thewoodsweretossingwithjewels(原文)

THEWOODSWERETOSSINGWITHJEWELSbyMarieSt.JohnIn1899whenIwasfiveyearsoldandlivinginPalmetto,Florida,myfatherdecidedtotakehisfamilythroughthewildsoftheEvergladesandstakeaclaimonanoffshoreisland.Hispurposewastofarmthisislandbutbehindthiswashiswishtogiveusatasteofthewayhegrewup.HehadbeenacowboyintheMyakkaareawhenhewasfifteenyearsold.TheseranchlandsoverlappedthenorthendoftheEvergladesatatimewhenitwasunexplored.Aslongashelived,papalikedhiscornbreadmadecampfirestylewithboilingwaterandsaltonly,andflattenedoutintoabrittle,tastycracker.Hislifewasaseriesofadventures.HehadlostafatherandabrotherintheCivilWar.Hisfather’scarriagehouseinCharleston,SouthCarolina,andhisnearbyplantationwereinthelineofSherman’smarch.Hiswidowtookhereightyear-oldson,myfather,andfledtoQuincy,Florida.WhenPapafinishedschoolattheacademythere,hewenttoworkasacowboyonaranchinMyakkaforafriendofhisdeadfather’s.Byagethirty,hewasacountysheriff,nomeanjobinthosedays,andhisterritorywaswideranging.Thecountyheservedwaslatersplitupintosixoreightcounties.SouthFloridawasuninvitingtomanybecauseofthemosquitoes,panthers,crocodiles,swamps,andwetlands.Butthesemarksofwildcountrycalledtomyfatherlikethelegendarysirensong.HestartedbuildingacoveredwagonaroundthefourthofJulyandwewentintothewildernesswithhiminthefall.WehadmadeourhomeinPalmettoforayearorsowheremymother’sgentlefolks,theHarrisons,hadsettledfollowingtheCivilWar.Ourcomfortabletwo-storyframehouseontheManateeRiverwassetaboutwithliveoaks,guavas,andlong-leafedpinethatbranchedoutfromthefootofthetreetoshelterourcowandprovidearoostforthechickens.Mygrandfatherwasthetowndoctor.Hedoctoredtheentirecountyandwaspaidineggsandhamandvegetableswhentheywereinseason.Itwasanidylliclife,andwelivedclosetoourfamilyandtothecomfortsandsafetyasmalltowncouldafford.ButPapawasamanofenterprise;herealizedthattheuntouchedTenThousandIslandsoffthesouthwestcoastofthestatewererichinsoilforcropsandingameforfood.Iwillneverforgetthedaywestarted.Asalwayswhenweweretogoanywhere,weroseearly.Papahurriedus,saying,“Wedon’twantthedaytocatchus.”Itoldmydollsgood-byewithoutknowingthatIwouldneverseethemagain.Whenatlastwewereinthecoveredwagonwithpapa,mama,andthebabyonthefrontseatandBubba,Hal,andmeintheback,myfatherliftedthereinsandwewereoff.Mystomachturnedover,Iwasthatexcited.Despitethefactthattherewassomuchtobehappyabout,Ibegantowhimper.“What’sthematterwithher”papaasked,thinkingBubbawasteasingme.“I’mafraidday’sgoingtocatchus,”Iexplained,wonderingwhatgreatdisastermightbefallusifitdid.Wehadbeenkeyedupforthisadventurebyweeksofplanning.Aroundthesuppertableandagainontheporchatnight,papadescribedthewondersandpleasuresthistripheld.Evenafterwehadgonetobed,thetalksometimeswouldcontinuethroughtheopendoorsbetweenourrooms.Hisdescriptionswerenotexaggerated.Thememoriesofthistriphavecoloredmylife.Thecoveredwagonhadawidedrawerthatwouldslideunderthebodyofthewagon,handleandall,soitcouldbepulledoutfromtherear.Inthisdeepandroomyboxwaspackedourcampingequipmentandfoodsupplies.Thecampingoutfitconsistedofahugetent,afoldingcotapiece,foldingchairs,andatable.Ouroutdoorcookwarewasofheavyblackiron.Onebigkettlestooduponthreelonglegstositoverafire.Thereweredutchovens,tincups,cutlery,andbowls.Theblankets,sheets,pillows,andotherbeddingwasrolledinacanvasandtightlystrapped.This“cushion”wasfittedintothebodyofthewagonandservedasaseatforthethreeofuswhorodeinback.Welookedforwardtoplentifulgameandwildfruitontheroad,buttookampleprovisions—fifty-poundlardcansfullofflour,oiledsausage,coffee,lard,molasses,grits,rice,sugar,andsalt.Andthereweretwohams,awheelofcheese,jarsoffruitandjelly,andsacksofoatsforthehorse.Papa’sboxoftoolswasmostimpressivetolookat.Hehadeverykindofimplementforhandfarming,plusgunsandammunitionforhunting,andfishingtackleforeachmemberofthefamily.IwishIcouldmakeyouseethelittlestores,allalone,wayoffinthebackwoodswherewewouldstoptoreplenishourfoodstockfromtimetotime.Theywerestockedwitheverythingfromplowsharestospoolsofcottonthread.Occasionallyablacksmith’sshedwouldadjointhestore,soDave,ourbigbayhorse,waskeptincomfortableshoes.Thefirstdayoutisasvividtometodayasitwasthen.Wetookadeeplyruttedwagontrailthroughthickwoods,acrossprairies,andrightacrosspondsandcreekswherethewaterwasshallow.Eachtimewefordedwater,thehorseandourhuntingdogstookalongdrinkandwechildrenwouldhopdownoutofthewagonandwalkacross,splashingeachotherandcoolingdown.Offandonallday,wejumpedoutandwalkedbehindthewagonwiththedogstostretchourlegs.Thatfirstnightwestoppedinapineforest.Chiggerscan’ttolerateturpentine,sowewerefreeofthissmallpest.Thethickgroundofstrawwassweettoinhale.Addedtothiswasthesmellofmama’scookinghamandcoffee.WhilemamaandIfixedsupper,papaandtheboyspitchedthetent.Thenitwastobedinsideacozytentwherewecoulddriftofflisteningtonightsounds.Thesecondmorning,likesomanytocome,Iwokeupsmellingbacon.Itwasdark,stillnight,buttimetogetstarted.Themorningdidnotturnbright;theskywasovercastallday.Byearlyafternoontheraincameintorrents.Papaknewamanoutthereinthissparselysettledbackwoodsandwasabletofindhishouse.Wedroveuptohisgate.Dogsmetdogsandther