THECALIFORNIANSTALE.docx

THECALIFORNIANSTALE.docx

《THECALIFORNIANSTALE.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《THECALIFORNIANSTALE.docx（13页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

THECALIFORNIANSTALE

THECALIFORNIAN'STALE

Thirty-fiveyearsagoIwasoutprospectingontheStanislaus,

trampingalldaylongwithpickandpanandhorn,andwashingahatful

ofdirthereandthere,alwaysexpectingtomakearichstrike,

andneverdoingit.Itwasalovelyreason,woodsy,balmy,delicious,

andhadoncebeenpopulous,longyearsbefore,butnowthe

peoplehadvanishedandthecharmingparadisewasasolitude.

Theywentawaywhenthesurfacediggingsgaveout.Inoneplace,

whereabusylittlecitywithbanksandnewspapersandfirecompanies

andamayorandaldermenhadbeen,wasnothingbutawideexpanse

ofemeraldturf,withnoteventhefaintestsignthathumanlife

hadeverbeenpresentthere.ThiswasdowntowardTuttletown.

Inthecountryneighborhoodthereabouts,alongthedustyroads,

onefoundatintervalstheprettiestlittlecottagehomes,snugandcozy,

andsocobwebbedwithvinessnowedthickwithrosesthatthedoors

andwindowswerewhollyhiddenfromsight--signthatthesewere

desertedhomes,forsakenyearsagobydefeatedanddisappointed

familieswhocouldneithersellthemnorgivethemaway.Nowandthen,

halfanhourapart,onecameacrosssolitarylogcabinsoftheearliest

miningdays,builtbythefirstgold-miners,thepredecessorsofthe

cottage-builders.Insomefewcasesthesecabinswerestilloccupied;

andwhenthiswasso,youcoulddependuponitthattheoccupant

wastheverypioneerwhohadbuiltthecabin;andyoucoulddepend

onanotherthing,too--thathewastherebecausehehadoncehad

hisopportunitytogohometotheStatesrich,andhadnotdoneit;

hadratherlosthiswealth,andhadtheninhishumiliationresolved

toseverallcommunicationwithhishomerelativesandfriends,

andbetothemthenceforthasonedead.RoundaboutCalifornia

inthatdaywerescatteredahostoftheselivingdeadmen--

pride-smittenpoorfellows,grizzledandoldatforty,whosesecret

thoughtsweremadeallofregretsandlongings--regretsfortheir

wastedlives,andlongingstobeoutofthestruggleanddonewithitall.

Itwasalonesomeland!

Notasoundinallthosepeacefulexpanses

ofgrassandwoodsbutthedrowsyhumofinsects;noglimpse

ofmanorbeast;nothingtokeepupyourspiritsandmakeyouglad

tobealive.Andso,atlast,intheearlypartoftheafternoon,

whenIcaughtsightofahumancreature,Ifeltamostgratefuluplift.

Thispersonwasamanaboutforty-fiveyearsold,andhewas

standingatthegateofoneofthosecozylittlerose-cladcottages

ofthesortalreadyreferredto.However,thisonehadn't

adesertedlook;ithadthelookofbeinglivedinandpetted

andcaredforandlookedafter;andsohaditsfrontyard,

whichwasagardenofflowers,abundant,gay,andflourishing.

Iwasinvitedin,ofcourse,andrequiredtomakemyselfathome--

itwasthecustomofthecountry..

Itwasdelightfultobeinsuchaplace,afterlongweeksofdaily

andnightlyfamiliaritywithminers'cabins--withallwhichthis

impliesofdirtfloor,never-madebeds,tinplatesandcups,

baconandbeansandblackcoffee,andnothingofornamentbutwar

picturesfromtheEasternillustratedpaperstackedtothelogwalls.

Thatwasallhard,cheerless,materialisticdesolation,butherewasa

nestwhichhadaspectstorestthetiredeyeandrefreshthatsomething

inone'snaturewhich,afterlongfasting,recognizes,whenconfronted

bythebelongingsofart,howsoevercheapandmodesttheymaybe,

thatithasunconsciouslybeenfamishingandnowhasfoundnourishment.

Icouldnothavebelievedthataragcarpetcouldfeastmeso,

andsocontentme;orthattherecouldbesuchsolacetothesoul

inwall-paperandframedlithographs,andbright-coloredtidies

andlamp-mats,andWindsorchairs,andvarnishedwhat-nots,with

sea-shellsandbooksandchinavasesonthem,andthescoreoflittle

unclassifiabletricksandtouchesthatawoman'shanddistributes

aboutahome,whichoneseeswithoutknowingheseesthem,yetwould

missinamomentiftheyweretakenaway.Thedelightthatwas

inmyheartshowedinmyface,andthemansawitandwaspleased;

sawitsoplainlythatheanswereditasifithadbeenspoken.

"Allherwork,"hesaid,caressingly;"shediditallherself--

everybit,"andhetooktheroominwithaglancewhichwasfull

ofaffectionateworship.OneofthosesoftJapanesefabrics

withwhichwomendrapewithcarefulnegligencetheupperpartofa

picture-framewasoutofadjustment.Henoticedit,andrearranged

itwithcautiouspains,steppingbackseveraltimestogauge

theeffectbeforehegotittosuithim.Thenhegaveitalight

finishingpatortwowithhishand,andsaid:

"Shealwaysdoesthat.

Youcan'ttelljustwhatitlacks,butitdoeslacksomething

untilyou'vedonethat--youcanseeityourselfafterit'sdone,

butthatisallyouknow;youcan'tfindoutthelawofit.

It'slikethefinishingpatsamothergivesthechild'shair

aftershe'sgotitcombedandbrushed,Ireckon.I'veseenher

fixallthesethingssomuchthatIcandothemalljustherway,

thoughIdon'tknowthelawofanyofthem.Butsheknowsthelaw.

Sheknowsthewhyandthehowboth;butIdon'tknowthewhy;

Ionlyknowthehow."

HetookmeintoabedroomsothatImightwashmyhands;suchabedroom

asIhadnotseenforyears:

whitecounterpane,whitepillows,

carpetedfloor,paperedwalls,pictures,dressing-table,withmirror

andpin-cushionanddaintytoiletthings;andinthecornerawash-stand,

withrealchina-warebowlandpitcher,andwithsoapinachinadish,

andonarackmorethanadozentowels--towelstoocleanandwhite

foroneoutofpracticetousewithoutsomevaguesenseofprofanation.

Somyfacespokeagain,andheansweredwithgratifiedwords:

"Allherwork;shediditallherself--everybit.Nothinghere

thathasn'tfeltthetouchofherhand.Nowyouwouldthink--

ButImustn'ttalksomuch."

BythistimeIwaswipingmyhandsandglancingfromdetailtodetail

oftheroom'sbelongings,asoneisapttodowhenheisinanewplace,

whereeverythingheseesisacomforttohiseyeandhisspirit;

andIbecameconscious,inoneofthoseunaccountableways,

youknow,thattherewassomethingtheresomewherethattheman

wantedmetodiscoverformyself.Iknewitperfectly,andIknew

hewastryingtohelpmebyfurtiveindicationswithhiseye,soI

triedhardtogetontherighttrack,beingeagertogratifyhim.

Ifailedseveraltimes,asIcouldseeoutofthecornerofmyeye

withoutbeingtold;butatlastIknewImustbelookingstraight

atthething--knewitfromthepleasureissuingininvisiblewaves

fromhim.Hebrokeintoahappylaugh,andrubbedhishandstogether,

andcriedout:

"That'sit!

You'vefoundit.Iknewyouwould.It'sherpicture."

Iwenttothelittleblack-walnutbracketonthefartherwall,

anddidfindtherewhatIhadnotyetnoticed--adaguerreotype-case.

Itcontainedthesweetestgirlishface,andthemostbeautiful,

asitseemedtome,thatIhadeverseen.Themandranktheadmiration

frommyface,andwasfullysatisfied.

"Nineteenherlastbirthday,"hesaid,asheputthepictureback;

"andthatwasthedayweweremarried.Whenyouseeher--ah,justwait

tillyouseeher!

"

"Whereisshe?

Whenwillshebein?

"

"Oh,she'sawaynow.She'sgonetoseeherpeople.Theylive

fortyorfiftymilesfromhere.She'sbeengonetwoweekstoday."

"Whendoyouexpectherback?

"

"ThisisWednesday.She'llbebackSaturday,intheevening--

aboutnineo'clock,likely."

Ifeltasharpsenseofdisappointment.

"I'msorry,becauseI'llbegonethen,"Isaid,regretfully.

"Gone?

No--whyshouldyougo?

Don'tgo.She'llbedisappointed."

Shewouldbedisappointed--thatbeautifulcreature!

Ifshehadsaid

thewordsherselftheycouldhardlyhaveblessedmemore.Iwas

feelingadeep,stronglongingtoseeher--alongingsosupplicating,

soinsistent,thatitmademeafraid.Isaidtomyself:

"Iwill

gostraightawayfromthisplace,formypeaceofmind'ssake."

"Yousee,shelikestohavepeoplecomeandstopwithus--

peoplewhoknowthings,andcantalk--peoplelikeyou.Shedelights

init;forsheknows--oh,sheknowsnearlyeverythingherself,

andcantalk,oh,likeabird--andthebooksshereads,why,youwould

beastonished.Don'tgo;it'sonlyalittlewhile,youknow,

andshe'llbesodisappointed."

Iheardthewords,buthardlynoticedthem,Iwassodeepinmy

thinkingsandstrugglings.Heleftme,butIdidn'tknow.

Presentlyhewasback,withthepicturecaseinhishand,andhe

helditopenbeforemeandsaid:

"There,now,tellhertoherfaceyoucouldhavestayedtoseeher,

andyouwouldn't."

Thatsecondglimpsebrokedownmygoodresolution.Iwouldstay

andtaketherisk.Thatnightwesmokedthetranquilpipe,

andtalkedtilllateaboutvariousthings,butmainlyabouther;

andcertainlyIhadhadnosuchpleasantandrestfultimeformany

aday.TheThursdayfollowedandslippedcomfortablyaway.

Towardtwilightabigminerfromthreemilesawaycame--oneof

thegrizzled,strandedpioneers--andgaveuswarmsalutation,

clothedingraveandsoberspeech.Thenhesaid:

"Ionlyjustdroppedovertoaskaboutthelittlemadam,andwhen

isshecominghome.Anynewsfromher?

"

"Oh,yes,aletter.Wouldyouliketohearit,Tom?

"

"Well,IshouldthinkIwould,ifyoudon'tmind,Henry!

"

Henrygottheletteroutofhiswallet,andsaidhewouldskip

someoftheprivatephrases,ifwewerewilling;thenhewent

onandreadthebulkofit--aloving,sedate,andaltogether

charmingandgraciouspieceofhandiwork,withapostscriptfull

ofaf