好人难寻原文agoodmanishardtofind.docx
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好人难寻原文agoodmanishardtofind.docx
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好人难寻原文agoodmanishardtofind
AGoodManIsHardToFind
byFlanneryO’Connor
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."Justre-memberthatthenexttimeyouwantmetocurlyourhair."
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
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