winesburg,ohio-第3章

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were　galva…　nized　into　beliefs。

The　tragedy　did　not　linger。　　Trembling　lads　were　jerked　out　of　bed　and　questioned。　　〃He　put　his　arms　about　me；〃　said　one。　　〃His　fingers　were　always　play…　ing　in　my　hair；〃　said　another。

One　afternoon　a　man　of　the　town；　Henry　Brad…　ford；　who　kept　a　saloon；　came　to　the　schoolhouse　door。　　Calling　Adolph　Myers　into　the　school　yard　he　began　to　beat　him　with　his　fists。　　As　his　hard　knuck…　les　beat　down　into　the　frightened　face　of　the　school…　master；　his　wrath　became　more　and　more　terrible。　Screaming　with　dismay；　the　children　ran　here　and　there　like　disturbed　insects。　　〃I'll　teach　you　to　put　your　hands　on　my　boy；　you　beast；〃　roared　the　sa…　loon　keeper；　who；　tired　of　beating　the　master；　had　begun　to　kick　him　about　the　yard。

Adolph　Myers　was　driven　from　the　Pennsylvania　town　in　the　night。　　With　lanterns　in　their　hands　a　dozen　men　came　to　the　door　of　the　house　where　he　lived　alone　and　commanded　that　he　dress　and　come　forth。　　It　was　raining　and　one　of　the　men　had　a　rope　in　his　hands。　　They　had　intended　to　hang　the　school…　master；　but　something　in　his　figure；　so　small；　white；　and　pitiful；　touched　their　hearts　and　they　let　him　escape。　　As　he　ran　away　into　the　darkness　they　re…　pented　of　their　weakness　and　ran　after　him；　swear…　ing　and　throwing　sticks　and　great　balls　of　soft　mud　at　the　figure　that　screamed　and　ran　faster　and　faster　into　the　darkness。

For　twenty　years　Adolph　Myers　had　lived　alone　in　Winesburg。　　He　was　but　forty　but　looked　sixty…　five。　　The　name　of　Biddlebaum　he　got　from　a　box　of　goods　seen　at　a　freight　station　as　he　hurried　through　an　eastern　Ohio　town。　　He　had　an　aunt　in　Wines…　burg；　a　black…toothed　old　woman　who　raised　chick…　ens；　and　with　her　he　lived　until　she　died。　　He　had　been　ill　for　a　year　after　the　experience　in　Pennsylva…　nia；　and　after　his　recovery　worked　as　a　day　laborer　in　the　fields；　going　timidly　about　and　striving　to　con…　ceal　his　hands。　　Although　he　did　not　understand　what　had　happened　he　felt　that　the　hands　must　be　to　blame。　　Again　and　again　the　fathers　of　the　boys　had　talked　of　the　hands。　　〃Keep　your　hands　to　your…　self；〃　the　saloon　keeper　had　roared；　dancing；　with　fury　in　the　schoolhouse　yard。

Upon　the　veranda　of　his　house　by　the　ravine；　Wing　Biddlebaum　continued　to　walk　up　and　down　until　the　sun　had　disappeared　and　the　road　beyond　the　field　was　lost　in　the　grey　shadows。　　Going　into　his　house　he　cut　slices　of　bread　and　spread　honey　upon　them。　　When　the　rumble　of　the　evening　train　that　took　away　the　express　cars　loaded　with　the　day's　harvest　of　berries　had　passed　and　restored　the　silence　of　the　summer　night；　he　went　again　to　walk　upon　the　veranda。　　In　the　darkness　he　could　not　see　the　hands　and　they　became　quiet。　　Although　he　still　hungered　for　the　presence　of　the　boy；　who　was　the　medium　through　which　he　expressed　his　love　of　man；　the　hunger　became　again　a　part　of　his　loneli…　ness　and　his　waiting。　　Lighting　a　lamp；　Wing　Bid…　dlebaum　washed　the　few　dishes　soiled　by　his　simple　meal　and；　setting　up　a　folding　cot　by　the　screen　door　that　led　to　the　porch；　prepared　to　undress　for　the　night。　　A　few　stray　white　bread　crumbs　lay　on　the　cleanly　washed　floor　by　the　table；　putting　the　lamp　upon　a　low　stool　he　began　to　pick　up　the　crumbs；　carrying　them　to　his　mouth　one　　by　one　with　unbe…　lievable　rapidity。　　In　the　dense　blotch　of　light　beneath　the　table；　the　kneeling　figure　looked　like　a　priest　engaged　in　some　service　of　his　church。　　The　nervous　expressive　fingers；　flashing　in　and　out　of　the　light；　might　well　have　been　mistaken　for　the　fingers　of　the　devotee　going　swiftly　through　decade　after　decade　of　his　rosary。



PAPER　PILLS

HE　WAS　AN　old　man　with　a　white　beard　and　huge　nose　and　hands。　　Long　before　the　time　during　which　we　will　know　him；　he　was　a　doctor　and　drove　a　jaded　white　horse　from　house　to　house　through　the　streets　of　Winesburg。　　Later　he　married　a　girl　who　had　money。　　She　had　been　left　a　large　fertile　farm　when　her　father　died。　　The　girl　was　quiet；　tall；　and　dark；　and　to　many　people　she　seemed　very　beauti…　ful。　　Everyone　in　Winesburg　wondered　why　she　mar…　ried　the　doctor。　　Within　a　year　after　the　marriage　she　died。

The　knuckles　of　the　doctor's　hands　were　extraordi…　narily　large。　　When　the　hands　were　closed　they　looked　like　clusters　of　unpainted　wooden　balls　as　large　as　walnuts　fastened　together　by　steel　rods。　　He　smoked　a　cob　pipe　and　after　his　wife's　death　sat　all　day　in　his　empty　office　close　by　a　window　that　was　covered　with　cobwebs。　　He　never　opened　the　win…　dow。　　Once　on　a　hot　day　in　August　he　tried　but　found　it　stuck　fast　and　after　that　he　forgot　all　about　it。

Winesburg　had　forgotten　the　old　man；　but　in　Doc…　tor　Reefy　there　were　the　seeds　of　something　very　fine。　　Alone　in　his　musty　office　in　the　Heffner　Block　above　the　Paris　Dry　Goods　Company's　store；　he　worked　ceaselessly；　building　up　something　that　he　himself　destroyed。　　Little　pyramids　of　truth　he　erected　and　after　erecting　knocked　them　down　again　that　he　might　have　the　truths　to　erect　other　pyramids。

Doctor　Reefy　was　a　tall　man　who　had　worn　one　suit　of　clothes　for　ten　years。　　It　was　frayed　at　the　sleeves　and　little　holes　had　appeared　at　the　knees　and　elbows。　　In　the　office　he　wore　also　a　linen　duster　with　huge　pockets　into　which　he　continually　stuffed　scraps　of　paper。　　After　some　weeks　the　scraps　of　paper　became　little　hard　round　balls；　and　when　the　pockets　were　filled　he　dumped　them　out　upon　the　floor。　　For　ten　years　he　had　but　one　friend；　another　old　man　named　John　Spaniard　who　owned　a　tree　nursery。　　Sometimes；　in　a　playful　mood；　old　Doctor　Reefy　took　from　his　pockets　a　handful　of　the　paper　balls　and　threw　them　at　the　nursery　man。　　〃That　is　to　confound　you；　you　blathering　old　sentimentalist；〃　he　cried；　shaking　with　laughter。

The　story　of　Doctor　Reefy　and　his　courtship　of　the　tall　dark　girl　who　became　his　wife　and　left　her　money　to　him　is　a　very　curious　story。　　It　is　delicious；　like　the　twisted　little　apples　that　grow　in　the　or…　chards　of　Winesburg。　　In　the　fall　one　walks　in　the　orchards　and　the　ground　is　hard　with　frost　under…　foot。　　The　apples　have　been　taken　from　the　trees　by　the　pickers。　　They　have　been　put　in　barrels　and　shipped　to　the　cities　where　they　will　be　eaten　in　apartments　that　are　filled　with　books；　magazines；　furniture；　and　people。　　On　the　trees　are　only　a　few　gnarled　apples　that　the　pickers　have　rejected。　　They　look　like　the　knuckles　of　Doctor　Reefy's　hands。　　One　nibbles　at　them　and　they　are　delicious。　　Into　a　little　round　place　at　the　side　of　the　apple　has　been　gath…　ered　all　of　its　sweetness。　　One　runs　from　tree　to　tree　over　the　frosted　ground　picking　the　gnarled；　twisted　apples　and　filling　his　pockets　with　them。　　Only　the　few　know　the　sweetness　of　the　twisted　apples。

The　girl　and　Doctor　Reefy　began　their　courtship　on　a　summer　afternoon。　　He　was　forty…five　then　and　already　he　had　begun　the　practice　of　filling　his　pock…　ets　with　the　scraps　of　paper　that　became　hard　balls　and　were　thrown　away。　　The　habit　had　been　formed　as　he　sat　in　his　buggy　behind　the　jaded　white　horse　and　went　slowly　along　country　roads。　　On　the　papers　were　written　thoughts；　ends　of　thoughts；　beginnings　of　thoughts。

One　by　one　the　mind　of　Doctor　Reefy　had　made　the　thoughts。　　Out　of　many　of　them　he　formed　a　truth　that　arose　gigantic　in　his　mind。　　The　truth　clouded　the　world。　　It　became　terrible　and　then　faded　away　and　the　little　thoughts　began　again。

The　tall　dark　girl　came　to　see　Doctor　Reefy　because　she　was　in　the　family　way　and　had　become　fright…　ened。　　She　was　in　that　condition　because　of　a　series　of　circumstances　also　curious。

The　death　of　her　father　and　mother　and　the　rich　acres　of　land　that　had　come　down　to　her　had　set　a　train　of　suitors　on　her　heels。　　For　two　years　she　saw　suitors　almost　every　evening。　　Except　two　they　were　all　alike。　　They　talked　to　her　of　passion　and　there　was　a　strained　eager　quality　in　their　voices　and　in　their　eyes　when　they　looked　at　her。　　The　two　who　were　different　were　much　unlike　each　other。　　One　of　them；　a　slender　young　man　with　white　hands；　the　son　of　a　jeweler　in　Winesburg；　talked　continually　of　virginity。　　When　he　was　with　her　he　was　never　off　the　subject。　　The　other；　a　black…haired　boy　with　large　ears；　said　nothing　at　all　but　always　managed　to　get　her　into