the voice of the city(城市之声)-第21节
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The laughter of the two seemed at last to penetrate the candy man。 He
fumbled with his horseshoe pin。 At length Mademoiselle； ex… hausted；
turned her flushed； beautiful face to the win… dow。
〃Candy man；〃 said she； 〃go away。 When I laugh Sidonie pulls my hair。
I can but laugh while you remain there。〃
〃Here is a note for Mademoiselle；〃 said Fe1ice； coming to the window
in the room。
〃There is no justice；〃 said the candy man； lift… ing the handle of his
cart and moving away。
Three yards he moved； and stopped。 Loud shriek after shriek came
from the window of Mademoiselle。 Quickly he ran back。 He heard a body
thumping upon the floor and a sound as though heels beat alter… nately
upon it。
〃What is it？〃 be called。
Sidonie's severe head came into the window。
〃Mademoiselle is overcome by bad news；〃 she said。 〃One whom she
loved with all her soul has gone you may have beard of him he is
Monsieur Ives。 He sails across the ocean to…morrow。 Oh； you men！〃
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SQUARING THE CIRCLE
At the hazard of wearying you this tale of vehe… ment emotions must
be prefaced by a discourse on geometry。
Nature moves in circles； Art in straight lines。 The natural is rounded；
the artificial is made up of angles。 A man lost in the snow wanders； in spite
of himself； in perfect circles； the city man's feet； denaturalized by
rectangular streets and floors； carry him ever away from himself。
The round eyes of childhood typify innocence； the narrowed line of
the flirt's optic proves the in… vasion of art。 The horizontal mouth is the
mark of determined cunning； who has not read Nature's most spontaneous
lyric in lips rounded for the candid kiss？
Beauty is Nature in perfection； circularity is its chief attribute。 Behold
the full moon； the enchant… ing golf ball； the domes of splendid temples；
the huckleberry pie； the wedding ring； the circus ring； the ring for the
waiter； and the 〃round〃 of drinks。
On the other hand； straight lines show that Na… ture has been deflected。
Imagine Venus's girdle transformed into a 〃straight front〃！
When we begin to move in straight lines and turn sharp corners our
natures begin to change。 The consequence is that Nature； being more
adaptive than Art； tries to conform to its sterner regulations。 The result is
often a rather curious product for in… stance： A prize chrysanthemum；
wood alcohol whis… key； a Republican Missouri； cauliflower au gratin； and
a New Yorker；
Nature is lost quickest in a big city。 The cause is geometrical； not
moral。 The straight lines of its streets and architecture； the rectangularity
of its laws and social customs； the undeviating pavements； the hard； severe；
depressing； uncompromising rules of all its ways even of its recreation
and sports coldly exhibit a sneering defiance of the curved line of
Nature。
Wherefore； it may be said that the big city has demonstrated the
problem of squaring the circle。 And it may be added that this mathematical
intro… duction precedes an account of the fate of a Kentucky feud that was
imported to the city that has a habit of making its importations conform to
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The Voice of the City
its angles。
The feud began in the Cumberland Mountains be… tween the Folwell
and the Harkness families。 The first victim of the homespun vendetta was
a 'possum dog belonging to Bill Harkness。 The Harkness family evened up
this dire loss by laying out the chief of the Folwell clan。 The Folwells
were prompt at repartee。 They oiled up their squirrel rifles and made it
feasible for Bill Harkness to follow his dog to a land where the 'possums
come down when treed without the stroke of an ax。
The feud flourished for forty years。 Harknesses were shot at the
plough； through their lamp…lit cabin windows； coming from camp…meeting；
asleep； in duello； sober and otherwise； singly and in family groups；
prepared and unprepared。 Folwells had the branches of their family tree
lopped off in similar ways； as the traditions of their country prescribed and
authorized。
By and by the pruning left but a single member of each family。 And
then Cal Harkness； probably reasoning that further pursuance of the
controversy would give a too decided personal flavor to the feud； suddenly
disappeared from the relieved Cumberlands； baulking the avenging hand
of Sam； the ultimate op… posing Folwell。
A year afterward Sam Folwell learned that his hereditary；
unsuppressed enemy was living in New York City。 Sam turned over the
big iron wash…pot in the yard； scraped off some of the soot； which he
mixed with lard and shined his boots with the com… pound。 He put on his
store clothes of butternut dyed black； a white shirt and collar； and packed a
carpet…sack with Spartan lingerie。 He took his squirrel rifle from its hooks；
but put it back again with a sigh。 However ethical and plausible the habit
might be in the Cumberlands； perhaps New York would not swallow his
pose of hunting squirrels among the skyscrapers along Broadway。 An
ancient but reliable Colt's revolver that he resurrected from a bureau
drawer seemed to proclaim itself the pink of weapons for metropolitan
adventure and vengeance。 This and a hunting…knife in a leather sheath；
Sam packed in the carpet…sack。 As he started； Muleback； for the lowland
railroad station the last Folwell turned in his saddle and looked grimly at
the little cluster of white…pine slabs in the clump of cedars that marked the
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The Voice of the City
Folwell burying…ground。
Sam Folwell arrived in New York in the night。 Still moving and living
in the free circles of nature； he did not perceive the formidable； pitiless；
restless； fierce angles of the great city waiting in the dark to close about
the rotundity of his heart and brain and mould him to the form of its
millions of re…shaped victims。 A cabby picked him out of the whirl； as Sam
himself had often picked a nut from a bed of wind…tossed autumn leaves；
and whisked him away to a hotel commensurate to his boots and carpet…
sack。
On the next morning the last of the Folwells made his sortie into the
city that sheltered the last Hark… ness。 The Colt was thrust beneath his coat
and se… cured by a narrow leather belt； the hunting…knife hung between his
shoulder…blades； with the haft an inch below his coat collar。 He knew this
much that Cal Harkness drove an express wagon some… where in that
town； and that he； Sam Folwell； had come to kill him。 And as he stepped
upon the side… walk the red came into his eye and the feud…hate into his
heart。
The clamor of the central avenues drew him thith… erward。 He had half
expected to see Cal coming down the street in his shirt…sleeves； with a jug
and a whip in his hand； just as he would have seen him in Frankfort or
Laurel City。 But an hour went by and Cal did not appear。 Perhaps he was
waiting in ambush； to shoot him from a door or a window。 Sam kept a
sharp eye on doors and windows for a while。
About noon the city tired of playing with its mouse and suddenly
squeezed him with its straight lines。
Sam Folwell stood where two great； rectangular arteries of the city
cross。 He looked four ways； and saw the world burled from its orbit and
reduced by spirit level and tape to an edged and cornered plane。 All life
moved on tracks； in grooves； accord… ing to system； within boundaries； by
rote。 The root of life was the cube root； the measure of existence was
square measure。 People streamed by in straight rows； the horrible din and
crash stupefied him。
Sam leaned against the sharp corner of a stone building。 Those faces
passed him by thousands； and none of them were turned toward him
