【英文读物】Tales of Three Hemispheres.docx

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1、【英文读物】Tales of Three HemispheresPREFACE. Bobby Bright and Harry West, whose histories were contained in the last two volumes of the Library for Young Folks, were both smart boys. The author, very grateful for the genial welcome extended to these young gentlemen, begs leave to introduce to his juveni

2、le friends a smart girl,Miss Katy Redburn,whose fortunes, he hopes, will prove sufficiently interesting to secure their attention. If any of my adult readers are disposed to accuse me of being a little extravagant, I fear I shall have to let the case go by default; but I shall plead, in extenuation,

3、 that I have tried to be reasonable, even where a few grains of the romantic element were introduced; for Baron Munchausen and Sindbad the Sailor were standard works on my shelf in boyhood, and I may possibly have imbibed some of their peculiar spirit. But I feel a lively satisfaction in the reflect

4、ion that, whatever exaggerations the critic may decide I have perpetrated in this volume, I have made the success of Katy Redburn depend upon her good principles, her politeness, her determined perseverance, and her overcoming that foolish pride which is a snare to the feet. In these respects she is

5、 a worthy exemplar for the young. Pride and poverty do not seem to agree with each other; but there is a pride which is not irreconcilable with the humblest station. This pride of character finds an illustration in the life of my heroine. Thanking my young friends again for the pleasant reception gi

6、ven to my former books I submit this volume in the hope that Katy Redburn will prove to be a worthy and agreeable companion for their leisure hours. WILLIAM T. ADAMS.DORCHESTER, Sept. 29, 1858.CHAPTER I. KATY REDBURN AND OTHERS ARE INTRODUCED. Give me a flounder, Johnny? said a little girl of eleven

7、, dressed in coarse and ragged garments, as she stooped down and looked into the basket of the dirty young fisherman, who sat with his legs hanging over the edge of the pier. Ill bet I wont, replied Johnny, gruffly, as he drew the basket out of the reach of the supplicant. You neednt come round here

8、 tryin to hook my fish. You hooked em, said another juvenile angler who sat on the capsill of the pier by Johnnys side. Who says I hooked em? blustered Johnny, whose little dirty paws involuntarily assumed the form of a pair of fists, scientifically disposed and ready to be the instruments of the ow

9、ners vengeance upon the traducer of his character. I say so, added Tommy Howard, who did not seem to be at all alarmed at the warlike attitude of his fellow-angler. Say it again, and Ill smash your head, continued Johnny, jumping up from his seat. Didnt you hear me? Once is enough. Tommy coolly haul

10、ed up a large flounder at that moment, and threw the fish into his basket. It was rather refreshing to see how regardless he was of that pair of menacing fists. Jest you say that once more, and see what Ill do, persisted Johnny. I wont do it. You dasnt say it again. Perhaps I dasnt; at any rate, I s

11、hant. Do you mean to say I hooked them fish? exclaimed Johnny, desperately, for it seemed as though he must do something to vindicate his injured honor. Thats just what I did say. But Tommy was so confoundedly cool that his fellow-angler had some doubts about the expediency of pitching into him. Pro

12、bably a vision of defeat flashed through his excited brain and discretion seemed the better part of valor. Yet he was not disposed to abandon his position, and advanced a pace or two toward his provoking companion; a movement which, to an unpracticed eye, would indicate a purpose to do something. Do

13、nt fight, Tommy, said the little ragged girl. I dont mean to fight, Katy,Johnny, at these words, assumed an artistic attitude, ready to strike the first blow,only if Johnny hits me, I shall knock him into the middle of next week. Johnny did not strike. He was a prudent young man. Dont fight, Johnny,

14、 repeated the girl, turning to the excited aspirant for the honors of the ring. Do you suppose Ill let him tell me I hooked them fish? blustered Johnny. He didnt mean anything. Yes, I did, interposed Tommy. He caught em on a hook; so of course he hooked em. I hooked mine too. Is that what you meant?

15、 asked Johnny, a broad grin overspreading his dirty face, and his fists suddenly expanding into dirty paws again. Thats just what I meant; and your skull is as thick as a two-inch plank, or you would have seen what I meant. I see now. Johnny was not disposed to resent this last insinuation about the

16、 solidity of his cranium. He was evidently too glad to get out of the scrape without a broken head or a bloody nose. Johnny was a bully, and he had a bullys reputation to maintain; but he never fought when the odds were against him; and he had a congressmans skill in backing out before the water got

17、 too hot. On the whole, he rather enjoyed the pun; and he had the condescension to laugh heartily, though somewhat unnaturally, at the jest. Will you give me a flounder, Tommy? said the little ragged girl, as she glanced into his well-filled basket. What do you want of him, Katy? asked Tommy turning

18、 round and gazing up into her sad, pale face. Katy hesitated; her bosom heaved, and her lips compressed, as though she feared to answer the question. To eat, she replied, at last, in a husky tone. Whats the matter, Katy? The face of the child seemed to wear a load of care and anxiety, and as the you

19、ng fisherman gazed a tear started from her eye, and slid down her cheek. Tommys heart melted as he saw this exhibition of sorrow. He wondered what could ail her. My mother is sick, replied Katy, dashing away the tell-tale tear. I know that; but what do you want of flounders? We have nothing to eat n

20、ow, said Katy, bursting into tears. Mother has not been able to do any work for more than three months: and we havent got any money now. Its all gone. I havent had any breakfast to-day. Take em all, Katy! exclaimed Tommy, jumping up from his seat on the capsill of the pier. How will you carry them?

21、Here, I will string em for you. Tommy was all energy now, and thrust his hands down into the depths of his pockets in search of a piece of twine. Those repositories of small stores did not contain a string, however; but mixed up with a piece of cord, a slate pencil, an iron hinge, two marbles, a bra

22、ss ring, and six inches of stovepipe chain, were two cents, which the owner thereof carefully picked out of the heap of miscellaneous articles and thrust them into the hand of Katy. Here, take them; and as you go by the grocery at the corner of the court, buy a two-cent roll, whispered he. Got a bit

23、 o string, Johnny? he added aloud, as Katy began to protest against taking the money. Haint got none; but Ill give you a piece of my fish line, if you want, replied the bully, who was now unusually obliging. Theres a piece of spunyarn, thats just the thing I want; and Tommy ran half way up the pier

24、to the bridge, picked up the line, and commenced stringing the flounders on it. I dont want them all, Tommy; only give me two or three. I never shall forget you, Tommy, said Katy, her eyes suffused with tears of gratitude. Im sorry things go so bad with you, Katy, and I wish I could do something mor

25、e for you. I dont want anything more. Dont put any more on the string. Theres six. We cant eat any more. Well, then, Ill bring you some more to-morrow, replied Tommy, as he handed her the string of fish. Stop a minute; heres a first-rate tom-cod; let me put him on; and he took the string and added t

26、he fish to his gift. I never shall forget you, Tommy; I shall only borrow the two cents; I will pay you again some time, said she, in a low tone, so that Johnny could not hear her. Never mind em, Katy. Dont go hungry again for a minute. Come to me, and Ill help you to something or other. Thank you,

27、Tommy; and with a lighter heart than she had brought with her, she hastened up the pier, no doubt anticipating a rich feast from the string of fish. The pier of the new South Boston bridge was then, as now, a favorite resort for juvenile fishermen. Flounders, tom-cod, and eels, to say nothing of an

28、occasional sculpin, which boys still persist in calling crahpies, or crahooners, used to furnish abundant sport to a motley group of youngsters wherein the sons of merchants mingled democratically with the dirty, ragged children of the Ten-footers in the vicinity. The pier was neutral ground, and Fr

29、ederic Augustus made a friend of Michael or Dennis, and probably neither was much damaged by this free companionship; for Michael or Dennis often proves to be more of a gentleman in his rags and dirty face than Frederic Augustus in his broadcloth and white linen. Katy walked as fast as her little fe

30、et would carry her, till she came to a court leading out of Essex Street. The bells were ringing for one oclock as she entered the grocery at the corner and purchased the two-cent roll which Tommy Howards bounty enabled her to add to her feast. Elated with the success of her mission, she quickened h

31、er pace up the court to a run, rushed into the house and up-stairs to her mothers room with as much enthusiasm as though she had found a bag of gold, instead of having obtained a very simple dinner. O, mother, Ive got a lot of flounders and some bread for you! exclaimed she, as she bolted into the r

32、oom. Then you have money, said a cold voice in the chamber; and Katy perceived, standing near the bed on which her mother lay, a man who was no stranger to her. It was Dr. Flynch; but let not my young reader make a mistake. He was no good Samaritan, who had come to pour oil and wine into the wounds

33、of the poor sick woman; not even a physician, who had come to give medicine for a fee, to restore her to health and strength. It is true he was called a doctor, and he had been a doctor, but he did not practice the healing art now. If he had failed to make a physician, it was not because his heart w

34、as so tender that he could not bear to look upon pain and suffering. He was the agent of Mrs. Gordon, a widow lady, who owned the house in which Katys mother lived. He collected her rents, and transacted all her business; and as far as dollars and cents were concerned, he had certainly been a faithf

35、ul servant. Dr. Flynch was a prudent and discreet man, and did not hurt the feelings of the good lady who employed him by telling her about the difficulties he encountered in the discharge of his duty, or by describing the harsh and even cruel means to which he was sometimes obliged to resort, in or

36、der to obtain the rent of poor tenants. Mrs. Redburn, said Dr. Flynch, when he had heard the exclamation of Katy, you have told me a falsehood. You said you had no money, not a cent. Where did you get that roll, child? At the store at the corner of the court, replied Katy, abashed by the cold dignit

37、y of the agent. Precisely so, Mrs. Redburn; but you do not buy bread without money. You have attempted to deceive me. I have pitied you up to the present time, and indulged you in the non-payment of your rent for over a week I can do so no longer, for you have told me a falsehood. No, sir, I have no

38、t, pleaded the sick woman. Your child buys bread. I did not give her the money. Where did you get the money to buy that roll with? demanded Dr. Flynch, turning sharply to Katy. Tommy Howard gave it to me. Who is Tommy Howard? He lives on the other side of the court. Very probable that a dirty, ragge

39、d boy gave her the money! This is another false-hood, Mrs. Redburn. I lament that a person in your situation should have no higher views of Christian morality than to lie yourself, and teach your child to lie, which is much worse. The poor woman burst into tears, and protested that she had told the

40、truth, and nothing but the truth; declaring that Katy was a good girl, that she had eaten nothing that day, and would not tell a lie. Dr. Flynch was a man of method, and when a tenant did not pay the rent, it was his purpose to get rid of that tenant in the quietest way possible. In the present case

41、 there was a difficulty, and public opinion would not justify him in turning a sick woman out of the house; but if she lied, had money concealed, and would not pay her rent, it would alter the matter. As he wished to believe this was the case, he had no difficulty in convincing himself, and thus qui

42、eting his poor apology for a conscience. Besides being a man of method, Dr. Flynch was a man of upright walk and conversation; at least, he passed for such with those who did not know anything about him. If Mrs. Gordon should happen to hear that he had turned out the sick woman, he could then inform

43、 her how feelingly he had pointed out to her the wickedness of her conduct, which he thought would sound exceedingly well. Mrs. Redburn, he continued, I will give you till this time to-morrow to get out of the house; if you are not gone then, I shall be under the painful necessity of removing your g

44、oods into the street. Good morning; and Dr. Flynch turned upon his heel, and walked out of the room. My poor child! what will become of us? sobbed the sick woman, as she grasped Katys hand, and pressed it to her bosom with convulsive energy. Dont cry, mother; something can be done. I will go and see

45、 Mrs. Gordon, and beg her to let you stay here. You must not do that; Dr. Flynch told me, if I troubled her about the house, I should not stay in it another minute, even if I paid the rent. He is a bad man, mother; and I dont believe Mrs. Gordon knows what he does here. There is one thing more we ca

46、n do, Katy, continued Mrs. Redburn, wiping away her tears, and taking from under her pillow a heavy silver watch. This was your fathers; but we must sell it now. It is all we have left. I should hate to have that sold, mother. We must sell it, or pawn it. We will pawn it then. How shall we do it? I

47、have not strength to rise, and they will cheat you if you offer it. I will tell you what I can do, mother; I will get Simon Sneed to go with me to the pawnbrokers shop. He is very kind to me, and I know he will. He comes home to dinner at two o-clock. This plan was agreed to, and Katy then went to w

48、ork to clean and cook the flounders.CHAPTER II. THE HISTORY OF THE SILVER WATCH. Katy Redburn was only eleven years old, and not a very accomplished cook; but as the children learn faster in the homes of the poor than in the dwellings of the rich, she had a very tolerable idea of the management of a frying-pan. The operation of cleaning