the golden road-第6部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
do at home every night if I didn't get Judy Pineau to help me。 Judy isn't a good reader and she can't spell AT ALL； but you can't stick her in arithmetic as far as she went herself。 I feel sure；〃 concluded poor Sara； in a hopeless tone； 〃that I'll NEVER be able to understand compound multiplication。〃
〃'Multiplication is vexation； Division is as bad； The rule of three perplexes me； And fractions drive me mad；'〃
quoted Dan。
〃I haven't got as far as fractions yet；〃 sighed Sara； 〃and I hope I'll be too big to go to school before I do。 I hate arithmetic； but I am PASSIONATELY fond of geography。〃
〃I will not play tit…tat…x on the fly leaves of my hymn book in church；〃 wrote Peter。
〃Mercy； did you ever do such a thing？〃 exclaimed Felicity in horror。
Peter nodded shamefacedly。
〃Yesthat Sunday Mr。 Bailey preached。 He was so long…winded； I got awful tired； and； anyway； he was talking about things I couldn't understand； so I played tit…tat…x with one of the Markdale boys。 It was the day I was sitting up in the gallery。〃
〃Well； I hope if you ever do the like again you won't do it in OUR pew；〃 said Felicity severely。
〃I ain't going to do it at all；〃 said Peter。 〃I felt sort of mean all the rest of the day。〃
〃I shall try not to be vexed when people interrupt me when I'm telling stories；〃 wrote the Story Girl。 〃but it will be hard；〃 she added with a sigh。
〃I never mind being interrupted；〃 said Felicity。
〃I shall try to be cheerful and smiling all the time；〃 wrote Cecily。
〃You are； anyway；〃 said Sara Ray loyally。
〃I don't believe we ought to be cheerful ALL the time；〃 said the Story Girl。 〃The Bible says we ought to weep with those who weep。〃
〃But maybe it means that we're to weep cheerfully；〃 suggested Cecily。
〃Sorter as if you were thinking； 'I'm very sorry for you but I'm mighty glad I'm not in the scrape too；'〃 said Dan。
〃Dan； don't be irreverent；〃 rebuked Felicity。
〃I know a story about old Mr。 and Mrs。 Davidson of Markdale；〃 said the Story Girl。 〃She was always smiling and it used to aggravate her husband； so one day he said very crossly； 'Old lady； what ARE you grinning at？' 'Oh； well； Abiram； everything's so bright and pleasant； I've just got to smile。'
〃Not long after there came a time when everything went wrongthe crop failed and their best cow died； and Mrs。 Davidson had rheumatism； and finally Mr。 Davidson fell and broke his leg。 But still Mrs。 Davidson smiled。 'What in the dickens are you grinning about now； old lady？' he demanded。 'Oh； well； Abiram；' she said； 'everything is so dark and unpleasant I've just got to smile。' 'Well；' said the old man crossly； 'I think you might give your face a rest sometimes。'〃
〃I shall not talk gossip；〃 wrote Sara Ray with a satisfied air。
〃Oh； don't you think that's a little TOO strict？〃 asked Cecily anxiously。 〃Of course； it's not right to talk MEAN gossip； but the harmless kind doesn't hurt。 If I say to you that Emmy MacPhail is going to get a new fur collar this winter； THAT is harmless gossip； but if I say I don't see how Emmy MacPhail can afford a new fur collar when her father can't pay my father for the oats he got from him； that would be MEAN gossip。 If I were you； Sara； I'd put MEAN gossip。〃
Sara consented to this amendment。
〃I will be polite to everybody；〃 was my third resolution； which passed without comment。
〃I'll try not to use slang since Cecily doesn't like it；〃 wrote Dan。
〃I think some slang is real cute；〃 said Felicity。
〃The Family Guide says it's very vulgar；〃 grinned Dan。 〃Doesn't it； Sara Stanley？〃
〃Don't disturb me；〃 said the Story Girl dreamily。 〃I'm just thinking a beautiful thought。〃
〃I've thought of a resolution to make；〃 cried Felicity。 〃Mr。 Marwood said last Sunday we should always try to think beautiful thoughts and then our lives would be very beautiful。 So I shall resolve to think a beautiful thought every morning before breakfast。〃
〃Can you only manage one a day？〃 queried Dan。
〃And why before breakfast？〃 I asked。
〃Because it's easier to think on an empty stomach；〃 said Peter； in all good faith。 But Felicity shot a furious glance at him。
〃I selected that time；〃 she explained with dignity； 〃because when I'm brushing my hair before my glass in the morning I'll see my resolution and remember it。〃
〃Mr。 Marwood meant that ALL our thoughts ought to be beautiful；〃 said the Story Girl。 〃If they were； people wouldn't be afraid to say what they think。〃
〃They oughtn't to be afraid to； anyhow；〃 said Felix stoutly。 〃I'm going to make a resolution to say just what I think always。〃
〃And do you expect to get through the year alive if you do？〃 asked Dan。
〃It might be easy enough to say what you think if you could always be sure just what you DO think；〃 said the Story Girl。 〃So often I can't be sure。〃
〃How would you like it if people always said just what they think to you？〃 asked Felicity。
〃I'm not very particular what SOME people think of me；〃 rejoined Felix。
〃I notice you don't like to be told by anybody that you're fat；〃 retorted Felicity。
〃Oh； dear me； I do wish you wouldn't all say such sarcastic things to each other；〃 said poor Cecily plaintively。 〃It sounds so horrid the last night of the old year。 Dear knows where we'll all be this night next year。 Peter； it's your turn。〃
〃I will try；〃 wrote Peter； 〃to say my prayers every night regular； and not twice one night because I don't expect to have time the next；like I did the night before the party；〃 he added。
〃I s'pose you never said your prayers until we got you to go to church；〃 said Felicitywho had had no hand in inducing Peter to go to church； but had stoutly opposed it； as recorded in the first volume of our family history。
〃I did； too；〃 said Peter。 〃Aunt Jane taught me to say my prayers。 Ma hadn't time； being as father had run away； ma had to wash at night same as in day…time。〃
〃I shall learn to cook；〃 wrote the Story Girl； frowning。
〃You'd better resolve not to make puddings of〃 began Felicity； then stopped as suddenly as if she had bitten off the rest of her sentence and swallowed it。 Cecily had nudged her； so she had probably remembered the Story Girl's threat that she would never tell another story if she was ever twitted with the pudding she had made from sawdust。 But we all knew what Felicity had started to say and the Story Girl dealt her a most uncousinly glance。
〃I will not cry because mother won't starch my aprons；〃 wrote Sara Ray。
〃Better resolve not to cry about anything；〃 said Dan kindly。
Sara Ray shook her head forlornly。
〃That would be too hard to keep。 There are times when I HAVE to cry。 It's a relief。〃
〃Not to the folks who have to hear you；〃 muttered Dan aside to Cecily。
〃Oh； hush；〃 whispered Cecily back。 〃Don't go and hurt her feelings the last night of the old year。 Is it my turn again？ Well； I'll resolve not to worry because my hair is not curly。 But； oh； I'll never be able to help wishing it was。〃
〃Why don't you curl it as you used to do； then？〃 asked Dan。
〃You know very well that I've never put my hair up in curl papers since the time Peter was dying of the measles；〃 said Cecily reproachfully。 〃I resolved then I wouldn't because I wasn't sure it was quite right。〃
〃I will keep my finger…nails neat and clean；〃 I wrote。 〃There； that's four resolutions。 I'm not going to make any more。 Four's enough。〃
〃I shall always think twice before I speak；〃 wrote Felix。
〃That's an awful waste of time；〃 commented Dan； 〃but I guess you'll need to if you're always going to say what you think。〃
〃I'm going to stop with three；〃 said Peter。
〃I will have all the good times I can；〃 wrote the Story Girl。
〃THAT'S what I call sensible；〃 said Dan。
〃It's a very easy resolution to keep； anyhow；〃 commented Felix。
〃I shall try to like reading the Bible；〃 wrote Sara Ray。
〃You ought to like reading the Bible without trying to；〃 exclaimed Felicity。
〃If you had to read seven chapters of it every time you were naughty I don't believe you would like it either；〃 retorted Sara Ray with a flash of spirit。
〃I shall try to believe only half of what I hear；〃 was Cecily's concluding resolution。
〃But which half？〃 scoffed Dan。
〃The best half；〃 said sweet Cecily simply。
〃I'll try to obey mother ALWAYS；〃 wrote Sara Ray； with a tremendous sigh； as if she fully realized the difficulty of keeping such a resolution。 〃And that's all I'm going to make。〃
〃Felicity has only made one；〃 said the Story Girl。
〃I think it better to make just one and keep it than make a lot and break them；〃 said Felicity loftily。
She had the last word on the subject； for it was time for Sara Ray to go； and our circle broke up。 Sara and Felix departed and we watched them down the lane in the moonlightSara walking demurely in one runner track； and Felix stalking grimly along in the other。 I fear the romantic beauty of that silver shining night was entirely thrown away on my mischievous brother。
And it was； as I remember it； a most exquisite nighta white poem； a frosty； starry lyric of light。 It was one of those nights on which one might fall asleep and dream happy dreams of gardens of mirth and song； feeling all the while through one's sleep the soft splendour and radiance of the white moon…world outside； as one hears soft； far…away music sounding through the thoughts and words that are born of it。
As a matter of fact； however； Cecily dreamed that night that she saw three full moons in the sky； and wakened up crying with the horror of it。
CHAPTER V
THE FIRST NUMBER OF Our Magazine
The first number of Our Magazine was ready on New Year's Day； and we read it that evening in the kitchen。 All our staff had worked nobly and we were enormously proud of the result； although Dan still continued to scoff at a paper that wasn't printed。 The Story Girl and I read it turnabout while the others； except Felix； ate apples。 It opened with a short
EDITORIAL
With this number Our Magazine makes its first bow to the public。 All the editors have done their best and the various departments are full of valuable information and amusement。 The tastefully designed cover is by a famous art
