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1、THEHOUSEBEHINDTHECEDARSTHEHOUSEBEHINDTHECEDARSBYCHARLESW.CHESNUTT1THEHOUSEBEHINDTHECEDARSIASTRANGERFROMSOUTHCAROLINATimetouchesallthingswithdestroyinghand;andifheseemnowandthentobestowthebloomofyouth,thesapofspring,itisbutabriefmockery,tobesurelyandswi
2、ftlyfollowedbythewrinklesofoldage,thedryleavesandbarebranchesofwinter.AndyetthereareplaceswhereTimeseemstolingerlovinglylongafteryouthhasdeparted,andtowhichheseemsloathtobringtheevilday.Whohasnotknownsomeeven-temperedoldmanorwomanwhoseemedtohavedrunkof
3、thefountainofyouth?Whohasnotseensomewhereanoldtownthat,havinglongsinceceasedtogrow,yethelditsownwithoutperceptibledecline?Somesuchtritereflection--asappositetothesubjectasmostrandomreflectionsare--passedthroughthemindofayoungmanwhocameoutofthefrontdoor
4、ofthePatesvilleHotelaboutnineo'clockonefinemorninginspring,afewyearsaftertheCivilWar,andstarteddownFrontStreettowardthemarket-house.Arrivingatthetownlatethepreviousevening,hehadbeendrivenupfromthesteamboatinacarriage,fromwhichhehadbeenabletodistinguish
5、onlytheshadowyoutlinesofthehousesalongthestreet;sothatthismorningwalkwashisfirstopportunitytoseethetownbydaylight.Hewasdressedinasuitoflinenduck--thedaywaswarm--apanamastrawhat,andpatentleathershoes.Inappearancehewastall,dark,withstraight,black,lustrou
6、shair,andveryclean-cut,high-bredfeatures.Whenhepausedbytheclerk'sdeskonhiswayout,tolighthiscigar,thedayclerk,whohadjustcomeonduty,glancedattheregisterandreadthelastentry:--"`JOHNWARWICK,CLARENCE,SOUTHCAROLINA.'"OneoftheSouthCa'linabigbugs,Ireckon--prob
7、ablyincotton,orturpentine."ThegentlemanfromSouthCarolina,walkingdownthestreet,glancedabouthimwithaneagerlook,inwhichcuriosityandaffectionweremingledwithatouchofbitterness.Hesawlittlethatwasnotfamiliar,orthathehadnotseeninhisdreamsahundredtimesduringthe
8、pasttenyears.Therehadbeensomechanges,itistrue,somemelancholychanges,butscarcelyanythingbywayofadditionor2THEHOUSEBEHINDTHECEDARSimprovementtocounterbalancethem.Hereandthereblackenedanddismantledwallsmarkedtheplacewherehandsomebuildingso
