short stories and essays-第20节

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〃You　goin'　past　Jim　Marden's？〃　　〃Yes。〃　　〃Well；　I　wish　you'd　tell　him　I
just　run　over　a　chicken　of　his；　and　I　killed　it；　I　guess。　　I　guess　it　was
a　pretty　big　one。〃　　〃Oh　no；〃　I　put　in；　〃it　was　only　a　broiler。　　What　do
you　think　it　was　worth？〃　　I　took　out　some　money；　and　the　farmer　noted　the
largest　coin　in　my　hand；　〃About　half　a　dollar；　I　guess。〃　　On　this　I　put
it　all　back　in　my　pocket；　and　then　he　said；　〃Well；　if　a　chicken　don't
know　enough　to　get　out　of　the　road；　I　guess　you　ain't　to　blame。〃
I　expressed　that　this　was　my　own　view　of　the　case；　and　we　drove　on。　　When
we　parted　I　gave　the　half…dollar　to　my　driver；　and　begged　him　not　to　let
the　owner　of　the　chicken　come　on　me　for　damages；　and　though　he　chuckled
his　pleasure　in　the　joke；　I　could　see　that　he　was　still　unhappy；　and　I
have　no　doubt　that　he　has　that　pullet　on　his　conscience　yet；　unless　he
has　paid　for　it。　　He　was　of　a　race　which　elsewhere　has　so　immemorially
plundered　hen…roosts　that　chickens　are　as　free　to　it　as　the　air　it
breathes；　without　any　conceivable　taint　of　private　ownership。　　But　the
spirit　of　New　England　had　so　deeply　entered　into　him　that　the　imbecile
broiler　of　another；　slain　by　pure　accident　and　by　its　own　contributory
negligence；　was　saddening　him；　while　I　was　off　in　my　train　without　a　pang
for　the　owner　and　with　only　an　agreeable　pathos　for　the　pullet。




II。

The　instance　is　perhaps　extreme；　and；　at　any　rate；　it　has　carried　me　in　a
psychological　direction　away　from　the　simpler　differences　which　I　meant
to　note　in　New　England。　　They　were　evident　as　soon　as　our　train　began　to
run　from　the　steamboat　landing　into　the　country；　and　they　have
intensified；　if　they　have　not　multiplied；　themselves　as　I　have　penetrated
deeper　and　deeper　into　the　beautiful　region。　　The　land　is　poorer　than　the
land　to　the　southwardone　sees　that　at　once；　the　soil　is　thin；　and　often
so　thickly　burdened　with　granite　bowlders　that　it　could　never　have　borne
any　other　crop　since　the　first　Puritans；　or　Pilgrims；　cut　away　the
primeval　woods　and　betrayed　its　hopeless　sterility　to　the　light。　　But
wherever　you　come　to　a　farm…house；　whether　standing　alone　or　in　one　of
the　village　groups　that　New　England　farm…houses　have　always　liked　to
gather　themselves　into；　it　is　of　a　neatness　that　brings　despair；　and　of　a
repair　that　ought　to　bring　shame　to　the　beholder　from　more　easy…going
conditions。　　Everything　is　kept　up　with　a　strenuous　virtue　that　imparts
an　air　of　self…respect　to　the　landscape；　which　the　bleaching　and
blackening　stone　walls；　wandering　over　the　hill…slopes；　divide　into　wood
lots　of　white　birch　and　pine；　stony　pastures；　and　little　patches　of
potatoes　and　corn。　　The　mowing…lands　alone　are　rich；　and　if　the　New
England　year　is　in　the　glory　of　the　latest　June；　the　breath　of　the　clover
blows　honeysweet　into　the　car　windows；　and　the　fragrance　of　the　new…cut
hay　rises　hot　from　the　heavy　swaths　that　seem　to　smoke　in　the　sun。

We　have　struck　a　hot　spell；　one　of　those　torrid　mood　of　continental
weather　which　we　have　telegraphed　us　ahead　to　heighten　our　suffering　by
anticipation。　　But　the　farmsteads　and　village　houses　are　safe　in　the
shade　of　their　sheltering　trees　amid　the　fluctuation　of　the　grass　that
grows　so　tall　about　them　that　the　June　roses　have　to　strain　upward　to　get
themselves　free　of　it。　　Behind　each　dwelling　is　a　billowy　mass　of
orchard；　and　before　it　the　Gothic　archway　of　the　elms　stretches　above　the
quiet　street。　　There　is　no　tree　in　the　world　so　full　of　sentiment　as　the
American　elm；　and　it　is　nowhere　so　graceful　as　in　these　New　England
villages；　which　are　themselves；　I　think；　the　prettiest　and　wholesomest　of
mortal　sojourns。　　By　a　happy　instinct；　their　wooden　houses　are　all
painted　white；　to　a　marble　effect　that　suits　our　meridional　sky；　and　the
contrast　of　their　dark…green　shutters　is　deliciously　refreshing。　　There
was　an　evil　hour；　the　terrible　moment　of　the　aesthetic　revival　now
happily　past；　when　white　walls　and　green　blinds　were　thought　in　bad
taste；　and　the　village　houses　were　often　tinged　a　dreary　ground　color；　or
a　doleful　olive；　or　a　gloomy　red；　but　now　they　have　returned　to　their
earlier　love。　　Not　the　first　love；　that　was　a　pale　buff　with　white　trim；
but　I　doubt　if　it　were　good　for　all　kinds　of　village　houses；　the　eye
rather　demands　the　white。　　The　pale　buff　does　very　well　for　large
colonial　mansions；　like　Lowell's　or　Longfellow's　in　Cambridge；　but　when
you　come；　say；　to　see　the　great　square　houses　built　in　Portsmouth；　New
Hampshire；　early　in　this　century；　and　painted　white；　you　find　that　white；
after　all；　is　the　thing　for　our　climate；　even　in　the　towns。

In　such　a　village　as　my　colored　brother　drove　me　through　on　the　way　to
the　beach　it　was　of　an　absolute　fitness；　and　I　wish　I　could　convey　a　due
sense　of　the　exquisite　keeping　of　the　place。　　Each　white　house　was　more
or　less　closely　belted　in　with　a　white　fence；　of　panels　or　pickets；　the
grassy　door…yards　glowed　with　flowers；　and　often　a　climbing　rose
embowered　the　door…way　with　its　bloom。　　Away　backward　or　sidewise
stretched　the　woodshed　from　the　dwelling　to　the　barn；　and　shut　the　whole
under　one　cover；　the　turf　grew　to　the　wheel…tracks　of　the　road…way；　over
which　the　elms　rose　and　drooped；　and　from　one　end　of　the　village　to　the
other　you　could　not；　as　the　saying　is；　find　a　stone　to　throw　at　a　dog。
I　know　Holland；　I　have　seen　the　wives　of　Scheveningen　scrubbing　up　for
Sunday　to　the　very　middle　of　their　brick　streets；　but　I　doubt　if　Dutch
cleanliness　goes　so　far　without；　or　comes　from　so　deep　a　scruple　within；
as　the　cleanliness　of　New　England。　　I　felt　so　keenly　the　feminine　quality
of　its　motive　as　I　passed　through　that　village；　that　I　think　if　I　had
dropped　so　much　as　a　piece　of　paper　in　the　street　I　must　have　knocked　at
the　first　door　and　begged　the　lady　of　the　house　（who　would　have　opened　it
in　person　after　wiping　her　hands　from　her　work；　taking　off　her　apron；　and
giving　a　glance　at　herself　in　the　mirror　and　at　me　through　the　window
blind）　to　report　me　to　the　selectmen　in　the　interest　of　good　morals。




III。

I　did　not　know　at　once　quite　how　to　reconcile　the　present　foulness　of　the
New　England　capital　with　the　fairness　of　the　New　England　country；　and　I
am　still　somewhat　embarrassed　to　own　that　after　New　York　（even　under　the
relaxing　rule　of　Tammany）　Boston　seemed　very　dirty　when　we　arrived　there。
At　best　I　was　never　more　than　a　naturalized　Bostonian；　but　it　used　to
give　me　great　pleasureso　penetratingly　does　the　place　qualify　even　the
sojourning　Westernerto　think　of　the　defect　of　New　York　in　the　virtue
that　is　next　to　godliness；　and　now　I　had　to　hang　my　head　for　shame　at　the
mortifying　contrast　of　the　Boston　streets　to　the　well…swept　asphalt　which
I　had　left　frying　in　the　New　York　sun　the　afternoon　before。　　Later；
however；　when　I　began　to　meet　the　sort　of　Boston　faces　I　remembered　so
wellgood；　just；　pure；　but　set　and　severe；　with　their　look　of　challenge；
of　interrogation；　almost　of　reproofthey　not　only　ignored　the
disgraceful　untidiness　of　the　streets；　but　they　convinced　me　of　a　state
of　transition　which　would　leave　the　place　swept　and　garnished　behind　it；
and　comforted　me　against　the　litter　of　the　winding　thoroughfares　and
narrow　lanes；　where　the　dust　had　blown　up　against　the　brick　walls；　and
seemed　permanently　to　have　smutched　and　discolored　them。

In　New　York　you　see　the　American　face　as　Europe　characterizes　it；　in
Boston　you　see　it　as　it　characterizes　Europe；　and　it　is　in　Boston　that
you　can　best　imagine　the　strenuous　grapple　of　the　native　forces　which　all
alien　things　must　yield　to　till　they　take　the　American　cast。　　It　is
almost　dismaying；　that　physiognomy；　before　it　familiarizes　itself　anew；
and　in　the　brief　first　moment　while　it　is　yet　objective；　you　ransack　your
conscience　for　any　sins　you　may　have　committed　in　your　absence　from　it
and　make　ready　to　do　penance　for　them。　　I　felt　almost　as　if　I　had　brought
the　dirty　streets　with　me；　and　were　guilty　of　having　left　them　lying
about；　so　impossible　were　they　with　reference　to　the　Boston　face。

It　is　a　face　that　expresses　care；　even　to　the　point　of　anxiety；　and　it
looked　into　the　window　of　our　carriage　with　the　serious　eyes　of　our
elderly　hackman　to　make　perfectly　sure　of　our　destination　before　we　drove
away　from　the　station。　　It　was　a　little　rigorous　with　us；　as　requiring　us
to　have　a　clear　mind；　but　it　was　not　unfriendly；　not　unkind；　and　it　was
patient　from　long　experience。　　In　New　York　there　are　no　elderly　hackmen；
but　in　Boston　they　abound；　and　I　cannot　believe　they　would　be　capable　of
bad　faith　with　travellers。　　In　fact；　I　doubt　if　this　class　is　anywhere　as
predatory　as　it　is　painted；　but　in　Boston　it　appears　to　have　the　public
honor　in　its　keeping。　　I　do　not　mean　that　it　was　less　mature；　less　self…
respectful　in　Portsmouth；　where　we　were　next　to　arrive；　more　so　it　could
not　be；　an　equal　sense　of　safety；　of　ease；　began　with　it　in　both　places；
and　all　through　New　England　it　is　of　native　birth；　while　in　New　York　it
is　composed　of　men　of　many　nations；　with　a　weight　in　numbers　towards　the
Celtic　strain。　　The　prevalence　of　the　native　in　New　England　helps　you
sensibly　to　realize　from　the　first　moment　that　here　you　are　in　America　as
t