gs.earthabides-第35部分

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　　It　was　curious；　doubtless　even　illogical；　that　the　thought　of　the　ing　child　should　make　so　much　difference。　But　he　granted　the　difference。　He　had　known　despair；　but　now　he　knew　hope。　He　looked　forward　with　confidence　to　the　time　when　the　sun　would　again　be　setting　in　the　southern　end　of　its　long　arc　and　the　two　of　them…or　the　three…would　go　to　carve　into　some　rock　the　numeral　mernorating　the　end　of　the　Year　One。　It　was　not　finished。　The　thing　would　go　on。　A　phrase　leaped　into　his　mind。　
　　〃Oh；　world　without　end！〃　he　thought。　As　he　stood　there；　looking　out　into　the　dark　west　over　the　empty　city；　breathing　deeply　of　the　cool　damp　air；　the　words　sang　in　his　mind；　〃Oh；　world　without　end！　World　without　end！〃　
　　Here　ends　Part　I。　The　inter…chapter　called　Quick　Years　follows；　after　a　time…interval　of　one　year。　
　　
　　Quick　Years
　　Not　far　from　the　house　on　San　Lupo　Drive　there　was　that　area　which　had　once　been　a　small　public　park。　Tall　rocks　rose　picturesquely；　and　at　one　place　the　tops　of　two　of　them　leaned　together；　forming　a　high　narrow　cave。　Near　by；　a　smooth　rock…surface；　as　large　as　the　floor　of　a　small　room；　sloped　with　the　hillside；　but　was　not　too　steep　to　sit　on　fortably。　In　those　older　times　which　had　been　before　even　those　that　were　now　called　the　Old　Times；　some　tribe　of　simple　people　had　lived　thereabouts；　and　on　the　smooth　rock…surface　you　still　saw　the　little　holes　where　those　people　had　pounded　with　stones　to　make　their　acorn…mash。　
　　One　day；　after　the　round　of　the　seasons　had　passed　and　the　sun　for　the　second　time　sank　well　to　the　south　of　the　Golden　Gate；　Ish　and　Em　climbed　the　hillside　toward　the　rocks。　The　afternoon　was　calm　and　sunny；　warm　for　mid…winter。　Em　carried　the　baby；　wrapped　in　a　soft　blanket。　（She　was　pregnant　again；　although　not　yet　heavy　on　her　feet。）　Ish　carried　his　hammer　and　a　cold…chisel。　Princess　started　with　them；　but　as　always　went　baying　off　on　the　trail　of　one　of　her　rabbits。　
　　When　they　came　to　the　rock；　Em　sat　down　on　it　in　the　sun　and　nursed　the　baby；　and　Ish　worked　with　hammer　and　chisel；　cutting　into　the　smooth　surface　the　single　numeral。　The　rock　was　hard；　but　with　the　heavy　hammer　and　the　sharp　chisel；　he　soon　finished　an　upright　line。　But　it　was　fun　to　adom　the　work　a　little；　and　some　ceremony　seemed　fitting　to　mark　the　end　of　their　first　full　circuit　of　the　sun　from　south　back　to　south。　So　Ish　cut　a　clean　serif　at　the　base　of　the　line；　and　a　little　hook　at　the　top；　so　that　the　finished　figure　resembled　the　neat　I　which　he　remembered　in　the　times　of　printing。　When　he　was　done；　he　sat　close　beside　Em　in　the　sun。　The　baby　had　finished　feeding；　and　was　happy。　They　played　with　him。　〃Well；〃　said　Ish；　〃that　was　the　Year　One！〃　
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Em；　〃but　I　think　I　shall　always　remember　it　as　the　Year　of　the　Baby。　Names　are　easier　to　remember　than　numbers。〃　
　　Thus　from　the　very　beginning　it　came　about　that　they　called　each　year　not　so　often　by　its　number　as　by　a　name　based　on　something　that　had　happened　during　that　time。　
　　In　the　spring　of　the　second　year；　Ish　planted　his　first　garden。　He　had　never　liked　gardening；　and　that　probably　explained　why；　in　spite　of　good　resolutions　and　two　half…hearted　attempts；　he　had　not　grown　anything　during　the　first。　year。　Nevertheless；　as　he　turned　over　the　dark　moist　soil　with　the　spade；　he　felt　a　deep　satisfaction　at　being　in　touch　again　with　primeval　things。　
　　That　was　about　all　the　satisfaction　he　got　from　the　garden。　To　begin　with；　the　seed　（he　had　had　a　hard　time　to　find　any　at　all　because　of　the　ravages　of　the　rats）　was　several　years　old；　and　much　of　it　failed　to　sprout。　Snails　and　slugs　soon　moved　in；　but　by　scattering　a　box　of　Snale…Killa　he　eliminated　them；　and　felt　triumphant。　Then；　just　as　the　lettuce　was　making　a　good　growth；　a　buck　jumped　the　fence　and　wrought　havoc。　Ish　put　another　layer　on　the　top　of　the　fence。　Next；　some　rabbits　burrowed　beneath…more　destruction；　and　more　work！　One　evening　he　heard　crashing　noises　and　rushed　out　just　in　tinie　to　scare　off　a　predatory　cow　on　the　point　of　smashing　a　way　through　the　fence。　More　work！　
　　By　this　time　he　was　waking　up　at　night　with　thoughts　of　ravening　deer；　rabbits；　and　cattle　prowling　around　his　fence　and　ogling　his　lettuces　with　eyes　that　gleamed　like　tigers'　eyes。　
　　Then；　in　June；　the　insects　arrived。　He　sprayed　poison　until　he　was　afraid　he　would　not　dare　eat　the　lettuce　even　if　any　lived　to　be　harvested。　
　　The　crows　were　the　last　to　find　the　garden；　but　when　they　arrived　in　July　their　numbers　made　up　for　their　late　arrival。　He　stood　guard；　and　shot　some　of　them。　But　they　seemed　to　post　sentries　and　swoop　down　as　soon　as　his　back　was　turned；　and　he　could　not　watch　during　all　the　daylight　hours。　His　scarecrows　and　dangling　mirrors　kept　them　off　for　a　day；　but　after　that　they　lost　their　fear。　In　the　end　he　actually　erected　a　shelter　of　fly…screen　over　the　few　rows　of　garden　which　seemed　worth　saving；　and　he　harvested　a　little　lettuce；　along　with　some　scrawny　tomatoes　and　onions。　But　he　conscientiously　let　some　of　the　plants　go　to　seed；　and　saved　the　fresh　seed　for　the　future。　
　　He　was　as　thoroughly　discouraged　as　any　amateur　gardener　had　ever　been。　It　was　one　thing　apparently　to　grow　vegetables　when　thousands　of　others　were　doing　the　same；　and　quite　another　when　yours　was　the　only　plot　and　so　from　miles　around　every　vegetable…hungry　animal　and　bird　and　mollusk　and　insect　came　galloping　or　flying　or　oozing　or　hopping；　and　apparently　sending　out　by　signals　to　its　fellows　the　universal　shout；　〃Let's　eat！〃　
　　Toward　the　end　of　summer　the　second　baby　was　born。　They　called　her　Mary；　just　as　they　had　decided　finally　to　call　the　first　one　John；　so　that　the　old　names　would　not　vanish　from　the　earth。　
　　When　the　new　baby　was　only　a　few　weeks　old；　there　was　another　memorable　event。　
　　This　was　the　way　of　it。。。。　In　those　first　years　though　Ish　and　Em　stayed　contentedly　close　at　home；　they　now　and　then　had　visits　from　wanderers　who　had　seen　the　smoke　on　San　Lupo　Drive　and　headed　for　it；　sometimes　in　cars；　more　often　on　foot。　These　people；　with　one　exception；　seemed　to　be　suffering　from　shock。　They　were　bees　who　had　lost　the　hive；　sheep　without　a　flock。　By　now；　Ish　concluded；　the　ones　who　had　made　a　good　adjustment　must　already　have　settled　down。　（Besides；　no　matter　whether　the　wanderer　was　a　man　or　a　woman；　the　old　problem　of　three's…a…crowd　reared　up。）　So　Ish　and　Em　were　glad　when　one　of　these　restless　and　unhappy　people　decided　to　continue　wandering。　
　　The　exception　was　Ezra。　Ish　always　remembered　how　Ezra　came　strolling　along　the　street　that　hot　September　day；　his　face　florid；　his　half…bald　head　even　redder；　his　jaw　narrow　and　pinched；　his　bad　teeth　showing　suddenly　when　he　saw　Ish　and　stopped　and　smiled。　
　　〃Hi…ya；　boy！〃　he　had　said；　and　though　the　words　were　American；　still　behind　them　somewhere　was　the　ghost　of　a　North…of…England　accent。　
　　He　stayed　until　after　the　first　rains。　He　was　always　pleasant；　even　when　his　teeth　were　growling。　He　had　that　miexpressibly　great　gift　of　making　people　feel　fortable。　The　babies　always　smiled　for　Ezra。　Ish　and　Em　would　have　urged　him　to　stay　permanently；　but　they　feared　the　triangle…situation；　even　when　the　outsider　was　as　easygoing　and　perceptive　as　Ezra。　So　one　day　when　he　seemed　restless　they　sent　him　off；　telling　him　jokingly　to　find　himself　a　pretty　girl　and　then　e　back　and　join　them。　They　were　sad　after　he　had　gone。　
　　At　the　time　of　his　leaving　the　sun　was　again　far　to　the　south。　So；　when　they　went　to　the　flat　rock　and　cut　the　numeral　2；　Ezra　was　still　in　their　minds；　though　he　was　gone　and　they　did　not　expect　to　see　him　again。　He　would　have　been；　they　thought；　a　good　helper；　a　good　person　to　have　around。　To　his　memory　they　called　it　the　Year　of　Ezra。　
　　The　Year　3　was　the　Year　of　the　Fires。　Just　after　mid…summer　the　smoke　suddenly　drifted　over　everything；　and　it　stayed；　lighter　and　heavier；　through　three　months。　The　babies　sometimes　woke　up　coughing　and　choking；　their　eyes　watering。　
　　Ish　could　realize　what　was　happening。　The　western　forests　were　no　longer　primeval　woodlands　of　big　trees　through　which　a　fire　could　sweep　and　do　little　damage。　On　the　contrary；　because　of　logging　and　man