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Text B A Wagner Matinee Excerpt（第1页）

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Irealetter，writteninpaleinkonglassy，blue-liepaper，ahepostmarkofalittleNebraskavillage。Thisuni，wornandrubbed，lookingasthoughithadbeenedaysinacoatpocketthatwasoo，wasfrommyUncleHowardahiswifehadbeeasmalllegacybyabachelorrelativewhohadretlydied，andthatitwouldbenecessaryfotoBostohesettlie。HerequestedmetomeetheratthestationandreeverservicesmightbeneieiofherarrivalIfounditomorrow。Hehadcharacteristicallydelayedwritinguntil，hadIbeenawayfromhomeforaday，Imusthavemissedthegoodwomaher。

ThenameofmyAuntGeiaalure，atoidgrotesque，butopeagulfofresothat，astheletterdroppedfrommyhasuddenlyastraoallthepresentyexistence，whollyillateaseandoutofplaceamidthefamiliarsurroundingsofmystudy。Ibeshanglingfarmboymyaunthadknedwithsandbashfulness，myhandsdsorefr。Ifeltthekhumbtehoughtheywererawagain。Isatagainbeforeherparlan，fumblingthescaleswithmystiff，redhands，whileshe，besideme，madevasmittensforthehuskers。

&m，afterpreparingmylandladysomewhat，IsetoutforthestatiorainarrivedIhadsomediffifindingmyauhelastofthepasseoalight，anditwasnotuntilIgotherintethatsheseemedreallytnizeme。Shehadeallthewayinadaycoach;herlierhadbeeblackwithsoot，andherblaetgraywithdust，duringthejourney。WhenwearrivedatmybhousethelandladyputhertobedatondIdidnainum。

Whateversherexperiemyaunt’sappearansideratelycealed。Asformyself，Isawmyaunt’smisshapehatfeelingofaectebeholdexplorerswhohavelefttheirearsahofFranzJosefLahstheUpperyAuntGeianahadbeenamusicteacherattheBostoory，somewherebathelattersixties。Onesummer，whilevisitilevillageamoainswhereheraorshaddweltfeions，shehadkiheostidleandshiftlessofallthevillagelads，andhadceivedforthisHoehantpassionswhidsometryboyoftweimesinspiresinanangular，speanofthirty。WheoherdutiesinBoston，Howardfolloshotofthisinexplifatuationwasthatsheelopedwithhim，eludingthereproailyaicismsofherfriendsbygoingwithhimtotheNebraskafrontier。ter，who，ofcourse，hadakeeadinRedWillowty，fiftymilesfromtherailroad。Theretheyhadmeasuredofftheirquarterseselvesbydrivingacrosstheprairieinawagon，tothewheelofwhichtheyhadtiedareddkerdgoffitsrevolutioadugoutintheredhillside，ohosecavedwelliessoofteoprimitives。Theirwatertheygotfromthelagoohebuffalodrank，andtheirsleockofprovisionswasalwaysatthemerdsIndians。Forthirtyyearsmyaunthadherthanfiftymilesfromthehomestead。

ButMrs。Sprihingofallthis，andmusthavebeensiderablyshockedatwhatwasleftofmykinswomahesoiledlierwhiherarrival，wasthemostspicuousfeatureofhere，sheworeablackstuffdress，whoseorioshehadsurrenderedherselfuioninglyintothehandsofatrydressmaker。Mypooraunt’sfigure，however，reseonishingdifficultiestoanydressmaker。inallystooped，hershoulderswerenowalmostbeheroverhersu。Sheworenostays，andhergown，whichtrailedunevenlybehind，roseinasortofpeakoverherabdomen。Sheworeill-fittih，andherskinwasasyellowasaMongolian’sfromtexposuretoapitilesswindandtothealkalierwhisthemosttraitoasortofflexibleleather。

&hiswomanmostofthegoodthatevercamemywayinmyboyhood，andhadarevereitheyearswhenIwasridingherdformyu，aftergthethreemeals—thefirstofwhichwasreadyatsixo’them—andputtingthesixtobed，wouldoftenstanduntilmidnightatherironingboard，withmeatthekittablebesideher，heariindesandjugatiolyshakingmewhenmydrowsyheadsankdeularverbs。Itwastoher，atherir，thatIreadmyfirstShakespeare，aextbookonmythologywasthefirstthateverptyhamemysdexercises，too—oleparlan，whichherhusbandhadboughtherafterfifteenyears，duringwhichshehadnotsomuanyianathatbeloooheNianfarmhands。ShewouldsitbesidemebythehandgwhileIstruggledwiththe“JoyousFarmer”，butsheseldomtalkedtomeaboutmusidIuoodwhy。Sheiouswomahesolatiionaleast，hermartyrdomwasnotwhollysordid。OnIhadbeeingoutsomeeasypassagesfromanoldscoreof“Euryanthe”Ihadfoundamonghermusicbooks，sheeand，puttingherhandsovermyeyes，gentlydreonhershtremulously，“Dosowell，aybetakenfromyou。Oh，dearboy，praythatwhateveryoursacrificemaybe，itbenotthat。”

&appearedafterherarrivalshewasstillinasemisomnambulantstate。Sheseemedhatshewasiywhereshehadspeh，theplagedfrilyhalfalifetime。Shehadbeerainsickthroughoutthejourshehadionofanythingbutherdisfort，and，toallisaherewerebutafewhhtmarebetweenthefarminRedWillowdmystudyoreet。Ihadplalepleasureforherthatafternoon，torepayherforsomeofthegloriousmomentsshehadgivenmewheomilktogetherihatcheddshe，becauseIwasmorethanusuallytired，orbecauseherhusbandhadspokensharplytome，wouldtellmeofthesplendidperformahe“Huguenots”shehadseeninParis，ih。Attwoo’clocktheSymphorawastogivearogram，aakemyaunt;though，asIversedwithherIgrewdoubtfulabouthere。Indeed，forherownsake，Ilywishhertasteforsugsquitedead，arugglemerdedatlast。Isuggestedtheservatoryandtheonbeforelunch，butsheseemedaltogethertootimidtowishtove。Shequestiolyaboutvariousthecity，butshewaschieflyedthatshehadfotteionsaboutfeedinghalf-skimmedmilktoaweaklingaggie’scalf，youknow，Clark，”sheexplailyhavingfottenhowlongIhadbeenaway。Shewasfurthertroubledbecauseshehadellherdaughteraboutthefreshlyopeofmathecellar，whichwouldspoilifitwerely。

Iaskedherwhethershehadeverheardanyoftheerasandfoundthatshehadnot，thoughsheerfectlyfamiliarwiththeirrespectivesituations，andhadohepiaheFlyingDut”。IbegantothinkitwouldhavebeeherbacktoRedithoutwakingher，aedhavihecert。

1。Discussthefollowiions。

1）HowdidIlearnaboutAuntGeiana’svisittoBoston?

2）WhydidAuntGeiahecityaftersomanyyearsliviry?

3）WhatwasAuntGeiana’sjobbefe?

4）HowdidAuntGeiaUncleHo>

5）Hoerceivetheromaweenhisu?

6）WhydidAuntGeialedownintheNebraskafrohherhusband?

7）HowwasAuntGeiana’sjourney?

8）HowdidAuntGeianalookaftersomanyyearsoffarmlife?

9）WhydidClarkhaveadeepaffedrespectforhisaunt?

10）WhatdidClarksuggesttoeai?Whydidheregretdoingso?

2。OralWork:RetellAuntGeiaoryaoBostonfromherperspectiveorpointofview。

Youyournarratiohis:

Manyyearsago，Ileftthecitytostartaheprairiewithmypoorhusbaheyears，weexperielessdiffiourlife。。。

3。Sthroughthetextandlookforthewordsusedtodescribeaperson。

4。GroupWork:Let’swriteahestory!

&oryiBisobviouslyunfinished。Pleaseanddiscusswhatmighthappe。Theinalstoryandcheckifyuessesarethesameastheinalstoes。