short stories and essays-第4节
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have them against a background of banana…stems； or low palms； or feathery
canes； nothing could be more acceptably characteristic of the air and
sky； nor are they out of place on the box of the little victorias； where
visitors of the more inquisitive sex put them to constant question。 Such
visitors spare no islander of any color。 Once； in the pretty Public
Garden which the multiple had claimed for its private property； three
unmerciful American women suddenly descended from the heavens and began
to question the multiple's gardener； who was peacefully digging at the
rate of a spadeful every five minutes。 Presently he sat down on his
wheelbarrow； and then shifted； without relief； from one handle of it to
the other。 Then he rose and braced himself desperately against the tool…
house； where； when his tormentors drifted away； he seemed to the soft eye
of pity pinned to the wall by their cruel interrogations； whose barbed
points were buried in the stucco behind him； and whose feathered shafts
stuck out half a yard before his breast。
Whether he was black or not； pity could not see； but probably he was。
At least the garrison of the islands is all black； being a Jamaican
regiment of that color； and when one of the warriors comes down the white
street； with his swagger…stick in his hand； and flaming in scarlet and
gold upon the ground of his own blackness； it is as if a gigantic oriole
were coming towards you； or a mighty tulip。 These gorgeous creatures
seem so much readier than the natives to laugh； that you wish to test
them with a joke。 But it might fail。 The Summer Islands are a British
colony； and the joke does not flourish so luxuriantly； here as some other
things。
To be sure； one of the native fruits seems a sort of joke when you hear
it first named； and when you are offered a 'loquat'； if you are of a
frivolous mind you search your mind for the connection with 'loquor'
which it seems to intimate。 Failing in this； you taste the fruit； and
then； if it is not perfectly ripe； you are as far from loquaciousness as
if you had bitten a green persimmon。 But if it is ripe； it is delicious；
and may be consumed indefinitely。 It is the only native fruit which one
can wish to eat at all； with an unpractised palate； though it is claimed
that with experience a relish may come for the pawpaws。 These break out
in clusters of the size of oranges at the top of a thick pole； which may
have some leaves or may not； and ripen as they fancy in the indefinite
summer。 They are of the color and flavor of a very insipid little
muskmelon which has grown too near a patch of squashes。
One may learn to like this pawpaw； yes； but one must study hard。 It is
best when plucked by a young islander of Italian blood whose father
orders him up the bare pole in the sunny Sunday morning air to oblige the
signori； and then with a pawpaw in either hand stands talking with them
about the two bad years there have been in Bermuda； and the probability
of his doing better in Nuova York。 He has not imagined our winter；
however； and he shrinks from its boldly pictured rigors； and lets the
signori go with a sigh； and a bunch of pink and crimson roses。
The roses are here； budding and blooming in the quiet bewilderment which
attends the flowers and plants from the temperate zone in this latitude；
and which in the case of the strawberries offered with cream and cake at
another public garden expresses itself in a confusion of red； ripe fruit
and white blossoms on the same stem。 They are a pleasure to the nose and
eye rather than the palate； as happens with so many growths of the
tropics； if indeed the Summer Islands are tropical； which some plausibly
deny； though why should not strawberries； fresh picked from the plant in
mid…March； enjoy the right to be indifferent sweet？
IV。
What remains？ The events of the Summer Islands are few； and none out of
the order of athletics between teams of the army and navy； and what may
be called societetics； have happened in the past enchanted fortnight。
But far better things than events have happened： sunshine and rain of
such like quality that one could not grumble at either； and gales； now
from the south and now from the north； with the languor of the one and
the vigor of the other in them。 There were drives upon drives that were
always to somewhere； but would have been delightful the same if they had
been mere goings and comings； past the white houses overlooking little
lawns through the umbrage of their palm…trees。 The lawns professed to be
of grass； but were really mats of close little herbs which were not
grass； but which； where the sparse cattle were grazing them； seemed to
satisfy their inexacting stomachs。 They are never very green； and in
fact the landscape often has an air of exhaustion and pause which it
wears with us in late August； and why not； after all its interminable；
innumerable summers？ Everywhere in the gentle hollows which the coral
hills （if they are coral） sink into are the patches of potatoes and
lilies and onions drawing their geometrical lines across the brown…red；
weedless soil； and in very sheltered spots are banana…orchards which are
never so snugly sheltered there but their broad leaves are whipped to
shreds。 The white road winds between gray walls crumbling in an amiable
disintegration； but held together against ruin by a network of maidenhair
ferns and creepers of unknown name； and overhung by trees where the
cactus climbs and hangs in spiky links； or if another sort； pierces them
with speary stems as tall and straight as the stalks of the neighboring
bamboo。 The loquat…trees clusterlike quinces in the garden closes； and
show their pale golden； plum…shaped fruit。
For the most part the road runs by still inland waters； but sometimes it
climbs to the high downs beside the open sea； grotesque with wind…worn
and wave…worn rocks； and beautiful with opalescent beaches； and the black
legs of the negro children paddling in the tints of the prostrate
rainbow。
All this seems probable and natural enough at the writing； but how will
it be when one has turned one's back upon it？ Will it not lapse into the
gross fable of travellers； and be as the things which the liars who swap
them cannot themselves believe？ What will be said to you when you tell
that in the Summer Islands one has but to saw a hole in his back yard and
take out a house of soft； creamy sandstone and set it up and go to living
in it？ What； when you relate that among the northern and southern
evergreens there are deciduous trees which； in a clime where there is no
fall or spring； simply drop their leaves when they are tired of keeping
them on； and put out others when they feel like it？ What； when you
pretend that in the absence of serpents there are centipedes a span long；
and spiders the bigness of bats； and mosquitoes that sweetly sing in the
drowsing ear； but bite not； or that there are swamps but no streams； and
in the marshes stand mangrove…trees whose branches grow downward into the
ooze； as if they wished to get back into the earth and pull in after them
the holes they emerged from？
These every…day facts seem not only incredible to the liar himself； even
in their presence； but when you begin the ascent of that steep slant back
to New York you foresee that they will become impossible。 As impossible
as the summit of the slant now appears to the sense which shudderingly
figures it a Bermuda pawpaw…tree seven hundred miles high； and fruiting
icicles and snowballs in the March air！
WILD FLOWERS OF THE ASPHALT
Looking through Mrs。 Caroline A。 Creevey's charming book on the Flowers
of Field； Hill； and Swamp； the other day； I was very forcibly reminded of
the number of these pretty； wilding growths which I had been finding all
the season long among the streets of asphalt and the sidewalks of
artificial stone in this city； and I am quite sure that any one who has
been kept in New York； as I have been this year； beyond the natural time
of going into the country； can have as real a pleasure in this sylvan
invasion as mine； if he will but give himself up to a sense of it。
I。
Of course it is altogether too late； now； to look for any of the early
spring flowers； but I can recall the exquisite effect of the tender blue
hepatica fringing the centre rail of the grip…cars； all up and down
Broadway； and apparently springing from the hollow beneath； where the
cable ran with such a brooklike gurgle that any damp…living plant must
find itself at home there。 The water…pimpernel may now be seen； by any
sympathetic eye； blowing delicately along the track； in the breeze of the
passing cabs； and elastically lifting itself from the rush of the cars。
The reader can easily verify it by the picture in Mrs。 Creevey's book。
He knows it by its other name of brook weed； and he will have my delight；
I am sure； in the cardinal…flower which will be with us in August。 It is
a shy flower； loving the more sequestered nooks； and may be sought along
the shady stretches of Third Avenue； where the Elevated Road overhead
forms a shelter as of interlacing boughs。 The arrow…head likes such
swampy expanses as the
