winesburg,ohio-第35部分

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a　soiled　cloth　in　one　hand　and　three　silver　dollars　in　the　other。　　Somewhere　in　the　house　a　child　wept　bitterly　and　a　dog　that　had　been　sleeping　by　the　stove　arose　and　yawned。　　Again　the　wife　scolded。　　〃The　children　will　cry　and　cry。　　Why　are　you　always　puttering？〃　she　asked。

Ray　went　out　of　the　house　and　climbed　the　fence　into　a　field。　　It　was　just　growing　dark　and　the　scene　that　lay　before　him　was　lovely。　　All　the　low　hills　were　washed　with　color　and　even　the　little　clusters　of　bushes　in　the　corners　of　the　fences　were　alive　with　beauty。　　The　whole　world　seemed　to　Ray　Pearson　to　have　become　alive　with　something　just　as　he　and　Hal　had　suddenly　become　alive　when　they　stood　in　the　corn　field　stating　into　each　other's　eyes。

The　beauty　of　the　country　about　Winesburg　was　too　much　for　Ray　on　that　fall　evening。　　That　is　all　there　was　to　it。　　He　could　not　stand　it。　　Of　a　sudden　he　forgot　all　about　being　a　quiet　old　farm　hand　and　throwing　off　the　torn　overcoat　began　to　run　across　the　field。　　As　he　ran　he　shouted　a　protest　against　his　life；　against　all　life；　against　everything　that　makes　life　ugly。　　〃There　was　no　promise　made；〃　he　cried　into　the　empty　spaces　that　lay　about　him。　　〃I　didn't　promise　my　Minnie　anything　and　Hal　hasn't　made　any　promise　to　Nell。　　I　know　he　hasn't。　　She　went　into　the　woods　with　him　because　she　wanted　to　go。　What　he　wanted　she　wanted。　　Why　should　I　pay？　Why　should　Hal　pay？　Why　should　anyone　pay？　I　don't　want　Hal　to　become　old　and　worn　out。　　I'll　tell　him。　　I　won't　let　it　go　on。　　I'll　catch　Hal　before　he　gets　to　town　and　I'll　tell　him。〃

Ray　ran　clumsily　and　once　he　stumbled　and　fell　down。　　〃I　must　catch　Hal　and　tell　him；〃　he　kept　thinking；　and　although　his　breath　came　in　gasps　he　kept　running　harder　and　harder。　　As　he　ran　he　thought　of　things　that　hadn't　come　into　his　mind　for　yearshow　at　the　time　he　married　he　had　planned　to　go　west　to　his　uncle　in　Portland；　Oregonhow　he　hadn't　wanted　to　be　a　farm　hand；　but　had　thought　when　he　got　out　West　he　would　go　to　sea　and　be　a　sailor　or　get　a　job　on　a　ranch　and　ride　a　horse　into　Western　towns；　shouting　and　laughing　and　waking　the　people　in　the　houses　with　his　wild　cries。　　Then　as　he　ran　he　remembered　his　children　and　in　fancy　felt　their　hands　clutching　at　him。　　All　of　his　thoughts　of　himself　were　involved　with　the　thoughts　of　Hal　and　he　thought　the　children　were　clutching　at　the　younger　man　also。　　〃They　are　the　accidents　of　life；　Hal；〃　he　cried。　　〃They　are　not　mine　or　yours。　　I　had　nothing　to　do　with　them。〃

Darkness　began　to　spread　over　the　fields　as　Ray　Pearson　ran　on　and　on。　　His　breath　came　in　little　sobs。　　When　he　came　to　the　fence　at　the　edge　of　the　road　and　confronted　Hal　Winters；　all　dressed　up　and　smoking　a　pipe　as　he　walked　jauntily　along；　he　could　not　have　told　what　he　thought　or　what　he　wanted。

Ray　Pearson　lost　his　nerve　and　this　is　really　the　end　of　the　story　of　what　happened　to　him。　　It　was　almost　dark　when　he　got　to　the　fence　and　he　put　his　hands　on　the　top　bar　and　stood　staring。　　Hal　Winters　jumped　a　ditch　and　coming　up　close　to　Ray　put　his　hands　into　his　pockets　and　laughed。　　He　seemed　to　have　lost　his　own　sense　of　what　had　happened　in　the　corn　field　and　when　he　put　up　a　strong　hand　and　took　hold　of　the　lapel　of　Ray's　coat　he　shook　the　old　man　as　he　might　have　shaken　a　dog　that　had　misbehaved。

〃You　came　to　tell　me；　eh？〃　he　said。　　〃Well；　never　mind　telling　me　anything。　　I'm　not　a　coward　and　I've　already　made　up　my　mind。〃　He　laughed　again　and　jumped　back　across　the　ditch。　　〃Nell　ain't　no　fool；〃　he　said。　　〃She　didn't　ask　me　to　marry　her。　　I　want　to　marry　her。　　I　want　to　settle　down　and　have　kids。〃

Ray　Pearson　also　laughed。　　He　felt　like　laughing　at　himself　and　all　the　world。

As　the　form　of　Hal　Winters　disappeared　in　the　dusk　that　lay　over　the　road　that　led　to　Winesburg；　he　turned　and　walked　slowly　back　across　the　fields　to　where　he　had　left　his　torn　overcoat。　　As　he　went　some　memory　of　pleasant　evenings　spent　with　the　thin…legged　children　in　the　tumble…down　house　by　the　creek　must　have　come　into　his　mind；　for　he　mut…　tered　words。　　〃It's　just　as　well。　　Whatever　I　told　him　would　have　been　a　lie；〃　he　said　softly；　and　then　his　form　also　disappeared　into　the　darkness　of　the　fields。




DRINK

TOM　FOSTER　came　to　Winesburg　from　Cincinnati　when　he　was　still　young　and　could　get　many　new　impressions。　　His　grandmother　had　been　raised　on　a　farm　near　the　town　and　as　a　young　girl　had　gone　to　school　there　when　Winesburg　was　a　village　of　twelve　or　fifteen　houses　clustered　about　a　general　store　on　the　Trunion　Pike。

What　a　life　the　old　woman　had　led　since　she　went　away　from　the　frontier　settlement　and　what　a　strong；　capable　little　old　thing　she　was！　She　had　been　in　Kansas；　in　Canada；　and　in　New　York　City；　traveling　about　with　her　husband；　a　mechanic；　be…　fore　he　died。　　Later　she　went　to　stay　with　her　daughter；　who　had　also　married　a　mechanic　and　lived　in　Covington；　Kentucky；　across　the　river　from　Cincinnati。

Then　began　the　hard　years　for　Tom　Foster's　grandmother。　　First　her　son…in…law　was　killed　by　a　policeman　during　a　strike　and　then　Tom's　mother　became　an　invalid　and　died　also。　　The　grandmother　had　saved　a　little　money；　but　it　was　swept　away　by　the　illness　of　the　daughter　and　by　the　cost　of　the　two　funerals。　　She　became　a　half　worn…out　old　woman　worker　and　lived　with　the　grandson　above　a　junk　shop　on　a　side　street　in　Cincinnati。　　For　five　years　she　scrubbed　the　floors　in　an　office　building　and　then　got　a　place　as　dish　washer　in　a　restaurant。　Her　hands　were　all　twisted　out　of　shape。　　When　she　took　hold　of　a　mop　or　a　broom　handle　the　hands　looked　like　the　dried　stems　of　an　old　creeping　vine　clinging　to　a　tree。

The　old　woman　came　back　to　Winesburg　as　soon　as　she　got　the　chance。　　One　evening　as　she　was　com…　ing　home　from　work　she　found　a　pocket…book　con…　taining　thirty…seven　dollars；　and　that　opened　the　way。　　The　trip　was　a　great　adventure　for　the　boy。　　It　was　past　seven　o'clock　at　night　when　the　grand…　mother　came　home　with　the　pocket…book　held　tightly　in　her　old　hands　and　she　was　so　excited　she　could　scarcely　speak。　　She　insisted　on　leaving　Cincinnati　that　night；　saying　that　if　they　stayed　until　morning　the　owner　of　the　money　would　be　sure　to　find　them　out　and　make　trouble。　　Tom；　who　was　then　sixteen　years　old；　had　to　go　trudging　off　to　the　station　with　the　old　woman；　bearing　all　of　their　earthly　belong…　ings　done　up　in　a　worn…out　blanket　and　slung　across　his　back。　　By　his　side　walked　the　grandmother　urging　him　forward。　　Her　toothless　old　mouth　twitched　ner…　vously；　and　when　Tom　grew　weary　and　wanted　to　put　the　pack　down　at　a　street　crossing；　she　snatched　it　up　and　if　he　had　not　prevented　would　have　slung　it　across　her　own　back。　　When　they　got　into　the　train　and　it　had　run　out　of　the　city　she　was　as　delighted　as　a　girl　and　talked　as　the　boy　had　never　heard　her　talk　before。

All　through　the　night　as　the　train　rattled　along；　the　grandmother　told　Tom　tales　of　Winesburg　and　of　how　he　would　enjoy　his　life　working　in　the　fields　and　shooting　wild　things　in　the　woods　there。　　She　could　not　believe　that　the　tiny　village　of　fifty　years　before　had　grown　into　a　thriving　town　in　her　ab…　sence；　and　in　the　morning　when　the　train　came　to　Winesburg　did　not　want　to　get　off。　　〃It　isn't　what　I　thought。　　It　may　be　hard　for　you　here；〃　she　said；　and　then　the　train　went　on　its　way　and　the　two　stood　confused；　not　knowing　where　to　turn；　in　the　pres…　ence　of　Albert　Longworth；　the　Winesburg　baggage　master。

But　Tom　Foster　did　get　along　all　right。　　He　was　one　to　get　along　anywhere。　　Mrs。　White；　the　banker's　wife；　employed　his　grandmother　to　work　in　the　kitchen　and　he　got　a　place　as　stable　boy　in　the　bank…　er's　new　brick　barn。

In　Winesburg　servants　were　hard　to　get。　　The　woman　who　wanted　help　in　her　housework　em…　ployed　a　〃hired　girl〃　who　insisted　on　sitting　at　the　table　with　the　family。　　Mrs。　White　was　sick　of　hired　girls　and　snatched　at　the　chance　to　get　hold　of　the　old　city　woman。　　She　furnished　a　room　for　the　boy　Tom　upstairs　in　the　barn。　　〃He　can　mow　the　lawn　and　run　errands　when　the　horses　do　not　need　atten…　tion；〃　she　explained　to　her　husband。

Tom　Foster　was　rather　small　for　his　age　and　had　a　large　head　covered　with　stiff　black　hair　that　stood　straight　up。　　The　hair　emphasized　the　bigness　of　his　head。　　His　voice　was　the　softest　thing　imaginable；　and　he　was　himself　so　gentle　and　quiet　that　he　slipped　into　the　life　of　the　town　without　attracting　the　least　bit　of　attention。

One　could　not　help　wondering　where　Tom　Foster　got　his　gentleness。　　In　Cincinnati　he　had　lived　in　a　neighborhood　where　gangs　of　tough　boys　prowled　through　the　streets；　and　all　through　his　early　forma…　tive　years　he　ran　about　with　tough　boys。　　For　a　while　he　was　a　messenger　for　a　telegraph　company　and　delivered　messages　in　a　neighborhood　sprinkled　with　houses　of　prostitution。　　The　women　in　the　houses　knew　and　loved　Tom　Foster　and　the　tough　boys　in　the　gangs　loved　him　also。

He　never　asserted　himself。　　That　was　one　thing　that　helped　him　escape。　　In　an　odd　way　he　stood　in　the　shadow　of　the　wall　of　life；　was　meant　to　stand　in　the　shadow。　　He　saw　the　men　and　women　in　the　houses　of　lust；　sensed　their　casual　and　horrible　love　affairs；　saw　boys　fighting　and　listened　to　their　tales　of　thieving　and　dru