the complete writings-4-第24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！


adies　of　the　region　add　the　final　graces　of　intellectual　life　in　moral　philosophy　and　the　use　of　the　globes　to　their　natural　gifts。　　The　mansion　of　the　late　and　left　Floyd　is　now　a　seminary；　and　not　far　from　it　is　the　Stonewall　Jackson　Institute；　in　the　midst　of　a　grove　of　splendid　oaks；　whose　stately　boles　and　wide…　spreading　branches　give　a　dignity　to　educational　life。　　The　distinction　of　the　region　is　its　superb　oak…trees。　　As　it　was　vacation　in　these　institutions　of　learning；　the　travelers　did　not　see　any　of　the　vines　that　traditionally　cling　to　the　oak。

The　Professor　and　the　Friend　of　Humanity　were　about　starting　on　a　journey；　across　country　southward；　through　regions　about　which　the　people　of　Abingdon　could　give　little　useful　information。　　If　the　travelers　had　known　the　capacities　and　resources　of　the　country；　they　would　not　have　started　without　a　supply　train；　or　the　establishment　of　bases　of　provisions　in　advance。　　But；　as　the　Professor　remarked；　knowledge　is　something　that　one　acquires　when　he　has　no　use　for　it。　The　horses　were　saddled；　the　riders　were　equipped　with　flannel　shirts　and　leather　leggings；　the　saddle…bags　were　stuffed　with　clean　linen；　and　novels；　and　sonnets　of　Shakespeare；　and　other　baggage；　it　would　have　been　well　if　they　had　been　stuffed　with　hard…tack；　for　in　real　life　meat　is　more　than　raiment。

The　hotel；　in　front　of　which　there　is　cultivated　so　much　of　what　the　Germans　call　sitzfleisch；　is　a　fair　type　of　the　majority　of　Southern　hotels；　and　differs　from　the　same　class　in　the　North　in　being　left　a　little　more　to　run　itself。　　The　only　information　we　obtained　about　it　was　from　its　porter　at　the　station；　who　replied　to　the　question；　〃Is　it　the　best？〃　　〃We　warrant　you　perfect　satisfaction　in　every　respect。〃　　This　seems　to　be　only　a　formula　of　expression；　for　we　found　that　the　statement　was　highly　colored。　　It　was　left　to　our　imagination　to　conjecture　how　the　big　chambers　of　the　old　house；　with　their　gaping　fireplaces；　might　have　looked　when　furnished　and　filled　with　gay　company；　and　we　got　what　satisfaction　we　could　out　of　a　bygone　bustle　and　mint…julep　hilarity。　　In　our　struggles　with　the　porter　to　obtain　the　little　items　of　soap；　water；　and　towels；　we　were　convinced　that　we　had　arrived　too　late；　and　that　for　perfect　satisfaction　we　should　have　been　here　before　the　war。　　It　was　not　always　as　now。　　In　colonial　days　the　accommodations　and　prices　at　inns　were　regulated　by　law。　　In　the　old　records　in　the　court…house　we　read　that　if　we　had　been　here　in　1777；　we　could　have　had　a　gallon　of　good　rum　for　sixteen　shillings；　a　quart　bowl　of　rum　toddy　made　with　loaf　sugar　for　two　shillings；　or　with　brown　sugar　for　one　shilling　and　sixpence。　　In　1779　prices　had　risen。　　Good　rum　sold　for　four　pounds　a　gallon。　　It　was　ordered　that　a　warm　dinner　should　cost　twelve　shillings；　a　cold　dinner　nine　shillings；　and　a　good　breakfast　twelve　shillings。　　But　the　item　that　pleased　us　most；　and　made　us　regret　our　late　advent；　was　that　for　two　shillings　we　could　have　had　a　〃good　lodging；　with　clean　sheets。〃　The　colonists　were　fastidious　people。

Abingdon；　prettily　situated　on　rolling　hills；　and　a　couple　of　thousand　feet　above　the　sea；　with　views　of　mountain　peaks　to　the　south；　is　a　cheerful　and　not　too　exciting　place　for　a　brief　sojourn；　and　hospitable　and　helpful　to　the　stranger。　　We　had　dinedso　much；　at　least；　the　public　would　expect　of　uswith　a　descendant　of　Pocahontas；　we　had　assisted　on　Sunday　morning　at　the　dedication　of　a　new　brick　Methodist　church；　the　finest　edifice　in　the　region　a　dedication　that　took　a　long　time；　since　the　bishop　would　not　proceed　with　it　until　money　enough　was　raised　in　open　meeting　to　pay　the　balance　due　on　it：　a　religious　act；　though　it　did　give　a　business　aspect　to　the　place　at　the　time；　and　we　had　been　the　light　spots　in　the　evening　service　at　the　most　aristocratic　church　of　color。　　The　irresponsibility　of　this　amiable　race　was　exhibited　in　the　tardiness　with　which　they　assembled：　at　the　appointed　time　nobody　was　there　except　the　sexton；　it　was　three　quarters　of　an　hour　before　the　congregation　began　to　saunter　in；　and　the　sermon　was　nearly　over　before　the　pews　were　at　all　filled。　　Perhaps　the　sermon　was　not　new；　but　it　was　fervid；　and　at　times　the　able　preacher　roared　so　that　articulate　sounds　were　lost　in　the　general　effect。　　It　was　precisely　these　passages　of　cataracts　of　sound　and　hard　breathing　which　excited　the　liveliest　responses；〃Yes；　Lord；〃　and　〃Glory　to　God。〃　　Most　of　these　responses　came　from　the　〃Amen　corner。〃　　The　sermon　contained　the　usual　vivid　description　of　the　last　judgmentah；　and　I　fancied　that　the　congregation　did　not　get　the　ordinary　satisfaction　out　of　it。　　Fashion　had　entered　the　fold；　and　the　singing　was　mostly　executed　by　a　choir　in　the　dusky　gallery；　who　thinly　and　harshly　warbled　the　emotional　hymns。　　It　occupied　the　minister　a　long　time　to　give　out　the　notices　of　the　week；　and　there　was　not　an　evening　or　afternoon　that　had　not　its　meetings；　its　literary　or　social　gathering；　its　picnic　or　fair　for　the　benefit　of　the　church；　its　Dorcas　society；　or　some　occasion　of　religious　sociability。　　The　raising　of　funds　appeared　to　be　the　burden　on　the　preacher's　mind。　Two　collections　were　taken　up。　　At　the　first；　the　boxes　appeared　to　get　no　supply　except　from　the　two　white　trash　present。　　But　the　second　was　more　successful。　　After　the　sermon　was　over；　an　elder　took　his　place　at　a　table　within　the　rails；　and　the　real　business　of　the　evening　began。　　Somebody　in　the　Amen　corner　struck　up　a　tune　that　had　no　end；　but　a　mighty　power　of　setting　the　congregation　in　motion。　The　leader　had　a　voice　like　the　pleasant　droning　of　a　bag…pipe；　and　the　faculty　of　emitting　a　continuous　note　like　that　instrument；　without　stopping　to　breathe。　　It　went　on　and　on　like　a　Bach　fugue；　winding　and　whining　its　way；　turning　the　corners　of　the　lines　of　the　catch　without　a　break。　　The　effect　was　soon　visible　in　the　emotional　crowd：　feet　began　to　move　in　a　regular　cadence　and　voices　to　join　in；　with　spurts　of　ejaculation；　and　soon；　with　an　air　of　martyrdom；　the　members　began　to　leave　their　seats　and　pass　before　the　table　and　deposit　their　contributions。　　It　was　a　cent　contribution；　and　we　found　it　very　difficult；　under　the　contagious　influence　of　the　hum　from　the　Amen　corner；　not　to　rise　and　go　forward　and　deposit　a　cent。　If　anything　could　extract　the　pennies　from　a　reluctant　worldling；　it　would　be　the　buzzing　of　this　tune。　　It　went　on　and　on；　until　the　house　appeared　to　be　drained　dry　of　its　cash；　and　we　inferred　by　the　stopping　of　the　melody　that　the　preacher's　salary　was　secure　for　the　time　being。　　On　inquiring；　we　ascertained　that　the　pecuniary　flood　that　evening　had　risen　to　the　height　of　a　dollar　and　sixty　cents。

All　was　ready　for　the　start。　　It　should　have　been　early　in　the　morning；　but　it　was　not；　for　Virginia　is　not　only　one　of　the　blessed　regions　where　one　can　get　a　late　breakfast；　but　where　it　is　almost　impossible　to　get　an　early　one。　　At　ten　A。　M。　　the　two　horsemen　rode　away　out　of　sight　of　the　Abingdon　spectators；　down　the　eastern　turnpike。　　The　day　was　warm；　but　the　air　was　full　of　vitality　and　the　spirit　of　adventure。　　It　was　the　22d　of　July。　　The　horses　were　not　ambitious；　but　went　on　at　an　easy　fox…trot　that　permits　observation　and　encourages　conversation。　　It　had　been　stipulated　that　the　horses　should　be　good　walkers；　the　one　essential　thing　in　a　horseback　journey。　　Few　horses；　even　in　a　country　where　riding　is　general；　are　trained　to　walk　fast。　　We　hear　much　of　horses　that　can　walk　five　miles　an　hour；　but　they　are　as　rare　as　white　elephants。　　Our　horses　were　only　fair　walkers。　　We　realized　how　necessary　this　accomplishment　is；　for　between　the　Tennessee　line　and　Asheville；　North　Carolina；　there　is　scarcely　a　mile　of　trotting…ground。

We　soon　turned　southward　and　descended　into　the　Holston　River　Valley。　Beyond　lay　the　Tennessee　hills　and　conspicuous　White…Top　Mountain　（5530　feet）；　which　has　a　good　deal　of　local　celebrity　（standing　where　the　States　of　Virginia；　Tennessee；　and　North　Carolina　corner）；　and　had　been　pointed　out　to　us　at　Abingdon。　　We　had　been　urged；　personally　and　by　letter；　to　ascend　this　mountain；　without　fail。　People　recommend　mountains　to　their　friends　as　they　do　patent　medicin