the confessions of a summer colonist-第3节

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the　car　pitches　down　a　sharp　incline；　and　twists　almost　at　right　angles
on　a　sudden　curve　at　the　bottom　without　slacking　its　speed。　　A　lady　who
ventured　an　appeal　to　the　conductor　at　one　such　crisis　was　reassured；　and
at　the　same　time　taught　her　place；　by　his　reply：　〃That　motorman's　life；
ma'am；　is　just　as　precious　to　him　as　what　yours　is　to　you。〃

She　had；　perhaps；　really　ventured　too　far；　for　ordinarily　the　employees
of　the　trolley　do　not　find　occasion　to　use　so　much　severity　with　their
passengers。　　They　look　after　their　comfort　as　far　as　possible；　and　seek
even　to　anticipate　their　wants　in　unexpected　cases；　if　I　may　believe　a
story　which　was　told　by　a　witness。　　She　had　long　expected　to　see　some　one
thrown　out　of　the　open　car　at　one　of　the　sharp　curves；　and　one　day　she
actually　saw　a　woman　hurled　from　the　seat　into　the　road。　　Luckily　the
woman　slighted　on　her　feet；　and　stood　looking　round　in　a　daze。

〃Oh！　oh！〃　exclaimed　another　woman　in　the　seat　behind；　〃she's　left　her
umbrella！〃

The　conductor　promptly　threw　it　out　to　her。

〃Why；〃　demanded　the　witness；　〃did　that　lady　wish　to　get　out　here？〃

The　conductor　hesitated　before　he　jerked　the　bellpull　to　go　on：　Then　he
said；　〃Well；　she'll　want　her　umbrella；　anyway。〃

The　conductors　are；　in　fact；　very　civil　as　well　as　kind。　　If　they　see　a
horse　in　anxiety　at　the　approach　of　the　car；　they　considerately　stop；　and
let　him　get　by　with　his　driver　in　safety。　　By　such　means；　with　their
frequent　trips　and　low　fares；　and　with　the　ease　and　comfort　of　their
cars；　they　have　conciliated　public　favor；　and　the　trolley　has　drawn
travel　away　from　the　steam　railroad　in　such　measure　that　it　ran　no　trains
last　winter。

The　trolley；　in　fact；　is　a　fad　of　the　summer　folks　this　year；　but　what　it
will　be　another　no　one　knows；　it　may　be　their　hissing　and　by…word。　　In
the　mean　time；　as　I　have　already　suggested；　they　have　other　amusements。
These　are　not　always　of　a　nature　so　general　as　the　trolley；　or　so
particular　as　the　tea。　　But　each　of　the　larger　hotels　has　been　fully
supplied　with　entertainments　for　the　benefit　of　their　projectors；　though
nearly　everything　of　the　sort　had　some　sort　of　charitable　slant。　　I
assisted　at　a　stereopticon　lecture　on　Alaska　for　the　aid　of　some　youthful
Alaskans　of　both　sexes；　who　were　shown　first　in　their　savage　state；　and
then　as　they　appeared　after　a　merely　rudimental　education；　in　the
costumes　and　profiles　of　our　own　civilization。　　I　never　would　have
supposed　that　education　could　do　so　much　in　so　short　a　time；　and　I　gladly
gave　my　mite　for　their　further　development　in　classic　beauty　and　a　final
elegance。　　My　mite　was　taken　up　in　a　hat；　which；　passed　round　among　the
audience；　is　a　common　means　of　collecting　the　spectators'　expressions　of
appreciation。　　Other　entertainments；　of　a　prouder　frame；　exact　an
admission　fee；　but　I　am　not　sure　that　these　are　better　than　some　of　the
hat…shows；　as　they　are　called。

The　tale　of　our　summer　amusements　would　be　sadly　incomplete　without　some
record　of　the　bull…fights　given　by　the　Spanish　prisoners　of　war　on　the
neighboring　island；　where　they　were　confined　the　year　of　the　war。
Admission　to　these　could　be　had　only　by　favor　of　the　officers　in　charge；
and　even　among　the　Elite　of　the　colony　those　who　went　were　a　more　elect
few。　　Still；　the　day　I　went；　there　were　some　fifty　or　seventy…five
spectators；　who　arrived　by　trolley　near　the　island；　and　walked　to　the
stockade　which　confined　the　captives。　　A　real　bull…fight；　I　believe；　is
always　given　on　Sunday；　and　Puritan　prejudice　yielded　to　usage　even　in
the　case　of　a　burlesque　bull…fight；　at　any　rate；　it　was　on　a　Sunday　that
we　crouched　in　an　irregular　semicircle　on　a　rising　ground　within　the
prison　pale；　and　faced　the　captive　audience　in　another　semicircle；　across
a　little　alley　for　the　entrances　and　exits　of　the　performers。　　The
president　of　the　bull…fight　was　first　brought　to　the　place　of　honor　in　a
hand…cart；　and　then　came　the　banderilleros；　the　picadores；　and　the
espada；　wonderfully　effective　and　correct　in　white　muslin　and　colored
tissue…paper。　　Much　may　be　done　in　personal　decoration　with　advertising
placards；　and　the　lofty　mural　crown　of　the　president　urged　the　public　on
both　sides　to　Use　Plug　Cut。　　The　picador's　pasteboard　horse　was　attached
to　his　middle；　fore　and　aft；　and　looked　quite　the　sort　of　hapless　jade
which　is　ordinarily　sacrificed　to　the　bulls。　　The　toro　himself　was
composed　of　two　prisoners；　whose　horizontal　backs　were　covered　with　a
brown　blanket；　and　his　feet；　sometimes　bare　and　sometimes　shod　with
india…rubber　boots；　were　of　the　human　pattern。　　Practicable　horns；　of　a
somewhat　too　yielding　substance；　branched　from　a　front　of　pasteboard；　and
a　cloth　tail；　apt　to　come　off　in　the　charge；　swung　from　his　rear。　　I　have
never　seen　a　genuine　corrida；　but　a　lady　present；　who　had；　told　me　that
this　was　conducted　with　all　the　right　circumstance；　and　it　is　certain
that　the　performers　entered　into　their　parts　with　the　artistic　gust　of
their　race。　　The　picador　sustained　some　terrific　falls；　and　in　his
quality　of　horse　had　to　be　taken　out　repeatedly　and　sewed　up；　the
banderilleros　tormented　and　eluded　the　toro　with　table…covers；　one　red
and　two　drab；　till　the　espada　took　him　from　them；　and　with　due　ceremony；
after　a　speech　to　the　president；　drove　his　blade　home　to　the　bull's
heart。　　I　stayed　to　see　three　bulls　killed；　the　last　was　uncommonly
fierce；　and　when　his　hindquarters　came　off　or　out；　his　forequarters
charged　joyously　among　the　aficionados　on　the　prisoners'　side；　and　made
havoc　in　their　thickly　packed　ranks。　　The　espada　who　killed　this　bull　was
showered　with　cigars　and　cigarettes　from　our　side。

I　do　not　know　what　the　Sabbath…keeping　shades　of　the　old　Puritans　made　of
our　presence　at　such　a　fete　on　Sunday；　but　possibly　they　had　got　on　so
far　in　a　better　life　as　to　be　less　shocked　at　the　decay　of　piety　among　us
than　pleased　at　the　rise　of　such　Christianity　as　had　brought　us；　like
friends　and　comrades；　together　with　our　public　enemies　in　this　harmless
fun。　　I　wish　to　say　that　the　tobacco　lavished　upon　the　espada　was
collected　for　the　behoof　of　all　the　prisoners。

Our　fiction　has　made　so　much　of　our　summer　places　as　the　mise　en　scene　of
its　love　stories　that　I　suppose　I　ought　to　say　something　of　this　side　of
our　colonial　life。　　But　after　sixty　I　suspect　that　one's　eyes　are　poor
for　that　sort　of　thing；　and　I　can　only　say　that　in　its　earliest　and
simplest　epoch　the　Port　was　particularly　famous　for　the　good　times　that
the　young　people　had。　　They　still　have　good　times；　though　whether　on　just
the　old　terms　I　do　not　know。　　I　know　that　the　river　is　still　here　with
its　canoes　and　rowboats；　its　meadowy　reaches　apt　for　dual　solitude；　and
its　groves　for　picnics。　　There　is　not　much　bicyclingthe　roads　are　rough
and　hillybut　there　is　something　of　it；　and　it　is　mighty　pretty　to　see
the　youth　of　both　sexes　bicycling　with　their　heads　bare。　　They　go　about
bareheaded　on　foot　and　in　buggies；　too；　and　the　young　girls　seek　the　tan
which　their　mothers　used　so　anxiously　to　shun。

The　sail…boats；　manned　by　weather…worn　and　weatherwise　skippers；　are
rather　for　the　pleasure　of　such　older　summer　folks　as　have　a　taste　for
cod…fishing；　which　is　here　very　good。　　But　at　every　age；　and　in　whatever
sort　our　colonists　amuse　themselves；　it　is　with　the　least　possible
ceremony。　　It　is　as　if；　Nature　having　taken　them　so　hospitably　to　her
heart；　they　felt　convention　an　affront　to　her。　　Around　their　cottages；　as
I　have　said；　they　prefer　to　leave　her　primitive　beauty　untouched；　and　she
rewards　their　forbearance　with　such　a　profusion　of　wild　flowers　as　I　have
seen　nowhere　else。　　The　low；　pink　laurel　flushed　all　the　stony　fields　to
the　edges　of　their　verandas　when　we　first　came；　the　meadows　were　milk…
white　with　daisies；　in　the　swampy　places　delicate　orchids　grew；　in　the
pools　the　flags　and　flowering　rushes；　all　the　paths　and　way…sides　were
set　with　dog…roses；　the　hollows　and　stony　tops　were　broadly　matted　with
ground　juniper。　　Since　then　the　goldenrod　has　passed　from　glory　to　glory；
first　mixing　its　yellow…powdered　plumes　with　the　red…purple　tufts　of　the
iron…weed；　and　then　with　the　wild　asters　everywhere。　　There　has　come
later　a　dwarf　sort；　six　or　ten　inches　high；　wonderfully　rich　and　fine；
which；　with　a　low；　white　aster；　seems　to　hold　the　field　against
everything　else；　though　the　taller　golden…rod　and　the　masses　of　the　high；
blue　asters　nod　less　thickly　above　it。　　But　these　smaller　blooms　deck　the
ground　in　incredible　profusion；　and　have　an　innocent　air　of　being　stuck
in；　as　if　they　had　been　fancifully　used　for　ornament　by　children　or
Indians。

In　a　little　while　now；　as　it　is　almost　the　end　of　September；　all　the
feathery　gold　will　have　faded　to　the　soft；　pale　ghosts　of　that
loveliness。　　The　summer　birds　have　long　been　silent；　the　crows；　as　if
they　were　so　many　exultant　natives；　are　shouting　in　the　blue　sky　above
the　windrows　of　the　rowan；　in　jubilant　prescience　of　the　depopulation　of
our　colony；　which　fled　the　hotels　a　fortnight　ago。　　The　days　are　growing
shorter；　and　the　red　evenings　falling　earlier；　so　that　the　cottagers'
husbands　who　come　up　every　Saturday　from　town　might　well　be　impatient　for
a　M