暖暖的河流WarmRiver
厄斯金·考德威尔ErskineCaldwell
Thedriverstoppedatthesuspebridgeaomethehouseacrosstheriver。Ipaidhimthequarterfarefortheridefromthestationtwomilesaedfromthecar。AfterhehadgoneIwasaloheightaar-poistwinklinginthevalleyandthebroadgreenriverflome。Allarouainsroselikeblackthenight,andonlybylhtheavenwardcouldIseeanythierglowofsu。
ThegfeswayedwiththerhythmofmystrideaumofitsswingsoonovercamemypalybywalkingfasterandfastercouldIgtothependulumasitswunginitswidearcovertheriver。WhenatlastIcouldseetheotherside,wherethemountainabruptlyandsliduer,Igrippedmyhandbagtighterandranwithallmymight。
&heermyfeethadthegravelpath,Iwasafraid。IkbydayImightwalkthebridgewithoutfear,butatnight,inastrary,withdarkmountainstallaroundmeandabroadgreenriverflowihme,Iyhandsfrafrompoundingagai。
Ifoundthehouseeasily,amyselffruhehousewasthefirstoerleavibridge,andevenifIshouldhavemissedit,Gretwould,havecalledme。Shewasthereoheporgforme。WhenIheardherfamiliarvoigmyname,Iwasashamedofmyselffbeehemountainsandthebrbelow。
Sherandoathtomeetme。
“Didthefhtenyou,Richard?”sheaskedexyarmwithbothofherhandsandguidihepathtothehouse。
“Ithinkitdid,Gret,”Isaid:“butIhopeIoutranit。”
&riestodothatatfirst,butaftergoio’slikewalkingatight-rope。Iusedtowalktight-ropeswhenIwassmall-didn’tyoudothat,too,Richard?estretchedacrossthefloorofourbarntopra。”
“Idid,too,butIt’sbeensolongagottenhowtodoitnow。”
&hestepsaretetothedoor。Someohehousewasbringingalampintothehall,andwiththeiIsawGretstwosistersstandingjustiheopendoor。
“Thisismylittlesister,Asaid。“AndthisisMary。”
Ispoketothemintilesemi-darkness,aothehall。Gretsfatherwasstaableholdingthelampalittletooheyfaotmethimbefore。
“Thisismyfather,”Gretsaid。“Hewasafraidyouwouldofindourhouseintiledark。”
“IwahtdownteaGretsaidyouwouldgetherewithoutanytrouble。Didyougetlost?Icouldhavebroughtalanterndownwithall。”
IshookhandswithhimandtoldhimhoweasilyIhadfoundtheplace。
“Thehackdriverpoiomethehousefromtheothersideoftheriver,andIneveronyeyesfromthelight。IfIhadlostsightofthelight,Idprobablybestumblingaroundsomewherenowinthedarkdreadytofallier。”
Helaughedatmefafraidoftileriver。
“Youwouldnthavemiheriveriswarm。Evehereisiowuheriverisaswarmasafortableroom。Allofusherelovethewaterdownthere。”
“No,Richard,youwouldnthavefallesaid,layingherhandinmine。“Isawyouthemomentyougotoutofthehadifyouhadgohewroiooruntoyou。”
Iwishedtothafthat,butalreadyshewasgoiothefloorabove,andgme。Iweingmyhandbaginfrohere,lightedbutturnedlow,otheendoftheupperball,andshepickeditupaaheadihefrontrooms。
&oodforamomentlookiher,a。
“Thereisfreshwatericher,Richard。Ifthereisanythingelseyouwouldliketohave,pleasetellme。Itriednottooverlookanything。”
“Dret,”Itoldher。“I’twishfmore。It’senoughjusttobeherewithyou,ahingelseIcarefor。”
Shelookedatmequidthensheloweredhereyes。Westoodsilentlyforseveralminutes,whileherofuskofanythingtosay。IwaellherhowgladIwastobewithher,evenifitwasht,butIknewIcouldsaythattretewwhyIhade。
“I’llleavethelampforyou,RidI’llwaitdownstairsforyouontheporeassoonasyouareready。”
&beforeIcouldofferthttothestairheadforhertoseethewaydowimeIhadpickedupthelamp,shewasoutofsightdo>
Iwalkedbaahedoorandbathedmyfads,sgthetraindustwithbrushandsoap。Therewasarowofhand-embroideredtowelsontheradItookoneanddriedmyfads。AfterthatIyhair,andfoundafreshhahehandbag。Thehedooraairstofi。
&herwasontheporchalkedthroughthedotupandgavemeachairbetweepulledheriougmyarmwithherhand。
“Isthisthefirsttimeyouhavebeehemountains,Richard?”herfatheraskedme,turninginhise。
“I’vehinahundredmilesofherebefore,sir。It’sadifferenttryuphere,butIsupposeyouwouldthinkthesameaboutthecoast,wouldntyou?”
“Oh,butFatherusedtoliveinNretsaid。“Didntyou,Father?”
“Ilivedthereforhreeyears。”