the complete writings-4-第28章

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　matter　of　ten　miles'　gallop；　to　get　a　medicinal　potion　for　his　sick　mother；　and　lingered　chatting　with　the　young　ladies　until　we　began　to　fear　that　his　mother　would　recover　before　his　return；　the　coming　and　going　of　lean　women　in　shackly　wagons　to　trade　at　the　store；　the　coming　home　of　the　cows；　splashing　through　the　stream；　hooking　right　and　left；　and　lowing　for　the　hand　of　the　milker；all　these　interruptions；　together　with　the　generally　drowsy　quiet　of　the　approach　of　evening；　interfered　with　the　study　of　the　Elements。　　And　when　the　travelers；　after　a　refreshing　rest；　went　on　their　way　next　morning；　considering　the　Elements　and　the　pianos　and　the　refinement；　to　say　nothing　of　the　cuisine；　which　is　not　treated　of　in　the　text…book　referred　to；　they　were　content　with　a　bill　double　that　of　brother　Egger；　in　his　brick　magnificence。

The　simple　truth　is；　that　the　traveler　in　this　region　must　be　content　to　feed　on　natural　beauties。　　And　it　is　an　unfortunate　truth　in　natural　history　that　the　appetite　for　this　sort　of　diet　fails　after　a　time；　if　the　inner　man　is　not　supplied　with　other　sort　of　food。　There　is　no　landscape　in　the　world　that　is　agreeable　after　two　days　of　rusty…bacon　and　slack　biscuit。

〃How　lovely　this　would　be；〃　exclaimed　the　Professor；　if　it　had　a　background　of　beefsteak　and　coffee！

We　were　riding　along　the　west　fork　of　the　Laurel；　distinguished　locally　as　Three　Top　Creek；or；　rather；　we　were　riding　in　it；　crossing　it　thirty…one　times　within　six　miles；　a　charming　wood　（and　water）　road；　under　the　shade　of　fine　trees　with　the　rhododendron　illuminating　the　way；　gleaming　in　the　forest　and　reflected　in　the　stream；　all　the　ten　miles　to　Elk　Cross　Roads；　our　next　destination。　We　had　heard　a　great　deal　about　Elk　Cross　Roads；　it　was　on　the　map；　it　was　down　in　the　itinerary　furnished　by　a　member　of　the　Coast　Survey。　　We　looked　forward　to　it　as　a　sweet　place　of　repose　from　the　noontide　heat。　　Alas！　　Elk　Cross　Roads　is　a　dirty　grocery　store；　encumbered　with　dry…goods　boxes；　fly…blown　goods；　flies；　loafers。　　In　reply　to　our　inquiry　we　were　told　that　they　had　nothing　to　eat；　for　us；　and　not　a　grain　of　feed　for　the　horses。　　But　there　was　a　man　a　mile　farther　on；　who　was　well　to　do　and　had　stores　of　food；old　man　Tatern　would　treat　us　in　bang…up　style。　　The　difficulty　of　getting　feed　for　the　horses　was　chronic　all　through　the　journey。　　The　last　corn　crop　had　failed；　the　new　oats　and　corn　had　not　come　in；　and　the　country　was　literally　barren。　　We　had　noticed　all　along　that　the　hens　were　taking　a　vacation；　and　that　chickens　were　not　put　forward　as　an　article　of　diet。

We　were　unable；　when　we　reached　the　residence　of　old　man　Tatem；　to　imagine　how　the　local　superstition　of　his　wealth　arose。　　His　house　is　of　logs；　with　two　rooms；　a　kitchen　and　a　spare　room；　with　a　low　loft　accessible　by　a　ladder　at　the　side　of　the　chimney。　　The　chimney　is　a　huge　construction　of　stone；　separating　the　two　parts　of　the　house；　in　fact；　the　chimney　was　built　first；　apparently；　and　the　two　rooms　were　then　built　against　it。　　The　proprietor　sat　in　a　little　railed　veranda。　　These　Southern　verandas　give　an　air　to　the　meanest　dwelling；　and　they　are　much　used；　the　family　sit　here；　and　here　are　the　washbasin　and　pail　（which　is　filled　from　the　neighboring　spring…　house）；　and　the　row　of　milk…pans。　　The　old　man　Tatern　did　not　welcome　us　with　enthusiasm；　he　had　no　corn；these　were　hard　times。　　He　looked　like　hard　times；　grizzled　times；　dirty　times。　　It　seemed　time　out　of　mind　since　he　had　seen　comb　or　razor；　and　although　the　lovely　New　River；　along　which　we　had　ridden　to　his　house；a　broad；　inviting　stream；was　in　sight　across　the　meadow；　there　was　no　evidence　that　he　had　ever　made　acquaintance　with　its　cleansing　waters。　　As　to　corn；　the　necessities　of　the　case　and　pay　being　dwelt　on；　perhaps　he　could　find　a　dozen　ears。　　A　dozen　small　cars　he　did　find；　and　we　trust　that　the　horses　found　them。

We　took　a　family　dinner　with　old　man　Tatern　in　the　kitchen；　where　there　was　a　bed　and　a　stove；a　meal　that　the　host　seemed　to　enjoy；　but　which　we　could　not　make　much　of；　except　the　milk；　that　was　good。　A　painful　meal；　on　the　whole；　owing　to　the　presence　in　the　room　of　a　grown…up　daughter　with　a　graveyard　cough；　without　physician　or　medicine；　or　comforts。　　Poor　girl！　just　dying　of　〃a　misery。〃

In　the　spare　room　were　two　beds；　the　walls　were　decorated　with　the　gay…colored　pictures　of　patent…medicine　advertisementsa　favorite　art　adornment　of　the　region；　and　a　pile　of　ancient　illustrated　papers　with　the　usual　patent…office　report；　the　thoughtful　gift　of　the　member　for　the　district。　　The　old　man　takes　in　the　〃Blue　Ridge　Baptist；〃　a　journal　which　we　found　largely　taken　up　with　the　experiences　of　its　editor　on　his　journeys　roundabout　in　search　of　subscribers。　　This　newspaper　was　the　sole　communication　of　the　family　with　the　world　at　large；　but　the　old　man　thought　he　should　stop　it；　he　did　n't　seem　to　get　the　worth　of　his　money　out　of　it。　　And　old　man　Tatem　was　a　thrifty　and　provident　man。　　On　the　hearth　in　this　best　roomas　ornaments　or　memento　mori　were　a　couple　of　marble　gravestones；　a　short　headstone　and　foot…stone；　mounted　on　bases　and　ready　for　use；　except　the　lettering。　　These　may　not　have　been　so　mournful　and　significant　as　they　looked；　nor　the　evidence　of　simple；　humble　faith；　they　may　have　been　taken　for　debt。　　But　as　parlor　ornaments　they　had　a　fascination　which　we　could　not　escape。

It　was　while　we　were　bathing　in　the　New　River；　that　afternoon；　and　meditating　on　the　grim；　unrelieved　sort　of　life　of　our　host；　that　the　Professor　said；　〃judging　by　the　face　of　the　'Blue　Ridge　Baptist；'　he　will　charge　us　smartly　for　the　few　nubbins　of　corn　and　the　milk。〃　The　face　did　not　deceive　us；　the　charge　was　one　dollar。　　At　this　rate　it　would　have　broken　us　to　have　tarried　with　old　man　Tatem　（perhaps　he　is　not　old；　but　that　is　the　name　he　goes　by）　over　night。

It　was　a　hot　afternoon；　and　it　needed　some　courage　to　mount　and　climb　the　sandy　hill　leading　us　away　from　the　corn…crib　of　Tatem。　　But　we　entered　almost　immediately　into　fine　stretches　of　forest；　and　rode　under　the　shade　of　great　oaks。　　The　way；　which　began　by　the　New　River；　soon　led　us　over　the　hills　to　the　higher　levels　of　Watauga　County。　　So　far　on　our　journey　we　had　been　hemmed　in　by　low　hills；　and　without　any　distant　or　mountain　outlooks。　　The　excessive　heat　seemed　out　of　place　at　the　elevation　of　over　two　thousand　feet；　on　which　we　were　traveling。　　Boone；　the　county　seat　of　Watauga　County；　was　our　destination；　and；　ever　since　morning；　the　guideboards　and　the　trend　of　the　roads　had　notified　us　that　everything　in　this　region　tends　towards　Boone　as　a　center　of　interest。　　The　simple　ingenuity　of　some　of　the　guide…boards　impressed　us。　　If；　on　coming　to　a　fork；　the　traveler　was　to　turn　to　the　right；　the　sign　read；

　　　　　　To　BOONE　10　M。　If　he　was　to　go　to　the　left；　it　read；　　　　　　　。M　01　ENOOB　oT

A　short　ride　of　nine　miles；　on　an　ascending　road；　through　an　open；　unfenced　forest　region；　brought　us　long　before　sundown　to　this　capital。　　When　we　had　ridden　into　its　single　street；　which　wanders　over　gentle　hills；　and　landed　at　the　most　promising　of　the　taverns；　the　Friend　informed　his　comrade　that　Boone　was　3250　feet　above　Albemarle　Sound；　and　believed　by　its　inhabitants　to　be　the　highest　village　east　of　the　Rocky　Mountains。　　The　Professor　said　that　it　might　be　so；　but　it　was　a　God…forsaken　place。　　Its　inhabitants　numbered　perhaps　two　hundred　and　fifty；　a　few　of　them　colored。　　It　had　a　gaunt；　shaky　court…house　and　jail；　a　store　or　two；　and　two　taverns。　　The　two　taverns　are　needed　to　accommodate　the　judges　and　lawyers　and　their　clients　during　the　session　of　the　court。　　The　court　is　the　only　excitement　and　the　only　amusement。　　It　is　the　event　from　which　other　events　date。　　Everybody　in　the　county　knows　exactly　when　court　sits；　and　when　court　breaks。　　During　the　session　the　whole　county　is　practically　in　Boone；　men；　women；　and　children。　　They　camp　there；　they　attend　the　trials；　they　take　sides；　half　of　them；　perhaps；　are　witnesses；　for　the　region　is　litigious；　and　the　neighborhood　quarrels　are　entered　into　with　spirit。　　To　be　fond　of　lawsuits　seems　a　characteristic　of　an　isolated　people　in　new　conditions。　　The　early　settlers　of　New　England　we