worldly ways and byways-第44章

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closely　the　amiabilities　of　the　wolf　for　the　lamb；　or　the　sudden　

politeness　of　a　school…boy　to　a　little　girl　who　has　received　a　box　

of　candies。









CHAPTER　37　…　The　Newport　of　the　Past





FEW　of　the　〃carriage　ladies　and　gentlemen〃　who　disport　themselves　

in　Newport　during　the　summer　months；　yachting　and　dancing　through　

the　short　season；　then　flitting　away　to　fresh　fields　and　pastures　

new；　realize　that　their　daintily　shod　feet　have　been　treading　

historic　ground；　or　care　to　cast　a　thought　back　to　the　past。　　Oddly　

enough；　to　the　majority　of　people　the　past　is　a　volume　rarely　

opened。　　Not　that　it　bores　them　to　read　it；　but　because　they；　like　

children；　want　some　one　to　turn　over　its　yellow　leaves　and　point　

out　the　pictures　to　them。　　Few　of　the　human　motes　that　dance　in　the　

rays　of　the　afternoon　sun　as　they　slant　across　the　little　Park；　

think　of　the　fable　which　asserts　that　a　sea…worn　band　of　

adventurous　men；　centuries　before　the　Cabots　or　the　Genoese　

discoverer　thought　of　crossing　the　Atlantic；　had　pushed　bravely　out　

over　untried　seas　and　landed　on　this　rocky　coast。　　Yet　one　apparent　

evidence　of　their　stay　tempts　our　thoughts　back　to　the　times　when　

it　is　said　to　have　been　built　as　a　bower　for　a　king's　daughter。　　

Longfellow；　in　the　swinging　verse　of　his　〃Skeleton　in　Armor；〃　

breathing　of　the　sea　and　the　Norseman's　fatal　love；　has　thrown　such　

a　glamour　of　poetry　around　the　tower；　that　one　would　fain　believe　

all　he　relates。　　The　hardy　Norsemen；　if　they　ever　came　here；　

succumbed　in　their　struggle　with　the　native　tribes；　or；　discouraged　

by　death　and　hardships；　sailed　away；　leaving　the　clouds　of　oblivion　

to　close　again　darkly　around　this　continent；　and　the　fog　of　

discussion　to　circle　around　the　〃Old　Mill。〃



The　little　settlement　of　another　race；　speaking　another　tongue；　

that　centuries　later　sprang　up　in　the　shadow　of　the　tower；　quickly　

grew　into　a　busy　and　prosperous　city；　which；　like　New　York；　its　

rival；　was　captured　and　held　by　the　English。　　To　walk　now　through　

some　of　its　quaint；　narrow　streets　is　to　step　back　into　

Revolutionary　days。　　Hardly　a　house　has　changed　since　the　time　when　

the　red　coats　of　the　British　officers　brightened　the　prim　

perspectives；　and　turned　loyal　young　heads　as　they　passed。



At　the　corner　of　Spring　and　Pelham　Streets；　still　stands　the　

residence　of　General　Prescott；　who　was　carried　away　prisoner　by　his　

opponents；　they　having　rowed　down　in　whale…boats　from　Providence　

for　the　attack。　　Rochambeau；　our　French　ally；　lodged　lower　down　in　

Mary　Street。　　In　the　tower　of　Trinity；　one　can　read　the　epitaph　of　

the　unfortunate　Chevalier　de　Ternay；　commander　of　the　sea　forces；　

whose　body　lies　near　by。　　Many　years　later　his　relative；　the　Duc　de　

Noailles；　when　Minister　to　this　country；　had　this　simple　tablet　

repaired　and　made　a　visit　to　the　spot。



A　long　period　of　prosperity　followed　the　Revolution；　during　which　

Newport　grew　and　flourished。　　Our　pious　and　God…fearing　〃forbears；〃　

having　secured　personal　and　religious　liberty；　proceeded　to　

inaugurate　a　most　successful　and　remunerative　trade　in　rum　and　

slaves。　　It　was　a　triangular　transaction　and　yielded　a　three…fold　

profit。　　The　simple　population　of　that　day；　numbering　less　than　ten　

thousand　souls；　possessed　twenty　distilleries；　finding　it　a　

physical　impossibility　to　drink　ALL　the　rum；　they　conceived　the　

happy　thought　of　sending　the　surplus　across　to　the　coast　of　Africa；　

where　it　appears　to　have　been　much　appreciated　by　the　native　

chiefs；　who　eagerly　exchanged　the　pick　of　their　loyal　subjects　for　

that　liquid。　　These　poor　brutes　were　taken　to　the　West　Indies　and　

exchanged　for　sugar；　laden　with　which；　the　vessels　returned　to　

Newport。



Having　introduced　the　dusky　chieftains　to　the　charms　of　delirium　

tremens　and　their　subjects　to　life…long　slavery；　one　can　almost　see　

these　pious　deacons　proceeding　to　church　to　offer　up　thanks　for　the　

return　of　their　successful　vessels。　　Alas！　even　〃the　best　laid　

schemes　of　mice　and　men〃　come　to　an　end。　　The　War　of　1812；　the　

opening　of　the　Erie　Canal　and　sundry　railways　struck　a　blow　at　

Newport　commerce；　from　which　it　never　recovered。　　The　city　sank　

into　oblivion；　and　for　over　thirty　years　not　a　house　was　built　

there。



It　was　not　until　near　1840　that　the　Middletons　and　Izzards　and　

other　wealthy　and　aristocratic　Southern　families　were　tempted　to　

Newport　by　the　climate　and　the　facilities　it　offered　for　bathing；　

shooting　and　boating。　　A　boarding…house　or　two　sufficed　for　the　

modest　wants　of　the　new…comers；　first　among　which　stood　the　

Aquidneck；　presided　over　by　kind　Mrs。　Murray。　　It　was　not　until　

some　years　later；　when　New　York　and　Boston　families　began　to　

appreciate　the　place；　that　the　first　hotels　were　built；　…　the　

Atlantic　on　the　square　facing　the　old　mill；　the　Bellevue　and　

Fillmore　on　Catherine　Street；　and　finally　the　original　Ocean　House；　

destroyed　by　fire　in　1845　and　rebuilt　as　we　see　it　to…day。　　The　

croakers　of　the　epoch　considered　it　much　too　far　out　of　town　to　be　

successful；　for　at　its　door　the　open　fields　began；　a　gate　there　

separating　the　town　from　the　country　across　which　a　straggling；　

half…made　road；　closed　by　innumerable　gates；　led　along　the　cliffs　

and　out　across　what　is　now　the　Ocean　Drive。　　The　principal　roads　at　

that　time　led　inland；　any　one　wishing　to　drive　seaward　had　to　

descend　every　two　or　three　minutes　to　open　a　gate。　　The　youth　of　

the　day　discovered　a　source　of　income　in　opening　and　closing　these　

for　pennies。



Fashion　had　decreed　that　the　correct　hour　for　dancing　was　11　A。M。；　

and　MATINEES　DANSANTES　were　regularly　given　at　the　hotels；　our　

grandmothers　appearing　in　DECOLLETE　muslin　frocks　adorned　with　

broad　sashes；　and　disporting　themselves　gayly　until　the　dinner　

hour。　　Low…neck　dresses　were　the　rule；　not　only　for　these　informal　

entertainments；　but　as　every…day　wear　for　young　girls；　…　an　old　

lady　only　the　other　day　telling　me　she　had　never　worn　a　〃high…body〃　

until　after　her　marriage。　　Two　o'clock　found　all　the　beauties　and　

beaux　dining。　　How　incredulously　they　would　have　laughed　if　any　one　

had　prophesied　that　their　grandchildren　would　prefer　eight　forty…

five　as　a　dinner　hour！



The　opening　of　Bellevue　Avenue　marked　another　epoch　in　the　history　

of　Newport。　　About　that　time　Governor　Lawrence　bought　the　whole　of　

Ochre　Point　farm　for　fourteen　thousand　dollars；　and　Mr。　de　Rham　

built　on　the　newly　opened　road　the　first　〃cottage；〃　which　stands　

to…day　modestly　back　from　the　avenue　opposite　Perry　Street。　　If　

houses　have　souls；　as　Hawthorne　averred；　and　can　remember　and　

compare；　what　curious　thoughts　must　pass　through　the　oaken　brain　of　

this　simple　construction　as　it　sees　its　marble　neighbors　rearing　

their　vast　facades　among　trees。　　The　trees；　too；　are　an　innovation；　

for　when　the　de　Rham　cottage　was　built　and　Mrs。　Cleveland　opened　

her　new　house　at　the　extreme　end　of　Rough　Point　（the　second　summer　

residence　in　the　place）　it　is　doubtful　if　a　single　tree　broke　the　

rocky　monotony　of　the　landscape　from　the　Ocean　House　to　Bateman's　

Point。



Governor　Lawrence；　having　sold　one　acre　of　his　Ochre　Point　farm　to　

Mr。　Pendleton　for　the　price　he　himself　had　paid　for　the　whole；　

proceeded　to　build　a　stone　wall　between　the　two　properties　down　to　

the　water's　edge。　　The　population　of　Newport　had　been　accustomed　to　

take　their　Sunday　airings　and　moonlight　rambles　along　〃the　cliffs；〃　

and　viewed　this　obstruction　of　their　favorite　walk　with　dismay。　　So　

strong　was　their　feeling　that　when　the　wall　was　completed　the　young　

men　of　the　town　repaired　there　in　the　night　and　tore　it　down。　　It　

was　rebuilt；　the　mortar　being　mixed　with　broken　glass。　　This　

infuriated　the　people　to　such　an　extent　that　the　whole　populace；　in　

broad　daylight；　accompanied　by　the　summer　visitors；　destroyed　the　

wall　and　threw　the　materials　into　the　sea。　　Lawrence；　bent　on　

maintaining　what　he　cons