Alonzo Fitz and Other StoriesWord文件下载.docx

Alonzo Fitz and Other StoriesWord文件下载.docx

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SPEECHONTHEWEATHER

CONCERNINGTHEAMERICANLANGUAGE

ROGERS

Itwaswellalongintheforenoonofabitterwinter'

sday.ThetownofEastport,inthestateofMaine,layburiedunderadeepsnowthatwasnewlyfallen.Thecustomarybustleinthestreetswaswanting.Onecouldlooklongdistancesdownthemandseenothingbutadead-whiteemptiness,withsilencetomatch.OfcourseIdonotmeanthatyoucouldseethesilence--no,youcouldonlyhearit.Thesidewalksweremerelylong,deepditches,withsteepsnowwallsoneitherside.Hereandthereyoumighthearthefaint,farscrapeofawoodenshovel,andifyouwerequickenoughyoumightcatchaglimpseofadistantblackfigurestoopinganddisappearinginoneofthoseditches,andreappearingthenextmomentwithamotionwhichyouwouldknowmeanttheheavingoutofashovelfulofsnow.Butyouneededtobequick,forthatblackfigurewouldnotlinger,butwouldsoardropthatshovelandscudforthehouse,thrashingitselfwithitsarmstowarmthem.Yes,itwastoovenomouslycoldforsnow-shovelersoranybodyelsetostayoutlong.

Presentlytheskydarkened;

thenthewindroseandbegantoblowinfitful,vigorousgusts,whichsentcloudsofpowderysnowaloft,andstraightahead,andeverywhere.Undertheimpulseofoneofthesegusts,greatwhitedriftsbankedthemselveslikegravesacrossthestreets;

amomentlateranothergustshiftedthemaroundtheotherway,drivingafinesprayofsnowfromtheirsharpcrests,asthegaledrivesthespumeflakesfromwave-crestsatsea;

athirdgustsweptthatplaceascleanasyourhand,ifitsawfit.Thiswasfooling,thiswasplay;

buteachandallofthegustsdumpedsomesnowintothesidewalkditches,forthatwasbusiness.

AlonzoFitzClarencewassittinginhissnugandelegantlittleparlor,inalovelybluesilkdressing-gown,withcuffsandfacingsofcrimsonsatin,elaboratelyquilted.Theremainsofhisbreakfastwerebeforehim,andthedaintyandcostlylittletableserviceaddedaharmoniouscharmtothegrace,beauty,andrichnessofthefixedappointmentsoftheroom.Acheeryfirewasblazingonthehearth.

Afuriousgustofwindshookthewindows,andagreatwaveofsnowwashedagainstthemwithadrenchingsound,sotospeak.Thehandsomeyoungbachelormurmured:

"

Thatmeans,nogoingoutto-day.Well,Iamcontent.Butwhattodoforcompany?

Motheriswellenough,AuntSusaniswellenough;

butthese,likethepoor,Ihavewithmealways.Onsogrimadayasthis,oneneedsanewinterest,afreshelement,towhetthedulledgeofcaptivity.Thatwasveryneatlysaid,butitdoesn'

tmeananything.

Onedoesn'

twanttheedgeofcaptivitysharpenedup,youknow,butjustthereverse."

HeglancedathisprettyFrenchmantel-clock.

Thatclock'

swrongagain.Thatclockhardlyeverknowswhattimeitis;

andwhenitdoesknow,itliesaboutit--whichamountstothesamething.

Alfred!

Therewasnoanswer.

...Goodservant,butasuncertainastheclock."

Alonzotouchedanelectricbellbuttoninthewall.Hewaitedamoment,thentoucheditagain;

waitedafewmomentsmore,andsaid:

Batteryoutoforder,nodoubt.ButnowthatIhavestarted,Iwillfindoutwhattimeitis."

Hesteppedtoaspeaking-tubeinthewall,blewitswhistle,andcalled,"

Mother!

andrepeatedittwice.

Well,that'

snouse.Mother'

sbatteryisoutoforder,too.Can'

traiseanybodydown-stairs--thatisplain."

Hesatdownatarosewooddesk,leanedhischinontheleft-handedgeofitandspoke,asiftothefloor:

"

AuntSusan!

Alow,pleasantvoiceanswered,"

Isthatyou,Alonzo?

'

Yes.I'

mtoolazyandcomfortabletogodownstairs;

Iaminextremity,andIcan'

tseemtoscareupanyhelp."

Dearme,whatisthematter?

Matterenough,Icantellyou!

Oh,don'

tkeepmeinsuspense,dear!

Whatisit?

Iwanttoknowwhattimeitis."

Youabominableboy,whataturnyoudidgiveme!

Isthatall?

All--onmyhonor.Calmyourself.Tellmethetime,andreceivemyblessing."

Justfiveminutesafternine.Nocharge--keepyourblessing."

Thanks.Itwouldn'

thaveimpoverishedme,aunty,norsoenrichedyouthatyoucouldlivewithoutothermeans."

Hegotup,murmuring,"

Justfiveminutesafternine,"

andfacedhisclock."

Ah,"

saidhe,"

youaredoingbetterthanusual.Youareonlythirty-fourminuteswrong.Letmesee..,letmesee....

Thirty-threeandtwenty-onearefifty-four;

fourtimesfifty-fouraretwohundredandthirty-six.Oneoff,leavestwohundredandthirty-five.

That'

sright."

Heturnedthehandsofhisclockforwardtilltheymarkedtwenty-fiveminutestoone,andsaid,"

Nowseeifyoucan'

tkeeprightforawhile--elseI'

llraffleyou!

Hesatdownatthedeskagain,andsaid,"

Yes,dear."

Hadbreakfast?

Yes,indeed,anhourago."

Busy?

No--exceptsewing.Why?

Gotanycompany?

No,butIexpectsomeathalfpastnine."

IwishIdid.I'

mlonesome.Iwanttotalktosomebody."

Verywell,talktome."

Butthisisveryprivate."

Don'

tbeafraid--talkrightalong,there'

snobodyherebutme."

Ihardlyknowwhethertoventureornot,but--"

Butwhat?

Oh,don'

tstopthere!

Youknowyoucantrustme,Alonzo--youknow,youcan."

Ifeelit,aunt,butthisisveryserious.Itaffectsmedeeply--me,andallthefamily---eventhewholecommunity."

Oh,Alonzo,tellme!

Iwillneverbreatheawordofit.Whatisit?

Aunt,ifImightdare--"

Oh,pleasegoon!

Iloveyou,andfeelforyou.Tellmeall.

Confideinme.Whatisit?

Theweather!

Plaguetaketheweather!

Idon'

tseehowyoucanhavethehearttoservemeso,Lon."

There,there,auntydear,I'

msorry;

Iam,onmyhonor.Iwon'

tdoitagain.Doyouforgiveme?

Yes,sinceyouseemsosincereaboutit,thoughIknowIoughtn'

tto.

YouwillfoolmeagainassoonasIhaveforgottenthistime."

No,Iwon'

t,honorbright.Butsuchweather,oh,suchweather!

You'

vegottokeepyourspiritsupartificially.Itissnowy,andblowy,andgusty,andbittercold!

Howistheweatherwithyou?

Warmandrainyandmelancholy.Themournersgoaboutthestreetswiththeirumbrellasrunningstreamsfromtheendofeverywhalebone.There'

sanelevateddoublepavementofumbrellas,stretchingdownthesidesofthestreetsasfarasIcansee.I'

vegotafireforcheerfulness,andthewindowsopentokeepcool.Butitisvain,itisuseless:

nothingcomesinbutthebalmybreathofDecember,withitsburdenofmockingodorsfromtheflowersthatpossesstherealmoutside,andrejoiceintheirlawlessprofusionwhilstthespiritofmanislow,andflaunttheirgaudysplendorsinhisfacewhilehissoulisclothedinsackclothandashesandhisheartbreaketh."

Alonzoopenedhislipstosay,"

Yououghttoprintthat,andgetitframed,"

butcheckedhimself,forheheardhisauntspeakingtosomeoneelse.Hewentandstoodatthewindowandlookedoutuponthewintryprospect.Thestormwasdrivingthesnowbeforeitmorefuriouslythanever;

window-shutterswereslammingandbanging;

aforlorndog,withbowedheadandtailwithdrawnfromservice,waspressinghisquakingbodyagainstawindwardwallforshelterandprotection;

ayounggirlwasplowingknee-deepthroughthedrifts,withherfaceturnedfromtheblast,andthecapeofherwaterproofblowingstraightrearwardoverherhead.Alonzoshuddered,andsaidwithasigh,"

Bettertheslop,andthesultryrain,andeventheinsolentflowers,thanthis!

Heturnedfromthewindow,movedastep,andstoppedinalisteningattitude.Thefaint,sweetnotesofafamiliarsongcaughthisear.Heremainedthere,withhisheadunconsciouslybentforward,drinkinginthemelody,stirringneitherhandnorfoot,hardlybreathing.Therewasablemishintheexecutionofthesong,buttoAlonzoitseemedanaddedcharminsteadofadefect.Thisblemishconsistedofamarkedflattingofthethird,fourth,fifth,sixth,andseventhnotesoftherefrainorchorusofthepiece.Whenthemusicended,Alonzodrewadeepbreath,andsaid,"

Ah,Ineverhaveheard'

IntheSweetBy-and-by'

sunglikethatbefore!

Hesteppedquicklytothedesk,listenedamoment,andsaidinaguarded,confidentialvoice,"

Aunty,whoisthisdivinesinger?

SheisthecompanyIwasexpecting.Stayswithmeamonthortwo.

Iwillintroduceyou.Miss--"

Forgoodness'

sake,waitamoment,AuntSusan!

Youneverstoptothinkwhatyouareabout!

Heflewtohisbedchamber,andreturnedinamomentperceptiblychangedinhisoutwardappearance,andremarking,snappishly:

Hangit,shewouldhaveintroducedmetothisangelinthatsky-bluedressing-gownwithred-hotlapels!

Womenneverthink,whentheygeta-going."

Hehastenedandstoodbythedesk,andsaideagerly,"

Now,Aunty,Iamready,"

andfelltosmilingandbowingwithallthepersuasivenessandelegancethatwereinhim.

Verywell.MissRosannahEthelton,letmeintroducetoyoumyfavoritenephew,Mr.AlonzoFitzClarence.There!

Youarebothgoodpeople,andIlikeyou;

soIamgoingtotrustyoutogetherwhileIattendtoafewhouseholdaffairs.Sitdown,Rosannah;

sitdown,Alonzo.Good-by;

I

sha'

n'

tbegonelong."

Alonzohadbeenbowingandsmilingallthewhile,andmotioningimaginaryyoungladiestositdowninimaginarychair