three men on the bummel-第15节

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eighteenpenny　book　of　photographic　views　than　from　all　the　works　of
Coleridge；　Southey；　and　Wordsworth　put　together。　　I　also　remember
his　saying　concerning　this　subject　of　scenery　in　literature；　that
he　would　thank　an　author　as　much　for　writing　an　eloquent
description　of　what　he　had　just　had　for　dinner。　　But　this　was　in
reference　to　another　argument；　namely；　the　proper　province　of　each
art。　　My　friend　maintained　that　just　as　canvas　and　colour　were　the
wrong　mediums　for　story　telling；　so　word…painting　was；　at　its　best；
but　a　clumsy　method　of　conveying　impressions　that　could　much　better
be　received　through　the　eye。

As　regards　the　question；　there　also　lingers　in　my　memory　very
distinctly　a　hot　school　afternoon。　　The　class　was　for　English
literature；　and　the　proceedings　commenced　with　the　reading　of　a
certain　lengthy；　but　otherwise　unobjectionable；　poem。　　The　author's
name；　I　am　ashamed　to　say；　I　have　forgotten；　together　with　the
title　of　the　poem。　　The　reading　finished；　we　closed　our　books；　and
the　Professor；　a　kindly；　white…haired　old　gentleman；　suggested　our
giving　in　our　own　words　an　account　of　what　we　had　just　read。

〃Tell　me；〃　said　the　Professor；　encouragingly；　〃what　it　is　all
about。〃

〃Please；　sir；〃　said　the　first　boyhe　spoke　with　bowed　head　and
evident　reluctance；　as　though　the　subject　were　one　which；　left　to
himself；　he　would　never　have　mentioned；〃it　is　about　a　maiden。〃

〃Yes；〃　agreed　the　Professor；　〃but　I　want　you　to　tell　me　in　your　own
words。　　We　do　not　speak　of　a　maiden；　you　know；　we　say　a　girl。　　Yes；
it　is　about　a　girl。　　Go　on。〃

〃A　girl；〃　repeated　the　top　boy；　the　substitution　apparently
increasing　his　embarrassment；　〃who　lived　in　a　wood。〃

〃What　sort　of　a　wood？〃　asked　the　Professor。

The　first　boy　examined　his　inkpot　carefully；　and　then　looked　at　the
ceiling。

〃Come；〃　urged　the　Professor；　growing　impatient；　〃you　have　been
reading　about　this　wood　for　the　last　ten　minutes。　　Surely　you　can
tell　me　something　concerning　it。〃

〃The　gnarly　trees；　their　twisted　branches〃recommenced　the　top
boy。

〃No；　no；〃　interrupted　the　Professor；　〃I　do　not　want　you　to　repeat
the　poem。　　I　want　you　to　tell　me　in　your　own　words　what　sort　of　a
wood　it　was　where　the　girl　lived。〃

The　Professor　tapped　his　foot　impatiently；　the　top　boy　made　a　dash
for　it。

〃Please；　sir；　it　was　the　usual　sort　of　a　wood。〃

〃Tell　him　what　sort　of　a　wood；〃　said　he；　pointing　to　the　second
lad。

The　second　boy　said　it　was　a　〃green　wood。〃　　This　annoyed　the
Professor　still　more；　he　called　the　second　boy　a　blockhead；　though
really　I　cannot　see　why；　and　passed　on　to　the　third；　who；　for　the
last　minute；　had　been　sitting　apparently　on　hot　plates；　with　his
right　arm　waving　up　and　down　like　a　distracted　semaphore　signal。
He　would　have　had　to　say　it　the　next　second；　whether　the　Professor
had　asked　him　or　not；　he　was　red　in　the　face；　holding　his　knowledge
in。

〃A　dark　and　gloomy　wood；〃　shouted　the　third　boy；　with　much　relief
to　his　feelings。

〃A　dark　and　gloomy　wood；〃　repeated　the　Professor；　with　evident
approval。　　〃And　why　was　it　dark　and　gloomy？〃

The　third　boy　was　still　equal　to　the　occasion。

〃Because　the　sun　could　not　get　inside　it。〃

The　Professor　felt　he　had　discovered　the　poet　of　the　class。

〃Because　the　sun　could　not　get　into　it；　or；　better；　because　the
sunbeams　could　not　penetrate。　　And　why　could　not　the　sunbeams
penetrate　there？〃

〃Please；　sir；　because　the　leaves　were　too　thick。〃

〃Very　well；〃　said　the　Professor。　　〃The　girl　lived　in　a　dark　and
gloomy　wood；　through　the　leafy　canopy　of　which　the　sunbeams　were
unable　to　pierce。　　Now；　what　grew　in　this　wood？〃　　He　pointed　to　the
fourth　boy。

〃Please；　sir；　trees；　sir。〃

〃And　what　else？〃

〃Toadstools；　sir。〃　　This　after　a　pause。

The　Professor　was　not　quite　sure　about　the　toadstools；　but　on
referring　to　the　text　he　found　that　the　boy　was　right；　toadstools
had　been　mentioned。

〃Quite　right；〃　admitted　the　Professor；　〃toadstools　grew　there。　　And
what　else？　　What　do　you　find　underneath　trees　in　a　wood？〃

〃Please；　sir；　earth；　sir。〃

〃No；　no；　what　grows　in　a　wood　besides　trees？〃

〃Oh；　please；　sir；　bushes；　sir。〃

〃Bushes；　very　good。　　Now　we　are　getting　on。　　In　this　wood　there
were　trees　and　bushes。　　And　what　else？〃

He　pointed　to　a　small　boy　near　the　bottom；　who　having　decided　that
the　wood　was　too　far　off　to　be　of　any　annoyance　to　him；
individually；　was　occupying　his　leisure　playing　noughts　and　crosses
against　himself。　　Vexed　and　bewildered；　but　feeling　it　necessary　to
add　something　to　the　inventory；　he　hazarded　blackberries。　　This　was
a　mistake；　the　poet　had　not　mentioned　blackberries。

〃Of　course；　Klobstock　would　think　of　something　to　eat；〃　commented
the　Professor；　who　prided　himself　on　his　ready　wit。　　This　raised　a
laugh　against　Klobstock；　and　pleased　the　Professor。

〃You；〃　continued　he；　pointing　to　a　boy　in　the　middle；　〃what　else
was　there　in　this　wood　besides　trees　and　bushes？〃

〃Please；　sir；　there　was　a　torrent　there。〃

〃Quite　right；　and　what　did　the　torrent　do？〃

〃Please；　sir；　it　gurgled。〃

〃No；　no。　　Streams　gurgle；　torrents？〃

〃Roar；　sir。〃

〃It　roared。　　And　what　made　it　roar？〃

This　was　a　poser。　　One　boyhe　was　not　our　prize　intellect；　I
admitsuggested　the　girl。　　To　help　us　the　Professor　put　his
question　in　another　form：

〃When　did　it　roar？〃

Our　third　boy；　again　coming　to　the　rescue；　explained　that　it　roared
when　it　fell　down　among　the　rocks。　　I　think　some　of　us　had　a　vague
idea　that　it　must　have　been　a　cowardly　torrent　to　make　such　a　noise
about　a　little　thing　like　this；　a　pluckier　torrent；　we　felt；　would
have　got　up　and　gone　on；　saying　nothing　about　it。　　A　torrent　that
roared　every　time　it　fell　upon　a　rock　we　deemed　a　poor　spirited
torrent；　but　the　Professor　seemed　quite　content　with　it。

〃And　what　lived　in　this　wood　beside　the　girl？〃　was　the　next
question。

〃Please；　sir；　birds；　sir。〃

〃Yes；　birds　lived　in　this　wood。　　What　else？〃

Birds　seemed　to　have　exhausted　our　ideas。

〃Come；〃　said　the　Professor；　〃what　are　those　animals　with　tails；
that　run　up　trees？〃

We　thought　for　a　while；　then　one　of　us　suggested　cats。

This　was　an　error；　the　poet　had　said　nothing　about　cats；　squirrels
was　what　the　Professor　was　trying　to　get。

I　do　not　recall　much　more　about　this　wood　in　detail。　　I　only
recollect　that　the　sky　was　introduced　into　it。　　In　places　where
there　occurred　an　opening　among　the　trees　you　could　by　looking　up
see　the　sky　above　you；　very　often　there　were　clouds　in　this　sky；
and　occasionally；　if　I　remember　rightly；　the　girl　got　wet。

I　have　dwelt　upon　this　incident；　because　it　seems　to　me　suggestive
of　the　whole　question　of　scenery　in　literature。　　I　could　not　at　the
time；　I　cannot　now；　understand　why　the　top　boy's　summary　was　not
sufficient。　　With　all　due　deference　to　the　poet；　whoever　he　may
have　been；　one　cannot　but　acknowledge　that　his　wood　was；　and　could
not　be　otherwise　than；　〃the　usual　sort　of　a　wood。〃

I　could　describe　the　Black　Forest　to　you　at　great　length。　　I　could
translate　to　you　Hebel；　the　poet　of　the　Black　Forest。　　I　could
write　pages　concerning　its　rocky　gorges　and　its　smiling　valleys；
its　pine…clad　slopes；　its　rock…crowned　summits；　its　foaming
rivulets　（where　the　tidy　German　has　not　condemned　them　to　flow
respectably　through　wooden　troughs　or　drainpipes）；　its　white
villages；　its　lonely　farmsteads。

But　I　am　haunted　by　the　suspicion　you　might　skip　all　this。　　Were
you　sufficiently　conscientiousor　weak…minded　enoughnot　to　do
so；　I　should；　all　said　and　done；　succeed　in　conveying　to　you　only
an　impression　much　better　summed　up　in　the　simple　words　of　the
unpretentious　guide　book：

〃A　picturesque；　mountainous　district；　bounded　on　the　south　and　the
west　by　the　plain　of　the　Rhine；　towards　which　its　spurs　descend
precipitately。　　Its　geological　formation　consists　chiefly　of
variegated　sandstone　and　granite；　its　lower　heights　being　covered
with　extensive　pine　forests。　　It　is　well　watered　with　numerous
streams；　while　its　populous　valleys　are　fertile　and　well
cultivated。　　The　inns　are　good；　but　the　local　wines　should　be
partaken　of　by　the　stranger　with　discretion。〃



CHAPTER　VI



Why　we　went　to　HanoverSomething　they　do　better　abroadThe　art　of
polite　foreign　conversation；　as　taught　in　English　schoolsA　true
history；　now　told　for　the　first　timeThe　French　joke；　as　provided
for　the　amusement　of　British　youthFatherly　instincts　of　Harris
The　road…waterer；　considered　as　an　artistPatriotism　of　George
What　Harris　ought　to　have　doneWhat　he　didWe　save　Harris's　life…
…A　sleepless　cityThe　cab…horse　as　a　critic。

We　arrived　in　Hamburg　on　Friday　after　a　smooth　and　uneventful
voyage；　and　from　Hamburg　we　travelled　to　Berlin　by　way　of　Hanover。
It　is　not　the　most　direct　route。　　I　can　only　account　for　our　visit
to　Hanover　as　the　nigger　accounted　to　the　magistrate　for　his
appearance　in　the　Deacon's　poultry…yard。

〃Well？〃

〃Yes；　sar；　what　the　constable　sez　is　quite　true；　sar；　I　was　dar；
sar。〃

〃Oh；　so　you　admit　it？　　And　what　were　you　doing　with　a　sack；　pray；
in　Deacon　Abraham's　poultry…yard　at　twelve　o'clock　at　night？〃

〃I'se　gwine　ter　tell　yer；　sar；　yes；　sar。　　I'd　been　to　Massa
Jordan's　wid　a　sack　of　melons。　　Yes；　sar；　an'　M