short stories and essays-第14章

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spectators　persons　of　the　same　blood　as　those　Veronese　patricians　who　had
left　their　names　carved　on　the　front　of　the　gradines　in　places；　to　claim
this　or　that　seat　for　their　own。　　In　fact；　there　was　so　little
difference；　probably；　in　their　qualities；　from　that　time　to　this；　that　I
felt　the　process　of　the　generations　to　be　a　sort　of　impertinence；　and　if
Nature　had　been　present；　I　might　very　well　have　asked　her　why；　when　she
had　once　arrived　at　a　given　expression　of　humanity；　she　must　go　on
repeating　it　indefinitely？　　How　were　all　those　similar　souls　to　know
themselves　apart　in　their　common　eternity？　　Merely　to　have　been
differently　circumstanced　in　time　did　not　seem　enough；　and　I　think　Nature
would　have　been　puzzled　to　answer　me。　　But　perhaps　not；　she　may　have　had
her　reasons；　as　that　you　cannot　have　too　much　of　a　good　thing；　and　that
when　the　type　was　so　fine　in　most　respects　as　the　Italian　you　could　not
do　better　than　go　on　repeating　impressions　from　it。

Certainly　I　myself　could　have　wished　no　variation　from　it　in　the　young
officer　of　'bersaglieri'；　who　had　come　down　from　antiquity　to　the　topmost
gradine　of　the　arena　over　against　me；　and　stood　there　defined　against　the
clear　evening　sky；　one　hand　on　his　hip；　and　the　other　at　his　side；　while
his　thin　cockerel　plumes　streamed　in　the　light　wind。　　I　have　since
wondered　if　he　knew　how　beautiful　he　was；　and　I　am　sure　that；　if　he　did
not；　all　the　women　there　did；　and　that　was　doubtless　enough　for　the　young
officer　of　'bersaglieri'。




II。

I　think　that　he　was　preliminary　to　the　sole　event　of　that　partial　circus
I　have　mentioned。　　This　event　was　one　that　I　have　often　witnessed
elsewhere；　but　never　in　such　noble　and　worthy　keeping。　　The　top　of　the
outer　arena　wall　must　itself　be　fifty　feet　high；　and　the　pole　in　the
centre　of　its　oval　seemed　to　rise　fifty　feet　higher　yet。　　At　its　base　an
immense　net　was　stretched；　and　a　man　in　a　Prince　Albert　coat　and　a　derby
hat　was　figuring　about；　anxiously　directing　the　workmen　who　were　fixing
the　guy…ropes；　and　testing　every　particular　of　the　preparation　with　his
own　hands。　　While　this　went　on；　a　young　girl　ran　out　into　the　arena；　and；
after　a　bow　to　the　spectators；　quickly　mounted　to　the　top　of　the　pole；
where　she　presently　stood　in　statuesque　beauty　that　took　all　eyes　even
from　the　loveliness　of　the　officer　of　'bersaglieri'。　　There　the　man　in
the　Prince　Albert　coat　and　the　derby　hat　stepped　back　from　the　net　and
looked　up　at　her。

She　called　down；　in　English　that　sounded　like　some　delocalized；
denaturalized　speech；　it　was　so　strange　then　and　there；　〃Is　it　all
right？〃

He　shouted　back　in　the　same　alienated　tongue；　〃Yes；　keep　to　the　left；〃
and　she　dived　straight　downward　in　the　long　plunge；　till；　just　before　she
reached　the　net；　she　turned　a　quick　somersault　into　its　elastic　mesh。

It　was　all　so　exquisitely　graceful　that　one　forgot　how　wickedly　dangerous
it　was；　but　I　think　that　the　brief　English　colloquy　was　the　great　wonder
of　the　event　for　me；　and　I　doubt　if　I　could　ever　have　been　perfectly
happy　again；　if　chance　had　not　amiably　suffered　me　to　satisfy　my
curiosity　concerning　the　speakers。　　A　few　evenings　after　that；　I　was　at
that　copy　of　a　copy　of　a　tournament；　and；　a　few　gradines　below　me；　I　saw
the　man　of　the　Prince　Albert　coat　and　the　derby　hat。　　I　had　already　made
up　my　mind　that　he　was　an　American；　for　I　supposed　that　an　Englishman
would　rather　perish　than　wear　such　a　coat　with　such　a　hat；　and　as　I　had
wished　all　my　life　to　speak　to　a　circus…man；　I　went　down　and　boldly
accosted　him。　　〃Are　you　a　brother　Yankee？〃　　I　asked；　and　he　laughed；　and
confessed　that　he　was　an　Englishman；　but　he　said　he　was　glad　to　meet　any
one　who　spoke　English；　and　he　made　a　place　for　me　by　his　side。　　He　was
very　willing　to　tell　how　he　happened　to　be　there；　and　he　explained　that
he　was　the　manager　of　a　circus；　which　had　been　playing　to　very　good
business　all　winter　in　Spain。　　In　an　evil　hour　he　decided　to　come　to
Italy；　but　he　found　the　prices　so　ruinously　low　that　he　was　forced　to
disband　his　company。　　This　diving　girl　was　all　that　remained　to　him　of
its　many　attractions；　and　he　was　trying　to　make　a　living　for　both　in　a
country　where　the　admission　to　a　circus　was　six　of　our　cents；　with　fifty
for　a　reserved　seat。　　But　he　was　about　to　give　it　up　and　come　to　America；
where　he　said　Barnum　had　offered　him　an　engagement。　　I　hope　he　found　it
profitable；　and　is　long　since　an　American　citizen；　with　as　good　right　as
any　of　us　to　wear　a　Prince　Albert　coat　with　a　derby　hat。




III。

There　used　to　be　very　good　circuses　in　Venice；　where　many　Venetians　had
the　only　opportunity　of　their　lives　to　see　a　horse。　　The　horses　were　the
great　attraction　for　them；　and；　perhaps　in　concession　to　their　habitual
destitution　in　this　respect；　the　riding　was　providentially　very　good。　　It
was　so　good　that　it　did　not　bore　me；　as　circus…riding　mostly　does；
especially　that　of　the　silk…clad　jockey　who　stands　in　his　high　boots；　on
his　back…bared　horse；　and　ends　by　waving　an　American　flag　in　triumph　at
having　been　so　tiresome。

I　am　at　a　loss　to　know　why　they　make　such　an　ado　about　the　lady　who　jumps
through　paper　hoops；　which　have　first　had　holes　poked　in　them　to　render
her　transit　easy；　or　why　it　should　be　thought　such　a　merit　in　her　to　hop
over　a　succession　of　banners　which　are　swept　under　her　feet　in　a　manner
to　minify　her　exertion　almost　to　nothing；　but　I　observe　it　is　so　at　all
circuses。　　At　my　first　Venetian　circus；　which　was　on　a　broad　expanse　of
the　Riva　degli　Schiavoni；　there　was　a　girl　who　flung　herself　to　the
ground　and　back　to　her　horse　again；　holding　by　his　mane　with　one　hand；
quite　like　the　goddess　out　of　the　bath…gown　at　my　village　circus　the
other　day；　and　apparently　there　are　more　circuses　in　the　world　than
circus　events。　　It　must　be　as　hard　to　think　up　anything　new　in　that　kind
as　in　romanticistic　fiction；　which　circus…acting　otherwise　largely
resembles。

At　a　circus　which　played　all　one　winter　in　Florence　I　saw　for　the　first
time…outside　of　polite　societythe　clown　in　evening　dress；　who　now　seems
essential　to　all　circuses　of　metropolitan　pretensions；　and　whom　I　missed
so　gladly　at　my　village　circus。　　He　is　nearly　as　futile　as　the　lady
clown；　who　is　one　of　the　saddest　and　strangest　developments　of　New
Womanhood。

Of　the　clowns　who　do　not　speak；　I　believe　I　like　most　the　clown　who
catches　a　succession　of　peak…crowned　soft　hats　on　his　head；　when　thrown
across　the　ring　by　an　accomplice。　　This　is　a　very　pretty　sight　always；
and　at　the　Hippodrome　in　Paris　I　once　saw　a　gifted　creature　take　his
stand　high　up　on　the　benches　among　the　audience　and　catch　these　hats　on
his　head　from　a　flight　of　a　hundred　feet　through　the　air。　　This　made　me
proud　of　human　nature；　which　is　often　so　humiliating；　and　altogether　I　do
not　think　that　after　a　real　country　circus　there　are　many　better　things
in　life　than　the　Hippodrome。　　It　had　a　state；　a　dignity；　a　smoothness；　a
polish；　which　I　should　not　know　where　to　match；　and　when　the　superb　coach
drove　into　the　ring　to　convey　the　lady　performers　to　the　scene　of　their
events；　there　was　a　majesty　in　the　effect　which　I　doubt　if　courts　have
the　power　to　rival。　　Still；　it　should　be　remembered　that　I　have　never
been　at　court；　and　speak　from　a　knowledge　of　the　Hippodrome　only。






AT　A　DIME　MUSEUM

〃I　see；〃　said　my　friend；　〃that　you　have　been　writing　a　good　deal　about
the　theatre　during　the　past　winter。　　You　have　been　attacking　its　high
hats　and　its　high　prices；　and　its　low　morals；　and　I　suppose　that　you
think　you　have　done　good；　as　people　call　it。〃




I。

This　seemed　like　a　challenge　of　some　sort；　and　I　prepared　myself　to　take
it　up　warily。　　I　said　I　should　be　very　sorry　to　do　good；　as　people　called
it；　because　such　a　line　of　action　nearly　always　ended　in　spiritual　pride
for　the　doer　and　general　demoralization　for　the　doee。　　Still；　I　said；　a
law　had　lately　been　passed　in　Ohio　giving　a　man　who　found　himself　behind
a　high　hat　at　the　theatre　a　claim　for　damages　against　the　manager；　and　if
the　passage　of　this　law　could　be　traced　ever　so　faintly　and　indirectly　to
my　teachings；　I　should　not　altogether　grieve　for　the　good　I　had　done