the dwelling place of ligh-第10章

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brilliant　company　of　personages　who　stood　so　haughtily　or　walked　so
indifferently　across　the　ephemeral　brightness　of　the　screen。

By　virtue　of　these　marvels　of　the　movies　Hampton　ugly　and　sordid　Hampton！　
actually　began　for　Janet　to　take　on　a　romantic　tinge。　　Were　not　the　strange
peoples　of　the　earth　flocking　to　Hampton？　　She　saw　them　arriving
at　the　station；　straight　from　Ellis　Island；　bewildered；　ticketed　like　dumb
animals；　the　women　draped　in　the　soft；　exotic　colours　many　of　them　were
presently　to　exchange　for　the　cheap　and　gaudy　apparel　of　Faber　Street。　　She
sought　to　summon　up　in　her　mind　the　glimpses　she　had　had　of　the　wonderful　lands
from　which　they　had　come；　to　imagine　their　lives　in　that　earlier　environment。
Sometimes　she　wandered；　alone　or　with　Eda；　through　the　various　quarters　of　the
city。　　Each　quarter　had　a　flavour　of　its　own；　a　synthetic　flavour　belonging
neither　to　the　old　nor　to　the　new；　yet　partaking　of　both：　a　difference　in
atmosphere　to　which　Janet　was　keenly　sensitive。　　In　the　German　quarter；　to　the
north；　one　felt　a　sort　of　ornamental　bleaknessif　the　expression　may　be
permitted：　the　tenements　here　were　clean　and　not　too　crowded；　the　scroll…work
on　their　superimposed　porches；　like　that　decorating　the　Turnverein　and　the　stem
Lutheran　Church；　was　eloquent　of　a　Teutonic　inheritance：　The　Belgians　were　to
the　west；　beyond　the　base…ball　park　and　the　car　barns；　their　grey　houses
scattered　among　new　streets　beside　the　scarred　and　frowning　face　of　Torrey's
hill。　　Almost　under　the　hill　itself；　which　threatened　to　roll　down　on　it；　and
facing　a　bottomless；　muddy　street；　was　the　quaint　little　building　giving　the
note　of　foreign　thrift；　of　socialism　and　shrewdness；　of　joie　de　vivre　to　the
settlement；　the　FrancoBelgian　co…operative　store；　with　its　salle　de　reunion
above　and　a　stage　for　amateur　theatricals。　　Standing　in　the　mud　outside；　Janet
would　gaze　through　the　tiny　windows　in　the　stucco　wall　at　the　baskets　prepared
for　each　household　laid　in　neat　rows　beside　the　counter；　at　the　old　man　with
the　watery　blue　eyes　and　lacing　of　red　in　his　withered　cheeks　who　spoke　no
English；　whose　duty　it　was　to　distribute　the　baskets　to　the　women　and　children
as　they　called。

Turning　eastward　again；　one　came　to　Dey　Street；　in　the　heart　of　Hampton；　where
Hibernian　Hall　stood　alone　and　grim；　sole　testimony　of　the　departed　Hibernian
glories　of　a　district　where　the　present　Irish　rulers　of　the　city　had　once　lived
and　gossiped　and　fought　in　the　days　when　the　mill　bells　had　roused　the
boarding…house　keepers　at　half　past　four　of　a　winter　morning。　　Beside　the　hall
was　a　corner　lot；　heaped　high　with　hills　of　ashes　and　rubbish　like　the
vomitings　of　some　filthy　volcano；　the　unsightliness　of　which　was　half　concealed
by　huge　signs　announcing　the　merits　of　chewing　gums；　tobaccos；　and　cereals。
But　why　had　the　departure　of　the　Irish；　the　coming　of　the　Syrians　made　Dey
Street　dark；　narrow；　mysterious；　oriental？　changed　the　very　aspect　of　its
architecture？　　Was　it　the　coffee…houses？　　One　of　these；　in　front　of　which　Janet
liked　to　linger；　was　set　weirdly　into　an　old　New　England　cottage；　and　had；
apparently；　fathomless　depths。　　In　summer　the　whole　front　of　it　lay　open　to　the
street；　and　here　all　day　long；　beside　the　table　where　the　charcoal　squares　were
set　to　dry；　could　be　seen　saffron…coloured　Armenians　absorbed　in　a　Turkish　game
played　on　a　backgammon　board；　their　gentleness　and　that　of　the　loiterers
looking　on　in　strange　contrast　with　their　hawk…like　profiles　and　burning　eyes。
Behind　this　group；　in　the　half　light　of　the　middle　interior；　could　be　discerned
an　American　soda…water　fountain　of　a　bygone　fashion；　on　its　marble　counter
oddly　shaped　bottles　containing　rose　and　violet　syrups；　there　was　a　bottle…
shaped　stove；　and　on　the　walls；　in　gilt　frames；　pictures　evidently　dating　from
the　period　in　American　art　that　flourished　when　Franklin　Pierce　was　President；
and　there　was　an　array　of　marble　topped　tables　extending　far　back　into　the
shadows。　　Behind　the　fountain　was　a　sort　of　cupboardsuggestive　of　the　Arabian
Nights；　which　Janet　had　never　readfrom　which；　occasionally；　the　fat
proprietor　emerged　bearing　Turkish　coffee　or　long　Turkish　pipes。

When　not　thus　occupied　the　proprietor　carried　a　baby。　　The　street　swarmed　with
babies；　and　mothers　nursed　them　on　the　door…steps。　　And　in　this　teeming；
prolific　street　one　could　scarcely　move　without　stepping　on　a　fat；　almond　eyed
child；　though　some；　indeed；　were　wheeled；　wheeled　in　all　sorts　of　queer
contrivances　by　one　another；　by　fathers　with　ragged　black　moustaches　and　eagle
noses　who；　to　the　despair　of　mill　superintendents；　had　decided　in　the　morning
that　three　days'　wages　would　since　to　support　their　families　for　the　week　。。。。
In　the　midst　of　the　throng　might　be　seen　occasionally　the　stout　and　comfortable
and　not　too　immaculate　figure　of　a　shovel　bearded　Syrian　priest；　in　a　frock
coat　and　square…topped　〃Derby〃　hat；　sailing　along　serenely；　heedless　of　the
children　who　scattered　out　of　his　path。

Nearby　was　the　quarter　of　the　Canadian　French；　scarcely　now　to　be　called
foreigners；　though　still　somewhat　reminiscent　of　the　cramped　little　towns　in
the　northern　wilderness　of　water　and　forest。　　On　one　corner　stood　almost
invariably　a　〃Pharmacie　Francaise〃；　the　signs　were　in　French；　and　the　elders
spoke　the　patois。　　These；　despite　the　mill　pallor；　retained　in　their　faces；　in
their　eyes；　a　suggestion　of　the　outdoor　look　of　their　ancestors；　the　coureurs
des　bois；　but　the　children　spoke　English；　and　the　young　men；　as　they　played
baseball　in　the　street　or　in　the　corner　lots　might　be　heard　shouting　out
derisively　the　cry　of　the　section　hands　so　familiar　in　mill　cities；　〃Doff；　you
beggars　you；　doff！〃

Occasionally　the　two　girls　strayed　into　that　wide　thoroughfare　not　far　from　the
canal；　known　by　the　classic　name　of　Hawthorne；　which　the　Italians　had
appropriated　to　themselves。　　This　street；　too；　in　spite　of　the　telegraph　poles
flaunting　crude　arms　in　front　of　its　windows；　in　spite　of　the　trolley　running
down　its　middle；　had　acquired　a　character；　a　unity　all　its　own；　a　warmth　and
picturesqueness　that　in　the　lingering　light　of　summer　evenings　assumed　an
indefinable　significance。　　It　was　not　Italy；　but　it　was　somethingsomething
proclaimed　in　the　ornate；　leaning　lines　of　the　pillared　balconies　of　the　yellow
tenement　on　the　second　block；　in　the　stone…vaulted　entrance　of　the　low　house
next　door；　in　fantastically　coloured　walls；　in　curtained　windows　out　of　which
leaned　swarthy；　earringed　women。　　Blocking　the　end　of　the　street；　in　stern
contrast；　was　the　huge　Clarendon　Mill　with　its　sinister　brick　pillars　running
up　the　six　stories　between　the　glass。　　Here　likewise　the　sidewalks　overflowed
with　children；　large…headed；　with　great；　lustrous　eyes；　mute；　appealing；　the
eyes　of　cattle。　　Unlike　American　children；　they　never　seemed　to　be　playing。
Among　the　groups　of　elders　gathered　for　gossip　were　piratical　Calabrians　in
sombre　clothes；　descended　from　Greek　ancestors；　once　the　terrors　of　the
Adriatic　Sea。　　The　women；　lingering　in　the　doorways；　hemmed　in　by　more
children；　were　for　the　most　part　squat　and　plump；　but　once　in　a　while　Janet's
glance　was　caught　and　held　by　a　strange；　sharp　beauty　worthy　of　a　cameo。

Opposite　the　Clarendon　Mill　on　the　corner　of　East　Street　was　a　provision　store
with　stands　of　fruit　and　vegetables　encroaching　on　the　pavement。　　Janet's　eye
was　attracted　by　a　box　of　olives。

〃Oh　Eda；〃　she　cried；　〃do　you　remember；　we　saw　them　being　pickedin　the　movies？
All　those　old　trees　on　the　side　of　a　hill？〃

〃Why；　that's　so；〃　said　Eda。　　〃You　never　would　have　thought　anything'd　grow　on
those　trees。〃

The　young　Italian　who　kept　the　store　gave　them　a　friendly　grin。

〃You　lika　the　olives？〃　he　asked；　putting　some　of　the　shining　black　fruit　into
their　hands。　　Eda　bit　one　dubiously　with　her　long；　white　teeth；　and　giggled。

〃Don't　they　taste　funny！〃　she　exclaimed。

〃Goodvery　good；〃　he　asserted　gravely；　and　it　was　to　Janet　he　turned；　as
though　recognizing　a　discrimination　not　to　be　found　in　her　companion。　　She
nodded　affirmatively。　　The　strange　taste　of　the　fruit　enhanced　her　sense　of
adventure；　she　tried　to　imagine　herself　am