the complete writings-4-第46章

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A　pleasant　ride　over　a　rich　rolling　country；　with　an　occasional　strip　of　forest；　brought　us　to　Union　in　the　evening；　with　no　other　adventure　than　the　meeting　of　a　steam　threshing…machine　in　the　road；　with　steam　up；　clattering　along。　　The　devil　himself　could　not　invent　any　machine　calculated　to　act　on　the　nerves　of　a　horse　like　this。　Jack　took　one　look　and　then　dashed　into　the　woods；　scraping　off　his　rider's　hat　but　did　not　succeed　in　getting　rid　of　his　burden　or　knocking　down　any　trees。

Union；　on　the　railway；　is　the　forlornest　of　little　villages；　with　some　three　hundred　inhabitants　and　a　forlorn　hotel；　kept　by　an　ex…　stage…driver。　　The　village；　which　lies　on　the　Holston；　has　no　drinking…water　in　it　nor　enterprise　enough　to　bring　it　in；　not　a　well　nor　a　spring　in　its　limits；　and　for　drinking…water　everybody　crosses　the　river　to　a　spring　on　the　other　side。　　A　considerable　part　of　the　labor　of　the　town　is　fetching　water　over　the　bridge。　　On　a　hill　overlooking　the　village　is　a　big；　pretentious　brick　house；　with　a　tower；　the　furniture　of　which　is　an　object　of　wonder　to　those　who　have　seen　it。　　It　belonged　to　the　late　Mrs。　Stover；　daughter　of　Andrew　Johnson。　　The　whole　family　of　the　ex…President　have　departed　this　world；　but　his　memory　is　still　green　in　this　region；　where　he　was　almost　worshipedso　the　people　say　in　speaking　of　him。

Forlorn　as　was　the　hotel　at　Union；　the　landlord's　daughters　were　beginning　to　draw　the　lines　in　rural　refinement。　　One　of　them　had　been　at　school　in　Abingdon。　　Another；　a　mature　young　lady　of　fifteen；　who　waited　on　the　table；　in　the　leisure　after　supper　asked　the　Friend　for　a　light　for　her　cigarette；　which　she　had　deftly　rolled。

〃Why　do　you　smoke？〃

〃So　as　I　shan't　get　into　the　habit　of　dipping。　　Do　you　think　dipping　is　nice？〃

The　traveler　was　compelled　to　say　that　he　did　not；　though　he　had　seen　a　good　deal　of　it　wherever　he　had　been。

〃All　the　girls　dips　round　here。　　But　me　and　my　sisters　rather　smoke　than　get　in　a　habit　of　dipping。〃

To　the　observation　that　Union　seemed　to　be　a　dull　place　：

〃Well；　there's　gay　times　here　in　the　winterdancing。　　Like　to　dance？　Well；　I　should　say！　　Last　winter　I　went　over　to　Blountsville　to　a　dance　in　the　court…house；　there　was　a　trial　between　Union　and　Blountsville　for　the　best　dancing。　　You　bet　I　brought　back　the　cake　and　the　blue　ribbon。〃

The　country　was　becoming　too　sophisticated；　and　the　travelers　hastened　to　the　end　of　their　journey。　　The　next　morning　Bristol；　at　first　over　a　hilly　country　with　magnificent　oak…trees；happily　not　girdled；　as　these　stately　monarchs　were　often　seen　along　the　roads　in　North　Carolina；and　then　up　Beaver　Creek；　a　turbid　stream；　turning　some　mills。　　When　a　closed　woolen　factory　was　pointed　out　to　the　Professor　（who　was　still　traveling　for　Reform）；　as　the　result　of　the　agitation　in　Congress；　he　said；　Yes；　the　effect　of　agitation　was　evident　in　all　the　decayed　dams　and　ancient　abandoned　mills　we　had　seen　in　the　past　month。

Bristol　is　mainly　one　long　street；　with　some　good　stores；　but　generally　shabby；　and　on　this　hot　morning　sleepy。　　One　side　of　the　street　is　in　Tennessee；　the　other　in　Virginia。　　How　handy　for　fighting　this　would　have　been　in　the　war；　if　Tennessee　had　gone　out　and　Virginia　stayed　in。　　At　the　hotelmay　a　kind　Providence　wake　it　up　to　its　responsibilitieswe　had　the　pleasure　of　reading　one　of　those　facetious　handbills　which　the　great　railway　companies　of　the　West　scatter　about；　the　serious　humor　of　which　is　so　pleasing　to　our　English　friends。　　This　one　was　issued　by　the　accredited　agents　of　the　Ohio　and　Mississippi　Railway；　and　dated　April　1；　1984。　　One　sentence　will　suffice：

〃Allow　us　to　thank　our　old　traveling　friends　for　the　many　favors　in　our　line；　and　if　you　are　going　on　your　bridal　trip；　or　to　see　your　girl　out　West；　drop　in　at　the　general　office　of　the　Ohio　and　Mississippi　Railway　and　we　will　fix　you　up　in　Queen　Anne　style。　Passengers　for　Dakota；　Montana；　or　the　Northwest　will　have　an　overcoat　and　sealskin　cap　thrown　in　with　all　tickets　sold　on　or　after　the　above　date。〃

The　great　republic　cannot　yet　take　itself　seriously。　　Let　us　hope　the　humors　of　it　will　last　another　generation。　　Meditating　on　this；　we　hailed　at　sundown　the　spires　of　Abingdon；　and　regretted　the　end　of　a　journey　that　seems　to　have　been　undertaken　for　no　purpose。





End　of　Volume　Four　of　The　Writings　of　Charles　Dudley　Warner

End　of　the　four　volume　series　of　The　Writings　of　Charles　Dudley　Warner