sunshine sketches of a little town-第27部分

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were　intact　and　that　the　robber　had　been　foiled　in　his　design。

But　none　of　this　matters　to　the　exaltation　of　Mr。　Pupkin。　Good
fortune；　like　bad；　never　comes　in　small　instalments。　On　that
wonderful　day；　every　good　thing　happened　to　Peter　Pupkin　at　once。　The
morning　saw　him　a　hero。　At　the　sitting　of　the　court；　the　judge
publicly　told　him　that　his　conduct　was　fit　to　rank　among　the　annals
of　the　pioneers　of　Tecumseh　Township；　and　asked　him　to　his　house　for
supper。　At　five　o'clock　he　received　the　telegram　of　promotion　from
the　head　office　that　raised　his　salary　to　a　thousand　dollars；　and
made　him　not　only　a　hero　but　a　marriageable　man。　At　six　o'clock　he
started　up　to　the　judge's　house　with　his　resolution　nerved　to　the
most　momentous　step　of　his　life。

His　mind　was　made　up。

He　would　do　a　thing　seldom　if　ever　done　in　Mariposa。　He　would　propose
to　Zena　Pepperleigh。　In　Mariposa　this　kind　of　step；　I　say；　is　seldom
taken。　The　course　of　love　runs　on　and　on　through　all　its　stages　of
tennis　playing　and　dancing　and　sleigh　riding；　till　by　sheer　notoriety
of　circumstance　an　understanding　is　reached。　To　propose　straight　out
would　be　thought　priggish　and　affected　and　is　supposed　to　belong　only
to　people　in　books。

But　Pupkin　felt　that　what　ordinary　people　dare　not　do；　heroes　are
allowed　to　attempt。　He　would　propose　to　Zena；　and　more　than　that；　he
would　tell　her　in　a　straight；　manly　way　that　he　was　rich　and　take　the
consequences。

And　he　did　it。

That　night　on　the　piazza；　where　the　hammock　hangs　in　the　shadow　of
the　Virginia　creeper；　he　did　it。　By　sheer　good　luck　the　judge　had
gone　indoors　to　the　library；　and　by　a　piece　of　rare　good　fortune　Mrs。
Pepperleigh　had　gone　indoors　to　the　sewing　room；　and　by　a　happy　trick
of　coincidence　the　servant　was　out　and　the　dog　was　tied　upin　fact；
no　such　chain　of　circumstances　was　ever　offered　in　favour　of　mortal
man　before。

What　Zena　saidbeyond　saying　yesI　do　not　know。　I　am　sure　that　when
Pupkin　told　her　of　the　money；　she　bore　up　as　bravely　as　so　fine　a
girl　as　Zena　would；　and　when　he　spoke　of　diamonds　she　said　she　would
wear　them　for　his　sake。

They　were　saying　these　things　and　other　thingsever　so　many　other
thingswhen　there　was　such　a　roar　and　a　clatter　up　Oneida　Street　as
you　never　heard；　and　there　came　bounding　up　to　the　house　one　of　the
most　marvellous　Limousine　touring　cars　that　ever　drew　up　at　the　home
of　a　judge　on　a　modest　salary　of　three　thousand　dollars。　When　it
stopped　there　sprang　from　it　an　excited　man　in　a　long　sealskin
coatworn　not　for　the　luxury　of　it　at　all　but　from　the　sheer
chilliness　of　the　autumn　evening。　And　it　was；　as　of　course　you　know；
Pupkin's　father。　He　had　seen　the　news　of　his　son's　death　in　the
evening　paper　in　the　city。　They　drove　the　car　through；　so　the
chauffeur　said；　in　two　hours　and　a　quarter；　and　behind　them　there　was
to　follow　a　special　trainload　of　detectives　and　emergency　men；　but
Pupkin　senior　had　cancelled　all　that　by　telegram　half　way　up　when　he
heard　that　Peter　was　still　living。

For　a　moment　as　his　eye　rested　on　young　Pupkin　you　would　almost　have
imagined；　had　you　not　known　that　he　came　from　the　Maritime　Provinces；
that　there　were　tears　in　them　and　that　he　was　about　to　hug　his　son　to
his　heart。　But　if　he　didn't　hug　Peter　to　his　heart；　he　certainly　did
within　a　few　moments　clasp　Zena　to　it；　in　that　fine　fatherly　way　in
which　they　clasp　pretty　girls　in　the　Maritime　Provinces。　The
strangest　thing　is　that　Pupkin　senior　seemed　to　understand　the　whole
situation　without　any　explanations　at　all。

Judge　Pepperleigh；　I　think；　would　have　shaken　both　of　Pupkin　senior's
arms　off　when　he　saw　him；　and　when　you　heard　them　call　one　another
〃Ned〃　and　〃Phillip〃　it　made　you　feel　that　they　were　boys　again
attending　classes　together　at　the　old　law　school　in　the　city。

If　Pupkin　thought　that　his　father　wouldn't　make　a　hit　in　Mariposa；　it
only　showed　his　ignorance。　Pupkin　senior　sat　there　on　the　judge's
verandah　smoking　a　corn　cob　pipe　as　if　he　had　never　heard　of　Havana
cigars　in　his　life。　In　the　three　days　that　he　spent　in　Mariposa　that
autumn；　he　went　in　and　out　of　Jeff　Thorpe's　barber　shop　and　Eliot's
drug　store；　shot　black　ducks　in　the　marsh　and　played　poker　every
evening　at　a　hundred　matches　for　a　cent　as　if　he　had　never　lived　any
other　life　in　all　his　days。　They　had　to　send　him　telegrams　enough　to
fill　a　satchel　to　make　him　come　away。

So　Pupkin　and　Zena　in　due　course　of　time　were　married；　and　went　to
live　in　one　of　the　enchanted　houses　on　the　hillside　in　the　newer　part
of　the　town；　where　you　may　find　them　to　this　day。

You　may　see　Pupkin　there　at　any　time　cutting　enchanted　grass　on　a
little　lawn　in　as　gaudy　a　blazer　as　ever。

But　if　you　step　up　to　speak　to　him　or　walk　with　him　into　the
enchanted　house；　pray　modulate　your　voice　a　little　musical　though　it
isfor　there　is　said　to　be　an　enchanted　baby　on　the　premises　whose
sleep　must　not　lightly　be　disturbed。



TEN

The　Great　Election　in　Missinaba　County

Don't　ask　me　what　election　it　was；　whether　Dominion　or　Provincial　or
Imperial　or　Universal；　for　I　scarcely　know。

It　must；　of　course；　have　been　going　on　in　other　parts　of　the　country
as　well；　but　I　saw　it　all　from　Missinaba　County　which；　with　the　town
of　Mariposa；　was；　of　course；　the　storm　centre　and　focus　point　of　the
whole　turmoil。

I　only　know　that　it　was　a　huge　election　and　that　on　it　turned　issues
of　the　most　tremendous　importance；　such　as　whether　or　not　Mariposa
should　become　part　of　the　United　States；　and　whether　the　flag　that
had　waved　over　the　school　house　at　Tecumseh　Township　for　ten
centuries　should　be　trampled　under　the　hoof　of　an　alien　invader；　and
whether　Britons　should　be　slaves；　and　whether　Canadians　should　be
Britons；　and　whether　the　farming　class　would　prove　themselves
Canadians；　and　tremendous　questions　of　that　kind。

And　there　was　such　a　roar　and　a　tumult　to　it；　and　such　a　waving　of
flags　and　beating　of　drums　and　flaring　of　torchlights　that　such　parts
of　the　election　as　may　have　been　going　on　elsewhere　than　in　Missinaba
county　must　have　been　quite　unimportant　and　didn't　really　matter。

Now　that　it　is　all　over；　we　can　look　back　at　it　without　heat　or
passion。　We　can　see；it's　plain　enough　now；that　in　the　great
election　Canada　saved　the　British　Empire；　and　that　Missinaba　saved
Canada　and　that　the　vote　of　the　Third　Concession　of　Tecumseh　Township
saved　Missinaba　County；　and　that　those　of　us　who　carried　the　third
concession；well；　there's　no　need　to　push　it　further。　We　prefer　to
be　modest　about　it。　If　we　still　speak　of　it；　it　is　only　quietly　and
simply　and　not　more　than　three　or　four　times　a　day。

But　you　can't　understand　the　election　at　all；　and　the　conventions　and
the　campaigns　and　the　nominations　and　the　balloting；　unless　you　first
appreciate　the　peculiar　complexion　of　politics　in　Mariposa。

Let　me　begin　at　the　beginning。　Everybody　in　Mariposa　is　either　a
Liberal　or　a　Conservative　or　else　is　both。　Some　of　the　people　are　or
have　been　Liberals　or　Conservatives　all　their　lives　and　are　called
dyed…in…the…wool　Grits　or　old…time　Tories　and　things　of　that　sort。
These　people　get　from　long　training　such　a　swift　penetrating　insight
into　national　issues　that　they　can　decide　the　most　complicated
question　in　four　seconds：　in　fact；　just　as　soon　as　they　grab　the　city
papers　out　of　the　morning　mail；　they　know　the　whole　solution　of　any
problem　you　can　put　to　them。　There　are　other　people　whose　aim　it　is
to　be　broad…minded　and　judicious　and　who　vote　Liberal　or　Conservative
according　to　their　judgment　of　the　questions　of　the　day。　If　their
judgment　of　these　questions　tells　them　that　there　is　something　in　it
for　them　in　voting　Liberal；　then　they　do　so。　But　if　not；　they　refuse
to　be　the　slaves　of　a　party　or　the　henchmen　of　any　political　leader。
So　that　anybody　looking　for　henches　has　got　to　keep　away　from　them。

But　the　one　thing　that　nobody　is　allowed　to　do　in　Mariposa　is　to　have
no　politics。　Of　course　there　are　always　some　people　whose
circumstances　compel　them　to　say　that　they　have　no　politics。　But　that
is　easily　understood。　Take　the　case　of　Trelawney；　the　postmaster。
Long　ago　he　was　a　letter　carrier　under　the　old　Mackenzie　Government；
and　later　he　was　a　letter　sorter　under　the　old　Macdonald　Government；
and　after　that　a　letter　stamper　under　the　old　Tupper　Government；　and
so　on。　Trelawney　always　says　that　he　has　no　politics；　but　the　truth
is　that　he　has　too　many。

So；　too；　with　the　clergy　in　Mariposa。　They　have　no　politics
absolutely　none。　Yet　Dean　Drone　round　election　time　always　announces
as　his　text　such　a　verse　as：　〃Lo！　is　there　not　one　righteous　man　in
Israel？〃　or：　〃What　ho！　is　it　not　time　for　a　change？〃　And　that　is　a
signal　for　all　the　Liberal　business　men　to　get　up　and　leave　their
pews。

Similarly　over　at　the　Presbyterian　Church；　the　minister　says　that　his
sacred　calling　will　not　allow　him　to　take　part　in　politics　and　that
his　sacred　calling　prevents　him　from　breathing　even　a　word　of
harshness　against　his　fellow　man；　but　that　when　it　comes　to　the
elevation　of　the　ungodly　into　high　places　in　the　commonwealth　（this
means；　of　course；　the　nomination　of　the　Conservative　candidate）　then
he's　not　going　to　allow　his　sacred　calling　to　prevent　him　from　saying
just　what　he　thinks　of　it。　And　by　that　time；　having　pretty　well
cleared　the　church　of　Conservatives；　he　proceeds　to　show　from　the
scriptures　that　the　ancient　Hebrews　were　Liberals　to　a　man；　except
those　who　were　drowned　in　the　flood　or　who　perished；　more　or　less
deservedly；　in　the　desert。

There　are；　I　say；　some　people　who　are　allowed　to　claim　to　have　no
politics；the　office　holders；　and　the　clergy　and　the　school　teachers
and　the　hotel　keepers。　But　beyond　them；　anybody　in　Mariposa　who　says
that　he　has　no　politics　is　looked　upon　as　crooked；　and　people　wonder
what　it　is　that　he　is　〃out　after。〃

In　fact；　the　whole　town　and　county　is　a　hive　of　politics；　and　people
who　have　only　witnessed　gatherings　such　as　the　House　of　Commons　at
Westminster　and　the　Senate　at　Washington　and　never　seen　a
Conservative　Convention　at　Tecumseh　Corners　or　a　Liberal　Rally　at　the
Concession　school　house；　don't　know　what　politics　means。

So　you　may　imagine　the　excitement　in　Mariposa　when　it　bec