the confessions of a summer colonist-第3章

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lolling　groups　of　men；　women；　and　children　on　the　sand。　　In　the　more
active　gayeties；　I　have　seen　nothing　so　decided　during　the　whole　season
as　the　behavior　of　three　young　girls　who　once　came　up　out　of　the　sea；　and
obliged　me　by　dancing　a　measure　on　the　smooth；　hard　beach　in　their
bathing…dresses。

I　thought　it　very　pretty；　but　I　do　not　believe　such　a　thing　could　have
been　seen　on　OUR　beach；　which　is　safe　from　all　excursionists；　and　sacred
to　the　cottage　and　hotel　life　of　the　Port。

Besides　our　beach　and　its　bathing；　we　have　a　reading…club　for　the　men；
evolved　from　one　of　the　old　native　houses；　and　verandaed　round　for　summer
use；　and　we　have　golf…links　and　a　golf　club…house　within　easy　trolley
reach。　　The　links　are　as　energetically；　if　not　as　generally；　frequented
as　the　sands；　and　the　sport　finds　the　favor　which　attends　it　everywhere
in　the　decay　of　tennis。　　The　tennis…courts　which　I　saw　thronged　about　by
eager　girl…crowds；　here；　seven　years　ago；　are　now　almost　wholly　abandoned
to　the　lovers　of　the　game；　who　are　nearly　always　men。

Perhaps　the　only　thing　（besides；　of　course；　our　common　mortality）　which
we　have　in　common　with　the　excursionists　is　our　love　of　the　trolley…line。
This；　by　its　admirable　equipment；　and　by　the　terror　it　inspires　in
horses；　has　well…nigh　abolished　driving；　and　following　the　old　country
roads；　as　it　does；　with　an　occasional　short…cut　though　the　deep；　green…
lighted　woods　or　across　the　prismatic　salt　meadows；　it　is　of　a
picturesque　variety　entirely　satisfying。　　After　a　year　of　fervent
opposition　and　protest；　the　whole　communitywhether　of　summer　or　of
winter　folksnow　gladly　accepts　the　trolley；　and　the　grandest　cottager
and　the　lowliest　hotel　dweller　meet　in　a　grateful　appreciation　of　its
beauty　and　comfort。

Some　pass　a　great　part　of　every　afternoon　on　the　trolley；　and　one　lady
has　achieved　celebrity　by　spending　four　dollars　a　week　in　trolley…rides。
The　exhilaration　of　these　is　varied　with　an　occasional　apprehension　when
the　car　pitches　down　a　sharp　incline；　and　twists　almost　at　right　angles
on　a　sudden　curve　at　the　bottom　without　slacking　its　speed。　　A　lady　who
ventured　an　appeal　to　the　conductor　at　one　such　crisis　was　reassured；　and
at　the　same　time　taught　her　place；　by　his　reply：　〃That　motorman's　life；
ma'am；　is　just　as　precious　to　him　as　what　yours　is　to　you。〃

She　had；　perhaps；　really　ventured　too　far；　for　ordinarily　the　employees
of　the　trolley　do　not　find　occasion　to　use　so　much　severity　with　their
passengers。　　They　look　after　their　comfort　as　far　as　possible；　and　seek
even　to　anticipate　their　wants　in　unexpected　cases；　if　I　may　believe　a
story　which　was　told　by　a　witness。　　She　had　long　expected　to　see　some　one
thrown　out　of　the　open　car　at　one　of　the　sharp　curves；　and　one　day　she
actually　saw　a　woman　hurled　from　the　seat　into　the　road。　　Luckily　the
woman　slighted　on　her　feet；　and　stood　looking　round　in　a　daze。

〃Oh！　oh！〃　exclaimed　another　woman　in　the　seat　behind；　〃she's　left　her
umbrella！〃

The　conductor　promptly　threw　it　out　to　her。

〃Why；〃　demanded　the　witness；　〃did　that　lady　wish　to　get　out　here？〃

The　conductor　hesitated　before　he　jerked　the　bellpull　to　go　on：　Then　he
said；　〃Well；　she'll　want　her　umbrella；　anyway。〃

The　conductors　are；　in　fact；　very　civil　as　well　as　kind。　　If　they　see　a
horse　in　anxiety　at　the　approach　of　the　car；　they　considerately　stop；　and
let　him　get　by　with　his　driver　in　safety。　　By　such　means；　with　their
frequent　trips　and　low　fares；　and　with　the　ease　and　comfort　of　their
cars；　they　have　conciliated　public　favor；　and　the　trolley　has　drawn
travel　away　from　the　steam　railroad　in　such　measure　that　it　ran　no　trains
last　winter。

The　trolley；　in　fact；　is　a　fad　of　the　summer　folks　this　year；　but　what　it
will　be　another　no　one　knows；　it　may　be　their　hissing　and　by…word。　　In
the　mean　time；　as　I　have　already　suggested；　they　have　other　amusements。
These　are　not　always　of　a　nature　so　general　as　the　trolley；　or　so
particular　as　the　tea。　　But　each　of　the　larger　hotels　has　been　fully
supplied　with　entertainments　for　the　benefit　of　their　projectors；　though
nearly　everything　of　the　sort　had　some　sort　of　charitable　slant。　　I
assisted　at　a　stereopticon　lecture　on　Alaska　for　the　aid　of　some　youthful
Alaskans　of　both　sexes；　who　were　shown　first　in　their　savage　state；　and
then　as　they　appeared　after　a　merely　rudimental　education；　in　the
costumes　and　profiles　of　our　own　civilization。　　I　never　would　have
supposed　that　education　could　do　so　much　in　so　short　a　time；　and　I　gladly
gave　my　mite　for　their　further　development　in　classic　beauty　and　a　final
elegance。　　My　mite　was　taken　up　in　a　hat；　which；　passed　round　among　the
audience；　is　a　common　means　of　collecting　the　spectators'　expressions　of
appreciation。　　Other　entertainments；　of　a　prouder　frame；　exact　an
admission　fee；　but　I　am　not　sure　that　these　are　better　than　some　of　the
hat…shows；　as　they　are　called。

The　tale　of　our　summer　amusements　would　be　sadly　incomplete　without　some
record　of　the　bull…fights　given　by　the　Spanish　prisoners　of　war　on　the
neighboring　island；　where　they　were　confined　the　year　of　the　war。
Admission　to　these　could　be　had　only　by　favor　of　the　officers　in　charge；
and　even　among　the　Elite　of　the　colony　those　who　went　were　a　more　elect
few。　　Still；　the　day　I　went；　there　were　some　fifty　or　seventy…five
spectators；　who　arrived　by　trolley　near　the　island；　and　walked　to　the
stockade　which　confined　the　captives。　　A　real　bull…fight；　I　believe；　is
always　given　on　Sunday；　and　Puritan　prejudice　yielded　to　usage　even　in
the　case　of　a　burlesque　bull…fight；　at　any　rate；　it　was　on　a　Sunday　that
we　crouched　in　an　irregular　semicircle　on　a　rising　ground　within　the
prison　pale；　and　faced　the　captive　audience　in　another　semicircle；　across
a　little　alley　for　the　entrances　and　exits　of　the　performers。　　The
president　of　the　bull…fight　was　first　brought　to　the　place　of　honor　in　a
hand…cart；　and　then　came　the　banderilleros；　the　picadores；　and　the
espada；　wonderfully　effective　and　correct　in　white　muslin　and　colored
tissue…paper。　　Much　may　be　done　in　personal　decoration　with　advertising
placards；　and　the　lofty　mural　crown　of　the　president　urged　the　public　on
both　sides　to　Use　Plug　Cut。　　The　picador's　pasteboard　horse　was　attached
to　his　middle；　fore　and　aft；　and　looked　quite　the　sort　of　hapless　jade
which　is　ordinarily　sacrificed　to　the　bulls。　　The　toro　himself　was
composed　of　two　prisoners；　whose　horizontal　backs　were　covered　with　a
brown　blanket；　and　his　feet；　sometimes　bare　and　sometimes　shod　with
india…rubber　boots；　were　of　the　human　pattern。　　Practicable　horns；　of　a
somewhat　too　yielding　substance；　branched　from　a　front　of　pasteboard；　and
a　cloth　tail；　apt　to　come　off　in　the　charge；　swung　from　his　rear。　　I　have
never　seen　a　genuine　corrida；　but　a　lady　present；　who　had；　told　me　that
this　was　conducted　with　all　the　right　circumstance；　and　it　is　certain
that　the　performers　entered　into　their　parts　with　the　artistic　gust　of
their　race。　　The　picador　sustained　some　terrific　falls；　and　in　his
quality　of　horse　had　to　be　taken　out　repeatedly　and　sewed　up；　the
banderilleros　tormented　and　eluded　the　toro　with　table…covers；　one　red
and　two　drab；　till　the　espada　took　him　from　them；　and　with　due　ceremony；
after　a　speech　to　the　president；　drove　his　blade　home　to　the　bull's
heart。　　I　stayed　to　see　three　bulls　killed；　the　last　was　uncommonly
fierce；　and　when　his　hindquarters　came　off　or　out；　his　forequarters
charged　joyously　among　the　aficionados　on　the　prisoners'　side；　and　made
havoc　in　their　thickly　packed　ranks。　　The　espada　who　killed　this　bull　was
showered　with　cigars　and　cigarettes　from　our　side。

I　do　not　know　what　the　Sabbath…keeping　shades　of　the　old　Puritans　made　of
our　presence　at　such　a　fete　on　Sunday；　but　possibly　they　had　got　on　so
far　in　a　better　life　as　to　be　less　shocked　at　the　decay　of　piety　among　us
than　pleased　at　the　rise　of　such　Christianity　as　had　brought　us；　like
friends　and　comrades；　together　with　our　public　enemies　in　this　harmless
fun。　　I　wish　to　say　that　the　tobacco　lavished　upon　the　espada　was
collected　for　the　behoof　of　all　the　prisoners。

Our　fiction　has　made　so　much　of　our　summer　places　as　the　mise　en