winesburg,ohio-第32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！


t　he　should　post　himself　on　how　things　are　run。　　〃I'm　getting　to　be　of　some　moment；　a　real　part　of　things；　of　the　state　and　the　city　and　all　that；〃　he　told　himself　with　an　amusing　miniature　air　of　dignity。　　Once；　coming　home　from　Philadel…　phia；　he　had　a　discussion　with　a　man　met　on　a　train。　Enoch　talked　about　the　advisability　of　the　govern…　ment's　owning　and　operating　the　railroads　and　the　man　gave　him　a　cigar。　　It　was　Enoch's　notion　that　such　a　move　on　the　part　of　the　government　would　be　a　good　thing；　and　he　grew　quite　excited　as　he　talked。　　Later　he　remembered　his　own　words　with　pleasure。　　〃I　gave　him　something　to　think　about；　that　fellow；〃　he　muttered　to　himself　as　he　climbed　the　stairs　to　his　Brooklyn　apartment。

To　be　sure；　Enoch's　marriage　did　not　turn　out。　　He　himself　brought　it　to　an　end。　　He　began　to　feel　choked　and　walled　in　by　the　life　in　the　apartment；　and　to　feel　toward　his　wife　and　even　toward　his　children　as　he　had　felt　concerning　the　friends　who　once　came　to　visit　him。　　He　began　to　tell　little　lies　about　business　engagements　that　would　give　him　freedom　to　walk　alone　in　the　street　at　night　and；　the　chance　offering；　he　secretly　re…rented　the　room　fac…　ing　Washington　Square。　　Then　Mrs。　Al　Robinson　died　on　the　farm　near　Winesburg；　and　he　got　eight　thousand　dollars　from　the　bank　that　acted　as　trustee　of　her　estate。　　That　took　Enoch　out　of　the　world　of　men　altogether。　　He　gave　the　money　to　his　wife　and　told　her　he　could　not　live　in　the　apartment　any　more。　　She　cried　and　was　angry　and　threatened；　but　he　only　stared　at　her　and　went　his　own　way。　　In　reality　the　wife　did　not　care　much。　　She　thought　Enoch　slightly　insane　and　was　a　little　afraid　of　him。　When　it　was　quite　sure　that　he　would　never　come　back；　she　took　the　two　children　and　went　to　a　village　in　Connecticut　where　she　had　lived　as　a　girl。　　In　the　end　she　married　a　man　who　bought　and　sold　real　estate　and　was　contented　enough。

And　so　Enoch　Robinson　stayed　in　the　New　York　room　among　the　people　of　his　fancy；　playing　with　them；　talking　to　them；　happy　as　a　child　is　happy。　They　were　an　odd　lot；　Enoch's　people。　　They　were　made；　I　suppose；　out　of　real　people　he　had　seen　and　who　had　for　some　obscure　reason　made　an　appeal　to　him。　　There　was　a　woman　with　a　sword　in　her　hand；　an　old　man　with　a　long　white　beard　who　went　about　followed　by　a　dog；　a　young　girl　whose　stock…　ings　were　always　coming　down　and　hanging　over　her　shoe　tops。　　There　must　have　been　two　dozen　of　the　shadow　people；　invented　by　the　child…mind　of　Enoch　Robinson；　who　lived　in　the　room　with　him。

And　Enoch　was　happy。　　Into　the　room　he　went　and　locked　the　door。　　With　an　absurd　air　of　impor…　tance　he　talked　aloud；　giving　instructions；　making　comments　on　life。　　He　was　happy　and　satisfied　to　go　on　making　his　living　in　the　advertising　place　until　something　happened。　　Of　course　something　did　hap…　pen。　　That　is　why　he　went　back　to　live　in　Winesburg　and　why　we　know　about　him。　　The　thing　that　hap…　pened　was　a　woman。　　It　would　be　that　way。　　He　was　too　happy。　　Something　had　to　come　into　his　world。　Something　had　to　drive　him　out　of　the　New　York　room　to　live　out　his　life　an　obscure；　jerky　little　fig…　ure；　bobbing　up　and　down　on　the　streets　of　an　Ohio　town　at　evening　when　the　sun　was　going　down　be…　hind　the　roof　of　Wesley　Moyer's　livery　barn。

About　the　thing　that　happened。　　Enoch　told　George　Willard　about　it　one　night。　　He　wanted　to　talk　to　someone；　and　he　chose　the　young　newspaper　re…　porter　because　the　two　happened　to　be　thrown　to…　gether　at　a　time　when　the　younger　man　was　in　a　mood　to　understand。

Youthful　sadness；　young　man's　sadness；　the　sad…　ness　of　a　growing　boy　in　a　village　at　the　year's　end；　opened　the　lips　of　the　old　man。　　The　sadness　was　in　the　heart　of　George　Willard　and　was　without　mean…　ing；　but　it　appealed　to　Enoch　Robinson。

It　rained　on　the　evening　when　the　two　met　and　talked；　a　drizzly　wet　October　rain。　　The　fruition　of　the　year　had　come　and　the　night　should　have　been　fine　with　a　moon　in　the　sky　and　the　crisp　sharp　promise　of　frost　in　the　air；　but　it　wasn't　that　way。　It　rained　and　little　puddles　of　water　shone　under　the　street　lamps　on　Main　Street。　　In　the　woods　in　the　darkness　beyond　the　Fair　Ground　water　dripped　from　the　black　trees。　　Beneath　the　trees　wet　leaves　were　pasted　against　tree　roots　that　protruded　from　the　ground。　　In　gardens　back　of　houses　in　Winesburg　dry　shriveled　potato　vines　lay　sprawling　on　the　ground。　　Men　who　had　finished　the　evening　meal　and　who　had　planned　to　go　uptown　to　talk　the　eve…　ning　away　with　other　men　at　the　back　of　some　store　changed　their　minds。　　George　Willard　tramped　about　in　the　rain　and　was　glad　that　it　rained。　　He　felt　that　way。　　He　was　like　Enoch　Robinson　on　the　evenings　when　the　old　man　came　down　out　of　his　room　and　wandered　alone　in　the　streets。　　He　was　like　that　only　that　George　Willard　had　become　a　tall　young　man　and　did　not　think　it　manly　to　weep　and　carry　on。　For　a　month　his　mother　had　been　very　ill　and　that　had　something　to　do　with　his　sadness；　but　not　much。　　He　thought　about　himself　and　to　the　young　that　always　brings　sadness。

Enoch　Robinson　and　George　Willard　met　beneath　a　wooden　awning　that　extended　out　over　the　side…　walk　before　Voight's　wagon　shop　on　Maumee　Street　just　off　the　main　street　of　Winesburg。　　They　went　together　from　there　through　the　rain…washed　streets　to　the　older　man's　room　on　the　third　floor　of　the　Heffner　Block。　　The　young　reporter　went　willingly　enough。　　Enoch　Robinson　asked　him　to　go　after　the　two　had　talked　for　ten　minutes。　　The　boy　was　a　little　afraid　but　had　never　been　more　curious　in　his　life。　A　hundred　times　he　had　heard　the　old　man　spoken　of　as　a　little　off　his　head　and　he　thought　himself　rather　brave　and　manly　to　go　at　all。　　From　the　very　beginning；　in　the　street　in　the　rain；　the　old　man　talked　in　a　queer　way；　trying　to　tell　the　story　of　the　room　in　Washington　Square　and　of　his　life　in　the　room。　　〃You'll　understand　if　you　try　hard　enough；〃　he　said　conclusively。　　〃I　have　looked　at　you　when　you　went　past　me　on　the　street　and　I　think　you　can　understand。　　It　isn't　hard。　　All　you　have　to　do　is　to　believe　what　I　say；　just　listen　and　believe；　that's　all　there　is　to　it。〃

It　was　past　eleven　o'clock　that　evening　when　old　Enoch；　talking　to　George　Willard　in　the　room　in　the　Heffner　Block；　came　to　the　vital　thing；　the　story　of　the　woman　and　of　what　drove　him　out　of　the　city　to　live　out　his　life　alone　and　defeated　in　Winesburg。　He　sat　on　a　cot　by　the　window　with　his　head　in　his　hand　and　George　Willard　was　in　a　chair　by　a　table。　A　kerosene　lamp　sat　on　the　table　and　the　room；　although　almost　bare　of　furniture；　was　scrupulously　clean。　　As　the　man　talked　George　Willard　began　to　feel　that　he　would　like　to　get　out　of　the　chair　and　sit　on　the　cot　also。　　He　wanted　to　put　his　arms　about　the　little　old　man。　　In　the　half　darkness　the　man　talked　and　the　boy　listened；　filled　with　sadness。

〃She　got　to　coming　in　there　after　there　hadn't　been　anyone　in　the　room　for　years；〃　said　Enoch　Robinson。　　〃She　saw　me　in　the　hallway　of　the　house　and　we　got　acquainted。　　I　don't　know　just　what　she　did　in　her　own　room。　　I　never　went　there。　　I　think　she　was　a　musician　and　played　a　violin。　　Every　now　and　then　she　came　and　knocked　at　the　door　and　I　opened　it。　　In　she　came　and　sat　down　beside　me；　just　sat　and　looked　about　and　said　nothing。　　Anyway；　she　said　nothing　that　mattered。〃

The　old　man　arose　from　the　cot　and　moved　about　the　room。　　The　overcoat　he　wore　was　wet　from　the　rain　and　drops　of　water　kept　falling　with　a　soft　thump　on　the　floor。　　When　he　again　sat　upon　the　cot　George　Willard　got　out　of　the　chair　and　sat　beside　him。

〃I　had　a　feeling　about　her。　　She　sat　there　in　the　room　with　me　and　she　was　too　big　for　the　room。　　I　felt　that　she　was　driving　everything　else　away。　　We　just　talked　of　little　things；　but　I　couldn't　sit　still。　　I　wanted　to　touch　her　with　my　fingers　and　to　kiss　her。　　Her　hands　were　so　strong　and　her　face　was　so　good　and　she　looked　at　me　all　the　time。〃

The　trembling　voice　of　the　old　man　became　silent　and　his　body　shook　as　from　a　chill。　　〃I　was　afraid；〃　he　whispered。　　〃I　was　terribly　afraid。　　I　didn't　want　to　let　her　come　in　when　she　knocked　at　the　door　but　I　couldn't　sit　still。　　'No；　no；'　I　said　to　myself；　but　I　got　up　and　opened　the　do