drift from two shores(漂流)-第40节
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of a carriage brought a crowd of half…naked children and a comely； cleanly；
kind…faced mulatto woman。
Yes； this was the house。 He was upstairs； rather poorly； but asleep；
she thought。
We went upstairs。 In the first chamber； clean； though poorly
furnished； lay Dobbs。 On a pine table near his bed were letters and
memorials to the various departments； and on the bed…quilt； unfinished；
but just as the weary fingers had relaxed their grasp upon it； lay a letter to
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the Tape Department。
As we entered the room he lifted himself on his elbow。 〃Fanny！〃 he
said； quickly； and a shade of disappointment crossed his face。 〃I thought
it was a message from the secretary；〃 he added； apologetically。
The poor woman had suffered too much already to shrink from this
last crushing blow。 But she walked quietly to his side without a word or
cry； knelt； placed her loving arms around him； and I left them so together。
When I called again in the evening he was better； so much better that；
against the doctor's orders； he had talked to her quite cheerfully and
hopefully for an hour； until suddenly raising her bowed head in his two
hands； he said； 〃Do you know； dear； that in looking for help and influence
there was one； dear； I had forgotten； one who is very potent with kings and
councilors； and I think； love； I shall ask Him to interest Himself in my
behalf。 It is not too late yet； darling； and I shall seek Him to…morrow。〃
And before the morrow came he had sought and found Him； and I
doubt not got a good place。
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A SLEEPING…CAR EXPERIENCE
It was in a Pullman sleeping…car on a Western road。 After that first
plunge into unconsciousness which the weary traveler takes on getting into
his berth； I awakened to the dreadful revelation that I had been asleep only
two hours。 The greater part of a long winter night was before me to face
with staring eyes。
Finding it impossible to sleep； I lay there wondering a number of
things： why； for instance； the Pullman sleeping…car blankets were unlike
other blankets； why they were like squares cut out of cold buckwheat
cakes； and why they clung to you when you turned over； and lay heavy on
you without warmth； why the curtains before you could not have been
made opaque； without being so thick and suffocating； why it would not be
as well to sit up all night half asleep in an ordinary passenger…car as to lie
awake all night in a Pullman。 But the snoring of my fellow…passengers
answered this question in the negative。
With the recollection of last night's dinner weighing on me as heavily
and coldly as the blankets； I began wondering why； over the whole extent
of the continent； there was no local dish； why the bill of fare at restaurant
and hotel was invariably only a weak reflex of the metropolitan hostelries；
why the entrees were always the same； only more or less badly cooked；
why the traveling American always was supposed to demand turkey and
cold cranberry sauce； why the pretty waiter…girl apparently shuffled your
plates behind your back； and then dealt them over your shoulder in a
semicircle； as if they were a hand at cards； and not always a good one？
Why； having done this； she instantly retired to the nearest wall； and gazed
at you scornfully； as one who would say； 〃Fair sir； though lowly； I am
proud； if thou dost imagine that I would permit undue familiarity of
speech； beware！〃 And then I began to think of and dread the coming
breakfast； to wonder why the ham was always cut half an inch thick； and
why the fried egg always resembled a glass eye that visibly winked at you
with diabolical dyspeptic suggestions； to wonder if the buckwheat cakes；
the eating of which requires a certain degree of artistic preparation and
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deliberation； would be brought in as usual one minute before the train
started。 And then I had a vivid recollection of a fellow…passenger who； at a
certain breakfast station in Illinois； frantically enwrapped his portion of
this national pastry in his red bandana handkerchief； took it into the
smoking…car； and quietly devoured it en route。
Lying broad awake； I could not help making some observations which
I think are not noticed by the day traveler。 First； that the speed of a train
is not equal or continuous。 That at certain times the engine apparently
starts up； and says to the baggage train behind it； 〃Come； come； this won't
do！ Why； it's nearly half…past two； how in h…ll shall we get through？
Don't you talk to ME。 Pooh； pooh！〃 delivered in that rhythmical fashion
which all meditation assumes on a railway train。 Exempli gratia： One
night； having raised my window…curtain to look over a moonlit snowy
landscape； as I pulled it down the lines of a popular comic song flashed
across me。 Fatal error！ The train instantly took it up； and during the
rest of the night I was haunted by this awful refrain： 〃Pull down the bel…
lind； pull down the bel…lind； simebody's klink klink； O don't be shoo…
shoo！〃 Naturally this differs on the different railways。 On the New
York Central； where the road…bed is quite perfect and the steel rails
continuous； I have heard this irreverent train give the words of a certain
popular revival hymn after this fashion： 〃Hold the fort； for I am Sankey；
Moody slingers still。 Wave the swish swash back from klinky； klinky
klanky kill。〃 On the New York and New Haven； where there are many
switches； and the engine whistles at every cross road； I have often heard；
〃Tommy make room for your whooopy！ that's a little clang； bumpity；
bumpity； boopy； clikitty； clikitty； clang。〃 Poetry； I fear； fared little better。
One starlit night； coming from Quebec； as we slipped by a virgin forest；
the opening lines of Evangeline flashed upon me。 But all I could make
of them was this： 〃This is the forest primeval…eval； the groves of the pines
and the hemlocks… locks…locks…locks…loooock！〃 The train was only
〃slowing〃 or 〃braking〃 up at a station。 Hence the jar in the metre。
I had noticed a peculiar Aeolian harp…like cry that ran through the
whole train as we settled to rest at last after a long runan almost sigh of
infinite relief； a musical sigh that began in C and ran gradually up to F
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natural； which I think most observant travelers have noticed day and night。
No railway official has ever given me a satisfactory explanation of it。 As
the car； in a rapid run； is always slightly projected forward of its trucks； a
practical friend once suggested to me that it was the gradual settling back
of the car body to a state of inertia； which； of course； every poetical
traveler would reject。 Four o'clock the sound of boot…blacking by the
porter faintly apparent from the toilet…room。 Why not talk to him？ But；
fortunately； I remembered that any attempt at extended conversation with
conductor or porter was always resented by them as implied disloyalty to
the company they represented。 I recalled that once I had endeavored to
impress upon a conductor the absolute folly of a midnight inspection of
tickets； and had been treated by him as an escaped lunatic。 No； there was
no relief from this suffocating and insupportable loneliness to be gained
then。 I raised the window…blind and looked out。 We were passing a
farm…house。 A light；
