conpared with the somewhat stiff society of the village, was



really an attraction. There was a mystic bond of union in our

ideas: we discussed life, love, religion, and the future state, not



only with the utmost candor, but with a warmth of feeling which, in

many of us, was genuine. Even I (and you know how painfully shy



and bashful I was) felt myself more at home there than in my

father's house; and if I didn't talk much, I had a pleasant feeling



of being in harmony with those who did.

"Well, 'twas in the early part of '45--I think in April,--when we



were all gathered together, discussing, as usual, the possibility

of leading a life in accordance with Nature. Abel Mallory was



there, and Hollins, and Miss Ringtop, and Faith Levis, with her

knitting,--and also Eunice Hazleton, a lady whom you have never



seen, but you may take my wife at her representative--"

"Stick to the programme, Enos," interrupted Mrs. Billings.



"Eunice Hazleton, then. I wish I could recollect some of the

speeches made on that occasion. Abel had but one pimple on his



temple (there was a purple spot where the other had been), and was

estimating that in two or three months more he would be a true,



unspoiled man. His complexion, nevertheless, was more clammy and

whey-like than ever.



"`Yes,' said he, `I also am an Arcadian! This false dual existence

which I have been leading will soon be merged in the unity of



Nature. Our lives must conform to her sacred law. Why can't we

strip off these hollow Shams,' (he made great use of that word,)



`and be our true selves, pure, perfect, and divine?'

"Miss Ringtop heaved a sigh, and repeated a stanza from her



favorite poet:

"`Ah, when wrecked are my desires



On the everlasting Never,

And my heart with all its fires



Out forever,

In the cradle of Creation



Finds the soul resuscitation!

"Shelldrake, however, turning to his wife, said--



"`Elviry, how many up-stairs rooms is there in that house down on

the Sound?'



"`Four,--besides three small ones under the roof. Why, what made

you think of that, Jesse?' said she.



"`I've got an idea, while Abel's been talking,' he answered.

`We've taken a house for the summer, down the other side of



Bridgeport, right on the water, where there's good fishing and a

fine view of the Sound. Now, there's room enough for all of us--at



least all that can make it suit to go. Abel, you and Enos, and

Pauline and Eunice might fix matters so that we could all take the



place in partnership, and pass the summer together, living a true

and beautiful life in the bosom of Nature. There we shall be



perfectly free and untrammelled by the chains which still hang

around us in Norridgeport. You know how often we have wanted to be



set on some island in the Pacific Ocean, where we could build up a

true society, right from the start. Now, here's a chance to try



the experiment for a few months, anyhow.'

"Eunice clapped her hands (yes, you did!) and cried out--



"`Splendid! Arcadian! I'll give up my school for the summer.'

"Miss Ringtop gave her opinion in another quotation:



"`The rainbow hues of the Ideal

Condense to gems, and form the Real!'



"Abel Mallory, of course, did not need to have the proposal

repeated. He was ready for any thing which promised indulgence,



and the indulgence of his sentimental tastes. I will do the fellow

the justice to say that he was not a hypocrite. He firmly believed



both in himself and his ideas--especially the former. He pushed

both hands through the long wisps of his drab-colored hair,



and threw his head back until his wide nostrils resembled a double

door to his brain.



"`Oh Nature!' he said, `you have found your lost children! We

shall obey your neglected laws! we shall hearken to your divine



whispers I we shall bring you back from your ignominious exile, and

place you on your ancestral throne!'



"`Let us do it!' was the general cry.

• pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)


• slightly [´slaitli] ad.轻微地；细长的 (初中英语单词)


• knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)


• meanwhile [´mi:n´wail] n.&ad.其间；同时 (初中英语单词)


• cheerful [´tʃiəful] a.快乐的；高兴的 (初中英语单词)


• constitution [,kɔnsti´tju:ʃən] n.宪法；体格；体质 (初中英语单词)


• acting [´æktiŋ] a.代理的 n.演戏 (初中英语单词)


• equally [´i:kwəli] ad.相等地；平等地 (初中英语单词)


• agreeable [ə´gri:əbəl] a.适合的；符合的 (初中英语单词)


• chorus [´kɔ:rəs] n.合唱；齐声 v.合唱 (初中英语单词)


• laughter [´lɑ:ftə] n.笑，笑声 (初中英语单词)


• coarse [kɔ:s] a.粗(糙)的；粗鲁的 (初中英语单词)


• conquer [´kɔŋkə] v.征服；克服；抑制 (初中英语单词)


• purity [´pjuəriti] n.纯净；贞洁 (初中英语单词)


• attain [ə´tein] v.取得；到达；成为 (初中英语单词)


• temple [´tempəl] n.庙宇；寺院；太阳穴 (初中英语单词)


• feeble [´fi:bəl] a.虚弱的，无力的 (初中英语单词)


• formerly [´fɔ:məli] ad.从前，以前 (初中英语单词)


• beheld [bi´held] behold的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)


• presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)


• performance [pə´fɔ:məns] n.履行；行为；工作 (初中英语单词)


• extent [ik´stent] n.长度；程度；范围 (初中英语单词)


• circle [´sə:kəl] n.圆圈 v.环绕；盘旋 (初中英语单词)


• impression [im´preʃən] n.印刷；印象；效果 (初中英语单词)


• wisdom [´wizdəm] n.智慧，聪明，才智 (初中英语单词)


• orchard [´ɔ:tʃəd] n.果园 (初中英语单词)


• absence [´æbsəns] n.不在，缺席；缺乏 (初中英语单词)


• utmost [´ʌtməust] a.最大的 n.极端 (初中英语单词)


• warmth [wɔ:mθ] n.温暖；热情；激动 (初中英语单词)


• harmony [´hɑ:məni] n.调合，协调，和谐 (初中英语单词)


• purple [´pə:pl] n.紫色 a.紫(红)的 (初中英语单词)


• nevertheless [,nevəðə´les] conj.&ad.然而；不过 (初中英语单词)


• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)


• stanza [´stænzə] n.(诗的)节 (初中英语单词)


• cradle [´kreidl] n.摇篮；发源地 (初中英语单词)


• firmly [´fə:mli] ad.坚固地，稳定地 (初中英语单词)


• leisure [´leʒə] n.空闲；悠闲；安定 (高中英语单词)


• infection [in´fekʃən] n.感染，影响 (高中英语单词)


• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)


• comedy [´kɔmidi] n.喜剧；喜剧场面 (高中英语单词)


• merrily [´merili] ad.欢乐地；愉快地 (高中英语单词)


• deprive [di´praiv] vt.剥夺，使丧失 (高中英语单词)


• remainder [ri´meində] n.剩余物；残余部分 (高中英语单词)


• hearty [´hɑ:ti] a.热忱的；强健的 (高中英语单词)


• strove [strəuv] strive的过去式 (高中英语单词)


• oracle [´ɔrəkl] n.预言(者)；圣理名言 (高中英语单词)


• access [´ækses] n.接近；通路；进入 (高中英语单词)


• balloon [bə´lu:n] n.气球 (高中英语单词)


• expectation [,ekspek´teiʃən] n.期待(望)；预期 (高中英语单词)


• prohibit [prə´hibit] vt.禁止；阻止 (高中英语单词)


• anticipate [æn´tisipeit] vt.预期；指望；期待 (高中英语单词)


• pretence [pri´tens] n.假装；托词；无理要求 (高中英语单词)


• cultivation [,kʌlti´veiʃən] n.耕作；培养 (高中英语单词)


• attraction [ə´trækʃən] n.吸引(力)；引力 (高中英语单词)


• genuine [´dʒenjuin] a.真正的；真诚的 (高中英语单词)


• accordance [ə´kɔ:dəns] n.一致；调和 (高中英语单词)


• complexion [kəm´plekʃən] n.肤色；情况；局面 (高中英语单词)


• repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)


• everlasting [,evə´lɑ:stiŋ] a.永久的，无尽的 (高中英语单词)


• partnership [´pɑ:tnəʃip] n.合伙关系 (高中英语单词)


• pacific [pə´sifik] a.和平的；温和的 (高中英语单词)


• rainbow [´reinbəu] n.彩虹 (高中英语单词)


• remarkably [ri´mɑ:kəbli] ad.非凡地；显著地 (英语四级单词)


• indulgence [in´dʌldʒəns] n.沉迷；宽容；恩惠 (英语四级单词)


• sentimental [,senti´mentl] a.感伤的；多愁善感的 (英语四级单词)


• californian [,kæli´fɔ:njən] a.加利福尼亚州的 (英语四级单词)


• partially [´pɑ:ʃəli] ad.部分地；局部地 (英语四级单词)


• psychological [,saikə´lɔdʒikəl] a.心理学(上)的 (英语四级单词)


• impatiently [im´peiʃəntli] ad.不耐烦地，急躁地 (英语四级单词)


• virtually [´və:tʃuəli] ad.实际上，实质上 (英语四级单词)


• painfully [´peinfuli] ad.痛苦地；费力地 (英语四级单词)


• bashful [´bæʃful] a.害羞的，忸怩的 (英语四级单词)


• recollect [rekə´lekt] v.重新集合；恢复 (英语四级单词)


• conform [kən´fɔ:m] v.(使)一致；(使)符合 (英语四级单词)


• fishing [´fiʃiŋ] n.钓鱼；捕鱼；渔业 (英语四级单词)


• hearken [´hɑ:kən] vi.听 (英语四级单词)


• ancestral [æn´sestrəl] a.祖先的；祖传的 (英语四级单词)


• genteel [dʒen´ti:l] a.有教养的；文雅的 (英语六级单词)


• initiate [i´niʃieit] vt.开始；引进；启蒙 (英语六级单词)


• clerical [´klerikəl] a.牧师的；教士的 (英语六级单词)


• pernicious [pə´niʃəs] a.有害的；有毒的；致命的 (英语六级单词)


• inflate [in´fleit] v.使膨胀；使得意 (英语六级单词)


• backwards [´bækwədz] ad.向后 a.向后的 (英语六级单词)


• outlay [´autlei] n.费用 vt.支付；花费 (英语六级单词)


• mystic [´mistik] a.神秘的；难以理解的 (英语六级单词)


• hypocrite [´hipəkrit] n.伪善者；伪君子 (英语六级单词)