short stories and essays-第11节
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transport of a fall from a ten…story building and the delight of a
tempestuous passage of the Atlantic； powerfully condensed。
The mere sight was so athletic that it took away any appetite I might
have had to witness the feats of strength performed by Madame La Noire at
the nearest booth on my coming out； though madame herself was at the
door…to testify； in her own living picture； how much muscular force may
be masked in vast masses of adipose。 She had a weary； bored look； and
was not without her pathos； poor soul； as few of those are who amuse the
public； but I could not find her quite justifiable as a Sunday
entertainment。 One forgot； however； what day it was； and for the time I
did not pretend to be so much better than my neighbors that I would not
compromise upon a visit to； an animal show a little farther on。 It was a
pretty fair collection of beasts that had once been wild； perhaps； and in
the cage of the lions there was a slight； sad…looking； long…haired young
man； exciting them to madness by blows of a whip and pistol…shots whom I
was extremely glad to have get away without being torn in pieces； or at
least bitten in two。 A little later I saw him at the door of the tent；
very breathless； dishevelled； and as to his dress not of the spotlessness
one could wish。 But perhaps spotlessness is not compatible with the
intimacy of lions and lionesses。 He had had his little triumph； one
spectator of his feat had declared that you would not see anything like
that at Coney Island； and soiled and dusty as he was in his cotton
tights； he was preferable to the living picture of a young lady whom he
replaced as an attraction of the show。 It was professedly a moral show；
the manager exhorted us as we came out to say whether it was good or not；
and in the box…office sat a kind and motherly faced matron who would have
apparently abhorred to look upon a living picture at any distance； much
less have it at her elbow。
Upon the whole； there seemed a melancholy mistake in it all； the people
to whom the showmen made their appeal were all so much better； evidently；
than the showmen supposed； the showmen themselves appeared harmless
enough； and one could not say that there was personally any harm in the
living picture； rather she looked listless and dull； but as to the face
respectable enough。
I would not give the impression that most of the amusements were not in
every respect decorous。 As a means of pleasure； the merry…go…round； both
horizontal with horses and vertical with swinging cradles； prevailed； and
was none the worse for being called by the French name of carrousel； for
our people aniglicize the word； and squeeze the last drop of Gallic
wickedness from it by pronouncing it carousal。 At every other step there
were machines for weighing you and ascertaining your height； there were
photographers' booths； and X…ray apparatus for showing you the inside of
your watch； and in one open tent I saw a gentleman （with his back to the
public） having his fortune read in the lines of his hand by an Egyptian
seeress。 Of course there was everywhere soda； and places of the softer
drinks abounded。
III。
I think you could only get a hard drink by ordering something to eat and
sitting down to your wine or beer at a table。 Again I say that I saw no
effects of drink in the crowd； and in one of the great restaurants built
out over the sea on piers； where there was perpetual dancing to the
braying of a brass…band； the cotillon had no fire imparted to its figures
by the fumes of the bar。 In fact it was a very rigid sobriety that
reigned here； governing the common behavior by means of the placards
which hung from the roof over the heads of the dancers； and repeatedly
announced that gentlemen were not allowed to dance together； or to carry
umbrellas or canes while dancing； while all were entreated not to spit on
the floor。
The dancers looked happy and harmless； if not very wise or splendid； they
seemed people of the same simple neighborhoods； village lovers； young
wives and husbands； and parties of friends who had come together for the
day's pleasure。 A slight mother； much weighed down by a heavy baby；
passed； rapt in an innocent envy of them； and I think she and the child's
father meant to join them as soon as they could find a place where to lay
it。 Almost any place would do； at another great restaurant I saw two
chairs faced together； and a baby sleeping on them as quietly amid the
coming and going of lagers and frankfurters as if in its cradle at home。
Lagers and frankfurters were much in evidence everywhere； especially
frankfurters； which seemed to have whole booths devoted to broiling them。
They disputed this dignity with soft…shell crabs； and sections of eels；
piled attractively on large platters； or sizzling to an impassioned brown
in deep skillets of fat。 The old acrid smell of frying brought back many
holidays of Italy to me； and I was again at times on the Riva at Venice；
and in the Mercato Vecchio at Florence。 But the Continental Sunday
cannot be felt to have quite replaced the old American Sabbath yet； the
Puritan leaven works still； and though so many of our own people consent
willingly to the transformation； I fancy they always enjoy themselves on
Sunday with a certain consciousness of wrong…doing。
IV。
I have already said that the spectator quite lost sense of what day it
was。 Nothing could be more secular than all the sights and sounds。 It
was the Fourth of July； less the fire…crackers and the drunkenness； and
it was the high day of the week。 But if it was very wicked； and I must
recognize that the scene would be shocking to most of my readers； I feel
bound to say that the people themselves did not look wicked。 They looked
harmless； they even looked good； the most of them。 I am sorry to say
they were not very good…looking。 The women were pretty enough； and the
men were handsome enough； perhaps the average was higher in respect of
beauty than the average is anywhere else； I was lately from New England；
where the people were distinctly more hard…favored； but among all those
thousands at Rockaway I found no striking types。 It may be that as we
grow older and our satisfaction with our own looks wanes； we become more
fastidious as to the looks of others。 At any rate； there seems to be
much less beauty in the world than there was thirty or forty years ago。
On the other hand； the dresses seem indefinitely prettier； as they should
be in compensation。 When we were all so handsome we could well afford to
wear hoops or peg…top trousers； but now it is different； and the poor
things must eke out their personal ungainliness with all the devices of
the modiste and the tailor。 I do not mean that there was any distinction
in the dress of the crowd； but I saw nothing positively ugly or
grotesquely out of taste。 The costumes were as good as the customs； and
I have already celebrated the manners of this crowd。 I believe I must
except the costumes of the bicyclesses； who were unfailingly dumpy in
effect when dismounted； and who were all the more lamentable for
tottering about； in their short skirts； upon the tips of their narrow
little； sharp…pointed； silly high…heeled shoes。 How severe I am！
But those high heels seemed to take all honesty from their daring in the
wholesome exercise of the wheel； and to keep them in the tradition of
cheap coquetry still； and imbecilly dependent。
V。
I have almost forgotten in the interest of the human spectacle that there
is a sea somewhere about at Rockaway Beach； and it is this that the
people have come for。 I might well forget that modest sea； it is so
built out of sight by the restaurants and bath…houses and switch…backs
and shops that border it； and by the hotels and saloons and shows flaring
along the road that divides the village； and the planked streets that
intersect this。 But if you walk southward on any of the streets； you
presently find the planks foundering in sand； which drifts far up over
them； and then you find yourself in full sight of the ocean and the ocean
bathing。 Swarms and heaps of people in all lolling and lying and
wallowing shapes strew the beach； and the water is full of slopping and
shouting and shrieking human creatures； clinging with bare white arms to
the life…lines that run from the shore to the buoys； beyond these the
lifeguard stays himself in his boat with outspread oars； and rocks on the
incoming surf。
All that you can say of it is that it is queer。 It is not picturesque；
or poetic； or dramatic； it is queer。 An enfilading glance gives this
impression and no other； if you go to the balcony of the nearest marine
restaurant for a flanking eye…shot； it is still queer； with the added
effect； in all those arms upstretched to the life…lines； of frogs' legs
inverted in a downward plunge。
On the sand before this spectacle I talked with a philosopher of humble
condition who backed upon me and knocked my umbrella out of my hand。
This made us beg each other's pardon； he said that he did not know I was
there； and I said it did not matter。 Then we both looked at the bathing；
and he said：
〃I don't like that。〃
〃
