short stories and essays-第28节

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ammoniacal　lofts　over　stables；　to　buildings　offering　acres　of　space；　and
carefully　planned　for　the　purpose。　　They　are　more　or　less　fire…proof；
slow…burning；　or　briskly　combustible；　like　the　dwellings　they　have
devastated。　　But　the　modern　tendency　is　to　a　type　where　flames　do　not
destroy；　nor　moth　corrupt；　nor　thieves　break　through　and　steal。　　Such　a
warehouse　is　a　city　in　itself；　laid　out　in　streets　and　avenues；　with　the
private　tenements　on　either　hand　duly　numbered；　and　accessible　only　to
the　tenants　or　their　order。　　The　aisles　are　concreted；　the　doors　are
iron；　and　the　roofs　are　ceiled　with　iron；　the　whole　place　is　heated　by
steam　and　lighted　by　electricity。　　Behind　the　iron　doors；　which　in　the
New　York　warehouses　must　number　hundreds　of　thousands；　and　throughout　all
our　other　cities；　millions；　the　furniture　of　a　myriad　households　is
storedthe　effects　of　people　who　have　gone　to　Europe；　or　broken　up
house…keeping　provisionally　or　definitively；　or　have　died；　or　been
divorced。　　They　are　the　dead　bones　of　homes；　or　their　ghosts；　or　their
yet　living　bodies　held　in　hypnotic　trances；　destined　again　in　some　future
time　to　animate　some　house　or　flat　anew。　　In　certain　cases　the　spell
lasts　for　many　years；　in　others　for　a　few；　and　in　others　yet　it　prolongs
itself　indefinitely。

I　may　mention　the　case　of　one　owner　whom　I　saw　visiting　the　warehouse　to
take　out　the　household　stuff　that　had　lain　there　a　long　fifteen　years。
He　had　been　all　that　while　in　Europe；　expecting　any　day　to　come　home　and
begin　life　again；　in　his　own　land。　　That　dream　had　passed；　and　now　he　was
taking　his　stuff　out　of　storage　and　shipping　it　to　Italy。　　I　did　not　envy
him　his　feelings　as　the　parts　of　his　long…dead　past　rose　round　him　in
formless　resurrection。　　It　was　not　that　they　were　all　broken　or　defaced。
On　the　contrary；　they　were　in　a　state　of　preservation　far　more
heartbreaking　than　any　decay。　　In　well…managed　storage　warehouses　the
things　are　handled　with　scrupulous　care；　and　they　are　so　packed　into　the
appointed　rooms　that　if　not　disturbed　they　could　suffer　little　harm　in
fifteen　or　fifty　years。　　The　places　are　wonderfully　well　kept；　and　if　you
will　visit　them；　say　in　midwinter；　after　the　fall　influx　of　furniture　has
all　been　hidden　away　behind　the　iron　doors　of　the　several　cells；　you
shall　find　their　far…branching　corridors　scrupulously　swept　and　dusted；
and　shall　walk　up　and　down　their　concrete　length　with　some　such　sense　of
secure　finality　as　you　would　experience　in　pacing　the　aisle　of　your
family　vault。

That　is　what　it　comes　to。　　One　may　feign　that　these　storage　warehouses
are　cities；　but　they　are　really　cemeteries：　sad　columbaria　on　whose
shelves　are　stowed　exanimate　things　once　so　intimately　of　their　owners'
lives　that　it　is　with　the　sense　of　looking　at　pieces　and　bits　of　one's
dead　self　that　one　revisits　them。　　If　one　takes　the　fragments　out　to　fit
them　to　new　circumstance；　one　finds　them　not　only　uncomformable　and
incapable；　but　so　volubly　confidential　of　the　associations　in　which　they
are　steeped；　that　one　wishes　to　hurry　them　back　to　their　cell　and　lock　it
upon　them　forever。　　One　feels　then　that　the　old　way　was　far　better；　and
that　if　the　things　had　been　auctioned　off；　and　scattered　up　and　down；　as
chance　willed；　to　serve　new　uses　with　people　who　wanted　them　enough　to
pay　for　them　even　a　tithe　of　their　cost；　it　would　have　been　wiser。
Failing　this；　a　fire　seems　the　only　thing　for　them；　and　their　removal　to
the　cheaper　custody　of　a　combustible　or　slow…burning　warehouse　the　best
recourse。　　Desperate　people；　aging　husbands　and　wives；　who　have　attempted
the　reconstruction　of　their　homes　with　these

　　　　　　　　　　〃Portions　and　parcels　of　the　dreadful　past　〃

have　been　known　to　wish　for　an　earthquake；　even；　that　would　involve　their
belongings　in　an　indiscriminate　ruin。




II。

In　fact；　each　new　start　in　life　should　be　made　with　material　new　to　you；
if　comfort　is　to　attend　the　enterprise。　　It　is　not　only　sorrowful　but　it
is　futile　to　store　your　possessions；　if　you　hope　to　find　the　old
happiness　in　taking　them　out　and　using　them　again。　　It　is　not　that　they
will　not　go　into　place；　after　a　fashion；　and　perform　their　old　office；
but　that　the　pang　they　will　inflict　through　the　suggestion　of　the　other
places　where　they　served　their　purpose　in　other　years　will　be　only　the
keener　for　the　perfection　with　which　they　do　it　now。　　If　they　cannot　be
sold；　and　if　no　fire　comes　down　from　heaven　to　consume　them；　then　they
had　better　be　stored　with　no　thought　of　ever　taking　them　out　again。

That　will　be　expensive；　or　it　will　be　inexpensive；　according　to　the　sort
of　storage　they　are　put　into。　　The　inexperienced　in　such　matters　may　be
surprised；　and　if　they　have　hearts　they　may　be　grieved；　to　learn　that　the
fire…proof　storage　of　the　furniture　of　the　average　house　would　equal　the
rent　of　a　very　comfortable　domicile　in　a　small　town；　or　a　farm　by　which　a
family's　living　can　be　earned；　with　a　decent　dwelling　in　which　it　can　be
sheltered。　　Yet　the　space　required　is　not　very　great；　three　fair…sized
rooms　will　hold　everything；　and　there　is　sometimes　a　fierce　satisfaction
in　seeing　how　closely　the　things　that　once　stood　largely　about；　and
seemed　to　fill　ample　parlors　and　chambers；　can　be　packed　away。　　To　be
sure　they　are　not　in　their　familiar　attitudes；　they　lie　on　their　sides　or
backs；　or　stand　upon　their　heads；　between　the　legs　of　library　or　dining
tables　are　stuffed　all　kinds　of　minor　movables；　with　cushions；　pillows；
pictures；　cunningly　adjusted　to　the　environment；　and　mattresses　pad　the
walls；　or　interpose　their　soft　bulk　between　pieces　of　furniture　that
would　otherwise　rend　each　other。　　Carpets　sewn　in　cotton　against　moths；
and　rugs　in　long　rolls；　the　piano　hovering　under　its　ample　frame　a　whole
brood　of　helpless　little　guitars；　mandolins；　and　banjos；　and　3supporting
on　its　broad　back　a　bulk　of　lighter　cases　to　the　fire…proof　ceiling　of
the　cell；　paintings　in　boxes　indistinguishable　outwardly　from　their
companioning　mirrors；　barrels　of　china　and　kitchen　utensils；　and　all　the
what…not　of　householding　and　house…keeping　contribute　to　the　repletion。

There　is　a　science　observed　in　the　arrangement　of　the　various　effects；
against　the　rear　wall　and　packed　along　the　floor；　and　then　in　front　of
and　on　top　of　these；　is　built　a　superstructure　of　the　things　that　may　be
first　wanted；　in　case　of　removal；　or　oftenest　wanted　in　some　exigency　of
the　homeless　life　of　the　owners；　pending　removal。　　The　lightest　and
slightest　articles　float　loosely　about　the　door；　or　are　interwoven　in　a
kind　of　fabric　just　within；　and　curtaining　the　ponderous　mass　behind。
The　effect　is　not　so　artistic　as　the　mortuary　mosaics　which　the　Roman
Capuchins　design　with　the　bones　of　their　dead　brethren　in　the　crypt　of
their　church；　but　the　warehousemen　no　doubt　have　their　just　pride　in　it；
and　feel　an　artistic　pang　in　its　provisional　or　final　disturbance。

It　had　better　never　be　disturbed；　for　it　is　disturbed　only　in　some　futile
dream　of　returning　to　the　past；　and　we　never　can　return　to　the　past　on
the　old　terms。　　It　is　well　in　all　things　to　accept　life　implicitly；　and
when　an　end　has　come　to　treat　it　as　the　end；　and　not　vainly　mock　it　as　a
suspense　of　function。　　When　the　poor　break　up　their　homes；　with　no
immediate　hope　of　founding　others；　they　must　sell　their　belongings
because　they　cannot　afford　to　pay　storage　on　them。　　The　rich　or　richer
store　their　household　effects；　and　cheat　themselves　with　the　illusion
that　they　are　going　some　time　to　rehabilitate　with　them　just　such　a　home
as　they　have　dismantled。　　But　the　illusion　probably　deceives　nobody　so
little　as　those　who　cherish　the　vain　hope。　　As　long　as　they　cherish　it；
howeverand　they　must　cherish　it　till　their　furniture　or　themselves　fall
to　dustthey　cannot　begin　life　anew；　as　the　poor　do　who　have　kept
nothing　of　the　sort　to　link　them　to　the　past。　　This　is　one　of　the
disabilities　of　the　prosperous；　who　will　probably　not　be　relieved　of　it
till　some　means　of　storing　the　owner　as　well　as　the'　furniture　is
invented。　　In　the　immense　range　of　modern　ingenuity；　this　is　perhaps　not
impossible。　　Why　not；　while　we　are　still　in　life；　some　sweet　oblivious
antidote　which　shall　drug　us　against　memory；　and　after　time　shall　elapse
for　the　reconstruction　of　a　new　home　in　place　of　the　old；　shall　repossess
us　of　ourselves　as　unchanged　as　the　things　with　which　we　shall　again
array　it？　　Here　is　a　pretty　idea　for　some　dreamer　to　spin　into　the　filmy
fabric　of　a　romance；　and　I　handsomely　make　a　present　of　it　to　the　first
comer。　　If　the　dreamer　is　of　the　right　quality　he　will　know　how　to　make
the　reader　feel　that　with　the　universal　longing　to　return　to　former
conditions　or　circumstances　it　must　always　be　a　mistake　to　do　so；　and　he
will　subtly　insinuate　the　disappointment　and　discomfort　of　the　stored
personality　in　resuming　its　old　relations。　　With　that　just　mixture　of　the
comic　and　pathetic　which　we　desire　in　romance；　he　will　teach　convincingly
that　a　stored　personality　is　to　be　desired　only　if　it　is　permanently
stored；　with　the　implication　of　a　like　finality　in　the　storage　of　its
belongings。

Save　in　some　signal　exception；　a　thing　taken　out　of　storage　cannot　be
es