第34章 JOSIAH 'S FLIRTATIONS(3)

Wall, Ezra and Druzilla wanted to go to the Sulphur Springs way beyend Saratoga Lake, and as the Deacon wuz agreeable, and I also, we sot out for it, though, as we all said, it wuz goin' to be a pretty long and tegus journey for a hot day.But we went along the broad, beautiful highway, by the high, handsome gates of the Racing Park, down, down, by handsome houses and shady woods, and fields of bright-colored wild flowers on each side of the road, down to the beautiful lake, acrost it over the long bridge, and then into the long, cool shadows of the bendin' trees that bend over the road on each side, while through the green boughs, jest at our side we could ketch a sight of the blue, peaceful waters, a lyin' calm and beautiful jest by the side of us -- on, on, through the long, sheltered pathway, out into the sunshine for a spell, with peaceful fields a layin' about us, and peaceful cattle a wanderin' over 'em, and then into the shade agin, till at last we see a beautiful mountin', with its head held kinder high, crowned with ferns and hemlocks, and its feet washed by the cool water of the beautiful lake.

The shadows of this mountin', tree crowned, lay on the smooth, placid wave, and a white sail boat wuz a comin' round the side on't, and floatin' over the green, crystal branches, and golden shadows.It wuz a fair seen, seen for a moment, and then away we went into the green shadows of the woods again, round a corner, and here we wuz, at the Sulphur Springs.

It wuz a quiet peaceful spot.The house looked pleasant, and so did the Landlord, and Landlady, and we dismounted and walked through a long clean hall, and went out onto a back piazza and sot down.And I thought as I sot there, that I would be glad enough to set there, for some time.Everything looked so quiet and serene.The paths leadin' up the hills in different directions, out into the green woods, looked quiet; the pretty, grassy backyard leadin' down to the water side looked green and peaceable, and around all, and beyond all, wuz the glory of the waters.They lay stretched out beautiful and in heavenly calm, and the sun, which wuz low in the West, made a gold path acrost 'em, where it seemed as if one could walk over only a little ways, into Perfect Repose.The Lake somehow looked like a glowin'

pavement, it didn't look like water, but it seemed like broad fields of azure and palest lavender, and pinky grey, and pearly white, and every soft and delicate color that water could be crystalized into.And over all lay the glowin', tender sunset skies -- it wuz a fair seen.And even as I looked on in a almost rapped way, the sun come out from behind a soft cloud, and lay on the water like a pillow of fire jest as I dream that pillow did, that went ahead of my old 4 fathers.

The rest on 'em seemed to be more intent on the lemonade with 2straws in 'em.I didn't make no fuss.They are nice, clean folks, I make no doubt.I wouldn't make no fuss and tell on the hired man -- women of the house have enough to worry 'em anyway.

But he had dropped some straws into our tumblers, every one on 'em, I dare presume to say they had been a fillin' straw ticks.Ijest took mine out in a quiet way, and throwed 'em to one side.

The rest on 'em, I see, and it wuz real good in 'em, drinked through 'em, as we used to at school.It wuz real good in Druzilla, and Ezra, and also in the Deacon.It kinder ondeared the hull on 'em to me.I hope this won't be told of, it orto be kep -- for he wuz a goodnatured lookin' hired man, black, but not to blame for that -- and good land! what is a straw? -- anyway they wuz clean.

There wuz some tents sot up there in the back yard, lookin' some as I s'pose our old 4 fathers tents did, in the pleasant summer times of old.And I asked a bystander a standin' by, whose tents they wuz, and he said they wuz Free Thinkers havin' a convention.

And I says, "How free?"

And he said "they wuz great cases to doubt everything, they doubted whether they wuz or not, and if they wuz or when, and if so, why?"And he says, "won't you stay to-night over and attend the meetin'?"And I says, "What are they goin' to teach tonight?"And he says, "The Whyness of the What"

I says, "I guess that is too deep a subject for me to tackle," and says I, "Don't they believe anything easier than that?"And he says, "They don't believe anything.That is their belief -- to believe nothin'.""Nothin'!" says I.

"Yes," says he, "Nothin'." And, says he, "to-morrer they are goin' to prove beyond any question, that there haint any God, nor anything, and never wuz anything.""Be they?" sez I.

"Yes," says he, "and won't you come and be convinced?"I looked off onto the peaceful waters, onto the hills that lay as the mountains did about Jerusalem, onto the pillow of fire that seemed to hold in it the flames of that light that had lighted the old world onto the mornin' of the new day, -- and one star had come out, and stood tremblin' over the brow of the mountain and Ithought of that star that had riz so long time ago, and had guided the three wise men, guided 'em jest alike from their three different homes, entirely unbeknown to each other, guidin' 'em to the cradle where lay the infant Redeemer of the world, so long foretold by bard and prophet.I looked out onto the heavenly glory of the day, and then inside into my heart, that held a faith jest as bright and undyin' as the light of that star -- and Isays, "No, I guess I won't go and be convinced."Wall, we riz up to go most immediately afterwerds, and the Deacon (he is very smart) observed:

"How highly tickled and even highlarious the man seemed in talkin'