the friendly road-第5章

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in　my　blouse　and　fly　for　the　garret　or　cellar；　like　a　cat　caught　in　the　cream。　Such　are　the　early　tribulations　of　musical　genius！

At　last　I　discovered　a　remote　spot　on　a　beam　in　the　hay…barn　where；　lighted　by　a　ray　of　sunlight　which　came　through　a　crack　in　the　eaves　and　pointed　a　dusty　golden　finger　into　that　hay…scented　interior；　I　practised　rapturously　and　to　my　heart's　content　upon　my　tin　whistle。　I　learned　〃Money　Musk〃　until　I　could　play　it　in　Old　Tom　Madison's　best　styleeven　to　the　last　nod　and　final　foot…tap。　I　turned　a　certain　church　hymn　called　〃Yield　Not　to　Temptation〃　into　something　quite　inspiriting；　and　I　played　〃Marching　Through　Georgia〃　until　all　the　〃happy　hills　of　hay〃　were　to　the　fervid　eye　of　a　boy's　imagination　full　of　tramping　soldiers。　Oh；　I　shall　never　forget　the　joys　of　those　hours　in　the　hay…barn；　nor　the　music　of　that　secret　tin　whistle！　I　can　hear　yet　the　crooning　of　the　pigeons　in　the　eaves；　and　the　slatey　sound　of　their　wings　as　they　flew　across　the　open　spaces　in　the　great　barn；　I　can　smell　yet　the　odour　of　the　hay。

But　with　years；　and　the　city；　and　the　shame　of　youth；　I　put　aside　and　almost　forgot　the　art　of　whistling。　When　I　was　preparing　for　the　present　pilgrimage；　however；　it　came　to　me　with　a　sudden　thrill　of　pleasure　that　nothing　in　the　wide　world　now　prevented　me　from　getting　a　whistle　and　seeing　whether　I　had　forgotten　my　early　cunning。　At　the　very　first　good…sized　town　I　came　to　I　was　delighted　to　find　at　a　little　candy　and　toy　shop　just　the　sort　of　whistle　I　wanted；　at　the　extravagant　price　of　ten　cents。　I　bought　it　and　put　it　in　the　bottom　of　my　knapsack。

〃Am　I　not　old　enough　now；〃　I　said　to　myself；　〃to　be　as　youthful　as　I　choose？〃

Isn't　it　the　strangest　thing　in　the　world　how　long　it　takes　us　to　learn　to　accept　the　joys　of　simple　pleasures？and　some　of　us　never　learn　at　all。　〃Boo！〃　says　the　neighbourhood；　and　we　are　instantly　frightened　into　doing　a　thousand　unnecessary　and　unpleasant　things；　or　prevented　from　doing　a　thousand　beguiling　things。

For　the　first　few　days　I　was　on　the　road　I　thought　often　with　pleasure　of　the　whistle　lying　there　in　my　bag；　but　it　was　not　until　after　I　left　the　Stanleys'　that　I　felt　exactly　in　the　mood　to　try　it。

The　fact　is；　my　adventures　on　the　Stanley　farm　had　left　me　in　a　very　cheerful　frame　of　mind。　They　convinced　me　that　some　of　the　great　things　I　had　expected　of　my　pilgrimage　were　realizable　possibilities。　Why；　I　had　walked　right　into　the　heart　of　as　fine　a　family　as　I　have　seen　these　many　days。

I　remained　with　them　the　entire　day　following　the　potato…planting。　We　were　out　at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　after　helping　with　the　chores；　and　eating　a　prodigious　breakfast；　we　went　again　to　the　potato…field；　and　part　of　the　time　I　helped　plant　a　few　remaining　rows；　and　part　of　the　time　I　drove　a　team　attached　to　a　wing…plow　to　cover　the　planting　of　the　previous　day。

In　the　afternoon　a　slashing　spring　rain　set　in；　and　Mr。　Stanley；　who　was　a　forehanded　worker；　found　a　job　for　all　of　us　in　the　barn。　Ben；　the　younger　son；　and　I　sharpened　mower…blades　and　a　scythe　or　so；　Ben　turning　the　grindstone　and　I　holding　the　blades　and　telling　him　stories　into　the　bargain。　Mr。　Stanley　and　his　stout　older　son　overhauled　the　work…harness　and　tinkered　the　corn…planter。　The　doors　at　both　ends　of　the　barn　stood　wide　open；　and　through　one　of　them；　framed　like　a　picture；　we　could　see　the　scudding　floods　descend　upon　the　meadows；　and　through　the　other；　across　a　fine　stretch　of　open　country；　we　could　see　all　the　roads　glistening　and　the　treetops　moving　under　the　rain。

〃Fine；　fine！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Stanley；　looking　out　from　time　to　time；　〃we　got　in　our　potatoes　just　in　the　nick　of　time。〃

After　supper　that　evening　I　told　them　of　my　plan　to　leave　them　on　the　following　morning。

〃Don't　do　that；〃　said　Mrs。　Stanley　heartily；　〃stay　on　with　us。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Mr。　Stanley；　〃we're　shorthanded；　and　I'd　be　glad　to　have　a　man　like　you　all　summer。　There　ain't　any　one　around　here　will　pay　a　good　man　more'n　I　will；　nor　treat　'im　better。〃

〃I'm　sure　of　it；　Mr。　Stanley；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　can't　stay　with　you。〃

At　that　the　tide　of　curiosity　which　I　had　seen　rising　ever　since　I　came　began　to　break　through。　Oh；　I　know　how　difficult　it　is　to　let　the　wanderer　get　by　without　taking　toll　of　him！　There　are　not　so　many　people　here　in　the　country　that　we　can　afford　to　neglect　them。　And　as　I　had　nothing　in　the　world　to　conceal；　and；　indeed；　loved　nothing　better　than　the　give　and　take　of　getting　acquainted；　we　were　soon　at　it　in　good　earnest。

But　it　was　not　enough　to　tell　them　that　my　name　was　David　Grayson　and　where　my　farm　was　located；　and　how　many　acres　there　were；　and　how　much　stock　I　had；　and　what　I　raised。　The　great　particular　〃Why？〃　as　I　knew　it　would　beconcerned　my　strange　presence　on　the　road　at　this　season　of　the　year　and　the　reason　why　I　should　turn　in　by　chance；　as　I　had　done；　to　help　at　their　planting。　If　a　man　is　stationary；　it　seems　quite　impossible　for　him　to　imagine　why　any　one　should　care　to　wander；　and　as　for　the　wanderer　it　is　inconceivable　to　him　how　any　one　can　remain　permanently　at　home。

We　were　all　sitting　comfortably　around　the　table　in　the　living…room。　The　lamps　were　lighted；　and　Mr。　Stanley；　in　slippers；　was　smoking　his　pipe　and　Mrs。　Stanley　was　darning　socks　over　a　mending…gourd；　and　the　two　young　Stanleys　were　whispering　and　giggling　about　some　matter　of　supreme　consequence　to　youth。　The　windows　were　open；　and　we　could　smell　the　sweet　scent　of　the　lilacs　from　the　yard　and　hear　the　drumming　of　the　rain　as　it　fell　on　the　roof　of　the　porch。

〃It's　easy　to　explain；〃　I　said。　〃The　fact　is；　it　got　to　the　point　on　my　farm　that　I　wasn't　quite　sure　whether　I　owned　it　or　it　owned　me。　And　I　made　up　my　mind　I'd　get　away　for　a　while　from　my　own　horses　and　cattle　and　see　what　the　world　was　like。　I　wanted　to　see　how　people　lived　up　here；　and　what　they　are　thinking　about；　and　how　they　do　their　farming。〃

As　I　talked　of　my　plans　and　of　the　duty　one　had；　as　I　saw　it；　to　be　a　good　broad　man　as　well　as　a　good　farmer；　I　grew　more　and　more　interested　and　enthusiastic。　Mr。　Stanley　took　his　pipe　slowly　from　his　mouth；　held　it　poised　until　it　finally　went　out；　and　sat　looking　at　me　with　a　rapt　expression。　I　never　had　a　better　audience。　Finally；　Mr。　Stanley　said　very　earnestly：

〃And　you　have　felt　that　way；　too？〃

〃Why；　father！〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Stanley；　in　astonishment。

Mr。　Stanley　hastily　put　his　pipe　back　into　his　mouth　and　confusedly　searched　in　his　pockets　for　a　match；　but　I　knew　I　had　struck　down　deep　into　a　common　experience。　Here　was　this　brisk　and　prosperous　farmer　having　his　dreams　toodreams　that　even　his　wife　did　not　know！

So　I　continued　my　talk　with　even　greater　fervour。　I　don't　think　that　the　boy　Ben　understood　all　that　I　said；　for　I　was　dealing　with　experiences　common　mostly　to　older　men；　but　he　somehow　seemed　to　get　the　spirit　of　it；　for　quite　unconsciously　he　began　to　hitch　his　chair　toward　me；　then　he　laid　his　hand　on　my　chair…arm　and　finally　and　quite　simply　he　rested　his　arm　against　mine　and　looked　at　me　with　all　his　eyes。　I　keep　learning　that　there　is　nothing　which　reaches　men's　hearts　like　talking　straight　out　the　convictions　and　emotions　of　your　innermost　soul。　Those　who　hear　you　may　not　agree　with　you；　or　they　may　not　understand　you　fully；　but　something　incalculable；　something　vital；　passes。　And　as　for　a　boy　or　girl　it　is　one　of　the　sorriest　of　mistakes　to　talk　down　to　them；　almost　always　your　lad　of　fifteen　thinks　more　simply；　more　fundamentally；　than　you　do；　and　what　he　accepts　as　good　coin　is　not　facts　or　precepts；　but　feelings　and　convictionsLIFE。　And　why　shouldn't　we　speak　out？

〃I　long　ago　decided；〃　I　said；　〃to　try　to　be　fully　what　I　am　and　not　to　be　anything　or　anybody　else。〃

〃That's　right；　that's　right；〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Stanley；　nodding　his　head　vigorously。

〃It's　about　the　oldest　wisdom　there　is；〃　I　said；　and　with　that　I　thought　of　the　volume　I　carried　in　my　pocket；　and　straightway　I　pulled　it　out　and　after　a　moment's　search　found　the　passage　I　wanted。

〃Listen；〃　I　said；　〃to　what　this　old　Roman　philosopher　said〃and　I　held　the　book　up　to　the　lamp　and　read　aloud：

〃'You　can　be　invincible　if　you　enter　into　no　contest　in　which