday, it was the proper day to visit the church,--as clever as it was disturbing to Nickey when he, too, recalled that it was about time for the service to be over, and that his mother must be somewhere on the premises65, to say nothing of the assembled mothers of the entire stock company--and the rector, and the rector's wife.
Mrs. Burke, poor woman, was quite unconscious of what awaited her, as she emerged from the service with the rest of the congregation. It was an amazed parent that caught sight of her son and heir scrambling66 off the back of his steed onto the horse-block in front of the church, clad in short swimming trunks and much bluing. The freaks, the regular artists, the gymnasts, and the circus audience generally shrieked67 and howled and fought each other, in frantic effort to succeed to Nickey's place on Charley's back--for Charley now stood undismayed and immovable, with a gentle, pious68 look in his soft old eyes.
For one instant, Mrs. Burke and her friends stood paralyzed with horror; and then like the good mothers in Israel that they were, each jumped to the rescue of her own particular darling--that is, as soon as she could identify him. Consternation69 reigned70 supreme71. Mrs. Cooley caught the Bearded Lady by the arm and shook him fiercely, just as he was about to land an uppercut on the jaw72 of the King of the Cannibal Islands. Mrs. Burns found her offspring, the Fat Man, lying dispossessed on his back in the gutter73, while Sime Wilkins, the Man Who Ate Glass, sat comfortably on his stomach. Sime immediately apologized to Mrs. Burns and disappeared. Next, Mrs. Perkins took the Snake Charmer by his collar, and rapped him soundly with the piece of garden hose which she captured as he was using it to chastise74 the predatory Wild Man from Borneo. Other members of the company received equally unlooked-for censure75 of their dramatic efforts.
Nickey, meantime, had fled to the pump behind the church, where he made his ablutions as best he could; then, seeing the vestry room door ajar, he, in his extremity76, bolted for the quiet seclusion77 of the sanctuary78.
To his surprise and horror, he found Maxwell seated at a table looking over the parish records; and when Nickey appeared, still rather blue, attired in short red trunks, otherwise unadorned, Donald gazed at him in mute astonishment. For one moment there was silence as they eyed each other; and then Maxwell burst into roars of uncontrollable laughter, which were not quite subdued79 as Nickey gave a rather incoherent account of the misfortune which had brought him to such a predicament.
"So you were the Tattooed Man, were you! Well, I suppose you know that it's not generally customary to appear in church in red tights; but as you couldn't help it, I shall have to see what can be done for you, to get you home clothed and in your right mind. I'll tell you! You can put on one of the choir80 boy's cassocks, and skip home the back way. If anybody stops you tell them you were practising for the choir, and it will be all right. But really, Nickey, if I were in your place, the next time I posed as a mounted Tattooed Man, I'd be careful to choose some old quadruped that couldn't run away with you!"
"Then you aren't mad at me!"
"Certainly not. I'll leave that to my betters! You just get home as fast as you can."
"Gee81! but you're white all right--you know it didn't say nothing in the book, about what kind of paint to use!"
Maxwell's eyes opened. "What book are you talking about, Nickey?" he asked.
"The one you let me take, with the Indians in it."
Maxwell had to laugh again. "So that's where the idea for this 'Carnival82 of Wild West Sports' originated, eh?"
"Yes, sir," Nickey nodded. "Everybody wanted to be the tattooed man, but seeing as I had the book, and old Charley was my horse, I couldn't see any good reason why I shouldn't get tattooed. Gee! I'll bet ma will be mad!"
After being properly vested in a cassock two sizes too large for him, Nickey started on a dead run for home, and, having reached the barn, dressed himself in his customary attire. When he appeared at supper Mrs. Burke did not say anything; but after the dishes were washed she took him apart and listened to his version of the affair.
"Nicholas Burke," she said, "if this thing occurs again I shall punish you in a way you won't like."
"Well, I'm awfully83 sorry," said Nickey, "but it didn't seem to feaze Mr. Maxwell a little bit. He just sat and roared as if he'd split his sides. I guess I 'aint goin' to be put out of the church just yet, anyway."
Mrs. Burke looked a bit annoyed.
"Never mind about Mr. Maxwell. You won't laugh if anything like this occurs again, I can tell you," she replied.
"Now, ma," soothed84 Nickey, "don't you worry about it occurrin' again. You don't suppose I did it on purpose, do you? Gosh no! I wouldn't get onto Charley's back again, with my clothes off, any more than I'd sit on a hornet's nest. How'd you like to ride through the town with nothin' on but your swimmin' trunks and drippin' with bluin water, I'd like to know?"
Mrs. Burke did not care to prolong the interview any further, so she said in her severest tones:
"Nicholas Burke, you go to bed instantly. I've heard enough of you and seen enough of you, for one day."
Nickey went.
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1
vistas
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| 长条形景色( vista的名词复数 )； 回顾； 展望； （未来可能发生的）一系列情景 | |
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imbued
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| v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的过去式和过去分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等） | |
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awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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spank
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| v.打，拍打(在屁股上) | |
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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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reins
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| 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 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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premium
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| n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的 | |
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rehearsals
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| n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 )；排练；复述；重复 | |
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lumber
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| n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动 | |
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attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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filched
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| v.偷（尤指小的或不贵重的物品）( filch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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stuffy
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| adj.不透气的，闷热的 | |
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gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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wrestled
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| v.（与某人）搏斗( wrestle的过去式和过去分词 )；扭成一团；扭打；（与…）摔跤 | |
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buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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adorning
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| 修饰，装饰物 | |
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nethermost
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| adj.最下面的 | |
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ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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entree
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| n.入场权，进入权 | |
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equestrian
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| adj.骑马的；n.马术 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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tattooed
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| v.刺青，文身( tattoo的过去式和过去分词 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击 | |
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stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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illustrated
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| adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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abbreviated
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| adj. 简短的，省略的 动词abbreviate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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indigo
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| n.靛青，靛蓝 | |
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purloined
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| v.偷窃( purloin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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profusion
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| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
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dabs
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| 少许( dab的名词复数 )； 是…能手； 做某事很在行； 在某方面技术熟练 | |
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lobe
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| n.耳垂，（肺，肝等的）叶 | |
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appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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50
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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51
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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festive
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| adj.欢宴的，节日的 | |
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53
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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54
profuse
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| adj.很多的，大量的，极其丰富的 | |
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55
trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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56
smeared
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| 弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上 | |
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conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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58
quota
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| n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额 | |
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uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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subliminal
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| adj.下意识的，潜意识的；太弱或太快以至于难以觉察的 | |
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premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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72
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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73
gutter
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| n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟 | |
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74
chastise
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| vt.责骂，严惩 | |
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75
censure
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| v./n.责备；非难；责难 | |
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76
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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77
seclusion
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| n.隐遁，隔离 | |
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78
sanctuary
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| n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区 | |
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79
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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80
choir
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| n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱 | |
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81
gee
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| n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转 | |
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82
carnival
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| n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演 | |
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83
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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84
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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