winesburg,ohio-第12部分

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d　house；　shutting　the　doors　behind　him　with　a　bang；　he　came　into　the　barnyard　and　looked　about　with　an　amazed　air　of　expectancy。　　It　seemed　to　him　that　in　such　a　place　tremendous　things　might　have　hap…　pened　during　the　night。　　The　farm　hands　looked　at　him　and　laughed。　　Henry　Strader；　an　old　man　who　had　been　on　the　farm　since　Jesse　came　into　posses…　sion　and　who　before　David's　time　had　never　been　known　to　make　a　joke；　made　the　same　joke　every　morning。　　It　amused　David　so　that　he　laughed　and　clapped　his　hands。　　〃See；　come　here　and　look；〃　cried　the　old　man。　　〃Grandfather　Jesse's　white　mare　has　tom　the　black　stocking　she　wears　on　her　foot。〃

Day　after　day　through　the　long　summer；　Jesse　Bentley　drove　from　farm　to　farm　up　and　down　the　valley　of　Wine　Creek；　and　his　grandson　went　with　him。　　They　rode　in　a　comfortable　old　phaeton　drawn　by　the　white　horse。　　The　old　man　scratched　his　thin　white　beard　and　talked　to　himself　of　his　plans　for　increasing　the　productiveness　of　the　fields　they　vis…　ited　and　of　God's　part　in　the　plans　all　men　made。　Sometimes　he　looked　at　David　and　smiled　happily　and　then　for　a　long　time　he　appeared　to　forget　the　boy's　existence。　　More　and　more　every　day　now　his　mind　turned　back　again　to　the　dreams　that　had　filled　his　mind　when　he　had　first　come　out　of　the　city　to　live　on　the　land。　　One　afternoon　he　startled　David　by　letting　his　dreams　take　entire　possession　of　him。　With　the　boy　as　a　witness；　he　went　through　a　cere…　mony　and　brought　about　an　accident　that　nearly　de…　stroyed　the　companionship　that　was　growing　up　between　them。

Jesse　and　his　grandson　were　driving　in　a　distant　part　of　the　valley　some　miles　from　home。　　A　forest　came　down　to　the　road　and　through　the　forest　Wine　Creek　wriggled　its　way　over　stones　toward　a　distant　river。　　All　the　afternoon　Jesse　had　been　in　a　medita…　tive　mood　and　now　he　began　to　talk。　　His　mind　went　back　to　the　night　when　he　had　been　frightened　by　thoughts　of　a　giant　that　might　come　to　rob　and　plun…　der　him　of　his　possessions；　and　again　as　on　that　night　when　he　had　run　through　the　fields　crying　for　a　son；　he　became　excited　to　the　edge　of　insanity。　Stopping　the　horse　he　got　out　of　the　buggy　and　asked　David　to　get　out　also。　　The　two　climbed　over　a　fence　and　walked　along　the　bank　of　the　stream。　The　boy　paid　no　attention　to　the　muttering　of　his　grandfather；　but　ran　along　beside　him　and　won…　dered　what　was　going　to　happen。　　When　a　rabbit　jumped　up　and　ran　away　through　the　woods；　he　clapped　his　hands　and　danced　with　delight。　　He　looked　at　the　tall　trees　and　was　sorry　that　he　was　not　a　little　animal　to　climb　high　in　the　air　without　being　frightened。　　Stooping；　he　picked　up　a　small　stone　and　threw　it　over　the　head　of　his　grandfather　into　a　clump　of　bushes。　　〃Wake　up；　little　animal。　　Go　and　climb　to　the　top　of　the　trees；〃　he　shouted　in　a　shrill　voice。

Jesse　Bentley　went　along　under　the　trees　with　his　head　bowed　and　with　his　mind　in　a　ferment。　　His　earnestness　affected　the　boy；　who　presently　became　silent　and　a　little　alarmed。　　Into　the　old　man's　mind　had　come　the　notion　that　now　he　could　bring　from　God　a　word　or　a　sign　out　of　the　sky；　that　the　pres…　ence　of　the　boy　and　man　on　their　knees　in　some　lonely　spot　in　the　forest　would　make　the　miracle　he　had　been　waiting　for　almost　inevitable。　　〃It　was　in　just　such　a　place　as　this　that　other　David　tended　the　sheep　when　his　father　came　and　told　him　to　go　down　unto　Saul；〃　he　muttered。

Taking　the　boy　rather　roughly　by　the　shoulder；　he　climbed　over　a　fallen　log　and　when　he　had　come　to　an　open　place　among　the　trees　he　dropped　upon　his　knees　and　began　to　pray　in　a　loud　voice。

A　kind　of　terror　he　had　never　known　before　took　possession　of　David。　　Crouching　beneath　a　tree　he　watched　the　man　on　the　ground　before　him　and　his　own　knees　began　to　tremble。　　It　seemed　to　him　that　he　was　in　the　presence　not　only　of　his　grandfather　but　of　someone　else；　someone　who　might　hurt　him；　someone　who　was　not　kindly　but　dangerous　and　brutal。　　He　began　to　cry　and　reaching　down　picked　up　a　small　stick；　which　he　held　tightly　gripped　in　his　fingers。　　When　Jesse　Bentley；　absorbed　in　his　own　idea；　suddenly　arose　and　advanced　toward　him；　his　terror　grew　until　his　whole　body　shook。　　In　the　woods　an　intense　silence　seemed　to　lie　over　every…　thing　and　suddenly　out　of　the　silence　came　the　old　man's　harsh　and　insistent　voice。　　Gripping　the　boy's　shoulders；　Jesse　turned　his　face　to　the　sky　and　shouted。　　The　whole　left　side　of　his　face　twitched　and　his　hand　on　the　boy's　shoulder　twitched　also。　〃Make　a　sign　to　me；　God；〃　he　cried。　　〃Here　I　stand　with　the　boy　David。　　Come　down　to　me　out　of　the　sky　and　make　Thy　presence　known　to　me。〃

With　a　cry　of　fear；　David　turned　and；　shaking　himself　loose　from　the　hands　that　held　him；　ran　away　through　the　forest。　　He　did　not　believe　that　the　man　who　turned　up　his　face　and　in　a　harsh　voice　shouted　at　the　sky　was　his　grandfather　at　all。　　The　man　did　not　look　like　his　grandfather。　　The　convic…　tion　that　something　strange　and　terrible　had　hap…　pened；　that　by　some　miracle　a　new　and　dangerous　person　had　come　into　the　body　of　the　kindly　old　man；　took　possession　of　him。　　On　and　on　he　ran　down　the　hillside；　sobbing　as　he　ran。　　When　he　fell　over　the　roots　of　a　tree　and　in　falling　struck　his　head；　he　arose　and　tried　to　run　on　again。　　His　head　hurt　so　that　presently　he　fell　down　and　lay　still；　but　it　was　only　after　Jesse　had　carried　him　to　the　buggy　and　he　awoke　to　find　the　old　man's　hand　stroking　his　head　tenderly　that　the　terror　left　him。　　〃Take　me　away。　　There　is　a　terrible　man　back　there　in　the　woods；〃　he　declared　firmly；　while　Jesse　looked　away　over　the　tops　of　the　trees　and　again　his　lips　cried　out　to　God。　　〃What　have　I　done　that　Thou　dost　not　approve　of　me；〃　he　whispered　softly；　saying　the　words　over　and　over　as　he　drove　rapidly　along　the　road　with　the　boy's　cut　and　bleeding　head　held　ten…　derly　against　his　shoulder。


III

Surrender

THE　STORY　OF　Louise　Bentley；　who　became　Mrs。　John　Hardy　and　lived　with　her　husband　in　a　brick　house　on　Elm　Street　in　Winesburg；　is　a　story　of　mis…　understanding。

Before　such　women　as　Louise　can　be　understood　and　their　lives　made　livable；　much　will　have　to　be　done。　　Thoughtful　books　will　have　to　be　written　and　thoughtful　lives　lived　by　people　about　them。

Born　of　a　delicate　and　overworked　mother；　and　an　impulsive；　hard；　imaginative　father；　who　did　not　look　with　favor　upon　her　coming　into　the　world；　Louise　was　from　childhood　a　neurotic；　one　of　the　race　of　over…sensitive　women　that　in　later　days　in…　dustrialism　was　to　bring　in　such　great　numbers　into　the　world。

During　her　early　years　she　lived　on　the　Bentley　farm；　a　silent；　moody　child；　wanting　love　more　than　anything　else　in　the　world　and　not　getting　it。　　When　she　was　fifteen　she　went　to　live　in　Winesburg　with　the　family　of　Albert　Hardy；　who　had　a　store　for　the　sale　of　buggies　and　wagons；　and　who　was　a　member　of　the　town　board　of　education。

Louise　went　into　town　to　be　a　student　in　the　Winesburg　High　School　and　she　went　to　live　at　the　Hardys'　because　Albert　Hardy　and　her　father　were　friends。

Hardy；　the　vehicle　merchant　of　Winesburg；　like　thousands　of　other　men　of　his　times；　was　an　enthu…　siast　on　the　subject　of　education。　　He　had　made　his　own　way　in　the　world　without　learning　got　from　books；　but　he　was　convinced　that　had　he　but　known　books　things　would　have　gone　better　with　him。　　To　everyone　who　came　into　his　shop　he　talked　of　the　matter；　and　in　his　own　household　he　drove　his　fam…　ily　distracted　by　his　constant　harping　on　the　subject。

He　had　two　daughters　and　one　son；　John　Hardy；　and　more　than　once　the　daughters　threatened　to　leave　school　altogether。　　As　a　matter　of　principle　they　did　just　enough　work　in　their　classes　to　avoid　pun…　ishment。　　〃I　hate　books　and　I　hate　anyone　who　likes　books；〃　Harriet；　the　younger　of　the　two　girls；　de…　clared　passionately。

In　Winesburg　as　on　the　farm　Louise　was　not　happy。　　For　years　she　had　dreamed　of　the　time　when　she　could　go　forth　into　the　world；　and　she　looked　upon　the　move　into　the　Hardy　household　as　a　great　step　in　the　direction　of　freedom。　　Always　when　she　had　thought　of　the　matter；　it　had　seemed　to　her　that　in　town　all　must　be　gaiety　and　life；　that　there　men　and　women　must　live　happily　and　freely；　giving　and　taking　friendship　and　affection　as　one　takes　the　feel　of　a　wind　on　the　cheek。　　After　the　silence　and　the　cheerlessness　of　life　in　the　Bentley　house；　she　dreamed　of　stepping　forth　into　an　atmosphere　that　was　warm　and　pulsating　with　life　and　reality。　　And　in　the　Hardy　household　Louise　might　have　got　something　of　the　thing　for　which　she　so　hungered　but　for　a　mistake　she　made　when　she　had　just　come　to　town。

Louise　won　the　disfavor　of　the　two　Hardy　girls；　Mary　and　Harriet；　by　her　application　to　her　studies　in　school。　　She　did　not　come　to　the　house　until　the　day　when　school　was　to　begin　and　knew　nothing　of　the　feeling　they　had　in　the　matter。　　She　was　timid　and　during　the　first　month　made　no　acquaintances。　Every　Friday　afternoon　one　of　the　hired　men　from　the　farm　drove　into　Winesburg　and　took　her　home　for　the　week…end；　so　that　she　did　not　spend　the　Saturday　holiday　with　the　town　people。　　Because　she　was　embarrassed　and　lonely　she　worked　constantly　at　her　studies。　　To　Mary　and　Harriet；　it　seemed　as　though　she　tried　to　m