If You Give Me Three Days of Light: The Best Collection of Helen Keller

Chapter 17 The Second Half of My Life (Continued) (2)
On May 1905, 5, my second year out of college, Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Macy were married.For a long time, I have been expecting Mrs. Sullivan to meet a good man and have a happy home, so for their marriage, I
I am sincerely delighted, and sincerely wish them happiness forever.

The wedding was officiated by one of our friends, Dr. Edward Hale, in a beautiful white house.After the wedding, the newlyweds went to New Orleans for their honeymoon, and my mother took me back south for a vacation.

But six or seven days later, the Macys suddenly appeared in the hotel where my mother and I were staying, and we were shocked.Seeing two of my favorite people in the beauty of early summer in the South was a real surprise, like a dream.

Mr. Macy told me: "This place is full of the fragrance of magnolias, and the most beautiful song of birds." The honeymooning couple may regard the chirping of birds as the best gift for their newlyweds Goodbye.

So, the four of us returned to our home in Lianshan together.At this time, I vaguely heard some gossip, and it turned out that those good-natured people speculated for no reason: "Ms. Sullivan is married, poor Helen must be very sad, and maybe she will be jealous!" So write to comfort me.But they must have never imagined that not only would I not be sad or jealous, but my life would be happier and more fulfilling than in the past.

Mr. Sullivan is kind-hearted and noble, and Mr. Macy is also kind and enthusiastic. The stories he tells often make me laugh, and he often teaches me some common sense and scientific knowledge that I should know, and occasionally discusses some current issues with me. literary trends.I once delayed my normal writing speed due to a typewriter failure. In the end, in order to catch up with the draft, Mr. Macy typed 40 manuscript papers for me overnight.At that time, I was invited to write an article for "Century Magazine", mainly to describe some trivial things that happened around me. The title of the article was "Common Sense and Miscellaneous Senses".As Lady Jane Austen had written a book on the same title, my manuscripts were published together under the title The World I Dwell.I've been in the best mood during the writing process, and this is the most enjoyable book I've ever written.I wrote about the charming scenery of New England, and I discussed the philosophical issues that came to my mind, in short, I wrote about anything I wanted to write about as long as I thought about it.

The next book was "Song of the Stone Wall".This is a collection of poems inspired by the pastoral.One day, we went to the field to repair the ancient stone wall. The breath of spring and the joy of labor made me conceive one after another poems praising the joy of spring in my heart.Mr. Massey has given me great assistance in sorting out these poems.He unceremoniously pointed out his dissatisfaction, and unreservedly praised the lines he admired.In this way, a poem manuscript is always chanted by us over and over again, repeatedly considered, revised and revised.Mr. Macy often said: "We have done it so hard and honestly, if there is still something bad, there is nothing we can do about it."

After arriving in Lianshan, we thought of our father's life on a farm in Alabama, so we also planned to live a simple pastoral life, wanting to raise some livestock and grow crops.At first we only had a dog named Fitz that we brought from Cambridge, but he died a little over a year after we moved here.Later, we raised several dogs one after another.We once went to a nearby chicken farm to buy a few chickens to raise, and everyone took care of them enthusiastically. Unexpectedly, these chickens were too embarrassing for us.

They also died one after another.

Since we felt it would be a pity to have a few houses empty there, we decided to turn it into a stable for horses.We bought a wild, untamed and extremely fierce horse. The boy who delivered the horse was thrown off two or three times on the way, but the boy didn’t say a word when he handed the horse to us, so we didn’t know it at all.Early next morning, Mr. Macy got his horse and hitched the wagon to go to town.But not far from the gate, the horse suddenly jumped violently.Mr. Macy felt strange, thinking that there was something wrong with the harness on the horse, so he got out of the car to check.When Mr. Macy just unloaded the trailer from the horse, the horse suddenly stood up and let out a long neigh.
Then he ran wildly and ran away.Two days later, a neighboring farmer saw a horse wandering in the forest, still harnessed, and brought it back.

We had no choice but to sell the lost horse to a horse trainer.Since we were in short supply during that time, someone suggested that we grow apples.So we bought another 100 fruit tree seedlings and started planting apples.By the fifth year, the fruit tree begins to bear fruit.I got excited and jotted down the number of apples, their sizes, etc. in my notebook.

One afternoon, a servant came running in exasperatedly, shouting, "Oh, that's terrible! Bison! Buffalo!"

When we heard the news, we immediately ran to the window to see what happened. It wasn't a bison, but a wild deer that came down from a nearby mountain. It seemed that the whole family was dispatched.A couple of deer came to our apple orchard with 3 fawns. They were so charming in the sunshine that everyone was fascinated by them.However, this group of uninvited guests suddenly turned upside down unceremoniously.After they left, everyone was relieved and hurried out to check the "disaster".

God, only five or six of the 100 apple trees are left!In this way, the various agricultural and animal husbandry schemes we tried to operate all failed.In my recollection, however, it was an interesting and fulfilling life.The apple trees that Mr. Macy had carefully cultivated in the yard were growing well and bearing many fruits.Every autumn when the fruit is ripe, I will take a ladder to pick apples and fill each wooden barrel.When everyone tidied up the garden together, I always patiently picked up the dead branches on the ground and bundled them into bundles of firewood.

Mr. Macy also thought of a good way, which is to tie some wires to the trees along the road leading to the hillside outside the house, so that I can go to the forest alone by holding on to the wires.There are tall goldenrods in the forest, and wild carrots in flower.That "wire trail" is four to five hundred meters long, that is to say, I don't need anyone to accompany me, and I can walk that far without worrying about getting lost.This incident meant so much to me that even now thinking about it, I still feel excited.

In the eyes of ordinary people, there are many things that seem not worth mentioning, but I enjoy freedom and happiness from them.I often go out to bask in the sun alone, and my mood becomes very happy because of it.All this was given to me by Mr. Massey, and I am sincerely grateful to him.

The period in Lianshan was from 1905 to 1911. At that time, there were no cars, no planes, no radios, and no war was heard anywhere. Everyone lived a peaceful and leisurely life.

getting acquainted with mark twain

I heard the name of Mr. Mark Twain very early, probably around 1894, when I was not sensible, and as I grew older, his influence on me became more and more profound.He taught me the warmth of human affection and the preciousness of life.Besides Mr. Bell and Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Twain is my favorite.

I first met Mr. Mark Twain at the home of Mr. Lawrence Hughton in New York when I was fourteen years old.

When I shook hands with him, I had an intuition: "Ah! This is the one who can help me." On that day, his humorous talk made me very happy.

Since then, I have seen Mr. Mark Twain several times at the homes of Mr. Hughton and Mr. Lodge.If something important happened, we would all communicate with each other.

Mr. Mark Twain is a sensitive person who can understand the feelings of the handicapped. He often tells me some touching stories and interesting adventure stories he personally experienced, allowing me to see the bright side of life. encourage me.

One night, Mr. Mark Twain gave a speech in front of many celebrities in Mr. Hughton's study. Among the people who listened to the speech was Wilson, who later became the president.Mr. Mark Twain's speech was about the current situation in the Philippines.

He said: "About 600 Filipino women and children were hiding in the crater of an extinct volcano. However, Colonel Fonstone killed them all. A few days later, the colonel ordered his subordinates to pretend to be enemy soldiers. Arrested the Filipino patriot Aquinado and many others.” Mr. Twain angrily denounced this bloodthirsty and cruel military officer, and said with emotion: “If I hadn’t seen and heard it with my own eyes, I would have never seen it with my own eyes. I can't believe there are such inhuman people in the world."

For anything inhuman, whether it's a political event or a war, whether it's the killing of Filipinos, Panamanians, or any indigenous peoples in backward areas, Mark.Mr. Twain would have vehemently opposed it.He is not willing to remain silent, and will definitely criticize loudly, which is his consistent style.He despises those who boast and despises those who have no moral courage. In his opinion, a person should not only know what is right and what is wrong, but also criticize the evil deeds of hypocrites without fear.Therefore, he often challenges the evil forces mercilessly.

Mr. Mark Twain has always cared about me, and he will be very enthusiastic about anything related to me; and among all the people who know us, he respects Mrs. Sullivan the most, so he has always been our favorite. One of close friends.

Mr. Mark Twain and his wife were deeply affectionate, but unfortunately his wife died earlier than him. For this reason, he was very sad and felt that many things were missing in his life.He often said to people: "Whenever the guests who come to visit me leave, I always sit alone in front of the fire, feeling the unbearable taste of loneliness."

In the first year after his wife's death, he said in a conversation: "Last year was the saddest year in my life. If I didn't have many jobs to pass the time, I would hardly be able to live." I often regret not having more work.

Another time, I comforted him and said: "Please don't think so much, people all over the world respect you, and you will be famous in history. Bernard Shaw compared your works with Voltaire's articles, and the critic Ghib Lin also called you the Cervantes of America!"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Mark Twain replied, "You don't have to say these things to comfort me. Do you know, Helen? I have only one goal in everything I do, and that is to make people laugh because their laughter would make me happy."

Mr. Mark Twain is an important writer in the history of American literature.Not only that, I think he is a truly great American, because he has the spirit of the American ancestors to open up territories. He advocates freedom and equality, and he has a bold and hearty personality, informal and humorous.In short, he had all the virtues of a founding-age American.Not long after reading my book "The World I Live In," Mr. Mark Twain wrote a short note that surprised and delighted us, saying, "Can you three come to my house immediately and How many days will I live together in front of the fire?"

So, the three of us were very happy to pack up and set off.When we arrived at the local railway station, the carriage sent by Mr. Mark Twain to pick us up was already waiting there.It was February, and the hills and hills near and far were covered with a layer of snow, and the branches along the way were covered with jagged icicles, and the wind blowing in the pine forest carried a faint fragrance.

The carriage moved slowly on the winding mountain road.After finally climbing up a slope, a white building appeared in front of us.The person who met us told us that Mr. Mark Twain was waiting for us on the balcony.Finally the carriage drove into the huge stone gate, and they said again: "Look! Mr. Mark Twain is waving to us!" Glittering in the sun, like the white foam stirred up by the waves hitting the rocks, it is full of vitality."

We sat comfortably in front of the blazing fire, and the room smelled faintly of rosin.We drank hot black tea and ate toast with butter and felt very comfortable.Mr. Mark Twain told me that strawberry jam would be better on toast.After the break, Mr. Twain took the initiative to say that all ordinary visitors like to visit the living environment of the owner, and I believe we are no exception, so he proposed to take us around the house.

Next to the master bedroom is a corridor-shaped balcony where sunlight can come in directly. Many beautiful flowers and plants are planted inside, full of field interest.Through the corridor is the dining room and then another bedroom.We walked casually and came to an entertainment room with billiards. It is said that this is the place where Mr. Mark Twain stayed most often.Mr. Mark Twain led us closer to the table. He kindly told me that he would teach me how to play billiards. I said: "You must use your eyesight to play billiards. I'm afraid I can't play."

He said quickly, "That's right. But if you're as good as Mr. Lodge or Mr. Homer, they can still play very well with their eyes closed."

Next, we went upstairs to visit the owner's bedroom and admire the quaint and beautiful flower beds.

When the sun was about to sink, we looked out at the scenery outside in front of the large French windows.

"Helen, you might as well imagine what we can see when we stand here. The hill we are on is wrapped in a piece of silvery white. In the distance is a vast pine forest, and the left and right sides are endless The top of the hill is an intermittent stone wall. Above us is a slightly gray sky. The whole scene feels free, because it is quite primitive and makes you feel unrestrained. You can smell it and see it. Isn’t the burst of rosin wonderful?”

Our bedroom was next to Mr. Mark Twain's, and there was a pair of candlesticks on the fireplace, and next to the candlesticks there was a neatly written card where valuables were kept in the room.The reason why he did this was because there used to be thieves visiting here. In order to avoid being disturbed in the middle of the night, Mr. Mark Twain simply pointed out the location where he put it, and those who want to steal it can get it by themselves!This approach is in line with Mr. Mark Twain's humorous personality.

When dining, the sole task of the guests is to eat in peace, while the host plays the role of entertaining the guests.We often feel uneasy after a good meal without thanking the host.But Mr. Mark Twain’s thinking is different from ordinary people. He was afraid that the atmosphere of the guests would be too dull during the meal, so he often told some jokes to amuse everyone. He is really talented in this aspect, and every sentence is so lively and interesting.

He often even stood up and walked around, walking to one end of the table for a while, and then to the other end of the restaurant for a while.Sometimes he would come up behind me and ask me what my favorite food was while telling a story.When he is in the mood, he will pick a small flower and ask me to guess what it is. If I happen to guess it right, he will laugh and scream with joy, just like a child.

Sometimes, in order to test my alertness, Mr. Mark Twain would suddenly sneak into another room, play the organ, and observe me to see if I reacted to the vibrations caused by the sound.Later, Teacher Sullivan told me that it was very interesting for Mr. Mark Twain to watch me while playing the piano.

The floor in Mr. Mark Twain's house was tiled, so I had no sense of ordinary sound, but the vibrations of the music were carried to me along the table, so I was sometimes quick to detect them.At this time, Mr. Mark Twain was even more excited than I was.

After dinner, we sat in front of the fireplace and chatted, spending the happiest time of the day.Every morning around 10 o'clock, a servant will wake me up.After getting up, I went to say good morning to Mr. Mark Twain.At this time, he was probably wearing smart morning trousers, half leaning on the pillow, dictating articles, and the secretary wrote them down in shorthand.One day, as soon as he saw me entering the room, he said to me: "After lunch today, let's go for a walk together and see the nearby rural scenery?"

The walk that day was very enjoyable.Mr. Mark Twain was wearing a thick fur coat and a fur hat. He held my hand affectionately and described the scenery along the way to me while walking on the winding path.According to Mr. Mark Twain's description, I know that we are on a path between the rock wall and the small river. The scenery is beautiful and refreshing.

After enjoying the beautiful scenery of the creek and the pasture, we came to the stone wall covered with ivy again, and groped for the remaining traces of time on the stone.After walking a not-so-short mountain road, Mr. Mark Twain felt a little tired, so he decided to let Mr. Macy go back first and ask the carriage to pick us up.After Mr. Macy left, Mr. Mark Twain, Mr. Sullivan and I planned to walk to the road on the mountainside to wait for the carriage.

But where we are is still some distance from the main road on the mountainside, and we have to go through a narrow road in the middle, and it is full of thorns, and we have to cross a cold stream, and finally it is a slippery field covered with moss. On the ground, we almost fell several times.

"The road through the grass is getting smaller and smaller. If you keep walking along it, you will follow the squirrels and climb up the trees." Although Mr. Twain was tired from walking, he still kept his humorous nature, and he still talked and laughed happily.

(End of this chapter)