short stories and essays-第23章

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stretched　the　woodshed　from　the　dwelling　to　the　barn；　and　shut　the　whole
under　one　cover；　the　turf　grew　to　the　wheel…tracks　of　the　road…way；　over
which　the　elms　rose　and　drooped；　and　from　one　end　of　the　village　to　the
other　you　could　not；　as　the　saying　is；　find　a　stone　to　throw　at　a　dog。
I　know　Holland；　I　have　seen　the　wives　of　Scheveningen　scrubbing　up　for
Sunday　to　the　very　middle　of　their　brick　streets；　but　I　doubt　if　Dutch
cleanliness　goes　so　far　without；　or　comes　from　so　deep　a　scruple　within；
as　the　cleanliness　of　New　England。　　I　felt　so　keenly　the　feminine　quality
of　its　motive　as　I　passed　through　that　village；　that　I　think　if　I　had
dropped　so　much　as　a　piece　of　paper　in　the　street　I　must　have　knocked　at
the　first　door　and　begged　the　lady　of　the　house　（who　would　have　opened　it
in　person　after　wiping　her　hands　from　her　work；　taking　off　her　apron；　and
giving　a　glance　at　herself　in　the　mirror　and　at　me　through　the　window
blind）　to　report　me　to　the　selectmen　in　the　interest　of　good　morals。




III。

I　did　not　know　at　once　quite　how　to　reconcile　the　present　foulness　of　the
New　England　capital　with　the　fairness　of　the　New　England　country；　and　I
am　still　somewhat　embarrassed　to　own　that　after　New　York　（even　under　the
relaxing　rule　of　Tammany）　Boston　seemed　very　dirty　when　we　arrived　there。
At　best　I　was　never　more　than　a　naturalized　Bostonian；　but　it　used　to
give　me　great　pleasureso　penetratingly　does　the　place　qualify　even　the
sojourning　Westernerto　think　of　the　defect　of　New　York　in　the　virtue
that　is　next　to　godliness；　and　now　I　had　to　hang　my　head　for　shame　at　the
mortifying　contrast　of　the　Boston　streets　to　the　well…swept　asphalt　which
I　had　left　frying　in　the　New　York　sun　the　afternoon　before。　　Later；
however；　when　I　began　to　meet　the　sort　of　Boston　faces　I　remembered　so
wellgood；　just；　pure；　but　set　and　severe；　with　their　look　of　challenge；
of　interrogation；　almost　of　reproofthey　not　only　ignored　the
disgraceful　untidiness　of　the　streets；　but　they　convinced　me　of　a　state
of　transition　which　would　leave　the　place　swept　and　garnished　behind　it；
and　comforted　me　against　the　litter　of　the　winding　thoroughfares　and
narrow　lanes；　where　the　dust　had　blown　up　against　the　brick　walls；　and
seemed　permanently　to　have　smutched　and　discolored　them。

In　New　York　you　see　the　American　face　as　Europe　characterizes　it；　in
Boston　you　see　it　as　it　characterizes　Europe；　and　it　is　in　Boston　that
you　can　best　imagine　the　strenuous　grapple　of　the　native　forces　which　all
alien　things　must　yield　to　till　they　take　the　American　cast。　　It　is
almost　dismaying；　that　physiognomy；　before　it　familiarizes　itself　anew；
and　in　the　brief　first　moment　while　it　is　yet　objective；　you　ransack　your
conscience　for　any　sins　you　may　have　committed　in　your　absence　from　it
and　make　ready　to　do　penance　for　them。　　I　felt　almost　as　if　I　had　brought
the　dirty　streets　with　me；　and　were　guilty　of　having　left　them　lying
about；　so　impossible　were　they　with　reference　to　the　Boston　face。

It　is　a　face　that　expresses　care；　even　to　the　point　of　anxiety；　and　it
looked　into　the　window　of　our　carriage　with　the　serious　eyes　of　our
elderly　hackman　to　make　perfectly　sure　of　our　destination　before　we　drove
away　from　the　station。　　It　was　a　little　rigorous　with　us；　as　requiring　us
to　have　a　clear　mind；　but　it　was　not　unfriendly；　not　unkind；　and　it　was
patient　from　long　experience。　　In　New　York　there　are　no　elderly　hackmen；
but　in　Boston　they　abound；　and　I　cannot　believe　they　would　be　capable　of
bad　faith　with　travellers。　　In　fact；　I　doubt　if　this　class　is　anywhere　as
predatory　as　it　is　painted；　but　in　Boston　it　appears　to　have　the　public
honor　in　its　keeping。　　I　do　not　mean　that　it　was　less　mature；　less　self…
respectful　in　Portsmouth；　where　we　were　next　to　arrive；　more　so　it　could
not　be；　an　equal　sense　of　safety；　of　ease；　began　with　it　in　both　places；
and　all　through　New　England　it　is　of　native　birth；　while　in　New　York　it
is　composed　of　men　of　many　nations；　with　a　weight　in　numbers　towards　the
Celtic　strain。　　The　prevalence　of　the　native　in　New　England　helps　you
sensibly　to　realize　from　the　first　moment　that　here　you　are　in　America　as
the　first　Americans　imagined　and　meant　it；　and　nowhere　in　New　England　is
the　original　tradition　more　purely　kept　than　in　the　beautiful　old　seaport
of　New　Hampshire。　　In　fact；　without　being　quite　prepared　to　defend　a
thesis　to　this　effect；　I　believe　that　Portsmouth　is　preeminently
American；　and　in　this　it　differs　from　Newburyport　and　from　Salem；　which
have　suffered　from　different　causes　an　equal　commercial　decline；　and；
though　among　the　earliest　of　the　great　Puritan　towns　after　Boston；　are
now　largely　made　up　of　aliens　in　race　and　religion；　these　are　actually
the　majority；　I　believe；　in　Newburyport。




IV。

The　adversity　of　Portsmouth　began　early　in　the　century；　but　before　that
time　she　had　prospered　so　greatly　that　her　merchant　princes　were　able　to
build　themselves　wooden　palaces　with　white　walls　and　green　shutters；　of　a
grandeur　and　beauty　unmatched　elsewhere　in　the　country。　　I　do　not　know
what　architect　had　his　way　with　them；　though　his　name　is　richly　worth
remembrance；　but　they　let　him　make　them　habitations　of　such　graceful
proportion　and　of　such　delicate　ornament　that　they　have　become　shrines　of
pious　pilgrimage　with　the　young　architects　of　our　day　who　hope　to　house
our　well…to…do　people　fitly　in　country　or　suburbs。　　The　decoration　is
oftenest　spent　on　a　porch　or　portal；　or　a　frieze　of　peculiar　refinement；
or　perhaps　it　feels　its　way　to　the　carven　casements　or　to　the　delicate
iron…work　of　the　transoms；　the　rest　is　a　simplicity　and　a　faultless
propriety　of　form　in　the　stately　mansions　which　stand　under　the　arching
elms；　with　their　gardens　sloping；　or　dropping　by　easy　terraces　behind
them　to　the　river；　or　to　the　borders　of　other　pleasances。　　They　are　all
of　wood；　except　for　the　granite　foundations　and　doorsteps；　but　the　stout
edifices　rarely　sway　out　of　the　true　line　given　them；　and　they　look　as　if
they　might　keep　it　yet　another　century。

Between　them；　in　the　sun…shotten　shade；　lie　the　quiet　streets；　whose
gravelled　stretch　is　probably　never　cleaned　because　it　never　needs
cleaning。　　Even　the　business　streets；　and　the　quaint　square　which　gives
the　most　American　of　towns　an　air　so　foreign　and　Old　Worldly；　look　as　if
the　wind　and　rain　alone　cared　for　them；　but　they　are　not　foul；　and　the
narrower　avenues；　where　the　smaller　houses　of　gray；　unpainted　wood　crowd
each　other；　flush　upon　the　pavements；　towards　the　waterside；　are
doubtless　unvisited　by　the　hoe　or　broom；　and　must　be　kept　clean　by　a　New
England　conscience　against　getting　them　untidy。

When　you　get　to　the　river…side　there　is　one　stretch　of　narrow；　high…
shouldered　warehouses　which　recall　Holland；　especially　in　a　few　with
their　gables　broken　in　steps；　after　the　Dutch　fashion。　　These；　with　their
mouldering　piers　and　grass…grown　wharves；　have　their　pathos；　and　the
whole　place　embodies　in　its　architecture　an　interesting　record　of　the
past；　from　the　time　when　the　homesick　exiles　huddled　close　to　the　water's
edge　till　the　period　of　post…colonial　prosperity；　when　proud　merchants
and　opulent　captains　set　their　vast　square　houses　each　in　its　handsome
space　of　gardened　ground。

My　adjectives　might　mislead　as　to　size；　but　they　could　not　as　to　beauty；
and　I　seek　in　vain　for　those　that　can　duly　impart　the　peculiar　charm　of
the　town。　　Portsmouth　still　awaits　her　novelist；　he　will　find　a　rich
field　when　he　comes；　and　I　hope　he　will　come　of　the　right　sex；　for　it
needs　some　minute　and　subtle　feminine　skill；　like　that　of　Jane　Austen；　to
express　a　fit　sense　of　its　life　in　the　past。　　Of　its　life　in　the　present
I　know　nothing。　　I　could　only　go　by　those　delightful；　silent　houses；　and
sigh　my　longing　soul　into　their　dim　interiors。　　When　now　and　then　a　young
shape　in　summer　silk；　or　a　group　of　young　shapes　in　diaphanous　muslin；
fluttered　out　of　them；　I　was　no　wiser；　and　doubtless　my　elderly　fancy
would　have　been　unable　to　deal　with　what　went　on　in　them。　　Some　girl　of
those　flitting　through　the　warm；　odorous　twilight　must　become　the
creative　historian　of　the　place；　I　can　at　least　imagine　a　Jane　Austen　n