高山上的呼喊-go tell it on the mountain

第11部分 (第4/7頁)

　it　off；　for　itmade　him　look；　she　thought；　like　a　half…breed　gigolo。　In　details　such　as　this　he　was　always　veryeasy—he　would　always　put　on　a　clean　shirt；　or　get　his　hair　cut；　or　e　with　her　to　Uplift　meetingswhere　they　heard　speeches　by　prominent　Negroes　about　the　future　and　duties　of　the　Negro　race。

And　this　had　given　her；　in　the　beginning　of　their　marriage；　the　impression　that　she　controlled　him。

This　impression　had　been　entirely　and　disastrously　false。

When　he　had　left　her；　more　than　twenty　years　before；　and　after　more　than　ten　years　ofmarriage；　she　had　felt　for　that　moment　only　an　exhausted　exasperation　and　a　vast　relief。　He　had　notbeen　home　for　two　days　and　three　nights；　and　when　he　did　return　they　quarreled　with　more　thantheir　usual　bitterness。　All　of　the　rage　she　had　accumulated　during　their　marriage　was　told　him　inthat　evening　as　they　stood　in　their　small　kitchen。　He　was　still　wearing　overalls；　and　he　had　notshaved；　and　his　face　was　muddy　with　sweat　and　dirt。　He　had　said　nothing　for　a　long　while；　andthen　he　had　said：　‘All　right；　baby。　I　guess　you　don’t　never　want　to　see　me　no　more；　not　a　miserable；black　sinner　like　me。’　The　door　closed　behind　him；　and　she　heard　his　feet　echoing　down　the　longhall；　away。　She　stood　alone　in　the　kitchen；　holding　the　empty　coffee…pot　that　she　had　been　about　towash。　She　thought：　‘He’ll　e　back；　and　he’ll　e　back　drunk。’　And　then　she　had　thought；looking　about　the　kitchen：　‘Lord；　wouldn’t　it　be　a　blessing　if　he　didn’t　never　e　back　no　more。’

The　Lord　had　given　her　what　she　said　she　wanted；　as　was　often；　she　had　found；　His　bewilderingmethod　of　answering　prayer。　Frank　never　did　e　back。　He　lived　for　a　long　while　with　anotherwoman；　and　when　the　war　came　he　died　in　France。

Now；　somewhere　at　the　other　end　of　the