a24-第3章

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s　to　be　seen；　those　trees　serve　me　for　a　landmark。　I　steer　by　them；　so　as　not　to　drive　into　the　sea；　and　you　see　that　is　why　the　trees　are　remarkable。'
〃Now　came　a　painter。　He　spoke　not　a　word；　but　his　eyes　sparkled。
He　began　to　whistle。　At　this　the　nightingales　sang　louder　than　ever。
'Hold　your　tongues！'　he　cried　testily；　and　he　made　accurate　notes　of
all　the　colours　and　transitions…　blue；　and　lilac；　and　dark　brown。
'That　will　make　a　beautiful　picture；'　he　said。　He　took　it　in　just　as　a
mirror　takes　in　a　view；　and　as　he　worked　he　whistled　a　march　of
Rossini。　And　last　of　all　came　a　poor　girl。　She　laid　aside　the　burden
she　carried；　and　sat　down　to　rest　upon　the　Hun's　Grave。　Her　pale
handsome　face　was　bent　in　a　listening　attitude　towards　the　forest。　Her
eyes　brightened；　she　gazed　earnestly　at　the　sea　and　the　sky；　her　hands
were　folded；　and　I　think　she　prayed；　'Our　Father。'　She　herself　could
not　understand　the　feeling　that　swept　through　her；　but　I　know　that
this　minute；　and　the　beautiful　natural　scene；　will　live　within　her
memory　for　years；　far　more　vividly　and　more　truly　than　the　painter
could　portray　it　with　his　colours　on　paper。　My　rays　followed　her
till　the　morning　dawn　kissed　her　brow。〃

EIGHTH　EVENING
Heavy　clouds　obscured　the　sky；　and　the　Moon　did　not　make　his
appearance　at　all。　I　stood　in　my　little　room；　more　lonely　than　ever；
and　looked　up　at　the　sky　where　he　ought　to　have　shown　himself。　My
thoughts　flew　far　away；　up　to　my　great　friend；　who　every　evening
told　me　such　pretty　tales；　and　showed　me　pictures。　Yes；　he　has　had
an　experience　indeed。　He　glided　over　the　waters　of　the　Deluge；　and
smiled　on　Noah's　ark　just　as　he　lately　glanced　down　upon　me；　and
brought　comfort　and　promise　of　a　new　world　that　was　to　spring　forth
from　the　old。　When　the　Children　of　Israel　sat　weeping　by　the　waters　of　Babylon；　he　glanced　mournfully　upon　the　willows　where　hung　the
silent　harps。　When　Romeo　climbed　the　balcony；　and　the　promise　of
true　love　fluttered　like　a　cherub　toward　heaven；　the　round　Moon
hung；　half　hidden　among　the　dark　cypresses；　in　the　lucid　air。　He　saw
the　captive　giant　at　St。　Helena；　looking　from　the　lonely　rock　across
the　wide　ocean；　while　great　thoughts　swept　through　his　soul。　Ah！
what　tales　the　Moon　can　tell。　Human　life　is　like　a　story　to　him。

To…night　I　shall　not　see　thee　again；　old　friend。　Tonight　I　can　draw　no
picture　of　the　memories　of　thy　visit。　And；　as　I　looked　dreamily
towards　the　clouds；　the　sky　became　bright。　There　was　a　glancing　light；　and　a　beam　from　the　Moon　fell　upon　me。　It　vanished　again；　and　dark　clouds　flew　past：　but　still　it　was　a　greeting；　a　friendly　good…night
offered　to　me　by　the　Moon。

NINTH　EVENING
The　air　was　clear　again。　Several　evenings　had　passed；　and　the　Moon
was　in　the　first　quarter。　Again　he　gave　me　an　outline　for　a　sketch。
Listen　to　what　he　told　me。

〃I　have　followed　the　polar　bird　and　the　swimming　whale　to　the
eastern　coast　of　Greenland。　Gaunt　ice…covered　rocks　and　dark　clouds
hung　over　a　valley；　where　dwarf　willows　and　barberry　bushes　stood
clothed　in　green。　The　blooming　lychnis　exhaled　sweet　odours。　My
light　was　faint；　my　face　pale　as　the　water　lily　that；　torn　from　its
stem；　has　been　drifting　for　weeks　with　the　tide。　The　crown…shaped
Northern　Light　burned　fiercely　in　the　sky。　Its　ring　was　broad；　and
from　its　circumference　the　rays　shot　like　whirling　shafts　of　fire
across　the　whole　sky；　flashing　in　changing　radiance　from　green　to　red。
The　inhabitants　of　that　icy　region　were　assembling　for　dance　and
festivity；　but；　accustomed　to　this　glorious　spectacle；　they　scarcely
deigned　to　glance　at　it。　'Let　us　leave　the　soul　of　the　dead　to　their
ball…play　with　the　heads　of　the　walruses；'　they　thought　in　their
superstition；　and　they　turned　their　whole　attention　to　the　song　and
dance。　In　the　midst　of　the　circle；　and　divested　of　his　furry　cloak；
stood　a　Greenlander；　with　a　small　pipe；　and　he　played　and　sang　a
song　about　catching　the　seal；　and　the　chorus　around　chimed　in　with；
'Eia；　Eia；　Ah。'　And　in　their　white　furs　they　danced　about　in　the
circle；　till　you　might　fancy　it　was　a　polar　bear's　ball。

〃And　now　a　Court　of　Judgment　was　opened。　Those　Greenlanders　who　had　quarrelled　stepped　forward；　and　the　offended　person　chanted　forth　the　faults　of　his　adversary　in　an　extempore　song；　turning　them　sharply　into　ridicule；　to　the　sound　of　the　pipe　and　the　measure　of　the　dance。　The　defendant　replied　with　satire　as　keen；　while　the　audience　laughed；　and　gave　their　verdict。　The　rocks　heaved；　the　glaciers　melted；　and　great　masses　of　ice　and　snow　came　crashing　down；　shivering　to　fragments　as　they　fall；　it　was　a　glorious　Greenland　summer　night。　A　hundred　paces　away；　under　the　open　tent　of　hides；　lay　a　sick　man。　Life　still　flowed　through　his　warm　blood；　but　still　he　was　to　die…　he　himself　felt　it；　and　all　who　stood　round　him　knew　it　also；　therefore　his　wife　was　already　sewing　round　him　the　shroud　of　furs；　that　she　might　not　afterwards　be　obliged　to　touch　the　dead　body。　And　she　asked；

'Wilt　thou　be　buried　on　the　rock；　in　the　firm　snow？　I　will　deck　the
spot　with　thy　kayak；　and　thy　arrows；　and　the　angekokk　shall　dance　over　it。　Or　wouldst　thou　rather　be　buried　in　the　sea？'　'In　the　sea；'　he
whispered；　and　nodded　with　a　mournful　smile。　'Yes；　it　is　a　pleasant
summer　tent；　the　sea；'　observed　the　wife。　'Thousands　of　seals　sport
there；　the　walrus　shall　lie　at　thy　feet；　and　the　hunt　will　be　safe　and
merry！'　And　the　yelling　children　tore　the　outspread　hide　from　the
window…hole；　that　the　dead　man　might　be　carried　to　the　ocean；　the
billowy　ocean；　that　had　given　him　food　in　life；　and　that　now；　in
death；　was　to　afford　him　a　place　of　rest。　For　his　monument；　he　had　the　floating；　ever…changing　icebergs；　whereon　the　seal　sleeps；　while　the　storm　bird　flies　round　their　gleaming　summits！〃

TENTH　EVENING
〃I　knew　an　old　maid；〃　said　the　Moon。　〃Every　winter　she　wore　a
wrapper　of　yellow　satin；　and　it　always　remained　new；　and　was　the
only　fashion　she　followed。　In　summer　she　always　wore　the　same　straw　hat；　and　I　verily　believe　the　very　same　gray…blue　dress。

〃She　never　went　out；　except　across　the　street　to　an　old　female
friend；　and　in　later　years　she　did　not　even　take　this　walk；　for　the
old　friend　was　dead。　In　her　solitude　my　old　maid　was　always　busy　at
the　window；　which　was　adorned　in　summer　with　pretty　flowers；　and　in　winter　with　cress；　grown　upon　felt。　During　the　last　months　I　saw　her　no　more　at　the　window；　but　she　was　still　alive。　I　knew　that；　for　I　had　not　yet　seen　her　begin　the　'long　journey；'　of　which　she　often　spoke　with　her　friend。　'Yes；　yes；'　she　was　in　the　habit　of　saying；　when　I　come　to　die　I　shall　take　a　longer　journey　than　I　have　made　my　whole
life　long。　Our　family　vault　is　six　miles　from　here。　I　shall　be　carried
there；　and　shall　sleep　there　among　my　family　and　relatives。'　Last
night　a　van　stopped　at　the　house。　A　coffin　was　carried　out；　and　then　I
knew　that　she　was　dead。　They　placed　straw　round　the　coffin；　and　the
van　drove　away。　There　slept　the　quiet　old　lady；　who　had　not　gone　out
of　her　house　once　for　the　last　year。　The　van　rolled　out　through　the
town…gate　as　briskly　as　if　it　were　going　for　a　pleasant　excursion。
On　the　high…road　the　pace　was　quicker　yet。　The　coachman　looked
nervously　round　every　now　and　then…　I　fancy　he　half　expected　to　see
her　sitting　on　the　coffin；　in　her　yellow　satin　wrapper。　And　because　he
was　startled；　he　foolishly　lashed　his　horses；　while　he　held　the
reins　so　tightly　that　the　poor　beasts　were　in　a　foam：　they　were
young　and　fiery。　A　hare　jumped　across　the　road　and　startled　them；
and　they　fairly　ran　away。　The　old　sober　maiden；　who　had　for　years
and　years　moved　quietly　round　and　round　in　a　dull　circle；　was　now；
in　death；　rattled　over　stock　and　stone　on　the　public　highway。　The
coffin　in　its　covering　of　straw　tumbled　out　of　the　van；　and　was　left
on　the　high…road；　while　horses；　coachman；　and　carriage　flew　past　in
wild　career。　The　lark　rose　up　carolling　from　the　field；　twittering　her
morning　lay　over　the　coffin；　and　presently　perched　upon　it；　picking
with　her　beak　at　the　straw　covering；　as　though　she　would　tear　it　up。

The　lark　rose　up　again；　singing　gaily；　and　I　withdrew　behind　the　red
morning　clouds。〃

ELEVENTH　EVENING
〃I