passages from an old volume of life-第15章

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urse　of　independent　study　he　was　proposing　to　himself。　　I　was　most　happy　to　smooth　the　way　for　him；　and　he　came　repeatedly　after　this　to　see　me　and　express　his　satisfaction　in　the　opportunities　for　study　he　enjoyed　at　Cambridge。　　He　was　a　dark；　still；　slender　person；　always　with　a　trance…like　remoteness；　a　mystic　dreaminess　of　manner；　such　as　I　never　saw　in　any　other　youth。　Whether　he　heard　with　difficulty；　or　whether　his　mind　reacted　slowly　on　an　alien　thought；　I　could　not　say；　but　his　answer　would　often　be　behind　time；　and　then　a　vague；　sweet　smile；　or　a　few　words　spoken　under　his　breath；　as　if　he　had　been　trained　in　sick　men's　chambers。　For　such　a　young　man；　seemingly　destined　for　the　inner　life　of　contemplation；　to　be　a　soldier　seemed　almost　unnatural。　　Yet　he　spoke　to　me　of　his　intention　to　offer　himself　to　his　country；　and　his　blood　must　now　be　reckoned　among　the　precious　sacrifices　which　will　make　her　soil　sacred　forever。　　Had　he　lived；　I　doubt　not　that　he　would　have　redeemed　the　rare　promise　of　his　earlier　years。　　He　has　done　better；　for　he　has　died　that　unborn　generations　may　attain　the　hopes　held　out　to　our　nation　and　to　mankind。

So；　then；　I　had　been　within　ten　miles　of　the　place　where　my　wounded　soldier　was　lying；　and　then　calmly　turned　my　back　upon　him　to　come　once　more　round　by　a　journey　of　three　or　four　hundred　miles　to　the　same　region　I　had　left！　　No　mysterious　attraction　warned　me　that　the　heart　warm　with　the　same　blood　as　mine　was　throbbing　so　near　my　own。　I　thought　of　that　lovely；　tender　passage　where　Gabriel　glides　unconsciously　by　Evangeline　upon　the　great　river。　　Ah；　me！　if　that　railroad　crash　had　been　a　few　hours　earlier；　we　two　should　never　have　met　again；　after　coming　so　close　to　each　other！

The　source　of　my　repeated　disappointments　was　soon　made　clear　enough。　The　Captain　had　gone　to　Hagerstown；　intending　to　take　the　cars　at　once　for　Philadelphia；　as　his　three　friends　actually　did；　and　as　I　took　it　for　granted　he　certainly　would。　　But　as　he　walked　languidly　along；　some　ladies　saw　him　across　the　street；　and　seeing；　were　moved　with　pity；　and　pitying；　spoke　such　soft　words　that　he　was　tempted　to　accept　their　invitation　and　rest　awhile　beneath　their　hospitable　roof。　　The　mansion　was　old；　as　the　dwellings　of　gentlefolks　should　be；　the　ladies　were　some　of　them　young；　and　all　were　full　of　kindness；　there　were　gentle　cares；　and　unasked　luxuries；　and　pleasant　talk；　and　music…sprinklings　from　the　piano；　with　a　sweet　voice　to　keep　them　company；and　all　this　after　the　swamps　of　the　Chickahominy；　the　mud　and　flies　of　Harrison's　Landing；　the　dragging　marches；　the　desperate　battles；　the　fretting　wound；　the　jolting　ambulance；　the　log…house；　and　the　rickety　milkcart！　　Thanks；　uncounted　thanks　to　the　angelic　ladies　whose　charming　attentions　detained　him　from　Saturday　to　Thursday；　to　his　great　advantage　and　my　infinite　bewilderment！　　As　for　his　wound；　how　could　it　do　otherwise　than　well　under　such　hands？　　The　bullet　had　gone　smoothly　through；　dodging　everything　but　a　few　nervous　branches；　which　would　come　right　in　time　and　leave　him　as　well　as　ever。

At　ten　that　evening　we　were　in　Philadelphia；　the　Captain　at　the　house　of　the　friends　so　often　referred　to；　and　I　the　guest　of　Charley；　my　kind　companion。　　The　Quaker　element　gives　an　irresistible　attraction　to　these　benignant　Philadelphia　households。　　Many　things　reminded　me　that　I　was　no　longer　in　the　land　of　the　Pilgrims。　　On　the　table　were　Kool　Slaa　and　Schmeer　Kase；　but　the　good　grandmother　who　dispensed　with　such　quiet；　simple　grace　these　and　more　familiar　delicacies　was　literally　ignorant　of　Baked　Beans；　and　asked　if　it　was　the　Lima　bean　which　was　employed　in　that　marvellous　dish　of　animalized　leguminous　farina！

Charley　was　pleased　with　my　comparing　the　face　of　the　small　Ethiop　known　to　his　household　as　〃Tines〃　to　a　huckleberry　with　features。　　He　also　approved　my　parallel　between　a　certain　German　blonde　young　maiden　whom　we　passed　in　the　street　and　the　〃Morris　White〃　peach。　But　he　was　so　good…humored　at　times；　that；　if　one　scratched　a　lucifer；　he　accepted　it　as　an　illumination。

A　day　in　Philadelphia　left　a　very　agreeable　impression　of　the　outside　of　that　great　city；　which　has　endeared　itself　so　much　of　late　to　all　the　country　by　its　most　noble　and　generous　care　of　our　soldiers。　Measured　by　its　sovereign　hotel；　the　Continental；　it　would　stand　at　the　head　of　our　economic　civilization。　　It　provides　for　the　comforts　and　conveniences；　and　many　of　the　elegances　of　life；　more　satisfactorily　than　any　American　city；　perhaps　than　any　other　city　anywhere。　　Many　of　its　characteristics　are　accounted　for　to　some　extent　by　its　geographical　position。　　It　is　the　great　neutral　centre　of　the　Continent；　where　the　fiery　enthusiasms　of　the　South　and　the　keen　fanaticisms　of　the　North　meet　at　their　outer　limits；　and　result　in　a　compound　which　neither　turns　litmus　red　nor　turmeric　brown。　　It　lives　largely　on　its　traditions；　of　which；　leaving　out　Franklin　and　Independence　Hall；　the　most　imposing　must　be　considered　its　famous　water…works。　　In　my　younger　days　I　visited　Fairmount；　and　it　was　with　a　pious　reverence　that　I　renewed　my　pilgrimage　to　that　perennial　fountain。　　Its　watery　ventricles　were　throbbing　with　the　same　systole　and　diastole　as　when；　the　blood　of　twenty　years　bounding　in　my　own　heart；　I　looked　upon　their　giant　mechanism。　　But　in　the　place　of　〃Pratt's　Garden〃　was　an　open　park；　and　the　old　house　where　Robert　Morris　held　his　court　in　a　former　generation　was　changing　to　a　public　restaurant。　　A　suspension　bridge　cobwebbed　itself　across　the　Schuylkill　where　that　audacious　arch　used　to　leap　the　river　at　a　single　bound；an　arch　of　greater　span；　as　they　loved　to　tell　us；　than　was　ever　before　constructed。　　The　Upper　Ferry　Bridge　was　to　the　Schuylkill　what　the　Colossus　was　to　the　harbor　of　Rhodes。　　It　had　an　air　of　dash　about　it　which　went　far　towards　redeeming　the　dead　level　of　respectable　average　which　flattens　the　physiognomy　of　the　rectangular　city。　　Philadelphia　will　never　be　herself　again　until　another　Robert　Mills　and　another　Lewis　Wernwag　have　shaped　her　a　new　palladium。　　She　must　leap　the　Schuylkill　again；　or　old　men　will　sadly　shake　their　heads；　like　the　Jews　at　the　sight　of　the　second　temple；　remembering　the　glories　of　that　which　it　replaced。

There　are　times　when　Ethiopian　minstrelsy　can　amuse；　if　it　does　not　charm；　a　weary　soul；　and　such　a　vacant　hour　there　was　on　this　same　Friday　evening。　　The　〃opera…house〃　was　spacious　and　admirably　ventilated。　　As　I　was　listening　to　the　merriment　of　the　sooty　buffoons；　I　happened　to　cast　my　eyes　up　to　the　ceiling；　and　through　an　open　semicircular　window　a　bright　solitary　star　looked　me　calmly　in　the　eyes。　　It　was　a　strange　intrusion　of　the　vast　eternities　beckoning　from　the　infinite　spaces。　　I　called　the　attention　of　one　of　my　neighbors　to　it；　but　〃Bones〃　was　irresistibly　droll；　and　Arcturus；　or　Aldebaran；　or　whatever　the　blazing　luminary　may　have　been；　with　all　his　revolving　worlds；　sailed　uncared…for　down　the　firmament。

On　Saturday　morning　we　took　up　our　line　of　march　for　New　York。　Mr。　Felton；　President　of　the　Philadelphia；　Wilmington　and　Baltimore　Railroad；　had　already　called　upon　me；　with　a　benevolent　and　sagacious　look　on　his　face　which　implied　that　he　knew　how　to　do　me　a　service　and　meant　to　do　it。　　Sure　enough；　when　we　got　to　the　depot；　we　found　a　couch　spread　for　the　Captain；　and　both　of　us　were　passed　on　to　New　York　with　no　visits；　but　those　of　civility；　from　the　conductor。　　The　best　thing　I　saw　on　the　route　was　a　rustic　fence；　near　Elizabethtown；　I　think；　but　I　am　not　quite　sure。　　There　was　more　genius　in　it　than　in　any　structure　of　the　kind　I　have　ever　seen；each　length　being　of　a　special　pattern；　ramified；　reticulated；　contorted；　as　the　limbs　of　the　trees　had　grown。　　I　trust　some　friend　will　photograph　or　stereograph　this　fence　for　me；　to　go　with　the　view　of　the　spires　of　Frederick；　already　referred　to；　as　mementos　of　my　journey。

I　had　come　to　feeling　that　I　knew　most　of　the　respectably　dressed　people　whom　I　met　in　the　cars；　and　had　been　in　contact　with　them　at　some　time　or　other。　　Three　or　four　ladies　and　gentlemen　were　near　us；　forming　a　group　by　themselves。　　Presently　one　addressed　me　by　name；　and；　on　inquiry；　I　found