English
SATURDAYmorningwascome,andallthesummerworldwasbrightandfresh,andbrimmingwithlife.
Therewasasongineveryheart;andiftheheartwasyoungthemusicissuedatthelips.
Therewascheerineveryfaceandaspringineverystep.
Thelocust–treeswereinbloomandthefragranceoftheblossomsfilledtheair.
CardiffHill,beyondthevillageandaboveit,wasgreenwithvegetationanditlayjustfarenoughawaytoseemaDelectableLand,dreamy,reposeful,andinviting.
Tomappearedonthesidewalkwithabucketofwhitewashandalong–handledbrush.
Hesurveyedthefence,andallgladnesslefthimandadeepmelancholysettleddownuponhisspirit.
Thirtyyardsofboardfenceninefeethigh.
Lifetohimseemedhollow,andexistencebutaburden.
Sighing,hedippedhisbrushandpasseditalongthetopmostplank;repeatedtheoperation;diditagain;comparedtheinsignificantwhitewashedstreakwiththefar–reachingcontinentofunwhitewashedfence,andsatdownonatree–boxdiscouraged.
Jimcameskippingoutatthegatewithatinpail,andsingingBuffaloGals.
BringingwaterfromthetownpumphadalwaysbeenhatefulworkinTom'seyes,before,butnowitdidnotstrikehimso.
Herememberedthattherewascompanyatthepump.
White,mulatto,andnegroboysandgirlswerealwaystherewaitingtheirturns,resting,tradingplaythings,quarrelling,fighting,skylarking.
Andherememberedthatalthoughthepumpwasonlyahundredandfiftyyardsoff,Jimnevergotbackwithabucketofwaterunderanhour—andeventhensomebodygenerallyhadtogoafterhim.Tomsaid:
"Say,Jim,I'llfetchthewaterifyou'llwhitewashsome."
Jimshookhisheadandsaid:
"Can't,MarsTom.Olemissis,shetolemeIgottogoan'gitdiswateran'notstopfoolin'roun'widanybody.
Shesayshespec'MarsTomgwinetoaxmetowhitewash,an'soshetolemego'longan''tendtomyownbusiness—she'lowedSHE'D'tendtodewhitewashin'."
"Oh,neveryoumindwhatshesaid,Jim.That'sthewayshealwaystalks.Gimmethebucket—Iwon'tbegoneonlyaaminute.SHEwon'teverknow."
"Oh,Idasn't,MarsTom.Olemississhe'dtakean'tardeheadoff'nme.'Deedshewould."
"SHE!Sheneverlicksanybody—whacks'emovertheheadwithherthimble—andwhocaresforthat,I'dliketoknow.
Shetalksawful,buttalkdon'thurt—anywaysitdon'tifshedon'tcry.Jim,I'llgiveyouamarvel.I'llgiveyouawhitealley!"
Jimbegantowaver.
"Whitealley,Jim!Andit'sabullytaw."
"My!Dat'samightygaymarvel,Itellyou!ButMarsTomI'spowerful'fraidolemissis—"
"Andbesides,ifyouwillI'llshowyoumysoretoe."
Jimwasonlyhuman—thisattractionwastoomuchforhim.
Heputdownhispail,tookthewhitealley,andbentoverthetoewithabsorbinginterestwhilethebandagewasbeingunwound.
Inanothermomenthewasflyingdownthestreetwithhispailandatinglingrear,Tomwaswhitewashingwithvigor,andAuntPollywasretiringfromthefieldwithaslipperinherhandandtriumphinhereye.
ButTom'senergydidnotlast.Hebegantothinkofthefunhehadplannedforthisday,andhissorrowsmultiplied.
Soonthefreeboyswouldcometrippingalongonallsortsofdeliciousexpeditions,andtheywouldmakeaworldoffunofhimforhavingtowork—theverythoughtofitburnthimlikefire.
Hegotouthisworldlywealthandexaminedit—bitsoftoys,marbles,andtrash;enoughtobuyanexchangeofWORK,maybe,butnothalfenoughtobuysomuchashalfanhourofpurefreedom.
Sohereturnedhisstraitenedmeanstohispocket,andgaveuptheideaoftryingtobuytheboys.
Atthisdarkandhopelessmomentaninspirationburstuponhim!
Nothinglessthanagreat,magnificentinspiration.
Hetookuphisbrushandwenttranquillytowork.
BenRogershoveinsightpresently—theveryboy,ofallboys,whoseridiculehehadbeendreading.
Ben'sgaitwasthehop–skip–and–jump—proofenoughthathisheartwaslightandhisanticipationshigh.
Hewaseatinganapple,andgivingalong,melodiouswhoop,atintervals,followedbyadeep–tonedding–dong–dong,ding–dong–dong,forhewaspersonatingasteamboat.
Ashedrewnear,heslackenedspeed,tookthemiddleofthestreet,leanedfarovertostarboardandroundedtoponderouslyandwithlaboriouspompandcircumstance—forhewaspersonatingtheBigMissouri,andconsideredhimselftobedrawingninefeetofwater.
Hewasboatandcaptainandengine–bellscombined,sohehadtoimaginehimselfstandingonhisownhurricane–deckgivingtheordersandexecutingthem:
"Stopher,sir!Ting–a–ling–ling!"Theheadwayranalmostout,andhedrewupslowlytowardthesidewalk.
"Shipuptoback!Ting–a–ling–ling!"Hisarmsstraightenedandstiffeneddownhissides.
"Setherbackonthestabboard!Ting–a–ling–ling!Chow!ch–chow–wow!Chow!"Hisrighthand,meantime,describingstatelycircles—foritwasrepresentingaforty–footwheel.
"Lethergobackonthelabboard!Ting–a–lingling!Chow–ch–chow–chow!"Thelefthandbegantodescribecircles.
"Stopthestabboard!Ting–a–ling–ling!Stopthelabboard!Comeaheadonthestabboard!Stopher!Letyouroutsideturnoverslow!Ting–a–ling–ling!Chow–ow–ow!Getoutthathead–line!LIVELYnow!
Come—outwithyourspring–line—what'reyouaboutthere!
Takeaturnroundthatstumpwiththebightofit!Standbythatstage,now—lethergo!Donewiththeengines,sir!Ting–a–ling–ling!SH'T!S'H'T!SH'T!"(tryingthegauge–cocks).
Tomwentonwhitewashing—paidnoattentiontothesteamboat.Benstaredamomentandthensaid:"Hi–YI!YOU'REupastump,ain'tyou!"
Noanswer.Tomsurveyedhislasttouchwiththeeyeofanartist,thenhegavehisbrushanothergentlesweepandsurveyedtheresult,asbefore.Benrangedupalongsideofhim.
Tom'smouthwateredfortheapple,buthestucktohiswork.Bensaid:
"Hello,oldchap,yougottowork,hey?"
Tomwheeledsuddenlyandsaid:
"Why,it'syou,Ben!Iwarn'tnoticing."
"Say—I'mgoingina–swimming,Iam.Don'tyouwishyoucould?Butofcourseyou'ddrutherWORK—wouldn'tyou?Courseyouwould!"
Tomcontemplatedtheboyabit,andsaid:
"Whatdoyoucallwork?"
"Why,ain'tTHATwork?"
Tomresumedhiswhitewashing,andansweredcarelessly:
"Well,maybeitis,andmaybeitain't.AllIknow,is,itsuitsTomSawyer."
"Ohcome,now,youdon'tmeantoletonthatyouLIKEit?"
Thebrushcontinuedtomove.
"Likeit?Well,Idon'tseewhyIoughtn'ttolikeit.Doesaboygetachancetowhitewashafenceeveryday?"
Thatputthethinginanewlight.Benstoppednibblinghisapple.
Tomswepthisbrushdaintilybackandforth—steppedbacktonotetheeffect—addedatouchhereandthere—criticisedtheeffectagain—Benwatchingeverymoveandgettingmoreandmoreinterested,moreandmoreabsorbed.Presentlyhesaid:
"Say,Tom,letMEwhitewashalittle."
Tomconsidered,wasabouttoconsent;buthealteredhismind:
"No—no—Ireckonitwouldn'thardlydo,Ben.
Yousee,AuntPolly'sawfulparticularaboutthisfence—righthereonthestreet,youknow—butifitwasthebackfenceIwouldn'tmindandSHEwouldn't.
Yes,she'sawfulparticularaboutthisfence;it'sgottobedoneverycareful;Ireckonthereain'toneboyinathousand,maybetwothousand,thatcandoitthewayit'sgottobedone."
"No—isthatso?Ohcome,now—lemmejusttry.Onlyjustalittle—I'dletYOU,ifyouwasme,Tom."
"Ben,I'dliketo,honestinjun;butAuntPolly—well,Jimwantedtodoit,butshewouldn'tlethim;Sidwantedtodoit,andshewouldn'tletSid.Nowdon'tyouseehowI'mfixed?
Ifyouwastotacklethisfenceandanythingwastohappentoit—"
"Oh,shucks,I'llbejustascareful.Nowlemmetry.Say—I'llgiveyouthecoreofmyapple."
"Well,here—No,Ben,nowdon't.I'mafeard—"
"I'llgiveyouALLofit!"
Tomgaveupthebrushwithreluctanceinhisface,butalacrityinhisheart.
AndwhilethelatesteamerBigMissouriworkedandsweatedinthesun,theretiredartistsatonabarrelintheshadecloseby,dangledhislegs,munchedhisapple,andplannedtheslaughterofmoreinnocents.
Therewasnolackofmaterial;boyshappenedalongeverylittlewhile;theycametojeer,butremainedtowhitewash.
BythetimeBenwasfaggedout,TomhadtradedthenextchancetoBillyFisherforakite,ingoodrepair;andwhenheplayedout,JohnnyMillerboughtinforadeadratandastringtoswingitwith—andsoon,andsoon,hourafterhour.
Andwhenthemiddleoftheafternooncame,frombeingapoorpoverty–strickenboyinthemorning,Tomwasliterallyrollinginwealth.
Hehadbesidesthethingsbeforementioned,twelvemarbles,partofajews–harp,apieceofbluebottle–glasstolookthrough,aspoolcannon,akeythatwouldn'tunlockanything,afragmentofchalk,aglassstopperofadecanter,atinsoldier,acoupleoftadpoles,sixfire–crackers,akittenwithonlyoneeye,abrassdoorknob,adog–collar—butnodog—thehandleofaknife,fourpiecesoforange–peel,andadilapidatedoldwindowsash.
Hehadhadanice,good,idletimeallthewhile—plentyofcompany—andthefencehadthreecoatsofwhitewashonit!
Ifhehadn'trunoutofwhitewashhewouldhavebankruptedeveryboyinthevillage.
Tomsaidtohimselfthatitwasnotsuchahollowworld,afterall.
Hehaddiscoveredagreatlawofhumanaction,withoutknowingit—namely,thatinordertomakeamanoraboycovetathing,itisonlynecessarytomakethethingdifficulttoattain.
Ifhehadbeenagreatandwisephilosopher,likethewriterofthisbook,hewouldnowhavecomprehendedthatWorkconsistsofwhateverabodyisOBLIGEDtodo,andthatPlayconsistsofwhateverabodyisnotobligedtodo.
Andthiswouldhelphimtounderstandwhyconstructingartificialflowersorperformingonatread–milliswork,whilerollingten–pinsorclimbingMontBlancisonlyamusement.
TherearewealthygentlemeninEnglandwhodrivefour–horsepassenger–coachestwentyorthirtymilesonadailyline,inthesummer,becausetheprivilegecoststhemconsiderablemoney;butiftheywereofferedwagesfortheservice,thatwouldturnitintoworkandthentheywouldresign.
Theboymusedawhileoverthesubstantialchangewhichhadtakenplaceinhisworldlycircumstances,andthenwendedtowardheadquarterstoreport.
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