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seemed the woods come marchin' out to meet him An' the trees 'ud press
round him an' hustle him。 I got so I was scared o' th' trees。 I thought they
come nearer； Every day a little nearer； Closin' up round the house。 I never
went in t' th' woods Winters； Though in Summer I liked 'em well enough。
It warn't so bad when my little boy was with us。 He used to go sleddin' and
skatin'； An' every day his father fetched him to school in the pung An'
brought him back agin。 We scraped an' scraped fer Neddy； We wanted him
to have a education。 We sent him to High School； An' then he went up to
Boston to Technology。 He was a minin' engineer； An' doin' real well； A
credit to his bringin' up。 But his very first position ther was an explosion in
the mine。 And I'm glad！ I'm glad！ He ain't here to see me now。 Neddy！
Neddy！ I'm your mother still； Neddy。 Don't turn from me like that。 I can't
abear it。 I can't！ I can't！ What did you say？ Oh； yes； Sir。 I'm here。 I'm
very sorry； I don't know what I'm sayin'。 No； Sir； Not till after Neddy died。
'Twas the next Winter the silence come； I don't remember noticin' it afore。
That was five year ago； An' it's been gittin' worse an' worse。 I asked Ed to
put in a telephone。 I thought ef I felt the whisperin' comin' on I could ring
up some o' th' folks。 But Ed wouldn't hear of it。 He said we'd paid so much
for Neddy We couldn't hardly git along as 'twas。 An' he never understood
me wantin' to talk。 Well； this year was worse'n all the others； We had a
terrible spell o' stormy weather； An' the snow lay so thick You couldn't see
the fences even。 Out o' doors was as flat as the palm o' my hand； Ther
warn't a hump or a holler Fer as you could see。 It was so quiet The
snappin' o' the branches back in the wood…lot Sounded like pistol shots。 Ed
was out all day Same as usual。 An' it seemed he talked less'n ever。 He
didn't even say ‘Good…mornin''； once or twice； An' jest nodded or shook
his head when I asked him things。 On Monday he said he'd got to go over
to Benton Fer some oats。 I'd oughter ha' gone with him； But 'twas washin'
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day An' I was afeared the fine weather'd break； An' I couldn't do my dryin'。
All my life I'd done my work punctual； An' I couldn't fix my conscience
To go junketin' on a washin'…day。 I can't tell you what that day was to me。
It dragged an' dragged； Fer ther warn't no Ed ter break it in the middle Fer
dinner。 Every time I stopped stirrin' the water I heerd the whisperin' all
about me。 I stopped oftener'n I should To see ef 'twas still ther； An' it al'ays
was。 An' gittin' louder It seemed ter me。 Once I threw up the winder to feel
the wind。 That seemed most alive somehow。 But the woods looked so kind
of menacin' I closed it quick An' started to mangle's hard's I could； The
squeakin' was comfortin'。 Well； Ed come home 'bout four。 I seen him down
the road； An' I run out through the shed inter th' barn To meet him quicker。
I hollered out； ‘Hullo！' But he didn't say nothin'； He jest drove right in An'
climbed out o' th' sleigh An' commenced unharnessin'。 I asked him a heap
o' questions； Who he'd seed An' what he'd done。 Once in a while he'd nod
or shake； But most o' th' time he didn't do nothin'。 'Twas gittin' dark then；
An' I was in a state； With the loneliness An' Ed payin' no attention Like
somethin' warn't livin'。 All of a sudden it come； I don't know what； But I
jest couldn't stand no more。 It didn't seem 's though that was Ed； An' it
didn't seem as though I was me。 I had to break a way out somehow；
Somethin' was closin' in An' I was stiflin'。 Ed's loggin' axe was ther； An' I
took it。 Oh； my God！ I can't see nothin' else afore me all the time。 I run out
inter th' woods； Seemed as ef they was pullin' me； An' all the time I was
wadin' through the snow I seed Ed in front of me Where I'd laid him。 An' I
see him now。 There！ There！ What you holdin' me fer？ I want ter go to Ed；
He's bleedin'。 Stop holdin' me。 I got to go。 I'm comin'； Ed。 I'll be ther in a
minit。 Oh； I'm so tired！ （Faints）
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Clocks Tick a Century
Nightmare： A Tale for an Autumn Evening
It was a gusty night； With the wind booming； and swooping； Looping
round corners； Sliding over the cobble…stones； Whipping and veering； And
careering over the roofs Like a thousand clattering horses。 Mr。 Spruggins
had been dining in the city； Mr。 Spruggins was none too steady in his gait；
And the wind played ball with Mr。 Spruggins And laughed as it whistled
past him。 It rolled him along the street； With his little feet pit…a…patting on
the flags of the sidewalk； And his muffler and his coat…tails blown straight
out behind him。 It bumped him against area railings； And chuckled in his
ear when he said 〃Ouch！〃 Sometimes it lifted him clear off his little
patting feet And bore him in triumph over three grey flagstones and a
quarter。 The moon dodged in and out of clouds； winking。 It was all very
unpleasant for Mr。 Spruggins； And when the wind flung him hard against
his own front door It was a relief； Although the breath was quite knocked
out of him。 The gas…lamp in front of the house flared up； And the keyhole
was as big as a barn door； The gas…lamp flickered away to a sputtering
blue star； And the keyhole went out with it。 Such a stabbing； and jabbing；
And sticking； and picking； And poking； and pushing； and prying With that
key； And there is no denying that Mr。 Spruggins rapped out an oath or two；
Rub…a…dub…dubbing them out to a real snare…drum roll。 But the door
opened at last； And Mr。 Spruggins blew through it into his own hall And
slammed the door to so hard That the knocker banged five times before it
stopped。 Mr。 Spruggins struck a light and lit a candle； And all the time the
moon winked at him through the window。 〃Why couldn't you find the
keyhole； Spruggins？〃 Taunted the wind。 〃I can find the keyhole。〃 And the
wind； thin as a wire； Darted in and seized the candle flame And knocked it
over to one side And pummelled it down down down ！ But Mr。
Spruggins held the candle so close that it singed his chin； And ran and
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