子浪小说

第10部分（第1页）

One　Sunday　at　a　camp…meeting；　when　Gabriel　was　twelve　years　old　and　was　to　be　baptized；Deborah　and　Florence　stood　on　the　banks　of　a　river　along　with　all　the　other　folks　and　watched　him。

Gabriel　had　not　wished　to　be　baptized。　The　thought　had　frightened　and　angered　him；　but　hismother　insisted　that　Gabriel　was　now　of　an　age　to　be　responsible　before　God　for　his　sins—shewould　not　shirk　the　duty；　laid　on　her　by　the　Lord；　of　doing　everything　within　he　power　to　bringhim　to　the　throne　of　grace。　On　the　banks　of　a　river；　under　the　violent　light　of　noon；　confessedbelievers　and　children　of　Gabriel’s　age　waited　to　be　led　into　the　water。　Standing　out；　waist…deepand　robed　in　white；　was　the　preacher；　who　would　hold　their　heads　briefly　under　the　water；　cryingout　to　Heaven　as　the　baptized　held　his　breath：　‘I　indeed　have　baptized　you　with　water：　but　He　shallbaptize　you　with　the　Holy　Ghost。’　Then；　as　they　rose　sputtering　and　blinded　and　were　led　to　theshore；　he　cried　out　again：　‘Go　thou　and　sin　no　more。’　They　came　up　from　the　water；　visibly　underthe　power　of　the　Lord；　and　on　the　shore　the　saints　awaited　them；　beating　their　tambourines。

Standing　bear　the　shore　were　the　elders　of　the　church；　holding　towels　with　which　to　cover　thenewly　baptized；　who　were　then　led　into　the　tents；　one　for　either　sex；　where　they　could　change　theirclothes。

At　last；　Gabriel；　dressed　in　an　old　white　shirt　and　short　linen　pants；　stood　on　the　edge　of　thewater。　Then　he　was　slowly　led　into　the　river；　where　he　had　so　often　splashed　naked；　until　hereached　the　preacher。　And　the　moment　that　the　preacher　threw　him　down；　crying　out　the　words　ofJohn　the　Baptist；　Gabriel　began　to　kick　and　sputter；　nearly　throwing　the　preacher　off　balance；　andthough　at　first　they　thought　that　it　was　the　power　of　the　Lord　that　worked　in　him；　they　realized　ashe　rose；　still　kicking　and　with　his　eyes　tightly　shut；　that　it　was　only　fury；　and　too　much　water　in　hisnose。　Some　folks　smiled；　but　Florence　and　Deborah　did　not　smile。　Though　Florence　had　also　been　indignant；　years　before　when　the　slimy　water　entered　her　incautiously　open　mouth；　she　had　doneher　best　not　to　sputter；　and　she　had　not　cried　out。　But　now；　here　came　Gabriel；　floundering　andfurious　up　the　bank；　and　what　she　looked　at；　with　an　anger　more　violent　than　any　she　had　feltbefore；　was　his　nakedness。　He　was　drenched；　and　his　thin；　white　clothes　clung　like　another　skin　tohis　black　body。　Florence　and　Deborah　looked　at　one　another；　while　the　singing　rose　to　coverGabriel’s　howling；　and　Deborah　looked　away。

Years　later；　Deborah　and　Florence　had　stood　on　Deborah’s　porch　at　night　and　watched　avomit…covered　Gabriel　stagger　up　the　moonlight　road；　and　Florence　had　cried　out：　‘I　hate　him！　Ihate　him！　Big；　black；　prancing　tomcat　of　a　nigger！’　And　Deborah　had　said；　in　that　heavy　voice　ofhers：　‘You　know；　honey；　the　Word　tell　us　to　hate　the　sin　but　not　the　sinner。’

In　nieen　hundred；　when　she　was　twenty…six；　Florence　walked　out　through　the　cabindoor。　She　had　thought　to　wait　until　her　mother；　who　was　so　ill　now　that　she　no　longer　stirred　out　ofbed；　should　be　buried—but　suddenly　she　knew　that　she　would　wait　no　longer；　the　time　had　e。

She　had　been　working　as　cook　and　serving…girl　for　a　large　white　family　in　town；　and　it　was　on　theday　her　master　proposed　that　she　bee　his　concubine　that　she　knew　her　life　among　thesewretched　people　had　e　to　its　destined　end。　She　left　her　employment　that　same　day　（leavingbehind　her　a　most　vehement　conjugal　bitterness）；　and　with　part　of　the　money　that　with　cunning；cruelty；　and　sacrifice　she　had　saved　over　a　period　of　years；　bought　a　railroad　ticket　to　New　York。

When　she　bout　it；　in　a　kind　of　scarlet　rage；　she　held　like　a　talisman　at　the　back　of　her　mind　thethought：　‘I　can　give　it　back；　I　can　sell　it。　This　don’t　mean　I　got　to　go。’　But　she　knew　that　nothingcould　stop　her。

And　it　was　this　leave…taking　that　came　to　stand；　in　Florence’s　latter　days；　and　with　othermany　witness；　at　her　bedside。　Gray　clouds　obscured　the　sun　that　day；　and　outside　the　cabin　windowshe　saw　that　mist　still　covered　the　ground。　Her　mother　lay　in　bed；　awake；　she　was　pleading　withGabriel；　who　had　been　out　drinking　the　night　before；　and　who　was　not　really　sober　now；　to　mendhis　ways　and　e　to　the　Lord。　And　Gabriel；　full　of　the　confusion；　and　pain；　and　guilt　that　were　hiswhenever　he　thought　of　how　he　made　his　mother　suffer；　but　that　became　nearly　insupportablewhen　she　taxed　him　with　it；　stood　before　the　mirror；　head　bowed；　buttoning　his　shirt。　Florenceknew　that　he　could　not　unlock　his　lips　to　speak；　he　could　not　say　yes　to　his　mother；　and　to　theLord；　and　he　could　not　say　no。

‘Honey；’　their　mother　was　saying；　‘don’t　you　let　your　old　mother　die　without　you　look　herin　the　eye　and　tell　her　she　going　to　see　you　in　glory。　You　hear　me；　boy？’

In　a　moment；　Florence　thought　with　scorn；　tears　would　fill　his　eyes；　and　he　would　promiseto　‘do　better。’　He　had　been　promising　to　‘do　better’　since　the　day　he　had　been　baptized。

She　put　down　her　bag　in　the　center　of　the　hateful　room。

‘Ma；’　she　said；　‘I’m　going。　I’m　a…going　this　morning。’

Now　that　she　had　said　it；　she　was　angry　with　herself　for　not　having　said　it　the　night　before；so　that　they　would　have　had　time　to　be　finished　with　their　weeping　and　their　arguments。　She　hadnot　trusted　herself　to　withstand　the　night　before；　but　now　there　was　almost　no　time　t。　The　center　of　her　mind　was　filled　with　the　image　of　the　great；　white　clock　at　the　railway　station；　on　which　thehands　did　not　cease　to　move。

‘You　going　where？’　her　mother　asked　sharply。　But　she　knew　that　her　mother　hadunderstood；　had　indeed　long　before　this　moment　known　that　this　time　would　e。　Theastonishment　with　which　she　stared　at　Florence’s　bag　was　not　altogether　astonishment；　but　astartled；　wary　attention。　A　danger　imagined　had　bee　present　and　real；　and　her　mother　wasalready　searching　for　a　way　to　break　Florence’s　will。　All　this　Florence　knew　in　a　moment；　and　itmade　her　stronger。　She　watched　her　mother；　waiting。

But　at　the　tone　of　his　mother’s　voice　Gabriel；　who　had　scarcely　heard　Florence’sannouncement；　so　grateful　had　he　been　that　something　had　occurred　to　distract　from　him　hismother’s　attention；　dropped　his　eyes　and　saw　Florence’s　traveling…bag。　And　he　repeated　hismother’s　question　in　a　stunned；　angry　voice；　understanding　it　only　as　the　words　hit　the　air：

‘Yes；　girl。　Where　you　think　you　going？’

‘I’m　going；　she　said；　‘to　New　York。　I　got　my　ticket。’

And　her　mother　watched　her。　For　a　moment　no　one　said　a　word。　Then；　Gabriel；　in　achanged　and　frightened　voice；　asked：

‘And　when　you　done　decide　that？’

She　did　not　look　at　him；　nor　answer　his　question。　She　continued　to　watch　her　mother。　‘I　gotmy　ticket；’　she　repeated。　‘I’m　going　on　the　morning　train。’

‘Girl；’　asked　her　mother；　quietly；　‘is　you　sure　you　know　what　you’s　doing？’

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