2. Lāu Sin-sū siūⁿ boeh kiàn-li̍p chi̍t-ê thoân-thóng
Káu-nî lâi ê múi chi̍t-ê Kám-un-cheh, Lāu Sin-sū lóng lâi kàu chia, khòaⁿ tio̍h Stuffy Pete chē tī hit-tè tn̂g-í-á. He sī Lāu Sin-sū siūⁿ boeh kiàn-li̍p ê chi̍t-ê thoân-thóng. Káu-nî lâi ê múi chi̍t-ê Kám-un-cheh, i lóng ē tī hia chhōe tio̍h Stuffy, tō chhōa i khì chi̍t-keng pn̄g-tiàm, khòaⁿ i chia̍h chi̍t-tǹg chheⁿ-chhau. Tī Eng-kok, in mā put-chū-kak chò chiah-ê tāi-chì. M̄-koh chia sī chi̍t-ê siàu-liân kok-ka, káu-nî ê sî-kan sǹg bē-bái ah. Lāu Sin-sū sī chi̍t-ê kian-tēng ê Bí-kok ài-kok-chiá, jīn-ûi ka-tī sī kiâⁿ tī Bí-kok thoân-thóng thâu-chêng ê lâng. Ūi-tio̍h boeh ū hó-kong-kéng, lán tio̍h tn̂g-kî chò chi̍t-hāng tāi-chì, bē-sái hòng-khì. Chhin-chhiūⁿ kóng, siu-chi̍p chi̍t-lé-pài kúi-kak-gîn ê sán-gia̍p pó-hiám. A̍h piàⁿ-sàu ke-lō͘.
Lāu Sin-sū thêng-thêng, ti̍t-ti̍t kiâⁿ ǹg i boeh kiàn-li̍p ê chè-tō͘. Láu-si̍t kóng, ta̍k-nî chhī Stuffy Pete pēng m̄-sī siáⁿ-mih chhin-chhiūⁿ Eng-kok ê Tōa Hiàn-chiong (Magna Charta) a̍h chá-tǹg ê kòe-chí-chiùⁿ hiah-nī ū choân-kok-sèng. M̄-koh, che chóng-sī hiòng-chêng chi̍t kha-pō͘. Che chha-put-to ū hong-kiàn ê ì-bī. Siōng-bô, che piáu-bêng New Y... a-hém!... Bí-kok m̄-sī bô khó-lêng kiàn-li̍p ka-tī ê hong-sio̍k.
Lāu Sin-sū koân koh sán, 60-hòe. I chhēng chi̍t-sin o͘, kòa bē tiâu tī phīⁿ-á téng ê lāu-sek ba̍k-kiàⁿ. I ê thâu-chang pí kū-nî khah pe̍h, khah se, i mā ká-ná koh-khah su-iàu iōng i hit-ki tōa koh ū-ba̍k, pèⁿ khiau-khiau ê koái-á.
Tī i ê un-chêng-lâng kiâⁿ kòe-lâi ê sî, Stuffy chhoán phīⁿ-phēⁿ koh khu̍h-khu̍h chùn, tō ná-chhiūⁿ bó͘ chi̍t-ê hū-jîn-lâng ê siuⁿ pûi ê hapa káu khòaⁿ tio̍h ke-lō͘ ê iá-káu teh kā chhàng-mo͘ giàng-gê kāng-khoán. I chin siūⁿ boeh poe-cháu, m̄-koh siáⁿ-mih Santos-Dumont [Brazil hui-hêng-ka] ê mê-kak mā bô hoat-tō͘ hō͘ i thoat-lī hit-tè tn̂g-í. Khó-kiàn hit nn̄g-ê lāu hu-jîn ê ka-po̍k tāi-chì pān kah chin khak-si̍t.
"Lí hó," Lāu Sin-sū kóng. "Góa chin hoaⁿ-hí khòaⁿ tio̍h, chi̍t-tang ê piàn-hòa lí iáu-sī chin khong-kiān, ē-tàng tī chit-ê bí-lē ê sè-kài kiâⁿ-tāng. To̍k-to̍k ūi-tio̍h chit-ê hok-ūn, kin-á-ji̍t ê kám-un-cheh tùi lán tō chiâⁿ ū ì-gī. Pêng-iú ah, lí nā khéng tòe góa lâi, góa ē chhiáⁿ lí chia̍h chi̍t-tǹg, hō͘ lí ê sin-thé kap cheng-sîn tit-tio̍h hia̍p-tiau."
Ta̍k-kái Lāu Sin-sū lóng án-ne kóng. Káu-nî lâi ê ta̍k-ê Kám-un-cheh lóng án-ne. Hiah-ê ōe pún-sin mā kiông boeh chiâⁿ-chò chi̍t-chióng Chè-tō͘. Tî liáu To̍k-li̍p Soan-giân í-goā, bô siáⁿ ē-tàng kap i pí-phēng. Í-chêng, chiah-ê ōe hō͘ Stuffy thiaⁿ tio̍h ná-chhiūⁿ sī im-ga̍k. M̄-koh taⁿ, i kan-khó͘ kah ba̍k-sái kâm ba̍k-kîⁿ, gia̍h-ba̍k khòaⁿ Lāu Sin-sū ê bīn. Iù seh lak tī i puh-kōaⁿ ê ba̍k-bâi, ká-ná mā ē chhi-chhi chhut-siaⁿ. M̄-koh hit-ê Lāu Sin-sū sió-khóa teh ka-lún-sún, tō se̍h kha-chiah-āu ǹg hong.
Stuffy chóng-sī hòⁿ-kî, Lāu Sin-sū kóng-ōe ná-chhiūⁿ ū pi-siong. I m̄-chai, he sī in-ūi ta̍k-kái i lóng ǹg-bāng ū chi̍t-ê hāu-seⁿ lâi kè-sêng i ê sū-gia̍p. Chi̍t-ê i sí liáu-āu mā ē lâi chia ê hāu-seⁿ -- chi̍t-ê ē-tàng tī í-āu chhiūⁿ Stuffy hit-khoán lâng ê bīn-chêng tek-ì koh kian-kiông khiā-khí ê hāu-seⁿ, koh kóng: "Ūi-tio̍h kì-liām goán lāu-pē." Nā án-ne, he tō chiâⁿ-chò chi̍t-ê Chè-tō͘.
M̄-koh, Lāu Sin-sū bô chhin-chiâⁿ. I tòa tī sòe ê pâng-keng, he sī tī kong-hn̂g tang-pêng chi̍t-tiâu an-chēng ê ke-lō͘ ê chi̍t-tòng phòa koh kū ê chhiah-chio̍h ka-cho̍k tōa-chhù. Kôaⁿ-thiⁿ, i tī chi̍t-ê kan-ta lí-hêng-siuⁿ hiah tōa ê un-sit chèng tiàu-cheng-hoe (吊鐘花, fuchsia). Chhun-thiⁿ, i chham-ka Koh-oa̍h-cheh ê iû-hêng. Joa̍h-thiⁿ, i tòa tī New Jersey soaⁿ-téng ê chi̍t-keng lông-sià, chē tī liú-tiâu ê hû-chhiú-í, kóng khí chi̍t-chióng ia̍h-á (ornithoptera amphrisius), he i hi-bāng chi̍t-kang i ē chhōe tio̍h. Chhiu-thiⁿ, i chhiáⁿ Stuffy Pete chi̍t-tǹg chheⁿ-chhau. Chiah-ê tō sī Lāu Sin-sū teh bô-êng ê tāi-chì.
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2. 老紳士想欲建立一个傳統
九年來 ê 每一个感恩節, 老紳士 lóng 來到 chia, 看著 Stuffy Pete 坐 tī 彼塊長椅仔. 彼是老紳士想欲建立 ê 一个傳統. 九年來 ê 每一个感恩節, 伊 lóng 會 tī hia 揣著 Stuffy, tō chhōa 伊去一間飯店, 看伊食一頓 chheⁿ-chhau. Tī 英國, in mā 不自覺做 chiah-ê 代誌. M̄-koh chia 是一个少年國家, 九年 ê 時間算袂䆀 ah. 老紳士是一个堅定 ê 美國愛國者, 認為 ka-tī 是行 tī 美國傳統頭前 ê 人. 為著欲有好光景, 咱著長期做一項代誌, 袂使放棄. 親像講, 收集一禮拜幾角銀 ê 產業保險. A̍h 拚掃街路.
老紳士 thêng-thêng, 直直行 ǹg 伊欲建立 ê 制度. 老實講, 逐年飼 Stuffy Pete 並毋是啥物親像英國 ê 大憲章 (Magna Charta) a̍h 早頓 ê 果子醬 hiah-nī 有全國性. M̄-koh, 這總是向前一跤步. 這差不多有封建 ê 意味. 上無, 這表明 New Y... a-hém!... 美國毋是無可能建立 ka-tī ê 風俗.
老紳士懸 koh 瘦, 60 歲. 伊穿一身烏, 掛袂牢 tī 鼻仔頂 ê 老式目鏡. 伊 ê 頭鬃比舊年較白, 較疏, 伊 mā ká-ná koh 較需要用伊彼支大 koh 有目, 柄蹺蹺 ê 枴仔.
Tī 伊 ê 恩情人行過來 ê 時, Stuffy 喘 phīⁿ-phēⁿ koh khu̍h-khu̍h 顫, tō ná 像某一个婦人 lâng ê siuⁿ 肥 ê hapa 狗看著街路 ê 野狗 teh kā 聳毛齴牙仝款. 伊真想欲飛走, m̄-koh 啥物 Santos-Dumont [Brazil 飛行家] ê 鋩角 mā 無法度予伊脫離彼塊長椅. 可見彼兩个老夫人 ê 家僕代誌辦 kah 真確實.
"你好," 老紳士講. "我真歡喜看著, 一冬 ê 變化你猶是真康健, 會當 tī 這个美麗 ê 世界 kiâⁿ 動. 獨獨為著這个福運, 今仔日 ê 感恩節對咱 tō 誠有意義. 朋友 ah, 你若肯綴我來, 我會請你食一頓, 予你 ê 身體 kap 精神得著協調."
逐改老紳士 lóng án-ne 講. 九年來 ê 逐个感恩節 lóng án-ne. Hiah-ê 話本身 mā 強欲成做一種制度. 除了獨立宣言以外, 無啥會當 kap 伊比並. 以前, chiah-ê 話予 Stuffy 聽著 ná 像是音樂. M̄-koh 今, 伊艱苦 kah 目屎 kâm 目墘, 攑目看老紳士 ê 面. 幼雪 lak tī 伊 puh 汗 ê 目眉, ká-ná mā 會 chhi-chhi 出聲. M̄-koh 彼个老紳士小可 teh ka-lún-sún, tō 踅尻脊後 ǹg 風.
Stuffy 總是好奇, 老紳士講話 ná 像有悲傷. 伊毋知, he 是因為逐改伊 lóng ǹg 望有一个後生來繼承伊 ê 事業. 一个伊死了後 mā 會來 chia ê 後生 -- 一个會當 tī 以後像 Stuffy 彼款人 ê 面前得意 koh 堅強徛起 ê 後生, koh 講: "為著紀念阮老爸." 若 án-ne, 彼 tō 成做一个制度.
M̄-koh, 老紳士無親 chiâⁿ. 伊蹛 tī 稅 ê 房間, 彼是 tī 公園東爿一條安靜 ê 街路 ê 一棟破 koh 舊 ê 赤石家族大厝. 寒天, 伊 tī 一个干焦旅行箱 hiah 大 ê 溫室種 tiàu-cheng-hoe (吊鐘花, fuchsia). 春天, 伊參加閣活節 ê 遊行. 熱天, 伊蹛 tī New Jersey 山頂 ê 一間農舍, 坐 tī 柳條 ê 扶手椅, 講起一種蝶仔 (ornithoptera amphrisius), he 伊希望一工伊會揣著. 秋天, 伊請 Stuffy Pete 一頓 chheⁿ-chhau. Chiah-ê tō 是老紳士 teh 無閒 ê 代誌.
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2.
Every Thanksgiving Day for nine years the Old Gentleman had come there and found Stuffy Pete on his bench. That was a thing that the Old Gentleman was trying to make a tradition of. Every Thanksgiving Day for nine years he had found Stuffy there, and had led him to a restaurant and watched him eat a big dinner. They do those things in England unconsciously. But this is a young country, and nine years is not so bad. The Old Gentleman was a staunch American patriot, and considered himself a pioneer in American tradition. In order to become picturesque we must keep on doing one thing for a long time without ever letting it get away from us. Something like collecting the weekly dimes in industrial insurance. Or cleaning the streets.
The Old Gentleman moved, straight and stately, toward the Institution that he was rearing. Truly, the annual feeding of Stuffy Pete was nothing national in its character, such as the Magna Charta or jam for breakfast was in England. But it was a step. It was almost feudal. It showed, at least, that a Custom was not impossible to New Y--ahem!--America.
The Old Gentleman was thin and tall and sixty. He was dressed all in black, and wore the old-fashioned kind of glasses that won't stay on your nose. His hair was whiter and thinner than it had been last year, and he seemed to make more use of his big, knobby cane with the crooked handle.
As his established benefactor came up Stuffy wheezed and shuddered like some woman's over-fat pug when a street dog bristles up at him. He would have flown, but all the skill of Santos-Dumont could not have separated him from his bench. Well had the myrmidons of the two old ladies done their work.
"Good morning," said the Old Gentleman. "I am glad to perceive that the vicissitudes of another year have spared you to move in health about the beautiful world. For that blessing alone this day of thanksgiving is well proclaimed to each of us. If you will come with me, my man, I will provide you with a dinner that should make your physical being accord with the mental."
That is what the old Gentleman said every time. Every Thanksgiving Day for nine years. The words themselves almost formed an Institution. Nothing could be compared with them except the Declaration of Independence. Always before they had been music in Stuffy's ears. But now he looked up at the Old Gentleman's face with tearful agony in his own. The fine snow almost sizzled when it fell upon his perspiring brow. But the Old Gentleman shivered a little and turned his back to the wind.
Stuffy had always wondered why the Old Gentleman spoke his speech rather sadly. He did not know that it was because he was wishing every time that he had a son to succeed him. A son who would come there after he was gone--a son who would stand proud and strong before some subsequent Stuffy, and say: "In memory of my father." Then it would be an Institution.
But the Old Gentleman had no relatives. He lived in rented rooms in one of the decayed old family brownstone mansions in one of the quiet streets east of the park. In the winter he raised fuchsias in a little conservatory the size of a steamer trunk. In the spring he walked in the Easter parade. In the summer he lived at a farmhouse in the New Jersey hills, and sat in a wicker armchair, speaking of a butterfly, the ornithoptera amphrisius, that he hoped to find some day. In the autumn he fed Stuffy a dinner. These were the Old Gentleman's occupations.
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