amy foster-第3节
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fourd Hill； he beheld the sea lying open to his view；
his eyes roamed afar； lost in an air of wild surprise；
as though he had never seen such a sight before。
And probably he had not。 As far as I could make
out； he had been hustled together with many others
on board an emigrant…ship lying at the mouth of
the Elbe； too bewildered to take note of his sur…
roundings； too weary to see anything； too anxious
to care。 They were driven below into the 'tween…
deck and battened down from the very start。 It
was a low timber dwellinghe would saywith
wooden beams overhead； like the houses in his coun…
try； but you went into it down a ladder。 It was
very large； very cold； damp and sombre； with places
in the manner of wooden boxes where people had to
sleep； one above another； and it kept on rocking all
ways at once all the time。 He crept into one of
these boxes and laid down there in the clothes in
which he had left his home many days before； keep…
ing his bundle and his stick by his side。 People
groaned； children cried； water dripped； the lights
went out； the walls of the place creaked； and every…
thing was being shaken so that in one's little box
one dared not lift one's head。 He had lost touch
with his only companion （a young man from the
same valley； he said）； and all the time a great noise
of wind went on outside and heavy blows fell
boom！ boom！ An awful sickness overcame him；
even to the point of making him neglect his pray…
ers。 Besides； one could not tell whether it was
morning or evening。 It seemed always to be night
in that place。
〃Before that he had been travelling a long； long
time on the iron track。 He looked out of the win…
dow； which had a wonderfully clear glass in it； and
the trees； the houses； the fields； and the long roads
seemed to fly round and round about him till his
head swam。 He gave me to understand that he had
on his passage beheld uncounted multitudes of peo…
plewhole nationsall dressed in such clothes as
the rich wear。 Once he was made to get out of the
carriage； and slept through a night on a bench in
a house of bricks with his bundle under his head；
and once for many hours he had to sit on a floor of
flat stones dozing； with his knees up and with his
bundle between his feet。 There was a roof over him；
which seemed made of glass； and was so high that
the tallest mountain…pine he had ever seen would
have had room to grow under it。 Steam…machines
rolled in at one end and out at the other。 People
swarmed more than you can see on a feast…day
round the miraculous Holy Image in the yard of
the Carmelite Convent down in the plains where；
before he left his home； he drove his mother in a
wooden carta pious old woman who wanted to
offer prayers and make a vow for his safety。 He
could not give me an idea of how large and lofty
and full of noise and smoke and gloom； and clang
of iron； the place was； but some one had told him
it was called Berlin。 Then they rang a bell； and
another steam…machine came in； and again he was
taken on and on through a land that wearied his
eyes by its flatness without a single bit of a hill to
be seen anywhere。 One more night he spent shut
up in a building like a good stable with a litter of
straw on the floor； guarding his bundle amongst a
lot of men； of whom not one could understand a
single word he said。 In the morning they were all
led down to the stony shores of an extremely broad
muddy river； flowing not between hills but between
houses that seemed immense。 There was a steam…
machine that went on the water； and they all stood
upon it packed tight； only now there were with
them many women and children who made much
noise。 A cold rain fell； the wind blew in his face；
he was wet through； and his teeth chattered。 He
and the young man from the same valley took each
other by the hand。
〃They thought they were being taken to Amer…
ica straight away； but suddenly the steam…machine
bumped against the side of a thing like a house on
the water。 The walls were smooth and black； and
there uprose； growing from the roof as it were；
bare trees in the shape of crosses； extremely high。
That's how it appeared to him then； for he had
never seen a ship before。 This was the ship that
was going to swim all the way to America。 Voices
shouted； everything swayed； there was a ladder
dipping up and down。 He went up on his hands
and knees in mortal fear of falling into the water
below； which made a great splashing。 He got sep…
arated from his companion； and when he descended
into the bottom of that ship his heart seemed to melt
suddenly within him。
〃It was then also； as he told me； that he lost con…
tact for good and all with one of those three men
who the summer before had been going about
through all the little towns in the foothills of his
country。 They would arrive on market days driv…
ing in a peasant's cart； and would set up an office
in an inn or some other Jew's house。 There were
three of them； of whom one with a long beard
looked venerable； and they had red cloth collars
round their necks and gold lace on their sleeves
like Government officials。 They sat proudly behind
a long table； and in the next room； so that the com…
mon people shouldn't hear； they kept a cunning
telegraph machine； through which they could talk
to the Emperor of America。 The fathers hung
about the door； but the young men of the mountains
would crowd up to the table asking many questions；
for there was work to be got all the year round at
three dollars a day in America； and no military
service to do。
〃But the American Kaiser would not take every…
body。 Oh； no！ He himself had a great difficulty
in getting accepted； and the venerable man in uni…
form had to go out of the room several times to
work the telegraph on his behalf。 The American
Kaiser engaged him at last at three dollars； he
being young and strong。 However； many able
young men backed out； afraid of the great dis…
tance； besides； those only who had some money
could be taken。 There were some who sold their
huts and their land because it cost a lot of money
to get to America； but then； once there； you had
three dollars a day； and if you were clever you
could find places where true gold could be picked
up on the ground。 His father's house was getting
over full。 Two of his brothers were married and
had children。 He promised to send money home
from America by post twice a year。 His father
sold an old cow； a pair of piebald mountain ponies
of his own raising； and a cleared plot of fair pas…
ture land on the sunny slope of a pine…clad pass to
a Jew inn…keeper in order to pay the people of the
ship that took men to America to get rich in a
short time。
〃He must have been a real adventurer at heart；
for how many of the greatest enterprises in the
conquest of the earth had for their beginning just
such a bargaining away of the paternal cow for the
mirage or true gold far away！ I have been telling
you more or less in my own words what I learned
fragmentarily in the course of two or three years；
during which I seldom missed an opportunity of a
friendly chat with him。 He told me this story of
his adventure with many flashes of white teeth and
lively glances of black eyes； at first in a sort of anx…
ious baby…talk； then； as he acquired the language；
with great fluency； but always with that singing；
soft； and at the same time vibrating intonation that
instilled a strangely penetrating power into the
sound of the most familiar English words； as if
they had been the words of an unearthly language。
And he always would come to an end； with many
emphatic shakes of his head； upon that awful sen…
sation of his heart melting within him directly he
set foot on board that ship。 Afterwards there
seemed to come for him a period of blank ignorance；
at any rate as to facts。 No doubt he must have
been abominably sea…sick and abominably unhappy
this soft and passionate adventurer； taken thus
out of his knowledge； and feeling bitterly as he lay
in his emigrant bunk his utter loneliness； for his
was a highly sensitive nature。 The next thing we
know of him for certain is that he had been hiding
