short stories and essays-第10章

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to　recognize　it　for　the　spectacle　he　had　often　promised　himself　the
pleasure　of　seeing。

Pleasure　is　the　right　word；　for　pleasure　of　the　painful　sort　that　all
hedonists　will　easily　imagine　was　what　he　expected　to　get　from　it；　though
upon　the　face　of　it　there　seems　no　reason　why　a　man　should　delight　to　see
his　fellow…men　waiting　in　the　winter　street　for　the　midnight　dole　of
bread　which　must　in　some　cases　be　their　only　meal　from　the　last　midnight
to　the　next　midnight。　　But　the　mere　thought　of　it　gave　him　pleasure；　and
the　sight　of　it；　from　the　very　first　instant。　　He　was　proud　of　knowing
just　what　it　was　at　once；　with　the　sort　of　pride　which　one　has　in　knowing
an　earthquake；　though　one　has　never　felt　one　before。　　He　saw　the　double
file　of　men　stretching　up　one　street；　and　stretching　down　the　other　from
the　corner　of　the　bakery　where　the　loaves　were　to　be　given　out　on　the
stroke　of　twelve；　and　he　hugged　himself　in　a　luxurious　content　with　his
perspicacity。

It　was　all　the　more　comfortable　to　do　this　because　he　was　in　a　coup；
warmly　shut　against　the　sharp；　wholesome　Christmas…week　weather；　and　was
wrapped　to　the　chin　in　a　long　fur　overcoat；　which　he　wore　that　night　as　a
duty　to　his　family；　with　a　conscience　against　taking　cold　and　alarming
them　for　his　health。　　He　now　practised　another　piece　of　self…denial：　he
let　the　cabman　drive　rapidly　past　the　interesting　spectacle；　and　carry
him　to　the　house　where　he　was　going　to　fetch　away　the　child　from　the
Christmas　party。　　He　wished　to　be　in　good　time；　so　as　to　save　the　child
from　anxiety　about　his　coming；　but　he　promised　himself　to　stop；　going
back；　and　glut　his　sensibility　in　a　leisurely　study　of　the　scene。　　He　got
the　child；　with　her　arms　full　of　things　from　the　Christmas…tree；　into　the
coup；　and　then　he　said　to　the　cabman；　respectfully　leaning　as　far　over
from　his　box　to　listen　as　his　thick　greatcoat　would　let　him：　〃When　you
get　up　there　near　that　bakery　again；　drive　slowly。　　I　want　to　have　a　look
at　those　men。〃

〃All　right；　sir；〃　said　the　driver　intelligently；　and　he　found　his　why
skilfully　out　of　the　street　among　the　high　banks　of　the　seasonable
Christmas…week　snow；　which　the　street…cleaners　had　heaped　up　there　till
they　could　get　round　to　it　with　their　carts。

When　they　were　in　Broadway　again　it　seemed　lonelier　and　silenter　than　it
was　a　few　minutes　before。　　Except　for　their　own　coup；　the　cable…cars；
with　their　flaming　foreheads；　and　the　mechanical　clangor　of　their　gongs
at　the　corners；　seemed　to　have　it　altogether　to　themselves。　　A　tall；
lumbering　United　States　mail　van　rolled　by；　and　impressed　my　friend　in
the　coup　with　a　cheap　and　agreeable　sense　of　mystery　relative　to　the
letters　it　was　carrying　to　their　varied　destination　at　the　Grand　Central
Station。　　He　listened　with　half　an　ear　to　the　child's　account　of　the　fun
she　had　at　the　party；　and　he　watched　with　both　eyes　for　the　sight　of　the
men　waiting　at　the　bakery　for　the　charity　of　the　midnight　loaves。

He　played　with　a　fear　that　they　might　all　have　vanished；　and　with　an
apprehension　that　the　cabman　might　forget　and　whirl　him　rapidly　by　the
place　where　he　had　left　them。　　But　the　driver　remembered；　and　checked　his
horses　in　good　time；　and　there　were　the　men　still；　but　in　even　greater
number　than　before；　stretching　farther　up　Broadway　and　farther　out　along
the　side　street。　　They　stood　slouched　in　dim　and　solemn　phalanx　under　the
night　sky；　so　seasonably；　clear　and　frostily　atwinkle　with　Christmas…week
stars；　two　by　two　they　stood；　slouched　close　together；　perhaps　for　their
mutual　warmth；　perhaps　in　an　unconscious　effort　to　get　near　the　door
where　the　loaves　were　to　be　given　out；　in　time　to　share　in　them　before
they　were　all　gone。




II。

My　friend's　heart　beat　with　glad　anticipation。　　He　was　really　to　see　this
important；　this　representative　thing　to　the　greatest　possible　advantage。
He　rapidly　explained　to　his　companion　that　the　giver　of　the　midnight
loaves　got　rid　of　what　was　left　of　his　daily　bread　in　that　way：　the　next
day　it　could　not　be　sold；　and　he　preferred　to　give　it　away　to　those　who
needed　it；　rather　than　try　to　find　his　account　in　it　otherwise。　　She
understood；　and　he　tried　to　think　that　sometimes　coffee　was　given　with
the　bread；　but　he　could　not　make　sure　of　this；　though　he　would　have　liked
very　much　to　have　it　done；　it　would　have　been　much　more　dramatic。
Afterwards　he　learned　that　it　was　done；　and　he　was　proud　of　having
fancied　it。

He　decided　that　when　he　came　alongside　of　the　Broadway　file　he　would　get
out；　and　go　to　the　side　door　of　the　bakery　and　watch　the　men　receiving
the　bread。　　Perhaps　he　would　find　courage　to　speak　to　them；　and　ask　them
about　themselves。　　At　the　time　it　did　not　strike　him　that　it　would　be
indecent。

A　great　many　things　about　them　were　open　to　reasonable　conjecture。　　It
was　not　probable　that　they　were　any　of　them　there　for　their　health；　as
the　saying　is。　　They　were　all　there　because　they　were　hungry；　or　else
they　were　there　in　behalf　of　some　one　else　who　was　hungry。　　But　it　was
always　possible　that　some　of　them　were　impostors；　and　he　wondered　if　any
test　was　applied　to　them　that　would　prove　them　deserving　or　undeserving。
If　one　were　poor；　one　ought　to　be　deserving；　if　one　were　rich；　it　did　not
so　much　matter。

It　seemed　to　him　very　likely　that　if　he　asked　these　men　questions　they
would　tell　him　lies。　　A　fantastic　association　of　their　double　files　and
those　of　the　galley…slaves　whom　Don　Quixote　released；　with　the　tonguey
Gines　de　Passamonte　at　their　head；　came　into　his　mind。　　He　smiled；　and
then　he　thought　how　these　men　were　really　a　sort　of　slaves　and　convicts
slaves　to　want　and　self…convicted　of　poverty。　　All　at　once　he　fancied
them　actually　manacled　there　together；　two　by　two；　a　coffle　of　captives
taken　in　some　cruel　foray；　and　driven　to　a　market　where　no　man　wanted　to
buy。　　He　thought　how　old　their　slavery　was；　and　he　wondered　if　it　would
ever　be　abolished；　as　other　slaveries　had　been。　　Would　the　world　ever
outlive　it？　　Would　some　New…Year's　day　come　when　some　President　would
proclaim；　amid　some　dire　struggle；　that　their　slavery　was　to　be　no　more？
That　would　be　fine。




III。

He　noticed　how　still　the　most　of　them　were。　　A　few　of　them　stepped　a
little　out　of　the　line；　and　stamped　to　shake　off　the　cold；　but　all　the
rest　remained　motionless；　shrinking　into　themselves；　and　closer　together。
They　might　have　been　their　own　dismal　ghosts；　they　were　so　still；　with　no
more　need　of　defence　from　the　cold　than　the　dead　have。

He　observed　now　that　not　one　among　them　had　a　fur　overcoat　on；　and　at　a
second　glance　he　saw　that　there　was　not　an　overcoat　of　any　kind　among
them。　　He　made　his　reflection　that　if　any　of　them　were　impostors；　and　not
true　men；　with　real　hunger；　and　if　they　were　alive　to　feel　that　stiff；
wholesome；　Christmas…week　cold；　they　were　justly　punished　for　their
deceit。

He　was　interested　by　the　celerity；　the　simultaneity　of　his　impressions；
his　reflections。　　It　occurred　to　him　that　his　abnormal　alertness　must　be
something　like　that　of　a　drowning　person；　or　a　person　in　mortal　peril；
and　being　perfectly　safe　and　well；　he　was　obscurely　flattered　by　the
fact。

To　test　his　condition　further　he　took　note　of　the　fine　mass　of　the　great
dry…goods　store　on　the　hither　corner；　blocking　itself　out　of　the　blue…
black　night；　and　of　the　Gothic　beauty　of　the　church　beyond；　so　near　that
the　coffle　of　captives　might　have　issued　from　its　sculptured　portal；
after　vain　prayer。

Fragments　of　conjecture；　of　speculation；　drifted　through　his　mind。　　How
early　did　these　files　begin　to　form　themselves　for　the　midnight　dole　of
bread？　　As　early　as　ten；　as　nine　o'clock？　　If　so；　did　the　fact　argue
habitual　destitution；　or　merely　habitual　leisure？　　Did　the　slaves　in　the
coffle　make　acquaintance；　or　remain　strangers　to　one　another；　though　they
were　closely　neighbored　night　after　night　by　their　misery？　　Perhaps　they
joked　away　the　weary　hours　of　waiting；　they　must　have　their　jokes。　　Which
of　them　were　old…comers；　and　which　novices？　　Did　they　ever　quarrel　over
questions　of　precedence？　　Had　they　some　comity；　some　etiquette；　which　a
man　forced　to　leave　his　place　could　appeal　to；　and　so　get　it