short stories and essays-第4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！


white　houses　（which　also　it　inhabits）　bathe　their　snowy　underpinning。
In　this　dream　the　multiple　drives　home　from　the　balls　of　either　hotel
with　the　young　girls　in　the　little　victorias　which　must　pass　its　sojourn；
and；　being　but　a　vision　itself；　fore　casts　the　shapes　of　flirtation　which
shall　night…long　gild　the　visions　of　their　sleep　with　the　flash　of
military　and　naval　uniforms。　　Of　course　the　multiple　has　been　at　the
dance　too　（with　a　shadowy　heartache　for　the　dances　of　forty　years　ago）；
and　knows　enough　not　to　confuse　the　uniforms。




III。

In　whatever　way　you　walk；　at　whatever　hour；　the　birds　are　sweetly　calling
in　the　way…side　oleanders　and　the　wild　sage…bushes　and　the　cedar…tops。
They　are　mostly　cat…birds；　quite　like　our　own；　and　bluebirds；　but　of　a
deeper　blue　than　ours；　and　redbirds　of　as　liquid　a　note；　but　not　so
varied；　as　that　of　the　redbirds　of　our　woods。　　How　came　they　all　here；
seven　hundred　miles　from　any　larger　land？　　Some　think；　on　the　stronger
wings　of　tempests；　for　it　is　not　within　the　knowledge　of　men　that　men
brought　them。　　Men　did；　indeed；　bring　the　pestilent　sparrows　which　swarm
about　their　habitations　here；　and　beat　away　the　gentler　and　lovelier
birds　with　a　ferocity　unknown　in　the　human　occupation　of　the　islands。
Still；　the　sparrows　have　by　no　means　conquered；　and　in　the　wilder　places
the　catbird　makes　common　cause　with　the　bluebird　and　the　redbird；　and
holds　its　own　against　them。　　The　little　ground…doves　mimic　in　miniature
the　form　and　markings　and　the　gait　and　mild　behavior　of　our　turtle…doves；
but　perhaps　not　their　melancholy　cooing。　　Nature　has　nowhere　anything
prettier　than　these　exquisite　creatures；　unless　it　be　the　long…tailed
white　gulls　which　sail　over　the　emerald　shallows　of　the　landlocked　seas；
and　take　the　green　upon　their　translucent　bodies　as　they　trail　their
meteoric　splendor　against　the　midday　sky。　　Full　twenty…four　inches　they
measure　from　the　beak　to　the　tip　of　the　single　pen　that　protracts　them　a
foot　beyond　their　real　bulk；　but　it　is　said　their　tempers　are　shorter
than　they；　and　they　attack　fiercely　anything　they　suspect　of　too　intimate
a　curiosity　concerning　their　nests。

They　are　probably　the　only　short…tempered　things　in　the　Summer　Islands；
where　time　is　so　long　that　if　you　lose　your　patience　you　easily　find　it
again。　　Sweetness；　if　not　light；　seems　to　be　the　prevailing　human
quality；　and　a　good　share　of　it　belongs　to　such　of　the　natives　as　are　in
no　wise　light。　　Our　poor　brethren　of　a　different　pigment　are　in　the　large
majority；　and　they　have　been　seventy　years　out　of　slavery；　with　the　full
enjoyment　of　all　their　civil　rights；　without　lifting　themselves　from
their　old　inferiority。　　They　do　the　hard　work；　in　their　own　easy　way；　and
possibly　do　not　find　life　the　burden　they　make　it　for　the　white　man；　whom
here；　as　in　our　own　country；　they　load　up　with　the　conundrum　which　their
existence　involves　for　him。　　They　are　not　very　gay；　and　do　not　rise　to　a
joke　with　that　flashing　eagerness　which　they　show　for　it　at　home。　　If　you
have　them　against　a　background　of　banana…stems；　or　low　palms；　or　feathery
canes；　nothing　could　be　more　acceptably　characteristic　of　the　air　and
sky；　nor　are　they　out　of　place　on　the　box　of　the　little　victorias；　where
visitors　of　the　more　inquisitive　sex　put　them　to　constant　question。　　Such
visitors　spare　no　islander　of　any　color。　　Once；　in　the　pretty　Public
Garden　which　the　multiple　had　claimed　for　its　private　property；　three
unmerciful　American　women　suddenly　descended　from　the　heavens　and　began
to　question　the　multiple's　gardener；　who　was　peacefully　digging　at　the
rate　of　a　spadeful　every　five　minutes。　　Presently　he　sat　down　on　his
wheelbarrow；　and　then　shifted；　without　relief；　from　one　handle　of　it　to
the　other。　　Then　he　rose　and　braced　himself　desperately　against　the　tool…
house；　where；　when　his　tormentors　drifted　away；　he　seemed　to　the　soft　eye
of　pity　pinned　to　the　wall　by　their　cruel　interrogations；　whose　barbed
points　were　buried　in　the　stucco　behind　him；　and　whose　feathered　shafts
stuck　out　half　a　yard　before　his　breast。

Whether　he　was　black　or　not；　pity　could　not　see；　but　probably　he　was。
At　least　the　garrison　of　the　islands　is　all　black；　being　a　Jamaican
regiment　of　that　color；　and　when　one　of　the　warriors　comes　down　the　white
street；　with　his　swagger…stick　in　his　hand；　and　flaming　in　scarlet　and
gold　upon　the　ground　of　his　own　blackness；　it　is　as　if　a　gigantic　oriole
were　coming　towards　you；　or　a　mighty　tulip。　　These　gorgeous　creatures
seem　so　much　readier　than　the　natives　to　laugh；　that　you　wish　to　test
them　with　a　joke。　　But　it　might　fail。　　The　Summer　Islands　are　a　British
colony；　and　the　joke　does　not　flourish　so　luxuriantly；　here　as　some　other
things。

To　be　sure；　one　of　the　native　fruits　seems　a　sort　of　joke　when　you　hear
it　first　named；　and　when　you　are　offered　a　'loquat'；　if　you　are　of　a
frivolous　mind　you　search　your　mind　for　the　connection　with　'loquor'
which　it　seems　to　intimate。　　Failing　in　this；　you　taste　the　fruit；　and
then；　if　it　is　not　perfectly　ripe；　you　are　as　far　from　loquaciousness　as
if　you　had　bitten　a　green　persimmon。　　But　if　it　is　ripe；　it　is　delicious；
and　may　be　consumed　indefinitely。　　It　is　the　only　native　fruit　which　one
can　wish　to　eat　at　all；　with　an　unpractised　palate；　though　it　is　claimed
that　with　experience　a　relish　may　come　for　the　pawpaws。　　These　break　out
in　clusters　of　the　size　of　oranges　at　the　top　of　a　thick　pole；　which　may
have　some　leaves　or　may　not；　and　ripen　as　they　fancy　in　the　indefinite
summer。　　They　are　of　the　color　and　flavor　of　a　very　insipid　little
muskmelon　which　has　grown　too　near　a　patch　of　squashes。

One　may　learn　to　like　this　pawpaw；　yes；　but　one　must　study　hard。　　It　is
best　when　plucked　by　a　young　islander　of　Italian　blood　whose　father
orders　him　up　the　bare　pole　in　the　sunny　Sunday　morning　air　to　oblige　the
signori；　and　then　with　a　pawpaw　in　either　hand　stands　talking　with　them
about　the　two　bad　years　there　have　been　in　Bermuda；　and　the　probability
of　his　doing　better　in　Nuova　York。　　He　has　not　imagined　our　winter；
however；　and　he　shrinks　from　its　boldly　pictured　rigors；　and　lets　the
signori　go　with　a　sigh；　and　a　bunch　of　pink　and　crimson　roses。

The　roses　are　here；　budding　and　blooming　in　the　quiet　bewilderment　which
attends　the　flowers　and　plants　from　the　temperate　zone　in　this　latitude；
and　which　in　the　case　of　the　strawberries　offered　with　cream　and　cake　at
another　public　garden　expresses　itself　in　a　confusion　of　red；　ripe　fruit
and　white　blossoms　on　the　same　stem。　　They　are　a　pleasure　to　the　nose　and
eye　rather　than　the　palate；　as　happens　with　so　many　growths　of　the
tropics；　if　indeed　the　Summer　Islands　are　tropical；　which　some　plausibly
deny；　though　why　should　not　strawberries；　fresh　picked　from　the　plant　in
mid…March；　enjoy　the　right　to　be　indifferent　sweet？




IV。

What　remains？　　The　events　of　the　Summer　Islands　are　few；　and　none　out　of
the　order　of　athletics　between　teams　of　the　army　and　navy；　and　what　may
be　called　societetics；　have　happened　in　the　past　enchanted　fortnight。
But　far　better　things　than　events　have　happened：　sunshine　and　rain　of
such　like　quality　that　one　could　not　grumble　at　either；　and　gales；　now
from　the　south　and　now　from　the　north；　with　the　languor　of　the　one　and
the　vigor　of　the　other　in　them。　　There　were　drives　upon　drives　that　were
always　to　somewhere；　but　would　have　been　delightful　the　same　if　they　had
been　mere　goings　and　comings；　past　the　white　houses　overlooking　little
lawns　through　the　umbrage　of　their　palm…trees。　　The　lawns　professed　to　be
of　grass；　but　were　really　mats　of　close　little　herbs　which　were　not
grass；　but　which；　where　the　sparse　cattle　were　grazing　them；　seemed　to
satisfy　their　inexacting　stomachs。　　They　are　never　very　green；　and　in
fact　the　landscape　often　has　an　air　of　exhaustion　and　pause　which　it
wears　with　us　in　late　August；　and　why　not；　after　all　its　interminable；
innumerable　summers？　　Everywhere　in　the　gentle　hollows　which　the　coral
hills　（if　they　are　coral）　sink　into　are　the　patches　of　potatoes　and
lilies　and　onions　drawing　their　geometrical　lines　across　the　brown…red；
weedless　soil；　and　in　very　sheltered　spots　a