the complete writings-4-第14章

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　a　wicked　fiddle。

In　the　games　there　was　a　great　deal　of　clasping　hands；　of　going　round　in　a　circle；　of　passing　under　each　other's　elevated　arms；　of　singing　about　my　true　love；　and　the　end　was　kisses　distributed　with　more　or　less　partiality；　according　to　the　rules　of　the　play；　but；　thank　Heaven；　there　was　no　fiddler。　　John　liked　it　all；　and　was　quite　brave　about　paying　all　the　forfeits　imposed　on　him；　even　to　the　kissing　all　the　girls　in　the　room；　but　he　thought　he　could　have　amended　that　by　kissing　a　few　of　them　a　good　many　times　instead　of　kissing　them　all　once。

But　John　was　destined　to　have　a　damper　put　upon　his　enjoyment。　　They　were　playing　a　most　fascinating　game；　in　which　they　all　stand　in　a　circle　and　sing　a　philandering　song；　except　one　who　is　in　the　center　of　the　ring；　and　holds　a　cushion。　　At　a　certain　word　in　the　song；　the　one　in　the　center　throws　the　cushion　at　the　feet　of　some　one　in　the　ring；　indicating　thereby　the　choice　of　a　〃mate〃　and　then　the　two　sweetly　kneel　upon　the　cushion；　like　two　meek　angels；　andand　so　forth。　　Then　the　chosen　one　takes　the　cushion　and　the　delightful　play　goes　on。　　It　is　very　easy；　as　it　will　be　seen；　to　learn　how　to　play　it。　　Cynthia　was　holding　the　cushion；　and　at　the　fatal　word　she　threw　it　down；　not　before　John；　but　in　front　of　Ephraim　Leggett。　　And　they　two　kneeled；　and　so　forth。　　John　was　astounded。　　He　had　never　conceived　of　such　perfidy　in　the　female　heart。　　He　felt　like　wiping　Ephraim　off　the　face　of　the　earth；　only　Ephraim　was　older　and　bigger　than　he。　　When　it　came　his　turn　at　length；thanks　to　a　plain　little　girl　for　whose　admiration　he　did　n't　care　a　straw；he　threw　the　cushion　down　before　Melinda　Mayhew　with　all　the　devotion　he　could　muster；　and　a　dagger　look　at　Cynthia。　　And　Cynthia's　perfidious　smile　only　enraged　him　the　more。　　John　felt　wronged；　and　worked　himself　up　to　pass　a　wretched　evening。

When　supper　came；　he　never　went　near　Cynthia；　and　busied　himself　in　carrying　different　kinds　of　pie　and　cake；　and　red　apples　and　cider；　to　the　girls　he　liked　the　least。　　He　shunned　Cynthia；　and　when　he　was　accidentally　near　her；　and　she　asked　him　if　he　would　get　her　a　glass　of　cider；　he　rudely　told　herlike　a　goose　as　he　wasthat　she　had　better　ask　Ephraim。　　That　seemed　to　him　very　smart；　but　he　got　more　and　more　miserable；　and　began　to　feel　that　he　was　making　himself　ridiculous。

Girls　have　a　great　deal　more　good　sense　in　such　matters　than　boys。　Cynthia　went　to　John；　at　length；　and　asked　him　simply　what　the　matter　was。　　John　blushed；　and　said　that　nothing　was　the　matter。　　Cynthia　said　that　it　wouldn't　do　for　two　people　always　to　be　together　at　a　party；　and　so　they　made　up；　and　John　obtained　permission　to　〃see〃　Cynthia　home。

It　was　after　half…past　nine　when　the　great　festivities　at　the　Deacon's　broke　up；　and　John　walked　home　with　Cynthia　over　the　shining　crust　and　under　the　stars。　　It　was　mostly　a　silent　walk；　for　this　was　also　an　occasion　when　it　is　difficult　to　find　anything　fit　to　say。　And　John　was　thinking　all　the　way　how　he　should　bid　Cynthia　good…　night；　whether　it　would　do　and　whether　it　wouldn't　do；　this　not　being　a　game；　and　no　forfeits　attaching　to　it。　　When　they　reached　the　gate；　there　was　an　awkward　little　pause。　　John　said　the　stars　were　uncommonly　bright。　　Cynthia　did　not　deny　it；　but　waited　a　minute　and　then　turned　abruptly　away；　with　〃Good…night；　John！〃

〃Good…night；　Cynthia！〃

And　the　party　was　over；　and　Cynthia　was　gone；　and　John　went　home　in　a　kind　of　dissatisfaction　with　himself。

It　was　long　before　he　could　go　to　sleep　for　thinking　of　the　new　world　opened　to　him；　and　imagining　how　he　would　act　under　a　hundred　different　circumstances；　and　what　he　would　say；　and　what　Cynthia　would　say；　but　a　dream　at　length　came；　and　led　him　away　to　a　great　city　and　a　brilliant　house；　and　while　he　was　there；　he　heard　a　loud　rapping　on　the　under　floor；　and　saw　that　it　was　daylight。




XIV

THE　SUGAR　CAMP

I　think　there　is　no　part　of　farming　the　boy　enjoys　more　than　the　making　of　maple　sugar；　it　is　better　than　〃blackberrying；〃　and　nearly　as　good　as　fishing。　　And　one　reason　he　likes　this　work　is；　that　somebody　else　does　the　most　of　it。　　It　is　a　sort　of　work　in　which　he　can　appear　to　be　very　active；　and　yet　not　do　much。

And　it　exactly　suits　the　temperament　of　a　real　boy　to　be　very　busy　about　nothing。　　If　the　power；　for　instance；　that　is　expended　in　play　by　a　boy　between　the　ages　of　eight　and　fourteen　could　be　applied　to　some　industry；　we　should　see　wonderful　results。　　But　a　boy　is　like　a　galvanic　battery　that　is　not　in　connection　with　anything；　he　generates　electricity　and　plays　it　off　into　the　air　with　the　most　reckless　prodigality。　　And　I；　for　one；　would　n't　have　it　otherwise。　It　is　as　much　a　boy's　business　to　play　off　his　energies　into　space　as　it　is　for　a　flower　to　blow；　or　a　catbird　to　sing　snatches　of　the　tunes　of　all　the　other　birds。

In　my　day　maple…sugar…making　used　to　be　something　between　picnicking　and　being　shipwrecked　on　a　fertile　island；　where　one　should　save　from　the　wreck　tubs　and　augers；　and　great　kettles　and　pork；　and　hen's　eggs　and　rye…and…indian　bread；　and　begin　at　once　to　lead　the　sweetest　life　in　the　world。　　I　am　told　that　it　is　something　different　nowadays；　and　that　there　is　more　desire　to　save　the　sap；　and　make　good；　pure　sugar；　and　sell　it　for　a　large　price；　than　there　used　to　be；　and　that　the　old　fun　and　picturesqueness　of　the　business　are　pretty　much　gone。　　I　am　told　that　it　is　the　custom　to　carefully　collect　the　sap　and　bring　it　to　the　house；　where　there　are　built　brick　arches；　over　which　it　is　evaporated　in　shallow　pans；　and　that　pains　is　taken　to　keep　the　leaves；　sticks；　and　ashes　and　coals　out　of　it；　and　that　the　sugar　is　clarified；　and　that；　in　short；　it　is　a　money…making　business；　in　which　there　is　very　little　fun；　and　that　the　boy　is　not　allowed　to　dip　his　paddle　into　the　kettle　of　boiling　sugar　and　lick　off　the　delicious　sirup。　　The　prohibition　may　improve　the　sugar；　but　it　is　cruel　to　the　boy。

As　I　remember　the　New　England　boy　（and　I　am　very　intimate　with　one）；　he　used　to　be　on　the　qui　vive　in　the　spring　for　the　sap　to　begin　running。　　I　think　he　discovered　it　as　soon　as　anybody。　　Perhaps　he　knew　it　by　a　feeling　of　something　starting　in　his　own　veins；a　sort　of　spring　stir　in　his　legs　and　arms；　which　tempted　him　to　stand　on　his　head；　or　throw　a　handspring；　if　he　could　find　a　spot　of　ground　from　which　the　snow　had　melted。　　The　sap　stirs　early　in　the　legs　of　a　country…boy；　and　shows　itself　in　uneasiness　in　the　toes；　which　get　tired　of　boots；　and　want　to　come　out　and　touch　the　soil　just　as　soon　as　the　sun　has　warmed　it　a　little。　　The　country…boy　goes　barefoot　just　as　naturally　as　the　trees　burst　their　buds；　which　were　packed　and　varnished　over　in　the　fall　to　keep　the　water　and　the　frost　out。　Perhaps　the　boy　has　been　out　digging　into　the　maple…trees　with　his　jack…knife；　at　any　rate；　he　is　pretty　sure　to　announce　the　discovery　as　he　comes　running　into　the　house　in　a　great　state　of　excitementas　if　he　had　heard　a　hen　cackle　in　the　barnwith　〃Sap's　runnin'！〃

And　then；　indeed；　the　stir　and　excitement　begin。　　The　sap…buckets；　which　have　been　stored　in　the　garret　over　the　wood…house；　and　which　the　boy　has　occasionally　climbed　up　to　look　at　with　another　boy；　for　they　are　full　of　sweet　suggestions　of　the　annual　spring　frolic；the　sap…buckets　are　brought　down　and　set　out　on　the　south　side　of　the　house　and　scalded。　　The　snow　is　still　a　foot　or　two　deep　in　the　woods；　and　the　ox…sled　is　got　out　to　make　a　road　to　the　sugar　camp；　and　the　campaign　begins。　　The　boy　is　everywhere　present；　superintending　everything；　asking　questions；　and　filled　with　a　desire　to　help　the　excitement。

It　is　a　great　day　when　the　cart　is　loaded　with　the　buckets　and　the　procession　starts　into　the　woods。　　The　sun　shines　almost　unobstructedly　into　the　forest；　for　there　are　only　naked　branches　to　bar　it；　the　snow　is　soft　and　beginning　to　sink　down；　leaving　the　young　bushes　spindling　up　everywhere；　the　snowbirds　are　twittering　about；　and　the　noise　of　shouting　and　of　the　blows　of　the　axe　echoes　far　and　wide。　　This　is　spring；　and　the　boy　can　scarcely　contain　his　delight　that　his　out…door　life　is　about　to　begin　again。

In　the　first　place；　the　men　go　about　and　tap　the　t