A Goodman is Hard to Find.docx

A Goodman is Hard to Find.docx

《A Goodman is Hard to Find.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《A Goodman is Hard to Find.docx（11页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

AGoodmanisHardtoFind

AGoodmanisHardtoFindbyFlanneryO’Conner

Thegrandmotherdidn'twanttogotoFlorida.ShewantedtovisitsomeofherconnectionsineastTennes-seeandshewasseizingateverychancetochangeBailey'smind.Baileywasthesonshelivedwith,heronlyboy.Hewassittingontheedgeofhischairatthetable,bentovertheorangesportssectionoftheJournal."Nowlookhere,Bailey,"shesaid,"seehere,readthis,"andshestoodwithonehandonherthinhipandtheotherrattlingthenewspaperathisbaldhead."HerethisfellowthatcallshimselfTheMisfitisaloosefromtheFederalPenandheadedtowardFloridaandyoureadherewhatitsayshedidtothesepeople.Justyoureadit.Iwouldn'ttakemychildreninanydirectionwithacriminallikethatalooseinit.Icouldn'tanswertomyconscienceifIdid."

Baileydidn'tlookupfromhisreadingsoshewheeledaroundthenandfacedthechildren'smother,ayoungwomaninslacks,whosefacewasasbroadandinnocentasacabbageandwastiedaroundwithagreenhead-kerchiefthathadtwopointsonthetoplikerabbit'sears.Shewassittingonthesofa,feedingthebabyhisapricotsoutofajar."ThechildrenhavebeentoFloridabefore,"theoldladysaid."Youalloughttotakethemsomewhereelseforachangesotheywouldseedifferentpartsoftheworldandbebroad.TheyneverhavebeentoeastTennessee."

Thechildren'smotherdidn'tseemtohearherbuttheeight-year-oldboy,JohnWesley,astockychildwithglasses,said,"Ifyoudon'twanttogotoFlorida,whydontchastayathome?

"Heandthelittlegirl,JuneStar,werereadingthefunnypapersonthefloor.

"Shewouldn'tstayathometobequeenforaday,"JuneStarsaidwithoutraisingheryellowhead.

"Yesandwhatwouldyoudoifthisfellow,TheMisfit,caughtyou?

"thegrandmotherasked.

"I'dsmackhisface,"JohnWesleysaid.

"Shewouldn'tstayathomeforamillionbucks,"JuneStarsaid."Afraidshe'dmisssomething.Shehastogoeverywherewego."

"Allright,Miss,"thegrandmothersaid."Justrememberthatthenexttimeyouwantmetocurlyourhair."

JuneStarsaidherhairwasnaturallycurly.

Thenextmorningthegrandmotherwasthefirstoneinthecar,readytogo.Shehadherbigblackvalisethatlookedliketheheadofahippopotamusinonecorner,andunderneathitshewashidingabasketwithPittySing,thecat,init.Shedidn'tintendforthecattobeleftaloneinthehouseforthreedaysbecausehewouldmisshertoomuchandshewasafraidhemightbrushagainstoneofhergasburnersandaccidentallyasphyxiatehimself.Herson,Bailey,didn'tliketoarriveatamotelwithacat.

ShesatinthemiddleofthebackseatwithJohnWesleyandJuneStaroneithersideofher.Baileyandthechildren'smotherandthebabysatinfrontandtheyleftAtlantaateightforty-fivewiththemileageonthecarat55890.Thegrandmotherwrotethisdownbecauseshethoughtitwouldbeinterestingtosayhowmanymilestheyhadbeenwhentheygotback.Ittookthemtwentyminutestoreachtheoutskirtsofthecity.

Theoldladysettledherselfcomfortably,removingherwhitecottonglovesandputtingthemupwithherpurseontheshelfinfrontofthebackwindow.Thechildren'smotherstillhadonslacksandstillhadherheadtiedupinagreenkerchief,butthegrandmotherhadonanavybluestrawsailorhatwithabunchofwhitevioletsonthebrimandanavybluedresswithasmallwhitedotintheprint.Hercollarsandcuffswerewhiteorgandytrimmedwithlaceandathernecklineshehadpinnedapurplesprayofclothvioletscontainingasachet.Incaseofanaccident,anyoneseeingherdeadonthehighwaywouldknowatoncethatshewasalady.

Shesaidshethoughtitwasgoingtobeagooddayfordriving,neithertoohotnortoocold,andshecautionedBaileythatthespeedlimitwasfifty-fivemilesanhourandthatthepatrolmenhidthemselvesbehindbillboardsandsmallclumpsoftreesandspedoutafteryoubeforeyouhadachancetoslowdown.Shepointedoutinterestingdetailsofthescenery:

StoneMountain;thebluegranitethatinsomeplacescameuptobothsidesofthehighway;thebrilliantredclaybanksslightlystreakedwithpurple;andthevariouscropsthatmaderowsofgreenlace-workontheground.Thetreeswerefullofsilver-whitesunlightandthemeanestofthemsparkled.Thechildrenwerereadingcomicmagazinesandtheirmotherandgonebacktosleep.

"Let'sgothroughGeorgiafastsowewon'thavetolookatitmuch,"JohnWesleysaid.

"IfIwerealittleboy,"saidthegrandmother,"Iwouldn'ttalkaboutmynativestatethatway.TennesseehasthemountainsandGeorgiahasthehills."

"Tennesseeisjustahillbillydumpingground,"JohnWesleysaid,"andGeorgiaisalousystatetoo."

"Yousaidit,"JuneStarsaid.

"Inmytime,"saidthegrandmother,foldingherthinveinedfingers,"childrenweremorerespectfuloftheirnativestatesandtheirparentsandeverythingelse.Peopledidrightthen.Ohlookatthecutelittlepickaninny!

"shesaidandpointedtoaNegrochildstandinginthedoorofashack."Wouldn'tthatmakeapicture,now?

"sheaskedandtheyallturnedandlookedatthelittleNegrooutofthebackwindow.Hewaved

"Hedidn'thaveanybritcheson,"JuneStarsaid.

"Heprobablydidn'thaveany,"thegrandmotherexplained."Littleriggersinthecountrydon'thavethingslikewedo.IfIcouldpaint,I'dpaintthatpicture,"shesaid.

Thechildrenexchangedcomicbooks.

Thegrandmotherofferedtoholdthebabyandthechildren'smotherpassedhimoverthefrontseattoher.Shesethimonherkneeandbouncedhimandtoldhimaboutthethingstheywerepassing.Sherolledhereyesandscreweduphermouthandstuckherleatherythinfaceintohissmoothblandone.Occasionallyhegaveherafarawaysmile.Theypassedalargecottonfieldwithfiveorfixgravesfencedinthemiddleofit,likeasmallisland."Lookatthegraveyard!

"thegrandmothersaid,pointingitout."Thatwastheoldfamilyburyingground.Thatbelongedtotheplantation."

"Where'stheplantation?

"JohnWesleyasked.

"GoneWiththeWind"saidthegrandmother."Ha.Ha."

Whenthechildrenfinishedallthecomicbookstheyhadbrought,theyopenedthelunchandateit.Thegrandmotherateapeanutbuttersandwichandanoliveandwouldnotletthechildrenthrowtheboxandthepapernapkinsoutthewindow.Whentherewasnothingelsetodotheyplayedagamebychoosingacloudandmakingtheothertwoguesswhatshapeitsuggested.JohnWesleytookonetheshapeofacowandJuneStarguessedacowandJohnWesleysaid,no,anautomobile,andJuneStarsaidhedidn'tplayfair,andtheybegantoslapeachotheroverthegrandmother.

Thegrandmothersaidshewouldtellthemastoryiftheywouldkeepquiet.Whenshetoldastory,sherolledhereyesandwavedherheadandwasverydramatic.ShesaidoncewhenshewasamaidenladyshehadbeencourtedbyaMr.EdgarAtkinsTeagardenfromJasper,Georgia.Shesaidhewasaverygood-lookingmanandagentlemanandthathebroughtherawatermeloneverySaturdayafternoonwithhisinitialscutinit,E.A.T.Well,oneSaturday,shesaid,Mr.TeagardenbroughtthewatermelonandtherewasnobodyathomeandheleftitonthefrontporchandreturnedinhisbuggytoJasper,butshenevergotthewatermelon,shesaid,becauseaniggerboyateitwhenhesawtheinitials,E.A.T.!

ThisstorytickledJohnWesley'sfunnyboneandhegiggledandgiggledbutJuneStardidn'tthinkitwasanygood.Shesaidshewouldn'tmarryamanthatjustbroughtherawatermelononSaturday.ThegrandmothersaidshewouldhavedonewelltomarryMr.TeagardenbecausehewasagentlemanandhadboughtCoca-Colastockwhenitfirstcameoutandthathehaddiedonlyafewyearsago,averywealthyman.

TheystoppedatTheTowerforbarbecuedsand-wiches.TheTowerwasapartstuccoandpartwoodfillingstationanddancehallsetinaclearingoutsideofTimothy.AfatmannamedRedSammyButtsranitandthereweresignsstuckhereandthereonthebuildingandformilesupanddownthehighwaysaying,TRYREDSAMMY'SFAMOUSBARBECUE.NONELIKEFAMOUSREDSAMMY'S!

REDSAM!

THEFATBOYWITHTHEHAPPYLAUGH.AVETERAN!

REDSAMMY'SYOURMAN!

RedSammywaslyingonthebaregroundoutsideTheTowerwithhisheadunderatruckwhileagraymonkeyaboutafoothigh,chainedtoasmallchinaberrytree,chatterednearby.Themonkeysprangbackintothetreeandgotonthehighestlimbassoonashesawthechildrenjumpoutofthecarandruntowardhim.

Inside,TheTowerwasalongdarkroomwithacounteratoneendandtablesattheotheranddancingspaceinthemiddle.TheyallsatdownataboardtablenexttothenickelodeonandRedSam'swife,atallburnt-brownwomanwithhairandeyeslighterthanherskin,cameandtooktheirorder.Thechildren'smotherputadimeinthemachineandplayed"TheTennesseeWaltz,"andthegrandmothersaidthattunealwaysmadeherwanttodance.SheaskedBaileyifhewouldliketodancebutheonlyglaredather.Hedidn'thaveanaturallysunnydispositionlikeshedidandtripsmadehimnervous.Thegrandmother'sbrowneyeswereverybright.Sheswayedherheadfromsidetosideandpretendedshewasdancinginherchair.JuneStarsaidplaysomethingshecouldtaptosothechildren'smotherputinanotherdimeandplayedafastnumberandJuneStarsteppedoutontothedanceflooranddidhertaproutine.

"Ain'tshecute?

"RedSam'swifesaid,leaningoverthecounter."Wouldyouliketocomebemylittlegirl?

"

"NoIcertainlywouldn't,"JuneStarsaid."Iwouldn'tliveinabroken-downplacelikethisforamillionbucks!

"andsheranbacktothetable.

"Ain'tshecute?

"