passages from an old volume of life-第14章

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w　at　Camp　Curtin　with　a　heavy　ball　chained　to　his　leg；a　popular　story；　but　a　lie；　Dr。　Wilson　said。　　A　little　farther　along　we　came　to　the　barkless　stump　of　the　tree　to　which　Mr。　Harris；　the　Cecrops　of　the　city　named　after　him；　was　tied　by　the　Indians　for　some　unpleasant　operation　of　scalping　or　roasting；　when　he　was　rescued　by　friendly　savages；　who　paddled　across　the　stream　to　save　him。　　Our　youngling　pointed　out　a　very　respectable…　looking　stone　house　as　having　been　〃built　by　the　Indians〃　about　those　times。　　Guides　have　queer　notions　occasionally。

I　was　at　Niagara　just　when　Dr。　Rae　arrived　there　with　his　companions　and　dogs　and　things　from　his　Arctic　search　after　the　lost　navigator。

〃Who　are　those？〃　I　said　to　my　conductor。

〃Them？〃　he　answered。　　〃Them's　the　men　that's　been　out　West；　out　to　Michig'n；　aft'　Sir　Ben　Franklin。〃

Of　the　other　sights　of　Harrisburg　the　Brant　House　or　Hotel；　or　whatever　it　is　called；　seems　most　worth　notice。　　Its　facade　is　imposing；　with　a　row　of　stately　columns；　high　above　which　a　broad　sign　impends；　like　a　crag　over　the　brow　of　a　lofty　precipice。　　The　lower　floor　only　appeared　to　be　open　to　the　public。　　Its　tessellated　pavement　and　ample　courts　suggested　the　idea　of　a　temple　where　great　multitudes　might　kneel　uncrowded　at　their　devotions；　but　from　appearances　about　the　place　where　the　altar　should　be；　I　judged；　that；　if　one　asked　the　officiating　priest　for　the　cup　which　cheers　and　likewise　inebriates；　his　prayer　would　not　be　unanswered。　　The　edifice　recalled　to　me　a　similar　phenomenon　I　had　once　looked　upon；　the　famous　Caffe　Pedrocchi　at　Padua。　　It　was　the　same　thing　in　Italy　and　America：　a　rich　man　builds　himself　a　mausoleum；　and　calls　it　a　place　of　entertainment。　　The　fragrance　of　innumerable　libations　and　the　smoke　of　incense…breathing　cigars　and　pipes　shall　ascend　day　and　night　through　the　arches　of　his　funereal　monument。　　What　are　the　poor　dips　which　flare　and　flicker　on　the　crowns　of　spikes　that　stand　at　the　corners　of　St。　Genevieve's　filigree…cased　sarcophagus　to　this　perpetual　offering　of　sacrifice？

Ten　o'clock　in　the　evening　was　approaching。　　The　telegraph　office　would　presently　close；　and　as　yet　there　were　no　tidings　from　Hagerstown。　　Let　us　step　over　and　see　for　ourselves。　　A　message！　　A　message！

〃Captain　H。　　still　here　leaves　seven　to…morrow　for　Harrisburg　Penna　Is　doing　well　Mrs　HK。〃

A　note　from　Dr。　Cuyler　to　the　same　effect　came　soon　afterwards　to　the　hotel。

We　shall　sleep　well　to…night；　but　let　us　sit　awhile　with　nubiferous；　or；　if　we　may　coin　a　word；　nepheligenous　accompaniment；　such　as　shall　gently　narcotize　the　over…wearied　brain　and　fold　its　convolutions　for　slumber　like　the　leaves　of　a　lily　at　nightfall。　　For　now　the　over…　tense　nerves　are　all　unstraining　themselves；　and　a　buzz；　like　that　which　comes　over　one　who　stops　after　being　long　jolted　upon　an　uneasy　pavement；　makes　the　whole　frame　alive　with　a　luxurious　languid　sense　of　all　its　inmost　fibres。　　Our　cheerfulness　ran　over；　and　the　mild；　pensive　clerk　was　so　magnetized　by　it　that　he　came　and　sat　down　with　us。　　He　presently　confided　to　me；　with　infinite　naivete　and　ingenuousness；　that；　judging　from　my　personal　appearance；　he　should　not　have　thought　me　the　writer　that　he　in　his　generosity　reckoned　me　to　be。　　His　conception；　so　far　as　I　could　reach　it；　involved　a　huge；　uplifted　forehead；　embossed　with　protuberant　organs　of　the　intellectual　faculties；　such　as　all　writers　are　supposed　to　possess　in　abounding　measure。　　While　I　fell　short　of　his　ideal　in　this　respect；　he　was　pleased　to　say　that　he　found　me　by　no　means　the　remote　and　inaccessible　personage　he　had　imagined；　and　that　I　had　nothing　of　the　dandy　about　me；　which　last　compliment　I　had　a　modest　consciousness　of　most　abundantly　deserving。

Sweet　slumbers　brought　us　to　the　morning　of　Thursday。　　The　train　from　Hagerstown　was　due　at　11。15　A。　M：　We　took　another　ride　behind　the　codling；　who　showed　us　the　sights　of　yesterday　over　again。　　Being　in　a　gracious　mood　of　mind；　I　enlarged　on　the　varying　aspects　of　the　town…pumps　and　other　striking　objects　which　we　had　once　inspected；　as　seen　by　the　different　lights　of　evening　and　morning。　　After　this；　we　visited　the　school…house　hospital。　　A　fine　young　fellow；　whose　arm　had　been　shattered；　was　just　falling　into　the　spasms　of　lock…jaw。　The　beads　of　sweat　stood　large　and　round　on　his　flushed　and　contracted　features。　　He　was　under　the　effect　of　opiates；why　not　（if　his　case　was　desperate；　as　it　seemed　to　be　considered）　stop　his　sufferings　with　chloroform？　　It　was　suggested　that　it　might　shorten　life。　　〃What　then？〃　I　said。　　〃Are　a　dozen　additional　spasms　worth　living　for？〃

The　time　approached　for　the　train　to　arrive　from　Hagerstown；　and　we　went　to　the　station。　　I　was　struck；　while　waiting　there；　with　what　seemed　to　me　a　great　want　of　care　for　the　safety　of　the　people　standing　round。　　Just　after　my　companion　and　myself　had　stepped　off　the　track；　I　noticed　a　car　coming　quietly　along　at　a　walk；　as　one　may　say；　without　engine；　without　visible　conductor；　without　any　person　heralding　its　approach；　so　silently；　so　insidiously；　that　I　could　not　help　thinking　how　very　near　it　came　to　flattening　out　me　and　my　match…box　worse　than　the　Ravel　pantomimist　and　his　snuff…box　were　flattened　out　in　the　play。　　The　train　was　late；fifteen　minutes；　half　an　hour　late；　and　I　began　to　get　nervous；　lest　something　had　happened。　　While　I　was　looking　for　it；　out　started　a　freight…train；　as　if　on　purpose　to　meet　the　cars　I　was　expecting；　for　a　grand　smash…　up。　　I　shivered　at　the　thought；　and　asked　an　employee　of　the　road；　with　whom　I　had　formed　an　acquaintance　a　few　minutes　old；　why　there　should　not　be　a　collision　of　the　expected　train　with　this　which　was　just　going　out。　　He　smiled　an　official　smile；　and　answered　that　they　arranged　to　prevent　that；　or　words　to　that　effect。

Twenty…four　hours　had　not　passed　from　that　moment　when　a　collision　did　occur；　just　out　of　the　city；　where　I　feared　it；　by　which　at　least　eleven　persons　were　killed；　and　from　forty　to　sixty　more　were　maimed　and　crippled！

To…day　there　was　the　delay　spoken　of；　but　nothing　worse。　　The　expected　train　came　in　so　quietly　that　I　was　almost　startled　to　see　it　on　the　track。　　Let　us　walk　calmly　through　the　cars；　and　look　around　us。

In　the　first　car；　on　the　fourth　seat　to　the　right；　I　saw　my　Captain；　there　saw　I　him；　even　my　first…born；　whom　I　had　sought　through　many　cities。

〃How　are　you；　Boy？〃

〃How　are　you；　Dad？〃


Such　are　the　proprieties　of　life；　as　they　are　observed　among　us　Anglo…Saxons　of　the　nineteenth　century；　decently　disguising　those　natural　impulses　that　made　Joseph；　the　Prime　Minister　of　Egypt；　weep　aloud　so　that　the　Egyptians　and　the　house　of　Pharaoh　heard；　nay；　which　had　once　overcome　his　shaggy　old　uncle　Esau　so　entirely　that　he　fell　on　his　brother's　neck　and　cried　like　a　baby　in　the　presence　of　all　the　women。　　But　the　hidden　cisterns　of　the　soul　may　be　filling　fast　with　sweet　tears；　while　the　windows　through　which　it　looks　are　undimmed　by　a　drop　or　a　film　of　moisture。

These　are　times　in　which　we　cannot　live　solely　for　selfish　joys　or　griefs。　　I　had　not　let　fall　the　hand　I　held；　when　a　sad；　calm　voice　addressed　me　by　name。　　I　fear　that　at　the　moment　I　was　too　much　absorbed　in　my　own　feelings；　for　certainly　at　any　other　time。　I　should　have　yielded　myself　without　stint　to　the　sympathy　which　this　meeting　might　well　call　forth。

〃You　remember　my　son；　Cortland　Saunders；　whom　I　brought　to　see　you　once　in　Boston？〃

〃I　do　remember　him　well。〃

〃He　was　killed　on　Monday；　at　Shepherdstown。　　I　am　carrying　his　body　back　with　me　on　this　train。　　He　was　my　only　child。　　If　you　could　come　to　my　house；I　can　hardly　call　it　my　home　now；it　would　be　a　pleasure　to　me。〃

This　young　man；　belonging　in　Philadelphia；　was　the　author　of　a　〃New　System　of　Latin　Paradigms；〃　a　work　showing　extraordinary　scholarship　and　capacity。　　It　was　this　book　which　first　made　me　acquainted　with　him；　and　I　kept　him　in　my　memory；　for　there　was　genius　in　the　youth。　Some　time　afterwards　he　came　to　me　with　a　modest　request　to　be　introduced　to　President　Felton；　and　one　or　two　others；　who　would　aid　him　in　a　course　of　independent　study　he　was　proposing　to　himself。　　I　was　most　happy　to　smooth　the　way　for　him；