登陆注册
5263400000054

第54章 CHAPTER XI. I COME TO GRAPPLE WITH THE CITY(6)

She looked around at me curiously, questioningly.

"And friends," I said, "should know something about each other.

You see I am a farmer from the country. I used to live in a city myself, a good many years ago, but I got tired and sick and hopeless. There was so much that was wrong about it. I tried to keep the pace and could not. I wish I could tell you what the country has done for me."

We were walking along slowly, side by side, the girl perfectly passive but glancing around at me from time to time with a wondering look. I don't know in the least now what prompted me to do it, but I began telling in a quiet, low voice--for, after all, she was only a child--I began telling her about our chickens at the farm and how Harriet had named them all, and one was Frances E. Willard, and one, a speckled one, was Martha Washington, and I told her of the curious antics of Martha Washington and of the number of eggs she laid, and of the sweet new milk we had to drink, and the honey right out of our own hives, and of the things growing in the garden.

Once she smiled a little, and once she looked around at me with a curious, timid, half-wistful expression in her eyes.

"Maggie," I said, "I wish you could go to the country."

"I wish to God I could," she replied.

We walked for a moment in silence. My head was whirling with thoughts: again I had that feeling of helplessness, of inadequacy, which I had felt so sharply on the previous evening.

What could I do?

When we reached the corner, I said:

"Maggie, I will see you safely home."

She laughed--a hard, bitter laugh.

"Oh, I don't need any one to show me around these streets!"

"I will see you home," I said.

So we walked quickly along the street together.

"Here it is," she said finally, pointing to a dark, mean-looking, one-story house, set in a dingy, barren areaway.

"Well, good night, Maggie," I said, "and good luck to you."

"Good night," she said faintly.

When I had walked to the corner, I stopped and looked back. She was standing stock-still just where I had left her--a figure I shall never forget.

I have hesitated about telling of a further strange thing that happened to me that night--but have decided at last to put it in.

I did not accept Mr. Vedder's invitation: I could not; but I returned to the room in the tenement where I had spent the previous night with Bill Hahn the Socialist. It was a small, dark, noisy room, but I was so weary that I fell almost immediately into a heavy sleep. An hour or more later I don't know how long indeed--I was suddenly awakened and found myself sitting bolt upright in bed. It was close and dark and warm there in the room, and from without came the muffled sounds of the city. For an instant I waited, rigid with expectancy. And then I heard as clearly and plainly as ever I heard anything:

"David! David!" in my sister Harriet's voice.

It was exactly the voice in which she has called me a thousand times. Without an instant's hesitation, I stepped out of bed and called out:

"I'm coming, Harriet! I'm coming!"

"What's the matter?" inquired Bill Hahn sleepily.

"Nothing," I replied, and crept back into bed.

It may have been the result of the strain and excitement of the previous two days. I don't explain it--I can only tell what happened.

Before I went to sleep again I determined to start straight for home in the morning: and having decided, I turned over, drew a long, comfortable breath and did not stir again, I think, until long after the morning sun shone in at the window.

同类推荐
  • 王文端公集

    王文端公集

    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。
  • 佛说顶生王因缘经

    佛说顶生王因缘经

    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。
  • 上清太上九真中经绛生神丹诀

    上清太上九真中经绛生神丹诀

    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。
  • 医学举要

    医学举要

    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。
  • 台湾私法商事编

    台湾私法商事编

    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
  • 武则天大全集(共6册)

    武则天大全集(共6册)

    《武则天大全集(共6册)》,完整6部曲套装。从三岁到八十二岁,面面俱到,丝丝入扣!唯一一部从武则天三岁写到八十二岁完整一生的长篇传记史诗。武则天的82年人生,每一天都走在生死边缘,而她赢得了每一次决斗。武则天82年的人生,前31年,她卷入权斗漩涡,为活命从宫女杀到了皇后的宝座;后51年,她掀起腥风血雨,用女皇的龙袍确保了自己的安全。武则天的82年人生,每一天都走在生死边缘,而她赢得了每一次决斗。
  • 修真之超级兑换系统

    修真之超级兑换系统

    被雷劈后华为灰烬,以为就要翘辫子,哪知穿越了!本身是废材的少爷一下子化身成为天才?为什么?因为一切功法都可以兑换!!!
  • 胜鬘经疏

    胜鬘经疏

    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。
  • 全能弃妃

    全能弃妃

    她忍辱负重,易容潜伏,以陪嫁丫鬟的身份接近仇人,在这人吃人的大宅中,步步惊心。绝世丑颜,要如何在几百个宠姬中心计为胜,俘获他的心,再狠狠践踏?【心术+女强】亲们,虐文小白文看腻了吗?尝试一下心术文吧。
  • 开一家赚钱的个性小店大全集(超值金版)

    开一家赚钱的个性小店大全集(超值金版)

    一个小店铺就是一个小企业,店铺的老板,不仅要懂经营管理,而且要懂财务。店铺卫生、店铺要害部位安全的管理工作、紧急事件的处理、发现偷窃行为怎么办,这些问题都需要高效的管理能力。本书针对创业开店要注意的问题,以及在经营过程中常会遇到的一些疑惑,为你作出详细的分析和解答,并提供极具参考价值的方法和建议,使你能够一点一点进步,一天一天向成功者的目标靠近。
  • 空心人

    空心人

    下了几天的雪终于停了,地面一片白茫茫的。窝着偷懒的太阳没精打采地从云彩缝里探出一张黄巴巴、病蔫蔫的脸,有一搭没一搭地在半空中挂着,像一张冻得硬邦邦的秫秫面饼子似的,让人感觉似乎更冷了。杨结实一边坐在火炉旁抽着冬虫夏草烟,一边想:他娘的,可着劲儿地冷吧。越冷越好。最好直接从天上下冰刀子,那才叫过瘾哩。照这样冷下去,煤价还得长。只要煤价不停地往上疯长,钞票就会像雪片子一样滚滚而来,想挡都挡不住。不过,忙活了这么些天,无论如何,晚上得进城去洗个桑拿,冲冲身上的霉气了。杨结实是杨树岗煤矿的矿主,以前差不多每个礼拜都要进城去洗一次桑拿。
  • 九霄丹神

    九霄丹神

    跌落凡尘,却成世家废柴,两世为人,幸抑或不幸?当记忆复苏的那一刹那,该如何抉择?屈于命运,还是奋起抗争?且看林峰,以丹定乾坤!
  • 世界儿童必读经典:影响孩子一生的100个谜语故事

    世界儿童必读经典:影响孩子一生的100个谜语故事

    古今中外丰富多彩的故事是世界各国社会和生活的结晶,是高度艺术化的精神产品,具有永久的闪光魅力,非常集中、非常形象,是中小学生了解世界和社会的窗口,是走向世界、观摩社会的最佳捷径。这些著名故事,伴随着世界各国一代又一代的青少年茁壮成长,具有广泛而深远的影响。我们青少年只要带着有趣的欣赏的心态阅读这些美丽的故事,便非常有利于培养积极的和健康向上的心理、性格、思维和修养,便有利于了解世界各国的社会和生活,并能不断提高语言表达和社会交往的才能。
  • Antony and Cleopatra

    Antony and Cleopatra

    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。
  • 早安!钻石老公

    早安!钻石老公

    【一对一甜宠文:你敢吃这包狗粮吗?】亚洲最贵的男人为了追她假装自己是代驾?大总裁跟她逛街用美男计砍价?完了还说,砍价真有趣!凌昙雪感觉这男人真玄幻。可是有一天,她突然说,我想结婚了。他严肃认真的走了。却在她伤心的以为自己自作多情的时候,他手机拿着户口本出现在她面前。“户口本,你带了吗?”**千墨其他书:《先婚厚恋:老公那啥掉了》《青梅火辣辣:竹马么么哒》《校草头号宠:麻辣公主小甜心》《魔王的狼妻:老公,我很乖哒》