short stories and essays-第22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！


spiritual　and　dainty　Fanny　Osgood；　clapping　her　hands　and　crowing　like　a
baby；〃　where　she　sits　〃nestled　under　a　shawl　of　heraldic　devices；　like　a
bird　escaped　from　its　cage〃；　or　as　Margaret　Fuller；　〃her　large；　gray　eyes
Tamping　inspiration；　and　her　thin；　quivering　lip　prophesying　like　a
Pythoness〃？

I　hope　not；　I　earnestly　hope　not。　　Whatever　I　said　at　the　outset；
affirming　the　persistent　equality　of　New　York　characteristics　and
circumstances；　I　wish　to　take　back　at　this　point；　and　I　wish　to　warn
malign　foreign　observers；　of　the　sort　who　have　so　often　refused　to　see　us
as　we　see　ourselves；　that　they　must　not　expect　to　find　us　now　grouped　in
the　taste　of　1849。　　Possibly　it　was　not　so　much　the　taste　of　1849　as　the
author　of　'New　York　in　Slices'　would　have　us　believe；　and　perhaps　any　one
who　trusted　his　pictures　of　life　among　us　otherwise　would　be　deceived　by
a　parity　of　the　spirit　in　which　they　are　portrayed　with　that　of　our
modern　〃society　journalism。〃






FROM　NEW　YORK　INTO　NEW　ENGLAND

There　is；　of　course；　almost　a　world's　difference　between　England　and　the
Continent　anywhere；　but　I　do　not　recall　just　now　any　transition　between
Continental　countries　which　involves　a　more　distinct　change　in　the
superficial　aspect　of　things　than　the　passage　from　the　Middle　States　into
New　England。　　It　is　all　American；　but　American　of　diverse　ideals；　and　you
are　hardly　over　the　border　before　you　are　sensible　of　diverse　effects；
which　are　the　more　apparent　to　you　the　more　American　you　are。　　If　you
want　the　contrast　at　its　sharpest　you　had　better　leave　New　York　on　a
Sound　boat；　for　then　you　sleep　out　of　the　Middle　State　civilization　and
wake　into　the　civilization　of　New　England；　which　seems　to　give　its　stamp
to　nature　herself。　　As　to　man；　he　takes　it　whether　native　or　alien；　and
if　he　is　foreign…born　it　marks　him　another　Irishman；　Italian；　Canadian；
Jew；　or　negro　from　his　brother　in　any　other　part　of　the　United　States。




I。

When　you　have　a　theory　of　any　kind；　proofs　of　it　are　apt　to　seek　you　out；
and　I；　who　am　rather　fond　of　my　faith　in　New　England's　influence　of　this
sort；　had　as　pretty　an　instance　of　it　the　day　after　my　arrival　as　I　could
wish。　　A　colored　brother　of　Massachusetts　birth；　as　black　as　a　man　can
well　be；　and　of　a　merely　anthropoidal　profile；　was　driving　me　along　shore
in　search　of　a　sea…side　hotel　when　we　came　upon　a　weak…minded　young
chicken　in　the　road。　　The　natural　expectation　is　that　any　chicken　in
these　circumstances　will　wait　for　your　vehicle；　and　then　fly　up　before　it
with　a　loud　screech；　but　this　chicken　may　have　been　overcome　by　the　heat
（it　was　a　land　breeze　and　it　drew　like　the　breath　of　a　furnace　over　the
hay…cocks　and　the　clover）；　or　it　may　have　mistimed　the　wheel；　which
passed　over　its　head　and　left　it　to　flop　a　moment　in　the　dust　and　then
fall　still。　　The　poor　little　tragedy　was　sufficiently　distressful　to　me；
but　I　bore　it　well；　compared　with　my　driver。　　He　could　hardly　stop
lamenting　it；　and　when　presently　we　met　a　young　farmer；　he　pulled　up。
〃You　goin'　past　Jim　Marden's？〃　　〃Yes。〃　　〃Well；　I　wish　you'd　tell　him　I
just　run　over　a　chicken　of　his；　and　I　killed　it；　I　guess。　　I　guess　it　was
a　pretty　big　one。〃　　〃Oh　no；〃　I　put　in；　〃it　was　only　a　broiler。　　What　do
you　think　it　was　worth？〃　　I　took　out　some　money；　and　the　farmer　noted　the
largest　coin　in　my　hand；　〃About　half　a　dollar；　I　guess。〃　　On　this　I　put
it　all　back　in　my　pocket；　and　then　he　said；　〃Well；　if　a　chicken　don't
know　enough　to　get　out　of　the　road；　I　guess　you　ain't　to　blame。〃
I　expressed　that　this　was　my　own　view　of　the　case；　and　we　drove　on。　　When
we　parted　I　gave　the　half…dollar　to　my　driver；　and　begged　him　not　to　let
the　owner　of　the　chicken　come　on　me　for　damages；　and　though　he　chuckled
his　pleasure　in　the　joke；　I　could　see　that　he　was　still　unhappy；　and　I
have　no　doubt　that　he　has　that　pullet　on　his　conscience　yet；　unless　he
has　paid　for　it。　　He　was　of　a　race　which　elsewhere　has　so　immemorially
plundered　hen…roosts　that　chickens　are　as　free　to　it　as　the　air　it
breathes；　without　any　conceivable　taint　of　private　ownership。　　But　the
spirit　of　New　England　had　so　deeply　entered　into　him　that　the　imbecile
broiler　of　another；　slain　by　pure　accident　and　by　its　own　contributory
negligence；　was　saddening　him；　while　I　was　off　in　my　train　without　a　pang
for　the　owner　and　with　only　an　agreeable　pathos　for　the　pullet。




II。

The　instance　is　perhaps　extreme；　and；　at　any　rate；　it　has　carried　me　in　a
psychological　direction　away　from　the　simpler　differences　which　I　meant
to　note　in　New　England。　　They　were　evident　as　soon　as　our　train　began　to
run　from　the　steamboat　landing　into　the　country；　and　they　have
intensified；　if　they　have　not　multiplied；　themselves　as　I　have　penetrated
deeper　and　deeper　into　the　beautiful　region。　　The　land　is　poorer　than　the
land　to　the　southwardone　sees　that　at　once；　the　soil　is　thin；　and　often
so　thickly　burdened　with　granite　bowlders　that　it　could　never　have　borne
any　other　crop　since　the　first　Puritans；　or　Pilgrims；　cut　away　the
primeval　woods　and　betrayed　its　hopeless　sterility　to　the　light。　　But
wherever　you　come　to　a　farm…house；　whether　standing　alone　or　in　one　of
the　village　groups　that　New　England　farm…houses　have　always　liked　to
gather　themselves　into；　it　is　of　a　neatness　that　brings　despair；　and　of　a
repair　that　ought　to　bring　shame　to　the　beholder　from　more　easy…going
conditions。　　Everything　is　kept　up　with　a　strenuous　virtue　that　imparts
an　air　of　self…respect　to　the　landscape；　which　the　bleaching　and
blackening　stone　walls；　wandering　over　the　hill…slopes；　divide　into　wood
lots　of　white　birch　and　pine；　stony　pastures；　and　little　patches　of
potatoes　and　corn。　　The　mowing…lands　alone　are　rich；　and　if　the　New
England　year　is　in　the　glory　of　the　latest　June；　the　breath　of　the　clover
blows　honeysweet　into　the　car　windows；　and　the　fragrance　of　the　new…cut
hay　rises　hot　from　the　heavy　swaths　that　seem　to　smoke　in　the　sun。

We　have　struck　a　hot　spell；　one　of　those　torrid　mood　of　continental
weather　which　we　have　telegraphed　us　ahead　to　heighten　our　suffering　by
anticipation。　　But　the　farmsteads　and　village　houses　are　safe　in　the
shade　of　their　sheltering　trees　amid　the　fluctuation　of　the　grass　that
grows　so　tall　about　them　that　the　June　roses　have　to　strain　upward　to　get
themselves　free　of　it。　　Behind　each　dwelling　is　a　billowy　mass　of
orchard；　and　before　it　the　Gothic　archway　of　the　elms　stretches　above　the
quiet　street。　　There　is　no　tree　in　the　world　so　full　of　sentiment　as　the
American　elm；　and　it　is　nowhere　so　graceful　as　in　these　New　England
villages；　which　are　themselves；　I　think；　the　prettiest　and　wholesomest　of
mortal　sojourns。　　By　a　happy　instinct；　their　wooden　houses　are　all
painted　white；　to　a　marble　effect　that　suits　our　meridional　sky；　and　the
contrast　of　their　dark…green　shutters　is　deliciously　refreshing。　　There
was　an　evil　hour；　the　terrible　moment　of　the　aesthetic　revival　now
happily　past；　when　white　walls　and　green　blinds　were　thought　in　bad
taste；　and　the　village　houses　were　often　tinged　a　dreary　ground　color；　or
a　doleful　olive；　or　a　gloomy　red；　but　now　they　have　returned　to　their
earlier　love。　　Not　the　first　love；　that　was　a　pale　buff　with　white　trim；
but　I　doubt　if　it　were　good　for　all　kinds　of　village　houses；　the　eye
rather　demands　the　white。　　The　pale　buff　does　very　well　for　large
colonial　mansions；　like　Lowell's　or　Longfellow's　in　Cambridge；　but　when
you　come；　say；　to　see　the　great　square　houses　built　in　Portsmouth；　New
Hampshire；　early　in　this　century；　and　painted　white；　you　find　that　white；
after　all；　is　the　thing　for　our　climate；　even　in　the　towns。

In　such　a　village　as　my　colored　brother　drove　me　through　on　the　way　to
the　beach　it　was　of　an　absolute　fitness；　and　I　wish　I　could　convey　a　due
sense　of　the　exquisite　keeping　of　the　place。　　Each　white　house　was　more
or　less　closely　belted　in　with　a　white　fence；　of　panels　or　pickets；　the
grassy　door…yards　glowed　with　flowers；　and　often　a　climbing　rose
embowered　the　door…way　with　its　bloom。　　Away　backward　or　sidewise
stretched　the　woodshed　from　the　dwelling　to　the　barn；　and　shut　the　whole
under　one　cover；　the　turf　grew　to　the　wheel…tracks