登陆注册
5382600000051

第51章 CHAPTER X(6)

There she came opposite the wide-open doors and the entrance to the auditorium packed with people and a crowd standing outside.When they noticed a tall woman with white face and hair and black dress,one by one they stepped a little aside,so that Mrs.Comstock could see the stage.It was covered with curtains,and no one was doing anything.Just as she turned to go a sound so faint that every one leaned forward and listened,drifted down the auditorium.It was difficult to tell just what it was;after one instant half the audience looked toward the windows,for it seemed only a breath of wind rustling freshly opened leaves;merely a hint of stirring air.

Then the curtains were swept aside swiftly.The stage had been transformed into a lovely little corner of creation,where trees and flowers grew and moss carpeted the earth.

A soft wind blew and it was the gray of dawn.Suddenly a robin began to sing,then a song sparrow joined him,and then several orioles began talking at once.The light grew stronger,the dew drops trembled,flower perfume began to creep out to the audience;the air moved the branches gently and a rooster crowed.Then all the scene was shaken with a babel of bird notes in which you could hear a cardinal whistling,and a blue finch piping.Back somewhere among the high branches a dove cooed and then a horse neighed shrilly.That set a blackbird crying,"T'check,"and a whole flock answered it.The crows began to caw and a lamb bleated.Then the grosbeaks,chats,and vireos had something to say,and the sun rose higher,the light grew stronger and the breeze rustled the treetops loudly;a cow bawled and the whole barnyard answered.

The guineas were clucking,the turkey gobbler strutting,the hens calling,the chickens cheeping,the light streamed down straight overhead and the bees began to hum.The air stirred strongly,and away in an unseen field a reaper clacked and rattled through ripening wheat while the driver whistled.An uneasy mare whickered to her colt,the colt answered,and the light began to decline.

Miles away a rooster crowed for twilight,and dusk was coming down.Then a catbird and a brown thrush sang against a grosbeak and a hermit thrush.The air was tremulous with heavenly notes,the lights went out in the hall,dusk swept across the stage,a cricket sang and a katydid answered,and a wood pewee wrung the heart with its lonesome cry.Then a night hawk screamed,a whip-poor-will complained,a belated killdeer swept the sky,and the night wind sang a louder song.A little screech owl tuned up in the distance,a barn owl replied,and a great horned owl drowned both their voices.The moon shone and the scene was warm with mellow light.The bird voices died and soft exquisite melody began to swell and roll.In the centre of the stage,piece by piece the grasses,mosses and leaves dropped from an embankment,the foliage softly blew away,while plainer and plainer came the outlines of a lovely girl figure draped in soft clinging green.In her shower of bright hair a few green leaves and white blossoms clung,and they fell over her robe down to her feet.Her white throat and arms were bare,she leaned forward a little and swayed with the melody,her eyes fast on the clouds above her,her lips parted,a pink tinge of exercise in her cheeks as she drew her bow.She played as only a peculiar chain of circumstances puts it in the power of a very few to play.

All nature had grown still,the violin sobbed,sang,danced and quavered on alone,no voice in particular;the soul of the melody of all nature combined in one great outpouring.

At the doorway,a white-faced woman endured it as long as she could and then fell senseless.The men nearest carried her down the hall to the fountain,revived her,and then placed her in the carriage to which she directed them.

The girl played on and never knew.When she finished,the uproar of applause sounded a block down the street,but the half-senseless woman scarcely realized what it meant.

Then the girl came to the front of the stage,bowed,and lifting the violin she played her conception of an invitation to dance.Every living soul within sound of her notes strained their nerves to sit still and let only their hearts dance with her.When that began the woman ran toward the country.She never stopped until the carriage overtook her half-way to her cabin.She said she had grown tired of sitting,and walked on ahead.That night she asked Billy to remain with her and sleep on Elnora's bed.

Then she pitched headlong upon her own,and suffered agony of soul such as she never before had known.

The swamp had sent back the soul of her loved dead and put it into the body of the daughter she resented,and it was almost more than she could endure and live.

同类推荐
  • 补续芝园集

    补续芝园集

    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。
  • 新编雷峰塔奇传

    新编雷峰塔奇传

    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 Devil's Paw

    The Devil's Paw

    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。
  • 明伦汇编官常典都察院部

    明伦汇编官常典都察院部

    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。
  • 看命一掌金

    看命一掌金

    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
  • 碧霞元君护国庇民普济保生妙经

    碧霞元君护国庇民普济保生妙经

    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。
  • 舌尖上的异世

    舌尖上的异世

    一个穿越到异世界的小厨师,想要用手中的厨刀,来试图改变一下自己重生后的人生味道…………人生,就是要大口大口地活着。只是大口大口吃到的酸甜苦辣,各种滋味,除了自己之外,又有谁人能知。烹羊宰牛且为乐,会须一饮三百杯。人生在世何须愁,大块吃肉,大碗喝酒,美人抱膝头;做人如斯,夫复何求。……PS1.本文算是不那么正经的美食休闲文,请各位读者看到尽兴时切勿熬夜阅读,以免引起饥饿不适。PS2.本文除美食料理知识及部分引用外,一切均为虚构,读者看到与现实世界相像之处时,还请一笑了之。
  • 太上之心

    太上之心

    二十年前,当今邪帝凭一颗“不死魔心”君临天下。二十年后,“不染凡心”出世,九州大地再起浩劫。小凡本是一个普通的孩子,自幼随师傅漂泊红尘,而他原本平静的生活,却因为体内凡心的觉醒,发生了天翻地覆的变化。求道,拜神,寻仙,诛魔,当他登顶九州回首遥望,才发现原来他所寻找的,一直都是那颗初心。
  • 唐朝天空:李国文散文集

    唐朝天空:李国文散文集

    本书收有“大浪淘沙”、“马站着睡觉”、“茗余琐记”、“四合院的话题”、“初冬的春意”等散文。
  • 猎婚女才人

    猎婚女才人

    在这个真情越来越少的社会,真爱越来越难寻觅的时代;她辞去高薪工作,就是为了看到别人的成双成对,幸福美满;她作为觅爱猎婚公司的老板,七年来,确实成全千上万的单身男女,但是情缘似乎总是离她那么远。。。
  • 圣多罗菩萨一百八名陀罗尼经

    圣多罗菩萨一百八名陀罗尼经

    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。
  • 一错成婚:前夫惹不得

    一错成婚:前夫惹不得

    “离婚就离婚,谁不离谁就孙子”一对男女站在犹如废墟一般的家里,愤怒的对峙。然而不知道是命运的捉弄,还是姻缘未了,五年后再次遇到。这才发现原来离婚并不是结束,而且缘分的另一种开始。再次接触,他一次次的破坏她各种桃花,各种嫌弃,各种鄙视,并且霸道的宣布:“即使离婚了,你也是我的女人。”是可忍孰不可忍,“该死的男人,你只是前夫,请你注意你的身份。”
  • 东莞之殇

    东莞之殇

    几个男女主人公在东莞打工的日子,大学毕业,进入社会,见识世间百态......
  • 十尾龟

    十尾龟

    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。
  • 等你的563天

    等你的563天

    校里的枫叶落了,不知道能不能等到她来?她说过要一起看落叶的……她说她想趁着她还能爱,要好好的爱一把他任性的答道我就是你要爱的,除了我你谁都不能爱!“你要把我的桃花折了吗?”“对!看你怎么朝花惹草”……