short stories and essays-第5章

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lilies　and　onions　drawing　their　geometrical　lines　across　the　brown…red；
weedless　soil；　and　in　very　sheltered　spots　are　banana…orchards　which　are
never　so　snugly　sheltered　there　but　their　broad　leaves　are　whipped　to
shreds。　　The　white　road　winds　between　gray　walls　crumbling　in　an　amiable
disintegration；　but　held　together　against　ruin　by　a　network　of　maidenhair
ferns　and　creepers　of　unknown　name；　and　overhung　by　trees　where　the
cactus　climbs　and　hangs　in　spiky　links；　or　if　another　sort；　pierces　them
with　speary　stems　as　tall　and　straight　as　the　stalks　of　the　neighboring
bamboo。　　The　loquat…trees　clusterlike　quinces　in　the　garden　closes；　and
show　their　pale　golden；　plum…shaped　fruit。

For　the　most　part　the　road　runs　by　still　inland　waters；　but　sometimes　it
climbs　to　the　high　downs　beside　the　open　sea；　grotesque　with　wind…worn
and　wave…worn　rocks；　and　beautiful　with　opalescent　beaches；　and　the　black
legs　of　the　negro　children　paddling　in　the　tints　of　the　prostrate
rainbow。

All　this　seems　probable　and　natural　enough　at　the　writing；　but　how　will
it　be　when　one　has　turned　one's　back　upon　it？　　Will　it　not　lapse　into　the
gross　fable　of　travellers；　and　be　as　the　things　which　the　liars　who　swap
them　cannot　themselves　believe？　　What　will　be　said　to　you　when　you　tell
that　in　the　Summer　Islands　one　has　but　to　saw　a　hole　in　his　back　yard　and
take　out　a　house　of　soft；　creamy　sandstone　and　set　it　up　and　go　to　living
in　it？　　What；　when　you　relate　that　among　the　northern　and　southern
evergreens　there　are　deciduous　trees　which；　in　a　clime　where　there　is　no
fall　or　spring；　simply　drop　their　leaves　when　they　are　tired　of　keeping
them　on；　and　put　out　others　when　they　feel　like　it？　　What；　when　you
pretend　that　in　the　absence　of　serpents　there　are　centipedes　a　span　long；
and　spiders　the　bigness　of　bats；　and　mosquitoes　that　sweetly　sing　in　the
drowsing　ear；　but　bite　not；　or　that　there　are　swamps　but　no　streams；　and
in　the　marshes　stand　mangrove…trees　whose　branches　grow　downward　into　the
ooze；　as　if　they　wished　to　get　back　into　the　earth　and　pull　in　after　them
the　holes　they　emerged　from？

These　every…day　facts　seem　not　only　incredible　to　the　liar　himself；　even
in　their　presence；　but　when　you　begin　the　ascent　of　that　steep　slant　back
to　New　York　you　foresee　that　they　will　become　impossible。　　As　impossible
as　the　summit　of　the　slant　now　appears　to　the　sense　which　shudderingly
figures　it　a　Bermuda　pawpaw…tree　seven　hundred　miles　high；　and　fruiting
icicles　and　snowballs　in　the　March　air！






WILD　FLOWERS　OF　THE　ASPHALT

Looking　through　Mrs。　Caroline　A。　Creevey's　charming　book　on　the　Flowers
of　Field；　Hill；　and　Swamp；　the　other　day；　I　was　very　forcibly　reminded　of
the　number　of　these　pretty；　wilding　growths　which　I　had　been　finding　all
the　season　long　among　the　streets　of　asphalt　and　the　sidewalks　of
artificial　stone　in　this　city；　and　I　am　quite　sure　that　any　one　who　has
been　kept　in　New　York；　as　I　have　been　this　year；　beyond　the　natural　time
of　going　into　the　country；　can　have　as　real　a　pleasure　in　this　sylvan
invasion　as　mine；　if　he　will　but　give　himself　up　to　a　sense　of　it。




I。

Of　course　it　is　altogether　too　late；　now；　to　look　for　any　of　the　early
spring　flowers；　but　I　can　recall　the　exquisite　effect　of　the　tender　blue
hepatica　fringing　the　centre　rail　of　the　grip…cars；　all　up　and　down
Broadway；　and　apparently　springing　from　the　hollow　beneath；　where　the
cable　ran　with　such　a　brooklike　gurgle　that　any　damp…living　plant　must
find　itself　at　home　there。　　The　water…pimpernel　may　now　be　seen；　by　any
sympathetic　eye；　blowing　delicately　along　the　track；　in　the　breeze　of　the
passing　cabs；　and　elastically　lifting　itself　from　the　rush　of　the　cars。
The　reader　can　easily　verify　it　by　the　picture　in　Mrs。　Creevey's　book。
He　knows　it　by　its　other　name　of　brook　weed；　and　he　will　have　my　delight；
I　am　sure；　in　the　cardinal…flower　which　will　be　with　us　in　August。　　It　is
a　shy　flower；　loving　the　more　sequestered　nooks；　and　may　be　sought　along
the　shady　stretches　of　Third　Avenue；　where　the　Elevated　Road　overhead
forms　a　shelter　as　of　interlacing　boughs。　　The　arrow…head　likes　such
swampy　expanses　as　the　converging　surface　roads　form　at　Dead　Man's　Curve
and　the　corners　of　Twenty　third　Street。　　This　is　in　flower　now；　and　will
be　till　September；　and　St。…John's…wort；　which　some　call　the　false　golden…
rod；　is　already　here。　　You　may　find　it　in　any　moist；　low　ground；　but　the
gutters　of　Wall　Street；　or　even　the　banks　of　the　Stock　Exchange；　are　not
too　dry　for　it。　　The　real　golden…rod　is　not　much　in　evidence　with　us；　for
it　comes　only　when　summer　is　on　the　wane。　　The　other　night；　however；　on
the　promenade　of　the　Madison　Square　Roof　Garden；　I　was　delighted　to　see
it　growing　all　over　the　oblong　dome　of　the　auditorium；　in　response　to　the
cry　of　a　homesick　cricket　which　found　itself　in　exile　there　at　the　base
of　a　potted　ever　green。　　This　lonely　insect　had　no　sooner　sounded　its
winter…boding　note　than　the　fond　flower　began　sympathetically　to　wave　and
droop　along　those　tarry　slopes；　as　I　have　seen　it　on　how　many　hill…side
pastures！　　But　this　may　have　been　only　a　transitory　response　to　the
cricket；　and　I　cannot　promise　the　visitor　to　the　Roof　Garden　that　he　will
find　golden…rod　there　every　night。　　I　believe　there　is　always　Golden
Seal；　but　it　is　the　kind　that　comes　in　bottles；　and　not　in　the　gloom　of
〃deep；　cool；　moist　woods；〃　where　Mrs。　Creevey　describes　it　as　growing；
along　with　other　wildings　of　such　sweet　names　or　quaint　as　Celandine；　and
Dwarf　Larkspur；　and　Squirrel…corn；　and　Dutchman's　breeches；　and
Pearlwort；　and　Wood…sorrel；　and　Bishop'scap；　and　Wintergreen；　and
Indian…pipe；　and　Snowberry；　and　Adder's…tongue；　and　Wakerobin；　and
Dragon…root；　and　Adam…and…Eve；　and　twenty　more；　which　must　have　got　their
names　from　some　fairy　of　genius。　　I　should　say　it　was　a　female　fairy　of
genius　who　called　them　so；　and　that　she　had　her　own　sex　among　mortals　in
mind　when　she　invented　their　nomenclature；　and　was　thinking　of　little
girls；　and　slim；　pretty　maids；　and　happy　young　wives。　　The　author　tells
how　they　all　look；　with　a　fine　sense　of　their　charm　in　her　words；　but　one
would　know　how　they　looked　from　their　names；　and　when　you　call　them　over
they　at　once　transplant　themselves　to　the　depths　of　the　dells　between　our
sky…scrapers；　and　find　a　brief　sojourn　in　the　cavernous　excavations
whence　other　sky…scrapers　are　to　rise。




II。

That　night　on　the　Roof　Garden；　when　the　cricket's　cry　flowered　the　dome
with　golden…rod；　the　tall　stems　of　rye　growing　among　the　orchestra　sloped
all　one　way　at　times；　just　like　the　bows　of　violins；　in　the　half…dollar
gale　that　always　blows　over　the　city　at　that　height。　　But　as　one　turns
the　leaves　of　Mrs。　Creevey's　magic　book…perhaps　one　ought　to　say　turns
its　petalsthe　forests　and　the　fields　come　and　make　themselves　at　home
in　the　city　everywhere。　　By　virtue　of　it　I　have　been　more　in　the　country
in　a　half…hour　than　if　I　had　lived　all　June　there。　　When　I　lift　my　eyes
from　its　pictures　or　its　letter…press　my　vision　prints　the　eidolons　of
wild　flowers　everywhere；　as　it　prints　the　image　of　the　sun　against　the
air　after　dwelling　on　his　brightness。　　The　rose…mallow　flaunts　along
Fifth　Avenue　and　the　golden　threads　of　the　dodder　embroider　the　house
fronts　on　the　principal　cross　streets；　and　I　might　think　at　times　that　it
was　all　mere　fancy；　it　has　so　much　the　quality　of　a　pleasing　illusion。

Yet　Mrs。　Creevey's　book　is　not　one　to　lend　itself　to　such　a　deceit　by　any
of　the　ordinary　arts。　　It　is　rather　matter　of　fact　in　form　and　manner；
and　largely　owes　what　magic　it　has　to　the　inherent　charm　of　its　subject。
One　feels　this　in　merely　glancing　at　the　index；　and　reading　such　titles
of　chapters　as　〃Wet　Meadows　and　Low　Grounds〃；　〃Dry　FieldsWaste　Places
Waysides〃；　〃Hills　and　Rocky　Woods；　Open　Woods〃；　and　〃Deep；　Cool；　Moist
Woods〃；　each　a　poem　in　itself；　lyric　or　pastoral；　and　of　a　surpassing
opulence　of　suggestion。　　The　spring　and；　summer　months　pass　in　stately
processional　through　the　book；　each　with　her　fillet　inscribed　with　the
names　of　her　characteristic　flowers　or　blossoms；　and　brightened　with　the
blooms　themselves。

They　are　plucked　from　where