manalive-第31节

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and　rushing　forward　disappeared　among　the　trees。
I　have　not　seen　this　man　again　nor　any　other　man。
The　virtues　of　the　wise　are　of　fine　brass。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Wong…Hi。〃


〃The　next　letter　I　have　to　read；〃　proceeded　Arthur　Inglewood；　〃will　probably
make　clear　the　nature　of　our　client's　curious　but　innocent　experiment。
It　is　dated　from　a　mountain　village　in　California；　and　runs　as　follows：


〃Sir；A　person　answering　to　the　rather　extraordinary
description　required　certainly　went；　some　time　ago；
over　the　high　pass　of　the　Sierras　on　which　I　live　and
of　which　I　am　probably　the　sole　stationary　inhabitant。
I　keep　a　rudimentary　tavern；　rather　ruder　than　a　hut；
on　the　very　top　of　this　specially　steep　and　threatening　pass。
My　name　is　Louis　Hara；　and　the　very　name　may　puzzle　you
about　my　nationality。　　Well；　it　puzzles　me　a　great　deal。
When　one　has　been　for　fifteen　years　without　society　it　is　hard
to　have　patriotism；　and　where　there　is　not　even　a　hamlet　it
is　difficult　to　invent　a　nation。　　My　father　was　an　Irishman　of
the　fiercest　and　most　free…shooting　of　the　old　Californian　kind。
My　mother　was　a　Spaniard；　proud　of　descent　from　the　old
Spanish　families　round　San　Francisco；　yet　accused　for　all　that
of　some　admixture　of　Red　Indian　blood。　　I　was　well　educated
and　fond　of　music　and　books。　　But；　like　many　other　hybrids；
I　was　too　good　or　too　bad　for　the　world；　and　after　attempting
many　things　I　was　glad　enough　to　get　a　sufficient　though
a　lonely　living　in　this　little　cabaret　in　the　mountains。
In　my　solitude　I　fell　into　many　of　the　ways　of　a　savage。
Like　an　Eskimo；　I　was　shapeless　in　winter；　like　a　Red　Indian；　I　wore
in　hot　summers　nothing　but　a　pair　of　leather　trousers；　with　a
great　straw　hat　as　big　as　a　parasol　to　defend　me　from　the　sun。
I　had　a　bowie　knife　at　my　belt　and　a　long　gun　under　my　arm；
and　I　dare　say　I　produced　a　pretty　wild　impression　on　the　few
peaceable　travellers　that　could　climb　up　to　my　place。
But　I　promise　you　I　never　looked　as　mad　as　that　man　did。
Compared　with　him　I　was　Fifth　Avenue。

〃I　dare　say　that　living　under　the　very　top　of　the　Sierras　has　an　odd
effect　on　the　mind；　one　tends　to　think　of　those　lonely　rocks　not　as　peaks
coming　to　a　point；　but　rather　as　pillars　holding　up　heaven　itself。
Straight　cliffs　sail　up　and　away　beyond　the　hope　of　the　eagles；
cliffs　so　tall　that　they　seem　to　attract　the　stars　and　collect　them　as
sea…crags　collect　a　mere　glitter　of　phosphorous。　　These　terraces　and　towers
of　rock　do　not；　like　smaller　crests；　seem　to　be　the　end　of　the　world。
Rather　they　seem　to　be　its　awful　beginning：　　its　huge　foundations。
We　could　almost　fancy　the　mountain　branching　out　above　us　like　a　tree
of　stone；　and　carrying　all　those　cosmic　lights　like　a　candelabrum。
For　just　as　the　peaks　failed　us；　soaring　impossibly　far；
so　the　stars　crowded　us　（as　it　seemed）；　coming　impossibly　near。
The　spheres　burst　about　us　more　like　thunderbolts　hurled　at　the　earth
than　planets　circling　placidly　about　it。

〃All　this　may　have　driven　me　mad：　　I　am　not　sure。　　I　know　there　is　one
angle　of　the　road　down　the　pass　where　the　rock　leans　out　a　little；
and　on　window　nights　I　seem　to　hear　it　clashing　overhead　with　other　rocks
yes；　city　against　city　and　citadel　against　citadel；　far　up　into　the　night。
It　was　on　such　an　evening　that　the　strange　man　struggled　up　the　pass。
Broadly　speaking；　only　strange　men　did　struggle　up　the　pass。
But　I　had　never　seen　one　like　this　one　before。

〃He　carried　（I　cannot　conceive　why）　a　long；　dilapidated
garden　rake；　all　bearded　and　bedraggled　with　grasses；
so　that　it　looked　like　the　ensign　of　some　old　barbarian　tribe。
His　hair；　which　was　as　long　and　rank　as　the　grass；　hung　down
below　his　huge　shoulders；　and　such　clothes　as　clung　about　him
were　rags　and　tongues　of　red　and　yellow；　so　that　he　had　the　air
of　being　dressed　like　an　Indian　in　feathers　or　autumn　leaves。
The　rake　or　pitchfork；　or　whatever　it　was；　he　used　sometimes
as　an　alpenstock；　sometimes　（I　was　told）　as　a　weapon。
I　do　not　know　why　he　should　have　used　it　as　a　weapon；　for　he　had；
and　afterwards　showed　me；　an　excellent　six…shooter　in　his　pocket。
‘But　THAT；'　he　said；　‘I　use　only　for　peaceful　purposes。'
I　have　no　notion　what　he　meant。

〃He　sat　down　on　the　rough　bench　outside　my　inn　and　drank　some　wine
from　the　vineyards　below；　sighing　with　ecstasy　over　it　like　one
who　had　travelled　long　among　alien；　cruel　things　and　found　at　last
something　that　he　knew。　　Then　he　sat　staring　rather　foolishly　at
the　rude　lantern　of　lead　and　coloured　glass　that　hangs　over　my　door。
It　is　old；　but　of　no　value；　my　grandmother　gave　it　to　me　long　ago：
she　was　devout；　and　it　happens　that　the　glass　is　painted　with　a　crude
picture　of　Bethlehem　and　the　Wise　Men　and　the　Star。　　He　seemed
so　mesmerized　with　the　transparent　glow　of　Our　Lady's　blue　gown　and
the　big　gold　star　behind；　that　he　led　me　also　to　look　at　the　thing；
which　I　had　not　done　for　fourteen　years。

〃Then　he　slowly　withdrew　his　eyes　from　this　and　looked　out　eastward
where　the　road　fell　away　below　us。　　The　sunset　sky　was　a　vault
of　rich　velvet；　fading　away　into　mauve　and　silver　round　the　edges
of　the　dark　mountain　ampitheatre；　and　between　us　and　the　ravine　below
rose　up　out　of　the　deeps　and　went　up　into　the　heights　the　straight
solitary　rock　we　call　Green　Finger。　　Of　a　queer　volcanic　colour；
and　wrinkled　all　over　with　what　looks　undecipherable　writing；
it　hung　there　like　a　Babylonian　pillar　or　needle。

〃The　man　silently　stretched　out　his　rake　in　that　direction；
and　before　he　spoke　I　knew　what　he　meant。　　Beyond　the　great　green
rock　in　the　purple　sky　hung　a　single　star。

〃‘A　star　in　the　east；'　he　said　in　a　strange　hoarse　voice　like　one　of　our
ancient　eagles'。　‘The　wise　men　followed　the　star　and　found　the　house。
But　if　I　followed　the　star；　should　I　find　the　house？'

〃‘It　depends　perhaps；'　I　said；　smiling；　‘on　whether　you　are　a　wise　man。'
I　refrained　from　adding　that　he　certainly　didn't　look　it。

〃‘You　may　judge　for　yourself；'　he　answered。　　‘I　am　a　man　who　left　his　own
house　because　he　could　no　longer　bear　to　be　away　from　it。'

〃‘It　certainly　sounds　paradoxical；'　I　said。

〃‘I　heard　my　wife　and　children　talking　and　saw　them　moving
about　the　room；'　he　continued；　‘and　all　the　time　I　knew
they　were　walking　and　talking　in　another　house　thousands
of　miles　away；　under　the　light　of　different　skies；　and　beyond
the　series　of　the　seas。　　I　loved　them　with　a　devouring　love；
because　they　seemed　not　only　distant　but　unattainable。
Never　did　human　creatures　seem　so　dear　and　so　desirable：
but　I　seemed　like　a　cold　ghost；　therefore　I　cast　off
their　dust　from　my　feet　for　a　testimony。　　Nay；　I　did　more。
I　spurned　the　world　under　my　feet　so　that　it　swung　full　circle
like　a　treadmill。'

〃‘Do　you　really　mean；'　I　cried；　‘that　you　have　come　right　round　the　world？
Your　speech　is　English；　yet　you　are　coming　from　the　west。'

〃‘My　pilgrimage　is　not　yet　accomplished；'　he　replied　sadly。
‘I　have　become　a　pilgrim　to　cure　myself　of　being　an　exile。'

〃Something　in　the　word　‘pilgrim'　awoke　down　in　the　roots
of　my　ruinous　experience　memories　of　what　my　fathers　had
felt　about　the　world；　and　of　something　from　whence　I　came。
I　looked　again　at　the　little　pictured　lantern　at　which　I　had
not　looked　for　fourteen　years。

〃‘My　grandmother；'　I　said　in　a　low　tone；　‘would　have　said　that　we
were　all　in　exile；　and　that　no　earthly　house　could　cure　the　holy
home…sickness　that　forbids　us　rest。'

〃He　was　silent　a　long　while；　and　watched　a　single　eagle　drift
out　beyond　the　Green　Finger　into　the　darkening　void。

〃Then　he　said；　‘I　think　your　grandmother　was　right；'　and　stood　up
leaning　on　his　grassy　pole。　　‘I　think　that　must　be　the　reason；'
he　said‘the　secret　of　this　life　of　man；　so　ecstatic　and　so　unappeased。
But　I　think　there　is　more　to　be　said。　　I　think　God　has　given　us
the　love　of　special　places；　of　a　hearth　and　of　a　native　land；
for　a　good　reason。'

〃‘I　dare　say；'　I　said。　　‘What　reason？'

〃‘Because　otherwise；'　he　said；　pointing　his　pole　out　at　the　sky　and　the　abyss；
‘we　might　worship　that。'

〃‘What　do　you　mean？'　　I　demanded。

〃‘Eternity；'　he　said　in　his　harsh　voice；　‘the　largest　of　the　idols
the　mightiest　of　the　rivals　of　God。'

〃‘You　mean　pantheism　and　infinity　and　all　that；'　I　suggested。

〃‘I　mean；'　he　said　with　increasing　vehemence；　‘that　if　there　be　a　house
for　me　in　heaven　it　will　either　have　a　green　lamp…post　and　a　hedge；
or　something　quite　as　positive　and　personal　as　a　green　lamp…post
and　a　hedge。　　I　mean　that　God　bade　me　love　one　spot　and　serve　it；
and　do　all　things　however　wild　in　praise　of　it；　so　that　this　one　spot
might　be　a　witness　against　all　the　infinities　and　the　sophistries；
that　Paradise　is　somewhere　and　not　anywhere；　is　something　and　not　anything。
And　I　would　not　be　so　very　much　surprised　if　the　house　in　heaven　had
a　real　green　lamp…post　after　all。'

〃With　which　he　shouldered　his　pole　and　went　striding　down
the　perilous　paths　below；　and　left　me　alone　with　the　eagles。
But　since　he　went　a　fever　of　homelessness　will　often　shake　me。
I　am　troubled　by　rainy　meadows　and　mud　cabins　that　I　have
never　seen；　and　I　wonder　whether　America　will　endure。
Yours　faithfully；　Louis　Hara。〃


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