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《a waif of the plains(草原流浪儿) 》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。
1、AWAIFOFTHEPLAINSAWAIFOFTHEPLAINSbyBretHarte1AWAIFOFTHEPLAINSCHAPTERIAlonglevelofdullgraythatfurtherawaybecameafaintblue,withhereandtheredarkerpatchesthatlookedlikewater.Attimesanopenspace,blackenedandburntinanirregularcircle,withashredofnewspaper,anol
2、drag,orbrokentincanlyingintheashes.Beyondthesealwaysalowdarklinethatseemedtosinkintothegroundatnight,androseagaininthemorningwiththefirstlight,butneverotherwisechangeditsheightanddistance.Asenseofalwaysmovingwithsomeindefinitepurpose,butofalwaysreturn
3、ingatnighttothesameplace--withthesamesurroundings,thesamepeople,thesamebedclothes,andthesameawfulblackcanopydroppeddownfromabove.Achalkytasteofdustonthemouthandlips,agrittysenseofearthonthefingers,andanall-pervadingheatandsmellofcattle.Thiswas"TheGrea
4、tPlains"astheyseemedtotwochildrenfromthehoodeddepthofanemigrantwagon,abovetheswayingheadsoftoilingoxen,inthesummerof1852.Ithadappearedsotothemfortwoweeks,alwaysthesameandalwayswithouttheleastsensetothemofwonderormonotony.Whentheyvieweditfromtheroad,wa
5、lkingbesidethewagon,therewasonlytheteamitselfaddedtotheunvaryingpicture.Oneofthewagonsboreonitscanvashoodtheinscription,inlargeblackletters,"OfftoCalifornia!"ontheother"Root,Hog,orDie,"butneitherofthemawokeinthemindsofthechildrenthefaintestideaofplayf
6、ulnessorjocularity.Perhapsitwasdifficulttoconnecttheseriousmen,whooccasionallywalkedbesidethemandseemedtogrowmoretaciturnanddepressedasthedayworeon,withthispasteffusivepleasantry.Yettheimpressionsofthetwochildrendifferedslightly.Theeldest,aboyofeleven
7、,wasapparentlynewtothedomestichabitsandcustomsofalifetowhichtheyounger,agirlofseven,wasevidentlynativeandfamiliar.Thefoodwascoarseandlessskillfullypreparedthanthattowhichhehadbeenaccustomed.Therewasacertainfreedomandroughnessintheirintercourse,asimpli
8、citythatborderedalmoston2AWAIFOFTHEPLAINSrudenessintheirdomesticarrangements,andaspeechthatwasattimesalmostuntranslatabletohim.Hesleptinhisclothes,wrappedupinblankets;hewasconsciousthatinthematterofcleanlinesshewaslefttohimselftoovercomethedif
