adventures and letters-第23章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


it　all　that　it　rather　angers　you。　　I　wish　I　was　not　such　a　very　bad　hand　at　languages。　　That　is　ONE　THING　I　cannot　do；　that　and　ride。　　I　need　it　very　much；　traveling　so　much；　and　I　shall　study　very　hard　while　I　am　in　Paris。　　Our　consul…general　here　is　a　very　young　man；　and　he　showed　me　a　Kansas　paper　when　I　called　on　him；　which　said　that　I　was　in　the　East　and　would　probably　call　on　〃Ed〃　L。　　He　is　very　civil　to　me　and　gives　me　his　carriages　and　outriders　with　gold　clothes　and　swords　whenever　I　will　take　them。

It　is　so　beastly　cold　here　that　it　spoils　a　lot　of　things；　and　there　are　a　lot　of　Americans　who　say；　〃I　had　no　idea　you　were　so　young　a　man；〃　and　that；　after　being　five　years　old　for　a　month　and　playing　children's　games　with　English　people　who　didn't　know　or　care　anything　about　you　except　that　you　made　them　laugh；　is　rather　trying。　　I　am　disappointed　so　far　in　the　trip　because　it　has　developed　nothing　new　beyond　the　fact　that　going　around　the　world　is　of　no　more　importance　than　going　to　breakfast；　and　I　am　selfish　in　my　sightseeing　and　want　to　see　things　others　do　not。　　And　if　you　even　do　see　more　than　those　who　are　not　so　fortunate　and　who　have　to　remain　at　home；　still　you　are　so　ignorant　in　comparison　with　those　who　have　lived　here　for　years　and　to　whom　the　whole　of　Africa　is　a　speculation　in　land　or　railroads；　it　makes　you　feel　like　such　a　faker　and　as　if　it　were　better　to　turn　correspondent　for　the　N。　Y。　Herald；　Paris　edition；　and　send　back　the　names　of　those　who　are　staying　at　the　hotels。　　That　is　really　all　you　can　speak　with　authority　about。　　When　you　have　Gordon　and　Stanley　dishes　on　the　bill…of…fare；　you　feel　ashamed　to　say　you've　been　in　Egypt。　　Anyway；　I　am　a　faker　and　I　don't　care；　and　I　proved　it　today　by　being　photographed　on　a　camel　in　front　of　the　Pyramids；　and　if　that　wasn't　impertinence　I　do　not　know　its　name。　　I　accordingly　went　and　bought　a　lot　of　gold　dresses　for　Nora　as　a　penance。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　unless　I　get　into　the　interior　for　a　month　and　see　something　new；　I　shall　consider　the　trip　a　failure；　except　as　a　most　amusing　holiday　for　one；　and　that　was　not　exactly　what　I　wanted　or　all　I　wanted。　　After　this　I　shall　go　to　big　cities　only　and　stay　there。　　Everybody　travels　and　everybody　sees　as　much　as　you　do　and　says　nothing　of　it；　certainly　does　not　presume　to　write　a　book　about　it。　　Anyway；　it　has　been　great　fun；　so　I　shall　put　it　down　to　that　and　do　some　serious　work　to　make　up　for　it。　　I'd　rather　have　written　a　good　story　about　the　Inauguration　than　about　Cairo。

I　am　well；　as　usual；　and　having　a　fine　loaf；　only　I　don't　think　much　of　what　I　have　writtenthat's　all。

DICK。

CAIRO；　March　19th；　1893。　DEAR　MOTHER：

I　went　up　the　Pyramids　yesterday　and　I　am　very　sore　today。　　It　sounds　easy　because　so　many　people　do　it；　but　they　do　it　because　they　don't　know。　　I　have　been　putting　it　off；　and　putting　it　off；　until　I　felt　ashamed　to　such　a　degree　that　I　had　to　go。　　Little　had　never　been　either；　so　we　went　out　together　and　met　Stanford　White　and　the　Emmetts　there；　and　we　all　went　up。　　I　would　rather　go　into　Central　Africa　than　do　it　again。　　I　am　getting　fat　and　that's　about　itand　I　had　to　half　pull　a　much　fatter　man　than　myself　who　pretended　to　help　me。　　I　finally　told　them　I'd　go　alone　unless　the　fat　man　went　away；　so　the　other　two　drove　him　off。　　Going　down　is　worse。　　It's　like　looking　over　a　precipice　all　the　time。　　I　was　so　glad　when　I　got　down　that　I　sang　with　glee。　　I　hate　work　like　that；　and　to　make　it　worse　I　took　everybody's　picture　on　top　of　the　Pyramid；　and　forgot　to　have　one　of　them　take　me；　so　there　is　no　way　to　prove　I　ever　went　up。　　Little　and　I　hired　two　donkeys　and　called　them　〃Gallegher〃　and　〃Van　Bibber〃　and　raced　them。　　My　donkey　was　so　little　that　they　couldn't　see　himonly　his　ears。　　Gallegher　won。　　The　donkey…boys　called　it　Von　Bebey；　so　I　don't　think　it　will　help　the　sale　of　the　book。

Today　we　went　to　call　on　the　Khedive。　　It　was　very　informal　and　too　democratic　to　suit　my　tastes。　　We　went　through　a　line　of　his　bodyguard　in　the　hall；　and　the　master　of　ceremonies　took　us　up　several　low　but　wide　stairways　to　a　hall。　　In　the　hall　was　a　little　fat　young　man　in　a　frock　coat　and　a　fez；　and　he　shook　hands　with　us；　and　walked　into　another　room　and　we　all　sat　down　on　chairs　covered　with　white　muslin。　　I　talked　and　Little　talked　about　me　and　the　Khedive　pretended　to　be　very　much　honored；　and　said　the　American　who　had　come　over　after　our　rebellion　had　done　more　for　the　officers　in　his　army　than　had　anyone　else；　meaning　the　English。　　He　did　not　say　that　because　we　were　Americans；　but　because　he　hates　the　English。　　He　struck　me　as　being　stubborn；　which　is　one　side　of　stupidness　and　yet　not　stupid；　and　I　occasionally　woke　him　to　bursts　of　enthusiasm　over　the　Soudanese。　　His　bursts　were　chiefly　〃Ali。〃　　Little　seemed　to　amuse　him　very　much；　and　Little　treated　him　exactly　like　a　little　boy　who　needed　to　be　cheered　up。　　I　think　in　one　way　it　was　the　most　curious　contrast　I　ever　saw。　　〃Ed〃　Little　of　Abilene；　Kansas；　telling　the　ruler　of　Egypt　not　to　worry；　that　he　had　plenty　of　years　in　which　to　live　and　that　he　would　get　ahead　of　them　all　yet。　　Those　were　not　his　words；　but　that　was　the　tone；　he　was　perfectly　friendly　and　sincere　about　it。

This　place　appeals　to　me　as　about　the　best　place　with　which　to　get　mixed　up　with　that　I　know；　and　I've　gone　over　a　great　many　maps　since　I　left　home　and　know　just　how　small　the　world　is。　　So；　I　sent　the　Khedive　my　books　after　having　asked　his　permission；　and　received　the　most　abject　thanks。　　And　as　Cromer　called　on　me；　I　am　going　to　drop　around　on　him　with　a　few　of　them。　　Some　day　there　will　be　fine　things　going　on　here；　and　there　is　only　one　God；　and　Lord　Cromer　is　his　Prophet　in　this　country。　　They　think　that　Mohammed　is　but　they　are　wrong。　　He　is　a　very　big　man。　　The　day　he　sent　his　ultimatum　to　the　Khedive　telling　him　to　dismiss　Facta　Pasha　and　put　back　Riaz　Pasha；　he　went　out　in　full　view　of　the　Gezerik　drive　and　played　lawn　tennis。　　Any　man　who　can　cable　for　three　thousand　more　troops　to　Malta　and　stop　a　transport　full　of　two　thousand　more　at　Aden　with　one　hand；　and　bang　tennis　balls　about　with　the　other；　is　going　in　the　long　run　to　get　ahead　of　a　stout　little　boy　in　a　red　fez。　　It　is　getting　awfully　hot　here；　almost　hot　enough　for　me；　and　I　can　lay　aside　my　overcoat　by　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning。　　Everyone　else　has　been　in　flannels　and　pith　helmets；　but　as　they　had　to　wear　overcoats　at　night　I　could　not　see　the　advantage　of　the　costume。

DICK。


I　open　this　to　say　that　ALL　of　your　letters　have　just　come；　so　I　have　intoxicated　myself　with　them　for　the　last　hour　and　can　go　over　them　again　tomorrow。　　I　cannot　tell　you；　dearest；　what　a　delight　your　letters　are　and　how　I　enjoy　the　clippings。　　I　think　of　you　all　the　time　and　how　you　would　love　this　Bible　land　and　seeing　the　places　where　Pharaoh's　daughter　found　Moses；　and　hearing　people　talk　of　St。　Paul　and　the　plagues　of　Egypt　and　Joseph　and　Mary　just　as　though　they　had　lived　yesterday。　　I　have　seen　two　St。　Johns　already；　with　long　hair　and　melancholy　wild　eyes　and　bare　breasts　and　legs；　with　sheepskin　covering；　eating　figs　and　preaching　their　gospel。　　Yesterday　two　men　came　running　into　town　and　told　one　of　the　priests　that　they　had　seen　the　new　moon　in　a　certain　well；　and　the　priest　proclaimed　a　month　of　fasting；　and　the　men　who　pulled　us　up　the　Pyramid　had　to　rest　because　they　had　not　eaten　or　drunk　all　day。　　At　six　a　sheik　called　from　the　village　and　all　the　donkeyboys　and　guides　around　the　Sphinx　ran　to　get　water　and　coffee　and　food。　　Think　of　thatof　two　men　running　through　the　street　to　say　that　they　had　seen　the　new　moon　in　a　well；　when　every　shop　sells　Waterbury　watches　and　the　people　who　passed　them　were　driving　dogcarts　with　English　coachmen　in　top…boots　behind。　　Is　there　any　other　place　as　incongruous　as　this；　as　old　and　as　new？

DICK。


ATHENS；　March　30；　1893。　DEAR　MOTHER：

I　am　now　in　Athens；　how　I　got　here　is　immaterial。　　Suffice　it　to　say　that　never　in　all　my　life　was　I　so　ill　as　I　was　in　the　two　days　crossing　from　Alexandria　to　Piraeus；　which　I　did　with　two　other　men　in　the　same　cabin　more　ill　than　I　and　praying　and　swearing　and　groaning　all　the　time。　　〃It　was　awful。〃