the confessions of a summer colonist-第2节

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their　needs。　　I　doubt　if　we　have　sized　him　up　so　well；　or　if　our　somewhat
conventionalized　ideal　of　him　is　perfectly　representative。　　He　is；
perhaps；　more　complex　than　he　seems；　he　is　certainly　much　more　self…
sufficing　than　might　have　been　expected。　　The　summer　folks　are　the
material　from　which　his　prosperity　is　wrought；　but　he　is　not　dependent；
and　is　very　far　from　submissive。　　As　in　all　right　conditions；　it　is　here
the　employer　who　asks　for　work；　not　the　employee；　and　the　work　must　be
respectfully　asked　for。　　There　are　many　fables　to　this　effect；　as；　for
instance；　that　of　the　lady　who　said　to　a　summer　visitor；　critical　of　the
week's　wash　she　had　brought　home；　〃I'll　wash　you　and　I'll　iron　you；　but　I
won't　take　none　of　your　jaw。〃　　A　primitive　independence　is　the　keynote　of
the　native　character；　and　it　suffers　no　infringement；　but　rather　boasts
itself。　　〃We're　independent　here；　I　tell　you；〃　said　the　friendly　person
who　consented　to　take　off　the　wire　door。　　〃I　was　down　Bangor　way　doin'　a
piece　of　work；　and　a　fellow　come　along；　and　says　he；　'I　want　you　should
hurry　up　on　that　job。'　'Hello！'　says　I；　'I　guess　I'll　pull　out。'　　Well；
we　calculate　to　do　our　work；〃　he　added；　with　an　accent　which　sufficiently
implied　that　their　consciences　needed　no　bossing　in　the　performance。

The　native　compliance　with　any　summer…visiting　request　is　commonly　in
some　such　form　as；　〃Well；　I　don't　know　but　what　I　can；〃　or；　〃I　guess
there　ain't　anything　to　hinder　me。〃　　This　compliance　is　so　rarely；　if
ever；　carried　to　the　point　of　domestic　service　that　it　may　fairly　be　said
that　all　the　domestic　service；　at　least　of　the　cottagers；　is　imported。
The　natives　will　wait　at　the　hotel　tables；　they　will　come　in　〃to
accommodate〃；　but　they　will　not　〃live　out。〃　　I　was　one　day　witness　of　the
extreme　failure　of　a　friend　whose　city　cook　had　suddenly　abandoned　him；
and　who　applied　to　a　friendly　farmer's　wife　in　the　vain　hope　that　she
might　help　him　to　some　one　who　would　help　his　family　out　in　their　strait。
〃Why；　there　ain't　a　girl　in　the　Hollow　that　lives　out！　　Why；　if　you　was
sick　abed；　I　don't　know　as　I　know　anybody　't　you　could　git　to　set　up　with
you。〃　　The　natives　will　not　live　out　because　they　cannot　keep　their　self…
respect　in　the　conditions　of　domestic　service。　　Some　people　laugh　at　this
self…respect；　but　most　summer　folks　like　it；　as　I　own　I　do。

In　our　partly　mythical　estimate　of　the　native　and　his　relation　to　us；　he
is　imagined　as　holding　a　kind　of　carnival　when　we　leave　him　at　the　end　of
the　season；　and　it　is　believed　that　he　likes　us　to　go　early。　　We　have　had
his　good　offices　at　a　fair　price　all　summer；　but　as　it　draws　to　a　close
they　are　rendered　more　and　more　fitfully。　　From　some；　perhaps　flattered；
reports　of　the　happiness　of　the　natives　at　the　departure　of　the
sojourners；　I　have　pictured　them　dancing　a　sort　of　farandole；　and
stretching　with　linked　hands　from　the　farthest　summer　cottage　up　the
river　to　the　last　on　the　wooded　point。　　It　is　certain　that　they　get
tired；　and　I　could　not　blame　them　if　they　were　glad　to　be　rid　of　their
guests；　and　to　go　back　to　their　own　social　life。　　This　includes　church
festivals　of　divers　kinds；　lectures　and　shows；　sleigh…rides；　theatricals；
and　reading…clubs；　and　a　plentiful　use　of　books　from　the　excellently
chosen　free　village　library。　　They　say　frankly　that　the　summer　folks　have
no　idea　how　pleasant　it　is　when　they　are　gone；　and　I　am　sure　that　the
gayeties　to　which　we　leave　them　must　be　more　tolerable　than　those　which
we　go　back　to　in　the　city。　　It　may　be；　however；　that　I　am　too　confident；
and　that　their　gayeties　are　only　different。　　I　should　really　like　to　know
just　what　the　entertainments　are　which　are　given　in　a　building　devoted　to
them　in　a　country　neighborhood　three　or　four　miles　from　the　village。　　It
was　once　a　church；　but　is　now　used　solely　for　social　amusements。




IV

The　amusements　of　the　summer　colony　I　have　already　hinted　at。　　Besides
suppers；　there　are　also　teas；　of　larger　scope；　both　afternoon　and
evening。　　There　are　hops　every　week　at　the　two　largest　hotels；　which　are
practically　free　to　all；　and　the　bathing…beach　is；　of　course；　a　supreme
attraction。　　The　bath…houses；　which　are　very　clean　and　well　equipped；
are　not　very　cheap；　either　for　the　season　or　for　a　single　bath；　and　there
is　a　pretty　pavilion　at　the　edge　of　the　sands。　　This　is　always　full　of
gossiping　spectators　of　the　hardy　adventurers　who　brave　tides　too　remote
from　the　Gulf　Stream　to　be　ever　much　warmer　than　sixty　or　sixty…five
degrees。　　The　bathers　are　mostly　young　people；　who　have　the　courage　of
their　pretty　bathing…costumes　or　the　inextinguishable　ardor　of　their
years。　　If　it　is　not　rather　serious　business　with　them　all；　still　I
admire　the　fortitude　with　which　some　of　them　remain　in　fifteen　minutes。
Beyond　our　colony；　which　calls　itself　the　Port；　there　is　a　far　more
populous　watering…place；　east　of　the　Point；　known　as　the　Beach；　which　is
the　resort　of　people　several　grades　of　gentility　lower　than　ours：　so
many；　in　fact；　that　we　never　can　speak　of　the　Beach　without　averting　our
faces；　or；　at　the　best；　with　a　tolerant　smile。　　It　is　really　a　succession
of　beaches；　all　much　longer　and；　I　am　bound　to　say；　more　beautiful　than
ours；　lined　with　rows　of　the　humbler　sort　of　summer　cottages　known　as
shells；　and　with　many　hotels　of　corresponding　degree。　　The　cottages　may
be　hired　by　the　week　or　month　at　about　two　dollars　a　day；　and　they　are
supposed　to　be　taken　by　inland　people　of　little　social　importance。　　Very
likely　this　is　true；　but　they　seemed　to　be　very　nice；　quiet　people；　and　I
commonly　saw　the　ladies　reading；　on　their　verandas；　books　and　magazines；
while　the　gentlemen　sprayed　the　dusty　road　before　them　with　the　garden
hose。　　The　place　had　also　for　me　an　agreeable　alien　suggestion；　and　in
passing　the　long　row　of　cottages　I　was　slightly　reminded　of　Scheveningen。
Beyond　the　cottage　settlements　is　a　struggling　little　park；　dedicated　to
the　only　Indian　saint　I　ever　heard　of；　though　there　may　be　others。　　His
statue；　colossal　in　sheet…lead；　and　painted　the　copper　color　of　his　race；
offers　any　heathen　comer　the　choice　between　a　Bible　in　one　of　his　hands
and　a　tomahawk　in　the　other；　at　the　entrance　of　the　park；　and　there　are
other　sheet…lead　groups　and　figures　in　the　white　of　allegory　at　different
points。　　It　promises　to　be　a　pretty　enough　little　place　in　future　years；
but　as　yet　it　is　not　much　resorted　to　by　the　excursions　which　largely
form　the　prosperity　of　the　Beach。　　The　concerts　and　the　〃high…class
vaudeville〃　promised　have　not　flourished　in　the　pavilion　provided　for
them；　and　one　of　two　monkeys　in　the　zoological　department　has　perished　of
the　public　inattention。　　This　has　not　fatally　affected　the　captive　bear；
who　rises　to　his　hind　legs；　and　eats　peanuts　and　doughnuts　in　that
position　like　a　fellow…citizen。　　With　the　cockatoos　and　parrots；　and　the
dozen　deer　in　an　inclosure　of　wire　netting；　he　is　no　mean　attraction；　but
he　does　not　charm　the　excursionists　away　from　the　summer　village　at　the
shore；　where　they　spend　long　afternoons　splashing　among　the　waves；　or　in
lolling　groups　of　men；　women；　and　children　on　the　sand。　　In　the　more
active　gayeties；　I　have　seen　nothing　so　decided　during　the　whole　season
as　the　behavior　of　three　young　girls　who　once　came　up　out　of　the　sea；　and
obliged　me　by　dancing　a　measure　on　the　smooth；　hard　beach　in　their
bathing…dresses。

I　thought　it　very　pretty；　but　I　do　not　believe　such　a　thing　could　have
been　seen　on　OUR　beach；　which　is　safe　from　all　excursionists；　and　sacred
to　the　cottage　and　hotel　life　of　the　Port。

Besides　our　beach　and　its　bathing；　we　have　a　reading…club　for　the　men；
evolved　from　one　of　the　old　native　houses；　and　verandaed　round　for　summer
use；　and　we　have　golf…links　and　a　golf　club…house　within　easy　trolley
reach。　　The　links　are　as　energetically；　if　not　as　generally；　frequented
as　the　sands；　and　the　sport　finds　the　favor　which　attends　it　everywhere
in　the　decay　of　tennis。　　The　tennis…courts　which　I　saw　thronged　about　by
eager　girl…crowds；　here；　seven　years　ago；　are　now　almost　wholly　abandoned
to　the　lovers　of　the　game；　who　are　nearly　always　men。

Perhaps　the　only　thing　（besides；　of　course；　our　common　mortality）　which
we　have　in　common　with　the　excursionists　is　our　love　of　the　trolley…line。
This；　by　its　admirable　equipment；　and　by　the　terror　it　inspires　in
horses；　has　well…nigh　abolished　driving；　and　following　the　old　country
roads；　as　it　does；　with　an　occasional　short…cut　though　the　deep；　green…
lighted　woods　or　across　the　prismatic　salt　meadows；　it　is　of　a
picturesque　variety　entirely　satisfying。　　After　a　year　of　fervent
opposition　and　protest；　the　whole　communitywhether　of　summer　or　of
winter　folksnow　gladly　accepts　the　trolley；　and　the　grandest　cottager
and　the　lowliest　hotel　dweller　meet　in　a　grateful　appreciation　of　its
beauty　and　comfort。

Some　pass　a　great　part　of　every　afternoon　on　the　trolley；　and　one　lady
has　achieved　celebrity　by　spending　four　dollars　a　week　in　trolley…rides。
The　exhilaration　of　these　is　varied　with　an　occasional　apprehension　when
the　car　pitches　down　a　sharp　incline；　and　twists　almost　at　right　angles
on　a　sudden　curve　at　the　bottom　without　slackin