the village watch-tower-第14章

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and　reduced　the　faded　finery　to　a　state　best　described　by　Diadema

as　〃reg'lar　riddlin'　sieves。〃　　She　had　brought　the　tattered

pile　down　in　to　the　kitchen；　and　had　spent　a　tearful　afternoon

in　cutting　the　good　pieces　from　the　perforated　garments。

Three　heaped…up　baskets　and　a　full　dish…pan　were　the　result；

and　as　she　had　snipped　and　cut　and　sorted；　one　of　her　sentimental

projects　had　entered　her　mind　and　taken　complete　possession　there。



〃I　declare；〃　she　said；　as　she　drew　her　hooking…needle

in　and　out；　〃I　wouldn't　set　in　the　room　with　some　folks　and　work

on　these　pieces；　for　every　time　I　draw　in　a　scrap　of　cloth

Lovice　comes　up　to　me　for　all　the　world　as　if　she　was　settin'

on　the　sofy　there。　　I　ain't　told　you　my　plan；　Miss　Hollis；

and　there　ain't　many　I　shall　tell；　but　this　rug　is　going　to　be

a　kind　of　a　hist'ry　of　my　life　and　Lovey's　wrought　in　together；

just　as　we　was　bound　up　in　one　another　when　she　was　alive。

Her　things　and　mine　was　laid　in　one　trunk；　and　the　moths　sha'n't

cheat　me　out　of　'em　altogether。　　If　I　can't　look　at　'em　wet　Sundays；

and　shake　'em　out；　and　have　a　good　cry　over　'em；　I'll　make　'em

up　into　a　kind　of　dumb　show　that　will　mean　something　to　me；

if　it　don't　to　anybody　else。



〃We　was　the　youngest　of　thirteen；　Lovey　and　I；

and　we　was　twins。　　There　's　never　been　more　'n　half　o'

me　left　sence　she　died。　We　was　born　together；　played　and

went　to　school　together；　got　engaged　and　married　together；

and　we　all　but　died　together；　yet　we　wa'n't　a　mite　alike。

There　was　an　old　lady　come　to　our　house　once　that　used　to　say；

'There's　sister　Nabby；　now：　　she　'n'　I　ain't　no　more　alike

'n　if　we　wa'n't　two；　she　's　jest　as　diff'rent　as　I　am　t'

other　way。'　　Well；　I　know　what　I　want　to　put　into　my　rag　story；

Miss　Hollis；　but　I　don't　hardly　know　how　to　begin。〃



Priscilla　dropped　her　needle；　and　bent　over　the　frame　with　interest。



〃A　spray　of　two　roses　in　the　centre；there　's　the　beginning；

why；　don't　you　see；　dear　Mrs。　Bascom？〃



〃Course　I　do；〃　said　Diadema；　diving　to　the　bottom　of

the　dish…pan。　〃I've　got　my　start　now；　and　don't　you　say　a　word

for　a　minute。　The　two　roses　grow　out　of　one　stalk；　they'll　be

Lovey　and　me；　though　I'm　consid'able　more　like　a　potato　blossom。

The　stalk　's　got　to　be　green；　and　here　is　the　very　green　silk　mother

walked　bride　in；　and　Lovey　and　I　had　roundabouts　of　it　afterwards。

She　had　the　chicken…pox　when　we　was　about　four　years　old；

and　one　of　the　first　things　I　can　remember　is　climbing　up　and

looking　over　mother's　footboard　at　Lovey；　all　speckled。

Mother　had　let　her　slip　on　her　new　green　roundabout

over　her　nightgown；　just　to　pacify　her；　and　there　she　set

playing　with　the　kitten　Reuben　Granger　had　brought　her。

He　was　only　ten　years　old　then；　but　he　'd　begun　courting　Lovice。



〃The　Grangers'　farm　joined　ours。　　They　had　eleven　children；

and　mother　and　father　had　thirteen；　and　we　was　always　playing　together。

Mother　used　to　tell　a　funny　story　about　that。　　We　were　all　little　young

ones　and　looked　pretty　much　alike；　so　she　didn't　take　much　notice

of　us　in　the　daytime　when　we　was　running　out　'n'　in；　but　at　night　when

the　turn…up　bedstead　in　the　kitchen　was　taken　down　and　the　trundle…beds

were　full；　she　used　to　count　us　over；　to　see　if　we　were　all　there。

One　night；　when　she　'd　counted　thirteen　and　set　down　to　her　sewing；

father　come　in　and　asked　if　Moses　was　all　right；　for　one　of　the　neighbors

had　seen　him　playing　side　of　the　river　about　supper…time。　Mother　knew　she

'd　counted　us　straight；　but　she　went　round　with　a　candle　to　make　sure。

Now；　Mr。　Granger　had　a　head　as　red　as　a　shumac　bush；　and　when　she

carried　the　candle　close　to　the　beds　to　take　another　tally；

there　was　thirteen　children；　sure　enough；　but　if　there　wa'n't　a

red…headed　Granger　right　in　amongst　our　boys　in　the　turn…up　bedstead！

While　father　set　out　on　a　hunt　for　our　Moses；　mother　yanked　the　sleepy

little　red…headed　Granger　out　o'　the　middle　and　took　him　home；　and　father

found　Moses　asleep　on　a　pile　of　shavings　under　the　joiner's　bench。



〃They　don't　have　such　families　nowadays。　　One　time　when　measles

went　all　over　the　village；　they　never　came　to　us；　and　Jabe　Slocum　said

there　wa'n't　enough　measles　to　go　through　the　Dennett　family；　so　they

didn't　start　in　on　'em。　　There；　I　ain't　going　to　finish　the　stalk；

I'm　going　to　draw　in　a　little　here　and　there　all　over　the　rug；

while　I'm　in　the　sperit　of　plannin'　it；　and　then　it　will　be　plain

work　of　matching　colors　and　filling　out。



〃You　see　the　stalk　is　mother's　dress；　and　the　outside　green

of　the　moss　roses　is　the　same　goods；　only　it　's　our　roundabouts。

I　meant　to　make　'em　red；　when　I　marked　the　pattern；

and　then　fill　out　round　'em　with　a　light　color；　but　now　I

ain't　satisfied　with　anything　but　white；　for　nothing　will　do

in　the　middle　of　the　rug　but　our　white　wedding　dresses。

I　shall　have　to　fill　in　dark；　then；　or　mixed。　　Well；　that　won't

be　out　of　the　way；　if　it　's　going　to　be　a　true　rag　story；

for　Lovey's　life　went　out　altogether；　and　mine　hasn't　been

any　too　gay。



〃I'll　begin　on　Lovey's　rose　first。　　She　was　the　prettiest　and

the　liveliest　girl　in　the　village；　and　she　had　more　beaux　than　you

could　shake　a　stick　at。　　I　generally　had　to　take　what　she　left　over。

Reuben　Granger　was　crazy　about　her　from　the　time　she　was　knee…high；

but　when　he　went　away　to　Bangor　to　study　for　the　ministry；

the　others　had　it　all　their　own　way。　　She　was　only　seventeen；

she　hadn't　ever　experienced　religion；　and　she　was　mischeevous

as　a　kitten。



〃You　remember　you　laughed；　this　morning；　when　Mr。　Bascom　told

about　Hogshead　Jowett？　　Well；　he　used　to　want　to　keep　company

with　Lovey；　but　she　couldn't　abide　him；　and　whenever　he　come　to　court

her　she　clim'　into　a　hogshead；　and　hid　till　after　he　'd　gone。

The　boys　found　it　out；　and　used　to　call　him　'Hogshead　Jowett。〃

He　was　the　biggest　fool　in　Foxboro'　Four　Corners；　and　that　's

saying　consid'able；　for　Foxboro'　is　famous　for　its　fools；

and　always　has　been。　　There　was　thirteen　of　'em　there　one　year。

They　say　a　man　come　out　from　Portland；　and　when　he　got　as　fur

as　Foxboro'　he　kep'　inquiring　the　way　to　Dunstan；　and　I　declare

if　he　didn't　meet　them　thirteen　fools；　one　after　another；

standing　in　their　front　dooryards　ready　to　answer　questions。

When　he　got　to　Dunstan；　says　he；　'For　the　Lord's　sake；

what　kind　of　a　village　is　that　I've　just　went　through？

Be　they　_all_　fools　there？'



〃Hogshead　was　scairt　to　death　whenever　he　come　to　see　Lovice。

One　night；　when　he　'd　been　there　once；　and　she　'd　hid；　as　she

always　done；　he　come　back　a　second　time；　and　she　went　to　the　door；

not　mistrusting　it　was　him。　　'Did　you　forget　anything？'

says　she；　sparkling　out　at　him　through　a　little　crack。

He　was　all　taken　aback　by　seeing　her；　and　he　stammered　out；

'Yes；　I　forgot　my　han'k'chief；　but　it　don't　make　no　odds；

for　I　didn't　pay　out　but　fifteen　cents　for　it　two　year　ago；

and　I　don't　make　no　use　of　it　'ceptins　to　wipe　my　nose　on。'

How　we　did　laugh　over　that！　　Well；　he　had　a　conviction　of　sin

pretty　soon　afterwards；　and　p'r'aps　it　helped　his　head　some；

at　any　rate　he　quit　farming；　and　become　a　Bullockite　preacher。



〃It　seems　odd；　when　Lovice　wa'n't　a　perfessor　herself；

she　should　have　drawed　the　most　pious　young　men　in　the　village；

but　she　did：　　she　had　good　Orthodox　beaux；　Free　and　Close　Baptists；

Millerites　and　Adventists；　all　on　her　string　together；

she　even　had　one　Cochranite；　though　the　sect　had　mostly　died　out。

But　when　Reuben　Granger　come　home；　a　full…feathered…out　minister；

he　seemed　to　strike　her　fancy　as　he　never　had　before；　though　they

were　always　good　friends　from　children。　　He　had　light　hair

and　blue　eyes　and　fair　skin　（his　business　being　under　cover　kep'

him　bleached　out）；　and　he　and　Lovey　made　the　prettiest　couple

you　ever　see；　for　she　was　dark　complected；　and　her　cheeks　no

otherways　than　scarlit　the　whole　durin'　time。　　She　had　a　change

of　heart　that　winter；　in　fact　she　had　two　of　'em；　for　she

changed　h