samantha at saratoga-第8部分

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y　say　that　once　when　she　wuz　doin'　her　work　herself；　and　was　ketched　lookin'　awful；　by　a　strange　minister；　that　she　passed　herself　off'　for　a　hired　girl　and　said；　〃Miss　Petingill　wasn't　to　home；　and　when　pressed　hard　she　said　she　hadn't　〃the　least　idee　where　Miss　Petingill　wuz。〃　Jest　think　on　't　once　　and　there　she　wuz　herself。　　The　idee！　Wall；　the　minute　I　sot　down　before　I　begun　my　business　or　anything；　Miss　Petingill　took　me　to　do　about　puttin'　in　Miss　Bibbins　President　of　our　Missionary　Society　for　the　Relief　of　Indignent　Heathens。　The　Bibbins'es　are　good；　very　good；　but　poor。　Says　Miss　Petingill：　〃It　seems　to　me　as　if　there　might　be　some　other　woman　put　in；　that　would　have　had　more　influence　on　the　Church。〃　Says　I；　〃Haint　Miss　Bibbins　a　good　Christian　sister；　and　a　great　worker？〃　〃Why　yes；　she　wuz　good；　good　in　her　place。　　But；〃　she　said；　〃the　Petingills　hadn't　never　associated　with　the　Bibbins'es。〃　And　I　asked　her　if　she　s'posed　that　would　make　any　difference　with　the　heathen；　　if　the　heathen　would　be　apt　to　think　less　of　Miss　Bibbins　because　she　hadn't　associated　with　the　Petingills？　And　she　said；　she　didn't　s'pose　〃the　heathens　would　ever　know　it；　it　might　make　some　difference　to　'em　if　they　did；〃　she　thought；　〃for　it　couldn't　be　denied；〃　she　said；　〃that　Miss　Bibbins　did　not　move　in　the　first　circles　of　Jonesville。〃　It　had　been　my　doin's　a　puttin'　Miss　Bibbins　in　and　I　took　it　right　to　home；　she　meant　to　have　me；　and　I　asked　her　if　she　thought　the　Lord　would　condemn　Miss　Bibbins　on　the　last　day；　because　she　hadn't　moved　in　the　first　circles　of　Jonesville？　And　Miss　Petingill　tosted　her　head　a　little；　but　had　to　own　up；　that　she　thought　〃He　wouldn't。〃　〃Wall；　then；〃　sez　I；　〃do　you　s'pose　the　Lord　has　any　objections　to　her　working　for　Him　now？〃　〃Why　no；　I　don't　know　as　the　Lord　would　object。〃　〃Wall；〃　sez　I；　〃we　call　this　work　the　Lord's　work；　and　if　He　is　satisfied　with　Miss　Bibbins；　we　ort　to　be。〃　But　she　kinder　nestled　round；　and　I　see　she　wuzn't　satisfied；　but　I　couldn't　stop　to　argue；　and　I　tackled　her　then　and　there　about　the　Smedleys。　　I　asked　her　to　give　a　pound；　or　pounds；　as　she　felt　disposed。　But　she　answered　me　firmly　that　she　could't　give　one　cent　to　the　Smedleys；　she　wuz　principled　against　it。　And　I　asked　her；　〃Why？〃　And　she　said；　because　the　old　lady　wuz　proud　and　wanted　a　home；　and　she　thought　that　pride　wuz　so　wicked；　that　it　ort　to　be　put　down。　Wall；　Miss　Huff；　Miss　Cephas　Huff；　wouldn't　give　anything　because　one　of　the　little　Smedleys　had　lied　to　her。　　She　wouldn't　encourage　lyin'。　And　I　told　her　I　didn't　believe　she　would　be　half　so　apt　to　reform　him　on　an　empty　stomach；　as　after　he　wuz　fed　up。　　But　she　wouldn't　yield。　Wall；　Miss　Daggett　said　she　would　give；　and　give　abundant；　only　she　didn't　consider　it　a　worthy　object。　But　it　wuzn't　nothin'　only　a　excuse；　for　the　object　has　never　been　found　yet　that　she　thought　wuz　a　worthy　one。　　Why；　she　wouldn't　give　a　cent　towards　painting　the　Methodist　steeple；　and　if　that　haint　a　high　and　worthy　object；　I　don't　know　what　is。　　Why；　our　steeple　is　over　seventy　feet　from　the　ground。　　But　she　wouldn't　help　us　a　mite　　not　a　single　cent。　Take　such　folks　as　them　and　the　object　never　suits　'em。　　They　won't　come　right　out　and　tell　the　truth　that　they　are　too　stingy　and　mean　to　give　away　a　cent；　but　they　will　always　put　the　excuse　onto　the　object　　the　object　don't　suit　'em。　Why；　I　do　believe　it　is　the　livin'　truth　that　if　the　angel　Gabriel　wuz　the　object；　if　he　wuz　in　need　and　we　wuz　gittin'　up　a　pound　party　for　him　　she　would　find　fault　with　Gabriel；　and　wouldn't　give　him　a　ounce　of　provisions。　Yes；　I　believe　it　　I　believe　they　would　tost　their　heads　and　say；　they　always　had　had　their　thoughts　about　anybody　that　tooted　so　loud　　it　might　be　all　right　but　it　didn't　look　well；　and　would　be　apt　to　make　talk。　　Or　they　would　say　that　he　wuz　shiftless　and　extravagant　a　loafin'　round　in　the　clouds；　when　he　might　go　to　work　　or　that　he　might　raise　the　money　himself　by　selling　the　feathers　offen　his　wings　for　down　pillers　　or　some　of　the　rest　of　the　Gabriel　family　might　help　him　　or　something；　or　other　　anyway　they　would　propose　some　way　of　gittin'　out　of　givin'　a　cent　to　Gabriel。　　I　believe　it　as　much　as　I　believe　I　live　and　breathe；　and　so　does　Josiah。　Wall；　Miss　Mooney　wouldn't　give　anything　because　she　thought　Jane　Smedley　wuzn't　so　sick　as　she　thought　she　wuz；　she　said　〃she　was　spleeny。〃　And　I　told　Miss　Mooney　that　when　a　woman　was　sick　enough　to　die；　I　thought　she　ort　to　be　called　sick。　But　Miss　Mooney　wouldn't　give　up；　and　insisted　to　the　very　last　that　Miss　Smedley　wuz　hypoey　and　spleeny　　and　thought　she　wuz　sicker　than　she　really　wuz。　　And　she　held　her　head　and　her　nose　up　in　a　very　disagreeable　and　haughty　way；　and　said　as　I　left；　that　she　never　could　bear　to　help　spleeny　people。　Wall；　all　that　forenoon　did　I　traipse　through　the　street　and　not　one　cent　did　I　get　for　the　Smedleys；　only　Miss　Gowdey　said　she　would　bring　a　cabbage　and　Miss　Deacon　Peedick　and　Miss　Ingledue　partly　promised　a　squash　apiece。　　And　I　mistrusted　that　they　give　'em　more　to　please　me　than　anything　else。　Wall；　I　wuz　clean　discouraged　and　beat　out；　and　so　I　told　Josiah。　But　he　encouraged　me　some　by　sayin'：　〃Wall；　I　could　have　told　you　jest　how　it　would　be；〃　and；　〃You　would　have　done　better；　Samantha；　to　have　been　to　home　a　cookin'　for　your　own　famishin'　family。〃　　And　several　more　jest　such　inspirin'　remarks　as　men　will　give　to　the　females　of　their　families　when　they　are　engaged　in　charitable　enterprises。　But　I　got　a　good；　a　very　good　dinner；　and　it　made　me　feel　some　better；　and　then　I　haint　one　to　give　up　to　discouragements；　anyway。　So　I　put　on　a　little　better　dress　for　after　noon；　and　my　best　bonnet　and　shawl；　and　set　sail　again　after　dinner。　And　if　I　ever　had　a　lesson　in　not　givin'　up　to　discouragements　in　the　first　place　I　had　it　then。　　For　whether　it　wuz　on　account　of　the　more　dressy　look　of　my　bonnet　and　shawl　　or　whether　it　wuz　that　folks　felt　cleverer　in　the　afternoon　　or　whether　it　wuz　that　I　had　gone　to　the　more　discouragin'　places　in　the　forenoon；　and　the　better　ones　in　the　afternoon　　or　whether　it　wuz　that　I　tackled　on　the　subject　in　a　better　way　than　I　had　tackled　'em　　whether　it　wuz　for　any　of　these　reasons；　or　all　of　'em　or　somethin'　　　anyway　my　luck　turned　at　noon；　12　M。；　and　all　that　afternoon　I　had　one　triumph　after　another　　place　after　place　did　I　collect　pound　or　pounds　as　the　case　may　be　（or　collected　the　promises　of　'em；　I　mean）。　　I　did　splendid；　and　wuz　prospered　perfectly　amazing　　　and　I　went　home　feelin'　as　happy　and　proud　as　a　king　or　a　zar。　And　the　next　Tuesday　evenin'　we　had　the　pound　party。　　They　concluded　to　have　it　to　our　house。　　And　Thomas　Jefferson　and　Maggie；　and　Tirzah　Ann　and　Whitefield　came　home　early　in　the　afternoon　to　help　trim　the　parlor　and　setin'　room　with　evergreens　and　everlastin'　posies；　and　fern　leaves。　They　made　the　room　look　perfectly　beautiful。　　And　they　each　of　'em；　the　two　childern　and　their　companions；　brought　home　a　motto　framed　in　nice　plush　and　gilt　frames；　which　they　put　up　on　each　side　of　the　settin'　room；　and　left　them　there　as　a　present　to　their　pa　and　me。　　They　think　a　sight　of　us；　the　childern　do　　and　visey　versey；　and　the　same。　One　of　'em　wuz　worked　in　gold　letters　on　a　red　back…ground　〃Bear　Ye　One　Another's　Burdens。〃　　And　the　other　wuz　〃Feed　my　Lambs。〃　They　think　a　sight　on　us；　the　childern　do　　they　knew　them　mottoes　would　highly　tickle　their　pa　and　me。　　And　they　did　seem　to　kinder　invigorate　up　all　the　folks　that　come　to　the　party。　And　they　wuz　seemingly　legions。　　Why；　they　come；　and　they　kept　a　comin'。　　And　it　did　seem　as　if　every　one　of　'em　had　tried　to　see　who　could　bring　the　most。　　Why；　they　brought　enough　to　keep　the　Smedleys　comfortable　all　winter　long。　　It　wuz　a　sight　to　see　'em。　It　wuz　a　curious　sight；　too；　to　set　and　watch　what　some　of　the　folks　said　and　done　as　they　brought　their　pounds　in。　I　had　to　be　to　the　table　all　the　time　a'most；　for　I　wuz　appointed　a　committee；　or　a　board　　I　s'pose　it　would　be　more　proper　to　call　myself　a　board；　more　business　like。　　Wall；　I　wuz　the　board　appointed　to　lay　the　things　on　　to　see　that　they　wuz　all　took　care　of；　and　put　where　they　couldn't　get　eat　up；　or　any　other　casuality　happen　to　'em。　And　I　declare　if　some　of　the　queerest　lookin'　creeters　didn't　come　up　to　the　table　and　talk　to　me。　　There　wuz　lots　of　'em　there　that　I　didn't　know；　folks　that　come　from　Zoar；　Jim　Smedley's　old　neighborhood。　There　wuz　a　long　table　stretched　acrost　one　end　of　the　settin'　room；　and　I　stood　behind　it　some　as　if　I　wuz　a　dry　goods　merchant　or　grocery；　and　some　like　a　preacher。　And　the　women　would　come　up　to　me　and　talk。　　There　wuz　one　woman　who　got　real　talkative　to　me　before　the　evenin'　wuz　out。　　She　said　her　home　wuz　over　two　miles　beyond　Zoar。　She　had　a　young　babe　with　her；　a　dark　complexioned　babe；　with　a　little　round　black　head；　that　looked　some　like　a　cannon　ball。　　She　said　she　had　shingled　the　child　that　day　about　eight　o'clock　in　the　forenoon；　she　talked　real　confidential　to　me。　She　said　the　babe　had　sights　of　hair；　and　she　told　her　husband　that　day　that　if　he　would　shingle　the　babe　she　would　come　to　the　party　and　if　he　wouldn't　shingle　it　she　wouldn't　come。　　It　seemed　they　had　had　a　altercation　on　the　subject；　she　wanted　it　shingled　and　he　didn't。　　But　it　seemed　that　ruther　than　stay　away　from　the　party　　he　consented；　and　shingled　it。　　So　they　come。　They　brought　a　eight　pound　loaf　of　maple　sugar　and　two　dozen　eggs。　They　did　well。　　Then　there　wuz　another　woman　who　would　walk　her　little　girl　into　the　bedroom　every　few　minutes；　and　wet　her　hair；　and　comb　it　over；　and　curl　it　on　her　fingers。　　The　child　had　a　little　blue　flannel　dress　on；　with　a　long　plain　waist；　and　a　long　skirt　gethered　on　full　all　round。　　Her　hair　lay　jest　as　smooth　and　slick　as　glass　all　the　time；　but　five　times　did　she　walk　her　off；　and　go　through　with　that　performance。　　She　brought　ten　yards　of　factory　cloth；　and　a　good　woollen　petticoat　for　the　old　grandma。　She　did　first…rate。　And　then　there　wuz　another　woman　who　stayed　by　the　table　most　all　the　evenin'。　　She　would　gently　but　firmly　ask　everybody　who　brought　anything；　what　the　price　of　the　article　wuz　　and　then　she　would　tackle　the　different　women　who　come　up　to　the　table　for　patterns。　　I　do　believe　she　go