short stories and essays-第6章

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names　of　her　characteristic　flowers　or　blossoms；　and　brightened　with　the
blooms　themselves。

They　are　plucked　from　where　nature　bade　them　grow　in　the　wild　places；　or
their　own　wayward　wills　led　them　astray。　　A　singularly　fascinating
chapter　is　that　called　〃Escaped　from　Gardens；〃　in　which　some　of　these
pretty　runagates　are　catalogued。　　I　supposed　in　my　liberal　ignorance　that
the　Bouncing　Bet　was　the　only　one　of　these；　but　I　have　learned　that　the
Pansy　and　the　Sweet　Violet　love　to　gad；　and　that　the　Caraway；　the
Snapdragon；　the　Prince's　Feather；　the　Summer　Savory；　the　Star　of
Bethlehem；　the　Day…Lily；　and　the　Tiger…Lily；　and　even　the　sluggish　Stone
Crop　are　of　the　vagrant；　fragrant　company。　　One　is　not　surprised　to　meet
the　Tiger…Lily　in　it；　that　must　always　have　had　the　jungle　in　its　heart；
but　that　the　Baby's　Breath　should　be　found　wandering　by　the　road…sides
from　Massachusetts　and　Virginia　to　Ohio；　gives　one　a　tender　pang　as　for　a
lost　child。　　Perhaps　the　poor　human　tramps；　who　sleep　in　barns　and　feed
at　back　doors　along　those　dusty　ways；　are　mindful　of　the　Baby's　Breath；
and　keep　a　kindly　eye　out　for　the　little　truant。




III。

As　I　was　writing　those　homely　names　I　felt　again　how　fit　and　lovely　they
were；　how　much　more　fit　and　lovely　than　the　scientific　names　of　the
flowers。　　Mrs。　Creevey　will　make　a　botanist　of　you　if　you　will　let　her；
and　I　fancy　a　very　good　botanist；　though　I　cannot　speak　from　experience；
but　she　will　make　a　poet　of　you　in　spite　of　yourself；　as　I　very　well
know；　and　she　will　do　this　simply　by　giving　you　first　the　familiar　name
of　the　flowers　she　loves　to　write　of。　　I　am　not　saying　that　the　Day…Lily
would　not　smell　as　sweet　by　her　title　of　'Hemerocallis　Fulva'；　or　that
the　homely；　hearty　Bouncing　Bet　would　not　kiss　as　deliciously　in　her
scholar's　cap　and　gown　of　'Saponaria　Officinalis'；　but　merely　that　their
college　degrees　do　not　lend　themselves　so　willingly　to　verse；　or　even
melodious　prose；　which　is　what　the　poet　is　often　after　nowadays。　　So　I
like　best　to　hail　the　flowers　by　the　names　that　the　fairies　gave　them；
and　the　children　know　them　by；　especially　when　my　longing　for　them　makes
them　grow　here　in　the　city　streets。　　I　have　a　fancy　that　they　would　all
vanish　away　if　I　saluted　them　in　botanical　terms。　　As　long　as　I　talk　of
cat…tail　rushes；　the　homeless　grimalkins　of　the　areas　and　the　back　fences
help　me　to　a　vision　of　the　swamps　thickly　studded　with　their　stiff
spears；　but　if　I　called　them　'Typha　Latifolia'；　or　even　'Typha
Angustifolia'；　there　is　not　the　hardiest　and　fiercest　prowler　of　the　roof
and　the　fire…escape　but　would　fly　the　sound　of　my　voice　and　leave　me
forlorn　amid　the　withered　foliage　of　my　dream。　　The　street　sparrows；
pestiferous　and　persistent　as　they　are；　would　forsake　my　sylvan　pageant
if　I　spoke　of　the　Bird…foot　Violet　as　the　'Viola　Pedata'；　and　the
commonest　cur　would　run　howling　if　he　beard　the　gentle　Poison　Dogwood
maligned　as　the　'Rhus　Venenata'。　　The　very　milk…cans　would　turn　to　their
native　pumps　in　disgust　from　my　attempt　to　invoke　our　simple　American
Cowslip　as　the　'Dodecatheon　Meadia'。




IV

Yet　I　do　not　deny　that　such　scientific　nomenclature　has　its　uses；　and　I
should　be　far　from　undervaluing　this　side　of　Mrs。　Creevey's　book。　　In
fact；　I　secretly　respect　it　the　more　for　its　botanical　lore；　and　if　ever
I　get　into　the　woods　or　fields　again　I　mean　to　go　up　to　some　of　the
humblest　flowers；　such　as　I　can　feel　myself　on　easy　terms　with；　and　tell
them　what　they　are　in　Latin。　　I　think　it　will　surprise　them；　and　I　dare
say　they　will　some　of　them　like　it；　and　will　want　their　initials
inscribed　on　their　leaves；　like　those　signatures　which　the　medicinal
plants　bear；　or　are　supposed　to　bear。　　But　as　long　as　I　am　engaged　in
their　culture　amid　this　stone　and　iron　and　asphalt；　I　find　it　best　to
invite　their　presence　by　their　familiar　names；　and　I　hope　they　will　not
think　them　too　familiar。　　I　should　like　to　get　them　all　naturalized　here；
so　that　the　thousands　of　poor　city　children；　who　never　saw　them　growing
in　their　native　places；　might　have　some　notion　of　how　bountifully　the
world　is　equipped　with　beauty；　and　how　it　is　governed　by　many　laws　which
are　not　enforced　by　policemen。　　I　think　that　would　interest　them　very
much；　and　I　shall　not　mind　their　plucking　my　Barmecide　blossoms；　and
carrying　them　home　by　the　armfuls。　　When　good…will　costs　nothing　we　ought
to　practise　it　even　with　the　tramps；　and　these　are　very　welcome；　in　their
wanderings　over　the　city　pave；　to　rest　their　weary　limbs　in　any　of　my
pleached　bowers　they　come　to。






A　CIRCUS　IN　THE　SUBURBS

We　dwellers　in　cities　and　large　towns；　if　we　are　well…to…do；　have　more
than　our　fill　of　pleasures　of　all　kinds；　and　for　now　many　years　past　we
have　been　used　to　a　form　of　circus　where　surfeit　is　nearly　as　great
misery　as　famine　in　that　kind　could　be。　　For　our　sins；　or　some　of　our
friends'　sins；　perhaps；　we　have　now　gone　so　long　to　circuses　of　three
rings　and　two　raised…platforms　that　we　scarcely　realize　that　in　the
country　there　are　still　circuses　of　one　ring　and　no　platform　at　all。
We　are　accustomed；　in　the　gross　and　foolish…superfluity　of　these　city
circuses；　to　see　no　feat　quite　through；　but　to　turn　our　greedy　eyes　at
the　most　important　instant　in　the　hope　of　greater　wonders　in　another
ring。　　We　have　four　or　five　clowns；　in　as　many　varieties　of　grotesque
costume；　as　well　as　a　lady　clown　in　befitting　dress；　but　we　hear　none　of
them　speak；　not　even　the　lady　clown；　while　in　the　country　circus　the　old
clown　of　our　childhood；　one　and　indivisible；　makes　the　same　style　of
jokes；　if　not　the　very　same　jokes；　that　we　used　to　hear　there。　　It　is　not
easy　to　believe　all　this；　and　I　do　not　know　that　I　should　quite　believe
it　myself　if　I　had　not　lately　been　witness　of　it　in　the　suburban　village
where　I　was　passing　the　summer。




I。

The　circus　announced　itself　in　the　good　old　way　weeks　beforehand　by　the
vast　posters　of　former　days　and　by　a　profusion　of　small　bills　which　fell
upon　the　village　as　from　the　clouds；　and　left　it　littered　everywhere　with
their　festive　pink。　　They　prophesied　it　in　a　name　borne　by　the　first
circus　I　ever　saw；　which　was　also　an　animal　show；　but　the　animals　must
all　have　died　during　the　fifty　years　past；　for　there　is　now　no　menagerie
attached　to　it。　　I　did　not　know　this　when　I　heard　the　band　braying
through　the　streets　of　the　village　on　the　morning　of　the　performance；
and　for　me　the　mangy　old　camels　and　the　pimpled　elephants　of　yore　led　the
procession　through　accompanying　ranks　of　boys　who　have　mostly　been　in
their　graves　for　half　a　lifetime；　the　distracted　ostrich　thrust　an
advertising　neck　through　the　top　of　its　cage；　and　the　lion　roared　to
himself　in　the　darkness　of　his　moving　prison。　　I　felt　the　old　thrill　of
excitement；　the　vain　hope　of　something　preternatural　and　impossible；　and
I　do　not　know　what　could　have　kept　me　from　that　circus　as　soon　as　I　had
done　lunch。　　My　heart　rose　at　sight　of　the　large　tent　（which　was　yet　so
very　little　in　comparison　with　the　tents　of　the　three…ring　and　two…
platform　circuses）；　the　alluring　and　illusory　sideshows　of　fat　women　and
lean　men；　the　horses　tethered　in　the　background　and　stamping　under　the
fly…bites；　the　old；　weather…beaten　grand　chariot；　which　looked　like　the
ghost　of　the　grand　chariot　which　used　to　drag　me　captive　in　its　triumph；
and　the　canvas　shelters　where　the　cooks　were　already　at　work　over　their
kettles　on　the　evening　meal　of　the　circus　folk。

I　expected　to　be　kept　a　long　while　from　the　ticket…wagon　by　the　crowd；
but　there　was　no　crowd；　and　perhaps　there　never　used　to　be　much　of　a
crowd。　　I　bought　my　admittances　without　a　moment's　delay；　and　the　man　who
sold　me　my　reserve　seats　had　even　leisure　to　call　me　back　and　ask　to　look
at　the　change　he　had　given　me；　mostly　nickels。　　〃I　thought　I　didn't　give
you　enough；〃　he　said；　and　he　added　one　more；　and　sent　me　on　to　the
doorkeeper　with　my　faith　in　human　nature　confirmed　and　refreshed。
It　was　cool　enough　outside；　but　within　it　was　very　warm；　as　it　should　be；
to　give　the　men　with　palm…leaf　fans　and　ice…cold　lemonade　a　chance。　　They
were　already　making　their　rounds；　and　crying　their　wares　with　voic