the golden road-第34章

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the　night　we　were　lost　in　the　stormall　awaken　reminiscent　jest　and　laughter；　but　none　more　than　the　recollection　of　the　Sunday　Peg　Bowen　came　to　church　and　sat　in　our　pew。　　Though　goodness　knows；　as　Felicity　would　say；　we　did　not　think　it　any　matter　for　laughter　at　the　timefar　from　it。

It　was　one　Sunday　evening　in　July。　　Uncle　Alec　and　Aunt　Janet；　having　been　out　to　the　morning　service；　did　not　attend　in　the　evening；　and　we　small　fry　walked　together　down　the　long　hill　road；　wearing　Sunday　attire　and　trying；　more　or　less　successfully；　to　wear　Sunday　faces　also。　　Those　walks　to　church；　through　the　golden　completeness　of　the　summer　evenings；　were　always　very　pleasant　to　us；　and　we　never　hurried；　though；　on　the　other　hand；　we　were　very　careful　not　to　be　late。

This　particular　evening　was　particularly　beautiful。　　It　was　cool　after　a　hot　day；　and　wheat　fields　all　about　us　were　ripening　to　their　harvestry。　　The　wind　gossiped　with　the　grasses　along　our　way；　and　over　them　the　buttercups　danced；　goldenly…glad。　　Waves　of　sinuous　shadow　went　over　the　ripe　hayfields；　and　plundering　bees　sang　a　freebooting　lilt　in　wayside　gardens。

〃The　world　is　so　lovely　tonight；〃　said　the　Story　Girl。　　〃I　just　hate　the　thought　of　going　into　the　church　and　shutting　all　the　sunlight　and　music　outside。　　I　wish　we　could　have　the　service　outside　in　summer。〃

〃I　don't　think　that　would　be　very　religious；〃　said　Felicity。

〃I'd　feel　ever　so　much　more　religious　outside　than　in；〃　retorted　the　Story　Girl。

〃If　the　service　was　outside　we'd　have　to　sit　in　the　graveyard　and　that　wouldn't　be　very　cheerful；〃　said　Felix。

〃Besides；　the　music　isn't　shut　out；〃　added　Felicity。　　〃The　choir　is　inside。〃

〃'Music　has　charms　to　soothe　a　savage　breast；'〃　quoted　Peter；　who　was　getting　into　the　habit　of　adorning　his　conversation　with　similar　gems。　　〃That's　in　one　of　Shakespeare's　plays。　　I'm　reading　them　now；　since　I　got　through　with　the　Bible。　　They're　great。〃

〃I　don't　see　when　you　get　time　to　read　them；〃　said　Felicity。

〃Oh；　I　read　them　Sunday　afternoons　when　I'm　home。〃

〃I　don't　believe　they're　fit　to　read　on　Sundays；〃　exclaimed　Felicity。　　〃Mother　says　Valeria　Montague's　stories　ain't。〃

〃But　Shakespeare's　different　from　Valeria；〃　protested　Peter。

〃I　don't　see　in　what　way。　　He　wrote　a　lot　of　things　that　weren't　true；　just　like　Valeria；　and　he　wrote　swear　words　too。　　Valeria　never　does　that。　　Her　characters　all　talk　in　a　very　refined　fashion。〃

〃Well；　I　always　skip　the　swear　words；〃　said　Peter。　　〃And　Mr。　Marwood　said　once　that　the　Bible　and　Shakespeare　would　furnish　any　library　well。　　So　you　see　he　put　them　together；　but　I'm　sure　that　he　would　never　say　that　the　Bible　and　Valeria　would　make　a　library。〃

〃Well；　all　I　know　is；　I　shall　never　read　Shakespeare　on　Sunday；〃　said　Felicity　loftily。

〃I　wonder　what　kind　of　a　preacher　young　Mr。　Davidson　is；〃　speculated　Cecily。

〃Well；　we'll　know　when　we　hear　him　tonight；〃　said　the　Story　Girl。　　〃He　ought　to　be　good；　for　his　uncle　before　him　was　a　fine　preacher；　though　a　very　absent…minded　man。　　But　Uncle　Roger　says　the　supply　in　Mr。　Marwood's　vacation　never　amounts　to　much。　　I　know　an　awfully　funny　story　about　old　Mr。　Davidson。　　He　used　to　be　the　minister　in　Baywater；　you　know；　and　he　had　a　large　family　and　his　children　were　very　mischievous。　　One　day　his　wife　was　ironing　and　she　ironed　a　great　big　nightcap　with　a　frill　round　it。　　One　of　the　children　took　it　when　she　wasn't　looking　and　hid　it　in　his　father's　best　beaver　hatthe　one　he　wore　on　Sundays。　　When　Mr。　Davidson　went　to　church　next　Sunday　he　put　the　hat　on　without　ever　looking　into　the　crown。　　He　walked　to　church　in　a　brown　study　and　at　the　door　he　took　off　his　hat。　　The　nightcap　just　slipped　down　on　his　head；　as　if　it　had　been　put　on；　and　the　frill　stood　out　around　his　face　and　the　string　hung　down　his　back。　　But　he　never　noticed　it；　because　his　thoughts　were　far　away；　and　he　walked　up　the　church　aisle　and　into　the　pulpit；　like　that。　　One　of　his　elders　had　to　tiptoe　up　and　tell　him　what　he　had　on　his　head。　　He　plucked　it　off　in　a　dazed　fashion；　held　it　up；　and　looked　at　it。　　'Bless　me；　it　is　Sally's　nightcap！'　he　exclaimed　mildly。　　'I　do　not　know　how　I　could　have　got　it　on。'　Then　he　just　stuffed　it　into　his　pocket　calmly　and　went　on　with　the　service；　and　the　long　strings　of　the　nightcap　hung　down　out　of　his　pocket　all　the　time。〃

〃It　seems　to　me；〃　said　Peter；　amid　the　laughter　with　which　we　greeted　the　tale；　〃that　a　funny　story　is　funnier　when　it　is　about　a　minister　than　it　is　about　any　other　man。　　I　wonder　why。〃

〃Sometimes　I　don't　think　it　is　right　to　tell　funny　stories　about　ministers；〃　said　Felicity。　　〃It　certainly　isn't　respectful。〃

〃A　good　story　is　a　good　storyno　matter　who　it's　about；〃　said　the　Story　Girl　with　ungrammatical　relish。

There　was　as　yet　no　one　in　the　church　when　we　reached　it；　so　we　took　our　accustomed　ramble　through　the　graveyard　surrounding　it。　　The　Story　Girl　had　brought　flowers　for　her　mother's　grave　as　usual；　and　while　she　arranged　them　on　it　the　rest　of　us　read　for　the　hundredth　time　the　epitaph　on　Great…Grandfather　King's　tombstone；　which　had　been　composed　by　Great…Grandmother　King。　　That　epitaph　was　quite　famous　among　the　little　family　traditions　that　entwine　every　household　with　mingled　mirth　and　sorrow；　smiles　and　tears。　　It　had　a　perennial　fascination　for　us　and　we　read　it　over　every　Sunday。　　Cut　deeply　in　the　upright　slab　of　red　Island　sandstone；　the　epitaph　ran　as　follows：


SWEET　DEPARTED　SPIRIT

Do　receive　the　vows　a　grateful　widow　pays；　Each　future　day　and　night　shall　hear　her　speak　her　Isaac's　praise。　Though　thy　beloved　form　must　in　the　grave　decay　Yet　from　her　heart　thy　memory　no　time；　no　change　shall　steal　away。　Do　thou　from　mansions　of　eternal　bliss　Remember　thy　distressed　relict。　Look　on　her　with　an　angel's　love　Soothe　her　sad　life　and　cheer　her　end　Through　this　world's　dangers　and　its　griefs。　Then　meet　her　with　thy　well…known　smiles　and　welcome　At　the　last　great　day。


〃Well；　I　can't　make　out　what　the　old　lady　was　driving　at；〃　said　Dan。

〃That's　a　nice　way　to　speak　of　your　great…grandmother；〃　said　Felicity　severely。

〃How　does　The　Family　Guide　say　you　ought　to　speak　of　your　great…　grandma；　sweet　one？〃　asked　Dan。

〃There　is　one　thing　about　it　that　puzzles　me；〃　remarked　Cecily。　　〃She　calls　herself　a　GRATEFUL　widow。　　Now；　what　was　she　grateful　for？〃

〃Because　she　was　rid　of　him　at　last；〃　said　graceless　Dan。

〃Oh；　it　couldn't　have　been　that；〃　protested　Cecily　seriously。　　〃I've　always　heard　that　Great…Grandfather　and　Great…Grandmother　were　very　much　attached　to　each　other。〃

〃Maybe；　then；　it　means　she　was　grateful　that　she'd　had　him　as　long　as　she　did；〃　suggested　Peter。

〃She　was　grateful　to　him　because　he　had　been　so　kind　to　her　in　life；　I　think；〃　said　Felicity。

〃What　is　a　'distressed　relict'？〃　asked　Felix。

〃'Relict'　is　a　word　I　hate；〃　said　the　Story　Girl。　　〃It　sounds　so　much　like　relic。　　Relict　means　just　the　same　as　widow；　only　a　man　can　be　a　relict；　too。〃

〃Great…Grandmother　seemed　to　run　short　of　rhymes　at　the　last　of　the　epitaph；〃　commented　Dan。

〃Finding　rhymes　isn't　as　easy　as　you　might　think；〃　avowed　Peter；　out　of　his　own　experience。

〃I　think　Grandmother　King　intended　the　last　of　the　epitaph　to　be　in　blank　verse；〃　said　Felicity　with　dignity。

There　was　still　only　a　sprinkling　of　people　in　the　church　when　we　went　in　and　took　our　places　in　the　old…fashioned；　square　King　pew。　　We　had　just　got　comfortably　settled　when　Felicity　said　in　an　agitated　whisper；　〃Here　is　Peg　Bowen！〃

We　all　stared　at　Peg；　who　was　pacing　composedly　up　the　aisle。　　We　might　be　excused　for　so　doing；　for　seldom　were　the　decorous　aisles　of　Carlisle　church　invaded　by　such　a　figure。　　Peg　was　dressed　in　her　usual　short　drugget　skirt；　rather　worn　and　frayed　around　the　bottom；　and　a　waist　of　brilliant　turkey　red　calico。　　She　wore　no　hat；　and　her　grizzled　black　hair　streamed　in　elf　locks　over　her　shoulders。　　Face；　arms　and　feet　were　bareand　face；　arms　and　feet　were　liberally　powdered　with　FLOUR。　　Certainly　no　one　who　saw　Peg　that　night　could　ever　forget　the　apparition。

Peg's　black　eyes；　in　which　shone　a　more　than　usually　wild　and　fitful　light；　roved　scrutinizingly　over　the　church；　then　settled　on　our　p