passages from an old volume of life-第12节
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had on strong； iron…heeled shoes； of English make； which he said cost him seventeen dollars in Richmond。
I put the question； in a quiet； friendly way； to several of the prisoners； what they were fighting for。 One answered； 〃For our homes。〃 Two or three others said they did not know； and manifested great indifference to the whole matter； at which another of their number； a sturdy fellow； took offence； and muttered opinions strongly derogatory to those who would not stand up for the cause they had been fighting for。 A feeble； attenuated old man； who wore the Rebel uniform； if such it could be called； stood by without showing any sign of intelligence。 It was cutting very close to the bone to carve such a shred of humanity from the body politic to make a soldier of。
We were just leaving； when a face attracted me； and I stopped the party。 〃That is the true Southern type；〃 I said to my companion。 A young fellow； a little over twenty； rather tall； slight； with a perfectly smooth； boyish cheek； delicate； somewhat high features； and a fine； almost feminine mouth； stood at the opening of his tent； and as we turned towards him fidgeted a little nervously with one hand at the loose canvas； while he seemed at the same time not unwilling to talk。 He was from Mississippi； he said； had been at Georgetown College； and was so far imbued with letters that even the name of the literary humility before him was not new to his ears。 Of course I found it easy to come into magnetic relation with him； and to ask him without incivility what he was fighting for。 〃Because I like the excitement of it；〃 he answered。 I know those fighters with women's mouths and boys' cheeks。 One such from the circle of my own friends； sixteen years old； slipped away from his nursery； and dashed in under； an assumed name among the red…legged Zouaves； in whose company he got an ornamental bullet…mark in one of the earliest conflicts of the war。
〃Did you ever see a genuine Yankee？〃 said my Philadelphia friend to the young Mississippian。
〃I have shot at a good many of them；〃 he replied； modestly； his woman's mouth stirring a little； with a pleasant； dangerous smile。
The Dutch captain here put his foot into the conversation； as his ancestors used to put theirs into the scale； when they were buying furs of the Indians by weight；so much for the weight of a hand； so much for the weight of a foot。 It deranged the balance of our intercourse； there was no use in throwing a fly where a paving…stone had just splashed into the water； and I nodded a good…by to the boy… fighter； thinking how much pleasanter it was for my friend the Captain to address him with unanswerable arguments and crushing statements in his own tent than it would be to meet him upon some remote picket station and offer his fair proportions to the quick eye of a youngster who would draw a bead on him before he had time to say dunder and blixum。
We drove back to the town。 No message。 After dinner still no message。 Dr。 Cuyler； Chief Army Hospital Inspector； is in town； they say。 Let us hunt him up；perhaps he can help us。
We found him at the Jones House。 A gentleman of large proportions； but of lively temperament； his frame knit in the North； I think； but ripened in Georgia； incisive； prompt but good…humored； wearing his broad…brimmed； steeple…crowned felt hat with the least possible tilt on one side；a sure sign of exuberant vitality in a mature and dignified person like him； business…like in his ways； and not to be interrupted while occupied with another； but giving himself up heartily to the claimant who held him for the time。 He was so genial； so cordial； so encouraging； that it seemed as if the clouds； which had been thick all the morning； broke away as we came into his presence； and the sunshine of his large nature filled the air all around us。 He took the matter in hand at once； as if it were his own private affair。 In ten minutes he had a second telegraphic message on its way to Mrs。 K at Hagerstown； sent through the Government channel from the State Capitol；one so direct and urgent that I should be sure of an answer to it； whatever became of the one I had sent in the morning。
While this was going on； we hired a dilapidated barouche； driven by an odd young native； neither boy nor man； 〃as a codling when 't is almost an apple；〃 who said wery for very； simple and sincere； who smiled faintly at our pleasantries； always with a certain reserve of suspicion； and a gleam of the shrewdness that all men get who live in the atmosphere of horses。 He drove us round by the Capitol grounds； white with tents； which were disgraced in my eyes by unsoldierly scrawls in huge letters； thus： THE SEVEN BLOOMSBURY BROTHERS； DEVIL'S HOLE； and similar inscriptions。 Then to the Beacon Street of Harrisburg； which looks upon the Susquehanna instead of the Common； and shows a long front of handsome houses with fair gardens。 The river is pretty nearly a mile across here； but very shallow now。 The codling told us that a Rebel spy had been caught trying its fords a little while ago； and was now at Camp Curtin with a heavy ball chained to his leg；a popular story； but a lie； Dr。 Wilson said。 A little farther along we came to the barkless stump of the tree to which Mr。 Harris； the Cecrops of the city named after him； was tied by the Indians for some unpleasant operation of scalping or roasting； when he was rescued by friendly savages； who paddled across the stream to save him。 Our youngling pointed out a very respectable… looking stone house as having been 〃built by the Indians〃 about those times。 Guides have queer notions occasionally。
I was at Niagara just when Dr。 Rae arrived there with his companions and dogs and things from his Arctic search after the lost navigator。
〃Who are those？〃 I said to my conductor。
〃Them？〃 he answered。 〃Them's the men that's been out West； out to Michig'n； aft' Sir Ben Franklin。〃
Of the other sights of Harrisburg the Brant House or Hotel； or whatever it is called； seems most worth notice。 Its facade is imposing； with a row of stately columns； high above which a broad sign impends； like a crag over the brow of a lofty precipice。 The lower floor only appeared to be open to the public。 Its tessellated pavement and ample courts suggested the idea of a temple where great multitudes might kneel uncrowded at their devotions； but from appearances about the place where the altar should be； I judged； that； if one asked the officiating priest for the cup which cheers and likewise inebriates； his prayer would not be unanswered。 The edifice recalled to me a similar phenomenon I had once looked upon； the famous Caffe Pedrocchi at Padua。 It was the same thing in Italy and America： a rich man builds himself a mausoleum； and calls it a place of entertainment。 The fragrance of innumerable libations and the smoke of incense…breathing cigars and pipes shall ascend day and night through the arches of his funereal monument。 What are the poor dips which flare and flicker on the crowns of spikes that stand at the corners of St。 Genevieve's filigree…cased sarcophagus to this perpetual offering of sacrifice？
Ten o'clock in the evening was approaching。 The telegraph office would presently close； and as yet there were no tidings from Hagerstown。 Let us step over and see for ourselves。 A message！ A message！
〃Captain H。 still here leaves seven to…morrow for Harrisburg Penna Is doing well Mrs HK。〃
A note from Dr。 Cuyler to the same effect came soon afterwards to the hotel。
We shall sleep well to…night； but let us sit awhile with nubiferous； or； if we may coin a word； nepheligenous accompaniment； such as shall gently narcotize the over…wearied brain and fold its convolutions for slumber like the leaves of a lily at nightfall。 For now the over… tense nerves are all unstraining themselves； and a buzz； like that which comes over one who stops after being long jolted upon an uneasy pavement； makes the whole frame alive with a luxurious languid sense of all its inmost fibres。 Our cheerfulness ran over； and the mild； pensive clerk was so magnetized by it that he came and sat down with us。 He presently confided to me； with infinite naivete and ingenuousness； that； judging from my personal appearance； he should not have thought me the writer that he in his generosity reckoned me to be。 His conception； so far as I could reach it； involved a huge； uplifted forehead； embossed with protuberant organs of the intellectual faculties； such as all writers are supposed to possess in abounding measure。 While I fell short of his ideal in this respect； he was pleased to say that he found me by no means the remote and inaccessible personage he had imagined； and that I had nothing of the dandy about me； which last compliment I had a modest consciousness of most abundantly deserving。
Sweet slumbers brought us to the morning of Thursday。 The train from Hagerstown was due at 11。15 A。 M： We took another ride behind the codling； who showed us the sights of yesterday over again。 Being in a gracious mood of mind； I enlarged on the varying aspects of the town…pumps and other striking objects which we had once inspected； as seen by the different lights of evening and morning。 After this； we v
