samantha at saratoga-第13部分

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sez　in　weary　axents：　〃Where　be　you　a　goin'；　Samantha？　　Haint　you　never　goin'　to　stop？　I　am　fairly　tuckered　out。〃　And　I　sez　in　faint　axents；　〃I　would　fain　reach　a　land　where　parasols　and　puckers　are　not　and　dogs　and　diamonds　are　no　more。〃　I　wuz　middlin'　incoherent　from　my　agitation。　　But　I　meant　well。　　I　wuz　truly　in　hopes　I　would　reach　some　quiet　place　where　Josiah　and　me　could　set　down　alone。　　Where　I　could　look　in　quiet　and　repose　upon　that　dear　bald　head；　and　recooperate　my　strength。　We　went　by　beautiful　places；　grand　houses　of　different　colors　but　every　one　on　'em　good　lookin'　ones；　a　settin'　back　amongst　their　green　trees；　with　shady　grass…covered　yards；　and　fountains　and　flower　beds　in　front　of　'em；　and　more　grand　handsome　houses；　and　more　big　beautiful　yards；　green　velvet　grass　and　beautiful　flowers　and　fountains；　and　birds　and　beauty　on　every　side　on　us。　And　though　I　felt　and　knew　that　in　them　big　carriages　that　was　a　passin'　2　and　fro　all　the　time；　though　I　felt　that　parasols；　and　puckers；　and　laces；　and　dogs；　and　diamonds；　wuz　a　bein'　borne　past　me　all　the　time；　yet　sech　is　the　force　of　my　mind　that　I　could　withdraw　my　specks　from　'em；　and　look　at　the　beautiful　works　of　nater　（assisted　by　man）　that　wuz　about　me　on　every　hand。　Finally　my　long　search　wuz　rewarded；　we　came　to　a　big　open　gateway　that　seemed　to　lead　into　a　large；　quiet　delightful　forest。　　And　in　that　lovely；　lonesome　place；　Josiah　and　me　sot　down　to　recooperate　our　2　energies。　Josiah　looked　good　to　me。　　Men　are　nice　creeters；　but　you　don't　want　to　see　too　meny　of　'em　to　once；　likeways　with　wimmen。　　Josiah　looked　to　me　at　that　moment　some　like　a　calico　dress　that　you　have　picked　out　of　a　dense　quantity　of　patterns　of　calico　at　a　store；　it　looks　better　to　you　when　you　get　it　away　from　the　rest。　　Josiah　Allen　looked　good　to　me。　But　anon；　after　I　had　bathed　my　distracted　eyes　（as　you　may　say）　in　the　liniment　of　my　pardner；　I　began　to　take　in　the　rare　beauty　of　the　seen　laid　out　before　me　and　we　arose　and　wended　our　way　onwards　peaceful　and　serene；　as　2　childern　led　on　by　their　mother。　Dear　Mother　Nature！　how　dost　thou　rest　and　soothe　thy　distracted　childern　when　too　hardly　used　by　the　grindin'；　oppressive　hands　of　fashion；and　the　weerisome　elements　of　a　too　civilized　life。　　Maybe　thou　art　a　heathen　mother；　oneducated　and　ignorant　in　all　but　the　wisdom　of　love；　but　thy　bosom　is　soft　and　restful；　and　thy　arms　lovin'　and　tender。　　And；　heathen　if　thou　art；　we　love　thee　first　and　at　last。　　We　are　glad　to　slip　out　of　all　the　vain　and　gilded　supports　that　have　held　us　weerily　up；　and　lay　down　our　tired　heads　on　thy　kindly　and　unquestionin'　bosom　and　rest。　As　we　rose　from　the　soft　turf；　on　which　we　had　been　a　restin'；　and　meandered　on　through　that　beautiful　park；　（so　tenderly　had　nature　used　him；）　not　one　trace　of　the　wild　commotion　that　had　almost　rent　Josiah　Allen's　breast；　could　be　seen　save　one　expirin'　threeoh　of　agony。　　As　we　started　out　ag'in；　he　looked　down　onto　my　faithful　umberell；　that　had　stiddied　me　on　so　many　towers　of　principle；　and　sez　he；　in　low　concentrated　axents　of　skern　and　bitterness；　〃If　that　wuz　a　dumb　parasol；　Samantha；　I　would　crush　it　to　the　earth　and　grind　it　to　atoms。〃　Truly　he　could　not　forget　how　his　bald　head　had　been　gethered　in　like　a　ripe　sheaf；　by　7　females；　during　that　very　walk；　hombly　ones　too；　so　it　had　happened。　　But　I　sez　nothin'　in　reply　to　this　expirin'　note　of　the　crysis　he　had　passed　through；　knowin'　this　was　not　the　time　for　silver　speech　but　for　golden　silence；　and　so　we　meandered　onwards。　And　it　wuz　anon　that　we　see　in　the　distance　a　fair　white　female　a　standin'　kinder　still　in　the　edge　of　the　woods；　and　Josiah　spoke　in　a　seemin'ly　careless　way；　and　sez　he；　〃She　don't　seem　to　have　many　clothes　on；　Samantha。〃　Sez　I；　〃Hush；　Josiah！　she　has　probably　overslept　herself；　and　come　out　in　a　hurry；　mebby　to　look　for　some　herbs　or　sunthin'。　　I　persoom　one　of　her　childern　are　sick；　and　she　sprung　right　up　out　of　bed；　and　come　out　to　get　some　weather…wort；　or　catnip；　or　sunthin'。〃　And　as　I　spoke　I　drawed　Josiah　down　a　side　path　away　from　her。　But　he　stopped　stun　still　and　sez　he；　〃Mebby　I　ought　to　go　and　help　her　Samantha。〃　Sez　I；　〃Josiah　Allen；　sense　I　lived　with　you；　I　don't　think　I　have　been　shamder　of　you；〃　sez　I；　〃it　would　mortify　her　to　death　if　she　should　mistrust　you　had　seen　her　in　that　condition。〃　〃Wall；〃　sez　he；　still　a　hangin'　back；　〃if　the　child　is　very　sick；　and　I　can　be　any　help　to　her；　it　is　my　duty　to　go。〃　His　eye　had　been　on　her　nearly　every　moment　of　the　time；　in　spite　of　my　almost　voyalent　protests；　and　sez　he；　kinder　excited　like；　〃She　is　standin'　stun　still；　as　if　she　is　skarit；　mebby　there　is　a　snake　in　front　of　her　or　sunthin'；　or　mebby　she　is　took　paralysed；　I'd　better　go　and　see。〃　Sez　I；　in　low；　deep　axents；　〃You　stay　where　you　be；　Josiah　Allen；　and　I　will　go　forward；　bein'　2　females　together；　it　is　what　it　is　right　to　do　and　if　we　need　your　help　I　will　holler。〃　And　finally　he　consented　after　a　parlay。　Wall；　as　I　got　up　to　her　I　see　she　wuzn't　a　live；　meat　woman；　but　a　statute　and　so　I　hastened　back　to　my　Josiah　and　told　him　there　wuzn't　no　need　of　his　help　and　he　wuz　in　the　right　on't　　she　wuz　stun　still。〃　He　said　he　guessed　we'd　better　go　that　way。　　And　I　sez；　〃No；　Josiah；　I　want　to　go　round　by　the　other　road。〃　Wall；　we　got　back　to　our　abode　perfectly　tuckered　out；　but　perfectly　happy。　　And　we　concluded　that　after　dinner　we　would　set　out　and　see　the　different　springs　and　partake　of　'em。　　Had　it　not　been　for　our　almost　frenzied　haste　to　get　away　from　parasols　and　dogs　and　destraction　into　a　place　of　rest　we　should　have　beheld　them　sooner。　　And　our　afternoon's　adventures　I　will　relate　in　another　epistol。


VII。　SEEING　THE　DIFFERENT　SPRINGS。

Immegeatly　after　dinner　（a　good　one）　Josiah　Allen；　Ardelia　Tutt　and　me　sot　out　to　view　and　look　at　the　different　springs　and　to　partake　of　the　same。　　We　hadn't　drinked　a　drop　of　it　as　yet。　Ardelia　had　come　over　to　go　with　us。　　She　had　on　a　kind　of　a　yellowish　drab　dress　and　a　hat　made　of　the　same；　with　some　drab　and　blue　bows　of　ribbon　and　some　pink　holly…hawks　in　it；　and　she　had　some　mits　on　（her　hands　prespired　dretfully；　and　she　sweat　easy）。　　As　I　have　said；　she　is　a　good　lookin'　girl　but　soft。　　And　most　any　dress　she　puts　on　kinder　falls　into　the　same　looks。　　It　may　be　quite　a　hard　lookin'　dress　before　she　puts　it　on；　but　before　she　has　wore　it　half　a　hour　it　will　kinder　crease　down　into　the　softest　lookin；　thing　you　ever　see。　　And　so　with　her　bonnets；　and　mantillys；　and　everything。　The　down　onto　a　goslin's　breast　never　looked　softer　than　every　rag　she　had　on　this　very　afternoon；　and　no　tender　goslin'　itself　wuz　ever　softer　than　she　wuz　on　the　inside　on't。　　But　that　didn't　hinder　my　likin'　her。　Wall；　anon；　or　a　little　before；　we　came　to　that　long；　long　buildin'；　beautiful　and　dretful　ornimental；　but　I　could　see　plain　by　daylight　what　I　had　mistrusted　before；　that　it　wuzn't　built　for　warmth。　　It　must　be　dretful　cold　in　the　winter；　and　I　don't　see　how　the　wimmen　folks　of　the　home　could　stand　it；　unless　they　hang　up　bed　quilts　and　blankets　round　the　side；　and　then；　I　should　think　they　would　freeze。　　They　couldn't　keep　their　house　plants　over　winter　any　way　…　and　I　see　they　had　sights　of　'em　…　unless　they　kep'　'em　down　suller。　But　howsumever；　that　is　none　of　my　lookout。　　If　they　want　to　be　so　fashionable；　as　to　try　to　live　out　doors　and　in　the　house　too；　that　is　none　of　my　business。　　And　of　course　it　looked　dretful　ornimental　and　pretty。　　But　I　will　say　this；　it　haint　bein'　mejum。　I　should　rather　live　either　out　doors；　or　in　the　house；　one　of　the　2。　　But　I　am　a　eppisodin'。　　And　to　resoom。　Josiah　Allen　paid　the　money　demanded　of　him　and　we　went　in　and　advanced　onwards　to　where　a　boy　wuz　a　pullin'　up　the　water　and　handin'　of　it　round。　It　looked　dretful　bubblin'　and　sparklin'。　　Why　sunthin'　seemed　to　be　a　sparklin'　up　all　the　time　in　the　water　and　I　thought　to　myself　mebby　it　wuz　water　thoughts；　mebby　it　wanted　to　tell　sunthin'；　mebby　it　has　all　through　these　years　been　a　tryin'　to　bubble　up　and　sparkle　out　in　wisdom　but　haint　found　any　one　yet　who　could　understand　its　liquid　language。　　Who　knows　now？　I　took　my　glass　and　looked　close　…　sparkle；　sparkle；　up　came　the　tiny　thought　sparks！　　But　I　wuzn't　wise　enough　to　read　the　glitterin'　language。　　No　I　wuzn't　deep　enough。　　It　would　take　a　deep　mind；　mebby　thousands　of　feet　deep；　to　understand　the　great　glowin'　secret　that　it　has　been　a　tryin'　to　reveal　and　couldn't。　Mebby　it　has　been　a　tryin'　to　tell　of　big　diamond　mines　that　it　has　passed　through　…　great　cliffs　and　crags　of　gold　sot　deep　with　the　crystalized　dew　of　diamonds。　But　no；　I　didn't　believe　that　wuz　it。　　That　wouldn't　help　the　world；　only　to　make　it　happier；　and　these　seemed　to　me　to　be　dretful　inspirin'；　upliftin'　thoughts。　　No；　mebby　it　is　a　tryin'　to　tell　a　cold　world　about　a　way　to　heat　it。　　Mebby　it　has　been　a　runnin'　over　and　is　sparklin'　with　bright　thoughts　about　how　deep　underneath　the　earth　lay　a　big　fireplace；　that　all　the　cold　beggars　of　mortality　could　set　round　and　warm　their　frozen　fingers　by；　…　a　tryin'　to　tell　how　the　heat　of　that　fire　that　escapes　now　up　the　chimbleys　of　volcanoes；　and　sometimes　in　sudden　drafts　blows　out　sideways　into　earthquakes；　etc。；　could　be　utilized　by　conveyin'　it　up　on　top　of　the　ground；　and　have　it　carried　into　the　houses　like　Croton　water。　　Who　knows　now？　　Mebby　that　is　it！　Oh！　　I　felt　that　it　would　be　a　happy　hour　for　Samantha　when　she　could　bile　her　potatoes　by　the　heat　of　that　large　noble　fire…place。　And　more　than　that；　far　more　wuz　the　thought　that　heat　might　become；　in　the　future；　as　cheap　as　cold。　　That　the　little　cold　hands　that　freeze　every　winter　in　the　big　cities；　could　be　stretched　out　before　the　big　generous　warmth　of　that　noble　fire…place。　　And　who　built　that　fire　in　the　first　place？　　Who　laid　the　first　sticks　on　the　handirons；　and　put　the　match　to　it？　　Who　wuz　it　that　did　it；　and　how　did　he　look；　and　when　wuz　he　born；　and　why；　and　where？　These；　and　many　other　thoughts　of　similar　size　and　shape；　filled　my　brane　almost　full　enough　to　lift　up　the　bunnet；　that　reposed　gracefully　on　my　foretop；　as　I　stood　and　held　the　sparklin'　glass　in　my　hands。　Sparkle！　sparkle！　sparkle！　what　wuz　it；　it　wuz　a　tryin'　to　say　to　me　and　cou