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the story of an african farm-第66部分
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One day I saw a book in his pocket; and that made me feel near him。 I
asked him if he was fond of reading; and he said; yes; when there was
nothing else to do。 The next day he came to me; and asked me if I did not
feel lonely; he never saw me going out with the other fellows; he would
come and see me that evening; he said。
〃I was glad; and bought some meat and flour; because the grey mare and I
always ate mealies; it is the cheapest thing; when you boil it hard you
can't eat much of it。 I made some cakes; and I folded my great coat on the
box to make it softer for him; and at last he came。
〃'You've got a rummy place here;' he said。
〃You see there was nothing in it but packing…cases for furniture; and it
was rather empty。 While I was putting the food on the box he looked at my
books; he read their names out aloud。 'Elementary Physiology;' 'First
Principles。'
〃'Golly!' he said; 'I've got a lot of dry stuff like that at home I got for
Sunday…school prizes; but I only keep them to light my pipe with now; they
come in handy for that。' Then he asked me if I had ever read a book called
the 'Black…eyed Creole。' 'That is the style for me;' he said; 'there where
the fellow takes the nigger…girl by the arm; and the other fellow cuts it
off! That's what I like。'
〃But what he said after that I don't remember; only it made me feel as if I
were having a bad dream; and I wanted to be far away。
〃When he had finished eating he did not stay long; he had to go and see
some girls home from a prayer…meeting; and he asked how it was he never saw
me walking out with any on Sunday afternoons。 He said he had lots of
sweethearts; and he was going to see one the next Wednesday on a farm; and
he asked me to lend my mare。 I told him she was very old。 But he said it
didn't matter; he would come the next day to fetch her。
〃After he was gone my little room got back to its old look。 I loved it so;
I was so glad to get into it at night; and it seemed to be reproaching me
for bringing him there。 The next day he took the grey mare。 On Thursday
he did not bring her back; and on Friday I found the saddle and bridle
standing at my door。
〃In the afternoon he looked into the shop; and called out: 'Hope you got
your saddle; Farber? Your bag…of…bones kicked out six miles from here。
I'll send you a couple of shillings tomorrow; though the old hide wasn't
worth it。 Good morning。'
〃But I sprung over the counter; and got him by his throat。 My father was
so gentle with her; he never would ride her up hill; and now this fellow
had murdered her! I asked him where he had killed her; and I shook him
till he slipped out of my hand。 He stood in the door grinning。
〃'It didn't take much to kill that bag…of…bones; whose master sleeps in a
packing…case; and waits till his company's finished to eat on the plate。
Shouldn't wonder if you fed her on sugar…bags;' he said; 'and if you think
I've jumped her; you'd better go and look yourself。 You'll find her along
the road by the aasvogels that are eating her。'
〃I caught him by his collar; and I lifted him from the ground; and I threw
him out into the street; half…way across it。 I heard the bookkeeper say to
the clerk that there was always the devil in those mum fellows; but they
never called me Salvation after that。
〃I am writing to you of very small things; but there is nothing else to
tell; it has been all small and you will like it。 Whenever anything has
happened I have always thought I would tell it to you。 The back thought in
my mind is always you。 After that only one old man came to visit me。 I
had seen him in the streets often; he always wore very dirty black clothes;
and a hat with crepe round it; and he had one eye; so I noticed him。 One
day he came to my room with a subscription…list for a minister's salary。
When I said I had nothing to give he looked at me with his one eye。
〃'Young man;' he said; 'how is it I never see you in the house of the
Lord?' I thought he was trying to do good; so I felt sorry for him; and I
told him I never went to chapel。 'Young man;' he said; 'it grieves me to
hear such godless words from the lips of one so youngso far gone in the
paths of destruction。 Young man; if you forget God; God will forget you。
There is a seat on the right…hand side as you go at the bottom door that
you may get。 If you are given over to the enjoyment and frivolities of
this world; what will become of your never dying soul?'
〃He would not go till I gave him half a crown for the minister's salary。
Afterward I heard he was the man who collected the pew rents and got a
percentage。 I didn't get to know any one else。
〃When my time in that shop was done I hired myself to drive one of a
transport…rider's wagons。
〃That first morning; when I sat in the front and called to my oxen; and saw
nothing about me but the hills; with the blue coming down to them; and the
karoo bushes; I was drunk; I laughed; my heart was beating till it hurt me。
I shut my eyes tight; that when I opened them I might see there were no
shelves about me。 There must be a beauty in buying and selling; if there
is beauty in everything: but it is very ugly to me。 My life as transport…
rider would have been the best life in the world if I had had only one
wagon to drive。 My master told me he would drive one; I the other; and he
would hire another person to drive the third。 But the first day I drove
two to help him; and after that he let me drive all three。 Whenever we
came to an hotel he stopped behind to get a drink; and when he rode up to
the wagons he could never stand; the Hottentot and I used to lift him up。
We always travelled all night; and used to outspan for five or six hours in
the heat of the day to rest。 I planned that I would lie under a wagon and
read for an hour or two every day before I went to sleep; and I did for the
first two or three; but after that I only wanted to sleep; like the rest;
and I packed my books away。
〃When you have three wagons to look after all night; you are sometimes so
tired you can hardly stand。 At first when I walked along driving my wagons
in the night it was glorious; the stars had never looked so beautiful to
me; and on the dark nights when we rode through the bush there were will…
o'…the…wisps dancing on each side of the road。 I found out that even the
damp and dark are beautiful。 But I soon changed; and saw nothing but the
road and my oxen。 I only wished for a smooth piece of road; so that I
might sit at the front and doze。 At the places where we outspanned there
were sometimes rare plants and flowers; the festoons hanging from the bush…
trees; and nuts and insects; such as we never see here; but after a little
while I never looked at themI was too tired。
〃I ate as much as I could; and then lay down on my face under the wagon
till the boy came to wake me to inspan; and then we drove on again all
night; so it went
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