34-第2部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


〃I'll　call。　Good　morning；　Sir。〃
As　she　departed；　Mr。　Dashwood　put　up　his　feet；　with　the　graceful　remark；　〃Poor　and　proud；　as　usual；　but　she'll　do。〃　
Following　Mr。　Dashwood's　directions；　and　making　Mrs。　Northbury　her　model；　Jo　rashly　took　a　plunge　into　the　frothy　sea　of　sensational　literature；　but　thanks　to　the　life　preserver　thrown　her　by　a　friend；　she　came　up　again　not　much　the　worse　for　her　ducking。　
Like　most　young　scribblers；　she　went　abroad　for　her　characters　and　scenery；　and　banditti；　counts；　gypsies；　nuns；　and　duchesses　appeared　upon　her　stage；　and　played　their　parts　with　as　much　accuracy　and　spirit　as　could　be　expected。　Her　readers　were　not　particular　about　such　trifles　as　grammar；　punctuation；　and　probability；　and　Mr。　Dashwood　graciously　permitted　her　to　fill　his　columns　at　the　lowest　prices；　not　thinking　it　necessary　to　tell　her　that　the　real　cause　of　his　hospitality　was　the　fact　that　one　of　his　hacks；　on　being　offered　higher　wages；　had　basely　left　him　in　the　lurch。　
She　soon　became　interested　in　her　work；　for　her　emaciated　purse　grew　stout；　and　the　little　hoard　she　was　making　to　take　Beth　to　the　mountains　next　summer　grew　slowly　but　surely　as　the　weeks　passed。　One　thing　disturbed　her　satisfaction；　and　that　was　that　she　did　not　tell　them　at　home。　She　had　a　feeling　that　Father　and　Mother　would　not　approve；　and　preferred　to　have　her　own　way　first；　and　beg　pardon　afterward。　It　was　easy　to　keep　her　secret；　for　no　name　appeared　with　her　stories。　Mr。　Dashwood　had　of　course　found　it　out　very　soon；　but　promised　to　be　dumb；　and　for　a　wonder　kept　his　word。　
She　thought　it　would　do　her　no　harm；　for　she　sincerely　meant　to　write　nothing　of　which　she　would　be　ashamed；　and　quieted　all　pricks　of　conscience　by　anticipations　of　the　happy　minute　when　she　should　show　her　earnings　and　laugh　over　her　well…kept　secret。　
But　Mr。　Dashwood　rejected　any　but　thrilling　tales；　and　as　thrills　could　not　be　produced　except　by　harrowing　up　the　souls　of　the　readers；　history　and　romance；　land　and　sea；　science　and　art；　police　records　and　lunatic　asylums；　had　to　be　ransacked　for　the　purpose。　Jo　soon　found　that　her　innocent　experience　had　given　her　but　few　glimpses　of　the　tragic　world　which　underlies　society；　so　regarding　it　in　a　business　light；　she　set　about　supplying　her　deficiencies　with　characteristic　energy。　Eager　to　find　material　for　stories；　and　bent　on　making　them　original　in　plot；　if　not　masterly　in　execution；　she　searched　newspapers　for　accidents；　incidents；　and　crimes。　She　excited　the　suspicions　of　public　librarians　by　asking　for　works　on　poisons。　She　studied　faces　in　the　street；　and　characters；　good；　bad；　and　indifferent；　all　about　her。　She　delved　in　the　dust　of　ancient　times　for　facts　or　fictions　so　old　that　they　were　as　good　as　new；　and　introduced　herself　to　folly；　sin；　and　misery；　as　well　as　her　limited　opportunities　allowed。　She　thought　she　was　prospering　finely；　but　unconsciously　she　was　beginning　to　desecrate　some　of　the　womanliest　attributes　of　a　woman's　character。　She　was　living　in　bad　society；　and　imaginary　though　it　was；　its　influence　affected　her；　for　she　was　feeding　heart　and　fancy　on　dangerous　and　unsubstantial　food；　and　was　fast　brushing　the　innocent　bloom　from　her　nature　by　a　premature　acquaintance　with　the　darker　side　of　life；　which　comes　soon　enough　to　all　of　us。　
She　was　beginning　to　feel　rather　than　see　this；　for　much　describing　of　other　people's　passions　and　feelings　set　her　to　studying　and　speculating　about　her　own。　a　morbid　amusement　in　which　healthy　young　minds　do　not　voluntarily　indulge。　Wrongdoing　always　brings　its　own　punishment；　and　when　Jo　most　needed　hers；　she　got　it。　
I　don't　know　whether　the　study　of　Shakespeare　helped　her　to　read　character；　or　the　natural　instinct　of　a　woman　for　what　was　honest；　brave；　and　strong；　but　while　endowing　her　imaginary　heroes　with　every　perfection　under　the　sun；　Jo　was　discovering　a　live　hero；　who　interested　her　in　spite　of　many　human　imperfections。
Mr。　Bhaer；　in　one　of　their　conversations；　had　advised　her　to　study　simple；　true；　and　lovely　characters；　wherever　she　found　them；　as　good　training　for　a　writer。　Jo　took　him　at　his　word；　for　she　coolly　turned　round　and　studied　hima　proceeding　which　would　have　much　surprised　him；　had　he　know　it；　for　the　worthy　Professor　was　very　humble　in　his　own　conceit。
Why　everybody　liked　him　was　what　puzzled　Jo；　at　first。　He　was　neither　rich　nor　great；　young　nor　handsome；　in　no　respect　what　is　called　fascinating；　imposing；　or　brilliant；　and　yet　he　was　as　attractive　as　a　genial　fire；　and　people　seemed　to　gather　about　him　as　naturally　as　about　a　warm　hearth。　He　was　poor；　yet　always　appeared　to　be　giving　something　away；　a　stranger；　yet　everyone　was　his　friend；　no　longer　young；　but　as　happy…hearted　as　a　boy；　plain　and　peculiar；　yet　his　face　looked　beautiful　to　many；　and　his　oddities　were　freely　forgiven　for　his　sake。　Jo　often　watched　him；　trying　to　discover　the　charm；　and　at　last　decided　that　it　was　benevolence　which　worked　the　miracle。　If　he　had　any　sorrow；　‘it　sat　with　its　head　under　its　wing'；　and　he　turned　only　his　sunny　side　to　the　world。　There　were　lines　upon　his　forehead；　but　Time　seemed　to　have　touched　him　gently；　remembering　how　kind　he　was　to　others。　The　pleasant　curves　about　his　mouth　were　the　memorials　of　many　friendly　words　and　cheery　laughs；　his　eyes　were　never　cold　or　hard；　and　his　big　hand　had　a　warm；　strong　grasp　that　was　more　expressive　than　words。　
His　very　clothes　seemed　to　partake　of　the　hospitable　nature　of　the　wearer。　They　looked　as　if　they　were　at　ease；　and　liked　to　make　him　comfortable。　His　apacious　waistcoat　was　suggestive　of　a　large　heart　underneath。　His　rusty　coat　had　a　social　air；　and　the　baggy　pockets　plainly　proved　that　little　hands　often　went　in　empty　and　came　out　full。　His　very　boots　were　benevolent；　and　his　collars　never　stiff　and　raspy　like　other　people's。　
〃That's　it！〃　said　Jo　to　herself；　when　she　at　length　discovered　that　genuine　good　will　toward　one's　fellow　men　could　beautify　and　dignify　even　a　stout　German　teacher；　who　shoveled　in　his　dinner；　darned　his　own　socks；　and　was　burdened　with　the　name　of　Bhaer。　
Jo　valued　goodness　highly；　but　she　also　possessed　a　most　feminine　respect　for　intellect；　and　a　little　discovery　which　she　made　about　the　Professor　added　much　to　her　regard　for　him。　He　never　spoke　of　himself；　and　no　one　ever　knew　that　in　his　native　city　he　had　been　a　man　much　honored　and　esteemed　for　learning　and　integrity；　till　a　countryman　came　to　see　him。　He　never　spoke　of　himself；　and　in　a　conversation　with　Miss　Norton　divulged　the　pleasing　fact。　From　her　Jo　learned　it；　and　liked　it　all　the　better　because　Mr。　Bhaer　had　never　told　it。　She　felt　proud　to　know　that　he　was　an　honored　Professor　in　Berlin；　though　only　a　poor　language…master　in　America；　and　his　homely；　hard…working　life　was　much　beautified　by　the　spice　of　romance　which　this　discovery　gave　it。　Another　and　a　better　gift　than　intellect　was　shown　her　in　a　most　unexpected　manner。　Miss　Norton　had　the　entree　into　most　society；　which　Jo　would　have　had　no　chance　of　seeing　but　for　her。　The　solitary　woman　felt　an　interest　in　the　ambitious　girl；　and　kindly　conferred　many　favors　of　this　sort　both　on　Jo　and　the　Professor。　She　took　them　with　her　one　night　to　a　se