samantha at saratoga-第39部分

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hand　will　reach　out　to　us　from　the　shadows　and　draw　us　back　agin？　　Have　you　seen　it　Josiah　Allen？　　You　have　felt　this　great　onseen　force　a　movin'　you　along；　but　you　haint　sot　your　eyes　on　it。　〃What　is　there　above　us；　below　us；　about　us；　but　a　waste　of　mystery；　a　power　of　onseen　influences？。　〃You　won't　believe　anything　you　can't　see：　　Did　you　ever　see　old　Gravity；　Josiah　Allen；　or　get　acquainted　with　him？　　Yet　his　hands　hold　the　worlds　together。　　Who　ever　see　the　mysterious　sunthin'　in　the　North　that　draws　the　ship's　compass　round？　　Who　ever　see　that　great　mysterious　hand　that　is　dropped　down　in　the　water；　sweepin'　it　back　and　forth；　makin'　the　tides　come　in；　and　the　tides　go　out？　　Who　ever　has　ketched　a　glimpse　of　them　majestic　fingers；　Josiah　Allen？　　Or　the　lips　touched　with　lightnin'；　whose　whispers　reach　round　the　world；　and　through　the　Ocean？　　You　haint　see　'em；　nor　I　haint；　　No；　Josiah　Allen；　we　don't　know　much　of　anything；　and　we　don't　know　that　for　certain。　　We　are　all　on　us　only　poor　pupils　down　in　the　Earth's　school…room；　learnin'　with　　difficulty　and　heart　ache　the　lessons　God　sets　for　us。　Tough　old　Experience　gives　us　many　a　hard　floggin'；　before　we　learn　the　day's　lessons。　　And　we　find　the　benches　hard；　long　before　sundown。　　And　it　makes　our　hearts　ache　to　see　the　mates　we　love　droop　their　too　tired　heads　in　sleep；　all　round　us　before　school　is　out。　　But　we　grind　on　at　our　lessons；　as　best　we　may。　Learnin'　a　little　maybe。　　Havin'　to　onlearn　a　sight；　as　the　pinters　move　on　towards　four。　　Clasping　hands　with　fellow　toilers　and　（hard　task）　onclaspin'　'em；　as　they　go　up　above　us；　or　down　nearer　the　foot。　　Havin'　little　‘intermissions'　of　enjoyment；　soon　over。　　But　we　plod　on；　on；　and　bimeby　　and　sometimes　we　think　we　do　not　care　how　soon　　the　teacher　will　say　to　us；　that　we　can　be　'dismissed。'　　And　then　we　shall　drop　out　of　the　rank　of　learners；　and　the　school　will　go　without　us；　jest　as　busily；　jest　as　cheerfully；　jest　as　laboriously；　jest　as　sadly。　　Poor　learners　at　the　hard　lessons　of　life。　　Learnin'　out　of　a　book　that　is　held　out　to　us　from　the　shadows　by　an　onseen；　inexorable　hand。　Settin'　on　hard　benches　that　may　fall　out　from　under　us　at　any　time。　　Poor　ignerent　creeters　that　we　are；　would　it　not　be　a　too　arrant　folly　for　us　to　judge　each　other　hardly；　we；　all　on　us；　so　deplorably　ignerent；　so　weakly　helpless？〃　Sez　Josiah；　in　earnest　axcents；　〃Le's　walk　a　little　faster。〃　And；　in　lookin'　up；　I　see　that　he　wuz　readin'　a　advertisement。　　I　ketched　sight　of　a　picture　ornamentin'　of　it。　　It　wuz　Lydia　Pinkham。　　And　as　I　see　that　benine　face；　I　found　and　recovered　myself。　　Truly；　I　had　been　a　soarin'　up；　up；　fur　above　Saratoga；　Patent　Medicines；　Josiah　Allen；　etc。；　etc。　But　when　I　found　myself　by　the　side　of　Josiah　Allen　once　more；　I　moved　onwards　in　silence；　and　soon　we　found　ourselves　right　by　the　haven　where　I　desired　to　be；　　our　own　tried　and　true　boardin'　house。　Truly　eloquence　is　tuckerin'；　very；　especially　when　you　are　a　soarin'　and　a　walkin'　at　the　same　time。


XIX。　ST。　CHRISTINA'S　HOME。

Wall；　it　wuz　that　very　afternoon；　almost　immegetly　after　dinner；　that　Josiah　Allen　invited　me　warmly　to　go　with　him　to　the　Roller　Coaster。　　And　I　compromised　the　matter　by　his　goin'　with　us　first　to　St。　Christina's　Home；　and　then；　I　told　him；　I　would　proceed　with　him　to　the　place　where　he　would　be。　　They　wuz　both　on　one　road；　nigh　to　each　other；　and　he　consented　after　some　words。　I　felt　dretfully　interested　in　this　Home；　for　it　is　a　place　where　poor　little　sick　children　are　took　to；　out　of　their　miserable；　stiflin'；　dirty　garrets；　and　cellars；　and　kep'　and　made　well　and　happy　in　their　pleasant；　home…like　surroundin's。　　And　I　thought　to　myself；　as　I　looked　ont　on　the　big　grounds　surroundin'　it；　and　walked　through　the　clean　wide　rooms；　that　the　change　to　these　children；　brought　out　of　their　narrow　dark　homes　of　want　and　woe；　into　this　great　sunshiny　Home　with　its　clean　fresh　rooms；　its　good　food；　its　cheery　Christian　atmosphere；　its　broad　sunshiny　playgrounds；　must　seem　like　enterin'　Paradise　to　'em。　And　I　thought　to　myself　how　thankful　I　wuz　that　this　pleasant　House　Beautiful；　wuz　prepared　for　the　rest　and　refreshment　of　the　poor　little　pilgrims；　worn　out　so　early　in　the　march　of　life。　And　I　further　thinkses　I；　〃Heaven　bless　the　kind　heart　that　first　thought　on't；　and　carried　out　the　heavenly　idee。〃　The　children's　faces　all　looked；　so　happy；　and　bright；　it　wuz　a　treat　to　see　'em。　　And　the　face　of　the　sister　who　showed　us　round　the　rooms　looked　as　calm；　and　peaceful；　and　happy；　as　if　her　face　wuz　the　sun　from　which　their　little　lights　wuz　reflected。　Up　amongst　the　rooms　overhead；　every　one　on　'em　clean　as　a　pin　and　sweet　and　orderly；　wuz　one　room　that　specially　attracted　my　attention。　　It　wuz　a　small　chapel　where　the　little　ones　wuz　took　to　learn　their　prayers　and　say　'em。　　It　wuzn't　a　big；　barren　barn　of　a　room；　such　as　I　have　often　seen　in　similar　places；　and　which　I　have　always　thought　must　impress　the　children　with　a　awful　sense　of　the　immensity　and　lonesomeness　of　space；　and　the　intangebility；　and　distance　of　the　Great　Spirit　who　inhabiteth　Eternity。　　No；　it　wuz　small；　and　cozy；　and　cheerful；　like　a　home。　　And　the　stained　glass　window　held　a　beautiful　picture　of　love　and　charity；　which　might　well　touch　the　children's　hearts；　sweetly　and　unconsciously；　with　the　divine　worth　of　love；　and　beauty；　and　goodness。　And　I　could　fancy　the　dear；　little　ones　kneelin'　here；　and　prayin'　〃Our　Father；　who　art　in　Heaven；〃　and　feelin'　that　He　wuz　indeed　their　Father；　and　not　a　stranger；　and　that　Heaven　wuz　not　fur　off　from　'em。　And　I　thought　to　myself　〃Never！　never！　through　all　their　life　will　they　get　entirely　away　from　the　pure；　sweet　lessons　they　learn　here。〃　I　enjoyed　the　hour　I　spent　here　with　a　deep；　heart　enjoyment；　and　so　did　Josiah。　　Or；　that　is；　I　guess　he　did；　though　he　whispered　to　me　from　time　to　time；　or　even　oftener；　as　we　went　through　the　buildin'；　that　we　wuz　a　devourin'　time　that　we　might　be　spendin'　at　the　Roller　Coaster。　Wall；　at　last；　greatly　to　my　pardner's　satisfaction；　we　sot　out　for　the　place　where　he　fain　would　be。　　On　our　way　there　we　roamed　through　another　Indian　Encampment；　a　smaller　one　than　that　where　we　had　the　fearful　incident　of　the　Mermaid　and　Sarah。　No；　it　wuzn't　so　big；　but　it　had　many　innocent　diversions　and　a　photograph　gallery；　and　other　things　for　its　comfert。　　And　a　standin'　up　a　leanin'　aginst　a　tree；　by　one　of　the　little　houses　stood　a　Injun。　　He　wuz　one　of　the　last　left　of　his　tribe。　　He　seemed　to　be　a　lookin'　pensively　on　　and　seein'　how　the　land　that　had　belonged　to　'em；　the　happy　huntin'…grounds；　the　springs　they　believed　the　Great　Spirit　had　gin　to　'em；　had　all　passed　away　into　the　bands　of　another　race。　I　wuz　sorry　for　that　Injun；　real　sorry。　　And　thinkses　I　to　myself；　we　feel　considerable　pert　now；　and　lively；　but　who　knows　in　another　three　or　four　hundred　years；　but　what　one　of　the　last　of　our　race；　may　be　a　leanin'　up　aginst　some　new　tree；　right　in　the　same　spot；　a　watchin'　the　old　places　passed　away　into　other　hands；　mebby　black　hands；　or　some　other　colored　ones；　mebby　yellow　ones；　who　knows？　　I　don't；　nor　Josiah　don't。　　But　my　pardner　wuz　a　hurryin'　me　on；　so　I　dropped　my　revery　and　my　umberell　in　my　haste　to　foller　on　after　his　footsteps。　Josiah　picked　up　my　umberell；　but　he　couldn't　pick　up　my　soarin'　emotions　for　me。　　No；　he　haint　never　been　able；　to　get　holt　of　'em。　　But　suffice　it　to　say；　that　soon；　preceded　by　my　companion；　I　found　myself　a　mountin'　the　nearly　precipitus　stairs；　that　led　to　the　Roller　Coaster。　And　havin'　reached　the　spot；　who　should　we　find　there　but　Ardelia　Tutt　and　Bial　Flamburg。　　They　had　been　on　the　Roller　Coaster　seven　times　in　succession；　and　the　car。　　And　they　wuz　now　a　sittin'　down　to　recooperate　their　energies；　and　collect　their　scattered　wits　together。　　The　Roller　Coaster　is　very　scatterin'　to　wits　that　are　not　collected　firm　and　sound；　and　cemented　by　strong　common　sense。　The　reason　why　the　Roller　Coaster　don't　scatter　such　folkses　wits　is　supposed　to　be　because；　they　don't　go　on　to　it。　　Ardelia　looked　as　if　her　idees　wuz　scattered　to　the　four　pints　of　the　compass。　　As　for　Bial；　it　seemed　to　me；　as　if　he　never　had　none　to　scatter。　　But　he　spoke　out　to　once；　and　said；　he　didn't　care　to　ride　on　'em。　　（Bial　Flamburg's　strong　pint；　is　his　truthfulness；　I　can't　deny　that。）　Ardelia　wouldn't　own　up　but　what　she　enjoyed　it　dretfully。　　You　know　folks　are　most　always　so。　　If　they　partake　of　a　pleasure　and　recreation　that　is　doubtful　in　its　effects；　they　will　always　say；　what　a　high　extreme　of　enjoyment　they　enjoyed　a　partakin'　of　it。　Curius；　haint　it？　　Wall；　Josiah　had　been　anticipatin'　so　much　enjoyment　from　the　exercise；　that　I　didn't　make　no　move　to　prevent　him　from　embarkin'　on　it　　though　it　looked　hazardous　and　dangerous　in　the　extreme。　I　looked　down　on　the　long　valleys；　and　precipitous　heights　of　the　assents　and　desents；　in　which　my　pardner　wuz　so　soon　to　be　assentin'　and　desentin'　and　I　trembled；　and　wuz　jest　about　to　urge　him　to　forego　his　diversion；　for　the　sake　of　his　pardner's　happiness；　but　as　I　turned　to　expostulate　with　him；　I　see　the　beautiful；　joyous；　hopeful　look　on　his　liniment；　and　the　words　fell　almost　dead　on　my　tongue。　　I　felt　that　I　had　ruther　suffer　in　silence　than　to　say　one　word　to　mar　that　bliss。　Such　is　the　love　of　pardners；　and　such　is　some　of　the　agonies　they　suffer　silently　to　save　from　woundin'　the　more　opposite　one。　No；　I　said　not　a　word；　but　silently　sat；　and　see　him　makin'　his　preparations　to　embark。　　He　see　the　expression　onto　my　face；　and　he　too　wuz　touched　by　it。　　He　never　said　one　word　to　me　about　embarkin'　too；　which　I　laid　to　two　reasons。　　One　wuz　my　immovable　determination　not　to　embark　on　the　voyage；　which　I　had　confided　to　him　before。　And　the　other　wuz；　the　added　expenses　of　the　journey　if　he　took　his　companion　with　him。　No；　I　felt　that　he　thought　it　wuz　better　we　should　part　temporarily　than　that　the　expenditure　should　be　doubled。　　But　as　the　time　drew　near　for　him　to　leave　me；　I　see　by　his　meen　that　he　felt　bad　about　leavin'　me。　　He　realized　what　a　companion　I　had　been　to　him。　　He　realized　the　safety　and　repose　he　had　always　found　at　my　side　and　the　unknown　dangers　he　wuz　a　rushin'　into。　And　he　got　up　and　silently　shook　hands　with