short stories and essays-第3节
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migrates back to the New England hill…country； at the end of the season；
you shall find it with the palmettos still before its veranda； and
equally at home； somewhere in the Vermont or New Hampshire July。 There
will be the same American groups looking out over them； and rocking and
smoking； though； alas！ not so many smoking as rocking。
But where； in that translation； would be the gold braided red or blue
jackets of the British army and navy which lend their lustre and color
here to the veranda groups？ Where should one get the house walls of
whitewashed stone and the garden walls which everywhere glow in the sun；
and belt in little spaces full of roses and lilies？ These things must
come from some other association； and in the case of him who here
confesses； the lustrous uniforms and the glowing walls rise from waters
as far away in time as in space； and a long…ago apparition of Venetian
Junes haunts the coral shore。 （They are beginning to say the shore is
not coral； but no matter。） To be sure； the white roofs are not accounted
for in this visionary presence； and if one may not relate them to the
snowfalls of home winters； then one must frankly own them absolutely
tropical； together with the green…pillared and green…latticed galleries。
They at least suggest the tropical scenery of Prue and I as one remembers
seeing it through Titbottom's spectacles； and yet； if one supplies roofs
of brown…red tiles； it is all Venetian enough； with the lagoon…like
expanses that lend themselves to the fond effect。 It is so Venetian；
indeed； that it wants but a few silent gondolas and noisy gondoliers；
in place of the dark； taciturn oarsmen of the clumsy native boats； to
complete the coming and going illusion； and there is no good reason why
the rough little isles that fill the bay should not call themselves
respectively San Giorgio and San Clemente； and Sant' Elena and San
Lazzaro： they probably have no other names！
II。
These summer isles of Eden have this advantage over the scriptural Eden；
that apparently it was not woman and her seed who were expelled； when
once she set foot here； but the serpent and his seed： women now abound in
the Summer Islands； and there is not a snake anywhere to be found。 There
are some tortoises and a great many frogs in their season； but no other
reptiles。 The frogs are fabled of a note so deep and hoarse that its
vibration almost springs the environing mines of dynamite； though it has
never yet done so； the tortoises grow to a great size and a patriarchal
age； and are fond of Boston brown bread and baked beans； if their
preferences may be judged from those of a colossal specimen in the care
of an American family living on the islands。 The observer who
contributes this fact to science is able to report the case of a parrot…
fish； on the same premises； so exactly like a large brown and purple
cockatoo that； seeing such a cockatoo later on dry land； it was with a
sense of something like cruelty in its exile from its native waters。
The angel…fish he thinks not so much like angels； they are of a
transparent purity of substance； and a cherubic innocence of expression；
but they terminate in two tails； which somehow will not lend themselves
to the resemblance。
Certainly the angel…fish is not so well named as the parrot…fish； it
might better be called the ghostfish； it is so like a moonbeam in the
pools it haunts； and of such a convertible quality with the iridescent
vegetable growths about it。 All things here are of a weird
convertibility to the alien perception； and the richest and rarest facts
of nature lavish themselves in humble association with the commonest and
most familiar。 You drive through long stretches of wayside willows； and
realize only now and then that these willows are thick clumps of
oleanders； and through them you can catch glimpses of banana…orchards；
which look like dishevelled patches of gigantic cornstalks。 The fields
of Easter lilies do not quite live up to their photographs； they are
presently suffering from a mysterious blight； and their flowers are not
frequent enough to lend them that sculpturesque effect near to； which
they wear as far off as New York。 The potato…fields； on the other hand；
are of a tender delicacy of coloring which compensates for the lilies'
lack； and the palms give no just cause for complaint； unless because they
are not nearly enough to characterize the landscape； which in spite of
their presence remains so northern in aspect。 They were much whipped and
torn by a late hurricane； which afflicted all the vegetation of the
islands； and some of the royal palms were blown down。 Where these are
yet standing； as four or five of them are in a famous avenue now quite
one…sided； they are of a majesty befitting that of any king who could
pass by them： no sovereign except Philip of Macedon in his least judicial
moments could pass between them。
The century…plant； which here does not require pampering under glass；
but boldly takes its place out doors with the other trees of the garden；
employs much less than a hundred years to bring itself to bloom。
It often flowers twice or thrice in that space of time； and ought to take
away the reproach of the inhabitants for a want of industry and
enterprise： a century…plant at least could do no more in any air； and it
merits praise for its activity in the breath of these languorous seas。
One such must be in bloom at this very writing； in the garden of a house
which this very writer marked for his own on his first drive ashore from
the steamer to the hotel； when he bestowed in its dim； unknown interior
one of the many multiples of himself which are now pretty well dispersed
among the pleasant places of the earth。 It fills the night with a heavy
heliotropean sweetness； and on the herb beneath； in the effulgence of the
waxing moon； the multiple which has spiritually expropriated the legal
owners stretches itself in an interminable reverie； and hears Youth come
laughing back to it on the waters kissing the adjacent shore； where other
white houses （which also it inhabits） bathe their snowy underpinning。
In this dream the multiple drives home from the balls of either hotel
with the young girls in the little victorias which must pass its sojourn；
and； being but a vision itself； fore casts the shapes of flirtation which
shall night…long gild the visions of their sleep with the flash of
military and naval uniforms。 Of course the multiple has been at the
dance too （with a shadowy heartache for the dances of forty years ago）；
and knows enough not to confuse the uniforms。
III。
In whatever way you walk； at whatever hour； the birds are sweetly calling
in the way…side oleanders and the wild sage…bushes and the cedar…tops。
They are mostly cat…birds； quite like our own； and bluebirds； but of a
deeper blue than ours； and redbirds of as liquid a note； but not so
varied； as that of the redbirds of our woods。 How came they all here；
seven hundred miles from any larger land？ Some think； on the stronger
wings of tempests； for it is not within the knowledge of men that men
brought them。 Men did； indeed； bring the pestilent sparrows which swarm
about their habitations here； and beat away the gentler and lovelier
birds with a ferocity unknown in the human occupation of the islands。
Still； the sparrows have by no means conquered； and in the wilder places
the catbird makes common cause with the bluebird and the redbird； and
holds its own against them。 The little ground…doves mimic in miniature
the form and markings and the gait and mild behavior of our turtle…doves；
but perhaps not their melancholy cooing。 Nature has nowhere anything
prettier than these exquisite creatures； unless it be the long…tailed
white gulls which sail over the emerald shallows of the landlocked seas；
and take the green upon their translucent bodies as they trail their
meteoric splendor against the midday sky。 Full twenty…four inches they
measure from the beak to the tip of the single pen that protracts them a
foot beyond their real bulk； but it is said their tempers are shorter
than they； and they attack fiercely anything they suspect of too intimate
a curiosity concerning their nests。
They are probably the only short…tempered things in the Summer Islands；
where time is so long that if you lose your patience you easily find it
again。 Sweetness； if not light； seems to be the prevailing human
quality； and a good share of it belongs to such of the natives as are in
no wise light。 Our poor brethren of a different pigment are in the large
majority； and they have been seventy years out of slavery； with the full
enjoyment of all their civil rights； without lifting themselves from
their old inferiority。 They do the hard work； in their own easy way； and
possibly do not find life the burden they make it for the white man； whom
here； as in our own country； they load up with the conundrum which their
existence involves for him。 They are not very gay； and do not rise to a
joke with that flashing eagerness which they show for it at home。 If you
have them against a background of banana…stems； or low palms； or feathery
canes； nothing could be more a
