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CHAPTER XIII — SHOWS HOW TOMMY TOOK CARE OF ELSPETH
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Thus the first day passed, and others followed in which women, who had known Jean Myles, did her children kindnesses, but could not do all they would have done, for Aaron forbade them to enter his home except on business though it was begging for a housewife all day. Had Elspeth at the age of six now settled down to domestic duties she would not have been the youngest housekeeper1 ever known in Thrums, but she was never very good at doing things, only at loving and being loved, and the observant neighbors thought her a backward girl; they forgot, like most people, that service is not necessarily a handicraft. Tommy discovered what they were saying, and to shield Elspeth he took to housewifery with the blind down; but Aaron, entering the kitchen unexpectedly, took the besom from, him, saying:
"You do it yoursel'," Tommy argued.
"I said men folk," replied Aaron, quietly.
The children knew that remarks of this sort had reference to their mother, of whom he never spoke3 more directly; indeed he seldom spoke to them at all, and save when he was cooking or giving the kitchen a slovenly4 cleaning they saw little of him. Monypenny had predicted that their presence must make a new man of him, but he was still unsociable and morose5 and sat as long as ever at the warping-mill, of which he seemed to have become the silent wheel. Tommy and Elspeth always dropped their voices when they spoke of him, and sometimes when his mill stopped he heard one of them say to the other, "Whisht, he's coming!" Though he seldom, spoke sharply to them, his face did not lose its loneliness at sight of them. Elspeth was his favorite (somewhat to the indignation of both); they found this out without his telling them or even showing it markedly, and when they wanted to ask anything of him she was deputed to do it, but she did it quavering, and after drawing farther away from him instead of going nearer. A dreary6 life would have lain before them had they not been sent to school.
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1
housekeeper
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n.管理家务的主妇,女管家 | |
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2
ken
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n.视野,知识领域 | |
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3
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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4
slovenly
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adj.懒散的,不整齐的,邋遢的 | |
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5
morose
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adj.脾气坏的,不高兴的 | |
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6
dreary
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adj.令人沮丧的,沉闷的,单调乏味的 | |
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7
knuckly
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n.(指人)指关节;(指动物)膝关节,肘;铰结,肘形接;铜指节套vt.用指关节打、压、碰、擦 | |
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8
determined
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adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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9
belongings
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n.私人物品,私人财物 | |
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canny
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adj.谨慎的,节俭的 | |
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11
vent
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n.通风口,排放口;开衩;vt.表达,发泄 | |
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12
braces
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n.吊带,背带;托架( brace的名词复数 );箍子;括弧;(儿童)牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 );撑牢;使自己站稳;振作起来 | |
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13
scholastic
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adj.学校的,学院的,学术上的 | |
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14
pounces
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v.突然袭击( pounce的第三人称单数 );猛扑;一眼看出;抓住机会(进行抨击) | |
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languor
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n.无精力,倦怠 | |
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contemplated
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adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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17
transacted
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v.办理(业务等)( transact的过去式和过去分词 );交易,谈判 | |
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nervously
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adv.神情激动地,不安地 | |
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ginger
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n.姜,精力,淡赤黄色;adj.淡赤黄色的;vt.使活泼,使有生气 | |
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falteringly
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口吃地,支吾地 | |
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21
heeding
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v.听某人的劝告,听从( heed的现在分词 ) | |
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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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23
shuddered
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v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动 | |
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schooling
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n.教育;正规学校教育 | |
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auld
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adj.老的,旧的 | |
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tug
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v.用力拖(或拉);苦干;n.拖;苦干;拖船 | |
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warper
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n.整经机,整经工 | |
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retired
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adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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proximity
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n.接近,邻近 | |
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30
urchins
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n.顽童( urchin的名词复数 );淘气鬼;猬;海胆 | |
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31
truant
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n.懒惰鬼,旷课者;adj.偷懒的,旷课的,游荡的;v.偷懒,旷课 | |
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32
implored
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恳求或乞求(某人)( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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apparently
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adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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34
trotting
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小跑,急走( trot的现在分词 ); 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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tugging
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n.牵引感v.用力拉,使劲拉,猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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