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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
But； in fact； I first saw the light in the very middle of Beverly； in full view of the town clock and the Old South steeple。 （I believe there is an 〃Old South〃 in nearly all these first…settled cities and villages of Eastern Massachusetts。 The town wore a half…rustic air of antiquity then； with its old… fashioned people and weather…worn houses； for I was born while my mother…century was still in her youth； just rounding the first quarter of her hundred years。
Primitive ways of doing things had not wholly ceased during； my childhood； they were kept up in these old towns longer than elsewhere。 We used tallow candles and oil lamps； and sat by open fireplaces。 There was always a tinder…box in some safe corner or other； and fire was kindled by striking flint and steel upon the tinder。 What magic it seemed to me； when I was first allowed to strike that wonderful spark； and light the kitchen fire！
The fireplace was deep； and there was a 〃settle〃 in the chimney corner； where three of us youngest girls could sit together and toast our toes on the andirons （two Continental soldiers in full uniform； marching one after the other）； while we looked up the chimney into a square of blue sky； and sometimes caught a snow… flake on our foreheads； or sometimes smirched our clean aprons （high…necked and long sleeved ones； known as 〃tiers〃） against the swinging crane with its sooty pot…hooks and trammels。
The coffee…pot was set for breakfast over hot coals； on a three… legged bit of iron called a 〃trivet。〃 Potatoes were roasted in the ashes； and the Thanksgiving turkey in a 〃tin…kitchen；〃 the business of turning the spit being usually delegate to some of us； small folk； who were only too willing to burn our faces in honor of the annual festival。
There were brick ovens in the chimney corner； where the great bakings were done； but there was also an iron article called a 〃Dutch oven；〃 in which delicious bread could be baked over the coals at short notice。 And there was never was anything that tasted better than my mother's 〃firecake；〃a short…cake spread on a smooth piece of board； and set up with a flat…iron before the blaze； browned on one side； and then turned over to be browned on the other。 （It required some sleight of hand to do that。） If I could only be allowed to blow the bellowsthe very old people called them 〃belluses〃when the fire began to get low； I was a happy girl。
Cooking…stoves were coming into fashion； but they were clumsy affairs； and our elders thought that no cooking could be quite so nice as that which was done by an open fire。 We younger ones reveled in the warm； beautiful glow； that we look back to as to a remembered sunset。 There is no such home…splendor now。
When supper was finished； and the tea…kettle was pushed back on the crane； and the backlog had been reduced to a heap of fiery embers； then was the time for listening to sailor yarns and ghost and witch legends。 The wonder seems somehow to have faded out of those tales of eld since the gleam of red…hot coals died away from the hearthstone。 The shutting up of the great fireplaces and the introduction of stoves marks an era； the abdication of shaggy Romance and the enthronement of elegant Commonplace sometimes； alas！ the opposite of elegantat the New England fireside。
Have we indeed a fireside any longer in the old sense？ It hardly seems as if the young people of to…day can really understand the poetry of English domestic life； reading it； as they must； by a reflected illumination from the past。 What would 〃Cotter's Saturday Night〃 have been； if Burns had written it by the opaque heat of a stove instead of at his
〃Wee bit ingle blinkin' bonnilie？〃
New England as it used to be was so much like Scotland in many of its ways of doing and thinking； that it almost seems as if that tender poem of hearth…and…home life had been written for us too。 I can see the features of my father； who died when I was a little child； whenever I read the familiar verse：
〃The cheerfu' supper done； wi' serious face They round the ingle form a circle wide： The sire turns o'er； wi' patriarchal grace； The big ha' Bible； ance his father's pride。〃
A grave； thoughtful face his was； lifted up so grandly amid that blooming semicircle of boys and girls； all gathered silently in the glow of the ruddy firelight！ The great family Bible had the look upon its leathern covers of a book that bad never been new； and we honored it the more for its apparent age。 Its companion was the Westminster Assembly's and Shorter Catechism； out of which my father asked us questions on Sabbath afternoons； when the tea…table had been cleared。 He ended the exercise with a prayer； standing up with his face turned toward the wall。 My most vivid recollection of his living face is as I saw it reflected in a mirror while he stood thus praying。 His closed eyes； the paleness and seriousness of his countenance； awed me。 I never forgot that look。 I saw it but once again； when； a child of six or seven years； I was lifted to a footstool beside his coffin to gaze upon his face for the last time。 It wore the same expression that it did in prayer； paler； but no longer care…worn； so peaceful； so noble！ They left me standing there a long time； and I could not take my eyes away。 I had never thought my father's face a beautiful one until then； but I believe it must have been so； always。
I know that he was a studious man； fond of what was called 〃solid reading。〃 He delighted in problems of navigation （he was for many years the master of a merchant…vessel sailing to various European ports）； in astronomical calculations and historical computations。 A rhyming genius in the town； who undertook to hit off the peculiarities of well…known residents； characterized my father as
〃Philosophic Ben； Who； pointing to the stars； cries； Land ahead！〃
His reserved； abstracted manner；though his gravity concealed a fund of rare humor；kept us children somewhat aloof from him； but my mother's temperament formed a complete contrast to his。 She was chatty and social； rosy…cheeked and dimpled； with bright blue eyes and soft； dark； curling hair； which she kept pinned up under her white lace cap…border。 Not even the eldest child remembered her without her cap； and when some of us asked her why she never let her pretty curls be visible； she said； 〃Your father liked to see me in a cap。 I put it on soon after we were married； to please him； I always have worn it； and I always shall wear it； for the same reason。〃
My mother had that sort of sunshiny nature which easily shifts to shadow； like the atmosphere of an April day。 Cheerfulness held sway with her； except occasionally； when her domestic cares grew too overwhelming； but her spirits rebounded quickly from discouragement。
Her father was the only one of our grandparents who had survived to my time；of French descent； piquant； merry； exceedingly polite； and very fond of us children； whom be was always treating to raisins and peppermints and rules for good behavior。 He had been a soldier in the Revolutionary War；the greatest distinction we could imagine。 And he was also the sexton of the oldest church in town；the Old South；and had charge of the winding…up of the town clock； and the ringing of the bell on week…days and Sundays； and the tolling for funerals；into which mysteries he sometimes allowed us youngsters a furtive glimpse。 I did not believe that there was another grandfather so delightful as ours in all the world。
Uncles； aunts； and cousins were plentiful in the family； but they did not live near enough for us to see them very often； excepting one aunt； my father's sister； for whom I was named。 She was fair； with large； clear eyes that seemed to look far into one's heart； with an expression at once penetrating and benignant。 To my childish imagination she was an embodiment of serene and lofty goodness。 I wished and hoped that by bearing her baptismal name I might become like her； and when I found out its signification （I learned that 〃Lucy〃 means 〃with light〃）； I wished it more earnestly still。 For her beautiful character was just such an illumination to my young life as I should most desire mine to be to the lives of others。
My aunt； like my father； was always studying something。 Some map or book always lay open before her； when I went to visit her； in her picturesque old house； with its sloping roof and tall well… sweep。 And she always brought out some book or picture for me from her quaint old…fashioned chest of drawers。 I still possess the 〃 Children in the Wood；〃 which she gave me； as a keepsake； when I was about ten years old。
Our relatives form the natural setting of our childhood。 We understand ourselves best and are best understood by others through the persons who came nearest to us in our earliest years。 Those larger planets held our little one to its orbit； and lent it their brightness。 Happy indeed is the infancy which is surrounded only by the loving and the good！
Besides those who were of my kindred； I had several aunts by courtesy； or rather by the privilege of neighborhood； who seemed to belong to my babyhood。 Indeed； the family hearthstone came near being the scene of a tragedy to me； through the blind fondness of one of these。
The adjective is literal。 Thi