the complete writings-4-第23节

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　　　　〃So　am　I　as　the　rich；　whose　blessed　key　　　　　　Can　bring　him　to　his　sweet　up…locked　treasure；　　　　　　The　which　he　will　not　every　hour　survey；　　　　　　For　blunting　the　fine　point　of　seldom　pleasure。　　　　　　Therefore　are　feasts　so　solemn　and　so　rare；　　　　　　Since　seldom　coming；　in　the　long　year　set；　　　　　　Like　stones　of　wealth　they　thinly　placed　are；　　　　　　Or　captain　jewels　in　the　carcanet。〃

Five　miles　beyond　Ramsey's　the　Tennessee　line　was　crossed。　　The　Laurel　became　more　rocky；　swift；　full　of　rapids；　and　the　valley　narrowed　down　to　the　riverway；　with　standing　room；　however；　for　stately　trees　along　the　banks。　　The　oaks；　both　black　and　white；　were；　as　they　had　been　all　day；　gigantic　in　size　and　splendid　in　foliage。　There　is　a　certain　dignity　in　riding　in　such　stately　company；　and　the　travelers　clattered　along　over　the　stony　road　under　the　impression　of　possible　high　adventure　in　a　new　world　of　such　freshness。　　Nor　was　beauty　wanting。　　The　rhododendrons　had；　perhaps；　a　week　ago　reached　their　climax；　and　now　began　to　strew　the　water　and　the　ground　with　their　brilliant　petals；　dashing　all　the　way　with　color；　but　they　were　still　matchlessly　beautiful。　　Great　banks　of　pink　and　white　covered　the　steep　hillsides；　the　bending　stems；　ten　to　twenty　feet　high；　hung　their　rich　clusters　over　the　river；　avenues　of　glory　opened　away　in　the　glade　of　the　stream；　and　at　every　turn　of　the　winding　way　vistas　glowing　with　the　hues　of　romance　wrenched　exclamations　of　delight　and　wonder　from　the　Shakespearean　sonneteer　and　his　humble　Friend。　　In　the　deep　recesses　of　the　forest　suddenly　flamed　to　the　view；　like　the　splashes　of　splendor　on　the　somber　canvas　of　an　old　Venetian；　these　wonders　of　color；the　glowing　summer…heart　of　the　woods。

It　was　difficult　to　say；　meantime；　whether　the　road　was　laid　out　in　the　river；　or　the　river　in　the　road。　　In　the　few　miles　to　Egger's　（this　was　the　destination　of　our　great　expectations　for　the　night）　the　stream　was　crossed　twenty…seven　times；or　perhaps　it　would　be　more　proper　to　say　that　the　road　was　crossed　twenty…seven　times。　Where　the　road　did　not　run　in　the　river；　its　bed　was　washed　out　and　as　stony　as　the　bed　of　the　stream。　　This　is　a　general　and　accurate　description　of　all　the　roads　in　this　region；　which　wind　along　and　in　the　streams；　through　narrow　valleys；　shut　in　by　low　and　steep　hills。　The　country　is　full　of　springs　and　streams；　and　between　Abingdon　and　Egger's　is　only　one　（small）　bridge。　　In　a　region　with　scarcely　any　level　land　or　intervale；　farmers　are　at　a　disadvantage。　　All　along　the　road　we　saw　nothing　but　mean　shanties；　generally　of　logs；　with　now　and　then　a　decent　one…story　frame；　and　the　people　looked　miserably　poor。

As　we　picked　our　way　along　up　the　Laurel；　obliged　for　the　most　part　to　ride　single…file；　or　as　the　Professor　expressed　it；

　　　　〃Let　me　confess　that　we　two　must　be　twain；　　　　　　Although　our　undivided　loves　are　one；〃

we　gathered　information　about　Egger's　from　the　infrequent　hovels　on　the　road；　which　inflamed　our　imaginations。　　Egger　was　the　thriving　man　of　the　region；　and　lived　in　style　in　a　big　brick　house。　　We　began　to　feel　a　doubt　that　Egger　would　take　us　in；　and　so　much　did　his　brick　magnificence　impress　us　that　we　regretted　we　had　not　brought　apparel　fit　for　the　society　we　were　about　to　enter。

It　was　half…past　six；　and　we　were　tired　and　hungry；　when　the　domain　of　Egger　towered　in　sight；a　gaunt；　two…story　structure　of　raw　brick；　unfinished；　standing　in　a　narrow　intervale。　　We　rode　up　to　the　gate；　and　asked　a　man　who　sat　in　the　front…door　porch　if　this　was　Egger's；　and　if　we　could　be　accommodated　for　the　night。　　The　man；　without　moving；　allowed　that　it　was　Egger's；　and　that　we　could　probably　stay　there。　　This　person；　however；　exhibited　so　much　indifference　to　our　company；　he　was　such　a　hairy；　unkempt　man；　and　carried　on　face；　hands；　and　clothes　so　much　more　of　the　soil　of　the　region　than　a　prudent　proprietor　would　divert　from　raising　corn；　that　we　set　him　aside　as　a　poor　relation；　and　asked　for　Mr。　Egger。　　But　the　man；　still　without　the　least　hospitable　stir；　admitted　that　that　was　the　name　he　went　by；　and　at　length　advised　us　to　〃lite〃　and　hitch　our　horses；　and　sit　on　the　porch　with　him　and　enjoy　the　cool　of　the　evening。　　The　horses　would　be　put　up　by　and　by；　and　in　fact　things　generally　would　come　round　some　time。　　This　turned　out　to　be　the　easy　way　of　the　country。　　Mr。　Egger　was　far　from　being　inhospitable；　but　was　in　no　hurry；　and　never　had　been　in　a　hurry。　　He　was　not　exactly　a　gentleman　of　the　old　school。　　He　was　better　than　that。　　He　dated　from　the　time　when　there　were　no　schools　at　all；　and　he　lived　in　that　placid　world　which　is　without　information　and　ideas。　　Mr。　Egger　showed　his　superiority　by　a　total　lack　of　curiosity　about　any　other　world。

This　brick　house；　magnificent　by　comparison　with　other　dwellings　in　this　country；　seemed　to　us；　on　nearer　acquaintance；　only　a　thin；　crude　shell　of　a　house；　half　unfinished；　with　bare　rooms；　the　plastering　already　discolored。　　In　point　of　furnishing　it　had　not　yet　reached　the　〃God　bless　our　Home〃　stage　in　crewel。　　In　the　narrow　meadow；　a　strip　of　vivid　green　south　of　the　house；　ran　a　little　stream；　fed　by　a　copious　spring；　and　over　it　was　built　the　inevitable　spring…house。　　A　post；　driven　into　the　bank　by　the　stream；　supported　a　tin　wash…basin；　and　here　we　performed　our　ablutions。　　The　traveler　gets　to　like　this　freedom　and　primitive　luxury。

The　farm　of　Egger　produces　corn；　wheat；　grass；　and　sheep；　it　is　a　good　enough　farm；　but　most　of　it　lies　at　an　angle　of　thirty…five　to　forty　degrees。　　The　ridge　back　of　the　house；　planted　in　corn；　was　as　steep　as　the　roof　of　his　dwelling。　　It　seemed　incredible　that　it　ever　could　have　been　plowed；　but　the　proprietor　assured　us　that　it　was　plowed　with　mules；　and　I　judged　that　the　harvesting　must　be　done　by　squirrels。　　The　soil　is　good　enough；　if　it　would　stay　in　place；　but　all　the　hillsides　are　seamed　with　gullies。　　The　discolored　state　of　the　streams　was　accounted　for　as　soon　as　we　saw　this　cultivated　land。　No　sooner　is　the　land　cleared　of　trees　and　broken　up　than　it　begins　to　wash。　　We　saw　more　of　this　later；　especially　in　North　Carolina；　where　we　encountered　no　stream　of　water　that　was　not　muddy；　and　saw　no　cultivated　ground　that　was　not　washed。　　The　process　of　denudation　is　going　on　rapidly　wherever　the　original　forests　are　girdled　（a　common　way　of　preparing　for　crops）；　or　cut　away。

As　the　time　passed　and　there　was　no　sign　of　supper；　the　question　became　a　burning　one；　and　we　went　to　explore　the　kitchen。　　No　sign　of　it　there。　　No　fire　in　the　stove；　nothing　cooked　in　the　house；　of　course。　　Mrs。　Egger　and　her　comely　young　barefooted　daughter　had　still　the　milking　to　attend　to；　and　supper　must　wait　for　the　other　chores。　　It　seemed　easier　to　be　Mr。　Egger；　in　this　state　of　existence；　and　sit　on　the　front　porch　and　meditate　on　the　price　of　mules　and　the　prospect　of　a　crop；　than　to　be　Mrs。　Egger；　whose　work　was　not　limited　from　sun　to　sun；　who　had；　in　fact；　a　day's　work　to　do　after　the　men…folks　had　knocked　off；　whose　chances　of　neighborhood　gossip　were　scanty；　whose　amusements　were　confined　to　a　religious　meeting　once　a　fortnight。　　Good；　honest　people　these；　not　unduly　puffed　up　by　the　brick　house；　grubbing　away　year　in　and　year　out。　Yes；　the　young　girl　said；　there　was　a　neighborhood　party；　now　and　then；　in　the　winter。　　What　a　price　to　pay　for　mere　life！

Long　before　supper　was　ready；　nearly　nine　o'clock；　we　had　almost　lost　interest　in　it。　　Meantime　two　other　guests　had　arrived；　a　couple　of　drovers　from　North　Carolina；　who　brought　into　the　circleby　this　time　a　wood…fire　had　been　kindled　in　the　sitting…room；　which　contained　a　bed；　an　almanac；　and　some　old　copies　of　a　newspapera　rich　flavor　of　cattle；　and　talk　of　the　price　of　steers。　　As　to　politics；　although　a　presidential　campaign　was　raging；　there　was　scarcely　an　echo　of　it　here。　　This　was　Johnson　County；　Tennessee；　a　strong　Republican　county　but　dog…gone　it；　says　Mr。　　Egger；　it's　no　use　to　vote；　our　votes　are　overborne　by　the　rest　of　the　State。　　Yes；　they'd　got　a　Republican　member　of　Congress；he'd　heard　his　name；　but　he'd　forgotten　it。　　The　drover　said　he'd　heard　it　also；　but　he　didn't　take　much　interest　in　such　things；　though　he　wasn't　any　Republican。　Parties　is　pretty　much　all　for　office；　both　agreed。　　Even　the　Professor；　who　was　traveling　in　the　interest　of　Reform；　couldn't　wake　up　a　discussion　out　of　such　a　state　of　mind。

Alas！　　the　supper；　served　in　a　room　dimly　lighted　with　a　smoky　lamp；　on　a　long　table　covered　with　oilcloth；　was　not　of　the　sort　to　arouse　the　delayed　and　now　gone　appetite　of　a　Reformer；　and　yet　it　did　not　lack　variety：　cornpone　（Indian　meal　stirred　up　with　water　and　heated　through）；　hot　biscuit；　slack…baked　and　livid；　fried　salt…pork　swimming　in　grease；　apple…butter；　pickled　beets；　onions　and　cucumbers　raw；　coffee　（so…called）；　buttermilk；　and　sweet　milk　when　specially　asked　for　（the　correct　taste；　however；　is　for　buttermilk）；　and　pie。　This　was　not　the　pie　of　commerce；　but　the　pie　of　the　country；two　thick　slabs　of　dough；　with　a　squeezing　of　apple　between。　　The　profusion　of　this　supper　staggered　the　novices；　but　the　drovers　attacked　it　as　if　such　cooking　were　a　common　occurrence）　and　did　justice　to　the　weary　labors　of　Mrs。