a mortal antipathy-第8节

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the　Thomsons　without　that　letter。



There　are　few　pleasanter　places　in　the　Northern　States　for　a　summer

residence　than　that　known　from　the　first　period　of　its　settlement　by

the　name　of　Arrowhead　Village。　　The　Indians　had　found　it　out；　as　the

relics　they　left　behind　them　abundantly　testified。　　The　commonest　of

these　were　those　chipped　stones　which　are　the　medals　of　barbarism；

and　from　Which　the　place　took　its　name；the　heads　of　arrows；　of

various　sizes；　material；　and　patterns：　some　small　enough　for　killing

fish　and　little　birds；　some　large　enough　for　such　game　as　the　moose

and　the　bear；　to　say　nothing　of　the　hostile　Indian　and　the　white

settler；　some　of　flint；　now　and　then　one　of　white　quartz；　and　others

of　variously　colored　jasper。　　The　Indians　must　have　lived　here　for

many　generations；　and　it　must　have　been　a　kind　of　factory　village　of

the　stone　age；which　lasted　up　to　near　the　present　time；　if　we　may

judge　from　the　fact　that　many　of　these　relics　are　met　with　close　to

the　surface　of　the　ground。



No　wonder　they　found　this　a　pleasant　residence；　for　it　is　to…day　one

of　the　most　attractive　of　all　summer　resorts；　so　inviting；　indeed；

that　those　who　know　it　do　not　like　to　say　too　much　about　it；　lest　the

swarms　of　tourists　should　make　it　unendurable　to　those　who　love　it

for　itself；　and　not　as　a　centre　of　fashionable　display　and　extramural

cockneyism。



There　is　the　lake；　in　the　first　place；Cedar　Lake；about　five　miles

long；　and　from　half　a　mile　to　a　mile　and　a　half　wide；　stretching　from

north　to　south。　　Near　the　northern　extremity　are　the　buildings　of

Stoughton　University；　a　flourishing　young　college　with　an　ambitious

name；　but　well　equipped　and　promising；　the　grounds　of　which　reach　the

water。　　At　the　southern　end　of　the　lake　are　the　edifices　of　the

Corinna　Institute；　a　favorite　school　for　young　ladies；　where　large

numbers　of　the　daughters　of　America　are　fitted；　so　far　as　education

can　do　it；　for　all　stations　in　life；　from　camping　out　with　a　husband

at　the　mines　in　Nevada　to　acting　the　part　of　chief　lady　of　the　land

in　the　White　House　at　Washington。



Midway　between　the　two　extremities；　on　the　eastern　shore　of　the　lake；

is　a　valley　between　two　hills；　which　come　down　to　the　very　edge　of

the　lake；　leaving　only　room　enough　for　a　road　between　their　base　and

the　water。　　This　valley；　half　a　mile　in　width；　has　been　long　settled；

and　here　for　a　century　or　more　has　stood　the　old　Anchor　Tavern。　　A

famous　place　it　was　so　long　as　its　sign　swung　at　the　side　of　the

road：　famous　for　its　landlord；　portly；　paternal；　whose　welcome　to　a

guest　that　looked　worthy　of　the　attention　was　like　that　of　a　parent

to　a　returning　prodigal；　and　whose　parting　words　were　almost　as　good

as　a　marriage　benediction；　famous　for　its　landlady；　ample　in　person；

motherly；　seeing　to　the　whole　household　with　her　own　eyes；　mistress

of　all　culinary　secrets　that　Northern　kitchens　are　most　proud　of；

famous　also　for　its　ancient　servant；　as　city　people　would　call　her；

help；　as　she　was　called　in　the　tavern　and　would　have　called

herself；the　unchanging；　seemingly　immortal　Miranda；　who　cared　for

the　guests　as　if　she　were　their　nursing　mother；　and　pressed　the

specially　favorite　delicacies　on　their　attention　as　a　connoisseur

calls　the　wandering　eyes　of　an　amateur　to　the　beauties　of　a　picture。

Who　that　has　ever　been　at　the　old　Anchor　Tavern　forgets　Miranda's



　　　　　〃A　little　of　this　fricassee？…it　is　ver…y　nice；〃



or



　　　　　〃Some　of　these　cakes？　　You　will　find　them　ver…y　good。〃



Nor　would　it　be　just　to　memory　to　forget　that　other　notable　and　noted

member　of　the　household；the　unsleeping；　unresting；　omnipresent

Pushee；　ready　for　everybody　and　everything；　everywhere　within　the

limits　of　the　establishment　at　all　hours　of　the　day　and　night。　　He

fed；　nobody　could　say　accurately　when　or　where。　　There　were　rumors　of

a　〃bunk；〃　in　which　he　lay　down　with　his　clothes　on；　but　he　seemed　to

be　always　wide　awake；　and　at　the　service　of　as　many　guest；　at　once　as

if　there　had　been　half　a　dozen　of　him。



So　much　for　old　reminiscences。



The　landlord　of　the　Anchor　Tavern　had　taken　down　his　sign。　　He　had

had　the　house　thoroughly　renovated　and　furnished　it　anew；　and　kept　it

open　in　summer　for　a　few　boarders。　　It　happened　more　than　once　that

the　summer　boarders　were　so　much　pleased　with　the　place　that　they

stayed　on　through　the　autumn；　and　some　of　them　through　the　winter。

The　attractions　of　the　village　were　really　remarkable。　　Boating　in

summer；　and　skating　in　winter；　ice…boats；　too；　which　the　wild　ducks

could　hardly　keep　up　with；　fishing；　for　which　the　lake　was　renowned；

varied　and　beautiful　walks　through　the　valley　and　up　the　hillsides；

houses　sheltered　from　the　north　and　northeasterly　winds；　and

refreshed　in　the　hot　summer　days　by　the　breeze　which　came　over　the

water；all　this　made　the　frame　for　a　pleasing　picture　of　rest　and

happiness。　　But　there　was　a　great　deal　more　than　this。　　There　was　a

fine　library　in　the　little　village；　presented　and　richly　endowed　by　a

wealthy　native　of　the　place。　　There　was　a　small　permanent　population

of　a　superior　character　to　that　of　an　everyday　country　town；　there

was　a　pretty　little　Episcopal　church；　with　a　good…hearted　rector；

broad　enough　for　the　Bishop　of　the　diocese　to　be　a　little　afraid　of；

and　hospitable　to　all　outsiders；　of　whom；　in　the　summer　season；　there

were　always　some　who　wanted　a　place　of　worship　to　keep　their　religion

from　dying　out　during　the　heathen　months；　while　the　shepherds　of　the

flocks　to　which　they　belonged　were　away　from　their　empty　folds。



What　most　helped　to　keep　the　place　alive　all　through　the　year　was　the

frequent　coming　together　of　the　members　of　a　certain　literary

association。　　Some　time　before　the　tavern　took　down　its　sign　the

landlord　had　built　a　hall；　where　many　a　ball　had　been　held；　to　which

the　young　folks　of　all　the　country　round　had　resorted。　　It　was　still

sometimes　used　for　similar　occasions；　but　it　was　especially　notable

as　being　the　place　of　meeting　of　the　famous　PANSOPHIAN　SOCIETY。



This　association；　the　name　of　which　might　be　invidiously　interpreted

as　signifying　that　its　members　knew　everything；　had　no　such

pretensions；　but；　as　its　Constitution　said　very　plainly　and　modestly；

held　itself　open　to　accept　knowledge　on　any　and　all　subjects　from

such　as　had　knowledge　to　impart。　　Its　President　was　the　rector　of　the

little　chapel；　a　man　who；　in　spite　of　the　Thirty…Nine　Articles；　could

stand　fire　from　the　widest…mouthed　heretical　blunderbuss　without

flinching　or　losing　his　temper。　　The　hall　of　the　old　Anchor　Tavern

was　a　convenient　place　of　meeting　for　the　students　and　instructors　of

the　University　and　the　Institute。　　Sometimes　in　boat…loads；　sometimes

in　carriage…loads；　sometimes　in　processions　of　skaters；　they　came　to

the　meetings　in　Pansophian　Hall；　as　it　was　now　commonly　called。



These　meetings　had　grown　to　be　occasions　of　great　interest。　　It　was

customary　to　have　papers　written　by　members　of　the　Society；　for　the

most　part；　but　now　and　then　by　friends　of　the　members；　sometimes　by

the　students　of　the　College　or　the　Institute；　and　in　rarer　instances

by　anonymous　personages；　whose　papers；　having　been　looked　over　and

discussed　by　the　Committee　appointed　for　that　purpose；　were　thought

worth　listening　to。　　The　variety　of　topics　considered　was　very　great。

The　young　ladies　of　the　village　and　the　Institute　had　their　favorite

subjects；　the　young　gentlemen　a　different　set　of　topics；　and　the

occasional　outside　contributors　their　own；　so　that　one　who　happened

to　be　admitted　to　a　meeting　never　knew　whether　he　was　going　to　hear

an　account　of　recent　arctic　discoveries；　or　an　essay　on　the　freedom

of　the　will；　or　a　psychological　experience；　or　a　story；　or　even　a

poem。



Of　late　there　had　been　a　tendency　to　discuss　the　questions　relating

to　the　true　status　and　the　legitimate　social　functions　of　woman。　　The

most　conflicting　views　were　held　on　the　subject。　　Many　of　the　young

ladies　and　some　of　the　University　students　were　strong　in　defence　of

all　the　〃woman's　rights〃　doctrines。　　Some　of　these　young　people　were

extreme　in　their　views。　　They　had　read　about　Semiramis　and　Boadicea

and　Queen　Elizabeth；　until　they　were　ready；　if　they　could　get　the

chance；　to　vote　for　a　woman　as　President　of　the　United　States　or　as

General　of　the　United　States　Army。　　They　were　even　disposed　to　assert

the　physical　equality　of　woman　to　man；　on　the　strength　of　the　rather

questionable　history　of　the　Amazons；　and　especially　of　the　story；

believed　to　be　authentic；　of　the　female　body…guard　of　the　King　of

Dahomey；females　frightful　enough　to　need　no　other　weapon　than　their

looks　to　scare　off　an　army　of　Cossacks。



Miss　Lurida　Vincent；　gold　medallist　of　her　year　at　the　Corinna

Institute；　was　the　leader　of　these　advocates　of　virile　womanhood。　　It

was　rather　singular　that　she　should　have　elected　to　be　the　apostle　of

this　extreme　doctrine；　for　she　was　herself　far　better　equipp