第9章 ARDELLA TUTT AND HER MOTHER(3)
"At the same time it is hard for a dove to settle down in a back yard and stay there, hard and tegus.She can and duz sometimes, but never till after her wings have been clipped in some way.
Poor little dove! I am always sorry for 'em to see 'em a walkin'
round there, a wantin' to fly -- a not forgettin' how it seemed to have their wings soarin' up through the clear sky, and the rush of the pure liquid windwaves a sweepin' aginst 'em, as they riz up, up, in freedom, and happiness, and glory.Poor little creeters.
"Yes, but doves can, if you clip their wings, settle down and walk, but hens CAN'T fly, not for any length of time they can't.
No amount of stimulatin' poultices applied to the ends of their tail feathers and wings can ever make 'em fly.They can't; it haint their nater.They can make nests, and fill them with pretty downy chicks, they can be happy and beautiful in life and mean;they can spend their lives in jest as honerable and worthy a way as if they wuz a flyin' round, and make a good honerable appearance from day to day, till they begin to flop their wings, and fly -- then their mean is not beautiful and inspirin'; no, it is fur from it.It is tuff to see 'em, tuff to see the floppin', tuff to see their vain efforts to soar through the air, tuff to see 'em fall percepitously down onto the ground agin.For they must come there in the end; they are morally certain to.
"Now Ardelia is a sweet pretty lookin' girl, she can set down in a cushioned arm-chair by a happy fireside, with pretty baby faces a clusterin' around her and some man's face like the sun a reflectin' back the light of her happy heart.But she can't sit up on the pinnacle of fame's pillow.I don't believe she can ever get up there, I don't.Honestly speakin', I don't.""Envy!" sez Miss Tutt, "glarin', shameless envy! You don't want Ardelia to rise! You don't want her to mount that horse I spoke of; you don't want to own that you see genius in her.But you do, Josiah Allen's wife, you know you do -- ""No," sez I, "I don't see it.I see the sweetness of pretty girlhood, the beauty and charm of openin' life, but I don't see nothin' else, I don't, honest.I don't believe she has got genius," sez I, "seein' you put the question straight to me and depend a answer; seein' her future career depends on her choice now, I must tell you that I believe she would succeed better in the millionary trade or the mantilly maker's than she will in tryin' to mount the horse you speak on.
"Why," sez I, candidly, "some folks can't get up on that horse, their legs haint strong enough.And if they do manage to get on, it throws 'em, and they lay under the heels for life.I don't want to see Ardelia there, I don't want to see her maimed and lamed and stunted so early in the mornin' of life, by a kick from that animal, for she can't ride it," sez I, "honestly she can't.