英文故事Old Man Shaws Girl附理解练习.docx
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英文故事Old Man Shaws Girl附理解练习.docx
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英文故事OldManShawsGirl附理解练习
OldManShaw’sGirl
byLucyMaudMontgomery
fromChronicle’sofAvonlea.1912
“Dayafterto-morrow-dayafterto-morrow.”SaidOldManShaw,rubbinghislongslenderhandstogethergleefully.“Ihavetokeepsayingitoverandover,soastoreallybelieveit.ItseemsfartoogoodtobetruethatI’mtohaveBlossomagain.Andeverythingisready.Yes,Ithinkeverythingisready,exceptabitofcooking.Andwon’tthisorchardbeasurprisetoher!
I’mjustgoingtobringherouthereassoonasIcan,neversayingaword.I’llfetchherthroughthesprucelane,andwhenwecometotheendofthepathI’llstepbackcasual-like,andlethergooutfromunderthetreesalone,neversuspecting.It’llbeworthtentimesthetroubletoseeherbig,browneyesopenwideandhearhersay,“Oh,daddy!
Why,daddy!
”
Herubbedhishandsagainandlaughedsoftlytohimself.Hewasatall,bentoldman,whosehairwassnowwhite,butwhosefacewasfreshandrosy.Hiseyeswereaboy'seyes,large,blueandmerry,
(andhismouthhadnevergotoverayouthfultrickofsmilingatanyprovocation--and,oft-times,atnoprovocationatall.)
Tobesure,WhiteSandspeoplewouldnothavegivenyouthemostfavourableopinionintheworldofOldManShaw.Firstandforemost,theywouldhavetoldyouthathewas"shiftless,"andhadlethisbitofafarmrunoutwhilehepotteredwithflowersandbugs,orrambledaimlesslyaboutinthewoods,orreadbooksalongtheshore.Perhapsitwastrue;buttheoldfarmyieldedhimaliving,andfurtherthanthatOldManShawhadnoambition.(Hewasasblitheasapilgrimonapathwayclimbingtothewest.)Hehadlearnedtheraresecretthatyoumusttakehappinesswhenyoufindit--thatthereisnouseinmarkingtheplaceandcomingbacktoitatamoreconvenientseason,becauseitwillnotbetherethen.Anditisveryeasytobehappyifyouknow,asOldManShawmostthoroughlyknew,howtofindpleasureinlittlethings.Heenjoyedlife,hehadalwaysenjoyedlifeandhelpedotherstoenjoyit;consequentlyhislifewasasuccess,whateverWhiteSandspeoplemightthinkofit.
(Whatifhehadnot"improved"hisfarm?
Therearesomepeopletowhomlifewillneverbeanythingmorethanakitchengarden;andthereareotherstowhomitwillalwaysbearoyalpalacewithdomesandminaretsofrainbowfancy.)
Theorchardofwhichhewassoproudwasasyetlittlemorethanthesubstanceofthingshopedfor--aflourishingplantationofyoungtreeswhichwouldamounttosomethinglateron.OldManShaw'shousewasonthecrestofabare,sunnyhill,withafewstauncholdfirsandsprucesbehindit--theonlytreesthatcouldresistthefullsweepofthewindsthatblewbitterlyupfromtheseaattimes.Fruittreeswouldnevergrownearit,andthishadbeenagreatgrieftoSara.
"Oh,daddy,ifwecouldjusthaveanorchard!
"shehadbeenwonttosaywistfully,whenotherfarmhousesinWhiteSandsweresmotheredwhitelyinapplebloom.Andwhenshehadgoneaway,andherfatherhadnothingtolookforwardtosaveherreturn,hewasdeterminedsheshouldfindanorchardwhenshecameback.
Overthesouthwardhill,warmlyshelteredbysprucewoodsandslopingtothesunshine,wasalittlefield,sofertilethatalltheslackmanagementofalife-timehadnotavailedtoexhaustit.HereOldManShawsetouthisorchardandsawitflourish,watchingandtendingituntilhecametoknoweachtreeasachildandlovedit.Hisneighbourslaughedathim,andsaidthatthefruitofanorchardsofarawayfromthehousewouldallbestolen.Butasyettherewasnofruit,andwhenthetimecameforbearingtherewouldbeenoughandtospare.
"Blossomandme'llgetallwewant,andtheboyscanhavetherest,iftheywant'emworse'ntheywantagoodconscience,"saidthatunworldly,unbusinesslikeOldManShaw.
OnhiswaybackhomefromhisdarlingorchardhefoundarareferninthewoodsanddugitupforSara--shehadlovedferns.Heplanteditattheshady,shelteredsideofthehouseandthensatdownontheoldbenchbythegardengatetoreadherlastletter--theletterthatwasonlyanote,becauseshewascominghomesoon.Hekneweverywordofitbyheart,butthatdidnotspoilthepleasureofre-readingiteveryhalf-hour.
OldManShawhadnotmarrieduntillateinlife,andhad,soWhiteSandspeoplesaid,selectedawifewithhisusualjudgment--which,beinginterpreted,meantnojudgmentatall;otherwise,hewouldneverhavemarriedSaraGlover,amereslipofagirl,withbigbrowneyeslikeafrightenedwoodcreature's,andthedelicate,fleetingbloomofaspringMayflower.
"Thelastwomanintheworldforafarmer'swife--nostrengthorget-upabouther."
NeithercouldWhiteSandsfolkunderstandwhatonearthSaraGloverhadmarriedhimfor.
("Well,thefoolcropwastheonlyonethatneverfailed.")
OldManShaw--hewasOldManShaweventhen,althoughhewasonlyforty--andhisgirlbridehadtroubledthemselvesnotatallaboutWhiteSandsopinions.Theyhadoneyearofperfecthappiness,whichisalwaysworthlivingfor,eveniftherestoflifebeadrearypilgrimage,andthenOldManShawfoundhimselfaloneagain,exceptforlittleBlossom.ShewaschristenedSara,afterherdeadmother,butshewasalwaysBlossomtoherfather--thepreciouslittleblossomwhosepluckinghadcostthemotherherlife.
SaraGlover'speople,especiallyawealthyauntinMontreal,hadwantedtotakethechild,butOldManShawgrewalmostfierceoverthesuggestion.Hewouldgivehisbabytonoone.Awomanwashiredtolookafterthehouse,butitwasthefatherwhocaredforthebabyinthemain.Hewasastenderandfaithfulanddeftasawoman.Saranevermissedamother'scare,andshegrewupintoacreatureoflifeandlightandbeauty,aconstantdelighttoallwhoknewher.Shehadawayofembroideringlifewithstars.Shewasdoweredwithallthecharmingcharacteristicsofbothparents,witharesilientvitalityandactivitywhichhadpertainedtoneitherofthem.Whenshewastenyearsoldshehadpackedallhirelingsoff,andkepthouseforherfatherforsixdelightfulyears--yearsinwhichtheywerefatheranddaughter,brotherandsister,and"chums."Saraneverwenttoschool,butherfathersawtohereducationafterafashionofhisown.Whentheirworkwasdonetheylivedinthewoodsandfields,inthelittlegardentheyhadmadeontheshelteredsideofthehouse,orontheshore,wheresunshineandstormweretothemequallylovelyandbeloved.Neverwascomradeshipmoreperfectormorewhollysatisfactory.
"Justwrappedupineachother,"saidWhiteSandsfolk,half-enviously,half-disapprovingly.
WhenSarawassixteenMrs.Adair,thewealthyauntaforesaid,pounceddownonWhiteSandsinaglamouroffashionandcultureandouterworldliness.ShebombardedOldManShawwithsuchargumentsthathehadtosuccumb.ItwasashamethatagirllikeSarashouldgrowupinaplacelikeWhiteSands,"withnoadvantagesandnoeducation,"saidMrs.Adairscornfully,notunderstandingthatwisdomandknowledgearetwoentirelydifferentthings.
"Atleastletmegivemydearsister'schildwhatIwouldhavegivenmyowndaughterifIhadhadone,"shepleadedtearfully."Letmetakeherwithmeandsendhertoagoodschoolforafewyears.Then,ifshewishes,shemaycomebacktoyou,ofcourse."
Privately,Mrs.AdairdidnotforamomentbelievethatSarawouldwanttocomebacktoWhiteSands,andherqueeroldfather,afterthreeyearsofthelifeshewouldgiveher.
OldManShawyielded,influencedtheretonotatallbyMrs.Adair'sreadilyflowingtears,butgreatlybyhisconvictionthatjusticetoSarademandedit.Saraherselfdidnotwanttogo;sheprotestedandpleaded;butherfather,havingbecomeconvincedthatitwasbestforhertogo,wasinexorable.Everything,evenherownfeelings,mustgivewaytothat.Butshewastocomebacktohimwithoutletorhindrancewhenher"schooling"wasdone.ItwasonlyonhavingthismostclearlyunderstoodthatSarawouldconsenttogoatall.Herlastwords,calledbacktoherfatherthroughhertearsassheandherauntdrovedownthelane,were,
"I'llbeback,daddy.InthreeyearsI'llbeback.Don'tcry,butjustlookforwardtothat."
Hehadlookedforwardtoitthroughthethreelong,lonelyyearsthatfollowed,inallofwhichheneversawhisdarling.HalfacontinentwasbetweenthemandMrs.Adairhadvetoedvacationvisits,undersomespeciouspretense.ButeveryweekbroughtitsletterfromSara.OldManShawhadeveryoneofthem,tiedupwithoneofheroldbluehairribbons,andkeptinhermother'slittlerose-woodwork-boxintheparlour.HespenteverySundayafternoonre-readingthem,withherphotographbeforehim.Helivedalone,refusingtobepesteredwithkindhelp,buthekeptthehouseinbeautifulorder.
"Abetterhousekeeperthanfarmer,"saidWhiteSandspeople.Hewouldhavenothingaltered.WhenSaracamebackshewasnottobehurtbychanges.Itneveroccurredtohimthatshemightbechangedherself.
(Andnowthosethreeinterminableyearsweregone,andSarawascominghome.Shewrotehimnothingofheraunt'spleadingsandreproachesandready,futiletears;shewroteonlythatshewouldgraduateinJuneandstartforhomeaweeklater.ThenceforthOldManShawwentaboutinastateofbeatitude,makingreadyforherhomecoming.)Ashesatonthebenchinthesunshine,withtheblueseasparklingandcrinklingdownatthefootofthegreenslope,hereflectedwithsatisfactionthatallwasinperfectorder.Therewasnothinglefttodosavecountthehoursuntilthatbeautiful,longed-fordayafterto-morrow.(Hegavehimselfovertoareverie,assweetasaday-dreaminahauntedvalley.)
(Theredroseswereout
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