north america-2-第27节

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l　hotels　there　is　a　free　admixture　of　different　classes。　　The　traveler　in　Europe　may　sit　down　to　dinner　with　his　tailor　and　shoemaker；　but　if　so；　his　tailor　and　shoemaker　have　dressed　themselves　as　he　dresses；　and　are　prepared　to　carry　themselves　according　to　a　certain　standard；　which　in　exterior　does　not　differ　from　his　own。　　In　the　large　Eastern　cities　of　the　States；　such　as　Boston；　New　York；　and　Washington；　a　similar　practice　of　life　is　gradually　becoming　prevalent。　　There　are　various　hotels　for　various　classes；　and　the　ordinary　traveler　does　not　find　himself　at　the　same　table　with　a　butcher　fresh　from　the　shambles。　　But　in　the　West　there　are　no　distinctions　whatever。　　A　man's　a　man　for　a'　that　in　the　West；　let　the　〃a'　that〃　comprise　what　it　may　of　coarse　attire　and　unsophisticated　manners。　　One　soon　gets　used　to　it。　　In　that　inn　at　Rolla　was　a　public　room；　heated　in　the　middle　by　a　stove；　and　round　that　we　soon　found　ourselves　seated　in　a　company　of　soldiers；　farmers；　laborers；　and　teamsters。　　But　there　was　among　them　a　general；　not　a　fighting；　or　would…be　fighting　general　of　the　present　time；　but　one　of　the　old…fashioned　local　generals；men　who　held；　or　had　once　held；　some　fabulous　generalship　in　the　State　militia。　There　we　sat；　cheek　by　jowl　with　our　new　friends；　till　nearly　twelve　o'clock；　talking　politics　and　discussing　the　war。　　The　general　was　a　stanch　Unionist；　having；　according　to　his　own　showing；　suffered　dreadful　things　from　secessionist　persecutors　since　the　rebellion　commenced。　　As　a　matter　of　course　everybody　present　was　for　the　Union。　　In　such　a　place　one　rarely　encounters　any　difference　of　opinion。　　The　general　was　very　eager　about　the　war；　advocating　the　immediate　abolition　of　slavery；　not　as　a　means　of　improving　the　condition　of　the　Southern　slaves；　but　on　the　ground　that　it　would　ruin　the　Southern　masters。　　We　all　sat　by；　edging　in　a　word　now　and　then；　but　the　general　was　the　talker　of　the　evening。　　He　was　very　wrathy；　and　swore　at　every　other　word。　　〃It　was　pretty　well　time；〃　he　said；　〃to　crush　out　this　rebellion；　and　by　　it　must　and　should　be　crushed　out；　General　Jim　Lane　was　the　man　to　do　it；　and　by　　General　Jim　Lane　would　do　it！〃　and　so　on。　　In　all　such　conversations　the　time　for　action　has　always　just　come；　and　also　the　expected　man。　　But　the　time　passes　by　as　other　weeks　and　months　have　passed　before　it；　and　the　new　general　is　found　to　be　no　more　successful　than　his　brethren。　　Our　friend　was　very　angry　against　England。　　〃When　we've　polished　off　these　accursed　rebels；　I　guess　we'll　take　a　turn　at　you。　　You　had　your　turn　when　you　made　us　give　up　Mason　and　Slidell；　and　we'll　have　our　turn　by…and…by。〃　　But　in　spite　of　his　dislike　to　our　nation　he　invited　us　warmly　to　come　and　see　him　at　his　home　on　the　Missouri　River。　　It　was；　according　to　his　showing；　a　new　Eden；　a　Paradise　upon　earth。　　He　seemed　to　think　that　we　might　perhaps　desire　to　buy　a　location；　and　explained　to　us　how　readily　we　could　make　our　fortunes。　　But　he　admitted　in　the　course　of　his　eulogiums　that　it　would　be　as　much　as　his　life　was　worth　to　him　to　ride　out　five　miles　from　his　own　house。　　In　the　mean　time　the　teamsters　greased　their　boots；　the　soldiers　snored；　those　who　were　wet　took　off　their　shoes　and　stockings；　hanging　them　to　dry　round　the　stove；　and　the　Western　farmers　chewed　tobacco　in　silence；　and　ruminated。　　At　such　a　house　all　the　guests　go　in　to　their　meals　together。　　A　gong　is　sounded　on　a　sudden；　close　behind　your　ears；　accustomed　as　you　may　probably　be　to　the　sound；　you　jump　up　from　your　chair　in　the　agony　of　the　crash；　and　by　the　time　that　you　have　collected　your　thoughts　the　whole　crowd　is　off　in　a　general　stampede　into　the　eating…room。　　You　may　as　well　join　them；　if　you　hesitate　as　to　feeding　with　so　rough　a　lot　of　men；　you　will　have　to　set　down　afterward　with　the　women　and　children　of　the　family；　and　your　lot　will　then　be　worse。　　Among　such　classes　in　the　Western　States　the　men　are　always　better　than　the　women。　　The　men　are　dirty　and　civil；　the　women　are　dirty　and　uncivil。　On　the　following　day　we　visited　the　camp；　going　out　in　an　ambulance　and　returning　on　horseback。　　We　were　accompanied　by　the　general's　aid…de…camp；　and　also；　to　our　great　gratification；　by　the　general's　daughter。　　There　had　been　a　hard　frost　for　some　nights；　but　though　the　cold　was　very　great　there　was　always　heat　enough　in　the　middle　of　the　day　to　turn　the　surface　of　the　ground　into　glutinous　mud；　consequently　we　had　all　the　roughness　induced　by　frost；　but　none　of　the　usually　attendant　cleanliness。　　Indeed；　it　seemed　that　in　these　parts　nothing　was　so　dirty　as　frost。　　The　mud　stuck　like　paste　and　encompassed　everything。　　We　heard　that　morning　that　from　sixty　to　seventy　baggage　wagons　had　〃broken　through；〃　as　they　called　it；　and　stuck　fast　near　a　river；　in　their　endeavor　to　make　their　way　on　to　Lebanon。　　We　encountered　two　generals　of　brigade；　General　Siegel；　a　German；　and　General　Ashboth；　a　Hungarian；　both　of　whom　were　waiting　till　the　weather　should　allow　them　to　advance。　　They　were　extremely　courteous；　and　warmly　invited　us　to　go　on　with　them　to　Lebanon　and　Springfield；　promising　to　us　such　accommodation　as　they　might　be　able　to　obtain　for　themselves。　　I　was　much　tempted　to　accept　the　offer；　but　I　found　that　day　after　day　might　pass　before　any　forward　movement　was　commenced；　and　that　it　might　be　weeks　before　Springfield　or　even　Lebanon　could　be　reached。　　It　was　my　wish；　moreover；　to　see　what　I　could　of　the　people；　rather　than　to　scrutinize　the　ways　of　the　army。　　We　dined　at　the　tent　of　General　Ashboth；　and　afterward　rode　his　horses　through　the　camp　back　to　Rolla；　I　was　greatly　taken　with　this　Hungarian　gentleman。　　He　was　a　tall；　thin；　gaunt　man　of　fifty；　a　pure…blooded　Magyar　a　I　was　told；　who　had　come　from　his　own　country　with　Kossuth　to　America。　　His　camp　circumstances　were　not　very　luxurious；　nor　was　his　table　very　richly　spread；　but　he　received　us　with　the　ease　and　courtesy　of　a　gentleman。　　He　showed　us　his　sword；　his　rifle；　his　pistols；　his　chargers；　and　daguerreotype　of　a　friend　he　had　loved　in　his　own　country。　　They　were　all　the　treasures　that　he　carried　with　himover　and　above　a　chess…board　and　a　set　of　chessmen；　which　sorely　tempted　me　to　accompany　him　in　his　march。　In　my　next　chapter；　which　will；　I　trust；　be　very　short；　I　purport　to　say　a　few　words　as　to　what　I　saw　of　the　American　army；　and　therefore　I　will　not　now　describe　the　regiments　which　we　visited。　　The　tents　were　all　encompassed　by　snow；　and　the　ground　on　which　they　stood　was　a　bed　of　mud；　but　yet　the　soldiers　out　here　were　not　so　wretchedly　forlorn；　or　apparently　so　miserably　uncomfortable；　as　those　at　Benton　Barracks。　　I　did　not　encounter　that　horrid　sickly　stench；　nor　were　the　men　so　pale　and　woe…begone。　　On　the　following　day　we　returned　to　St。　Louis；　bringing　back　with　us　our　friend　the　German　aid…de…camp。　　I　stayed　two　days　longer　in　that　city；　and　then　I　thought　that　I　had　seen　enough　of　Missouri；　enough　of　Missouri　at　any　rate　under　the　present　circumstances　of　frost　and　secession。　　As　regards　the　people　of　the　West；　I　must　say　that　they　were　not　such　as　I　expected　to　find　them。　　With　the　Northerns　we　are　all　more　or　less　intimately　acquainted。　　Those　Americans　whom　we　meet　in　our　own　country；　or　on　the　continent；　are　generally　from　the　North；　or　if　not　so　they　have　that　type　of　American　manners　which　has　become　familiar　to　us。　　They　are　talkative；　intelligent；　inclined　to　be　social；　though　frequently　not　sympathetically　social　with　ourselves；　somewhat　soi…disant；　but　almost　invariably　companionable。　　As　the　traveler　goes　southward　into　Maryland　and　Washington；　the　type　is　not　altered　to　any　great　extent。　　The　hard　intelligence　of　the　Yankee　gives　place　gradually　to　the　softer；　and　perhaps　more　polished；　manner　of　the　Southern。　　But　the　change　thus　experienced　is　not　great　as　is　that　between　the　American　of　the　Western　and　the　American　of　the　Atlantic　States。　　In　the　West　I　found　the　men　gloomy　and　silentI　might　almost　say　sullen。　　A　dozen　of　them　will　sit　for　hours　round　a　stove；　speechless。　　They　chew　tobacco　and　ruminate。　They　are　not　offended　if　you　speak　to　them；　but　they　are　not　pleased。　　They　answer　with　monosyllables；　or；　if　it　be　practicable；　with　a　gesture　of　the　head。　　They　care　nothing　for　the　graces　or　shall　I　sayfor　the　decencies　of　life。　　They　are　essentially　a　dirty　people。　　Dirt；　untidiness；　and　noise　seem　in　nowise　to　afflict　them。　　Things　are　constantly　done　before　your　eyes　which　should　be　done　and　might　be　done　behind　your　back。　　No　doubt　we　daily　come　into　the　closest　contact　with　matters　which；　if　we　saw　all　that　appertains　to　them；　would　cause　us　to　shake　and　shudder。　　In　other　countries　we　do　not　see　all　this；　but　in　the　Western　States　we　do。　I　have　eaten　in　Bedouin　tents；　and　have　been　ministered　to　by　Turks　and　Arabs。　　I　have　sojourned　in　the　hotels　of　old　Spain　and　of　Spanish　America。　　I　have　lived　in　Connaught；　and　have　taken　up　my　quarters　with　monks　of　different　nations。　　I　have；　as　it　were；　been　educated　to　dirt；　and　taken　out　my　degree　in　outward　abominations。　But　my　education　had　not　reached　a　point　which　would　enable　me　to　live　at　my　ease　in　the　Western　States。　　A　man　or　woman　who　can　do　that　may　be　said　to　have　graduated　in　the　highest　honors；　and　to　ha