第 26 节
作者:上网找工作      更新:2024-04-14 09:14      字数:9318
  misunderstand her。
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  Yet    she   has  charming     natural   impulses。    See   how    she  tosses   her
  dimpled arms。 She looks longingly at her mother。 She has a language of
  her own。 She says; 〃goo goo;〃 and 〃ga ga。〃
  She demands somethingthis infant!
  She   is   faint;   poor   thing。   She   famishes。   She   wishes   to   be   restored。
  Restore her; Mother!
  It is the first duty of a mother to restore her child!
  III。
  THE DOLL。
  She is hardly able to walk; she already totters under the weight of a
  doll。
  It is a charming and elegant affair。 It has pink cheeks and purple…black
  hair。 She prefers brunettes; for she has already; with the quick knowledge
  of a French infant; perceived she is a blonde; and that her doll cannot rival
  her。 Mon Dieu; how touching! Happy child! She spends hours in preparing
  its toilet。 She begins to show her taste in the exquisite details of its dress。
  She loves it madly; devotedly。 She will prefer it to bonbons。 She already
  anticipates the wealth of love she will hereafter pour out on her lover; her
  mother; her father; and finally; perhaps; her husband。
  This is the time the anxious parent will guide these first outpourings。
  She will read her extracts from Michelet's L'Amour; Rousseau's Heloise;
  and the Revue des deux Mondes。
  IV。
  THE MUD PIE。
  She was in tears to…day。
  She had stolen away from her bonne and was with some rustic infants。
  They had noses in the air; and large; coarse hands and feet。
  They   had    seated   themselves    around    a  pool  in  the  road;  and   were
  fashioning fantastic shapes in the clayey soil with their hands。 Her throat
  swelled and her eyes sparkled with delight as; for the first time; her soft
  palms touched the plastic mud。 She made a graceful and lovely pie。 She
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  stuffed it with stones for almonds and plums。 She forgot everything。 It was
  being baked in the solar rays; when madame came and took her away。
  She weeps。 It is night; and she is weeping still。
  V。
  HER FIRST LOVE。
  She no longer doubts her beauty。 She is loved。 She saw him secretly。
  He is vivacious and sprightly。 He is famous。 He has already had an affair
  with Finfin; the fille de chambre; and poor Finfin is desolate。 He is noble。
  She   knows he   is   the son   of   Madame   la   Baronne   Couturiere。  She   adores
  him。
  She affects not to notice him。 Poor little thing! Hippolyte is distracted…
  …annihilatedinconsolable and charming。
  She    admires    his   boots;   his  cravat;   his  little  gloves   his  exquisite
  pantaloonshis coat; and cane。
  She offers to run away with him。 He is transported; but magnanimous。
  He is wearied; perhaps。 She sees him the next day offering flowers to the
  daughter of Madame la Comtesse Blanchisseuse。
  She is again in tears。
  She reads Paul et Virginie。 She is secretly transported。 When she reads
  how the exemplary young woman laid down her life rather than appear en
  deshabille to her lover; she weeps again。 Tasteful and virtuous Bernardine
  de St。 Pierre!the daughters of France admire you!
  All this time her doll is headless in the cabinet。 The mud pie is broken
  on the road。
  VI。
  THE WIFE。
  She is tired of loving and she marries。
  Her    mother    thinks   it;  on  the  whole;    the   best  thing。   As   the   day
  approaches; she is   found frequently  in tears。   Her mother   will not   permit
  the   affianced   one   to   see   her;   and   he   makes   several   attempts   to   commit
  suicide。
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  But   something   happens。   Perhaps   it   is   winter;   and   the   water   is   cold。
  Perhaps there are not enough people present to witness his heroism。
  In   this   way    her  future    husband     is  spared    to  her。  The    ways    of
  Providence are indeed mysterious。 At this time her mother will talk with
  her。 She will offer philosophy。 She will tell her she was married herself。
  But   what   is   this   new   and   ravishing   light   that   breaks   upon   her?   The
  toilet and wedding clothes! She is in a new sphere。
  She   makes   out   her   list   in   her   own   charming   writing。   Here   it   is。   Let
  every mother heed it。*
  * * * * *
  * * * * *
  She is married。 On the day after; she meets her old lover; Hippolyte。
  He is again transported。
  * The delicate reader will appreciate the omission of certain articles
  for which English synonymes are forbidden。
  VII。
  HER OLD AGE。
  A Frenchwoman never grows old。
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  MARY MCGILLUP。A
  SOUTHERN NOVEL。
  AFTER BELLE BOYD。
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  INTRODUCTION。
  〃Will you write me up?〃
  The   scene   was   near   Temple   Bar。   The   speaker   was   the   famous   rebel
  Mary  McGillup;a   young   girl   of   fragile   frame;   and   long;   lustrous   black
  hair。 I must confess that the question was a peculiar one; and; under the
  circumstances; somewhat puzzling。 It was true I had been kindly treated
  by   the   Northerners;   and;   though   prejudiced   against   them;   was   to   some
  extent under obligations to them。 It was true that I knew little or nothing of
  American politics; history; or geography。 But when did an English writer
  ever   weigh   such   trifles?   Turning   to   the   speaker;   I   inquired   with   some
  caution the amount of pecuniary compensation offered for the work。
  〃Sir!〃 she said; drawing her fragile form to its full height; 〃you insult
  me;you insult the South。〃
  〃But look ye here; d'ye seethe tinthe bluntthe readythe stiff; you
  know。 Don't ye see; we can't do without that; you know!〃
  It  shall   be  contingent     on   the  success    of  the   story;〃  she   answered
  haughtily。   〃In   the   mean   time   take   this   precious   gem。〃   And   drawing   a
  diamond   ring   from   her   finger;   she   placed   it   with   a   roll   of   MSS。   in   my
  hands and vanished。
  Although unable to procure more than L1 2s。 6 d。 from an intelligent
  pawnbroker to whom I stated the circumstances and with whom I pledged
  the ring; my sympathies with the cause of a downtrodden and chivalrous
  people   were   at   once   enlisted。   I   could   not   help   wondering   that   in   rich
  England;   the   home   of   the   oppressed   and   the   free;   a   young   and   lovely
  woman like the fair author of those pages should be obliged to thus pawn
  her jewelsher marriage giftfor the means to procure her bread! With the
  exception of the English aristocracy;who much resemble them;I do not
  know of a class of people that I so much admire as the Southern planters。
  May I become better acquainted with both!
  Since writing   the above;  the news of Mr。  Lincoln's assassination   has
  reached me。 It is enough for me to say that I am dissatisfied with the result。
  I   do   not   attempt   to   excuse the   assassin。 Yet   there   will   be   men   who   will
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  charge   this   act    upon   the   chivalrous   South。   This      leads   me    to  repeat   a
  remark   once   before   made   by   me   in   this   connection   which   has   become
  justly celebrated。 It is this:
  〃It is usual; in cases of murder; to look for the criminal among those
  who   expect   to   be   benefited   by   the   crime。   In   the   death   of   Lincoln;   his
  immediate successor in office alone receives the benefit of his dying。〃
  If her Majesty Queen Victoria were assassinated; which Heaven forbid;
  the   one   most   benefited   by   her   decease   would;   of   course;   be   his   Royal
  Highness       the   Prince   of   Wales;    her   immediate