short stories and essays-第33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！


others；　as　the　poor　part　with　their　worldly　gear　when　they　move　from　one
place　to　another。　　It　is　a　curious　and　significant　property　of　our
outworn　characteristics　that；　like　our　old　furniture；　they　will　serve
admirably　in　the　life　of　some　other；　and　that　this　other　can　profitably
make　them　his　when　we　can　no　longer　keep　them　ours；　or　ever　hope　to
resume　them。　　They　not　only　go　down　to　successive　generations；　but　they
spread　beyond　our　lineages；　and　serve　the　turn　of　those　whom　we　never
knew　to　be　within　the　circle　of　our　influence。

Civilization　imparts　itself　by　some　such　means；　and　the　lower　classes　are
clothed　in　the　cast　conduct　of　the　upper；　which　if　it　had　been　stored
would　have　left　the　inferiors　rude　and　barbarous。　　We　have　only　to　think
how　socially　naked　most　of　us　would　be　if　we　had　not　had　the　beautiful
manners　of　our　exclusive　society　to　put　on　at　each　change　of　fashion　when
it　dropped　them。

All　earthly　and　material　things　should　be　worn　out　with　use；　and　not
preserved　against　decay　by　any　unnatural　artifice。　　Even　when　broken　and
disabled　from　overuse　they　have　a　kind　of　respectability　which　must
commend　itself　to　the　observer；　and　which　partakes　of　the　pensive　grace
of　ruin。　　An　old　table　with　one　leg　gone；　and　slowly　lapsing　to　decay　in
the　woodshed；　is　the　emblem　of　a　fitter　order　than　the　same　table；　with
all　its　legs　intact；　stored　with　the　rest　of　the　furniture　from　a　broken
home。　　Spinning…wheels　gathering　dust　in　the　garret　of　a　house　that　is
itself　falling　to　pieces　have　a　dignity　that　deserts　them　when　they　are
dragged　from　their　refuge；　and　furbished　up　with　ribbons　and　a　tuft　of
fresh　tow；　and　made　to　serve　the　hollow　occasions　of　bric…a…brac；　as　they
were　a　few　years　ago。　　A　pitcher　broken　at　the　fountain；　or　a　battered
kettle　on　a　rubbish　heap；　is　a　venerable　object；　but　not　crockery　and
copper…ware　stored　in　the　possibility　of　future　need。　　However　carefully
handed　down　from　one　generation　to　another；　the　old　objects　have　a
forlorn　incongruity　in　their　successive　surroundings　which　appeals　to　the
compassion　rather　than　the　veneration　of　the　witness。

It　was　from　a　truth　deeply　mystical　that　Hawthorne　declared　against　any
sort　of　permanence　in　the　dwellings　of　men；　and　held　that　each　generation
should　newly　house　itself。　　He　preferred　the　perishability　of　the　wooden
American　house　to　the　durability　of　the　piles　of　brick　or　stone　which　in
Europe　affected　him　as　with　some　moral　miasm　from　the　succession　of　sires
and　sons　and　grandsons　that　had　died　out　of　them。　　But　even　of　such
structures　as　these　it　is　impressive　how　little　the　earth　makes　with　the
passage　of　time。　　Where　once　a　great　city　of　them　stood；　you　shall　find　a
few　tottering　walls；　scarcely　more　mindful　of　the　past　than　〃the　cellar
and　the　well〃　which　Holmes　marked　as　the　ultimate　monuments；　the　last
witnesses；　to　the　existence　of　our　more　transitory　habitations。　　It　is
the　law　of　the　patient　sun　that　everything　under　it　shall　decay；　and　if
by　reason　of　some　swift　calamity；　some　fiery　cataclysm；　the　perishable
shall　be　overtaken　by　a　fate　that　fixes　it　in　unwasting　arrest；　it　cannot
be　felt　that　the　law　has　been　set　aside　in　the　interest　of　men's
happiness　or　cheerfulness。　　Neither　Pompeii　nor　Herculaneum　invites　the
gayety　of　the　spectator；　who　as　he　walks　their　disinterred　thoroughfares
has　the　weird　sense　of　taking　a　former　civilization　out　of　storage；　and
the　ache　of　finding　it　wholly　unadapted　to　the　actual　world。　　As　far　as
his　comfort　is　concerned；　it　had　been　far　better　that　those　cities　had
not　been　stored；　but　had　fallen　to　the　ruin　that　has　overtaken　all　their
contemporaries。




IV

No；　good　friend；　sir　or　madam；　as　the　case　may　be；　but　most　likely　madam：
if　you　are　about　to　break　up　your　household　for　any　indefinite　period；
and　are　not　so　poor　that　you　need　sell　your　things；　be　warned　against
putting　them　in　storage；　unless　of　the　most　briskly　combustible　type。
Better；　far　better；　give　them　away；　and　disperse　them　by　that　means　to　a
continuous　use　that　shall　end　in　using　them　up；　or　if　no　one　will　take
them；　then　hire　a　vacant　lot；　somewhere；　and　devote　them　to　the　flames。
By　that　means　you　shall　bear　witness　against　a　custom　that　insults　the
order　of　nature；　and　crowds　the　cities　with　the　cemeteries　of　dead　homes；
where　there　is　scarcely　space　for　the　living　homes。　　Do　not　vainly　fancy
that　you　shall　take　your　stuff　out　of　storage　and　find　it　adapted　to　the
ends　that　it　served　before　it　was　put　in。　　You　will　not　be　the　same；　or
have　the　same　needs　or　desire；　when　you　take　it　out；　and　the　new　place
which　you　shall　hope　to　equip　with　it　will　receive　it　with　cold
reluctance；　or　openly　refuse　it；　insisting　upon　forms　and　dimensions　that
render　it　ridiculous　or　impossible。　　The　law　is　that　nothing　taken　out　of
storage　is　the　same　as　it　was　when　put　in；　and　this　law；　hieroglyphed　in
those　rude　'graffiti'　apparently　inscribed　by　accident　in　the　process　of
removal；　has　only　such　exceptions　as　prove　the　rule。

The　world　to　which　it　has　returned　is　not　the　same；　and　that　makes　all
the　difference。　　Yet；　truth　and　beauty　do　not　change；　however　the　moods
and　fashions　change。　　The　ideals　remain；　and　these　alone　you　can　go　back
to；　secure　of　finding　them　the　same；　to…day　and　to…morrow；　that　they　were
yesterday。　　This　perhaps　is　because　they　have　never　been　in　storage；　but
in　constant　use；　while　the　moods　and　fashions　have　been　put　away　and
taken　out　a　thousand　times。　　Most　people　have　never　had　ideals；　but　only
moods　and　fashions；　but　such　people；　least　of　all；　are　fitted　to　find　in
them　that　pleasure　of　the　rococo　which　consoles　the　idealist　when　the　old
moods　and　fashions　reappear。






〃FLOATING　DOWN　THE　RIVER　ON　THE　O…HI…O　〃

There　was　not　much　promise　of　pleasure　in　the　sodden　afternoon　of　a　mid…
March　day　at　Pittsburg；　where　the　smoke　of　a　thousand　foundry　chimneys
gave　up　trying　to　rise　through　the　thick；　soft　air；　and　fell　with　the
constant　rain　which　it　dyed　its　own　black。　　But　early　memories　stirred
joyfully　in　the　two　travellers　in　whose　consciousness　I　was　making　my
tour；　at　sight　of　the　familiar　stern…wheel　steamboat　lying　beside　the
wharf　boat　at　the　foot　of　the　dilapidated　levee；　and　doing　its　best　to
represent　the　hundreds　of　steamboats　that　used　to　lie　there　in　the　old
days。　　It　had　the　help　of　three　others　in　its　generous　effort；　and　the
levee　itself　made　a　gallant　pretence　of　being　crowded　with　freight；　and
succeeded　in　displaying　several　saturated　piles　of　barrels　and
agricultural　implements　on　the　irregular　pavement　whose　wheel…worn
stones；　in　long　stretches；　were　sunken　out　of　sight　in　their　parent　mud。
The　boats　and　the　levee　were　jointly　quite　equal　to　the　demand　made　upon
them　by　the　light…hearted　youngsters　of　sixty…five　and　seventy；　who　were
setting　out　on　their　journey　in　fulfilment　of　a　long…cherished　dream；　and
for　whom　much　less　freight　and　much　fewer　boats　would　have　rehabilitated
the　past。




I。

When　they　mounted　the　broad　stairway；　tidily　strewn　with　straw　to　save　it
from　the　mud　of　careless　boots；　and　entered　the　long　saloon　of　the
steamboat；　the　promise　of　their　fancy　was　more　than　made　good　for　them。
From　the　clerk's　office；　where　they　eagerly　paid　their　fare；　the　saloon
stretched　two　hundred　feet　by　thirty　away　to　the　stern；　a　cavernous
splendor　of　white　paint　and　gilding；　starred　with　electric　bulbs；　and
fenced　at　the　stern　with　wide　windows　of　painted　glass。　　Midway　between
the　great　stove　in　the　bow　where　the　men　were　herded；　and　the　great　stove
at　the　stern　where　the　women　kept　themselves　in　the　seclusion　which　the
tradition　of　Western　river　travel　still　guards；　after　well…nigh　a　hundred
years；　they　were　given　ample　state…rooms；　whose　appointments　so　exactly
duplicated　those　they　remembered　from　far…off　days　that　they　could　have
believed　themselves　awakened　from　a　dream　of　insubstantial　time；　with　the
events　in　which　it　had　seemed　to　lapse；　mere　feints　of　experience。　　When
they　sat　down　at　the　supper…table　and　were　served　with　the　sort　of
belated　steamboat　dinner　which　it　recalled　as　vividly；　the　kind；　sooty
faces　and　snowy　aprons　of　those　who　served　them　were　so　q