Out There.docx
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- 上传时间:2023-08-13
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Out There.docx
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OutThere
“OutThere,”SusanGlaspell
Theoldmanheldthepictureupbeforehimandsurveyeditwithadmiringbutdisapprovingeye."Noonethatcomesalongthisway'llhavethepriceforit,"hegrumbled."It'lljustsethere'tilldoomsday."
Itdidseemthatthepicturefailedtofitinwiththerestoftheshop.Apersuasiveyoungfellowwhoclaimedhewasclosingouthisstocklettheoldmanhaveitforwhathecalledasong.Itwasonlyalittleout-of-the-waystorewhichsubsistedchieflyontheframingofpictures.Theoldmanlookedaroundathisviewsofthecity,hispicturesofcatsanddogsandgorgeousyoungwomen,hisflamingbitsoflandscape."Don'tbelonginhere,"hefumed,"anymore'anIbelonginCongress."
Andyettheoldmanwassecretlyproudofhisacquisition.Heseemedallatoncetobeliftedfromhisrealmofpettytradesmantothatofpatronofart.Therewasahiddendignityinhisscowlingasheshuffledaboutponderingtheleastridiculousplaceforthepicture.
Itisnotfairtothepicturetotryrepaintingitinwords,forwordsreduceittoalithograph.Itwasabitofapineforest,throughwhichthereexuberantlyrushedanunspoiledlittlemountainstream.Chromosandworksofartmaydealwithkindredsubjects.Thereisjustthatonedifferenceofdealingwiththemdifferently."Itain'twhatyousee,somuchaswhatyoucanguessisthere,"wasthethoughtitbroughttotheoldmanwhowasdustingit."Nowthisframeain'tthreefeetlong,butitwouldn'tsurprisemeabitifthattimberkeptrightonforahundredmiles.Ikindofsuspectit'sonamountain--lookscoolenoughintheretobeonamountain.WishIwasthere.BettheyneverseenosuchdaysaswedoinChicago.Looksasthoughamanmightcallhissoulhisown--outthere."
HebeganremovingsomeviewsofLincolnParkandsomecorpulentCupidsinordertomakeroominthewindowforthenewpicture.Whenhewentoutsidetolookatitheshookhisheadseverelyandhastenedintotakeawaysomeardentyoungmenandwomen,somefruitandflowersandfishwhichhehadleftthinkingtheymight"setitoff."Itwasevidentthatthenewpicturedidnotneedtobe"setoff.""Andanyway,"hetoldhimself,invindicationofentrustingallhisgoodstoonebottom,"Imightaswelltakethemout,forthenewonemakesthemlooksokindofsickthatnoonewouldhavethem,anyhow."Thenhewentbacktomountingviewswiththeserenityofonewhostandsforthefinerthings.
Hisclamorouslittleclockpointedtoaquarterofsixwhenhefinallycamebacktothefrontofthestore.Itwastimetobeginclosingupforthenight,butfortheminutehestoodtherewatchingthecrowdofworkerscomingfromthebusinessdistrictnotfarawayovertotheboarding-houseregion,alittletothewest.Hewatchedthemastheycamebyintwosandthreesandfours:
noisypeopleandworn-outpeople,peoplehilariousandpeoplesullen,thegaietyandtheweariness,theacceptanceandtherebellionofhumanity--hesawitpass."Asifanyofthemcouldbuyit,"hepronouncedseverely,adding,contemptuously,"orwantedto."
Thegirlwascomingalongbyherself.Hewatchedherasshecrossedtohissideofthestreet,thinkingitwastoobadforapoorgirltobeastiredasthat.Shewasdressedlikemanyoftherestofthem,andyetshelookeddifferent--likethepictureandthechromo.Sheturnedanindifferentglancetowardthewindow,andthensuddenlyshestoodthereverystill,andeverythingaboutherseemedtochange."Foralltheworld,"hetoldhimselfafterward,"asifshe'dfoundalong-lostfriend,andwas'fraidtospeakforfearitwastoogoodtobetrue."
Shedidseemafraidtospeak--afraidtobelieve.Foraminuteshestoodthererightinthemiddleofthesidewalk,staringatthepicture.Andwhenshecametowardthewindowitwaslessasifcomingthanasifdrawn.Whatshereallyseemedtowanttodowastoedgeaway;yetshecamecloser,ascloseasshecould,hereyesneverleavingthepicture,andthenfear,orawe,orwhateveritwasmadeherlooksoqueergavewaytowonder--thatwonderingwhichisreadytoopenthedoortodelight.Shelookedupanddownthestreetasonerubbingone'seyestomakesureofathing,andthenitallgavewaytoajoywhichlightedherpalelittlefacelike--"Well,likenothingIeversawbefore,"wasalltheoldmancouldsayofit."Why,she'dneverknowifthewholefiredepartmentwastorunrightuphereonthesidewalk,"hegloated.Justthenshedrewherselfupforalongbreath."See?
"hechuckled,delightedly."Sheknowsithasasmell!
"Shelookedtowardthedoor,butshookherhead."Knowsshecan'tpaytheprice,"heinterpretedher.Then,shesteppedbackandlookedatthenumberabovethedoor."Comingagain,"hemadeofthat;"ain'tgoingtorunnochancesoflosingtheplace."Andthenforalongtimeshestoodtherebeforethepicture,sodeeplyandsostrangelyquietthathecouldnottranslateher."Ican'tjustgettherunofit,"washisbewilderedconclusion."Idon'tseewhyitshouldmakeanybodyactlikethat."Andyethemusthaveunderstoodmorethanheknew,forsuddenlyhewasseeingherthroughabluroftears.
Ashebeganshuttingupforthenighthewassoexcitedaboutthewayshelookedwhenshefinallyturnedawaythatitneveroccurredtohimtobedepressedaboutherinabilitytopaytheprice.
Hekeptthinkingofher,wonderingabouther,duringthenextday.Atalittlebeforesixhetookuphisstationnearthefrontwindow.Oncemorethecurrentofworkersflowedby."I'manoldfool,"hetoldhimself,irritatedatthewait;"asifitmakesanydifferencewhethershecomesornot--whenshecan'tbuyit,anyhow.She'sjustasbigafoolasIam--likingitwhenshecan'thaveit,onlyI'mthebiggestfoolofall--caringwhethershelikesitornot."Butjustthenthegirlpassedquicklybyacrowdofgirlswhowereaheadofherandcamehurryingacrossthestreet.Shewaswalkingfast,andlookedexcitedandanxious."Afraiditmightbegone,"hesaid--adding,grimly:
"Needn'tworrymuchaboutthat."
Shecameuptothepictureassomepeoplewouldenterachurch.Andyetthejoywhichfloodedherfaceisnotwellknowntochurches."I'lltellyouwhatit'slike"--theoldman'sthoughtsstumblingrightintotheheartofit--"it'slikesomeonethat'sbeenwanderingroundinadesertcountryallofasuddencomingonaspring.She'sthirsty--she'sdrinkingitin--shecan'tgetenoughofit.It's--it'sthewateroflifetoher!
"Andthen,ashamedofsayingathingthatsoundedasifitwereoutofapoem,heshookhisshouldersroughlyasiftoshakeoffapieceofsentimentunbecominghisageandsex.
Hewenttothedoorandwatchedherasshepassedaway."I'llbetshe'dnevertipthescaletoonehundredpounds,"hedecided."Lookslikeagoodwindcouldblowheraway."Shestoopedalittleandjustasshepassedfromsighthesawthatshewascoughing.
Thentheoldmanmadewhathepridedhimselfwasagreatdeduction."She'sbeenthere,andshewantstogoback.Thiskindoftakesherbackforaminute,andwhenshegetsthebreathofitsheain'tsohomesick."
AllthroughthoseJulydayshewatchedeachnightforthefrail-lookinglittlegirlwholikedthepictureofthepines.Shewouldalwayscomehurryingacrossthestreetinthesameeagerway,aneagernessclosetothefeverish.Butthetensenesswouldalwaysrelaxasshesawthepicture."Sheneverlooksquitesowilteddownwhenshegoesawayasshedoeswhenshecomes,"theoldmansaw."Uponmysoul,Ibelieveshereallygoesthere.It's--oh,Lord"--irritatedatgettingbeyondhisdepth--"Idon'tknow!
"
Henevercalleditanythingnowbut"HerPicture."Onedayatjusttenminutesofsixhetookitoutofthewindow."Seemskindofmean,"headmitted,"butIjustwanttofindouthowmuchshedoesthinkofit."
AndwhenhefoundouthetoldhimselfthatofallthemeanmenGodhadeverletlive,hewasthemeanest.Thegirlcamealongintheusualhurried,anxiousfashion.Andwhenshesawtheemptywindowhethoughtforaminuteshewasgoingtosinkrightdownthereonthesidewalk.Everythingaboutherseemedtogiveway--asifsomethingfromwhichshehadbeendrawinghadbeentakenfromher.Theluminousnessgonefromherface,therewerecruelrevelations."Blastmysoul!
"theoldmanmutteredangrily,notfarfromtearfully.Shelookedupanddownthenoisy,dirty,parchedstreet,thenbacktotheemptywindow.Foraminuteshejuststoodthere--thatwastheworstminuteofall.Andthen--accepting--sheturnedandwalkedslowlyaway,walkedasthetoo-wearyandthetoo-oftendisappointedwalk.
Itwaswithnotwhollysteadyhandthattheoldmanhastenedtoreplacethepicture,allthewhiletellinghimselfwhathethoughtofhimself:
morelow-downthanthecatwhoplayswiththemouse,meanerthanthemanwho'dtakethebonefromthedog,lesstobelovedthanthemanwhowouldkickoverthechild'splay-house,onlytobecomparedwiththebrutewhowouldsnatchthecupofwaterfromthedying--suchweretheverdictshepronounced.Hethoughtperhapsshewouldcomeback,andstayedthereuntilalmostseven,waitingforher,thoughpretendingitwasnecessarythathetakedownandthenputupagainthefrontcurtains.Allthenextdayhewasrestlessandirritable.Asiftomakeuptothegirlforthecontemptibletrickhehadplayedhespentawholehourthatafternoonarrangingatapestrybackgroundforthepicture."She'llthink,"hetoldhimself,"thatthiswaswhyitwasout,andwon'tbeworriedaboutitsbeinggoneagain.Thiswilljustbealittlesigntoherthatit'sheretostay."
Hebeganhiswatchthatnightathalf-pastfive.Afterfifteenminutesthethoughtcametohimthatshemightbesodisheartenedshewouldgoh
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