the uncommercial traveller-第25节

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he　left　off　being　thirsty　…　which　was　not　in　the　bond　…　or　he　could

not　make　up　his　mind　to　hear　his　little　bucket　drop　back　into　his

well　when　he　let　it　go：　　a　shock　which　in　the　best　of　times　had

made　him　tremble。　　He　drew　no　water　but　by　stealth　and　under　the

cloak　of　night。　　After　an　interval　of　futile　and　at　length　hopeless

expectation；　the　merchant　who　had　educated　him　was　appealed　to。

The　merchant　was　a　bow…legged　character；　with　a　flat　and　cushiony

nose；　like　the　last　new　strawberry。　　He　wore　a　fur　cap；　and　shorts；

and　was　of　the　velveteen　race；　velveteeny。　　He　sent　word　that　he

would　'look　round。'　　He　looked　round；　appeared　in　the　doorway　of

the　room；　and　slightly　cocked　up　his　evil　eye　at　the　goldfinch。

Instantly　a　raging　thirst　beset　that　bird；　when　it　was　appeased；　he

still　drew　several　unnecessary　buckets　of　water；　and　finally；

leaped　about　his　perch　and　sharpened　his　bill；　as　if　he　had　been　to

the　nearest　wine　vaults　and　got　drunk。



Donkeys　again。　　I　know　shy　neighbourhoods　where　the　Donkey　goes　in

at　the　street　door；　and　appears　to　live　up…stairs；　for　I　have

examined　the　back…yard　from　over　the　palings；　and　have　been　unable

to　make　him　out。　　Gentility；　nobility；　Royalty；　would　appeal　to

that　donkey　in　vain　to　do　what　he　does　for　a　costermonger。　　Feed

him　with　oats　at　the　highest　price；　put　an　infant　prince　and

princess　in　a　pair　of　panniers　on　his　back；　adjust　his　delicate

trappings　to　a　nicety；　take　him　to　the　softest　slopes　at　Windsor；

and　try　what　pace　you　can　get　out　of　him。　　Then；　starve　him；

harness　him　anyhow　to　a　truck　with　a　flat　tray　on　it；　and　see　him

bowl　from　Whitechapel　to　Bayswater。　　There　appears　to　be　no

particular　private　understanding　between　birds　and　donkeys；　in　a

state　of　nature；　but　in　the　shy　neighbourhood　state；　you　shall　see

them　always　in　the　same　hands　and　always　developing　their　very　best

energies　for　the　very　worst　company。　　I　have　known　a　donkey　…　by

sight；　we　were　not　on　speaking　terms　…　who　lived　over　on　the　Surrey

side　of　London…bridge；　among　the　fastnesses　of　Jacob's　Island　and

Dockhead。　　It　was　the　habit　of　that　animal；　when　his　services　were

not　in　immediate　requisition；　to　go　out　alone；　idling。　　I　have　met

him　a　mile　from　his　place　of　residence；　loitering　about　the

streets；　and　the　expression　of　his　countenance　at　such　times　was

most　degraded。　　He　was　attached　to　the　establishment　of　an　elderly

lady　who　sold　periwinkles；　and　he　used　to　stand　on　Saturday　nights

with　a　cartful　of　those　delicacies　outside　a　gin…shop；　pricking　up

his　ears　when　a　customer　came　to　the　cart；　and　too　evidently

deriving　satisfaction　from　the　knowledge　that　they　got　bad　measure。

His　mistress　was　sometimes　overtaken　by　inebriety。　　The　last　time　I

ever　saw　him　（about　five　years　ago）　he　was　in　circumstances　of

difficulty；　caused　by　this　failing。　　Having　been　left　alone　with

the　cart　of　periwinkles；　and　forgotten；　he　went　off　idling。　　He

prowled　among　his　usual　low　haunts　for　some　time；　gratifying　his

depraved　tastes；　until；　not　taking　the　cart　into　his　calculations；

he　endeavoured　to　turn　up　a　narrow　alley；　and　became　greatly

involved。　　He　was　taken　into　custody　by　the　police；　and；　the　Green

Yard　of　the　district　being　near　at　hand；　was　backed　into　that　place

of　durance。　　At　that　crisis；　I　encountered　him；　the　stubborn　sense

he　evinced　of　being　…　not　to　compromise　the　expression　…　a

blackguard；　I　never　saw　exceeded　in　the　human　subject。　　A　flaring

candle　in　a　paper　shade；　stuck　in　among　his　periwinkles；　showed

him；　with　his　ragged　harness　broken　and　his　cart　extensively

shattered；　twitching　his　mouth　and　shaking　his　hanging　head；　a

picture　of　disgrace　and　obduracy。　　I　have　seen　boys　being　taken　to

station…houses；　who　were　as　like　him　as　his　own　brother。



The　dogs　of　shy　neighbourhoods；　I　observe　to　avoid　play；　and　to　be

conscious　of　poverty。　　They　avoid　work；　too；　if　they　can；　of

course；　that　is　in　the　nature　of　all　animals。　　I　have　the　pleasure

to　know　a　dog　in　a　back　street　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Walworth；

who　has　greatly　distinguished　himself　in　the　minor　drama；　and　who

takes　his　portrait　with　him　when　he　makes　an　engagement；　for　the

illustration　of　the　play…bill。　　His　portrait　（which　is　not　at　all

like　him）　represents　him　in　the　act　of　dragging　to　the　earth　a

recreant　Indian；　who　is　supposed　to　have　tomahawked；　or　essayed　to

tomahawk；　a　British　officer。　　The　design　is　pure　poetry；　for　there

is　no　such　Indian　in　the　piece；　and　no　such　incident。　　He　is　a　dog

of　the　Newfoundland　breed；　for　whose　honesty　I　would　be　bail　to　any

amount；　but　whose　intellectual　qualities　in　association　with

dramatic　fiction；　I　cannot　rate　high。　　Indeed；　he　is　too　honest　for

the　profession　he　has　entered。　　Being　at　a　town　in　Yorkshire　last

summer；　and　seeing　him　posted　in　the　bill　of　the　night；　I　attended

the　performance。　　His　first　scene　was　eminently　successful；　but；　as

it　occupied　a　second　in　its　representation　（and　five　lines　in　the

bill）；　it　scarcely　afforded　ground　for　a　cool　and　deliberate

judgment　of　his　powers。　　He　had　merely　to　bark；　run　on；　and　jump

through　an　inn　window；　after　a　comic　fugitive。　　The　next　scene　of

importance　to　the　fable　was　a　little　marred　in　its　interest　by　his

over…anxiety；　forasmuch　as　while　his　master　（a　belated　soldier　in　a

den　of　robbers　on　a　tempestuous　night）　was　feelingly　lamenting　the

absence　of　his　faithful　dog；　and　laying　great　stress　on　the　fact

that　he　was　thirty　leagues　away；　the　faithful　dog　was　barking

furiously　in　the　prompter's　box；　and　clearly　choking　himself

against　his　collar。　　But　it　was　in　his　greatest　scene　of　all；　that

his　honesty　got　the　better　of　him。　　He　had　to　enter　a　dense　and

trackless　forest；　on　the　trail　of　the　murderer；　and　there　to　fly　at

the　murderer　when　he　found　him　resting　at　the　foot　of　a　tree；　with

his　victim　bound　ready　for　slaughter。　　It　was　a　hot　night；　and　he

came　into　the　forest　from　an　altogether　unexpected　direction；　in

the　sweetest　temper；　at　a　very　deliberate　trot；　not　in　the　least

excited；　trotted　to　the　foot…lights　with　his　tongue　out；　and　there

sat　down；　panting；　and　amiably　surveying　the　audience；　with　his

tail　beating　on　the　boards；　like　a　Dutch　clock。　　Meanwhile　the

murderer；　impatient　to　receive　his　doom；　was　audibly　calling　to　him

'CO…O…OME　here！'　while　the　victim；　struggling　with　his　bonds；

assailed　him　with　the　most　injurious　expressions。　　It　happened

through　these　means；　that　when　he　was　in　course　of　time　persuaded

to　trot　up　and　rend　the　murderer　limb　from　limb；　he　made　it　（for

dramatic　purposes）　a　little　too　obvious　that　he　worked　out　that

awful　retribution　by　licking　butter　off　his　blood…stained　hands。



In　a　shy　street；　behind　Long…acre；　two　honest　dogs　live；　who

perform　in　Punch's　shows。　　I　may　venture　to　say　that　I　am　on　terms

of　intimacy　with　both；　and　that　I　never　saw　either　guilty　of　the

falsehood　of　failing　to　look　down　at　the　man　inside　the　show；

during　the　whole　performance。　　The　difficulty　other　dogs　have　in

satisfying　their　minds　about　these　dogs；　appears　to　be　never

overcome　by　time。　　The　same　dogs　must　encounter　them　over　and　over

again；　as　they　trudge　along　in　their　off…minutes　behind　the　legs　of

the　show　and　beside　the　drum；　but　all　dogs　seem　to　suspect　their

frills　and　jackets；　and　to　sniff　at　them　as　if　they　thought　those

articles　of　personal　adornment；　an　eruption　…　a　something　in　the

nature　of　mange；　perhaps。　　From　this　Covent…garden　window　of　mine　I

noticed　a　country　dog；　only　the　other　day；　who　had　come　up　to

Covent…garden　Market　under　a　cart；　and　had　broken　his　cord；　an　end

of　which　he　still　trailed　along　with　him。　　He　loitered　about　the

corners　of　the　four　streets　commanded　by　my　window；　and　bad　London

dogs　came　up；　and　told　him　lies　that　he　didn't　believe；　and　worse

London　dogs　came　up；　and　made　proposals　to　him　to　go　and　steal　in

the　market；　which　his　principles　rejected；　and　the　ways　of　the　town

confused　him；　and　he　crept　aside　and　lay　down　in　a　doorway。　　He　had

scarcely　got　a　wink　of　sleep；　when　up　comes　Punch　with　Toby。　　He

was　darting　to　Toby　for　consolation　and　advice；　when　he　saw　the

frill；　and　stopped；　in　the　middle　of　the　street；　appalled。　　The

show　was　pitched；　Toby　retired　behind　the　drapery；　the　audience

formed；　the　drum　and　pipes　struck　up。　　My　country　dog　remained

immovable；　intently　staring　at　these　strange　appearances；　until

Toby　opened　the　drama　by　appearing　on　his　ledge；　and　to　him　entered

Punch；　who　put　a　tobacco…pipe　into　Toby's　mouth。　　At　this

spectacle；　the　country　dog　threw　up　his　head；　gave　one　terrible

howl；　and　fled　due　west。



We　talk　of　men　keeping　dogs；　but　we　might　often　talk　more

expressively　of　dogs　keeping　men。　　I　know　a　bull…dog　in　a　shy

corner　of　Hammersmith　who　keeps　a　man。　　He　keeps　him　up　a　yard；　and

makes　him　go　to　public…houses　and　lay　wagers　on　him；　and　obliges

him　to　lean　against　posts　and　look　at　him；　and　forces　him　to

neglect　work　for　him；　and　keeps　him　under　rigi