Мхи старої садиби
Roger Malvin's Burial
Foryears,also,athoughtwouldoccasionallyrecur,which,thoughheperceivedallitsfollyandextravagance,hehadnotpowertobanishfromhismind.Itwasahauntingandtorturingfancythathisfather-in-lawwasyetsittingatthefootoftherock,onthewitheredforestleaves,alive,andawaitinghispledgedassistance.Thesementaldeceptions,however,cameandwent,nordidheevermistakethemforrealities:butinthecalmestandclearestmoodsofhismindhewasconsciousthathehadadeepvowunredeemed,andthatanunburiedcorpsewascallingtohimoutofthewilderness.Yetsuchwastheconsequenceofhisprevaricationthathecouldnotobeythecall.ItwasnowtoolatetorequiretheassistanceofRogerMalvin’sfriendsinperforminghislong-deferredsepulture;andsuperstitiousfears,ofwhichnoneweremoresusceptiblethanthepeopleoftheoutwardsettlements,forbadeReubentogoalone.Neitherdidheknowwhereinthepathlessandillimitableforesttoseekthatsmoothandletteredrockatthebaseofwhichthebodylay:hisremembranceofeveryportionofhistravelthencewasindistinct,andthelatterparthadleftnoimpressionuponhismind.Therewas,however,acontinualimpulse,avoiceaudibleonlytohimself,commandinghimtogoforthandredeemhisvow;andhehadastrangeimpressionthat,werehetomakethetrial,hewouldbeledstraighttoMalvin’sbones.Butyearafteryearthatsummons,unheardbutfelt,wasdisobeyed.
