the pit-第11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！


For　the　matter　of　that；　it　had　been　built　for　just　that　purpose。　　Its　style　of　architecture　was　distantly　ecclesiastic；　with　a　suggestion　of　Gothic　to　some　of　the　doors　and　windows。　　The　material　used　was　solid；　massive；　the　walls　thick；　the　foundation　heavy。　　It　did　not　occupy　the　entire　lot；　the　original　builder　seeming　to　have　preferred　garden　space　to　mere　amplitude　of　construction；　and　in　addition　to　the　inevitable　〃back　yard；〃　a　lawn　bordered　it　on　three　sides。　　It　gave　the　place　a　certain　air　of　distinction　and　exclusiveness。　Vines　grew　thick　upon　the　southern　walls；　in　the　summer　time　fuchsias；　geraniums；　and　pansies　would　flourish　in　the　flower　beds　by　the　front　stoop。　　The　grass　plat　by　the　curb　boasted　a　couple　of　trees。　　The　whole　place　was　distinctive；　individual；　and　very　homelike；　and　came　as　a　grateful　relief　to　the　endless　lines　of　houses　built　of　yellow　Michigan　limestone　that　pervaded　the　rest　of　the　neighbourhood　in　every　direction。

〃I　love　the　place；〃　exclaimed　Laura。　　〃I　think　it's　as　pretty　a　house　as　I　have　seen　in　Chicago。〃

〃Well；　it　isn't　so　spick　and　span；〃　commented　Page。　〃It　gives　you　the　idea　that　we're　not　new…rich　and　showy　and　all。〃

But　Aunt　Wess'　was　not　yet　satisfied。

〃_You_　may　see；　Laura；〃　she　remarked；　〃how　you　are　going　to　heat　all　that　house　with　that　one　furnace；　but　I　declare　_I_　don't。〃

Their　car；　or　rather　their　train　of　cars；　coupled　together　in　threes；　in　Chicago　style；　came；　and　Landry　escorted　them　down　town。　　All　the　way　Laura　could　not　refrain　from　looking　out　of　the　windows；　absorbed　in　the　contemplation　of　the　life　and　aspects　of　the　streets。

〃You　will　give　yourself　away；〃　said　Page。　　〃Everybody　will　know　you're　from　the　country。〃

〃I　am；〃　she　retorted。　　〃But　there's　a　difference　between　just　mere　'country'　and　Massachusetts；　and　I'm　not　ashamed　of　it。〃

Chicago；　the　great　grey　city；　interested　her　at　every　instant　and　under　every　condition。　　As　yet　she　was　not　sure　that　she　liked　it；　she　could　not　forgive　its　dirty　streets；　the　unspeakable　squalor　of　some　of　its　poorer　neighbourhoods　that　sometimes　developed；　like　cancerous　growths；　in　the　very　heart　of　fine　residence　districts。　The　black　murk　that　closed　every　vista　of　the　business　streets　oppressed　her；　and　the　soot　that　stained　linen　and　gloves　each　time　she　stirred　abroad　was　a　never…　ending　distress。

But　the　life　was　tremendous。　　All　around；　on　every　side；　in　every　direction　the　vast　machinery　of　Commonwealth　clashed　and　thundered　from　dawn　to　dark　and　from　dark　till　dawn。　　Even　now；　as　the　car　carried　her　farther　into　the　business　quarter；　she　could　hear　it；　see　it；　and　feel　in　her　every　fibre　the　trepidation　of　its　motion。　　The　blackened　waters　of　the　river；　seen　an　instant　between　stanchions　as　the　car　trundled　across　the　State　Street　bridge；　disappeared　under　fleets　of　tugs；　of　lake　steamers；　of　lumber　barges　from　Sheboygan　and　Mackinac；　of　grain　boats　from　Duluth；　of　coal　scows　that　filled　the　air　with　impalpable　dust；　of　cumbersome　schooners　laden　with　produce；　of　grimy　rowboats　dodging　the　prows　and　paddles　of　the　larger　craft；　while　on　all　sides；　blocking　the　horizon；　red　in　color　and　designated　by　Brobdignag　letters；　towered　the　hump…shouldered　grain　elevators。

Just　before　crossing　the　bridge　on　the　north　side　of　the　river　she　had　caught　a　glimpse　of　a　great　railway　terminus。　　Down　below　there；　rectilinear；　scientifically　paralleled　and　squared；　the　Yard　disclosed　itself。　　A　system　of　grey　rails　beyond　words　complicated　opened　out　and　spread　immeasurably。　Switches；　semaphores；　and　signal　towers　stood　here　and　there。　　A　dozen　trains；　freight　and　passenger；　puffed　and　steamed；　waiting　the　word　to　depart。　　Detached　engines　hurried　in　and　out　of　sheds　and　roundhouses；　seeking　their　trains；　or　bunted　the　ponderous　freight　cars　into　switches；　trundling　up　and　down；　clanking；　shrieking；　their　bells　filling　the　air　with　the　clangour　of　tocsins。　　Men　in　visored　caps　shouted　hoarsely；　waving　their　arms　or　red　flags；　drays；　their　big　dappled　horses；　feeding　in　their　nose　bags；　stood　backed　up　to　the　open　doors　of　freight　cars　and　received　their　loads。　　A　train　departed　roaring。　Before　midnight　it　would　be　leagues　away　boring　through　the　Great　Northwest；　carrying　Tradethe　life　blood　of　nationsinto　communities　of　which　Laura　had　never　heard。　　Another　train；　reeking　with　fatigue；　the　air　brakes　screaming；　arrived　and　halted；　debouching　a　flood　of　passengers；　business　men；　bringing　Tradea　galvanising　elixirfrom　the　very　ends　and　corners　of　the　continent。

Or；　again；　it　was　South　Water　Streeta　jam　of　delivery　wagons　and　market　carts　backed　to　the　curbs；　leaving　only　a　tortuous　path　between　the　endless　files　of　horses；　suggestive　of　an　actual　barrack　of　cavalry。　Provisions；　market　produce；　〃garden　truck　〃　and　fruits；　in　an　infinite　welter　of　crates　and　baskets；　boxes；　and　sacks；　crowded　the　sidewalks。　　The　gutter　was　choked　with　an　overflow　of　refuse　cabbage　leaves；　soft　oranges；　decaying　beet　tops。　　The　air　was　thick　with　the　heavy　smell　of　vegetation。　　Food　was　trodden　under　foot；　food　crammed　the　stores　and　warehouses　to　bursting。　　Food　mingled　with　the　mud　of　the　highway。　The　very　dray　horses　were　gorged　with　an　unending　nourishment　of　snatched　mouthfuls　picked　from　backboard；　from　barrel　top；　and　from　the　edge　of　the　sidewalk。　　The　entire　locality　reeked　with　the　fatness　of　a　hundred　thousand　furrows。　　A　land　of　plenty；　the　inordinate　abundance　of　the　earth　itself　emptied　itself　upon　the　asphalt　and　cobbles　of　the　quarter。　　It　was　the　Mouth　of　the　City；　and　drawn　from　all　directions；　over　a　territory　of　immense　area；　this　glut　of　crude　subsistence　was　sucked　in；　as　if　into　a　rapacious　gullet；　to　feed　the　sinews　and　to　nourish　the　fibres　of　an　immeasurable　colossus。

Suddenly　the　meaning　and　significance　of　it　all　dawned　upon　Laura。　　The　Great　Grey　City；　brooking　no　rival；　imposed　its　dominion　upon　a　reach　of　country　larger　than　many　a　kingdom　of　the　Old　World。　　For；　thousands　of　miles　beyond　its　confines　was　its　influence　felt。　Out；　far　out；　far　away　in　the　snow　and　shadow　of　Northern　Wisconsin　forests；　axes　and　saws　bit　the　bark　of　century…old　trees；　stimulated　by　this　city's　energy。　Just　as　far　to　the　southward　pick　and　drill　leaped　to　the　assault　of　veins　of　anthracite；　moved　by　her　central　power。　　Her　force　turned　the　wheels　of　harvester　and　seeder　a　thousand　miles　distant　in　Iowa　and　Kansas。　Her　force　spun　the　screws　and　propellers　of　innumerable　squadrons　of　lake　steamers　crowding　the　Sault　Sainte　Marie。　　For　her　and　because　of　her　all　the　Central　States；　all　the　Great　Northwest　roared　with　traffic　and　industry；　sawmills　screamed；　factories；　their　smoke　blackening　the　sky；　clashed　and　flamed；　wheels　turned；　pistons　leaped　in　their　cylinders；　cog　gripped　cog；　beltings　clasped　the　drums　of　mammoth　wheels；　and　converters　of　forges　belched　into　the　clouded　air　their　tempest　breath　of　molten　steel。

It　was　Empire；　the　resistless　subjugation　of　all　this　central　world　of　the　lakes　and　the　prairies。　　Here；　mid…most　in　the　land；　beat　the　Heart　of　the　Nation；　whence　inevitably　must　come　its　immeasurable　power；　its　infinite；　infinite；　inexhaustible　vitality。　　Here；　of　all　her　cities；　throbbed　the　true　lifethe　true　power　and　spirit　of　America；　gigantic；　crude　with　the　crudity　of　youth；　disdaining　rivalry；　sane　and　healthy　and　vigorous；　brutal　in　its　ambition；　arrogant　in　the　new…　found　knowledge　of　its　giant　strength；　prodigal　of　its　wealth；　infinite　in　its　desires。　　In　its　capacity　boundless；　in　its　courage　indomitable；　subduing　the　wilderness　in　a　single　generation；　defying　calamity；　and　through　the　flame　and　the　debris　of　a　commonwealth　in　ashes；　rising　suddenly　renewed；　formidable；　and　Titanic。

Laura；　her　eyes　dizzied；　her　ears　stunned；　watched　tirelessly。

〃There　is　something　terrible　about　it；〃　she　murmured；　half　to　herself；　〃something　insensate。　　In　a　way；　it　doesn't　seem　human。　　It's　like　a　great　tidal　wave。　It's　all　very　well　for　the　individual　just　so　long　as　he　can　keep　afloat；　but　once　fallen；　how　horribly　quick　it　would　crush　him；　annihilate　him；　how　horribly　quick；　and　with　such　horrible　indifference！　I　suppose　it's　civilisation　in　the　making；　the　thing　that　isn't　meant　to　be　seen；　as　though　it　were　too　elemental；　too　primordial；　like　the　first　verses　of　Genesis。〃

The　impression　remained　long　with　her；　and　not　even　the　gaiety　of　their　little　supper　could　altogether　disperse　it。　　She　was　a　little　frightenedfrightened　of　the　vast；　cruel　machinery　of　the　city's　life；　and　of　the　men　who　could　dare　it；　who　conquered　it。　　For　a　moment　they　seemed；　in　a　sense；　more　terrible　than　the　city　itselfmen　for　whom　all　this　crash　of　conflict　and　commerce　had　no　terrors。　　Those　who　could　subdue　it　to　their　purposes；　must　they　not　be　themselves　more　terrible；　more　pitiless；　more　brutal？　　She　shrank　a　little。　　What　could　women　ever　know　of　the　life　of　men；　after　all？　　Even　Landry；　extravagant　as　he　was；　so　young；　so　exuberant；　so　seemingly　innocentshe　knew　that　he　was　spoken　of　as　a　good　business　man。　　He；　too；　then　had　his　other　side。　　For　him　the　Battle　of　the　Street　was　an　exhilaration。　　Beneath　that　boyish　exterior　was　the　tough　coarseness；　the　male　hardness；　the　callousness　that　met　the　brunt　and　wi