time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第52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！


　　
　　…　got　what　she　wanted；　Buckaroo　covered　her。　Sure　enough；　the　colt　had　been　too　big　for　her　and　I　had　to　go　in　and　cut　it　up　and　take　it　out　in　chunks…a　routine　job　of　emergency　veterinary　surgery　but　an　impressive　and　bloody　sight　for　two
　　
　　stripling　boys　who　had　helped　their　father　by　controlling　the　mare　while　le　operated。
　　
　　No；　indeed；　they　did　not　want　anything　even　a　little　bit　like　that　to　happen　to　He！　en　~No；　sir！
　　
　　Minerva；　I　cheated　a　little。　I　did　not　tell　them　that　the　way　Helen　was　spreading　in　the　butt　and　the　measurements　she　already　had　made　it　appear　to　her　family　doctor…me…that　she　was　even　more　of　a　natural　baby　factory　than　her　mother
　　
　　…and　would　be　big　enough　for　~ier　first　one　much　younger　than　Dora　had　had　Zaccur；　I　did　not　tell　them　that　the　chances　of　a　healthy　baby　from　a　brother…sister　mating　were　higher　than　the　chances　of　a　defective。　I　certainly　did　not！
　　
　　Instead；　I　waxed　lyrical　about　'what　wonderful　creatures　girls　are；　what　a　miracle　it　is　that　they　'could　make　babies；　how　precious　thcy　are　and　how　it　is　a　man's　proud　privilege　to　love　and　cherish　and　protect　them…protect　them　even　from　their　follies　because　Helen　might　behave　just　like　Dancing　Girl；　impatient　and　foolish。　So　don't　let　her　tempt　you；　boys…jerk　off　instead；　just　like　you've　been　doing。　They　promised；　tears　in　their　eyes。　…
　　
　　I　didn't　ask　them　to　promise　that　or　anything…but　it　gave　me　the　idea：　Have　〃Princess〃　Helen　knight　them。
　　
　　The　kids　grabbed　that　idea　and　ran　with　it；　Tales　of　King　Arthur's　Court　was　one　of　the　books　Dora　had　fetched　along　because　Helen　Mayberry　had　given　it　to　her。　So　we　had　Sir　Zaccur　the　Strong　and　Sir　Andrew　the　Valiant　and　two　ladiesin…waiting…waiting　rather　eagerly；　Iseult　and　Undine　knew　that　they；　too；　would…　be　〃princesses〃　as　each　reached　menarche。　Ivar　was　squire　to　both　knights　and　would　be　dubbed　himself　when　his　voice　changed。　Only　Elf　was　too　small　as　yet　to　play　the　game。　…
　　
　　It　worked；　a　stopgap。　I　suppose　〃Princess〃　Helen　was　protected　more　than　she　wanted　to　be　protected。　But　if　she　could　not　lure　her　faithful　knights　into　the　cornfields；　they　did　place　her　stool　for　her　at　meals；　they　bowed　to　her　rather　often；　and　usually　addressed　her　as　〃Fair？Princess〃…considerably　more　than　I　ever　did　for　my　sisters。　…
　　
　　Before　the　first　anniversary　of　〃Helen's　Day〃　those　three　new　families　dropped　down　the　rise　and　the　crisis　was　over。　It　was　Sammy　Roberts；　not　one　of　her　brothers；　who　first　spread　〃Princess〃　Helen's　thighs…certain；　as　she　told　her　mother　about　it　at　once　（more　of　Helen　Mayberry's　influence）　and　Dora　kissed　her　and　told　her　that　she　was　a　good　girl　and　now　go　find　Papa　and　ask　him　to　examine　you…and　I
　　
　　did　and　she　hadn't　been　hurt；　not　to　mention。　But　it　gave　Dora　some　control　over　the　matter；　just　as　Helen　Mayberry　had　guided　Dora　at　about　the　same　age…so　Dora　had　told　me；　long　before　that。　In　consequence　our　oldest　daughter　did　not　get　pregnant　until　she　was　almost　as　old　as　and　quite　a　bit　more　filled　out　than　Dora　had　been　when　I　married　her。　Ole　Hanson　married　her；　and　Sven　Hanson　and　I；　and　Dora　and　Ingrid；　helped　the　youngsters　start　their　homestead。　Helen　thought　the　baby　was　Ole's；　and　for　all　I　know　she　was　right。　No　fuss。　No　fuss　when　Zack　married　Hilda　Hanson；　either。　In　Happy　Valley　pregnancy　was　equivalent　to　betrothal；　。1　can't　recall　any　girl　who　married　without　that　proof　of　eligibility。　Certaintly　none　of　our　daughters。　…
　　
　　Having　neighbors　Was　grand。
　　
　　~　tOmitted）…
　　
　　…not　only　'~tched　his　fiddle　over　the　Rampart　but　could　call。　I…could　call　some　and；　while　I　hadn't　touched　a　violin　for　fifty　years　or　so；　I　found　it　came　back　to　me；　so　we　spelled　each　other　as　Pop　like　to　dance；　too。　Like　so：
　　
　　〃Square　'em　up！
　　
　　〃Salute　your　lady！　Opposite　lady！　Corner　gal！　Right…hand　gal！　Salute　your　own　and　make　'er　a　throne。　All　stand　up　and　don't　let　'er　fall；　swing　your　ladies　one　and　all！
　　
　　〃'Moses　lived　a　long　time　ago。
　　
　　'King　said　Yes；　Moses　said　No！…f　arm　hands；　circle　right。　'Phar'ah　was　dat　king's　first　na~ne；　…
　　
　　'Made　'em　live　a　life　of　shame！…allemande　left！…with　a　dosey…doh！　Then　home　you　go　and　swing！
　　
　　said　Yes　and　th'　waves　did　part。　First　couple　through　the　Red　Sea！　Now　corner　gal　and　right…hand　man！
　　
　　Corner　boy；　right…hand　gal…on　around　and　keep　it　ing
　　
　　…right　and　left！
　　
　　〃'A　happy　band　on　th'　opp'site　shore；　'So　all　form　up　and　swing　once　more！　'King　weeps　alone　on　Egypt's　shore；　'Chosen　People　slaves　no　more！
　　
　　'So　kiss　your　lady　and　whisper　in　her　ear；
　　
　　'Then　sit　'er　down　and　get　'er　a　beer。'　Intermission！〃
　　
　　Oh；　we　had　fun！　Dora　learned　to　dance　when　she　was　a　new　grandmother…and　was　still　dancing　when　she　was　a　great…
　　
　　great…grandmother。　Early　years　the　parties　were　oftenest　at　our　place　because　we　had　the　biggest　house　and　a　pound
　　
　　…large　enough'　for　a　big　party。　Start　dancing　late　afternoon；　dance　till　you　couldn't　see　your　partner；　then　a　potluck　buffet　supper　to　candlelight　and　moonlight；　then　sing　a　while；　and　beddown　all　over　the　place…all　the　rooms；　the　roof；　shakedowns　in　the　pound；　some　in　wagons…and　if　anybody　ever　slept　alone；　I　never　heard　about　it。　Nor　any　trouble　worth　mentioning　if　things　got　a　little　loose　around　the　edges。
　　
　　Next　morning　there　was　likely　to　be　a　double　performance　by　the　Merm~id　Tavern　Players；　one　edy；　one　tragedy；　then　it　would　be　time　for　those　who　lived　farthest　away　to　round　up　their　kids；　hitch　up　their　mules；　and　roll；　while　those　who　lived　closer　helped　clean　up　before　doing　the　same　thing。
　　
　　Oh；　I　remember　one　spot　of　trouble：　A　man　gave　his　wife　a　black　eye　over　nothing　much；　whereupon　six　men　nearest　him　tossed　him　out　the　gate　and　barred　it。　Made　him　so　mad　he　hitched　up　and　left　。　。　and　headed　back　up　the　Great　Gorge　toward　Hopeless　Pass…a　fa髏　that　wasn't　noticed　for　a　while；　as　his　wife　and　baby　moved　in　with　her　sister　and　her　husband　and　their　kids；　and　stayed　on；　a　polygamy…though　not　…the　only　one。　No　laws　about　marriage　or　sex…no　laws　about　anything　for　many　years…except　that　incurring　the　disapproval　of　your　neighbors；　such　as　by　giving　your　wife　a　bl~ck　eye；　meant　risking　Coventry；　about　the　worst　thing　that　can　happen　to　a　pioneer　short　of　being　lynched。
　　
　　But　migrants　tend　to　be　both　horny　and　easy　about　it。　Superior　intelligence　always　includes　strong　sexual　drive；　and　the　pioneers　in　Happy　Valley　had　been　through　a　double　screening；　first　in　a　decision　to　leave　Earth　and　then　in　deciding　to　tackle　Hopeless　Pass。　So　we　had　real　survivors　in　Happy　Valley；　smart；　cooperative；　industrious；　tolerant…　willing　to　fight　when　necessary　but　not　likely　to　fight　aver　trivial　matters。　Sex　is　not　trivial；　but　fighting　over　it　is　usually　pretty　silly。　It's　characteristic　only　of　a　man　who　isn't　sure　of　his　manhood；　which　didn't　describe　any　of　these　men；　they　were　sure　of　themselves；　no　need　to　prove　it。　No　cowards；　no　thieves；　no　weaklings；　no　bullies…the　rare　exception　didn't　last　long　enough　to　count。　Either　dead　like　that　first　three…；　or
　　
　　…　ran　away　from　us　like　that　idiot　who　took　a　poke　at　his　wife。　These　rare　purgings　al。　For
　　
　　many　years　the　only　law　we　had　was　the　Golden　Rule；　nowritten　but　closely　followed。
　　
　　In　such　a　munity　functionless　taboos　about　sex　couldn't
　　
　　last；　they　didn't　tend　to　be…　brought　into　…　our…　valley　in　the　first　place。　Oh；　close　inbreeding　wasn't　well　thought　of；　these　pioneers　were　not　ignorant　of　geics；…　nor　of　conception　control。　But　the　attitude　was　pragmatic；　I　don't　think　I　ever　heard　anyone　speak　out　against　incest　that　was　just　a　jolly　romp　with　no　oute。　But　I　recall　one　girl　who　married　her　half　brother　openly　and　had　several　children　by　him…I　assume　that　they　were　his。　There　may　have　been　gossip；　but　it　did　not　get　them　ostracized。　Any　marriage　pattern　was　treated　as　the　private　business　of　the　partners　in　it；　not　something　to　be　licensed　by　the　munity。　I　recall　two　young　couples　who　decided　to　bine　their　farms；　then　built　a　house　big　enough　by　adding　to　the　larger　of　their　two　houses　and　making　the　other　into　a　barn。　Nobody　asked　who　slept　with　whom；　it　was　taken　for　granted　that　it　was　then　a　four…cornered　marriage；　and　no　doubt　had　been　one　before　they　enlarged　that　house　and　pooled　their　goods。　Nobody's　business　but　theirs。　…
　　
　　Among　such　people…　the　plural　of　〃spouse〃　is　〃spice。〃　…　A　pioneer　munity；　poor　in　everything　else；　always　makes　its　own　recreations…with　sex　at　the　top　of　the　list。　We　had　no　professional　entertainers；　no　theaters　'（unless　you　count　the　amateur　theatricals　started　by　our　kids）；　no　cabarets；　no　diversions　dependent　on　sophisticated　electronics；　no　periodicals；　few　books。　Certainly　those　meetings　of　the　Happy　Valley　Dance　Club　continued　ai~　gentle　orgies　after　it　was　too　…dark　to　dance　and　the　younger　children　were　bedded　down　for　the　night…how　else？　But　it　was　all　quite　gentle；　a　couple　could　always　go　sleep　in　their　own　wagon　and　ignore　the　quiet　luau　elsewhere。　No　pulsion　either　way…shucks；　they　didn't　even　have　to　attend　the　dances。　…
　　
　　第45节
　　
　　But　no　one　stayed　away　from　those　weekly　dances　if　…he　or　she　could　make　it。　It　was　particularly　nice　for　young　people；　it　gave　them　a　chance　to　get　acquainted　and　do　their　courting。　Perhaps　most　first　babies　were　conceived　at　our　dances；　there　was　opportunity。　On　the　other　hand；　a　girl　did　not　have　to　get　knocked　up　just　through　a　romp　if　it　didn't　suit　her。　But　a　girl　was　likely　to　marry　by　fifteen；　sixteen；　and　their　bridegrooms　weren't　much　older…late　first　marriage　is　a　big…city　custom；　never　found　in　a　pioneer　culture。
　　
　　Dora　and　I？　But；　Minerva　dear；　I　told　you…　earlier。
　　
　　（Omitted）　…
　　
　　…started　the　freight　schedule　to　the　outside　the　year　Gibbie　was　born　and　Zack　was；　oh；　eighteen　I　think…I　have　to　keep　converting　New　Beginnings　years　into　standard　years。　Anyhow
　　
　　220
　　
　　he　was　taller　than　I　was；　not　much　short　of　two　meters　and　massed　maybe　eighty　kilos；　and　Andy　was　almost　as；　big　and　strong。　The？e　was　pressure　on　me　not　to　wait　as　I　knew　Zack　might　get　married　…　any　day…and　I　could　not　send　a　wagon　over　the　pass　just　with　Andy。　Ivar　was　only　nine…a　big　help　around　the　farm　but　not　big　enough　for　this　job。
　　
　　But　I　could　not　find　teamsters　other　than　in　my　own　family。　There　were　only　about　a　dozen　families　in　the　valley；　they　had　not　been　there　long；　and　did　not　as　yet　feel　the　press　to　buy　things　that　I　did。
　　
　　I　wante4　three　new　wagons；　not　just　because　my；　three　were　wearing　out　but　because　Zack　would　need　one　when　he　married。　…So　would　Andy。　And　I　might　have　to　dower　Helen　with　one；　if　and　when。　The　same　applied　to　plows　and　several　sorts　of　metal　farm　equipment。　Prosperous　as　we　were；　Happy　Valley　could　not　be　entirely　self…supporting　without　…a　metals　industry…which　is　to　say：　not　for　many　years。
　　
　　I　had　another　long　list　of　things　to　buy…　（Omitted）
　　
　　…on　a　quarterly　schedule。　But　the　food　that　fifty…odd　farms　could　ship　out　could　ilot　buy　much　at　the　other　end　in　petition　with　farmers　who　did　not　have　the　expense　of　shipping　by　mule　train　over　the　Rampart　and　across　the　prairie；　I　still　subsidized　our　link　with　civilization　by　writing　drafts　on　John　Mage~　to　be　debited　against　my　partnership　in　the　Andy　I。　and　thereby　brought　things　into　the　valley　we　would　not　otherwise　have　had。　Some　I　kept…Dora　got　inhouse　running　water　from　that　first　trip　our　own　boys　made；　just　in　time　to　keep　my　promise　to　her；　as　Zack　got　Hilda　pregnant　right　after　they　got　back；　and　their　first　baby；　Ingrid　Dora；　and　the　pletion　of　Dora's　bathroom；　arrived　about　together。　Other　things　I　sold　to　other　farmers　for　labor。　But　the　Buck　strain　of　mules；　strong；　intelligent；　and　all　of　them　capable　of　being　taught　to　talk；　eventually　corrected　our　balance　of　trade；　once　those　two　wells　were　drilled　on　the　prairie　and　I　…　could　count　on　running　a　string　of　mules　to　Separation　Center　without　losing　half　of　them。　This　meant　medicines；　books；　and　many　other　things　for　our　valley。
　　
　　（Omitted）　…
　　
　　Lazarus　Long　did　not　intend　to　surprise　his　wife。　But　neither　of　them　ever　knocked　on　their　own　bedroom　door。　Finding　it　closed；　he　opened　it　gently　against　the　possibility　that　she　might　be　napping。　…
　　
　　Instead　he　found　her　standing　at　the　window；　mirror　angled　to　the　light；　carefully　plucking　a　long　gray　hair。
　　
　　；He　watched　her　in　shocked　dismay。　Then　steadied　himsell　and　said；　〃Adorable…〃
　　
　　〃Oh！〃　She　turned。　〃You　startled　me。　I　didn't　hear　you　e　in；　dear。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　sorry。　May　I　have　that？〃…
　　
　　〃Have　what；　Woodrow？〃
　　
　　He　went　to　her；　bent　down　and　picked　up　the　silver　hair。　〃This。　Beloved；　every　hair　of　your　head　is　precious　to　me。　May　I　keep　it？〃
　　
　　She　did　not　answer。　He　saw　that　her　eyes　were　filled　with　tears。　They　started　to　overflow。　〃Dora。　Dora；〃　he　repeated　urgently；　〃why　are　you　crying；　beloved？〃
　　
　　〃I'm　sorry；　Lazarus。　I　did　not　intend　for　you　to　see　me　doing　this。〃
　　
　　〃But　why　do　it　at　all；　Dorable？　I　have　far　more　gray　hair　than　you。〃
　　
　　She　answered　what　he　had　not　said；　rather　than　what　he　did　say。　〃Dearest；　I　can't　help　it　that　I　know　wh~n　someone　is…well；　'fibbing'　I　must　call　it　since　you　have　never　lied　to　me。〃
　　
　　…　〃Why；　Dorable！　My　hair　is　gray。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　sir。　You　did　not　mean　to　surprise　me；　I　know　。　。　and
　　
　　I　did　not　mean　to　snoop　when　I　cleaned　your　study。　I　found
　　
　　your　cosmetics　kit；　Lazarus；　more　than　a　year　ago。　It's　sort　of
　　
　　a　fib；　i…sn't　it？…when　you　do　something　to　make　your　crisp
　　
　　red　hair　look　gray？　Something　like　what　I　do；　I　suppose；
　　
　　when　I　pluck　hairs　that　are　gray。〃
　　
　　〃You've　been　plucking　gray　hairs　since　you　learned　that　I　have　been　aging　myself？　Oh；　dear！〃
　　
　　？〃No；　no；　Lazarus！　I've　been　plucking　them　for　ages。　Much　longer　than　that。　Heavens；　darling；　I'm　a　great…grandmother
　　
　　…and　look　it。　But　what　you　do…careful　as　you　are　with　it…　and　kind　as　it　is　for　you　to　try…and　I　do　appreciate　it！…　doesn't　makeyou　look　my　age；　it　just　makes　you　look　pre…maturely　gray。〃
　　
　　〃Possibly。　Although　I'm　entitled　to　gray　hair；　Dorable…my　hair　was　snow…white　not　many　years　before　you　were　born。　It　took　something　much　more　drastic　than　cosmetics…or　plucking　hairs…to　make　me　look　young　again。　But　there　never　seemed　to　be　any　reason　to　mention　it。〃
　　
　　He　stepped　up　to　her；　put　an　arm　around　her　waist；　took
　　
　　…the　mirror　and　tossed　it　on　the　bed；　turned　her　toward　the　window。　~'Dora；　your　years　are　an　achievement；　not　something　to　hide。　Look　out　there。　Farmhouses　right　up　to　the　hills　and　many　more　we　can't　see　from　here。　How　many　of　our　Happy　Valley？people　are　descended　from　your　slim　body？〃
　　
　　〃I've　never　counted。〃
　　
　　…　〃I　have；　more　than　half　of　them…and　I'm　proud　of　you。　Your　breasts　are　baby…chewed；　your　belly　shows　stretch　marks
　　
　　…your　decorations　of　honor；　Adorable　One。　Of　valor。　They　make　you　；n；ore　beautiful。　So　stand　straight　and　tall；　my　lovely；　and　forget　about　silver