north america-1-第12章

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；　but　he　will　wax　brighter　in　conversation；　and；　if　not　stroked　the　wrong　way；　will　turn　out　to　be　an　uncommonly　pleasant　fellow。　　Such　I　believe　to　be　the　case　with　most　of　them。　From　Portland　we　made　our　way　up　to　the　White　Mountains；　which　lay　on　our　route　to　Canada。　　Now；　I　would　ask　any　of　my　readers　who　are　candid　enough　to　expose　their　own　ignorance　whether　they　ever　heard；　or　at　any　rate　whether　they　know　anything；　of　the　White　Mountains？　　As　regards　myself；　I　confess　that　the　name　had　reached　my　ears；　that　I　had　an　indefinite　idea　that　they　formed　an　intermediate　stage　between　the　Rocky　Mountains　and　the　Alleghanies；　and　that　they　were　inhabited　either　by　Mormons；　Indians；　or　simply　by　black　bears。　　That　there　was　a　district　in　New　England　containing　mountain　scenery　superior　to　much　that　is　yearly　crowded　by　tourists　in　Europe；　that　this　is　to　be　reached　with　ease　by　railways　and　stagecoaches；　and　that　it　is　dotted　with　huge　hotels　almost　as　thickly　as　they　lie　in　Switzerland；　I　had　no　idea。　　Much　of　this　scenery；　I　say；　is　superior　to　the　famed　and　classic　lands　of　Europe。　　I　know　nothing；　for　instance；　on　the　Rhine　equal　to　the　view　from　Mount　Willard　down　the　mountain　pass　called　the　Notch。　Let　the　visitor　of　these　regions　be　as　late　in　the　year　as　he　can；　taking　care　that　he　is　not　so　late　as　to　find　the　hotels　closed。　October；　no　doubt；　is　the　most　beautiful　month　among　these　mountains；　but；　according　to　the　present　arrangement　of　matters　here；　the　hotels　are　shut　up　by　the　end　of　September。　　With　us；　August；　September；　and　October　are　the　holiday　months；　whereas　our　rebel　children　across　the　Atlantic　love　to　disport　themselves　in　July　and　August。　　The　great　beauty　of　the　autumn；　or　fall；　is　in　the　brilliant　hues　which　are　then　taken　by　the　foliage。　　The　autumnal　tints　are　fine　with　us。　　They　are　lovely　and　bright　wherever　foliage　and　vegetation　form　a　part　of　the　beauty　of　scenery。　　But　in　no　other　land　do　they　approach　the　brilliancy　of　the　fall　in　America。　　The　bright　rose　color；　the　rich　bronze　which　is　almost　purple　in　its　richness；　and　the　glorious　golden　yellows　must　be　seen　to　be　understood。　　By　me；　at　any　rate；　they　cannot　be　described。　　They　begin　to　show　themselves　in　September；　and　perhaps　I　might　name　the　latter　half　of　that　month　as　the　best　time　for　visiting　the　White　Mountains。　I　am　not　going　to　write　a　guide　book；　feeling　sure　that　Mr。　Murray　will　do　New　England　and　Canada；　including　Niagara；　and　the　Hudson　River；　with　a　peep　into　Boston　and　New　York；　before　many　more　seasons　have　passed　by。　　But　I　cannot　forbear　to　tell　my　countrymen　that　any　enterprising　individual；　with　a　hundred　pounds　to　spend　on　his　holidaya　hundred　and　twenty　would　make　him　more　comfortable　in　regard　to　wine；　washing；　and　other　luxuriesand　an　absence　of　two　months　from　his　labors；　may　see　as　much　and　do　as　much　here　for　the　money　as　he　can　see　or　do　elsewhere。　　In　some　respects　he　may　do　more；　for　he　will　learn　more　of　American　nature　in　such　a　journey　than　he　can　ever　learn　of　the　nature　of　Frenchmen　or　Americans　by　such　an　excursion　among　them。　　Some　three　weeks　of　the　time；　or　perhaps　a　day　or　two　over；　he　must　be　at　sea；　and　that　portion　of　his　trip　will　cost　him　fifty　pounds；　presuming　that　he　chooses　to　go　in　the　most　comfortable　and　costly　way；　but　his　time　on　board　ship　will　not　be　lost。　　He　will　learn　to　know　much　of　Americans　there；　and　will　perhaps　form　acquaintances　of　which　he　will　not　altogether　lose　sight　for　many　a　year。　　He　will　land　at　Boston；　and；　staying　a　day　or　two　there；　will　visit　Cambridge；　Lowell；　and　Bunker　Hill；　and；　if　he　be　that　way　given；　will　remember　that　here　live；　and　occasionally　are　to　be　seen　alive；　men　such　as　Longfellow；　Emerson；　Hawthorne；　and　a　host　of　others；　whose　names　and　fames　have　made　Boston　the　throne　of　Western　literature。　He　will　then；　if　he　take　my　advice　and　follow　my　track；　go　by　Portland　up　into　the　White　Mountains。　　At　Gorham；　a　station　on　the　Grand　Trunk　Line；　he　will　find　a　hotel　as　good　as　any　of　its　kind；　and　from　thence　he　will　take　a　light　wagon；　so　called　in　these　countries。　　And　here　let　me　presume　that　the　traveler　is　not　alone：　he　has　his　wife　or　friend；　or　perhaps　a　pair　of　sisters；　and　in　his　wagon　he　will　go　up　through　primeval　forests　to　the　Glen　House。　When　there；　he　will　ascend　Mount　Washington　on　a　pony。　　That　is　de　rigueur；　and　I　do　not　therefore　dare　to　recommend　him　to　omit　the　ascent。　　I　did　not　gain　much　myself　by　my　labor。　　He　will　not　stay　at　the　Glen　House；　but　will　go　on　toJackson's　I　think　they　call　the　next　hotel；　at　which　he　will　sleep。　　From　thence　he　will　take　his　wagon　on　through　the　Notch　to　the　Crawford　house；　sleeping　there　again；　and　when　here；　let　him；　of　all　things；　remember　to　go　up　Mount　Willard。　　It　is　but　a　walk　of　two　hours　up　and　down；　if　so　much。　　When　reaching　the　top；　he　will　be　startled　to　find　that　he　looks　down　into　the　ravine　without　an　inch　of　foreground。　　He　will　come　out　suddenly　on　a　ledge　of　rock；　from　whence；　as　it　seems；　he　might　leap　down　at　once　into　the　valley　below。　　Then；　going　on　from　the　Crawford　House；　he　will　be　driven　through　the　woods　of　Cherry　Mount；　passing；　I　fear　without　toll　of　custom；　the　house　of　my　excellent　friend　Mr。　Plaistead；　who　keeps　a　hotel　at　Jefferson。　〃Sir；〃　said　Mr。　Plaistead；　〃I　have　everything　here　that　a　man　ought　to　want：　air；　sir；　that　aint　to　be　got　better　nowhere；　trout；　chickens；　beef；　mutton；　milkand　all　for　a　dollar　a　day！　　A…top　of　that　hill；　sir；　there's　a　view　that　aint　to　be　beaten　this　side　of　the　Atlantic；　or　I　believe　the　other。　　And　an　echo；　sir！we've　an　echo　that　comes　back　to　us　six　times；　sir；　floating　on　the　light　wind；　and　wafted　about　from　rock　to　rock；　till　you　would　think　the　angels　were　talking　to　you。　　If　I　could　raise　that　echo；　sir；　every　day　at　command；　I'd　give　a　thousand　dollars　for　it。　　It　would　be　worth　all　the　money　to　a　house　like　this。〃　　And　he　waved　his　hand　about　from　hill　to　hill；　pointing　out　in　graceful　curves　the　lines　which　the　sounds　would　take。　　Had　destiny　not　called　on　Mr。　Plaistead　to　keep　an　American　hotel；　he　might　have　been　a　poet。　My　traveler；　however；　unless　time　were　plenty　with　him；　would　pass　Mr。　Plaistead；　merely　lighting　a　friendly　cigar；　or　perhaps　breaking　the　Maine　liquor　law　if　the　weather　be　warm；　and　would　return　to　Gorham　on　the　railway。　　All　this　mountain　district　is　in　New　Hampshire；　and；　presuming　him　to　be　capable　of　going　about　the　world　with　his　mouth；　ears；　and　eyes　open；　he　would　learn　much　of　the　way　in　which　men　are　settling　themselves　in　this　still　sparsely…populated　country。　　Here　young　farmers　go　into　the　woods　as　they　are　doing　far　down　West　in　the　Territories；　and　buying　some　hundred　acres　at　perhaps　six　shillings　an　acre；　fell　and　burn　the　trees；　and　build　their　huts；　and　take　the　first　steps；　as　far　as　man's　work　is　concerned；　toward　accomplishing　the　will　of　the　Creator　in　those　regions。　　For　such　pioneers　of　civilization　there　is　still　ample　room　even　in　the　long…settled　States　of　New　Hampshire　and　Vermont。　But　to　return　to　my　traveler；　whom；　having　brought　so　far；　I　must　send　on。　　Let　him　go　on　from　Gorham　to　Quebec　and　the　heights　of　Abraham；　stopping　at　Sherbrooke　that　he　might　visit　from　thence　the　Lake　of　Memphra　Magog。　　As　to　the　manner　of　traveling　over　this　ground　I　shall　say　a　little　in　the　next　chapter；　when　I　come　to　the　progress　of　myself　and　my　wife。　　From　Quebec　he　will　go　up　the　St。　Lawrence　to　Montreal。　　He　will　visit　Ottawa；　the　new　capital；　and　Toronto。　　He　will　cross　the　lake　to　Niagara；　resting　probably　at　the　Clifton　House　on　the　Canada　side。　　He　will　then　pass　on　to　Albany；　taking　the　Trenton　Falls　on　his　way。　　From　Albany　he　will　go　down　the　Hudson　to　West　Point。　　He　cannot　stop　at　the　Catskill　Mountains；　for　the　hotel　will　be　closed。　　And　then　he　will　take　the　river　boat；　and　in　a　few　hours　will　find　himself　at　New　York。　　If　he　desires　to　go　into　American　city　society；　he　will　find　New　York　agreeable；　but　in　that　case　he　must　exceed　his　two　months。　　If　he　do　not　so　desire；　a　short　sojourn　at　New　York　will　show　him　all　that　there　is　to　be　seen　and　all　that　there　is　not　to　be　seen　in　that　great　city。　　That　the　Cunard　line　of　steamers　will　bring　him　safely　back　to　Liverpool　in　about