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С˵£º short stories and essays ×ÖÊý£º ÿҳ4000×Ö

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steep¡¡into¡¡the¡¡oblong¡¡pool¡¡below¡£¡¡¡¡When¡¡I¡¡bought¡¡my¡¡ticket¡¡for¡¡the¡¡car
that¡¡carried¡¡passengers¡¡up£»¡¡they¡¡gave¡¡me¡¡also¡¡a¡¡pasteboard¡¡medal£»
certifying¡¡for¡¡me£»¡¡¡¨You¡¡have¡¡shot¡¡the¡¡chute£»¡¨¡¡and¡¡I¡¡resolved¡¡to¡¡keep¡¡this
and¡¡show¡¡it¡¡to¡¡doubting¡¡friends¡¡as¡¡a¡¡proof¡¡of¡¡my¡¡daring£»¡¡but¡¡it¡¡is¡¡a
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object¡¡was¡¡to¡¡exult¡¡in¡¡the¡¡wild¡¡absurdity¡¡of¡¡those¡¡who¡¡shot¡¡the¡¡chute¡£
There¡¡was¡¡always¡¡a¡¡lady¡¡among¡¡the¡¡people¡¡in¡¡the¡¡clumsy¡¡flat¡­boat¡¡that
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tempestuous¡¡passage¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Atlantic£»¡¡powerfully¡¡condensed¡£

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have¡¡had¡¡to¡¡witness¡¡the¡¡feats¡¡of¡¡strength¡¡performed¡¡by¡¡Madame¡¡La¡¡Noire¡¡at
the¡¡nearest¡¡booth¡¡on¡¡my¡¡coming¡¡out£»¡¡though¡¡madame¡¡herself¡¡was¡¡at¡¡the
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be¡¡masked¡¡in¡¡vast¡¡masses¡¡of¡¡adipose¡£¡¡¡¡She¡¡had¡¡a¡¡weary£»¡¡bored¡¡look£»¡¡and
was¡¡not¡¡without¡¡her¡¡pathos£»¡¡poor¡¡soul£»¡¡as¡¡few¡¡of¡¡those¡¡are¡¡who¡¡amuse¡¡the
public£»¡¡but¡¡I¡¡could¡¡not¡¡find¡¡her¡¡quite¡¡justifiable¡¡as¡¡a¡¡Sunday
entertainment¡£¡¡¡¡One¡¡forgot£»¡¡however£»¡¡what¡¡day¡¡it¡¡was£»¡¡and¡¡for¡¡the¡¡time¡¡I
did¡¡not¡¡pretend¡¡to¡¡be¡¡so¡¡much¡¡better¡¡than¡¡my¡¡neighbors¡¡that¡¡I¡¡would¡¡not
compromise¡¡upon¡¡a¡¡visit¡¡to£»¡¡an¡¡animal¡¡show¡¡a¡¡little¡¡farther¡¡on¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡was¡¡a
pretty¡¡fair¡¡collection¡¡of¡¡beasts¡¡that¡¡had¡¡once¡¡been¡¡wild£»¡¡perhaps£»¡¡and¡¡in
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least¡¡bitten¡¡in¡¡two¡£¡¡¡¡A¡¡little¡¡later¡¡I¡¡saw¡¡him¡¡at¡¡the¡¡door¡¡of¡¡the¡¡tent£»
very¡¡breathless£»¡¡dishevelled£»¡¡and¡¡as¡¡to¡¡his¡¡dress¡¡not¡¡of¡¡the¡¡spotlessness
one¡¡could¡¡wish¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡perhaps¡¡spotlessness¡¡is¡¡not¡¡compatible¡¡with¡¡the
intimacy¡¡of¡¡lions¡¡and¡¡lionesses¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡had¡¡had¡¡his¡¡little¡¡triumph£»¡¡one
spectator¡¡of¡¡his¡¡feat¡¡had¡¡declared¡¡that¡¡you¡¡would¡¡not¡¡see¡¡anything¡¡like
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tights£»¡¡he¡¡was¡¡preferable¡¡to¡¡the¡¡living¡¡picture¡¡of¡¡a¡¡young¡¡lady¡¡whom¡¡he
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the¡¡manager¡¡exhorted¡¡us¡¡as¡¡we¡¡came¡¡out¡¡to¡¡say¡¡whether¡¡it¡¡was¡¡good¡¡or¡¡not£»
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apparently¡¡abhorred¡¡to¡¡look¡¡upon¡¡a¡¡living¡¡picture¡¡at¡¡any¡¡distance£»¡¡much
less¡¡have¡¡it¡¡at¡¡her¡¡elbow¡£

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to¡¡whom¡¡the¡¡showmen¡¡made¡¡their¡¡appeal¡¡were¡¡all¡¡so¡¡much¡¡better£»¡¡evidently£»
than¡¡the¡¡showmen¡¡supposed£»¡¡the¡¡showmen¡¡themselves¡¡appeared¡¡harmless
enough£»¡¡and¡¡one¡¡could¡¡not¡¡say¡¡that¡¡there¡¡was¡¡personally¡¡any¡¡harm¡¡in¡¡the
living¡¡picture£»¡¡rather¡¡she¡¡looked¡¡listless¡¡and¡¡dull£»¡¡but¡¡as¡¡to¡¡the¡¡face
respectable¡¡enough¡£

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every¡¡respect¡¡decorous¡£¡¡¡¡As¡¡a¡¡means¡¡of¡¡pleasure£»¡¡the¡¡merry¡­go¡­round£»¡¡both
horizontal¡¡with¡¡horses¡¡and¡¡vertical¡¡with¡¡swinging¡¡cradles£»¡¡prevailed£»¡¡and
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public£©¡¡having¡¡his¡¡fortune¡¡read¡¡in¡¡the¡¡lines¡¡of¡¡his¡¡hand¡¡by¡¡an¡¡Egyptian
seeress¡£¡¡¡¡Of¡¡course¡¡there¡¡was¡¡everywhere¡¡soda£»¡¡and¡¡places¡¡of¡¡the¡¡softer
drinks¡¡abounded¡£




III¡£

I¡¡think¡¡you¡¡could¡¡only¡¡get¡¡a¡¡hard¡¡drink¡¡by¡¡ordering¡¡something¡¡to¡¡eat¡¡and
sitting¡¡down¡¡to¡¡your¡¡wine¡¡or¡¡beer¡¡at¡¡a¡¡table¡£¡¡¡¡Again¡¡I¡¡say¡¡that¡¡I¡¡saw¡¡no
effects¡¡of¡¡drink¡¡in¡¡the¡¡crowd£»¡¡and¡¡in¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡great¡¡restaurants¡¡built
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by¡¡the¡¡fumes¡¡of¡¡the¡¡bar¡£¡¡¡¡In¡¡fact¡¡it¡¡was¡¡a¡¡very¡¡rigid¡¡sobriety¡¡that
reigned¡¡here£»¡¡governing¡¡the¡¡common¡¡behavior¡¡by¡¡means¡¡of¡¡the¡¡placards
which¡¡hung¡¡from¡¡the¡¡roof¡¡over¡¡the¡¡heads¡¡of¡¡the¡¡dancers£»¡¡and¡¡repeatedly
announced¡¡that¡¡gentlemen¡¡were¡¡not¡¡allowed¡¡to¡¡dance¡¡together£»¡¡or¡¡to¡¡carry
umbrellas¡¡or¡¡canes¡¡while¡¡dancing£»¡¡while¡¡all¡¡were¡¡entreated¡¡not¡¡to¡¡spit¡¡on
the¡¡floor¡£

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seemed¡¡people¡¡of¡¡the¡¡same¡¡simple¡¡neighborhoods£»¡¡village¡¡lovers£»¡¡young
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day's¡¡pleasure¡£¡¡¡¡A¡¡slight¡¡mother£»¡¡much¡¡weighed¡¡down¡¡by¡¡a¡¡heavy¡¡baby£»
passed£»¡¡rapt¡¡in¡¡an¡¡innocent¡¡envy¡¡of¡¡them£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡think¡¡she¡¡and¡¡the¡¡child's
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coming¡¡and¡¡going¡¡of¡¡lagers¡¡and¡¡frankfurters¡¡as¡¡if¡¡in¡¡its¡¡cradle¡¡at¡¡home¡£

Lagers¡¡and¡¡frankfurters¡¡were¡¡much¡¡in¡¡evidence¡¡everywhere£»¡¡especially
frankfurters£»¡¡which¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡have¡¡whole¡¡booths¡¡devoted¡¡to¡¡broiling¡¡them¡£
They¡¡disputed¡¡this¡¡dignity¡¡with¡¡soft¡­shell¡¡crabs£»¡¡and¡¡sections¡¡of¡¡eels£»
piled¡¡attractively¡¡on¡¡large¡¡platters£»¡¡or¡¡sizzling¡¡to¡¡an¡¡impassioned¡¡brown
in¡¡deep¡¡skillets¡¡of¡¡fat¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡old¡¡acrid¡¡smell¡¡of¡¡frying¡¡brought¡¡back¡¡many
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and¡¡in¡¡the¡¡Mercato¡¡Vecchio¡¡at¡¡Florence¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡the¡¡Continental¡¡Sunday
cannot¡¡be¡¡felt¡¡to¡¡have¡¡quite¡¡replaced¡¡the¡¡old¡¡American¡¡Sabbath¡¡yet£»¡¡the
Puritan¡¡leaven¡¡works¡¡still£»¡¡and¡¡though¡¡so¡¡many¡¡of¡¡our¡¡own¡¡people¡¡consent
willingly¡¡to¡¡the¡¡transformation£»¡¡I¡¡fancy¡¡they¡¡always¡¡enjoy¡¡themselves¡¡on
Sunday¡¡with¡¡a¡¡certain¡¡consciousness¡¡of¡¡wrong¡­doing¡£




IV¡£

I¡¡have¡¡already¡¡said¡¡that¡¡the¡¡spectator¡¡quite¡¡lost¡¡sense¡¡of¡¡what¡¡day¡¡it
was¡£¡¡¡¡Nothing¡¡could¡¡be¡¡more¡¡secular¡¡than¡¡all¡¡the¡¡sights¡¡and¡¡sounds¡£¡¡¡¡It
was¡¡the¡¡Fourth¡¡of¡¡July£»¡¡less¡¡the¡¡fire¡­crackers¡¡and¡¡the¡¡drunkenness£»¡¡and
it¡¡was¡¡the¡¡high¡¡day¡¡of¡¡the¡¡week¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡if¡¡it¡¡was¡¡very¡¡wicked£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡must
recognize¡¡that¡¡the¡¡scene¡¡would¡¡be¡¡shocking¡¡to¡¡most¡¡of¡¡my¡¡readers£»¡¡I¡¡feel
bound¡¡to¡¡say¡¡that¡¡the¡¡people¡¡themselves¡¡did¡¡not¡¡look¡¡wicked¡£¡¡¡¡They¡¡looked
harmless£»¡¡they¡¡even¡¡looked¡¡good£»¡¡the¡¡most¡¡of¡¡them¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡am¡¡sorry¡¡to¡¡say
they¡¡were¡¡not¡¡very¡¡good¡­looking¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡women¡¡were¡¡pretty¡¡enough£»¡¡and¡¡the
men¡¡were¡¡handsome¡¡enough£»¡¡perhaps¡¡the¡¡average¡¡was¡¡higher¡¡in¡¡respect¡¡of
beauty¡¡than¡¡the¡¡average¡¡is¡¡anywhere¡¡else£»¡¡I¡¡was¡¡lately¡¡from¡¡New¡¡England£»
where¡¡the¡¡people¡¡were¡¡distinctly¡¡more¡¡hard¡­favored£»¡¡but¡¡among¡¡all¡¡those
thousands¡¡at¡¡Rockaway¡¡I¡¡found¡¡no¡¡striking¡¡types¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡may¡¡be¡¡tha

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