osc.am1.seventhson-第19部分

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her　heart。
　　〃Not　land　the　way　farmers　own　it；　I'm　no　farmer；　I'll　tell　you　that；〃　said　Armor。　〃There's　other　ways　to　own　land。　You　see；　Reverend　Thrower；　I　give　them　credit　now　because　I　believe　in　this　country。　When　they　e　to　trade　with　me；　I　make　them　tell　me　the　names　of　all　their　neighbors；　and　make　rough　maps　of　the　farms　and　streams　where　they　live；　and　the　roads　and　rivers　along　their　way　here。　I　make　them　carry　letters　that　other　folks　writ；　and　I　write　their　letters　for　them　and　ship　them　on　back　east　to　folks　they　left　behind。　I　know　where　everything　and　everybody　in　the　whole　upper　Wobbish　and　Noisy　River　country　is　and　how　to　get　there。〃
　　Reverend　Thrower　squinted　and　smiled。　〃In　other　words；　Brother　Armor；　you're　the　government。〃
　　〃Let's　just　say　that　if　there　es　a　time　when　a　government　would　e　in　handy；　I'll　be　ready　to　serve；〃　said　Armor。　〃And　in　two　years；　three　years；　when　more　folks　e　through；　and　some　more　start　making　things；　like　bricks　and　pots　and　blackware；　cabinets　and　kegs；　beer　and　cheese　and　fodder；　well；　where　do　you　think　they'll　e　to　sell　it　or　to　buy？　To　the　store　that　gave　them　credit　when　their　wives　were　longing　for　the　cloth　to　make　a　bright…colored　dress；　or　they　needed　an　iron　pot　or　a　stove　to　keep　out　the　winter　cold。〃
　　Philadelphia　Thrower　chose　not　to　mention　that　he　had　somewhat　less　confidence　in　the　likelihood　of　grateful　people　staying　loyal　to　Armor…of…God　Weaver。　Besides；　thought　Thrower；　I　might　be　wrong。　Didn't　the　Savior　say　that　we　should　cast　our　bread　upon　the　waters？　And　even　if　Armor　doesn't　achieve　all　he　dreams　of；　he　will　have　done　a　good　work；　and　helped　to　open　this　land　to　civilization。
　　The　food　was　ready。　Eleanor　dished　out　the　stew。　When　she　set　a　fine　white　bowl　in　front　of　him；　Reverend　Thrower　had　to　smile。　〃You　must　be　right　proud　of　your　husband；　and　all　that's　he's　doing。〃
　　Instead　of　smiling　demurely；　as　Thrower　expected　that　she　would；　Eleanor　almost　laughed　aloud。　Armor…of…God　wasn't　half　so　delicate。　He　just　plain　guffawed。　〃Reverend　Thrower；　you're　a　caution；〃　said　Armor。　〃When　I'm　up　to　my　elbows　in　candle　tallow；　Eleanor's　up　to　hers　in　soap。　When　I'm　writing　up　folks'　letters　and　having　them　delivered；　Eleanoes　drawing　up　maps　and　taking　down　names　for　our　little　census　book。　There　ain't　a　thing　I　do　that　Eleanor　isn't　beside　me；　and　not　a　thing　she　does　that　I'm　not　beside　her。　Except　maybe　her　herb　garden；　which　she　cares　for　more　than　me。　And　Bible　reading；　which　I　care　for　more　than　her。〃
　　〃Well；　it's　good　she's　a　righteous　helpmeet　for　her　husband；〃　said　Reverend　Thrower。
　　〃We're　helpmeets　for　each　other；〃　said　Armor…of…God；　〃and　don't　you　forget　it。〃
　　He　said　it　with　a　smile；　and　Thrower　smiled　back；　but　the　minister　was　a　little　disappointed　that　Armor　was　so　henpecked　that　he　had　to　admit　right　out　in　the　open　that　he　wasn't　in　charge　of　his　own　business　or　his　own　home。　But　what　could　one　expect；　considering　that　Eleanor　had　grown　up　in　that　strange　Miller　family？　The　oldest　daughter　of　Alvin　and　Faith　Miller　could　hardly　be　expected　to　bend　to　her　husband　as　the　Lord　intended。
　　The　venison；　however；　was　the　best　that　Thrower　had　ever　tasted。　〃Not　gamy　a　bit；〃　he　said。　〃I　didn't　think　wild　deer　could　taste　like　this。〃
　　〃She　cuts　off　the　fat；〃　said　Armor；　〃and　throws　in　some　chicken。〃
　　〃Now　you　mention　it；〃　said　Thrower；　〃I　can　taste　it　in　the　broth。〃
　　〃And　the　deer　fat　goes　into　the　soap；〃　said　Armor。　〃We　never　throw　anything　away；　if　we　can　think　of　any　use　for　it。〃
　　〃Just　as　the　Lord　intended；〃　said　Thrower。　Then　he　fell　to　eating。　He　was　well　into　his　second　bowl　of　stew　and　his　third　slice　of　bread　when　he　made　a　ment　that　he　thought　was　a　jesting　pliment。　〃Mrs。　Weaver；　your　cooking　is　so　good　that　it　almost　makes　me　believe　in　sorcery。〃
　　Thrower　was　expecting　a　chuckle；　at　the　most。　Instead；　Eleanor　looked　down　at　the　table　just　as　ashamed　as　if　he　had　accused　her　of　adultery。　And　Armor…of…God　sat　up　stiff　and　straight。　〃I'll　thank　you　not　to　mention　that　subject　in　this　house；〃　he　said。
　　Reverend　Thrower　tried　to　apologize。　〃I　wasn't　serious　about　it；〃　he　said。　〃Among　rational　Christians　that　sort　of　thing　is　a　joke；　isn't　it？　A　lot　of　superstition；　and　I〃
　　Eleanor　got　up　from　the　table　and　left　the　room。
　　〃What　did　I　say？〃　Thrower　asked。
　　Armor　sighed。　〃Oh；　there's　no　way　you　could　know；〃　he　said。　〃It's　a　quarrel　that　goes　back　to　before　we　were　married；　when　I　first　e　out　to　this　land。　I　met　her　when　she　came　with　her　brothers　to　help　build　my　first　cabin　　the　soapmaking　shed；　now。　She　started　to　scatter　spearmint　on　my　floor　and　say　some　kind　of　rhyme；　and　I　shouted　for　her　to　stop　it　and　get　out　of　my　house。　I　quoted　the　Bible；　where　it　says；　You　shall　not　suffer　a　witch　to　live。　It　made　for　a　right　testy　half　hour；　you　may　be　sure。〃
　　〃You　called　her　a　witch；　and　she　married　you？〃
　　〃We　had　a　few　conversations　in　between。〃
　　〃She　doesn't　believe　in　that　sort　of　thing　anymore；　does　she？〃
　　Armor　knitted　his　brows。　〃It　ain't　a　matter　of　believing；　it's　a　matter　of　doing；　Reverend。　She　doesn't　do　it　anymore。　Not　here；　not　anywhere。　And　when　you　sort　of　halfway　accused　her　of　it；　well；　it　made　her　upset。　Because　it's　a　promise　to　me；　you　see。〃
　　〃But　when　I　apologized；　why　did　she〃
　　〃Well；　there　you　are。　You　have　your　way　of　thinking；　but　you　can't　tell　her　that　e…hithers　and　herbs　and　incantations　got　no　power；　because　she's　seen　some　things　herself　that　you　can't　just　explain　away。〃
　　〃Surely　a　man　like　you；　well　read　in　the　scripture　and　acquainted　with　the　world；　surely　you　can　convince　your　wife　to　give　up　the　superstitions　of　her　childhood。〃
　　Armor　gently　laid　his　hand　on　Reverend　Thrower's　wrist。　〃Reverend；　I　got　to　tell　you　something　that　I　didn't　think　I'd　ever　have　to　tell　a　grown　man。　A　good　Christian　refuses　to　allow　that　stuff　in　his　life　because　the　only　proper　way　to　bring　the　hidden　powers　into　your　life　is　through　prayer　and　the　grace　of　the　Lord　Jesus。　It　ain't　because　it　doesn't　work。〃
　　〃But　it　doesn't；〃　said　Thrower。　〃The　powers　of　heaven　are　real；　and　the　visions　and　visitations　of　angels；　and　all　the　miracles　attested　in　the　scripture。　But　the　powers　of　heaven　have　nothing　at　all　to　do　with　young　couples　falling　in　love；　or　curing　the　croup；　or　getting　chickens　to　lay；　or　all　the　other　silly　little　things　that　the　ignorant　mon　people　do　with　their　so…called　hidden　wisdom。　There's　not　a　thing　that's　done　by　doodlebugging　or　hexing　or　whatever　that　can't　be　explained　by　simple　scientific　investigation。〃
　　Armor　didn't　answer　for　the　longest　while。　The　silence　made　Thrower　quite　unfortable；　but　he　had　no　idea　what　more　he　could　say。　It　hadn't　occurred　to　him　before　that　Armor　could　possibly　believe　in　such　things。　It　was　a　startling　perspective。　It　was　one　thing　to　abstain　from　witchery　because　it　was　nonsense；　and　quite　another　to　believe　in　it　and　abstain　because　it　was　unrighteous。　It　occurred　to　Thrower　that　this　latter　view　was　actually　more　ennobling：　for　Thrower　to　disdain　witching　was　a　matter　of　mere　mon　sense；　while　for　Armor　and　Eleanor　it　was　quite　a　sacrifice。
　　Before　he　could　find　a　way　to　express　this　thought；　however；　Armor　leaned　back　on　his　chair　and　changed　the　subject　entirely。
　　〃Reckon　your　church　is　just　about　done。〃
　　With　relief；　Reverend　Thrower　followed　Armor　onto　safer　ground。　〃The　roof　was　finished　yesterday；　and　today　they　were　able　to　clap　all　the　boards　on　the　walls。　It'll　be　watertight　tomorrow；　with　shutters　on　the　windows；　and　when　we　get　them　glazed　and　the　doors　hung　it'll　be　tight　as　a　drum。〃
　　〃I've　got　the　glass　ing　by　boat；〃　said　Armor。　Then　he　winked。　〃I　solved　the　problem　of　shipping　on　Lake　Erie。〃
　　〃How　did　you　manage　that？　The　French　are　sinking　every　third　boat；　even　from　Irrakwa。〃
　　〃Simple。　I　ordered　the　glass　from　Montreal。〃
　　〃French　glass　in　the　windows　of　a　British　church！〃
　　〃An　American　church；〃　said　Armor。　〃And　Montreal's　a　city　in　America；　too。　Anyway；　the　French　may　be　trying　to　get　rid　of　us；　but　in　the　meantime　we're　a　market　for　their　manufactured　goods；　so　the　Governor；　the　Marquis　de　la　Fayette；　he　doesn't　mind　letting　his　peopl