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发布时间：2024-01-14 19:34:59 来源：文档文库
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ABabyTrampbyAmbroseBierceIfyouhadseenlittleJostandingatthestreetcornerintherain,youwouldhardlyhaveadmiredhim.Itwasapparentlyanordinaryautumnrainstorm,butthewaterwhichfelluponJo(whowashardlyoldenoughtobeeitherjustorunjust,andsoperhapsdidnotcomeunderthelawofimpartialdistributionappearedtohavesomepropertypeculiartoitself:onewouldhavesaiditwasdarkandadhesive--sticky.Butthatcouldhardlybeso,eveninBlackburg,wherethingscertainlydidoccurthatwereagooddealoutofthecommon.Forexample,tenortwelveyearsbefore,ashowerofsmallfrogshadfallen,asiscrediblyattestedbyacontemporaneouschronicle,therecordconcludingwithasomewhatobscurestatementtotheeffectthatthechroniclerconsidereditgoodgrowing-weatherforFrenchmen.SomeyearslaterBlackburghadafallofcrimsonsnow;itiscoldinBlackburgwhenwinterison,andthesnowsarefrequentanddeep.Therecanbenodoubtofit--thesnowinthisinstancewasofthecolourofbloodandmeltedintowaterofthesamehue,ifwateritwas,notblood.Thephenomenonhadattractedwideattention,andsciencehadasmanyexplanationsastherewerescientistswhoknewnothingaboutit.ButthemenofBlackburg--menwhoformanyyearshadlivedrighttherewheretheredsnowfell,andmightbesupposedtoknowagooddealaboutthematter--shooktheirheadsandsaidsomethingwouldcomeofit.Andsomethingdid,forthenextsummerwasmadememorablebytheprevalenceofamysteriousdisease--epidemic,endemic,ortheLordknowswhat,thoughthephysiciansdidn't--whichcarriedawayafullhalfofthepopulation.Mostoftheotherhalfcarriedthemselvesawayandwereslowtoreturn,butfinallycameback,andwerenowincreasingandmultiplyingasbefore,butBlackburghadnotsincebeenaltogetherthesame.Ofquiteanotherkind,thoughequally'outofthecommon,'wastheincidentofHettyParlow'sghost.HettyParlow'smaidennamehadbeenBrownon,andinBlackburgthatmeantmorethanonewouldthink.TheBrownonshadfromtimeimmemorial--fromtheveryearliestoftheoldcolonialdays--beentheleadingfamilyofthetown.Itwastherichestanditwasthebest,andBlackburgwouldhaveshedthelastdropofitsplebeianbloodindefenceoftheBrownonfairfame.Asfewofthefamily'smembershadeverbeenknowntolivepermanentlyawayfromBlackburg,althoughmostofthemwereeducatedelsewhereandnearlyallhadtravelled,therewasquiteanumberofthem.Themenheldmostofthepublicoffices,andthewomenwereforemostinallgood
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works.Oftheselatter,Hettywasmostbelovedbyreasonofthesweetnessofherdisposition,thepurityofhercharacterandhersingularpersonalbeauty.ShemarriedinBostonayoungscapegracenamedParlow,andlikeagoodBrownonbroughthimtoBlackburgforthwithandmadeamanandatowncouncillorofhim.TheyhadachildwhichtheynamedJosephanddearlyloved,aswasthenthefashionamongparentsinallthatregion.Thentheydiedofthemysteriousdisorderalreadymentioned,andattheageofonewholeyearJosephsetupasanorphan.UnfortunatelyforJosephthediseasewhichhadcutoffhisparentsdidnotstopatthat;itwentonandextirpatednearlythewholeBrownoncontingentanditsalliesbymarriage;andthosewhofleddidnotreturn.Thetraditionwasbroken,theBrownonestatespassedintoalienhands,andtheonlyBrownonsremaininginthatplacewereundergroundinOakHillCemetery,where,indeed,wasacolonyofthempowerfulenoughtoresisttheencroachmentofsurroundingtribesandholdthebestpartofthegrounds.Butabouttheghost:Onenight,aboutthreeyearsafterthedeathofHettyParlow,anumberoftheyoungpeopleofBlackburgwerepassingOakHillCemeteryinawagon--ifyouhavebeenthereyouwillrememberthattheroadtoGreentonrunsalongsideitonthesouth.TheyhadbeenattendingaMayDayfestivalatGreenton;andthatservestofixthedate.Altogethertheremayhavebeenadozen,andajollypartytheywere,consideringthelegacyofgloomleftbythetown'srecentsombreexperiences.Astheypassedthecemeterythemandrivingsuddenlyreinedinhisteamwithanexclamationofsurprise.Itwassufficientlysurprising,nodoubt,forjustahead,andalmostattheroadside,thoughinsidethecemetery,stoodtheghostofHettyParlow.Therecouldbenodoubtofit,forshehadbeenpersonallyknowntoeveryyouthandmaidenintheparty.Thatestablishedthething'sidentity;itscharacterasghostwassignifiedbyallthecustomarysigns--theshroud,thelong,undonehair,the'far-awaylook'--everything.Thisdisquietingapparitionwasstretchingoutitsarmstowardthewest,asifinsupplicationfortheeveningstar,which,certainly,wasanalluringobject,thoughobviouslyoutofreach.Astheyallsatsilent(sothestorygoeseverymemberofthatpartyofmerrymakers--theyhadmerrymadeoncoffeeandlemonadeonly--distinctlyheardthatghostcallthename'Joey,Joey!' 