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第10章 一个古怪的梦5（第1页）

Hey，Jones!ThatisoldColumbusJones—shroudcostfourhundreddollarsentiretrousseau，includingmonument，twenty-sevenhundred。Thiswasinthesringof1926。Itwasenormousstyleforthosedays。DeadeolecameallthewayfromtheAlleghaniestoseehisthings—theartythatoccuiedthegravenexttomineremembersitwell。Nowdoyouseethatindividualgoingalongwithaieceofahead-boardunderhisarm，oneleg-bonebelowhiskneegone，andnotathingintheworldon?ThatisBarstowDalhousie，andnexttoColumbusJoneshewasthemostsumtuouslyoutfittedersonthateverenteredourcemetery。

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"Weareallleaving。Wecannottoleratethetreatmentwearereceivingatthehandsofourdescendants。Theyoennewcemeteries，buttheyleaveustoourignominy。Theymendthestreets，buttheynevermendanythingthatisaboutusorbelongstous。Lookatthatcoffinofmine—yetItellyouinitsdayitwasaieceoffurniturethatwouldhaveattractedattentioninanydrawing-roominthiscity。Youmayhaveitifyouwantit—Icantaffordtoreairit。Putanewbottominher，andartofanewto，andabitoffreshliningalongtheleftside，andyoullfindheraboutascomfortableasanyrecetacleofherseciesyouevertried。

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"Nothanksno，dontmentionityouhavebeenciviltome，andIwouldgiveyoualltheroertyIhavegotbeforeIwouldseemungrateful。Nowthiswinding-sheetisakindofasweetthinginitsway，ifyouwouldliketo—No?Well，justasyousay，butIwishedtobefairandliberaltheresnothingmeanaboutme。Good-by，friend，Imustbegoing。Imayhaveagoodwaytogotonight—dontknow。Ionlyknowonethingforcertain，andthatisthatIamontheemigranttrailnow，andIllneversleeinthatcrazyoldcemeteryagain。IwilltraveltillIfiendresectablequarters，ifIhavetohoofittoNewJersey。Alltheboysaregoing。Itwasdecidedinublicconclave，lastnight，toemigrate，andbythetimethesunrisestherewontbeaboneleftinouroldhabitations。Suchcemeteriesmaysuitmysurvivingfriends，buttheydonotsuittheremainsthathavethehonortomaketheseremarks。Myoinionisthegeneraloinion。Ifyoudoubtit，goandseehowthedeartingghostsusetthingsbeforetheystarted。Theywerealmostriotousintheirdemonstrationsofdistaste。

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"Hello，herearesomeoftheBledsoes，andifyouwillgivemealiftwiththistombstoneIguessIwilljoincomanyandjogalongwiththem—mightyresectableoldfamily，theBledsoes，andusedtoalwayscomeoutinsix-horsehearsesandallthatsortofthingfiftyyearsagowhenIwalkedthesestreetsindaylight。Goodby，friend。

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Andwithhisgravestoneonhisshoulderhejoinedthegrislyrocession，dragginghisdamagedcoffinafterhim，fornotwithstandingheressedituonmesoearnestly，Iutterlyrefusedhishositality。Isuosethatforasmuchastwohoursthesesadoutcastswentclackingby，ladenwiththeirdismaleffects，andallthattimeIsatityingthem。

Oneortwooftheyoungestandleastdilaidatedamongtheminquiredaboutmidnighttrainsontherailways，buttherestseemedunacquaintedwiththatmodeoftravel，andmerelyaskedaboutcommonublicroadstovarioustownsandcities，someofwhicharenotonthemanow，andvanishedfromitandfromtheearthasmuchasthirtyyearsago，andsomefewofthemneverhadexistedanywherebutonmas，andrivateonesinreal-estateagenciesatthat。Andtheyaskedabouttheconditionofthecemeteriesinthesetownsandcities，andaboutthereutationthecitizensboreastoreverenceforthedead。

Thiswholematterinterestedmedeely，andlikewisecomelledmysymathyforthesehomelessones。Anditallseemingreal，andInotknowingitwasadream，Imentionedtooneshroudedwandereranideathathadenteredmyheadtoublishanaccountofthiscuriousandverysorrowfulexodus，butsaidalsothatIcouldnotdescribeittruthfully，andjustasitoccurred，withoutseemingtotriflewithagravesubjectandexhibitanirreverenceforthedeadthatwouldshockanddistresstheirsurvivingfriends。Butthisblandandstatelyremnantofaformercitizenleanedhimfarovermygateandwhiseredinmyear，andsaid:

"Donotletthatdisturbyou。Thecommunitythatcanstandsuchgraveyardsasthoseweareemigratingfromcanstandanythingabodycansayabouttheneglectedandforsakendeadthatlieinthem。

"

Atthatverymomentacockcrowed，andtheweirdrocessionvanishedandleftnotashredorabonebehind。Iawoke，andfoundmyselflyingwithmyheadoutofthebedand

"sagging

"downwardconsiderably—aositionfavorabletodreamingdreamswithmoralsinthem，maybe，butnotoetry。

NOTE。-Thereaderisassuredthatifthecemeteriesinhistownareketingoodorder，thisDreamisnotleveledathistownatall，butisleveledarticularlyandvenomouslyatthenexttown。