the complete writings-4-第8章

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a　brief　time。　　I　have　seen　a　legion　of　boys　scamper　over　our　grass…plot　under　the　chestnut…trees；　each　one　as　active　as　if　he　were　a　new　patent　picking…machine；　sweeping　the　ground　clean　of　nuts；　and　disappear　over　the　hill　before　I　could　go　to　the　door　and　speak　to　them　about　it。　　Indeed；　I　have　noticed　that　boys　don't　care　much　for　conversation　with　the　owners　of　fruit…trees。　They　could　speedily　make　their　fortunes　if　they　would　work　as　rapidly　in　cotton…fields。　　I　have　never　seen　anything　like　it；　except　a　flock　of　turkeys　removing　the　grasshoppers　from　a　piece　of　pasture。

Perhaps　it　is　not　generally　known　that　we　get　the　idea　of　some　of　our　best　military　maneuvers　from　the　turkey。　　The　deploying　of　the　skirmish…line　in　advance　of　an　army　is　one　of　them。　　The　drum…major　of　our　holiday　militia　companies　is　copied　exactly　from　the　turkey　gobbler；　he　has　the　same　splendid　appearance；　the　same　proud　step；　and　the　same　martial　aspect。　　The　gobbler　does　not　lead　his　forces　in　the　field；　but　goes　behind　them；　like　the　colonel　of　a　regiment；　so　that　he　can　see　every　part　of　the　line　and　direct　its　movements。　This　resemblance　is　one　of　the　most　singular　things　in　natural　history。　　I　like　to　watch　the　gobbler　maneuvering　his　forces　in　a　grasshopper…field。　　He　throws　out　his　company　of　two　dozen　turkeys　in　a　crescent…shaped　skirmish…line；　the　number　disposed　at　equal　distances；　while　he　walks　majestically　in　the　rear。　　They　advance　rapidly；　picking　right　and　left；　with　military　precision；　killing　the　foe　and　disposing　of　the　dead　bodies　with　the　same　peck。　　Nobody　has　yet　discovered　how　many　grasshoppers　a　turkey　will　hold；　but　he　is　very　much　like　a　boy　at　a　Thanksgiving　dinner；he　keeps　on　eating　as　long　as　the　supplies　last。　　The　gobbler；　in　one　of　these　raids；　does　not　condescend　to　grab　a　single　grasshopper；at　least；　not　while　anybody　is　watching　him。　　But　I　suppose　he　makes　up　for　it　when　his　dignity　cannot　be　injured　by　having　spectators　of　his　voracity；　perhaps　he　falls　upon　the　grasshoppers　when　they　are　driven　into　a　corner　of　the　field。　　But　he　is　only　fattening　himself　for　destruction；　like　all　greedy　persons；　he　comes　to　a　bad　end。　　And　if　the　turkeys　had　any　Sunday…school；　they　would　be　taught　this。

The　New　England　boy　used　to　look　forward　to　Thanksgiving　as　the　great　event　of　the　year。　　He　was　apt　to　get　stents　set　him；so　much　corn　to　husk；　for　instance；　before　that　day；　so　that　he　could　have　an　extra　play…spell；　and　in　order　to　gain　a　day　or　two；　he　would　work　at　his　task　with　the　rapidity　of　half　a　dozen　boys。　　He　always　had　the　day　after　Thanksgiving　as　a　holiday；　and　this　was　the　day　he　counted　on。　　Thanksgiving　itself　was　rather　an　awful　festival；very　much　like　Sunday；　except　for　the　enormous　dinner；　which　filled　his　imagination　for　months　before　as　completely　as　it　did　his　stomach　for　that　day　and　a　week　after。　　There　was　an　impression　in　the　house　that　that　dinner　was　the　most　important　event　since　the　landing　from　the　Mayflower。　　Heliogabalus；　who　did　not　resemble　a　Pilgrim　Father　at　all；　but　who　had　prepared　for　himself　in　his　day　some　very　sumptuous　banquets　in　Rome；　and　ate　a　great　deal　of　the　best　he　could　get　（and　liked　peacocks　stuffed　with　asafetida；　for　one　thing）；　never　had　anything　like　a　Thanksgiving　dinner；　for　do　you　suppose　that　he；　or　Sardanapalus　either；　ever　had　twenty…four　different　kinds　of　pie　at　one　dinner？　　Therein　many　a　New　England　boy　is　greater　than　the　Roman　emperor　or　the　Assyrian　king；　and　these　were　among　the　most　luxurious　eaters　of　their　day　and　generation。　　But　something　more　is　necessary　to　make　good　men　than　plenty　to　eat；　as　Heliogabalus　no　doubt　found　when　his　head　was　cut　off。　　Cutting　off　the　head　was　a　mode　the　people　had　of　expressing　disapproval　of　their　conspicuous　men。　Nowadays　they　elect　them　to　a　higher　office；　or　give　them　a　mission　to　some　foreign　country；　if　they　do　not　do　well　where　they　are。

For　days　and　days　before　Thanksgiving　the　boy　was　kept　at　work　evenings；　pounding　and　paring　and　cutting　up　and　mixing　（not　being　allowed　to　taste　much）；　until　the　world　seemed　to　him　to　be　made　of　fragrant　spices；　green　fruit；　raisins；　and　pastry；a　world　that　he　was　only　yet　allowed　to　enjoy　through　his　nose。　　How　filled　the　house　was　with　the　most　delicious　smells！　　The　mince…pies　that　were　made！　If　John　had　been　shut　in　solid　walls　with　them　piled　about　him；　he　could　n't　have　eaten　his　way　out　in　four　weeks。　　There　were　dainties　enough　cooked　in　those　two　weeks　to　have　made　the　entire　year　luscious　with　good　living；　if　they　had　been　scattered　along　in　it。　But　people　were　probably　all　the　better　for　scrimping　themselves　a　little　in　order　to　make　this　a　great　feast。　　And　it　was　not　by　any　means　over　in　a　day。　　There　were　weeks　deep　of　chicken…pie　and　other　pastry。　　The　cold　buttery　was　a　cave　of　Aladdin；　and　it　took　a　long　time　to　excavate　all　its　riches。

Thanksgiving　Day　itself　was　a　heavy　dav；　the　hilarity　of　it　being　so　subdued　by　going　to　meeting；　and　the　universal　wearing　of　the　Sunday　clothes；　that　the　boy　could　n't　see　it。　　But　if　he　felt　little　exhilaration；　he　ate　a　great　deal。　　The　next　day　was　the　real　holiday。　　Then　were　the　merry…making　parties；　and　perhaps　the　skatings　and　sleigh…rides；　for　the　freezing　weather　came　before　the　governor's　proclamation　in　many　parts　of　New　England。　　The　night　after　Thanksgiving　occurred；　perhaps；　the　first　real　party　that　the　boy　had　ever　attended；　with　live　girls　in　it；　dressed　so　bewitchingly。　　And　there　he　heard　those　philandering　songs；　and　played　those　sweet　games　of　forfeits；　which　put　him　quite　beside　himself；　and　kept　him　awake　that　night　till　the　rooster　crowed　at　the　end　of　his　first　chicken…nap。　　What　a　new　world　did　that　party　open　to　him！　　I　think　it　likely　that　he　saw　there；　and　probably　did　not　dare　say　ten　words　to；　some　tall；　graceful　girl；　much　older　than　himself；　who　seemed　to　him　like　a　new　order　of　being。　　He　could　see　her　face　just　as　plainly　in　the　darkness　of　his　chamber。　　He　wondered　if　she　noticed　how　awkward　he　was；　and　how　short　his　trousers…legs　were。　　He　blushed　as　he　thought　of　his　rather　ill…fitting　shoes；　and　determined；　then　and　there；　that　he　wouldn't　be　put　off　with　a　ribbon　any　longer；　but　would　have　a　young　man's　necktie。　　It　was　somewhat　painful；　thinking　the　party　over；　but　it　was　delicious；　too。　　He　did　not　think；　probably；　that　he　would　die　for　that　tall；　handsome　girl；　he　did　not　put　it　exactly　in　that　way。　　But　he　rather　resolved　to　live　for　her；　which　might　in　the　end　amount　to　the　same　thing。　　At　least；　he　thought　that　nobody　would　live　to　speak　twice　disrespectfully　of　her　in　his　presence。




IX

THE　SEASON　OF　PUMPKIN…PIE

What　John　said　was；　that　he　did　n't　care　much　for　pumpkin…pie；　but　that　was　after　he　had　eaten　a　whole　one。　　It　seemed　to　him　then　that　mince　would　be　better。

The　feeling　of　a　boy　towards　pumpkin…pie　has　never　been　properly　considered。　　There　is　an　air　of　festivity　about　its　approach　in　the　fall。　　The　boy　is　willing　to　help　pare　and　cut　up　the　pumpkin；　and　he　watches　with　the　greatest　interest　the　stirring…up　process　and　the　pouring　into　the　scalloped　crust。　　When　the　sweet　savor　of　the　baking　reaches　his　nostrils；　he　is　filled　with　the　most　delightful　anticipations。　　Why　should　he　not　be？　　He　knows　that　for　months　to　come　the　buttery　will　contain　golden　treasures；　and　that　it　will　require　only　a　slight　ingenuity　to　get　at　them。

The　fact　is；　that　the　boy　is　as　good　in　the　buttery　as　in　any　part　of　farming。　　His　elders　say　that　the　boy　is　always　hungry；　but　that　is　a　very　coarse　way　to　put　it。　　He　has　only　recently　come　into　a　world　that　is　full　of　good　things　to　eat；　and　there　is；　on　the　whole；　a　very　short　time　in　which　to　eat　them；　at　least；　he　is　told；　among　the　first　information　he　receives；　that　life　is　short。　　Life　being　brief；　and　pie　and　the　like　fleeting；　he　very　soon　decides　upon　an　active　campaign。　　It　may　be　an　old　story　to　people　who　have　been　eating　for　forty　or　fifty　years；　but　it　is　different　with　a　beginner。　　He　takes　the　thick　and　thin　as　it　comes；　as　to　pie；　for　instance。　　Some　people　do　make　them　very　thin。　　I　knew　a　place　where　they　were　not　thicker　than　the　poor　man's　plaster；　they　were　spread　so　thin　upon　the　crust　that　th