life in the iron-mills-第7部分

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Yet；　is　there　no　meaning　in　this　perpetually　covered　truth？　　If

the　son　of　the　carpenter　had　stood　in　the　church　that　night；　as

he　stood　with　the　fishermen　and　harlots　by　the　sea　of　Galilee；

before　His　Father　and　their　Father；　despised　and　rejected　of

men；　without　a　place　to　lay　His　head；　wounded　for　their

iniquities；　bruised　for　their　transgressions；　would　not　that

hungry　mill…boy　at　least；　in　the　back　seat；　have　〃known　the

man〃？　　That　Jesus　did　not　stand　there。



Wolfe　rose　at　last；　and　turned　from　the　church　down　the　street。

He　looked　up；　the　night　had　come　on　foggy；　damp；　the　golden

mists　had　vanished；　and　the　sky　lay　dull　and　ash…colored。　　He

wandered　again　aimlessly　down　the　street；　idly　wondering　what

had　become　of　the　cloud…sea　of　crimson　and　scarlet。　　The　trial…

day　of　this　man's　life　was　over；　and　he　had　lost　the　victory。

What　followed　was　mere　drifting　circumstance；a　quicker　walking

over　the　path；that　was　all。　　Do　you　want　to　hear　the　end　of

it？　　You　wish　me　to　make　a　tragic　story　out　of　it？　　Why；　in　the

police…reports　of　the　morning　paper　you　can　find　a　dozen　such

tragedies：　　hints　of　shipwrecks　unlike　any　that　ever　befell　on

the　high　seas；　hints　that　here　a　power　was　lost　to　heaven；that

there　a　soul　went　down　where　no　tide　can　ebb　or　flow。

Commonplace　enough　the　hints　are；jocose　sometimes；　done　up　in

rhyme。



Doctor　May　a　month　after　the　night　I　have　told　you　of；　was

reading　to　his　wife　at　breakfast　from　this　fourth　column　of　the

morning…paper：　　an　unusual　thing；these　police…reports　not

being；　in　general；　choice　reading　for　ladies；　but　it　was　only

one　item　he　read。



〃Oh；　my　dear！　　You　remember　that　man　I　told　you　of；　that　we　saw

at　Kirby's　mill？that　was　arrested　for　robbing　Mitchell？　　Here

he　is；　just　listen：'Circuit　Court。　　Judge　Day。　　Hugh　Wolfe；

operative　in　Kirby　&　John's　Loudon　Mills。　　Charge；　grand

larceny。　　Sentence；　nineteen　years　hard　labor　in　penitentiary。

Scoundrel！　　Serves　him　right！　　After　all　our　kindness　that

night！　　Picking　Mitchell's　pocket　at　the　very　time！〃



His　wife　said　something　about　the　ingratitude　of　that　kind　of

people；　and　then　they　began　to　talk　of　something　else。



Nineteen　years！　　How　easy　that　was　to　read！　　What　a　simple　word

for　Judge　Day　to　utter！　　Nineteen　years！　　Half　a　lifetime！



Hugh　Wolfe　sat　on　the　window…ledge　of　his　cell；　looking　out。

His　ankles　Were　ironed。　　Not　usual　in　such　cases；　but　he　had

made　two　desperate　efforts　to　escape。　　〃Well；〃　as　Haley；　the

jailer；　said；　〃small　blame　to　him！　　Nineteen　years'　inprisonment

was　not　a　pleasant　thing　to　look　forward　to。〃　　Haley　was　very

good…natured　about　it；　though　Wolfe　had　fought　him　savagely。



〃When　he　was　first　caught；〃　the　jailer　said　afterwards；　in

telling　the　story；　〃before　the　trial；　the　fellow　was　cut　down　at

once；laid　there　on　that　pallet　like　a　dead　man；　with　his　hands

over　his　eyes。　　Never　saw　a　man　so　cut　down　in　my　life。　　Time　of

the　trial；　too；　came　the　queerest　dodge　of　any　customer　I　ever

had。　　Would　choose　no　lawyer。　　Judge　gave　him　one；　of　course。

Gibson　it　Was。　　He　tried　to　prove　the　fellow　crazy；　but　it

wouldn't　go。　　Thing　was　plain　as　daylight：　　money　found　on　him。

'T　was　a　hard　sentence；all　the　law　allows；　but　it　was　for

'xample's　sake。　　These　mill…hands　are　gettin'　onbearable。　　When

the　sentence　was　read；　he　just　looked　up；　and　said　the　money　was

his　by　rights；　and　that　all　the　world　had　gone　wrong。　　That

night；　after　the　trial；　a　gentleman　came　to　see　him　here；　name

of　Mitchell；him　as　he　stole　from。　　Talked　to　him　for　an　hour。

Thought　he　came　for　curiosity；　like。　　After　he　was　gone；　thought

Wolfe　was　remarkable　quiet；　and　went　into　his　cell。　　Found　him

very　low；　bed　all　bloody。　　Doctor　said　he　had　been　bleeding　at

the　lungs。　　He　was　as　weak　as　a　cat；　yet　if　ye'll　b'lieve　me；　he

tried　to　get　a…past　me　and　get　out。　　I　just　carried　him　like　a

baby；　and　threw　him　on　the　pallet。　　Three　days　after；　he　tried

it　again：　　that　time　reached　the　wall。　　Lord　help　you！　he　fought

like　a　tiger；giv'　some　terrible　blows。　　Fightin'　for　life；　you

see；　for　he　can't　live　long；　shut　up　in　the　stone　crib　down

yonder。　　Got　a　death…cough　now。　　'T　took　two　of　us　to　bring　him

down　that　day；　so　I　just　put　the　irons　on　his　feet。　　There　he

sits；　in　there。　　Goin'　to…morrow；　with　a　batch　more　of　'em。

That　woman；　hunchback；　tried　with　him；you　remember？she's

only　got　three　years。　　'Complice。　　But　she's　a　woman；　you　know。

He's　been　quiet　ever　since　I　put　on　irons：　　giv'　up；　I　suppose。

Looks　white；　sick…lookin'。　　It　acts　different　on　'em；　bein'

sentenced。　　Most　of　'em　gets　reckless；　devilish…like。　　Some

prays　awful；　and　sings　them　vile　songs　of　the　mills；　all　in　a

breath。　　That　woman；　now；　she's　desper't'。　　Been　beggin'　to　see

Hugh；　as　she　calls　him；　for　three　days。　　I'm　a…goin'　to　let　her

in。　　She　don't　go　with　him。　　Here　she　is　in　this　next　cell。　　I'm

a…goin'　now　to　let　her　in。〃



He　let　her　in。　　Wolfe　did　not　see　her。　　She　crept　into　a　corner

of　the　cell；　and　stood　watching　him。　　He　was　scratching　the　iron

bars　of　the　window　with　a　piece　of　tin　which　he　had　picked　up；

with　an　idle；　uncertain；　vacant　stare；　just　as　a　child　or　idiot

would　do。



〃Tryin'　to　get　out；　old　boy？〃　　laughed　Haley。　　〃Them　irons　will

need　a　crow…bar　beside　your　tin；　before　you　can　open　'em。〃



Wolfe　laughed；　too；　in　a　senseless　way。



〃I　think　I'll　get　out；〃　he　said。



〃I　believe　his　brain's　touched；〃　said　Haley；　when　he　came　out。



The　puddler　scraped　away　with　the　tin　for　half　an　hour。　　Still

Deborah　did　not　speak。　　At　last　she　ventured　nearer；　and　touched

his　arm。



〃Blood？〃　　she　said；　looking　at　some　spots　on　his　coat　with　a

shudder。



He　looked　up　at　her；　〃Why；　Deb！〃　he　said；　smiling；such　a

bright；　boyish　smile；　that　it　Went　to　poor　Deborah's　heart

directly；　and　she　sobbed　and　cried　out　loud。



〃Oh；　Hugh；　lad！　　Hugh！　dunnot　look　at　me；　when　it　wur　my　fault！

To　think　I　brought　hur　to　it！　　And　I　loved　hur　so！　　Oh　lad；　I

dud！〃



The　confession；　even　In　this　wretch；　came　with　the　woman's　blush

through　the　sharp　cry。



He　did　not　seem　to　hear　her；scraping　away　diligently　at　the

bars　with　the　bit　of　tin。



Was　he　going　mad？　　She　peered　closely　into　his　face。　　Something

she　saw　there　made　her　draw　suddenly　back；something　which

Haley　had　not　seen；　that　lay　beneath　the　pinched；　vacant　look　it

had　caught　since　the　trial；　or　the　curious　gray　shadow　that

rested　on　it。　　That　gray　shadow；yes；　she　knew　what　that　meant。

She　had　often　seen　it　creeping　over　women's　faces　for　months；

who　died　at　last　of　slow　hunger　or　consumption。　　That　meant

death；　distant；　lingering：　　but　thisWhatever　it　was　the　woman

saw；　or　thought　she　saw；　used　as　she　was　to　crime　and　misery；

seemed　to　make　her　sick　with　a　new　horror。　　Forgetting　her　fear

of　him；　she　caught　his　shoulders；　and　looked　keenly；　steadily；

into　his　eyes。



〃Hugh！〃　she　cried；　in　a　desperate　whisper；〃oh；　boy；　not　that！

for　God's　sake；　not　that！〃



The　vacant　laugh　went　off　his　face；　and　he　answered　her　in　a

muttered　word　or　two　that　drove　her　away。　　Yet　the　words　were

kindly　enough。　　Sitting　there　on　his　pallet；　she　cried　silently

a　hopeless　sort　of　tears；　but　did　not　speak　again。　　The　man

looked　up　furtively　at　her　now　and　then。　　Whatever　his　own

trouble　was；　her　distress　vexed　him　with　a　momentary　sting。



It　was　market…day。　　The　narrow　window　of　the　jail　looked　down

directly　on　the　carts　and　wagons　drawn　up　in　a　long　line；　where

they　had　unloaded。　　He　could　see；　too；　and　hear　distinctly　the

clink　of　money　as　it　changed　hands；　the　busy　crowd　of　whites　and

blacks　shoving；　pushing　one　another；　and　the　chaffering　and

swearing　at　the　stalls。　　Somehow；　the　sound；　more　than　anything

else　had　done；　wakened　him　up；made　the　whole　real　to　him。　　He

was　done　with　the　world　and　the　business　of　it。　　He　let　the　tin

fall；　and　looked　out；　pressing　his　face　close　to　the　rusty　bars。

How　they　crowded　and　pushed！　　And　he；he　should　never　walk　that

pavement　again！　　There　came　Neff　Sanders；　one　of　the　feeders　at

the　mill；　with　a　basket　on　his　arm。　　Sure　enough；　Nyeff　was

married　the　other　week。　　He　whistled；　hoping　he　would　look　up；

but　he　did　not。　　He　wondered　if　Neff　remembered　he　was　there；

if　any　of　the　boys　thought　of　him　up　there；　and　thought　that　he

never　was　to　go　down　that　old　cinder…road　again。　　Never　again！

He　had　not　quite　understood　it　before；　but　now　he　did。　　Not　for

days　or　years；　but　never！that　was　it。



How　clear　the　light　fell　on　that　stall　in　front　of　the　market！

and　how　like　a　picture　it　was；　the　dark…green　heaps　of　corn；　and

the　crimson　beets；　and　golden　melons！　　There　was　another　with

game：　　how　the　light　flickered　on　that　pheasant's　breast；　with

the　purplish　blood　dripping　over　the　brown　feathers！　　He　could

see　the　red　shining　of　the　drops；　it　was　so　near。　　In　one　minute

he　could　be　down　there。　　It　was　just　a　step。　　So　easy；　as　it

seemed；　so　natural　to　go！　　Yet　it　could　never　benot　in　all　the

thousands　of　years　to　comethat　he　should　put　his　foot　on　that

street　again！　　He　thought　of　himself　with　a　sorrowful　pity；　as

of　some　one　else。　　There　was　a　dog　down　in　the　market；　walking

after　his　master　with　such　a　stately；　grave　look！only　a　dog；

yet　he　could　go　backwards　and　forwards　just　as　he　pleased：　　he

had　good　luck！　　Why；　the　very　vilest　cur；　yelping　there　in　the

gutter；　had　not　lived　his　life；　had　been　free　to　act　out

whatever　thought　God　had　put　into　his　brain；　while　heNo；　he

would　not　think　of　that！　　He　tried　to　put　the　thought　away；　and

to　listen　to　a　dispute　between　a　countryman　and　a　woman　about

some　meat；　but　it　would　come　back。　　He；　what　had　he　done　to　bear

this？



Then　came　the　sudden　picture　of　what　might　have　been；　and　now。

He　knew　what　it　was　to　be　in　the　penitentiary；　how　it　went　with

men　there。　　He　knew　how　in　these　long　years　he　should　slowly

die；　but　not　until　soul　and　body　had　become　cor