a mortal antipathy-第25章

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course　of　cousins。　　I　had　enough　of　them　to　furnish　out　a　whole

gallery　of　portraits。　　There　was　cousin　'Creeshy；'　as　we　called　her；

Lucretia；　more　correctly。　　She　was　a　cripple。　　Her　left　lower　limb

had　had　something　happen　to　it；　and　she　walked　with　a　crutch。　　Her

patience　under　her　trial　was　very　pathetic　and　picturesque；　so　to

speak；I　mean　adapted　to　the　tender　parts　of　a　story；　nothing　could

work　up　better　in　a　melting　paragraph。　　But　I　could　not；　of　course；

describe　her　particular　infirmity；　that　would　point　her　out　at　once。

I　thought　of　shifting　the　lameness　to　the　right　lower　limb；　but　even

that　would　be　seen　through。　　So　I　gave　the　young　woman　that　stood　for

her　in　my　story　a　lame　elbow；　and　put　her　arm　in　a　sling；　and　made

her　such　a　model　of　uncomplaining　endurance　that　my　grandmother　cried

over　her　as　if　her　poor　old　heart　would　break。　　She　cried　very

easily；　my　grandmother；　in　fact；　she　had　such　a　gift　for　tears　that　I

availed　myself　of　it；　and　if　you　remember　old　Judy；　in　my　novel

〃Honi　Soit　〃　（Honey　Sweet；　the　booksellers　called　it）；old　Judy；　the

black…nurse；that　was　my　grandmother。　　She　had　various　other

peculiarities；　which　I　brought　out　one　by　one；　and　saddled　on　to

different　characters。　　You　see　she　was　a　perfect　mine　of

singularities　and　idiosyncrasies。　　After　I　had　used　her　up　pretty

well；　I　came　dawn　upon　my　poor　relations。　　They　were　perfectly　fair

game；　what　better　use　could　I　put　them　to？　　I　studied　them　up　very

carefully；　and　as　there　were　a　good　many　of　them　I　helped　myself

freely。　　They　lasted　me；　with　occasional　intermissions；　I　should　say；

three　or　four　years。　　I　had　to　be　very　careful　with　my　poor

relations；they　were　as　touchy　as　they　could　be；　and　as　I　felt　bound

to　send　a　copy　of　my　novel；　whatever　it　might　be；　to　each　one　of

them；there　were　as　many　as　a　dozen；I　took　care　to　mix　their

characteristic　features；　so　that；　though　each　might　suspect　I　meant

the　other；　no　one　should　think　I　meant　him　or　her。　　I　got　through　all

my　relations　at　last　except　my　father　and　mother。　　I　had　treated　my

brothers　and　sisters　pretty　fairly；　all　except　Elisha　and　Joanna。

The　truth　is　they　both　had　lots　of　odd　ways；family　traits；　I

suppose；　but　were　just　different　enough　from　each　other　to　figure

separately　in　two　different　stories。　　These　two　novels　made　me　some

little　trouble；　for　Elisha　said　he　felt　sure　that　I　meant　Joanna　in

one　of　them；　and　quarrelled　with　me　about　it；　and　Joanna　vowed　and

declared　that　Elnathan；　in　the　other；　stood　for　brother　'Lisha；　and

that　it　was　a　real　mean　thing　to　make　fun　of　folks'　own　flesh　and

blood；　and　treated　me　to　one　of　her　cries。　　She　was　n't　handsome　when

she　cried；　poor；　dear　Joanna；　in　fact；　that　was　one　of　the　personal

traits　I　had　made　use　of　in　the　story　that　Elisha　found　fault　with。



〃So　as　there　was　nobody　left　but　my　father　and　mother；　you　see　for

yourself　I　had　no　choice。　　There　was　one　great　advantage　in　dealing

with　them；I　knew　them　so　thoroughly。　　One　naturally　feels　a　certain

delicacy　it　handling　from　a　purely　artistic　point　of　view　persons　who

have　been　so　near　to　him。　　One's　mother；　for　instance：　suppose　some

of　her　little　ways　were　so　peculiar　that　the　accurate　delineation　of

them　would　furnish　amusement　to　great　numbers　of　readers；　it　would

not　be　without　hesitation　that　a　writer　of　delicate　sensibility　would

draw　her　portrait；　with　all　its　whimsicalities；　so　plainly　that　it

should　be　generally　recognized。　　One's　father　is　commonly　of　tougher

fibre　than　one's　mother；　and　one　would　not　feel　the　same　scruples；

perhaps；　in　using　him　professionally　as　material　in　a　novel；　still；

while　you　are　employing　him　as　bait；you　see　I　am　honest　and　plain…

spoken；　for　your　characters　are　baits　to　catch　readers　with；I　would

follow　kind　Izaak　Walton's　humane　counsel　about　the　frog　you　are

fastening　to　your　fish…hook：　fix　him　artistically；　as　he　directs；　but

in　so　doing　I　use　him　as　though　you　loved　him。'



〃I　have　at　length　shown　up；　in　one　form　and　another；　all　my　townsmen

who　have　anything　effective　in　their　bodily　or　mental　make…up；　all　my

friends；　all　my　relatives；　that　is；　all　my　blood　relatives。　　It　has

occurred　to　me　that　I　might　open　a　new　field　in　the　family　connection

of　my　father…in…law　and　mother…in…law。　　We　have　been　thinking　of

paying　them　a　visit；　and　I　shall　have　an　admirable　opportunity　of

studying　them　and　their　relatives　and　visitors。　　I　have　long　wanted　a

good　chance　for　getting　acquainted　with　the　social　sphere　several

grades　below　that　to　which　I　am　accustomed；　and　I　have　no　doubt　that

I　shall　find　matter　for　half　a　dozen　new　stories　among　those

connections　of　mine。　　Besides；　they　live　in　a　Western　city；　and　one

doesn't　mind　much　how　he　cuts　up　the　people　of　places　he　does　n't

himself　live　in。　　I　suppose　there　is　not　really　so　much　difference　in

people's　feelings；　whether　they　live　in　Bangor　or　Omaha；　but　one's

nerves　can't　be　expected　to　stretch　across　the　continent。　　It　is　all

a　matter　of　greater　or　less　distance。　　I　read　this　morning　that　a

Chinese　fleet　was　sunk；　but　I　did　n't　think　half　so　much　about　it　as

I　did　about　losing　my　sleeve　button；　confound　it！　　People　have

accused　me　of　want　of　feeling；　they　misunderstand　the　artist…nature；

that　is　all。　　I　obey　that　implicitly；　I　am　sorry　if　people　don't

like　my　descriptions；　but　I　have　done　my　best。　　I　have　pulled　to

pieces　all　the　persons　I　am　acquainted　with；　and　put　them　together

again　in　my　characters。　　The　quills　I　write　with　come　from　live

geese；　I　would　have　you　know。　　I　expect　to　get　some　first…rate

pluckings　from　those　people　I　was　speaking　of；　and　I　mean　to　begin　my

thirty…ninth　novel　as　soon　as　I　have　got　through　my　visit。〃









IX



THE　SOCIETY　AND　ITS　NEW　SECRETARY。



There　is　no　use　in　trying　to　hurry　the　natural　course　of　events；　in　a

narrative　like　this。　　June　passed　away；　and　July；　and　August　had

come；　and　as　yet　the　enigma　which　had　completely　puzzled　Arrowhead

Village　and　its　visitors　remained　unsolved。　　The　white　canoe　still

wandered　over　the　lake；　alone；　ghostly；　always　avoiding　the　near

approach　of　the　boats　which　seemed　to　be　coming　in　its　direction。

Now　and　then　a　circumstance　would　happen　which　helped　to　keep　inquiry

alive。　　Good　horsemanship　was　not　so　common　among　the　young　men　of

the　place　and　its　neighborhood　that　Maurice's　accomplishment　in　that

way　could　be　overlooked。　　If　there　was　a　wicked　horse　or　a　wild　colt

whose　owner　was　afraid　of　him；　he　would　be　commended　to　Maurice's

attention。　　Paolo　would　lead　him　to　his　master　with　all　due

precaution；for　he　had　no　idea　of　risking　his　neck　on　the　back　of

any　ill…conditioned　beast；and　Maurice　would　fasten　on　his　long

spurs；　spring　into　the　saddle；　and　very　speedily　teach　the　creature

good　behavior。　　There　soon　got　about　a　story　that　he　was　what　the

fresh…water　fisherman　called　〃one　o'　them　whisperers。〃　　It　is　a

common　legend　enough；　coming　from　the　Old　World；　but　known　in

American　horse…talking　circles；　that　some　persons　will　whisper

certain　words　in　a　horse's　ear　which　will　tame　him　if　he　is　as　wild

and　furious　as　ever　Cruiser　was。　　All　this　added　to　the　mystery　which

surrounded　the　young　man。　　A　single　improbable　or　absurd　story

amounts　to　very　little；　but　when　half　a　dozen　such　stories　are　told

about　the　same　individual　or　the　same　event；　they　begin　to　produce

the　effect　of　credible　evidence。　　If　the　year　had　been　1692　and　the

place　had　been　Salem　Village；　Maurice　Kirkwood　would　have　run　the

risk　of　being　treated　like　the　Reverend　George　Burroughs。



Miss　Lurida　Vincent's　curiosity　had　been　intensely　excited　with

reference　to　the　young　man　of　whom　so　many　stories　were　told。　　She

had　pretty　nearly　convinced　herself　that　he　was　the　author　of　the

paper　on　Ocean；　Lake；　and　River；　which　had　been　read　at　one　of　the

meetings　of　the　Pansophian　Society。　　She　was　very　desirous　of　meeting

him；　if　it　were　possible。　　It　seemed　as　if　she　might；　as　Secretary　of

the　Societ