adventures and letters-第21节

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s　took　us　up　several　low　but　wide　stairways　to　a　hall。　　In　the　hall　was　a　little　fat　young　man　in　a　frock　coat　and　a　fez；　and　he　shook　hands　with　us；　and　walked　into　another　room　and　we　all　sat　down　on　chairs　covered　with　white　muslin。　　I　talked　and　Little　talked　about　me　and　the　Khedive　pretended　to　be　very　much　honored；　and　said　the　American　who　had　come　over　after　our　rebellion　had　done　more　for　the　officers　in　his　army　than　had　anyone　else；　meaning　the　English。　　He　did　not　say　that　because　we　were　Americans；　but　because　he　hates　the　English。　　He　struck　me　as　being　stubborn；　which　is　one　side　of　stupidness　and　yet　not　stupid；　and　I　occasionally　woke　him　to　bursts　of　enthusiasm　over　the　Soudanese。　　His　bursts　were　chiefly　〃Ali。〃　　Little　seemed　to　amuse　him　very　much；　and　Little　treated　him　exactly　like　a　little　boy　who　needed　to　be　cheered　up。　　I　think　in　one　way　it　was　the　most　curious　contrast　I　ever　saw。　　〃Ed〃　Little　of　Abilene；　Kansas；　telling　the　ruler　of　Egypt　not　to　worry；　that　he　had　plenty　of　years　in　which　to　live　and　that　he　would　get　ahead　of　them　all　yet。　　Those　were　not　his　words；　but　that　was　the　tone；　he　was　perfectly　friendly　and　sincere　about　it。

This　place　appeals　to　me　as　about　the　best　place　with　which　to　get　mixed　up　with　that　I　know；　and　I've　gone　over　a　great　many　maps　since　I　left　home　and　know　just　how　small　the　world　is。　　So；　I　sent　the　Khedive　my　books　after　having　asked　his　permission；　and　received　the　most　abject　thanks。　　And　as　Cromer　called　on　me；　I　am　going　to　drop　around　on　him　with　a　few　of　them。　　Some　day　there　will　be　fine　things　going　on　here；　and　there　is　only　one　God；　and　Lord　Cromer　is　his　Prophet　in　this　country。　　They　think　that　Mohammed　is　but　they　are　wrong。　　He　is　a　very　big　man。　　The　day　he　sent　his　ultimatum　to　the　Khedive　telling　him　to　dismiss　Facta　Pasha　and　put　back　Riaz　Pasha；　he　went　out　in　full　view　of　the　Gezerik　drive　and　played　lawn　tennis。　　Any　man　who　can　cable　for　three　thousand　more　troops　to　Malta　and　stop　a　transport　full　of　two　thousand　more　at　Aden　with　one　hand；　and　bang　tennis　balls　about　with　the　other；　is　going　in　the　long　run　to　get　ahead　of　a　stout　little　boy　in　a　red　fez。　　It　is　getting　awfully　hot　here；　almost　hot　enough　for　me；　and　I　can　lay　aside　my　overcoat　by　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning。　　Everyone　else　has　been　in　flannels　and　pith　helmets；　but　as　they　had　to　wear　overcoats　at　night　I　could　not　see　the　advantage　of　the　costume。

DICK。


I　open　this　to　say　that　ALL　of　your　letters　have　just　come；　so　I　have　intoxicated　myself　with　them　for　the　last　hour　and　can　go　over　them　again　tomorrow。　　I　cannot　tell　you；　dearest；　what　a　delight　your　letters　are　and　how　I　enjoy　the　clippings。　　I　think　of　you　all　the　time　and　how　you　would　love　this　Bible　land　and　seeing　the　places　where　Pharaoh's　daughter　found　Moses；　and　hearing　people　talk　of　St。　Paul　and　the　plagues　of　Egypt　and　Joseph　and　Mary　just　as　though　they　had　lived　yesterday。　　I　have　seen　two　St。　Johns　already；　with　long　hair　and　melancholy　wild　eyes　and　bare　breasts　and　legs；　with　sheepskin　covering；　eating　figs　and　preaching　their　gospel。　　Yesterday　two　men　came　running　into　town　and　told　one　of　the　priests　that　they　had　seen　the　new　moon　in　a　certain　well；　and　the　priest　proclaimed　a　month　of　fasting；　and　the　men　who　pulled　us　up　the　Pyramid　had　to　rest　because　they　had　not　eaten　or　drunk　all　day。　　At　six　a　sheik　called　from　the　village　and　all　the　donkeyboys　and　guides　around　the　Sphinx　ran　to　get　water　and　coffee　and　food。　　Think　of　thatof　two　men　running　through　the　street　to　say　that　they　had　seen　the　new　moon　in　a　well；　when　every　shop　sells　Waterbury　watches　and　the　people　who　passed　them　were　driving　dogcarts　with　English　coachmen　in　top…boots　behind。　　Is　there　any　other　place　as　incongruous　as　this；　as　old　and　as　new？

DICK。


ATHENS；　March　30；　1893。　DEAR　MOTHER：

I　am　now　in　Athens；　how　I　got　here　is　immaterial。　　Suffice　it　to　say　that　never　in　all　my　life　was　I　so　ill　as　I　was　in　the　two　days　crossing　from　Alexandria　to　Piraeus；　which　I　did　with　two　other　men　in　the　same　cabin　more　ill　than　I　and　praying　and　swearing　and　groaning　all　the　time。　　〃It　was　awful。〃


　　　　　〃I　have　crossed　in　many　ships　upon　the　seas　　　　　　　　　　　And　some　of　them　were　good　and　some　were　not；　　　　　　　　　　　In　German；　P　&　O's　and　Genoese；　　　　　　　　　　　But　the　Khedive's　was　the　worst　one　of　the　lot。　　　　　　　　　　　We　never　got　a　moment's　peace　in　her　　　　　　　　　　　For　everybody'd　howl　or　pray　or　bellow；　　　　　　　　　　　She　threw　us　on　our　heads　or　on　our　knees；　　　　　　　　　　　And　turned　us　all　an　unbecoming　yellow。〃


Athens　is　a　small　town　but　fine。　　It　is　chiefly　yellow　houses　with　red　roofs；　and　mountains　around　it；　which　remind　you　of　pictures　you　have　seen　when　a　youth。　　Also　olive　trees　and　straight　black　pines　and　the　Acropolis。　　There　is　not　much　of　it　left　as　far　as　I　can　see　from　the　city；　but　what　there　is　is　enough　to　make　you　wish　you　had　brushed　up　your　Greek　history。　　I　have　now　reached　the　place　where　Pan　has　a　cave；　where　the　man　voted　against　Aristides　because　he　was　humanly　tired　of　hearing　him　called　the　Just　and　where　the　Minotaur　ate　young　women。

What　was　in　the　Isle　of　Crete　but　the　rock　from　which　the　father　of　Theseus　threw　himselfis　still　here！　　Also　the　hill　upon　which　Paul　stood　and　told　the　Athenians　they　were　too　superstitious。　　You　can　imagine　my　feelings　at　finding　all　of　these　things　are　true。　　After　this　I　am　going　to　the　North　Pole　to　find　Santa　Claus　and　so　renew　my　youth。

I　regret　to　say　that　it　is　raining　very　hard　and　Athens　is　not　set　for　a　rainstorm。　　It　is　also　cold　but　as　I　have　not　been　warm　since　I　crossed　the　North　River　with　Chas。　amid　cakes　of　ice　that　is　of　no　consequence。　　When　I　come　here　again　I　come　in　the　summer。　　The　good　old　rule　that　it　is　cold　in　winter　and　warm　in　summer　is　a　good　enough　rule　to　follow。　　You　have　only　to　travel　to　find　out　how　universally　cold　winter　is。　　last　night　I　was　in　Cairo；　I　got　in　a　carriage　and　drove　out　alone　to　the　Pyramids。　　It　was　beautiful　moonlight。　　I　got　a　donkey　and　rode　up　around　them　and　then　walked　over　to　the　Sphinx。　　I　had　never　understood　or　seen　it　before。　　It　was　the　creepiest　and　most　impressive　thing　I　ever　had　happen　to　me；　I　do　believe。　　There　was　no　one　except　the　two　donkey…boys　and　myself　and　the　Sphinx。　　All　about　was　the　desert　and　above　it　the　purple　sky　and　the　white　stars　and　the　great　negro's　head　in　front　of　you　with　its　paws　stretched　out；　and　the　moonlight　turning　it　into　shadows　and　white　lines。　　I　think　I　stood　there　so　long　that　I　got　sort　of　dizzy。　　It　was　just　as　if　I　had　been　the　first　man　to　stumble　across　it；　and　I　felt　that　I　was　way　back　thousands　of　years　and　that　the　ghosts　of　Caesar　and　Napoleon　and　Cleopatra　and　the　rest　were　in　the　air。　　That　was　worth　the　entire　trip　to　me。　　This　place　promises　to　be　most　exciting；　the　New　York　artists　are　all　here；　they　are　the　most　jauntily　dull　people　I　ever　met。　　Do　you　know　what　I　mean？　　They　are　very　nice　but　so　stupid。　　I　don't　let　them　bother　me。　　Who　was　the　chap　who　wrote　about　the　bottle　of　Malvoisie？　because　I　got　a　bottle　of　it　for　BREAKFAST　and　it　is　NO　GOOD。　　It　is　like　sweet　port。　　But　on　account　of　the　poem　and　its　being　vin　du　pays　I　got　it。

Dear　Mother；　I　wish　you　were　here　now　and　enjoying　all　these　beautiful　things。　　I　got　you　a　present　in　Cairo　that　will　amuse　you。　　Had　I　stayed　on　in　Cairo　I　should　have　had　much　and　many　marks　of　distinction　from　the　English。　　Lady　Gower…Browne；　who　found　out　from　them　that　I　had　called　and　that　they　had　done　nothing　except　to　be　rude；　raised　a　great　hue　and　cry　and　everything　changed。　　What　she　said　of　me　I　don't　know　but　it　made　a　most　amusing　difference。　　General　Walker　galloped　a　half　mile　across　the　desert　to　give　me　his　own　copy　of　the　directions　for　the　sham　battle；　and　I　was　to　have　met　Cromer　at　dinner　tete…a…tete；　and　General　Kitchener　sent　apologies　by　two　other　generals　and　all　the　subalterns　called　on　me　in　a　body。　　That　was　the　day　before　I　left。　　I　don't　know　what　Lady　Gower…Browne　said；　but　it　made　a　change　which　I　am　sorry　I　could　not　avail　myself　of　as　I　want　politics　as　well　as　memories。

The　next　time　I　come　I　shall　go　to　even　fewer　places　and　see　more　people。

If　the　Harpers　don't　look　out　our　interests　will　clash。　　I　look　at　it　like　this。　　I　can　always　see　the　old　historical　things　and　take　my　children　up　the　Nile；　but　I　want　now　to　make　friends　with　the　Mammon　of　unrighteousness　and　the　men　of　the　hour。　　I　may　want　to　occupy　an　hour　or　two　myself　some　day　and　they　can　help　me。　　If　America　starts　in　annexing　islands　she　will　need　people　to　tell　her　how　it　is　generally　done　and　it　is　generally　done；　I　find；　by　the　English。　　I　may　give　up　literature　and　start　annexing　things　like　Alexander　and　Caesar　and　Napoleon。　　They　say　there　will　be　another　crisis　in　Cairo　in　a　month　or　so。　　If　that　be　true　I　am　all　right　and　solid　with　both　parties。　　But　it　has　got　to　be　worth　while　of　course　or　I　won't　go　back。　　There　is　a　king　living　in　a　fine　palace　across　the　square　from　my　window；　one　of　his　officers　is　now　changing　the　guard　in　the　rain。　　I　hope　to　call　on　the　king　because　I　like　his　guard。　　They　wear　petticoats　and　toes　turned　up　in　front。　　Don't　you　mind　what　I　say　about　liking　politi