short stories and essays-第35章

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of　farm；　farms；　and　evermore　farms；　lying　along　the　rich　levels　of　the
stream；　and　climbing　as　far　up　its　beautiful　hills　as　the　plough　could
drive。　　In　the　spring　and　in　the　Mall；　when　it　is　suddenly　swollen　by　the
earlier　and　the　later　rains；　the　river　scales　its　banks　and　swims　over
those　levels　to　the　feet　of　those　hills；　and　when　it　recedes　it　leaves
the　cornfields　enriched　for　the　crop　that；　has　never　failed　since　the
forests　were　first　cut　from　the　land。　　Other　fertilizing　the　fields　have
never　had　any；　but　they　teem　as　if　the　guano　islands　had　been　emptied
into　their　laps。　　They　feel　themselves　so　rich　that　they　part　with　great
lengths　and　breadths　of　their　soil　to　the　river；　which　is　not　good　for
the　river；　and　is　not　well　for　the　fields；　so　that　the　farmers；　whose
ease　learns　slowly；　are　beginning　more　and　more　to　fence　their　borders
with　the　young　willows　which　form　a　hedge　in　the　shallow　wash　such　a
great　part　of　the　way　up　and　down　the　Ohio。　　Elms　and　maples　wade　in
among　the　willows；　and　in　time　the　river　will　be　denied　the　indigestion
which　it　confesses　in　shoals　and　bars　at　low　water；　and　in　a　difficulty
of　channel　at　all　stages。

Meanwhile　the　fields　flourish　in　spite　of　their　unwise　largesse　to　the
stream；　whose　shores　the　comfortable　farmsteads　keep　so　constantly　that
they　are　never　out　of　sight。　　Most　commonly　they　are　of　brick；　but
sometimes　of　painted　wood；　and　they　are　set　on　little　eminences　high
enough　to　save　them　from　the　freshets；　but　always　so　near　the　river　that
they　cannot　fail　of　its　passing　life。　　Usually　a　group　of　planted
evergreens　half　hides　the　house　from　the　boat；　but　its　inmates　will　not
lose　any　detail　of　the　show；　and　come　down　to　the　gate　of　the　paling
fence　to　watch　the　'Avonek'　float　by：　motionless　men　and　women；　who　lean
upon　the　supporting　barrier；　and　rapt　children　who　hold　by　their　skirts
and　hands。　　There　is　not　the　eager　New　England　neatness　about　these
homes；　now　and　then　they　have　rather　a　sloven　air；　which　does　not　discord
with　their　air　of　comfort；　and　very；　very　rarely　they　stagger　drunkenly
in　a　ruinous　neglect。　　Except　where　a　log　cabin　has　hardily　survived　the
pioneer　period；　the　houses　are　nearly　all　of　one　pattern；　their　facades
front　the　river；　and　low　chimneys　point　either　gable；　where　a　half…story
forms　the　attic　of　the　two　stories　below。　　Gardens　of　pot…herbs　flank
them；　and　behind　cluster　the　corn…cribs；　and　the　barns　and　stables
stretch　into　the　fields　that　stretch　out　to　the　hills；　now　scantily
wooded；　but　ever　lovely　in　the　lines　that　change　with　the　steamer's
course。

Except　in　the　immediate　suburbs　of　the　large　towns；　there　is　no　ambition
beyond　that　of　rustic　comfort　in　the　buildings　on　the　shore。　　There　is　no
such　thing；　apparently；　as　a　summer　cottage；　with　its　mock　humility　of
name；　up　or　down　the　whole　tortuous　length　of　the　Ohio。　　As　yet　the　land
is　not　openly　depraved　by　shows　of　wealth；　those　who　amass　it　either　keep
it　to　themselves　or　come　away　to　spend　it　in　European　travel；　or　pause　to
waste　it　unrecognized　on　the　ungrateful　Atlantic　seaboard。　　The　only
distinctions　that　are　marked　are　between　the　homes　of　honest　industry
above　the　banks　and　the　homes　below　them　of　the　leisure；　which　it　is
hoped　is　not　dishonest。　　But；　honest　or　dishonest；　it　is　there　apparently
to　stay　in　the　house…boats　which　line　the　shores　by　thousands；　and　repeat
on　Occidental　terms　in　our　new　land　the　river…life　of　old　and　far　Cathay。

They　formed　the　only　feature　of　their　travel　which　our　tourists　found
absolutely　novel；　they　could　clearly　or　dimly　recall　from　the　past　every
other　feature　but　the　houseboats；　which　they　instantly　and　gladly
naturalized　to　their　memories　of　it。　　The　houses　had　in　common　the　form
of　a　freight…car　set　in　a　flat…bottomed　boat；　the　car　would　be　shorter　or
longer；　with　one；　or　two；　or　three　windows　in　its　sides；　and　a　section　of
stovepipe　softly　smoking　from　its　roof。　　The　windows　might　be　curtained
or　they　might　be　bare；　but　apparently　there　was　no　other　distinction
among　the　houseboat　dwellers；　whose　sluggish　craft　lay　moored　among　the
willows；　or　tied　to　an　elm　or　a　maple；　or　even　made　fast　to　a　stake　on
shore。　　There　were　cases　in　which　they　had　not　followed　the　fall　of　the
river　promptly　enough；　and　lay　slanted　on　the　beach；　or　propped　up　to　a
more　habitable　level　on　its　slope；　in　a　sole；　sad　instance；　the　house　had
gone　down　with　the　boat　and　lay　wallowing　in　the　wash　of　the　flood。　　But
they　all　gave　evidence　of　a　tranquil　and　unhurried　life　which　the　soul　of
the　beholder　envied　within　him；　whether　it　manifested　itself　in　the　lord
of　the　house…boat　fishing　from　its　bow；　or　the　lady　coming　to　cleanse
some　household　utensil　at　its　stern。　　Infrequently　a　group　of　the　house…
boat　dwellers　seemed　to　be　drawing　a　net；　and　in　one　high　event　they
exhibited　a　good…sized　fish　of　their　capture；　but　nothing　so　strenuous
characterized　their　attitude　on　any　other　occasion。　　The　accepted　theory
of　them　was　that　they　did　by　day　as　nearly　nothing　as　men　could　do　and
live；　and　that　by　night　their　forays　on　the　bordering　farms　supplied　the
simple　needs　of　people　who　desired　neither　to　toil　nor　to　spin；　but　only
to　emulate　Solomon　in　his　glory　with　the　least　possible　exertion。　　The
joyful　witness　of　their　ease　would　willingly　have　sacrificed　to　them　any
amount　of　the　facile　industrial　or　agricultural　prosperity　about　them　and
left　them　slumberously　afloat；　unmolested　by　dreams　of　landlord　or　tax…
gatherer。　　Their　existence　for　the　fleeting　time　seemed　the　true
interpretation　of　the　sage's　philosophy；　the　fulfilment　of　the　poet's
aspiration。

　　　　　〃Why　should　we　only　toil；　that　are　the　roof　and　crown　of　things。

How　did　they　pass　their　illimitable　leisure；　when　they　rested　from　the
fishing…net　by　day　and　the　chicken…coop　by　night？　　Did　they　read　the　new
historical　fictions　aloud　to　one　another？　　Did　some　of　them　even　meditate
the　thankless　muse　and　not　mind　her　ingratitude？　　Perhaps　the　ladies　of
the　house…boats；　when　they　found　themselvesas　they　often　didin
companies　of　four　or　five；　had　each　other　in　to　〃evenings；〃　at　which　one
of　them　read　a　paper　on　some　artistic　or　literary　topic。




IV。

The　trader's　boat；　of　an　elder　and　more　authentic　tradition；　sometimes
shouldered　the　house…boats　away　from　a　village　landing；　but　it；　too；　was
a　peaceful　home；　where　the　family　life　visibly　went　hand…in…hand　with
commerce。　　When　the　trader　has　supplied　all　the　wants　and　wishes　of　a
neighborhood；　he　unmoors　his　craft　and　drops　down　the　river's　tide　to
where　it　meets　the　ocean's　tide　in　the　farthermost　Mississippi；　and　there
either　sells　out　both　his　boat　and　his　stock；　or　hitches　his　home　to　some
returning　steamboat；　and　climbs　slowly；　with　many　pauses；　back　to　the
upper　Ohio。　　But　his　home　is　not　so　interesting　as　that　of　the
houseboatman；　nor　so　picturesque　as　that　of　the　raftsman；　whose　floor　of
logs　rocks　flexibly　under　his　shanty；　but　securely　rides　the　current。　　As
the　pilots　said；　a　steamboat　never　tries　to　hurt　a　raft　of　logs；　which　is
adapted　to　dangerous　retaliation；　and　by　night　it　always　gives　a　wide
berth　to　the　lantern　tilting　above　the　raft　from　a　swaying　pole。　　By　day
the　raft　forms　one　of　the　pleasantest　aspects　of　the　river…life；　with　its
convoy　of　skiffs　always　searching　the　stream　or　shore　for　logs　which　have
broken　from　it；　and　which　the　skiffmen　recognize　by　distinctive　brands　or
stamps。　　Here　and　there　the　logs　lie　in　long　ranks　upon　the　shelving
beaches；　mixed　with　the　drift　of　trees　and　fence…rails；　and　frames　of
corn…cribs　and　hencoops；　and　even　house　walls；　which　the　freshets　have
brought　down　and　left　stranded。　　The　tops　of　the　little　willows　are
tufted　gayly　with　hay　and　rags；　and　other　spoil　of　the　flood；　and　in　one
place　a　disordered　mattress　was　lodged　high　among　the　boughs　of　a　water…
maple；　where　it　would　form　building　material　for　countless　generations　of
birds。　　The　fat　cornfields　were　often　littered　with　a　varied　wreckage
which　the　farmers　must　soon　heap　together　and　burn；　to　be　rid　of　it；　and
everywhere　were　proofs　of　the　river's　power　to　devastate　as　well　as
enrich　its　shores。　　The　dwellers　there　had　no　power　again