a far country-第18节

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native　of　our　state。

〃Why；　I'm　from　Elkington！〃　he　exclaimed；　as　though　the　fact　sealed　our
future　relationships。　　He　seated　himself　on　Tom's　trunk　and　added：
〃Welcome　to　old　Harvard！〃

We　felt　that　he　was　scarcely　qualified　to　speak　for　〃old　Harvard；〃　but　we
did　not　say　so。

〃You　look　as　if　you'd　been　pall…bearers　for　somebody；〃　was　his　next
observation。

To　this　there　seemed　no　possible　reply。

〃You　fellows　are　pretty　well　fixed　here；〃　he　went　on；　undismayed；　gazing
about　a　room　which　had　seemed　to　us　the　abomination　of　desolation。　　〃Your
folks　must　be　rich。　　I'm　up　under　the　skylight。〃

Even　this　failed　to　touch　us。　　His　fatherhe　told　us　with　undiminished
candourhad　been　a　German　emigrant　who　had　come　over　in　'49；　after　the
cause　of　liberty　had　been　lost　in　the　old　country；　and　made　eye…glasses
and　opera　glasses。　　There　hadn't　been　a　fortune　in　it。　　He；　Hermann；　had
worked　at　various　occupations　in　the　summer　time；　from　peddling　to
farming；　until　he　had　saved　enough　to　start　him　at　Harvard。　　Tom；　who　had
been　bending　over　his　bureau　drawer；　straightened　up。

〃What　did　you　want　to　come　here　for？〃　he　demanded。

〃Say；　what　did　you？〃　Mr。　Krebs　retorted　genially。　　〃To　get　an　education；
of　course。〃

〃An　education！〃　echoed　Tom。

〃Isn't　Harvard　the　oldest　and　best　seat　of　learning　in　America；？〃　　There
was　an　exaltation　in　Krebs's　voice　that　arrested　my　attention；　and　made
me　look　at　him　again。　　A　troubled　chord　had　been　struck　within　me。

〃Sure；〃　said　Tom。

〃What　did　you　come　for？〃　Mr。　Krebs　persisted。

〃To　sow　my　wild　oats；〃　said　Tom。　　〃I　expect　to　have　something　of　a　crop；
too。〃

For　some　reason　I　could　not　fathom；　it　suddenly　seemed　to　dawn　on　Mr。
Krebs；　as　a　result　of　this　statement；　that　he　wasn't　wanted。

〃Well；　so　long；〃　he　said；　with　a　new　dignity　that　curiously　belied　the
informality　of　his　farewell。

An　interval　of　silence　followed　his　departure。

〃Well；　he's　got　a　crust！〃　said　Tom；　at　last。

My　own　feeling　about　Mr。　Krebs　had　become　more　complicated；　but　I　took　my
cue　from　Tom；　who　dealt　with　situations　simply。

〃He'll　come　in　for　a　few　knockouts；〃　he　declared。　　〃Here's　to　old
Harvard；　the　greatest　institution　of　learning　in　America！　　Oh；　gee！〃

Our　visitor；　at　least；　made　us　temporarily　forget　our　homesickness；　but
it　returned　with　redoubled　intensity　when　we　had　put　out　the　lights　and
gone　to　bed。

Before　we　had　left　home　it　had　been　mildly　hinted　to　us　by　Ralph　and
Perry　Blackwood　that　scholarly　eminence　was　not　absolutely　necessary　to
one's　welfare　and　happiness　at　Cambridge。　　The　hint　had　been　somewhat
superfluous；　but　the　question　remained；　what　was　necessary？　　With　a　view
of　getting　some　light　on　this　delicate　subject　we　paid　a　visit　the　next
evening　to　our　former　friends　and　schoolmates；　whose　advice　was　conveyed
with　a　masterly　circumlocution　that　impressed　us　both。　　There　are　some
things　that　may　not　be　discussed　directly；　and　the　conduct　of　life　at　a
modern　universitywhich　is　a　reflection　of　life　in　the　greater　worldis
one　of　these。　　Perry　Blackwood　and　Ham　did　most　of　the　talking；　while
Ralph；　characteristically；　lay　at　full　length　on　the　window…seat；
interrupting　with　an　occasional　terse　and　cynical　remark　very　much　to　the
point。　　As　a　sophomore；　he　in　particular　seemed　lifted　immeasurably　above
us；　for　he　wasas　might　have　been　expected　already　a　marked　man　in　his
class。　　The　rooms　which　he　shared　with　his　cousin　made　a　tremendous
impression　on　Tom　and　me；　and　seemed　palatial　in　comparison　to　our
quarters　at　Mrs。　Bolton's；　eloquent　of　the　freedom　and　luxury　of
undergraduate　existence；　their　note；　perhaps；　was　struck　by　the　profusion
of　gay　sofa　pillows；　then　something　of　an　innovation。　　The　heavy；
expensive　furniture　was　of　a　pattern　new　to　me；　and　on　the　mantel　were
three　or　four　photographs　of　ladies　in　the　alluring　costume　of　the
musical　stage；　in　which　Tom　evinced　a　particular　interest。

〃Did　grandfather　send　'em？〃　he　inquired。

〃They're　Ham's；〃　said　Ralph；　and　he　contrived　somehow　to　get　into　those
two　words　an　epitome　of　his　cousin's　character。　　Ham　was　stouter；　and　his
clothes　were　more　striking；　more　obviously　expensive　than　ever。。。。　　On
our　way　homeward；　after　we　had　walked　a　block　or　two　in　silence；　Tom
exclaimed：

〃Don't　make　friends　with　the　friendless！eh；　Hughie？　　We　knew　enough　to
begin　all　right；　didn't　we？〃。。。

Have　I　made　us　out　a　pair　of　deliberate；　calculating　snobs？　　Well；　after
all　it　must　be　remembered　that　our　bringing　up　had　not　been　of　sufficient
liberality　to　include　the　Krebses　of　this　world。　　We　did　not；　indeed；
spend　much　time　in　choosing　and　weighing　those　whom　we　should　know　and
those　whom　we　should　avoid；　and　before　the　first　term　of　that　Freshman
year　was　over　Tom　had　become　a　favourite。　　He　had　the　gift　of　making　men
feel　that　he　delighted　in　their　society；　that　he　wished　for　nothing
better　than　to　sit　for　hours　in　their　company；　content　to　listen　to　the
arguments　that　raged　about　him。　　Once　in　a　while　he　would　make　a　droll
observation　that　was　greeted　with　fits　of　laughter。　　He　was　always
referred　to　as　〃old　Tom；〃　or　〃good　old　Tom〃；　presently；　when　he　began　to
pick　out　chords　on　the　banjo；　it　was　discovered　that　he　had　a　good　tenor
voice；　though　he　could　not　always　be　induced　to　sing。。。。　　Somewhat　to　the
jeopardy　of　the　academic　standard　that　my　father　expected　me　to　sustain；
our　rooms　became　a　rendezvous　for　many　clubable　souls　whose　maudlin；
midnight　attempts　at　harmony　often　set　the　cocks　crowing。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Free　from　care　and　despair；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　What　care　we？
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'Tis　wine；　'tis　wine
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　That　makes　the　jollity。〃

As　a　matter　of　truth；　on　these　occasions　it　was　more　often　beer；　beer
transported　thither　in　Tom's　new　valise；given　him　by　his　mother；and
stuffed　with　snow　to　keep　the　bottles　cold。　　Sometimes　Granite　Face；
adorned　in　a　sky…blue　wrapper；　would　suddenly　appear　in　the　doorway　to
declare　that　we　were　a　disgrace　to　her　respectable　house：　the　university
authorities　should　be　informed；　etc。；　etc。　　Poor　woman；　we　were
outrageously　inconsiderate　of　her。。。。　　One　evening　as　we　came　through　the
hall　we　caught　a　glimpse　in　the　dimly　lighted　parlour　of　a　young　man
holding　a　shy　and　pale　little　girl　on　his　lap；　Annie；　Mrs。　Bolton's
daughter：　on　the　face　of　our　landlady　was　an　expression　I　had　never　seen
there；　like　a　light。　　I　should　scarcely　have　known　her。　　Tom　and　I　paused
at　the　foot　of　the　stairs。　　He　clutched　my　arm。

〃Darned　if　it　wasn't　our　friend　Krebs！〃　he　whispered。

While　I　was　by　no　means　so　popular　as　Tom；　I　got　along　fairly　well。　　I
had　escaped　from　provincialism；　from　the　obscure　purgatory　of　the
wholesale　grocery　business；　new　vistas；　exciting　and　stimulating；　had
been　opened　up；　nor　did　I　offend　the　sensibilities　and　prejudices　of　the
new　friends　I　made；　but　gave　a　hearty　consent　to　a　code　I　found
congenial。　　I　recognized　in　the　social　system　of　undergraduate　life　at
Harvard　a　reflection　of　that　of　a　greater　world　where　I　hoped　some　day　to
shine；　yet　my　ambition　did　not　prey　upon　me。　　Mere　conformity；　however；
would　not　have　taken　me　very　far　in　a　sphere　from　which　I；　in　common　with
many　others；　desired　not　to　be　excluded。。。。　　One　day；　in　an　idle　but
inspired　moment；　I　paraphrased　a　song　from　〃Pinafore；〃　applying　it　to　a
college　embroglio；　and　the　brief　and　lively　vogue　it　enjoyed　was
sufficient　to　indicate　a　future　usefulness。　　I　had　〃found　myself。〃　　This
was　in　the　last　part　of　the　freshman　year；　and　later　on　I　became　a　sort
of　amateur；　class　poet…laureate。　　Many　were　the　skits　I　composed；　and　Tom
sang　them。。。。

During　that　freshman　year　we　often　encountered　Hermann　Krebs；　whistling
merrily；　on　the　stairs。

〃Got　your　themes　done？〃　he　would　inquire　cheerfully。

And　Tom　would　always　mutter；　when　he　was　out　of　earshot：　〃He　has　got　a
crust！〃

When　I　thought　about　Krebs　at　all；and　this　was　seldom　indeed；his
manifest　happiness　puzzled　me。　　Our　cool　politeness　did　not　seem　to
bother　him　in　the　least；　on　the　contrary；　I　got　the　impression　that　it
amused　him。　　He　seemed　to　have　made　no　friends。　　And　after　that　first
evening；　memorable　for　its　homesickness；　he　never　ventured　to　repeat　his
visit　to　us。

One　windy　November　day　I　spied　his　somewhat　ludicrous　figure　striding
ahead　of　me；　his　trousers　above　his　ankles。　　I　was　bundled　up　in　a　new
ulster；of　which　I　was　secretly　quite　proud；but　he　wore　no　overcoat　at
all。

〃Well；　how　are　you　getting　along？〃　I　asked；　as　I　overtook　him。

He　made　clear；　as　he　turned；　his　surprise　that　I　should　have　addressed
him　at　all；　but　immediately　recovered　himself。

〃Oh；　fine；〃　he　responded。　　〃I've　had　better　luck　than　I　expected。　　I'm
correspondent　for　two　or　three　newspapers。　　I　began　by　washing　windows；
and　doing　odd　jobs　for　the　professors'　wives。〃　　He　laughed。　　〃I　guess
that　doesn't　strike　you　as　good　luck。〃

He　showed　no　resentment　at　my　patronage；　but　a　self…sufficiency　that　made
my　sympathy　seem　superfluous；　giving　the　impression　of　an　inner　harmony
and　content　that　surprised　me。

〃I　needn't　ask　how　you're　getting　along；〃　he　said。。。。

At　the　end　of　the　freshman　year　we　abandoned　Mrs。　Bolton's　for　more
desirable　quarters。