north america-2-第28节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ates。　　A　man　or　woman　who　can　do　that　may　be　said　to　have　graduated　in　the　highest　honors；　and　to　have　become　absolutely　invulnerable；　either　through　the　sense　of　touch；　or　by　the　eye；　or　by　the　nose。　　Indifference　to　appearances　is　there　a　matter　of　pride。　　A　foul　shirt　is　a　flag　of　triumph。　　A　craving　for　soap　and　water　is　as　the　wail　of　the　weak　and　the　confession　of　cowardice。　　This　indifference　is　carried　into　all　their　affairs；　or　rather　this　manifestation　of　indifference。　　A　few　pages　back；　I　spoke　of　a　man　whose　furniture　had　been　sold　to　pay　a　heavy　tax　raised　on　him　specially　as　a　secessionist；　the　same　man　had　also　been　refused　the　payment　of　rent　due　to　him　by　the　government；　unless　he　would　take　a　false　oath。　　I　may　presume　that　he　was　ruined　in　his　circumstances　by　the　strong　hand　of　the　Northern　army。　　But　he　seemed　in　no　wise　to　be　unhappy　about　his　ruin。　　He　spoke　with　some　scorn　of　the　martial　law　in　Missouri；　but　I　felt　that　it　was　esteemed　a　small　matter　by　him　that　his　furniture　was　seized　and　sold。　　No　men　love　money　with　more　eager　love　than　these　Western　men；　but　they　bear　the　loss　of　it　as　an　Indian　bears　his　torture　at　the　stake。　　They　are　energetic　in　trade；　speculating　deeply　whenever　speculation　is　possible；　but　nevertheless　they　are　slow　in　motion；　loving　to　loaf　about。　　They　are　slow　in　speech；　preferring　to　sit　in　silence；　with　the　tobacco　between　their　teeth。　They　drink；　but　are　seldom　drunk　to　the　eye；　they　begin　at　it　early　in　the　morning；　and　take　it　in　a　solemn；　sullen；　ugly　manner；　standing　always　at　a　bar；　swallowing　their　spirits；　and　saying　nothing　as　they　swallow　it。　　They　drink　often；　and　to　great　excess；　but　they　carry　it　off　without　noise；　sitting　down　and　ruminating　over　it　with　the　everlasting　cud　within　their　jaws。　　I　believe　that　a　stranger　might　go　into　the　West；　and　passing　from　hotel　to　hotel　through　a　dozen　of　them；　might　sit　for　hours　at　each　in　the　large　everlasting　public　hall；　and　never　have　a　word　addressed　to　him。　　No　stranger　should　travel　in　the　Western　States；　or　indeed　in　any　of　the　States；　without　letters　of　introduction。　　It　is　the　custom　of　the　country；　and　they　are　easily　procured。　　Without　them　everything　is　barren；　for　men　do　not　travel　in　the　States　of　America　as　they　do　in　Europe；　to　see　scenery　and　visit　the　marvels　of　old　cities　which　are　open　to　all　the　world。　　The　social　and　political　life　of　the　American　must　constitute　the　interest　of　the　traveler；　and　to　these　he　can　hardly　make　his　way　without　introductions。　I　cannot　part　with　the　West　without　saying；　in　its　favor；　that　there　is　a　certain　manliness　about　its　men　which　gives　them　a　dignity　of　their　own。　　It　is　shown　in　that　very　indifference　of　which　I　have　spoken。　　Whatever　turns　up；　the　man　is　still　there；　still　unsophisticated　and　still　unbroken。　　It　has　seemed　to　me　that　no　race　of　men　requires　less　outward　assistance　than　these　pioneers　of　civilization。　　They　rarely　amuse　themselves。　　Food；　newspapers；　and　brandy　smashes　suffice　for　life；　and　while　these　last；　whatever　may　occur；　the　man　is　still　there　in　his　manhood。　　The　fury　of　the　mob　does　not　shake　him；　nor　the　stern　countenance　of　his　present　martial　tyrant。　　Alas！　I　cannot　stick　to　my　text　by　calling　him　a　just　man。　Intelligence；　energy；　and　endurance　are　his　virtues。　　Dirt；　dishonesty；　and　morning　drinks　are　his　vices。　All　native　American　women　are　intelligent。　　It　seems　to　be　their　birthright。　　In　the　Eastern　cities　they　have；　in　their　upper　classes；　superadded　womanly　grace　to　this　intelligence；　and　consequently　they　are　charming　as　companions。　　They　are　beautiful　also；　and；　as　I　believe；　lack　nothing　that　a　lover　can　desire　in　his　love。　　But　I　cannot　fancy　myself　much　in　love　with　a　Western　lady；　or　rather　with　a　lady　in　the　West。　　They　are　as　sharp　as　nails；　but　then　they　are　also　as　hard。　　They　know；　doubtless；　all　that　they　ought　to　know；　but　then　they　know　so　much　more　than　they　ought　to　know。　　They　are　tyrants　to　their　parents；　and　never　practice　the　virtue　of　obedience　till　they　have　half…grownup　daughters　of　their　own。　　They　have　faith　in　the　destiny　of　their　country；　if　in　nothing　else；　but　they　believe　that　that　destiny　is　to　be　worked　out　by　the　spirit　and　talent　of　the　young　women。　　I　confess　that　for　me　Eve　would　have　had　no　charms　had　she　not　recognized　Adam　as　her　lord。　　I　can　forgive　her　in　that　she　tempted　him　to　eat　the　apple。　　Had　she　come　from　the　West　country；　she　would　have　ordered　him　to　make　his　meal；　and　then　I　could　not　have　forgiven　her。　St。　Louis　should　be；　and　still　will　be；　a　town　of　great　wealth。　　To　no　city　can　have　been　given　more　means　of　riches。　　I　have　spoken　of　the　enormous　mileage　of　water　communication　of　which　she　is　the　center。　　The　country　around　her　produces　Indian…corn；　wheat；　grasses；　hemp；　and　tobacco。　　Coal　is　dug　even　within　the　boundaries　of　the　city；　and　iron　mines　are　worked　at　a　distance　from　it　of　a　hundred　miles。　　The　iron　is　so　pure　that　it　is　broken　off　in　solid　blocks；　almost　free　from　alloy；　and　as　the　metal　stands　up　on　the　earth's　surface　in　the　guise　almost　of　a　gigantic　metal　pillar；　instead　of　lying　low　within　its　bowels；　it　is　worked　at　a　cheap　rate；　and　with　great　certainty。　　Nevertheless；　at　the　present　moment；　the　iron　works　of　Pilot　Knob；　as　the　place　is　called；　do　not　pay。　　As　far　as　I　could　learn；　nothing　did　pay；　except　government　contracts。

CHAPTER　VI　CAIRO　AND　CAMP　WOOD。

To　whatever　period　of　life　my　days　may　be　prolonged；　I　do　not　think　that　I　shall　ever　forget　Cairo。　　I　do　not　mean　Grand　Cairo；　which　is　also　memorable　in　its　way；　and　a　place　not　to　be　forgotten；　but　Cairo　in　the　State　of　Illinois；　which　by　native　Americans　is　always　called　Caaro。　　An　idea　is　prevalent　in　the　Statesand　I　think　I　have　heard　the　same　broached　in　Englandthat　a　popular　British　author　had　Cairo；　State　of　Illinois；　in　his　eye　when；　under　the　name　of　Eden；　he　depicted　a　chosen；　happy　spot　on　the　Mississippi　River；　and　told　us　how　certain　English　immigrants　fixed　themselves　in　that　locality；　and　there　made　light　of　those　little　ills　of　life　which　are　incident　to　humanity　even　in　the　garden　of　the　valley　of　the　Mississippi。　　But　I　doubt　whether　that　author　ever　visited　Cairo　in　midwinter；　and　I　am　sure　that　he　never　visited　Cairo　when　Cairo　was　the　seat　of　an　American　army。　　Had　he　done　so；　his　love　of　truth　would　have　forbidden　him　to　presume　that　even　Mark　Tapley　could　have　enjoyed　himself　in　such　an　Eden。　I　had　no　wish　myself　to　go　to　Cairo；　having　heard　it　but　indifferently　spoken　of　by　all　men；　but　my　friend　with　whom　I　was　traveling　was　peremptory　in　the　matter。　　He　had　heard　of　gun…boats　and　mortar…boats；　of　forts　built　upon　the　river；　of　Columbiads；　Dahlgrens；　and　Parrotts；　of　all　the　pomps　and　circumstance　of　glorious　war；　and　entertained　an　idea　that　Cairo　was　the　nucleus　or　pivot　of　all　really　strategetic　movements　in　this　terrible　national　struggle。　　Under　such　circumstances　I　was　as　it　were　forced　to　go　to　Cairo；　and　bore　myself；　under　the　circumstances；　as　much　like　Mark　Tapley　as　my　nature　would　permit。　　I　was　not　jolly　while　I　was　there　certainly；　but　I　did　not　absolutely　break　down　and　perish　in　its　mud。　Cairo　is　the　southern　terminus　of　the　Illinois　Central　Railway。　There　is　but　one　daily　arrival　there；　namely；　at　half…past　four　in　the　morning；　and　but　one　dispatch；　which　is　at　half…past　three　in　the　morning。　　Everything　is　thus　done　to　assist　that　view　of　life　which　Mark　Tapley　took　when　he　resolved　to　ascertain　under　what　possible　worst　circumstances　of　existence　he　could　still　maintain　his　jovial　character。　　Why　anybody　should　ever　arrive　at　Cairo　at　half…past　four　A。M。；　I　cannot　understand。　　The　departure　at　any　hour　is　easy　of　comprehension。　　The　place　is　situated　exactly　at　the　point　at　which　the　Ohio　and　the　Mississippi　meet；　and　is；　I　should　saymerely　guessing　on　the　mattersome　ten　or　twelve　feet　lower　than　the　winter　level　of　the　two　rivers。　　This　gives　it　naturally　a　depressed　appearance；　which　must　have　much　aided　Mark　Tapley　in　his　endeavors。　　Who　were　the　founders　of　Cairo　I　have　never　ascertained。　They　are　probably　buried　fathoms　deep　in　the　mud；　and　their　names　will　no　doubt　remain　a　mystery　to　the　latest　ages。　　They　were　brought　thither；　I　presume；　by　the　apparent　water　privileges　of　the　place；　but　the　water　privileges　have　been　too　much　for　them；　and　by　the　excess　of　their　powers　have　succeeded　in　drowning　all　the　capital　of　the　early　Cairovians；　and　in　throwing　a　wet　blanket　of　thick；　moist；　glutinous　dirt　over　all　their　energies。　The　free　State　of　Illinois　runs　down　far　south　between　the　slave　States　of　Kentucky　to　the　east；　and　of　Missouri　to　the　west；　and　is　the　most　southern　point　of　the　continuous　free…soil　territory　of　the　Northern　States。　　This　point　of　it　is　a　part　of　a　district　called　Egypt；　which　is　as　fertile　as　the　old　country　from　whence　it　has　borrowed　a　name；　but　it　suffers　under　those　afflictions　which　are　common　to　all　newly…settled　lands　which　owe　their　fertility　to　the　vicinity　of　great　rivers。　　Fever　and　ague　universally　prevail。　　Men　and　women　grow　up　with　their　lantern　faces　like　specters。　　The　children　are　prematurely　old；　and　the　earth；　which　is　so　fruitful；　is　hideous　in　its　fertility。　　Cairo　and　its　immediate　neighborhood　must；　I　sup