washed and cried and cried and washed, as Clara Belle had always



seen her, it was either because of some hidden sorrow, or because

her poor strength seemed all at once to have deserted her.



Just when employment and good fortune had come to the

step-children, and her own were better fed and clothed than ever



before, the pain that had always lurked, constant but dull, near

her tired heart, grew fierce and triumphantly strong; clutching



her in its talons, biting, gnawing, worrying, leaving her each

week with slighter powers of resistance. Still hope was in the



air and a greater content than had ever been hers was in her

eyes; a content that came near to happiness when the doctor



ordered her to keep her bed and sent for Clara Belle. She could

not wash any longer, but there was the ever new miracle of the



Saturday night remittance for household expenses.

"Is your pain bad today, mother," asked Clara Belle, who, only



lately given away, was merely borrowed from Mrs. Fogg for what

was thought to be a brief emergency.



"Well, there, I can't hardly tell, Clara Belle," Mrs. Simpson

replied, with a faint smile. "I can't seem to remember the pain



these days without it's extra bad. The neighbors are so kind;

Mrs. Little has sent me canned mustard greens, and Mrs. Benson



chocolate ice cream and mince pie; there's the doctor's drops to

make me sleep, and these blankets and that great box of eatables



from Mr. Ladd; and you here to keep me comp'ny! I declare I'm

kind o' dazed with comforts. I never expected to see sherry wine



in this house. I ain't never drawed the cork; it does me good

enough jest to look at Mr. Ladd's bottle settin' on the



mantel-piece with the fire shinin' on the brown glass."

Mr. Simpson had come to see his wife and had met the doctor just



as he was leaving the house.

"She looks awful bad to me. Is she goin' to pull through all



right, same as the last time?" he asked the doctor nervously.

"She's going to pull right through into the other world," the



doctor answered bluntly; "and as there don't seem to be anybody

else to take the bull by the horns, I'd advise you, having made



the woman's life about as hard and miserable as you could, to try

and help her to die easy!"



Abner, surprised and crushed by the weight of this verbal

chastisement, sat down on the doorstep, his head in his hands,



and thought a while solemnly. Thought was not an operation he was

wont to indulge in, and when he opened the gate a few minutes



later and walked slowly toward the barn for his horse, he looked

pale and unnerved. It is uncommonly startling, first to see



yourself in another man's scornful eyes, and then, clearly, in

your own.



Two days later he came again, and this time it was decreed that

he should find Parson Carll tying his piebald mare at the post.



Clara Belle's quick eye had observed the minister as he alighted

from his buggy, and, warning her mother, she hastily smoothed the



bedclothes, arranged the medicine bottles, and swept the hearth.

"Oh! Don't let him in!" wailed Mrs. Simpson, all of a flutter at



the prospect of such a visitor. "Oh, dear! They must think over

to the village that I'm dreadful sick, or the minister wouldn't



never think of callin'! Don't let him in, Clara Belle! I'm afraid

he will say hard words to me, or pray to me; and I ain't never



been prayed to since I was a child! Is his wife with him?"

"No; he's alone; but father's just drove up and is hitching at



the shed door."

"That's worse than all!" and Mrs. Simpson raised herself feebly



on her pillows and clasped her hands in despair. "You mustn't let

them two meet, Clara Belle, and you must send Mr. Carll away;



your father wouldn't have a minister in the house, nor speak to

one, for a thousand dollars!"



"Be quiet, mother! Lie down! It'll be all right! You'll only fret

yourself into a spell! The minister's just a good man; he won't



say anything to frighten you. Father's talking with him real

• trifle [´traifəl] n.琐事，小事；少量 (初中英语单词)


• consult [kən´sʌlt] v.商量；磋商；请教 (初中英语单词)


• background [´bækgraund] n.背景；经历；幕后 (初中英语单词)


• voyage [´vɔi-idʒ] n.&vi.航海；航程；旅行 (初中英语单词)


• lonely [´ləunli] a.孤独的；无人烟的 (初中英语单词)


• dwelling [´dweliŋ] n.住所；寓所 (初中英语单词)


• working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)


• humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)


• capable [´keipəbəl] a.有能力；能干的 (初中英语单词)


• assistant [ə´sistənt] n.助手；助理；助教 (初中英语单词)


• stolen [´stəulən] steal 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• punishment [´pʌniʃmənt] n.罚，刑罚 (初中英语单词)


• wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)


• sympathy [´simpəθi] n.同情，怜悯 (初中英语单词)


• lately [´leitli] ad.近来，不久前 (初中英语单词)


• spiritual [´spiritʃuəl] a.精神(上)的；神圣的 (初中英语单词)


• bundle [´bʌndl] n.包，捆；包袱(裹) (初中英语单词)


• regiment [´redʒimənt] n.团；一大群 (初中英语单词)


• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)


• laughter [´lɑ:ftə] n.笑，笑声 (初中英语单词)


• platform [´plætfɔ:m] n.(平)台；讲台；站台 (初中英语单词)


• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)


• vanity [´væniti] n.虚荣；自负；空虚 (初中英语单词)


• partner [´pɑ:tnə] n.伙伴 v.同….合作 (初中英语单词)


• poverty [´pɔvəti] n.贫穷(乏，瘠)；不足 (初中英语单词)


• probable [´prɔbəbəl] a.大概的n.很可能的事 (初中英语单词)


• doubtless [´dautlis] ad.无疑地；大概，多半 (初中英语单词)


• stable [´steibəl] n.马棚 a.稳固的 (初中英语单词)


• employer [im´plɔiə] n.雇佣者，雇主 (初中英语单词)


• responsibility [ri,spɔnsə´biliti] n.责任(心)；职责；任务 (初中英语单词)


• freely [´fri:li] ad.自由地；慷慨地 (初中英语单词)


• admiration [,ædmə´reiʃən] n.赞赏，钦佩 (初中英语单词)


• astonishment [ə´stɔniʃmənt] n.吃惊；惊异 (初中英语单词)


• generous [´dʒenərəs] a.慷慨的；丰盛的 (初中英语单词)


• hidden [´hid(ə)n] hide 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• employment [im´plɔimənt] n.工作；职业；雇用 (初中英语单词)


• constant [´kɔnstənt] a.坚定的；坚贞的 (初中英语单词)


• fierce [fiəs] a.残忍的；强烈的 (初中英语单词)


• resistance [ri´zistəns] n.抵抗；抵制；耐力 (初中英语单词)


• miracle [´mirəkl] n.奇迹；令人惊奇的 (初中英语单词)


• advise [əd´vaiz] vt.忠告；建议；通知 (初中英语单词)


• miserable [´mizərəbəl] a.悲惨的；可怜的 (初中英语单词)


• minister [´ministə] n.部长；大臣 v.伺候 (初中英语单词)


• hastily [´heistili] ad.急速地；草率地 (初中英语单词)


• flutter [´flʌtə] vi.飘扬；摆 n.拍动 (初中英语单词)


• prospect [´prɔspekt, prəs´pekt] n.景色；境界 v.勘察 (初中英语单词)


• visitor [´vizitə] n.访问者；来宾；参观者 (初中英语单词)


• dreadful [´dredful] a.可怕的；讨厌的 (初中英语单词)


• despair [di´speə] vi.&n.绝望 (初中英语单词)


• frighten [´fraitn] vt.吓唬，使惊惧 (初中英语单词)


• mariner [´mærinə] n.海员；水手 (高中英语单词)


• crowded [´kraudid] a.充(拥)满了的 (高中英语单词)


• colonel [´kə:nəl] n.海(陆)军上校 (高中英语单词)


• eldest [´eldist] a.最年长的 (高中英语单词)


• appreciation [ə,pri:ʃi´eiʃən] n.评价；感激 (高中英语单词)


• doubtful [´dautful] a.怀疑的，可疑的 (高中英语单词)


• decidedly [di´saididli] ad.坚决地，果断地 (高中英语单词)


• community [kə´mju:niti] n.团体；社区；公众 (高中英语单词)


• refreshment [ri´freʃmənt] n.精神爽快 (高中英语单词)


• tavern [´tævən] n.小酒馆；客栈 (高中英语单词)


• patriotic [,pætri´ɔtik] a.爱国的 (高中英语单词)


• unexpected [ʌniks´pektid] a.突然的；意外的 (高中英语单词)


• resentment [ri´zentmənt] n.不满；怨恨；忿恨 (高中英语单词)


• throng [θrɔŋ] n.群众 v.拥挤；群集 (高中英语单词)


• ragged [´rægid] a.衣服破烂的 (高中英语单词)


• theirs [ðeəz] pron.他们的 (高中英语单词)


• profitable [´prɔfitəbəl] a.有益的；有用的 (高中英语单词)


• puritan [´pjuəritən] n.&a.清教徒(的) (高中英语单词)


• positively [´pɔzətivli] ad.确实；断然；绝对 (高中英语单词)


• temptation [temp´teiʃən] n.引诱，诱惑(物) (高中英语单词)


• thankful [´θæŋkfəl] a.感激的；欣慰的 (高中英语单词)


• solemnly [´sɔləmli] ad.严肃地，庄严地 (高中英语单词)


• indulge [in´dʌldʒ] v.(使)沉迷；沉溺；放任 (高中英语单词)


• startling [´stɑ:tliŋ] a.惊人的 (高中英语单词)


• parson [´pɑ:sən] n.教区牧师 (高中英语单词)


• trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)


• frosty [´frɔsti] a.霜冻的；冷淡的 (英语四级单词)


• fishing [´fiʃiŋ] n.钓鱼；捕鱼；渔业 (英语四级单词)


• shingle [´ʃiŋgəl] n.盖屋板；木瓦 (英语四级单词)


• freshly [´freʃli] ad.新近，刚才 (英语四级单词)


• unconsciously [ʌn´kɔʃəsli] ad.无意识地；不觉察地 (英语四级单词)


• unexpectedly [´ʌniks´pektidli] ad.意外地；突然地 (英语四级单词)


• daring [´deəriŋ] a.&n.勇敢(的) (英语四级单词)


• virtuous [´və:tjuəs] a.道德的；善良的 (英语四级单词)


• vicious [´viʃəs] a.不道德的；刻毒的 (英语四级单词)


• triumphantly [trai´ʌmfəntli] ad.胜利地；洋洋得意地 (英语四级单词)


• mustard [´mʌstəd] n.芥菜；芥末(色) (英语四级单词)


• warning [´wɔ:niŋ] n.警告；前兆 a.预告的 (英语四级单词)


• capacious [kə´peiʃəs] a.广阔的；容积大的 (英语六级单词)


• discouragement [dis´kʌrridʒmənt] n.挫折，气馁 (英语六级单词)


• minded [´maindid] a.有…心的 (英语六级单词)


• irritable [´iritəbəl] a.急躁的；过敏的 (英语六级单词)


• festive [´festiv] a.喜庆的，欢乐的 (英语六级单词)


• outskirts [´autskə:ts] n.外边；郊区 (英语六级单词)


• estimation [,esti´meiʃən] n.估计；评价；判断 (英语六级单词)


• biting [´baitiŋ] a.刺痛的；尖利的 (英语六级单词)


• bluntly [´blʌntli] ad.钝，迟钝地；直率地 (英语六级单词)


• doorstep [´dɔ:step] n.门阶 (英语六级单词)


• scornful [´skɔ:nful] a.轻蔑的，藐视的 (英语六级单词)