the fortunes of oliver horn-第22章

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！


e　from　his　long　day's　work；　and　always　passing　to　and　fro；　swinging　his　staff；　bullying　the　street…rats　who　were　playing　tag　among　the　trees；　and　inspiring　a　wholesome　awe　among　those　hiding　in　the　shadows；　lounged　some　guardian　of　the　peace　awaiting　the　hour　when　he　could　drive　the　inmates　to　the　sidewalk　and　shut　the　gates　behind　　them　with　a　bang。

Here　on　one　of　these　same　straight…backed　wooden　seats　one　September　nighta　night　when　the　air　was　heavy　with　a　blurred　haze；　through　which　the　lamps　peered　as　in　a　fog；　and　the　dust　lay　thick　upon　the　leavessat　our　Oliver。

Outside　the　squareall　about　the　iron　fence；　and　surging　past　the　big　equestrian　statue；　could　be　heard　the　roar　and　din　of　the　great　citythat　maelstrom　which　now　seemed　ready　to　engulf　him。　No　sound　of　merry　laughter　reached　him；　only　rumbling　of　countless　wheels；　the　slow　thud　of　never…ending；　crowded　stages　lumbering　over　the　cobbles；　the　cries　of　the　hucksters　selling　hot　corn；　and　the　ceaseless　scrapings　of　a　thousand　feet。

He　had　sat　here　since　the　sun　had　gone　down　watching　the　crowds；　wondering　how　they　lived　and　how　they　had　earned　their　freedom　from　such　cares　as　were　now　oppressing　him。　His　heart　was　heavy。　A　long…coveted　berth；　meaning　self…support　and　independence　　and　consequent　relief　to　his　mother's　heart；　had　been　almost　within　his　grasp。　It　was　not　the　place　he　had　expected　when　he　left　home。　It　was　much　more　menial　and　unremunerative。　But　he　had　outlived　all　his　bright　hopes。　He　was　ready　now　to　take　anything　he　could　get　to　save　him　from　returning　　to　Kennedy　Square；　or　what　would　be　still　worse　from　asking　his　mother　for　a　penny　more　than　she　had　given　him。　Rather　than　do　this　he　would　sweep　the　streets。

As　he　leaned　forward　on　the　bench；　his　face　in　his　hands；　his　elbows　on　his　knees；　his　thoughts　went　back　to　his　father's　house。　He　knew　what　they　were　all　doing　at　this　hour；　he　could　see　the　porches　crowded　with　the　boys　and　girls　he　loved；　their　bright　voices　filling　the　night…air；　Sue　in　the　midst　of　them；　her　curls　about　her　face。　He　could　see　his　father　in　the　big　chair　reading　by　the　lamp；　that　dear　old　father　who　had　held　his　hands　so　tenderly　and　spoken　with　such　earnestness　the　day　before　he　had　left　Kennedy　Square。

〃Your　mother　is　right；〃　Richard　had　said。　〃I　am　glad　you　are　going；　my　son；　the　men　at　the　North　are　broader…minded　than　we　are　here；　and　you　will　soon　find　your　place　among　them。　Great　things　are　ahead　of　us；　my　boy。　I　shall　not　live　to　see　them；　but　you　will。〃

He　could　see　his　mother；　too；　sitting　by　the　window；　　looking　out　upon　the　trees。　He　knew　where　her　thoughts　lay。　As　his　mind　rested　on　her　pale　face　his　eyes　filled　with　tears。　〃Dear　old　mother；〃　he　said　to　himself〃I　am　not　forgetting；　dear。　I　am　holding　on。　But　oh；　if　I　had　only　got　the　place　to…day；　how　happy　you　would　be　to…morrow。〃

A　bitter　feeling　had　risen　in　his　heart；　when　he　had　opened　the　letter　which　had　brought　him　the　news　of　the　loss　of　this　hoped…for　situation。　〃This　is　making　one's　way　in　the　world；　is　it？〃　he　had　said　to　himself　with　a　heavy　sigh。　Then　the　calm　eyes　of　his　mother　had　looked　into　his　again；　and　he　had　felt　the　pressure　of　the　soft　hand　and　heard　the　tones　of　her　voice：

〃You　may　have　many　discouragements；　my　son；　and　will　often　be　ready　to　faint　by　the　way；　but　stick　to　it　and　you　will　win。〃

His　bitterness　had　been　but　momentary；　and　he　had　soon　pulled　himself　together；　but　his　every　resource　　seemed　exhausted　now。　He　had　counted　so　on　the　situationthat　of　a　shipping…clerk　in　a　dry…　goods　storepromised　him　because　of　a　letter　that　he　carried　from　Amos　Cobb's　friend。　But　at　the　last　moment　the　former　clerk；　who　had　been　laid　off　because　　of　sickness；　had　been　taken　back；　and　so　the　weary　search　for　work　must　begin　again。

And　yet　with　everything　against　him　Oliver　had　no　thought　of　giving　up　the　struggle。　Even　Amos　Cobb　would　have　been　proud　of　him　could　he　have　seen　the　dogged　tenacity　with　which　he　clung　to　his　purposea　tenacity　due　to　his　buoyant；　happy　temperament；　or　to　his　devotion　to　his　mother's　wishes；　or　（and　this　is　more　than　probable）　to　some　drops　of　blood；　perhaps；　that　had　reached　his　own　through　his　mother's　veinsthe　blood　of　that　Major　with　the　blue　and　buff　coat；　whose　portrait　hung　in　the　dining…room　at　home；　and　who　in　the　early　days　had　braved　the　flood　at　Trenton　side　by　side　with　the　Hero　of　the　Bronze　Horse　now　overlooking　the　bench　on　which　Oliver　sat；　or　it　may　be　of　that　other　ancestor　in　the　queue　whose　portrait　hung　over　the　mantel　of　the　club　and　who　had　served　his　State　with　distinction　in　his　day。

Whatever　the　causes　of　these　several　effects；　the　one　dominating　power　which　now　controlled　him　was　his　veneration　for　his　mother's　name　and　honor。　For　on　the　night　succeeding　Amos　Cobb's　visit　after　she　had　dropped　upon　her　knees　and　poured　out　her　heart　in　prayer　she　had　gone　into　Oliver's　bedroom；　and　shutting　the　door　had　told　him　of　the　mortgage；　of　his　father's　embarrassment；　and　the　danger　they　suffered　of　losing　the　farmtheir　only　hope　for　their　old　ageunless　success　crowned　Richard's　inventions。　With　his　hand　fast　in　hers　she　had　given　him　in　exact　detail　all　that　she　had　done　to　ward　off　this　calamity；　recounting；　word　by　word；　what　she　had　said　to　the　Colonel；　lowering　her　voice　almost　to　a　whisper　as　she　spoke　of　the　solemn　promise　she　had　made　himinvolving　her　own　and　her　husband's　honorand　the　lengths　to　which　she　was　prepared　to　go　to　keep　her　obligations　to　the　bank。

Then；　her　hand　still　clasping　his；　the　two　sitting　side　by　side　on　his　bed；　his　wondering；　startled　eyes　looking　into　hersfor　this　world　of　anxiety　was　an　unknown　world　to　himshe　had　by　slow　stages　made　him　realize　how　necessary　it　was　that　he；　their　only　son；　and　their　sole　dependence；　should　begin　at　once　to　earn　his　daily　bread；　not　only　on　his　own　account　but　on　hers　and　his　father's。　In　her　tenderness　she　had　not　told　him　that　the　real　reason　was　his　instability　　of　purpose；　fearing　to　wound　his　pride；　she　had　put　it　solely　on　the　ground　of　his　settling　down　to　some　work。

〃It　is　the　law　of　nature；　my　son；〃　she　had　added。　〃Everything　that　lives　must　WORK　to　live。　You　have　only　to　watch　the　birds　out　here　in　the　Square　to　convince　　you　of　that。　Notice　them　to…morrow；　when　you　go　out。　See　how　busy　they　are；　see　how　long　it　takes　for　any　one　of　them　to　get　a　meal。　You　are　old　enough　now　to　begin　to　earn　your　own　bread；　and　you　must　begin　at　once；　Ollie。　Your　father　can　no　longer　help　you。　I　had　hoped　your　profession　would　do　this　for　you；　but　that　is　not　to　be　thought　of　now。〃

Oliver；　at　first；　had　been　stunned　by　it　all。　He　had　never　before　given　the　practical　side　of　life　a　single　thought。　Everything　had　gone　along　smoothly　from　his　earliest　remembrance。　His　father's　house　had　been　his　home　and　his　protection；　his　room　with　its　little　bed　and　pretty　hangings　and　all　its　comforts　a　room　cared　for　like　a　girl'shad　always　been　open　to　him。　He　had　never　once　asked　himself　how　these　things　came　about；　nor　why　they　continued。　These　revelations　of　his　mother's　therefore　were　like　the　sudden　opening　of　a　door　covering　a　vault　over　which　he　had　walked　unconsciously　and　which　now；　for　the　first　time；　he　saw　yawning　beneath　him。

〃Poor　daddy；〃　were　his　first　words。　〃I　never　knew　a　thing　about　his　troubles；　he　seems　always　so　happy　and　so　gentle。　I　am　so　sorrydear　daddy　dear　dad〃　he　kept　repeating。

And　then　as　she　spoke　there　flashed　into　his　mind　the　thought　of　his　own　hopes。　They　were　shattered　now。　He　knew　that　the　art　career　was　dead　for　him；　and　that　all　his　dreams　in　that　direction　were　over。

He　was　about　to　tell　her　this；　but　he　stopped　before　　the　words　were　formed。　He　would　not　add　his　own　burden　to　her　sorrow。　No；　he　would　bear　it　alone。　He　would　tell　Sue；　but　he　would　not　tell　his　mother。　Next　there　welled　up　in　his　heart　a　desire　to　help　this　mother　whom　he　idolized；　and　this　father　who　represented　to　him　all　that　was　kind　and　true。

〃What　can　I　do？　Where　can　I　go；　dearie？〃　he　cried　with　sudden　resolve。　〃Even　if　I　am　to　work　with　my　hands　I　am　ready　to　do　it；　but　it　must　be　away　from　here。　I　could　not　do　it　here　at　home　with　everybody　looking　on；　no；　not　here！　not　here！〃

This　vic