A Separate Peace.pdf - Southwest High School

68large rambling, doubtfully Colonial white mansion. Next to the house there was a patriarchalelm tree, against the trunk of which Finny leaned and shouted at me as I ran a large circlearound him.This plain of snow shone a powdery white that morning; the sun blazed icily somewhere toolow on the horizon to be seen directly, but its clean rays shed a blue-white glimmer all aroundus. The northern sunshine seemed to pick up faint particles of whiteness floating in the air andpowdering the sleek blue sky. Nothing stirred. The bare arching branches of the elm seemedlaid into this motionless sky. As I ran the sound of my footfalls was pitched off short in the vastimmobile dawn, as though there was no room amid so many glittering sights for any sound tointrude. The figure of Phineas was set against the bulk of the tree; he shouted now and then, butthese sounds too were quickly absorbed and dispelled.And he needed to give no advice that morning. After making two circuits of the walk everytrace of energy was as usual completely used up, and as I drove myself on all my scatteredaches found their usual way to a profound seat of pain in my side. My lungs as usual were fedup with all this work, and from now on would only go rackingly through the motions. Myknees were boneless again, ready any minute to let my lower legs telescope up into the thighs.My head felt as though different sections of the cranium were grinding into each other.Then, for no reason at all, I felt magnificent. It was as though my body until that instant hadsimply been lazy, as though the aches and exhaustion were all imagined, created from nothingin order to keep me from truly exerting myself. Now my body seemed at last to say, "Well, ifyou must have it, here!" and an accession of strength came flooding through me. Buoyed up, Iforgot my usual feeling of routine self-pity when working out, I lost myself, oppressed mindalong with aching body; all entanglements were shed, I broke into the clear.After the fourth circuit, like sitting in a chair, I pulled up in front of Phineas."You're not even winded," he said."I know.""You found your rhythm, didn't you, that third time around. Just as you came into thatstraight part there.""Yes, right there.""You've been pretty lazy all along, haven't you?""Yes, I guess I have been.""You didn't even know anything about yourself.""I don't guess I did, in a way.""Well," he gathered the sheepskin collar around his throat, "now you know. And stop talkinglike a Georgia cracker—'don't guess I did'!" Despite this gibe he was rather impersonal toward