short stories and essays-第13章

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where　the　people　were　distinctly　more　hard…favored；　but　among　all　those
thousands　at　Rockaway　I　found　no　striking　types。　　It　may　be　that　as　we
grow　older　and　our　satisfaction　with　our　own　looks　wanes；　we　become　more
fastidious　as　to　the　looks　of　others。　　At　any　rate；　there　seems　to　be
much　less　beauty　in　the　world　than　there　was　thirty　or　forty　years　ago。

On　the　other　hand；　the　dresses　seem　indefinitely　prettier；　as　they　should
be　in　compensation。　　When　we　were　all　so　handsome　we　could　well　afford　to
wear　hoops　or　peg…top　trousers；　but　now　it　is　different；　and　the　poor
things　must　eke　out　their　personal　ungainliness　with　all　the　devices　of
the　modiste　and　the　tailor。　　I　do　not　mean　that　there　was　any　distinction
in　the　dress　of　the　crowd；　but　I　saw　nothing　positively　ugly　or
grotesquely　out　of　taste。　　The　costumes　were　as　good　as　the　customs；　and
I　have　already　celebrated　the　manners　of　this　crowd。　　I　believe　I　must
except　the　costumes　of　the　bicyclesses；　who　were　unfailingly　dumpy　in
effect　when　dismounted；　and　who　were　all　the　more　lamentable　for
tottering　about；　in　their　short　skirts；　upon　the　tips　of　their　narrow
little；　sharp…pointed；　silly　high…heeled　shoes。　　How　severe　I　am！
But　those　high　heels　seemed　to　take　all　honesty　from　their　daring　in　the
wholesome　exercise　of　the　wheel；　and　to　keep　them　in　the　tradition　of
cheap　coquetry　still；　and　imbecilly　dependent。




V。

I　have　almost　forgotten　in　the　interest　of　the　human　spectacle　that　there
is　a　sea　somewhere　about　at　Rockaway　Beach；　and　it　is　this　that　the
people　have　come　for。　　I　might　well　forget　that　modest　sea；　it　is　so
built　out　of　sight　by　the　restaurants　and　bath…houses　and　switch…backs
and　shops　that　border　it；　and　by　the　hotels　and　saloons　and　shows　flaring
along　the　road　that　divides　the　village；　and　the　planked　streets　that
intersect　this。　　But　if　you　walk　southward　on　any　of　the　streets；　you
presently　find　the　planks　foundering　in　sand；　which　drifts　far　up　over
them；　and　then　you　find　yourself　in　full　sight　of　the　ocean　and　the　ocean
bathing。　　Swarms　and　heaps　of　people　in　all　lolling　and　lying　and
wallowing　shapes　strew　the　beach；　and　the　water　is　full　of　slopping　and
shouting　and　shrieking　human　creatures；　clinging　with　bare　white　arms　to
the　life…lines　that　run　from　the　shore　to　the　buoys；　beyond　these　the
lifeguard　stays　himself　in　his　boat　with　outspread　oars；　and　rocks　on　the
incoming　surf。

All　that　you　can　say　of　it　is　that　it　is　queer。　　It　is　not　picturesque；
or　poetic；　or　dramatic；　it　is　queer。　　An　enfilading　glance　gives　this
impression　and　no　other；　if　you　go　to　the　balcony　of　the　nearest　marine
restaurant　for　a　flanking　eye…shot；　it　is　still　queer；　with　the　added
effect；　in　all　those　arms　upstretched　to　the　life…lines；　of　frogs'　legs
inverted　in　a　downward　plunge。

On　the　sand　before　this　spectacle　I　talked　with　a　philosopher　of　humble
condition　who　backed　upon　me　and　knocked　my　umbrella　out　of　my　hand。
This　made　us　beg　each　other's　pardon；　he　said　that　he　did　not　know　I　was
there；　and　I　said　it　did　not　matter。　　Then　we　both　looked　at　the　bathing；
and　he　said：

〃I　don't　like　that。〃

〃Why；〃　I　asked；　〃do　you　see　any　harm　in　it？〃

〃No。　　But　I　don't　like　the　looks　of　it。　　It　ain't　nice。　　It's　queer。〃

It　was　indeed　like　one　of　those　uncomfortable　dreams　where　you　are　not
dressed　sufficiently　for　company；　or　perhaps　at　all；　and　yet　are　making　a
very　public　appearance。　　This　promiscuous　bathing　was　not　much　in　excess
of　the　convention　that　governs　the　sea…bathing　of　the　politest　people；　it
could　not　be；　and　it　was　marked　by　no　grave　misconduct。　　Here　and　there　a
gentleman　was　teaching　a　lady　to　swim；　with　his　arms　round　her；　here　and
there　a　wild　nereid　was　splashing　another；　a　young　Jew　pursued　a　flight
of　naiads　with　a　section　of　dead　eel　in　his　hand。　　But　otherwise　all　was
a　damp　and　dreary　decorum。　　I　challenged　my　philosopher　in　vain　for　a
specific　cause　of　his　dislike　of　the　scene。

Most　of　the　people　on　the　sand　were　in　bathing…dress；　but　there　were　a
multitude　of　others　who　had　apparently　come　for　the　sea…air　and　not　the
sea…bathing。　　A　mother　sat　with　a　sick　child　on　her　knees；　babies　were
cradled　in　the　sand　asleep；　and　people　walked　carefully　round　and　over
them。　　There　were　everywhere　a　great　many　poor　mothers　and　children；　who
seemed　getting　the　most　of　the　good　that　was　going。




VI。

But　upon　the　whole；　though　I　drove　away　from　the　beach　celebrating　the
good　temper　and　the　good　order　of　the　scene　to　an　applausive　driver；　I
have　since　thought　of　it　as　rather　melancholy。　　It　was　in　fact　no　wiser
or　livelier　than　a　society　function　in　the　means　of　enjoyment　it
afforded。　　The　best　thing　about　it　was　that　it　left　the　guests　very　much
to　their　own　devices。　　The　established　pleasures　were　clumsy　and
tiresome…looking；　but　one　could　eschew　them。　　The　more　of　them　one
eschewed；　the　merrier　perhaps；　for　I　doubt　if　the　race　is　formed　for　much
pleasure；　and　even　a　day's　rest　is　more　than　most　people　can　bear。　　They
endure　it　in　passing；　but　they　get　home　weary　and　cross；　even　after　a
twenty…mile　run　on　the　wheel。　　The　road；　by…the…by；　was　full　of　homeward
wheels　by　this　time；　single　and　double　and　tandem；　and　my　driver
professed　that　their　multitude　greatly　increased　the　difficulties　of　his
profession。






SAWDUST　IN　THE　ARENA

It　was　in　the　old　Roman　arena　of　beautiful　Verona　that　the　circus　events
I　wish　to　speak　of　took　place；　in　fact；　I　had　the　honor　and　profit　of
seeing　two　circuses　there。　　Or；　strictly　speaking；　it　was　one　entire
circus　that　I　saw；　and　the　unique　speciality　of　another；　the　dying　glory
of　a　circus　on　its　last　legs；　the　triumphal　fall　of　a　circus　superb　in
adversity。




I。

The　entire　circus　was　altogether　Italian；　with　the　exception　of　the
clowns；　who；　to　the　credit　of　our　nation；　are　always　Americans；　or
advertised　as　such；　in　Italy。　　Its　chief　and　almost　absorbing　event　was　a
reproduction　of　the　tournament　which　had　then　lately　been　held　at　Rome　in
celebration　of　Prince　Tommaso's　coming　of　age；　and　for　a　copy　of　a　copy
it　was　really　fine。　　It　had　fitness　in　the　arena；　which　must　have
witnessed　many　such　mediaeval　shows　in　their　time；　and　I　am　sensible
still　of　the　pleasure　its　effects　of　color　gave　me。　　There　was　one
beautiful　woman；　a　red　blonde　in　a　green　velvet　gown；　who　might　have
ridden；　as　she　was；　out　of　a　canvas　of　Titian's；　if　he　had　ever　painted
equestrian　pictures；　and　who　at　any　rate　was　an　excellent　Carpaccio。
Then；　the　'Clowns　Americani'　were　very　amusing；　from　a　platform　devoted
solely　to　them；　and　it　was　a　source　of　pride　if　not　of　joy　with　me　to
think　that　we　were　almost　the　only　people　present　who　understood　their
jokes。　　In　the　vast　oval　of　the　arena；　however；　the　circus　ring　looked
very　little；　not　half　so　large；　say；　as　the　rim　of　a　lady's　hat　in　front
of　you　at　the　play；　and　on　the　gradines　of　the　ancient　amphitheatre　we
were　all　such　a　great　way　off　that　a　good　field…glass　would　have　been
needed　to　distinguish　the　features　of　the　actors。　　I　could　not　make　out；
therefore；　whether　the　'Clowns　Americani'　had　the　national　expression　or
not；　but　one　of　them；　I　am　sorry　to　say；　spoke　the　United　States　language
with　a　cockney　accent。　　I　suspect　that　he　was　an　Englishman　who　had
passed　himself　off　upon　the　Italian　management　as　a　true　Yankee；　and　who
had　formed　himself　upon　our　school　of　clowning；　just　as　some　of　the
recent　English　humorists　have　patterned　after　certain　famous　wits　of
ours。　　I　do　not　know　that　I　would　have　exposed　this　impostor；　even　if
occasion　had　offered；　for；　after　all；　his　fraud　was　a　tribute　to　our　own
primacy　in　clowning；　and　the　Veronese　were　none　the　worse　for　his　erring
aspirates。

The　audience　was　for　me　the　best　part　of　the　spectacle；　as　the　audience
always　is　in　Italy；　and　I　indulged　my　fancy　in　some　cheap　excursions
concerning　the　place　and　people。　　I　reflected　that　it　was　the　same　race
essentially　as　that　which　used　to　watch　the　gladiatorial　shows　in　that
arena　when　it　was　new；　and　that　very　possibly　there　were　among　these
spectators　persons　of　the　same　blood　as　those　Veronese　patricians　who　had
left　their　names　carved　on　the　fr