staccato notes of a vanished summer-第2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！


fading　leaf。　　Here　and　there　an　impassioned　maple　confesses　the　autumn；
the　ancient　Pepperrell　elms　fling　down　showers　of　the　baronet's　fairy
gold　in　the　September　gusts；　the　sumacs　and　the　blackberry　vines　are
ablaze　along　the　tumbling　black　stone　walls；　but　it　is　still　summer；　it
is　still　summer：　I　cannot　allow　otherwise！




III。

The　other　day　I　visited　for　the　first　time　（in　the　opulent　indifference
of　one　who　could　see　it　any　time）　the　stately　tomb　of　the　first
Pepperrell；　who　came　from　Cornwall　to　these　coasts；　and　settled　finally
at　Kittery　Point。　　He　laid　there　the　foundations　of　the　greatest　fortune
in　colonial　New　England；　which　revolutionary　New　England　seized　and
dispersed；　as　I　cannot　but　feel；　a　little　ruthlessly。　　In　my　personal
quality　I　am　of　course　averse　to　all　great　fortunes；　and　in　my　civic
capacity　I　am　a　patriot。　　But　still　I　feel　a　sort　of　grace　in　wealth　a
century　old；　and　if　I　could　now　have　my　way；　I　would　not　have　had　their
possessions　reft　from　those　kindly　Pepperrells；　who　could　hardly　help
being　loyal　to　the　fountain　of　their　baronial　honors。　　Sir　William；
indeed；　had　helped；　more　than　any　other　man；　to　bring　the　people　who
despoiled　him　to　a　national　consciousness。　　If　he　did　not　imagine；　he
mainly　managed　the　plucky　New　England　expedition　against　Louisbourg　at
Cape　Breton　a　half　century　before　the　War　of　Independence；　and　his
splendid　success　in　rending　that　stronghold　from　the　French　taught　the
colonists　that　they　were　Americans；　and　need　be　Englishmen　no　longer　than
they　liked。　　His　soldiers　were　of　the　stamp　of　all　succeeding　American
armies；　and　his　leadership　was　of　the　neighborly　and　fatherly　sort
natural　to　an　amiable　man　who　knew　most　of　them　personally。　　He　was
already　the　richest　man　in　America；　and　his　grateful　king　made　him　a
baronet；　but　he　came　contentedly　back　to　Kittery；　and　took　up　his　old
life　in　a　region　where　he　had　the　comfortable　consideration　of　an
unrivalled　magnate。　　He　built　himself　the　dignified　mansion　which　still
stands　across　the　way　from　the　post…office　on　Kittery　Point；　within　an
easy　stone's　cast　of　the　far　older　house；　where　his　father　wedded　Margery
Bray；　when　he　came；　a　thrifty　young　Welsh　fisherman；　from　the　Isles　of
Shoals；　and　established　his　family　on　Kittery。　　The　Bray　house　had　been
the　finest　in　the　region　a　hundred　years　before　the　Pepperrell　mansion
was　built；　it　still　remembers　its　consequence　in　the　panelling　and
wainscoting　of　the　large；　square　parlor　where　the　young　people　were
married　and　in　the　elaborate　staircase　cramped　into　the　little；　square
hall；　and　the　Bray　fortune　helped　materially　to　swell　the　wealth　of　the
Pepperrells。

I　do　not　know　that　I　should　care　now　to　have　a　man　able　to　ride　thirty
miles　on　his　own　land；　but　I　do　not　mind　Sir　William's　having　done　it
here　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago；　and　I　wish　the　confiscations　had　left
his　family；　say；　about　a　mile　of　it。　　They　could　now；　indeed；　enjoy　it
only　in　the　collateral　branches；　for　all　Sir　William's　line　is　extinct。
The　splendid　mansion　which　he　built　his　daughter　is　in　alien　hands；　and
the　fine　old　house　which　Lady　Pepperrell　built　herself　after　his　death
belongs　to　the　remotest　of　kinsmen。　　A　group　of　these；　the　descendants　of
a　prolific　sister　of　the　baronet；　meets　every　year　at　Kittery　Point　as
the　Pepperrell　Association；　and；　in　a　tent　hard　by　the　little　grove　of
drooping　spruces　which　shade　the　admirable　renaissance　cenotaph　of　Sir
William's　father；　cherishes　the　family　memories　with　due　American
〃proceedings。〃




IV。

The　meeting　of　the　Pepperrell　Association　was　by　no　means　the　chief
excitement　of　our　summer。　　In　fact；　I　do　not　know　that　it　was　an
excitement　at　all；　and　I　am　sure　it　was　not　comparable　to　the　presence　of
our　naval　squadron；　when　for　four　days　the　mighty　dragon　and　kraken
shapes　of　steel；　which　had　crumbled　the　decrepit　pride　of　Spain　in　the
fight　at　Santiago；　weltered　in　our　peaceful　waters；　almost　under　my
window。

I　try　now　to　dignify　them　with　handsome　epithets；　but　while　they　were
here　I　had　moments　of　thinking　they　looked　like　a　lot　of　whited
locomotives；　which　had　broken　through　from　some　trestle；　in　a　recent
accident；　and　were　waiting　the　offices　of　a　wrecking…train。　　The　poetry
of　the　man…of…war　still　clings　to　the　〃three…decker　out　of　the　foam〃　of
the　past；　it　is　too　soon　yet　for　it　to　have　cast　a　mischievous　halo　about
the　modern　battle…ship；　and　I　looked　at　the　New　York　and　the　Texas　and
the　Brooklyn　and　the　rest；　and　thought；　〃Ah；　but　for　you；　and　our　need　of
proving　your　dire　efficiency；　perhaps　we　could　have　got　on　with　the
wickedness　of　Spanish　rule　in　Cuba；　and　there　had　been　no　war！〃　　Under　my
reluctant　eyes　the　great；　dreadful　spectacle　of　the　Santiago　fight
displayed　itself　in　peaceful　Kittery　Harbor。　　I　saw　the　Spanish　ships
drive　upon　the　reef　where　a　man　from　Dover；　New　Hampshire；　was　camping　in
a　little　wooden　shanty　unconscious；　and　I　heard　the　dying　screams　of　the
Spanish　sailors；　seethed　and　scalded　within　the　steel　walls　of　their　own
wicked　war…kettles。

As　for　the　guns；　battle　or　no　battle；　our　ships；　like　〃kind　Lieutenant
Belay　of　the　'Hot　Cross…Bun'；〃　seemed　to　be　〃banging　away　the　whole　day
long。〃　　They　set　a　bad　example　to　the　dreamy　old　fort　on　the　Newcastle
shore；　which；　till　they　came；　only　recollected　itself　to　salute　the
sunrise　and　sunset　with　a　single　gun；　but　which；　under　provocation　of　the
squadron；　formed　a　habit　of　firing　twenty　or　thirty　times　at　noon。

Other　martial　shows　and　noises　were　not　so　bad。　　I　rather　liked　seeing
the　morning　drill　of　the　marines　and　the　bluejackets　on　the　iron　decks；
with　the　lively　music　that　went　with　it。　　The　bugle　calls　and　the　bells
were　charming；　the　week's　wash　hung　out　to　dry　had　its　picturesqueness　by
day；　and　by　night　the　spectral　play　of　the　search…lights　along　the　waves
and　shores；　and　against　the　startled　skies；　was　even　more　impressive。
There　was　a　band　which　gave　us　every　evening　the　airs　of　the　latest　coon…
songs；　and　the　national　anthems　which　we　have　borrowed　from　various
nations；　and　yes；　I　remember　the　white　squadron　kindly；　though　I　was　so
glad　to　have　it　go；　and　let　us　lapse　back　into　our　summer　silence　and
calm。　　It　was　（I　do　not　mind　saying　now）　a　majestic　sight　to　see　those
grotesque　monsters　gather　themselves　together；　and　go　wallowing；　one
after　another；　out　of　the　harbor；　and　drop　behind　the　ledge　of　Whaleback
Light；　as　if　they　had　sunk　into　the　sea。


V。

A　deep　peace　fell　upon　us　when　they　went；　and　it　must　have　been　at　this
most　receptive　moment；　when　all　our　sympathies　were　adjusted　in　a　mood　of
hospitable　expectation；　that　Jim　appeared。

Jim　was；　and　still　is；　and　I　hope　will　long　be；　a　cat；　but　unless　one　has
lived　at　Kittery　Point；　and　realized；　from　observation　and　experience；
what　a　leading　part　cats　may　play　in　society；　one　cannot　feel　the　full
import　of　this　fact。　　Not　only　has　every　house　in　Kittery　its　cat；　but
every　house　seems　to　have　its　half…dozen　cats；　large；　little；　old；　and
young；　of　divers　colors；　tending　mostly　to　a　dark　tortoise…shell。　　With　a
whole　ocean　inviting　to　the　tragic　rite；　I　do　not　believe　there　is　ever　a
kitten　drowned　in　Kittery；　the　illimitable　sea　rather　employs　itself　in
supplying　the　fish　to　which　〃no　cat's　averse；〃　but　which　the　cats　of
Kittery　demand　to　have　cooked。　　They　do　not　like　raw　fish；　they　say　it
plainly；　and　they　prefer　to　have　the　bones　taken　out　for　them；　though
they　do　not　insist　upon　that　point。

At　least；　Jim　never　did　so　from　the　time　when　he　first　scented　the　odor
of　delicate　young　mackerel　in　the　evening　air　about　our　kitchen；　and
dropped　in　upon　the　maids　there　with　a　fine　casual　effect　of　being　merely
out　for　a　walk；　and　feeling　it　a　neighborly　thing　to　call。　　He　had　on　a
silver　collar；　engraved　with　his　name　and　surname；　which　offered　itself
for　introduction　like　a　visiting…card。　　He　was　too　polite　to　ask　himself
to　the　table　at　once；　but　after　he　had　been　welcomed　to　the　family
circle；　he　formed　the　habit　of　finding　himself　with　us　at　breakfast　and
supper；　when　he　sauntered　in　like　one　who　should　say；　〃Did　I　smell　fish？〃
but　would　not　go　further　in　the　way　of　hinting。

He　had　no　need　to　do　so。　　He　was　made　at　home；　and　freely　invited　to　our
best　not　only　in　fish；　but　in　chicken；　for　which　he　showed　a　nice　taste；
and　in　sweetcorn；　for　which　he　revealed　a　most　surprising　fondness　when
it　was　cut　from　the　cob　for　him。　　After　he　had　breakfasted　or　supped　he
gracefully　suggested　that　he　was　thirsty　by　climbing　to　the　table　where
the　water…pitcher　stood　and　stretching　his　fine　feline　head　towards　it。
When　he　had　lapped　up　his　saucer　of　water；　he　marched　into　the　parlor；
and　riveted　the　chains　upon　our　fondness　by　taking　the　best　chair　and
going　to　sleep　in　it　in　attitudes　of　Egyptian；　of　Assyrian　majesty。
His　arts　were　few　or　none；　he　rather　disdained　to　practise　any；　he
completed　our　conquest　by　maintaining　himself　simply　a　fascinating
presence；　and　perhaps　we　spoiled　Jim。　　It　is　certain　that　he　came　under
my　window　at　two　o'clock　one　night；　and　tried　the　kitchen　door。　　It
resisted　his　efforts　to　get　in；　and　then　Jim　began　to　use　language　which
I　had　never