april hopes-第13节

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difficult　for　the　others。　　In　fact　every　society　is　repellant　of
strangers　in　the　degree　that　it　is　sufficient　to　itself；　and　is　incurious
concerning　the　rest　of　the　world。　　If　it　has　not　the　elements　of　self…
satisfaction　in　it；　if　it　is　uninformed　and　new　and　restless；　it　is　more
hospitable　than　an　older　society　which　has　a　sense　of　merit　founded　upon
historical　documents；　and　need　no　longer　go　out　of　itself　for　comparisons
of　any　sort；　knowing　that　if　it　seeks　anything　better　it　will　probably　be
disappointed。　　The　natural　man；　the　savage；　is　as　indifferent　to　others
as　the　exclusive；　and　those　who　accuse　the　coldness　of　the　Bostonians；
and　their　reluctant　or　repellant　behaviour　toward　unknown　people；　accuse
not　only　civilisation；　but　nature　itself。

That　love　of　independence　which　is　notable　in　us　even　in　our　most
acquiescent　phases　at　home　is　perhaps　what　brings　these　cultivated　and
agreeable　people　so　far　away；　where　they　can　achieve　a　sort　of　sylvan
urbanity　without　responsibility；　and　without　that　measuring　of　purses
which　attends　the　summer　display　elsewhere。　　At　Campobello　one　might　be
poor　with　almost　as　little　shame　as　in　Cambridge　if　one　were　cultivated。
Mrs。　Pasmer；　who　seldom　failed　of　doing　just　the　right　thing　for　herself；
had　promptly　divined　the　advantages　of　Campobello　for　her　family。　She
knew；　by　dint　of　a　little　inquiry；　and　from　the　volunteer　information　of
enthusiasts　who　had　been　there　the　summer　before；　just　who　was　likely　to
be　there　during　the　summer　with　which　she　now　found　herself　confronted。
Campobello　being　yet　a　new　thing；　it　was　not　open　to　the　objection　that
you　were　sure　to　meet　such　and　such　people；　more　or　less　common　or
disagreeable；　there；　whatever　happened；　it　could　be　lightly　handled　in
the　retrospect　as　the　adventure　of　a　partial　and　fragmentary　summer　when
really　she　hardly　cared　where　they　went。

They　did　not　get　away　from　Boston　before　the　middle　of　July；　and　after
the　solitude　they　left　behind　them　there；　the　Owen　at　first　seemed　very
gay。　　But　when　they　had　once　or　twice　compared　it　with　the　Ty'n…y…Coed；
riding　to　and　fro　in　the　barge　which　formed　the　connecting　link　with　the
Saturday　evening　hops　of　the　latter　hotel；　Mrs。　Pasmer　decided　that；　from
Alice's　point　of　view；　they　had　made　a　mistake；　and　she　repaired　it
without　delay。　　The　young　people　were；　in　fact；　all　at　the　Ty'n…y…Coed；
and　though　she　found　the　Owen　perfectly　satisfying　for　herself　and　Mr。
Pasmer；　she　was　willing　to　make　the　sacrifice　of　going　to　a　new　place：　it
was　not　a　great　sacrifice　for　one　who　had　dwelt　so　long　in　tents。

There　were　scarcely　any　young　girls　at　the　Owen；　and　no　young　men；　of
course。　　Even　at　the　Ty'n…y…Coed；　where　young　girls　abounded；　it　would
not　be　right　to　pretend　that　there　were　young　men　enough。　　Nowhere；
perhaps；　except　at　Bar　Harbour；　is　the　long…lost　balance　of　the　sexes
trimmed　in　New　England；　and　even　there　the　observer；　abstractly
delighting　in　the　young　girls　and　their　dresses　at　that　grand　love…
exchange　of　Rodick's；　must　question　whether　the　adjustment　is　perfectly
accurate。

At　Campobello　there　were　not　more　than　half　enough　young　men；　and　there
was　not　enough　flirtation　to　affect　the　prevailing　social　mood　of　the
place：　an　unfevered；　expectationless　tranquillity；　in　which　to…day　is
like　yesterday；　and　to…morrow　cannot　be　different。　　It　is　a　quiet　of
light　reading；　and　slowly；　brokenly　murmured；　contented　gossip　for　the
ladies；　of　old　newspapers　and　old　stories　and　luxuriously　meditated
cigars　for　the　men；　with　occasional　combinations　for　a　steam…launch
cruise　among　the　eddies　and　islands　of　the　nearer　waters；　or　a　voyage
further　off　in　the　Bay　of　Fundy　to　the　Grand　Menan；　and　a　return　for　the
late　dinner　which　marks　the　high　civilisation　of　Campobello；　and　then　an
evening　of　more　reading　and　gossip　and　cigars；　while　the　night　wind
whistles　outside；　and　the　brawl　and　crash　of　the　balls　among　the　tenpins
comes　softened　from　the　distant　alleys。　　There　are　pleasant　walks；　which
people　seldom　take；　in　many　directions；　and　there　are　drives　and　bridle…
paths　all　through　the　dense；　sad；　Northern　woods　which　still　savagely
clothe　the　greater　part　of　the　island　to　its　further　shores；　where　there
are　shelves　and　plateaus　of　rock　incomparable　for　picnicking。

One　need　ask　nothing　better；　in　fact；　than　to　stroll　down　the　sylvan　road
that　leads　to　the　Owen；　past　the　little　fishing…village　with　its　sheds
for　curing　herring；　and　the　pale　blue　smoke　and　appetising　savour
escaping　from　them；　and　past　the　little　chapel　with　which　the　old　Admiral
attested　his　love　of　the　Established　rite。　　On　this　road　you　may
sometimes　meet　a　little　English　bishop　from　the　Provinces；　in　his　apron。
and　knee…breeches；　and　there　is　a　certain　bridge　over　a　narrow　estuary；
where　in　the　shallow　land…locked　pools　of　the　deeply　ebbing　tide　you　may
throw　stones　at　sculpin；　and　witness　the　admirable　indifference　of　those
fish　to　human　cruelty　and　folly。　　In　the　middle　distance　you　will　see　a
group　of　herring　weirs；　which　with　their　coronals　of　tufted　saplings　form
the　very　most　picturesque　aspect　of　any　fishing　industry。　　You　may；　now
and　then　find　an　artist　at　this　point；　who；　crouched　over　his　easel；　or
hers；　seems　to　agree　with　you　about　the　village　and　the　weirs。

But　Alice　Pasmer　cared　little　more　for　such　things　than　her　mother　did；
and　Mrs。　Pasmer　regarded　Nature　in　all　her　aspects　simply　as　an　adjunct
of　society；　or　an　occasional　feature　of　the　entourage。　　The　girl　had　no
such　worldly　feeling　about　it；　but　she　found　slight　sympathy　in　the　moods
of　earth　and　sky　with　her　peculiar　temperament。　　This　temperament；　whose
recondite　origin　had　almost　wholly　broken　up　Mrs。　Pasmer's　faith　in
heredity；　was　like　other　temperaments；　not　always　in　evidence；　and　Alice
was　variously　regarded　as　cold；　of　shy；　or　proud；　or　insipid；　by　the
various　other　temperaments　brought　in　contact　with　her　own。　　She　was　apt
to　be　liked　because　she　was　as　careful　of　others　as　she　was　of　herself；
and　she　never　was　childishly　greedy　about　such　admiration　as　she　won；　as
girls　often　are；　perhaps　because　she　did　not　care　for　it。　　Up　to　this
time　it　is　doubtful　if　her　heart　had　been　touched　even　by　the　fancies
that　shake　the　surface　of　the　soul　of　youth；　and　perhaps　it　was　for　this
reason　that　her　seriousness　at　first　fretted　Mrs。　Pasmer　with　a　vague
anxiety　for　her　future。

Mrs。　Pasmer　herself　remained　inalienably　Unitarian；　but　she　was　aware　of
the　prodigious…growth　which　the　Church　had　been　making　in　society；　and
when　Alice　showed　her　inclination　for　it；　she　felt　that　it　was　not　at　all
as　if　she　had　developed　a　taste　for　orthodoxy；　when　finally　it　did　not
seem　likely　to　go　too　far；　it　amused　Mrs。　Pasmer　that　her　daughter　should
have　taken　so　intensely　to　the　Anglican　rite。

In　the　hotel　it　attached　to　her　by　a　common　interest　several　of　the
ladies　who　had　seen　her　earnestly　responsive　at　the　little　Owen　chapel
ladies　left　to　that　affectional　solitude　which　awaits　long　widowhood
through　the　death　or　marriage　of　children；　and　other　ladies；　younger；
but　yet　beginning　to　grow　old　with　touching　courage。　　Alice　was
especially　a　favourite　with　the　three　or　four　who　represented　their　class
and　condition　at　the　Ty'n…y　Coed；　and　who　read　the　best　books　read　there；
and　had　the　gentlest　manners。　　There　was　a　tacit　agreement　among　these
ladies；　who　could　not　help　seeing　the　difference　in　the　temperaments　of
the　mother　and　daughter；　that　Mrs。　Pasmer　did　not　understand　Alice；　but
probably　there　were　very　few　people　except　herself　whom　Mrs。　Pasmer　did
not　understand　quite　well。　　She　understood　these　ladies　and　their
compassion　for　Alice；　and　she　did　not　in　the　least　resent　it。　　She　was
willing　that　people　should　like　Alice　for　any　reason　they　chose；　if　they
did　not　go　too　far。　　With　her　little　flutter　of　futile　deceits；　her
irreverence　for　every　form　of　human　worth　and　her　trust　in　a　providence
which　had　seldom　failed　her；　she　smiled　at　the　cult　of　Alice's　friends；
as　she　did　at　the　girl's　seriousness；　which　also　she　felt　herself　able　to
keep　from　going　too　far。

While　she　did　not　object　to　the　sympathy　of　these　ladies；　whatever
inspired　it；　she　encouraged　another　intimacy　which　grew　up
contemporaneously　with　theirs；　and　which　was　frankly　secular　and
practical；　though　the　girl　who　attached　herself　to　Alice　with　one　of
those　instant　passions　of　girlhood　was　also　in　every　exterior　observance
a　strict　and　diligent　Churchwoman。　　The　difference　was　through　the
difference　of　Boston　and　New　York　in　everything：　the　difference　between
idealising　and　the　realising　tendency。　　The　elderly　and　middle…aged
Boston　women　who　liked　Alice　had　been　touched　by　something　high　yet　sad
in　the　beauty　of　her　face　at　church；　the　New　York　girl　promptly　owned
that　she　had　liked　her　effect　the　first　Sunday　she　saw　her　there；　and　she
knew　in　a　minute　she　never　got　those　things　on　this　side；　her　obeisances
and　genuflections　throughout　the　service；　much　more　profound　and
punctilious　than　those　of　any　one　else　there；　had　apparently　not
prevented　her　from　making　a　thorough　study　of　Alice's　costume　and　a
correct　conjecture　as　to　its　authorship。

Miss　Anderson；　who　claim