osc.am1.seventhson-第33部分

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　　〃I　meant　to　go　to　church；　Ma！〃
　　〃Lots　of　dead　people　meant　to　go　to　heaven；〃　she　answered；　〃and　they　didn't　get　there；　neither。〃
　　〃It　was　my　fault；　Goody　Faith；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　〃It　surely　was　not；　Taleswapper；〃　she　said。
　　〃We　got　to　talking；　Goody　Faith；　and　I'm　afraid　I　distracted　the　boy。〃
　　〃The　boy　was　born　distracted；〃　said　Ma；　never　taking　her　eyes　from　Alvin's　face。　〃He　takes　after　his　father。　If　you　don't　bridle　and　saddle　him　and　ride　him　to　church；　he　never　gets　there；　and　if　you　don't　nail　his　feet　to　the　floor　of　the　church　he's　out　that　door　in　a　minute。　A　ten…year…old　boy　who　hates　the　Lord　is　enough　to　make　his　mother　wish　he'd　never　been　born。〃
　　The　words　struck　Alvin　Junior　to　the　heart。
　　〃That's　a　terrible　thing　to　wish；〃　said　Taleswapper。　His　voice　was　real　quiet；　and　Ma　finally　lifted　her　gaze　to　the　old　man's　face。
　　〃I　don't　wish　it；〃　she　finally　said。
　　〃I'm　sorry；　Mama；〃　said　Alvin　Junior。
　　〃e　inside；〃　she　said。　〃I　left　church　to　e　and　find　you；　and　now　there's　not　time　to　get　back　before　the　sermon　ends。〃
　　〃We　talked　about　a　lot　of　things；　Mama；〃　Alvin　said。　〃About　my　dreams；　and　about　Ben　Franklin；　and〃
　　〃The　only　story　I　want　to　hear　from　you；〃　said　Ma；　〃is　the　sound　of　hymn　singing。　If　you　won't　go　to　the　church；　then　you'll　sit　in　the　kitchen　with　me　and　sing　me　hymns　while　I　fix　the　dinner。〃
　　So　Alvin　didn't　get　to　see　Old　Ben's　sentence　in　Taleswapper's　book；　not　for　hours。　Ma　kept　him　singing　and　working　till　dinnertime；　and　after　dinner　Pa　and　the　big　boys　and　Taleswapper　sat　around　planning　tomorrow's　expedition　to　bring　a　millstone　down　from　the　granite　mountain。
　　〃I'm　doing　it　for　you；〃　Pa　said　to　Taleswapper；　〃so　you　better　e　along。〃
　　〃I　never　asked　you　to　bring　a　millstone。〃
　　〃Not　a　day　since　you've　been　here　that　you　haven't　said　something　about　what　a　shame　it　is　that　such　a　fine　mill　gets　used　as　nothing　but　a　haybarn；　when　people　hereabouts　need　good　flour。〃
　　〃I　only　said　it　the　once；　that　I　remember。〃
　　〃Well；　maybe　so；〃　said　Pa；　〃but　every　time　I　see　you；　I　think　about　that　millstone。〃
　　〃That's　because　you　keep　wishing　the　millstone　had　been　there　when　you　threw　me。〃
　　〃He　don't　wish　that！〃　shouted　Cally。　〃Cause　then　you'd　be　dead！〃
　　Taleswapper　just　grinned；　and　Papa　grinned　back。　And　they　went　on　talking　about　this　and　that。　Then　the　wives　brought　the　nephews　and　nieces　over　for　Sunday　supper；　and　they　made　Taleswapper　sing　them　the　laughing　song　so　many　times　that　Alvin　thought　he'd　scream　if　he　heard　another　chorus　of　〃Ha；　Ha；　Hee。〃
　　It　wasn't　till　after　supper；　after　the　nephews　and　nieces　were　all　gone；　that　Taleswapper　brought　out　his　book。
　　〃I　wondered　if　you'd　ever　open　that　book；〃　Pa　said。
　　〃Just　waiting　for　the　right　time。〃　Then　Taleswapper　explained　about　how　people　wrote　down　their　most　important　deed。
　　〃I　hope　you　don't　expect　me　to　write　in　there；〃　Pa　said。
　　〃Oh；　I　wouldn't　let　you　write　in　it；　not　yet。　You　haven't　even　told　me　the　story　of　your　most　important　deed。〃　Taleswapper's　voice　got　even　softer。　〃Maybe　you　didn't　actually　do　your　most　important　deed。〃
　　Pa　looked　just　a　little　angry　then；　or　maybe　a　little　afraid。　Whichever　it　was；　he　got　up　and　came　over。　〃Show　me　what's　in　that　book；　that　other　people　thought　was　so　all…fired　important。〃
　　〃Oh；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃Can　you　read？〃
　　〃I'll　have　you　know　I　got　a　Yankee　education　in　Massachusetts　before　I　ever　got　married　and　set　up　as　a　miller　in　West　Hampshire；　and　long　before　I　ever　came　out　here。　It　may　not　amount　to　much　pared　to　a　London　education　like　you　got；　Taleswapper；　but　you　don't　know　how　to　write　a　word　I　can't　read；　lessen　it's　Latin。〃
　　Taleswapper　didn't　answer。　He　just　opened　the　book。　Pa　read　the　first　sentence。　〃The　only　thing　I　ever　truly　made　was　Americans。〃　Pa　looked　up　at　Taleswapper。　〃Who　wrote　that？〃
　　〃Old　Ben　Franklin。〃
　　〃The　way　I　heard　it　the　only　American　he　ever　made　was　illegitimate。〃
　　〃Maybe　Al　Junior　will　explain　it　to　you　later；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　While　they　said　this；　Alvin　wormed　his　way　in　front　of　them；　to　stare　at　Old　Ben's　handwriting。　It　looked　no　different　from　other　men's　writing。　Alvin　felt　a　little　disappointed；　though　he　couldn't　have　said　what　he　expected。　Should　the　letters　be　made　of　gold？　Of　course　not。　There　was　no　reason　why　a　great　man's　words　should　look　any　different　on　a　page　than　the　words　of　a　fool。
　　Still；　he　couldn't　rid　himself　of　frustration　that　the　words　were　so　plain。　He　reached　out　and　turned　the　page；　turned　many　pages；　riffling　them　with　his　fingers。　The　words　were　all　the　same。　Grey　ink　on　yellowing　paper。
　　A　flash　of　light　came　from　the　book；　blinding　him　for　a　moment。
　　〃Don't　play　with　the　pages　like　that；〃　said　Papa。　〃You'll　tear　one。〃
　　Alvin　turned　around　to　took　at　Taleswapper。　〃What's　the　page　with　light　on　it？〃　he　asked。　〃What　does　it　say　there？〃
　　〃Light？〃　asked　Taleswapper。
　　Then　Alvin　knew　that　he　alone　had　seen　it。
　　〃Find　the　page　yourself；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　〃He'll　just　tear　it；〃　said　Papa。
　　〃He'll　be　careful；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　But　Papa　sounded　angry。　〃I　said　stand　away　from　that　book；　Alvin　Junior。〃
　　Alvin　started　to　obey；　but　felt　Taleswapper's　hand　on　his　shoulder。　Taleswapper's　voice　was　quiet；　and　Alvin　felt　the　old　man's　fingers　moving　in　a　sign　of　warding。　〃The　boy　saw　something　in　the　book；〃　said　Taleswapper；　〃and　I　want　him　to　find　it　again　for　me。〃
　　And；　to　Alvin's　surprise；　Papa　backed　down。　〃If　you　don't　mind　getting　your　book　ripped　up　by　that　careless　lazy　boy；〃　he　murmured；　then　fell　silent。
　　Alvin　turned　to　the　book　and　carefully　thumbed　the　pages；　one　at　a　time。　Finally　one　fell　into　place；　and　from　it　came　a　light；　which　at　first　dazzled　him；　but　gradually　subsided　until　it　came　only　from　a　single　sentence；　whose　letters　were　on　fire。
　　〃Do　you　see　them　burning？〃　asked　Alvin。
　　〃No；〃　said　Taleswapper；　〃But　I　smell　the　smoke　of　it。　Touch　the　words　that　burn　for　you。〃
　　Alvin　reached　out　and　gingerly　touched　the　beginning　of　the　sentence。　The　flame；　to　his　surprise；　was　not　hot；　though　it　did　warm　him。　It　warmed　him　through　to　the　bone。　He　shuddered　as　the　last　cold　of　autumn　fled　from　his　body。　He　smiled；　he　was　so　bright　inside。　But　almost　as　soon　as　he　touched　it；　the　flame　collapsed；　cooled；　was　gone。
　　〃What　does　it　say？〃　asked　Mama。　She　was　standing　now　across　the　table　from　them。　She　wasn't　such　a　good　reader；　and　the　words　were　upside　down　to　her。
　　Taleswapper　read。　〃A　Maker　is　born。〃
　　〃There　hasn't　been　a　Maker；〃　said　Mama；　〃since　the　one　who　changed　the　water　into　wine。〃
　　〃Maybe　not；　but　that's　what　she　wrote；〃　said　Taleswapper。
　　〃Who　wrote？〃　demanded　Mama。
　　〃A　slip　of　a　girl。　About　five　years　ago。〃
　　〃What　was　the　story　that　went　with　her　sentence？〃　asked　Alvin　Junior。
　　Taleswapper　shook　his　head。
　　〃You　said　you　never　let　people　write　unless　you　knew　their　story。〃
　　〃She　wrote　it　when　I　wasn't　looking；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃I　didn't　see　it　till　the　next　place　I　stopped。〃
　　〃Then　how　did　you　know　it　was　her？〃　asked　Alvin。
　　〃It　was　her；〃　he　answered。　〃She　was　the　only　one　there　who　could　have　opened　the　hex　I　kept　on　the　book　in　those　days。〃
　　〃So　you　don't　know　what　it　means？　You　can't　even　tell　me　why　I　saw　those　letters　burning？〃
　　Taleswapper　shook　his　head。　〃She　was　an　innkeeper's　daughter；　if　I　remember　rightly。　She　spoke　very　little；　and　when　she　did；　what　she　said　was　always　strictly　truthful。　Never　a　lie；　even　to　be　kind。　She　was　considered　to　be　something　of　a　shrew。　But　as　the　proverb　says；　If　you　always　speak　your　mind；　the　evil　man　will　avoid　you。　Or　something　like　that。〃
　　〃Her　name？〃　asked　Mama。　Alvin　looked　up　in　surprise。　Mama　hadn't　seen　the　glowing　letters；　so　why　did　she　look　so　powerful　eager　to　know　about　who　wrote　them？
　　〃Sorry；〃　said　Taleswapper。　〃I　don't　remember　her　name　right　now。　And　if　I　remembered　her　name；　I　wouldn't　tell　it；　nor　will　I　tell　whether　I　know　the　place　where　she　lived。　I　don't　want　people　seeking　her　out；　troubling　her　for　answers　that　she　may　not　want　to　give。　But　I　will　say　this。　She　was　a　torch；　and　saw　with　true　eyes。