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twilight stories-第5部分

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When the troops had marched away; the weary little woman laid

aside her silken gown; resumed her homespun dress; and

immediately began to think of getting Uncle John down…stairs

again into his easy chair; but it required more aid than she

could give to lift the fallen man。  At last Joe Devins summoned

returning neighbors; who came to the rescue; and the poor nubbins

were left to the rats once more。



Joe climbed down the well and rescued the blue stocking; with its

treasures unharmed; even to the precious watch; which watch was

Martha Moulton's chief treasure; and one of very few in the town。



Martha Moulton was the heroine of the day。  The house was

beseiged by admiring men and women that night and for two or

three days thereafter; but when; years later; she being older;

and poorer; even to want; petitioned the General Court for a

reward for the service she rendered in persuading Major Pitcairn

to save the court…house from burning; there was granted to her

only fifteen dollars; a poor little forget…me…not; it is true;

but JUST ENOUGH to carry her story down the years; whereas; but

for that; it might never have been wafted up and down the land。









Sweep; sweep; sweep!  Up all this dirt and dust;      

For Mamma is busy today and help her I surely must。   

Everything now is spick and span; away to my play I will run。

It will be such a 'sprise to Mamma to find all this work is done。







THE CONQUEST OF FAIRYLAND。



 There reigned a king in the land of Persia; mighty and     

great was he grown;  

On the necks of the kings of the conquered earth he builded up

his throne。



 There sate a king on the throne of Persia; and he was grown so   

  proud  

That all the life of the world was less to him than a passing     

cloud。



 He reigned in glory: joy and sorrow lying between his hands。  

If he sighed a nation shook; his smile ripened the harvest of     

lands。



 He was the saddest man beneath the everlasting sky;  

For all his glories had left him old; and the proudest king must  

   die。



 He who was even as God to all the nations of men;  

Must die as the merest peasant dies; and turn into earth again。



 And his life with the fear of death was bitter and sick and     

accursed;  

As brackish water to drink of which is to be forever athirst。



 The hateful years rolled on and on; but once it chanced at noon 

The drowsy court was thrilled to gladness; it echoed so sweet a   

  tune。



 Low as the lapping of tile sea; as the song of the lark is

clear;  Wild as the moaning of pine branches; the king was fain

to hear。



 〃What is the song; and who is the singer?〃 he said; 〃before     

the throne  

Let him come; for the songs of the world are mine; and all but    

 this are known。〃



 Seven mighty kings went out the minstrel man to find:  

And all they found was a dead cyprus soughing in the wind。



 And slower still; and sadder still the heavy winters rolled; 

And the burning summers waned away; and the king grew very     

old;



 Dull; worn; feeble; bent; and once he thought; 〃to die  

Were rest; at least。〃 And as he thought the music wandered by。



 Into the presence of the king; singing; the singer came;  

And his face was like the spring in flower; his eyes were clear   

   as flame。



 〃What is the song you play; and what the theme your praises     

sing?    

It is sweet; I knew not I owned a thing so sweet;〃 said the weary 

    king。



 〃I sing my country;〃 said the singer; 〃a land that is sweeter

than song。〃  

〃Which of my kingdoms is your country?  Thither would I along。〃



 〃Great; O king; is thy power; and the earth a footstool for thy  

   feet;

  But my country is free; and my own country; and oh; my country  

   is sweet!〃



 As he heard the eyes of the king grew young and alive with fire 

〃Lo; is there left on the earth a thing to strive for; a thing to 

    desire?



 〃Where is thy country?  tell me; O singer; speak thine innermost 

    heart!   

Leave thy music!  speak plainly!  Speak…forget thine art!〃



 The eyes of the singer shone as he sang; and his voice rang wild 

    and free  

As the elemental wind or the uncontrollable sobs of the sea。



 〃O my distant home!〃 he sighed; 〃Oh; alas!  away and afar  

I watch thee now as a lost sailor watches a shining star。



 〃Oh; that a wind would take me there!  that a bird would set me  

   down  

Where the golden streets shine red at sunset in my father's town!



 〃For only in dreams I see the faces of the women there;  

And fain would I hear them singing once; braiding their ropes     

of hair。



 〃Oh; I am thirsty; and long to drink of the river of Life; and I 

Am fain to find my own country; where no man shall die。〃



 Out of the light of the throne the king looked down: as in the   

  spring  

The green leaves burst from their dusky buds; so was hope in the  

   eyes of the king。



 〃Lo;〃 he said; 〃I will make thee great; I will make thee mighty  

   in sway  

Even as I; but the name of thy country speak; and the place and   

  the way。〃



 〃Oh; the way to my country is ever north till you pass the mouth 

    of hell;  

Past the limbo of dreams and the desolate land where shadows     

dwell。



 〃And when you have reached the fount of wonder; you ford the     

waters wan  

To the land of elves and the land of fairies; enchanted     

Masinderan。〃



 The singer ceased; and the lyre in his hand snapped; as a cord;  

   in twain;  

And neither lyre nor singer was seen in the kingdom of Persia     

again。



 And all the nobles gazed astounded; no man spoke a word  

Till the old king said: 〃Call out my armies; bring me hither a    

 sword!〃



 As a little torrent swollen by snows is turned to a terrible

stream;  

So the gathering voices of all his countries cried to the king in 

    his dream。



 Crying; 〃For thee; O our king; for thee we had freely and     

willingly died;  

Warriors; martyrs; what thou wilt; not that our lives betide  



〃The worth of a thought to the king; but rather because thy rod  

Is over our heads as over thine Is the changeless will of God。



 〃Rather for this we beseech thee; O master; for thine own sake   

  refrain  

From the blasphemous madness of pride; from the fever of     

impious gain。〃



 〃You seek my death;〃 the king thundered; 〃you cry; forbear     

to save  

The life of a king too old to frolic; let him sleep in the grave。



 〃But I will live for all your treason; and; by my own right

hand!   

I will set out this day with you to conquer Fairyland。〃



 Then all the nations paled aghast; for the battle to begin 

 Was a war with God; and a war with death; and they knew

      the thing was sin。



 Sick at heart they gathered together; but none denounced the     

wrong;  

For the will of God was unseen; unsaid; and the will of the king  

   was strong。



 So the air grew bright with spears; and the earth shook under

the tread  

Of the mighty horses harnessed for battle; the standards flaunted 

    red。



 And the wind was loud with the blare of trumpets; and every     

house was void  

Of the strength and stay of the house; and the peace of the land  

   destroyed。



 And the growing corn was trodden under the weight of armed     

feet;  

And every woman in Persia cursed the sound of a song too sweet;



 Cursed the insensate longing for life in the heart of a sick old 

    man;  

But the king of Persia with all his armies marched on Masinderan。



 Many a day they marched in the sun till their silver armour was  

   lead  

To sink their bodies into the grave; and many a man fell dead。



 And they passed the mouth of hell; and the shadowy country     

gray;  

Where the air is mist and the people mist and the rain more     

real than they。



 And they came to the fount of wonder; and forded the waters     

wan;  

And the king of Persia and all his armies marched on Masinderan。



 And they turned the rivers to blood; and the fields to a ravaged 

    camp;  

And they neared the golden faery town; that burned in the dusk    

 as a lamp。



 And they stood and shouted for joy to see it stand so nigh; 

Given into their hands for spoil; and their hearts beat proud     

and high。



 And the armies longed for the morrow; to conquer the shining     

town;  

For there was no death in the land; neither any to strike them    

 down。



 The hosts were many in numbers; mighty; and skilled in the     

strife;  

And they lusted for gold and conquest as the old king lusted for  

   life。



 And; gazing on the golden place; night took them unaware;

  And black and windy grew the skies; and black the eddying air



 So long the night and black the night that fell upon their eyes; 

They quaked with fear; those mighty hosts; the sun would never    

 rise。



 Darkness and deafening sounds confused the black; tempestuous    

 air;

  And no man saw his neighbor's face; nor heard his neighbor's    

 prayer。



 And wild with terror the raging armies fell on each other in     

fight;

The ground was strewn with wounded men; mad in the horrible night



 Mad with eternal pain; with darkness and stabbing blows

 Rained on all sides from invisible hands till the ground was red 

    as a rose。



 And; though he was longing for rest; none ventured to pause from 

    the strife;

 Lest haply another wound be his to poison his hateful life



 And the king entreated death; and for peace the armies prayed; 

But the gifts of God are everlasting; his word is not gainsaid;



 Gold and battle are given the hosts; their boon is turned to a

ban;

  And the curse of the king is to reign forever in conquered     

Masinderan。

                                    A。 M
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