Зима тревоги нашей

           Oh!thedusky,musky,smelly-welly,silly-billytime—theslovenly-lovelytime."NowwhosefeelingscanIhurt,sugarfoot?"hesaidtohiswife."Thereain’tnobodynornobody’sfeelingshere.Justmeandmyunimumunimorumuntil—untilIopenthatgoddamfrontdoor."

           Fromadrawerbehindthecounterbythecashregisterhetookacleanapronandunfoldeditandstraightenedthetapes,putitaroundhisthinmiddle,broughtthetapesaroundandbackagain.Hereachedbehindhisbackwithbothhandsandfumbledabowknot.

           Theapronwaslong,halfwaydownhisshins.Heraisedhisrighthand,cuppedloosely,palmupward,andhedeclaimed,"HearmeOyecannedpears,yepicklesandyepiccalilli—‘Assoonasitwasday,theeldersofthepeopleandthechiefpriestsandthescribescametogetherandledHimintotheircouncil—’assoonasitwasday.Thebuggerswenttoworkearly,didn’tthey?Theydidn’twastenotimenohow.Let’sseenow.‘Anditwasaboutthesixthhour’—that’smaybetwelveo’clock—‘andtherewasadarknessoveralltheearthuntiltheninthhour.Andthesunwasdarkened.’NowhowdoIrememberthat?GoodGod,ittookHimalongtimetodie—adreadfullongtime."Hedroppedhishandandlookedwonderingatthecrowdedshelvesasthoughtheymightanswerhim."Youdon’tspeaktomenow,Mary,mydumpling.AreyouoneoftheDaughtersofJerusalem?‘Weepnotforme,’Hesaid.‘Weepforyourselvesandforyourchildren....Foriftheydothesethingsinagreentree,whatshallbedoneinthedry?’Stillbreaksmeup.AuntDeborahwroughtbetterthansheknew.It’snotthesixthhouryet—notyet."

           Heraisedthegreenshadesonthebigwindows,saying,"Comein,day!"Andthenheunlockedthefrontdoors."Enter,world."Heswungtheiron-barreddoorsopenandlatchedthemopen.