a new england girlhood-第3部分

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But；　in　fact；　I　first　saw　the　light　in　the　very　middle　of　Beverly；　in　full　view　of　the　town　clock　and　the　Old　South　steeple。　（I　believe　there　is　an　〃Old　South〃　in　nearly　all　these　first…settled　cities　and　villages　of　Eastern　Massachusetts。　The　town　wore　a　half…rustic　air　of　antiquity　then；　with　its　old…　fashioned　people　and　weather…worn　houses；　for　I　was　born　while　my　mother…century　was　still　in　her　youth；　just　rounding　the　first　quarter　of　her　hundred　years。

Primitive　ways　of　doing　things　had　not　wholly　ceased　during；　my　childhood；　they　were　kept　up　in　these　old　towns　longer　than　elsewhere。　We　used　tallow　candles　and　oil　lamps；　and　sat　by　open　fireplaces。　There　was　always　a　tinder…box　in　some　safe　corner　or　other；　and　fire　was　kindled　by　striking　flint　and　steel　upon　the　tinder。　What　magic　it　seemed　to　me；　when　I　was　first　allowed　to　strike　that　wonderful　spark；　and　light　the　kitchen　fire！

The　fireplace　was　deep；　and　there　was　a　〃settle〃　in　the　chimney　corner；　where　three　of　us　youngest　girls　could　sit　together　and　toast　our　toes　on　the　andirons　（two　Continental　soldiers　in　full　uniform；　marching　one　after　the　other）；　while　we　looked　up　the　chimney　into　a　square　of　blue　sky；　and　sometimes　caught　a　snow…　flake　on　our　foreheads；　or　sometimes　smirched　our　clean　aprons　（high…necked　and　long　sleeved　ones；　known　as　〃tiers〃）　against　the　swinging　crane　with　its　sooty　pot…hooks　and　trammels。

The　coffee…pot　was　set　for　breakfast　over　hot　coals；　on　a　three…　legged　bit　of　iron　called　a　〃trivet。〃　Potatoes　were　roasted　in　the　ashes；　and　the　Thanksgiving　turkey　in　a　〃tin…kitchen；〃　the　business　of　turning　the　spit　being　usually　delegate　to　some　of　us；　small　folk；　who　were　only　too　willing　to　burn　our　faces　in　honor　of　the　annual　festival。

There　were　brick　ovens　in　the　chimney　corner；　where　the　great　bakings　were　done；　but　there　was　also　an　iron　article　called　a　〃Dutch　oven；〃　in　which　delicious　bread　could　be　baked　over　the　coals　at　short　notice。　And　there　was　never　was　anything　that　tasted　better　than　my　mother's　〃firecake；〃a　short…cake　spread　on　a　smooth　piece　of　board；　and　set　up　with　a　flat…iron　before　the　blaze；　browned　on　one　side；　and　then　turned　over　to　be　browned　on　the　other。　（It　required　some　sleight　of　hand　to　do　that。）　If　I　could　only　be　allowed　to　blow　the　bellowsthe　very　old　people　called　them　〃belluses〃when　the　fire　began　to　get　low；　I　was　a　happy　girl。

Cooking…stoves　were　coming　into　fashion；　but　they　were　clumsy　affairs；　and　our　elders　thought　that　no　cooking　could　be　quite　so　nice　as　that　which　was　done　by　an　open　fire。　We　younger　ones　reveled　in　the　warm；　beautiful　glow；　that　we　look　back　to　as　to　a　remembered　sunset。　　There　is　no　such　home…splendor　now。

When　supper　was　finished；　and　the　tea…kettle　was　pushed　back　on　the　crane；　and　the　backlog　had　been　reduced　to　a　heap　of　fiery　embers；　then　was　the　time　for　listening　to　sailor　yarns　and　ghost　and　witch　legends。　The　wonder　seems　somehow　to　have　faded　out　of　those　tales　of　eld　since　the　gleam　of　red…hot　coals　died　away　from　the　hearthstone。　The　shutting　up　of　the　great　fireplaces　and　the　introduction　of　stoves　marks　an　era；　the　abdication　of　shaggy　Romance　and　the　enthronement　of　elegant　Commonplace　sometimes；　alas！　the　opposite　of　elegantat　the　New　England　fireside。

Have　we　indeed　a　fireside　any　longer　in　the　old　sense？　It　hardly　seems　as　if　the　young　people　of　to…day　can　really　understand　the　poetry　of　English　domestic　life；　reading　it；　as　they　must；　by　a　reflected　illumination　from　the　past。　What　would　〃Cotter's　Saturday　Night〃　have　been；　if　Burns　had　written　it　by　the　opaque　heat　of　a　stove　instead　of　at　his

〃Wee　bit　ingle　blinkin'　bonnilie？〃

New　England　as　it　used　to　be　was　so　much　like　Scotland　in　many　of　its　ways　of　doing　and　thinking；　that　it　almost　seems　as　if　that　tender　poem　of　hearth…and…home　life　had　been　written　for　us　too。　I　can　see　the　features　of　my　father；　who　died　when　I　was　a　little　child；　whenever　I　read　the　familiar　verse：

〃The　cheerfu'　supper　done；　wi'　serious　face　They　round　the　ingle　form　a　circle　wide：　The　sire　turns　o'er；　wi'　patriarchal　grace；　The　big　ha'　Bible；　ance　his　father's　pride。〃

A　grave；　thoughtful　face　his　was；　lifted　up　so　grandly　amid　that　blooming　semicircle　of　boys　and　girls；　all　gathered　silently　in　the　glow　of　the　ruddy　firelight！　The　great　family　Bible　had　the　look　upon　its　leathern　covers　of　a　book　that　bad　never　been　new；　and　we　honored　it　the　more　for　its　apparent　age。　Its　companion　was　the　Westminster　Assembly's　and　Shorter　Catechism；　out　of　which　my　father　asked　us　questions　on　Sabbath　afternoons；　when　the　tea…table　had　been　cleared。　He　ended　the　exercise　with　a　prayer；　standing　up　with　his　face　turned　toward　the　wall。　My　most　vivid　recollection　of　his　living　face　is　as　I　saw　it　reflected　in　a　mirror　while　he　stood　thus　praying。　His　closed　eyes；　the　paleness　and　seriousness　of　his　countenance；　awed　me。　I　never　forgot　that　look。　I　saw　it　but　once　again；　when；　a　child　of　six　or　seven　years；　I　was　lifted　to　a　footstool　beside　his　coffin　to　gaze　upon　his　face　for　the　last　time。　It　wore　the　same　expression　that　it　did　in　prayer；　paler；　but　no　longer　care…worn；　so　peaceful；　so　noble！　They　left　me　standing　there　a　long　time；　and　I　could　not　take　my　eyes　away。　I　had　never　thought　my　father's　face　a　beautiful　one　until　then；　but　I　believe　it　must　have　been　so；　always。

I　know　that　he　was　a　studious　man；　fond　of　what　was　called　〃solid　reading。〃　He　delighted　in　problems　of　navigation　（he　was　for　many　years　the　master　of　a　merchant…vessel　sailing　to　various　European　ports）；　in　astronomical　calculations　and　historical　computations。　A　rhyming　genius　in　the　town；　who　undertook　to　hit　off　the　peculiarities　of　well…known　residents；　characterized　my　father　as

〃Philosophic　Ben；　Who；　pointing　to　the　stars；　cries；　Land　ahead！〃

His　reserved；　abstracted　manner；though　his　gravity　concealed　a　fund　of　rare　humor；kept　us　children　somewhat　aloof　from　him；　but　my　mother's　temperament　formed　a　complete　contrast　to　his。　She　was　chatty　and　social；　rosy…cheeked　and　dimpled；　with　bright　blue　eyes　and　soft；　dark；　curling　hair；　which　she　kept　pinned　up　under　her　white　lace　cap…border。　Not　even　the　eldest　child　remembered　her　without　her　cap；　and　when　some　of　us　asked　her　why　she　never　let　her　pretty　curls　be　visible；　she　said；　〃Your　father　liked　to　see　me　in　a　cap。　I　put　it　on　soon　after　we　were　married；　to　please　him；　I　always　have　worn　it；　and　I　always　shall　wear　it；　for　the　same　reason。〃

My　mother　had　that　sort　of　sunshiny　nature　which　easily　shifts　to　shadow；　like　the　atmosphere　of　an　April　day。　Cheerfulness　held　sway　with　her；　except　occasionally；　when　her　domestic　cares　grew　too　overwhelming；　but　her　spirits　rebounded　quickly　from　discouragement。

Her　father　was　the　only　one　of　our　grandparents　who　had　survived　to　my　time；of　French　descent；　piquant；　merry；　exceedingly　polite；　and　very　fond　of　us　children；　whom　be　was　always　treating　to　raisins　and　peppermints　and　rules　for　good　behavior。　He　had　been　a　soldier　in　the　Revolutionary　War；the　greatest　distinction　we　could　imagine。　And　he　was　also　the　sexton　of　the　oldest　church　in　town；the　Old　South；and　had　charge　of　the　winding…up　of　the　town　clock；　and　the　ringing　of　the　bell　on　week…days　and　Sundays；　and　the　tolling　for　funerals；into　which　mysteries　he　sometimes　allowed　us　youngsters　a　furtive　glimpse。　I　did　not　believe　that　there　was　another　grandfather　so　delightful　as　ours　in　all　the　world。

Uncles；　aunts；　and　cousins　were　plentiful　in　the　family；　but　they　did　not　live　near　enough　for　us　to　see　them　very　often；　excepting　one　aunt；　my　father's　sister；　for　whom　I　was　named。　She　was　fair；　with　large；　clear　eyes　that　seemed　to　look　far　into　one's　heart；　with　an　expression　at　once　penetrating　and　benignant。　To　my　childish　imagination　she　was　an　embodiment　of　serene　and　lofty　goodness。　I　wished　and　hoped　that　by　bearing　her　baptismal　name　I　might　become　like　her；　and　when　I　found　out　its　signification　（I　learned　that　〃Lucy〃　means　〃with　light〃）；　I　wished　it　more　earnestly　still。　For　her　beautiful　character　was　just　such　an　illumination　to　my　young　life　as　I　should　most　desire　mine　to　be　to　the　lives　of　others。

My　aunt；　like　my　father；　was　always　studying　something。　Some　map　or　book　always　lay　open　before　her；　when　I　went　to　visit　her；　in　her　picturesque　old　house；　with　its　sloping　roof　and　tall　well…　sweep。　And　she　always　brought　out　some　book　or　picture　for　me　from　her　quaint　old…fashioned　chest　of　drawers。　I　still　possess　the　〃　Children　in　the　Wood；〃　which　she　gave　me；　as　a　keepsake；　when　I　was　about　ten　years　old。

Our　relatives　form　the　natural　setting　of　our　childhood。　We　understand　ourselves　best　and　are　best　understood　by　others　through　the　persons　who　came　nearest　to　us　in　our　earliest　years。　Those　larger　planets　held　our　little　one　to　its　orbit；　and　lent　it　their　brightness。　Happy　indeed　is　the　infancy　which　is　surrounded　only　by　the　loving　and　the　good！

Besides　those　who　were　of　my　kindred；　I　had　several　aunts　by　courtesy；　or　rather　by　the　privilege　of　neighborhood；　who　seemed　to　belong　to　my　babyhood。　Indeed；　the　family　hearthstone　came　near　being　the　scene　of　a　tragedy　to　me；　through　the　blind　fondness　of　one　of　these。

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