登陆注册
5192200000004

第4章

To arrive at this quietest of seaside villages late in June, when the busy herb-gathering season was just beginning, was also to arrive in the early prime of Mrs.Todd's activity in the brewing of old-fashioned spruce beer.This cooling and refreshing drink had been brought to wonderful perfection through a long series of experiments; it had won immense local fame, and the supplies for its manufacture were always giving out and having to be replenished.For various reasons, the seclusion and uninterrupted days which had been looked forward to proved to be very rare in this otherwise delightful corner of the world.My hostess and Ihad made our shrewd business agreement on the basis of a simple cold luncheon at noon, and liberal restitution in the matter of hot suppers, to provide for which the lodger might sometimes be seen hurrying down the road, late in the day, with cunner line in hand.

It was soon found that this arrangement made large allowance for Mrs.Todd's slow herb-gathering progresses through woods and pastures.The spruce-beer customers were pretty steady in hot weather, and there were many demands for different soothing syrups and elixirs with which the unwise curiosity of my early residence had made me acquainted.Knowing Mrs.Todd to be a widow, who had little beside this slender business and the income from one hungry lodger to maintain her, one's energies and even interest were quickly bestowed, until it became a matter of course that she should go afield every pleasant day, and that the lodger should answer all peremptory knocks at the side door.

In taking an occasional wisdom-giving stroll in Mrs.Todd's company, and in acting as business partner during her frequent absences, I found the July days fly fast, and it was not until I felt myself confronted with too great pride and pleasure in the display, one night, of two dollars and twenty-seven cents which I had taken in during the day, that I remembered a long piece of writing, sadly belated now, which I was bound to do.To have been patted kindly on the shoulder and called "darlin'," to have been offered a surprise of early mushrooms for supper, to have had all the glory of making two dollars and twenty-seven cents in a single day, and then to renounce it all and withdraw from these pleasant successes, needed much resolution.Literary employments are so vexed with uncertainties at best, and it was not until the voice of conscience sounded louder in my ears than the sea on the nearest pebble beach that I said unkind words of withdrawal to Mrs.Todd.

She only became more wistfully affectionate than ever in her expressions, and looked as disappointed as I expected when Ifrankly told her that I could no longer enjoy the pleasure of what we called "seein' folks." I felt that I was cruel to a whole neighborhood in curtailing her liberty in this most important season for harvesting the different wild herbs that were so much counted upon to ease their winter ails.

"Well, dear," she said sorrowfully, "I've took great advantage o' your bein' here.I ain't had such a season for years, but Ihave never had nobody I could so trust.All you lack is a few qualities, but with time you'd gain judgment an' experience, an' be very able in the business.I'd stand right here an' say it to anybody."Mrs.Todd and I were not separated or estranged by the change in our business relations; on the contrary, a deeper intimacy seemed to begin.I do not know what herb of the night it was that used sometimes to send out a penetrating odor late in the evening, after the dew had fallen, and the moon was high, and the cool air came up from the sea.Then Mrs.Todd would feel that she must talk to somebody, and I was only too glad to listen.We both fell under the spell, and she either stood outside the window, or made an errand to my sitting-room, and told, it might be very commonplace news of the day, or, as happened one misty summer night, all that lay deepest in her heart.It was in this way that I came to know that she had loved one who was far above her.

"No, dear, him I speak of could never think of me," she said.

"When we was young together his mother didn't favor the match, an'

done everything she could to part us; and folks thought we both married well, but't wa'n't what either one of us wanted most; an'

now we're left alone again, an' might have had each other all the time.He was above bein' a seafarin' man, an' prospered more than most; he come of a high family, an' my lot was plain an' hard-workin'.I ain't seen him for some years; he's forgot our youthful feelin's, I expect, but a woman's heart is different; them feelin's comes back when you think you've done with 'em, as sure as spring comes with the year.An' I've always had ways of hearin' about him."She stood in the centre of a braided rug, and its rings of black and gray seemed to circle about her feet in the dim light.

Her height and massiveness in the low room gave her the look of a huge sibyl, while the strange fragrance of the mysterious herb blew in from the little garden.

同类推荐
  • 近世社会龌龊史

    近世社会龌龊史

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Miss Billy

    Miss Billy

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 根本说一切有部毗奈耶破僧事

    根本说一切有部毗奈耶破僧事

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Fraternity

    Fraternity

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Lost House

    The Lost House

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 安溪县志

    安溪县志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 冰心散文精选(名家散文经典)

    冰心散文精选(名家散文经典)

    《冰心散文精选》精选了冰心所作的散文。主要内容有、笑、梦、闲情、好梦、往事(一)(节选)、往事(二)(节选)、寄小读者(1923-1926)、再寄小读者(1942-1944)、再寄小读者(1958)、山中杂记、南归、关于女人、像真理一样朴素的湖、小橘灯、忆意娜、一寸法师、樱花赞、一只木屐、尼罗河上的春天、腊八粥、我的故乡、我的童年、童年杂忆、我和玫瑰花等。
  • 明月化星

    明月化星

    人生追求五层境界:一为生存,二为安危;三为归宿;四为尊严;五为放飞自我。刘星在万历四十七年来到明末,为了自身和国家的存亡和尊严,从自强不息开始....通过韬光养晦,蓄养青年军,筹建水师抗满清,打朝鲜,坑日本,平中原,征蒙古。继而带领国人纵横四海八方,最终实现修身齐家治国平天下
  • 五灵天

    五灵天

    这是一个五行属性极端恐怖的世界。金、木、水、火、土,相互依赖又相互克制。大陆上的每个人都只有一种属性。且看五行灵体的主角如何在这个复杂世界闯出自己的一片天
  • 末世重生之苏秦

    末世重生之苏秦

    末世来临,丧尸横行,人心诡异。苏秦在末世艰难求生三年,眼看未来已经有了一丝生存的曙光,却被她拼死保护三年的“亲人”连同她的性命一起被亲手扼杀。再睁开眼,却已经到了三年前,末世还没来,而她则拥有了一次重新来过的机会,这一次她再没有别的期盼,只是希望活下去,而且是好好的活下去。而那个在末日三年后看到丧尸还会忍不住尖叫的柔弱表姐,她实在是想看看,没有她一开始就保护在她身边,她是怎么在这个丧尸吃人,人也吃人的世界艰难挣扎着活下去……--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 刀尖上的舞者

    刀尖上的舞者

    边缘女性犯罪:都市敲响了警钟,大量调查报告和研究文献揭示,当前中国女性犯罪一直呈上升趋势。"文化大革命"以前,我国女性犯罪占犯罪总数的百分之二左右;上个世纪八十年代前后,约占百分之七、八;现在则高达百分之二、三十。我们曾重点调查了北京城乡结合部三个区看守所的在押女犯。
  • 小男孩受益一生的名人故事

    小男孩受益一生的名人故事

    本书精心编写了几十个伟人和名人的成长成才小故事,其中蕴涵着小男孩必须要懂得的成长道理。这些名人成长故事能够吸引小男孩阅读和效仿,并且能够让小男孩受到启发,进而激励自己,小男孩阅读的同时有助于提高语言表达能力、丰富课外知识。
  • 篮坛大金刚

    篮坛大金刚

    当龙金刚冒充“金刚”在纽约帝国大厦塔尖“打飞机”的时候,没有人知道他其实原本只想成为一名武者
  • 古怪的乘客

    古怪的乘客

    选取了亚森?罗宾探案故事中的精彩篇目,包含少年罗宾、结婚戒指的秘密、失窃的黑珍珠、罗宾大失败、古怪的乘客等5个独立的短篇悬疑故事。小说风格怪异离奇,充满悬疑气氛,且短小精致,便于携带,是读者旅途或工作途中及闲暇阅读的方便读本。
  • 越轨

    越轨

    《越轨》一书涉及刑法学、犯罪学、青少年越轨行为、侦查学、公安学、警察学、监狱学、社会控制、犯罪预测预防、禁毒戒毒、社区矫正、社会敌意应对、群体事件处置、社会治安防控等领域的越轨社会学的科普读物。本书文笔诙谐、笔调轻松,文中穿插大量的当前流行话题作为案例,比如邓娇案、李双江之子李天一案等等,探讨当代社会的规则越轨、法律越轨、诚信越轨、性越轨等等行为。不仅对这些行为进行鞭辟入里的解析,而且对当代社会存在的种种越轨问题提出了深层次的解决思路。