short stories and essays-第19章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


no　doubt　a　good；　tough；　stubbed　donkey　would　be　worth　all　their　tribe
when　it　came　down　to　hard　work；　but　we　cannot　all　be　hard…working
donkeys；　and　some　of　us　may　be　toys　and　playthings　without　too　great
reproach。　　I　gazed　after　the　broken；　refluent　wave　of　these　amiable
creatures；　with　the　vague　toleration　here　formulated；　but　I　was　not　quite
at　peace　in　it；　or　fully　consoled　in　my　habitual　ethicism　till　the　next
event　brought　the　hunters　with　their　high…jumping　into　the　ring。　　These
noble　animals　unite　use　and　beauty　in　such　measure　that　the　censor　must
be　of　Catonian　severity　who　can　refuse　them　his　praise。　　When　I　reflected
that　by　them　and　their　devoted　riders　our　civilization　had　been
assimilated　to　that　of　the　mother…country　in　its　finest　expression；　and
another　tie　added　to　those　that　bind　us　to　her　through　the　language　of
Shakespeare　and　Milton；　that　they　had　tamed　the　haughty　spirit　of　the
American　farmer　in　several　parts　of　the　country　so　that　he　submitted　for
a　consideration　to　have　his　crops　ridden　over；　and　that　they　had　all　but
exterminated　the　ferocious　anise…seed　bag；　once　so　common　and　destructive
among　us；　I　was　in　a　fit　mood　to　welcome　the　bars　and　hurdles　which　were
now　set　up　at　four　or　five　places　for　the　purposes　of　the　high…jumping。
As　to　the　beauty　of　the　hunting…horse；　though；　I　think　I　must　hedge　a
little；　while　I　stand　firmly　to　my　admiration　of　his　use。　　To　be　honest；
the　tandem　horse　is　more　to　my　taste。　　He　is　better　shaped；　and　he　bears
himself　more　proudly。　　The　hunter　is　apt　to　behave；　whatever　his　reserve
of　intelligence；　like　an　excited　hen；　he　is　apt　to　be　ewe…necked　and　bred
away　to　nothing　where　the　ideal　horse　abounds；　he　has　the　behavior　of　a
turkey…hen　when　not　behaving　like　the　common　or　garden　hen。　　But　there
can　be　no　question　of　his　jumping；　which　seems　to　be　his　chief　business
in　a　world　where　we　are　all　appointed　our　several　duties；　and　I　at　once
began　to　take　a　vivid　pleasure　in　his　proficiency。　　I　have　always　felt　a
blind　and　insensate　joy　in　running　races；　which　has　no　relation　to　any
particular　horse；　and　I　now　experienced　an　impartial　rapture　in　the
performances　of　these　hunters。　　They　looked　very　much　alike；　and　if　it
had　not　been　for　the　changing　numbers　on　the　sign…board　in　the　centre　of
the　ring　announcing　that　650；　675；　or　602　was　now　jumping；　I　might　have
thought　it　was　650　all　the　time。

A　high　jump　is　not　so　fine　a　sight　as　a　running　race　when　the　horses　have
got　half　a　mile　away　and　look　like　a　covey　of　swift　birds；　but　it　is
still　a　fine　sight。　　I　became　very　fastidious　as　to　which　moment　of　it
was　the　finest；　whether　when　the　horse　rose　in　profile；　or　when　his
aerial　hoof　touched　the　ground　（with　the　effect　of　half　jerking　his
rider's　head　half　off）；　or　when　he　showed　a　flying　heel　in　perspective；
and　I　do　not　know　to　this　hour　which　I　prefer。　　But　I　suppose　I　was
becoming　gradually　spoiled　by　my　pleasure；　for　as　time　went　on　I　noticed
that　I　was　not　satisfied　with　the　monotonous　excellence　of　the　horses'
execution。　　Will　it　be　credited　that　I　became　willing　something　should
happen；　anything；　to　vary　it？　　I　asked　myself　why；　if　some　of　the　more
exciting　incidents　of　the　hunting…field　which　I　had　read　of　must　befall；
I　should　not　see　them。　　Several　of　the　horses　had　balked　at　the　barriers；
and　almost　thrown　their　riders　across　them　over　their　necks；　but　not
quite　done　it；　several　had　carried　away　the　green…tufted　top　rail　with
their　heels；　when　suddenly　there　came　a　loud　clatter　from　the　farther
side　of　the　ellipse；　where　a　whole　panel　of　fence　had　gone　down。　　I
looked　eagerly　for　the　prostrate　horse　and　rider　under　the　bars；　but　they
were　cantering　safely　away。




IV。

It　was　enough；　however。　　I　perceived　that　I　was　becoming　demoralized；　and
that　if　I　were　to　write　of　the　Horse　Show　with　at　all　the　superiority　one
likes　to　feel　towards　the　rich　and　great；　I　had　better　come　away。　　But　I
came　away　critical；　even　in　my　downfall；　and　feeling　that；　circus　for
circus；　the　Greatest　Show　on　Earth　which　I　had　often　seen　in　that　place
had　certain　distinct　advantages　of　the　Horse　Show。　　It　had　three　rings
and　two　platforms；　and；　for　another　thing；　the　drivers　and　riders　in　the
races；　when　they　won；　bore　the　banner　of　victory　aloft　in　their　hands；
instead　of　poorly　letting　a　blue　or　red　ribbon　flicker　at　their　horses'
ears。　　The　events　were　more　frequent　and　rapid；　the　costumes　infinitely
more　varied　and　picturesque。　　As　for　the　people　in　the　boxes；　I　do　not
know　that　they　were　less　distinguished　than　these　at　the　Horse　Show；　but
if　they　were　not　of　the　same　high　level　in　which　distinction　was
impossible；　they　did　not　show　it　in　their　looks。

The　Horse　Show；　in　fine；　struck　me　as　a　circus　of　not　all　the　first
qualities；　and　I　had　moments　of　suspecting　that　it　was　no　more　than　the
evolution　of　the　county　cattle　show。　　But　in　any　case　I　had　to　own　that
its　great　success　was　quite　legitimate；　for　the　horse；　upon　the　whole；
appeals　to　a　wider　range　of　humanity；　vertically　as　well　as　horizontally；
than　any　other　interest；　not　excepting　politics　or　religion。　　I　cannot；
indeed；　regard　him　as　a　civilizing　influence；　but　then　we　cannot　be
always　civilizing。






THE　PROBLEM　OF　THE　SUMMER

It　has　sometimes　seemed　to　me　that　the　solution　of　the　problem　how　and
where　to　spend　the　summer　was　simplest　with　those　who　were　obliged　to
spend　it　as　they　spent　the　winter；　and　increasingly　difficult　in　the
proportion　of　one's　ability　to　spend　it　wherever　and　however　one　chose。
Few　are　absolutely　released　to　this　choice；　however；　and　those　few　are
greatly　to　be　pitied。　　I　know　that　they　are　often　envied　and　hated　for　it
by　those　who　have　no　such　choice；　but　that　is　a　pathetic　mistake。　　If　we
could　look　into　their　hearts；　indeed；　we　should　witness　there　so　much
misery　that　we　should　wish　rather　to　weep　over　them　than　to　reproach　them
with　their　better　fortune；　or　what　appeared　so。




I。

For　most　people　choice　is　a　curse；　and　it　is　this　curse　that　the　summer
brings　upon　great　numbers　who　would　not　perhaps　otherwise　be　afflicted。
They　are　not　in　the　happy　case　of　those　who　must　stay　at　home；　their　hard
necessity　is　that　they　can　go　away；　and　try　to　be　more　agreeably　placed
somewhere　else；　but　although　I　say　they　are　in　great　numbers；　they　are　an
infinitesimal　minority　of　the　whole　bulk　of　our　population。　　Their　bane
is　not；　in　its　highest　form；　that　of　the　average　American　who　has　no
choice　of　the　kind；　and　when　one　begins　to　speak　of　the　summer　problem；
one　must　begin　at　once　to　distinguish。　　It　is　the　problem　of　the　East
rather　than　of　the　West　（where　people　are　much　more　in　the　habit　of
staying　at　home　the　year　round）；　and　it　is　the　problem　of　the　city　and
not　of　the　country。　　I　am　not　sure　that　there　is　one　practical　farmer　in
the　whole　United　States　who　is　obliged　to　witness　in　his　household　those
sad　dissensions　which　almost　separate　the　families　of　professional　men　as
to　where　and　how　they　shall　pass　the　summer。　　People　of　this　class；　which
is　a　class　with　some　measure　of　money；　ease；　and　taste；　are　commonly　of
varying　and　decided　minds；　and　I　once　knew　a　family　of　the　sort　whose
combined　ideal　for　their　summer　outing　was　summed　up　in　the　simple　desire
for　society　and　solitude；　mountain…air　and　sea…bathing。　　They　spent　the
whole　months　of　April；　May；　and　June　in　a　futile　inquiry　for　a　resort
uniting　these　attractions；　and　on　the　first　of　July　they　drove　to　the
station　with　no　definite　point　in　view。　　But　they　found　that　they　could
get　return　tickets　for　a　certain　place　on　an　inland　lake　at　a　low　figure；
and　they　took　the　first　train　for　it。　　There　they　decided　next　morning　to
push　on　to　the　mountains；　and　sent　their　baggage　to　the　station；　but
before　it　was　checked　they　changed　their　minds；　and　remained　two　weeks
where　they　were。　　Then　they　took　train　for　a　place　on　the　coast；　but　in
the　cars　a　friend　told　them　they　ought　to　go　to　another　place；　they
decided　to　go　there；　but　before　arriving　at　the　junction　they　decided
again　to　keep　on。　　They　arrived　at　their　original　destination；　and　the
following　day　telegraphed　for　rooms　at　a　hotel　farther　down　the　coast。
T