adventures and letters-第36节

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ns；　they　have　huddled　hundreds　of　people　who　do　not　know　what　a　bath　means　around　these　towns；　and　this　is　going　to　happen　As　soon　as　the　rains　begin　the　yellow　fever　and　smallpox　will　set　in　and　all　vessels　leaving　Cuban　ports　will　be　quarantined　and　the　island　will　be　one　great　plague　spot。　　The　insurgents　who　are　in　the　open　fields　will　live　and　the　soldiers　will　die　for　their　officers　know　nothing　of　sanitation　or　care　nothing。　　The　little　Consul　has　just　been　here　to　see　me　and　we　have　had　a　long　talk　and　I　got　back　at　him。　　He　told　me　he　had　seen　the　Franco…German　war　as　a　correspondent　of　The　Tribune　and　Iasked　him　if　he　had　ever　met　another　correspondent　of　The　Tribune　at　that　time　a　German　student　named　Hans　who　cabled　the　story　of　the　battle　of　Gravellote　and　who　Archibald　Forbes　says　was　the　first　correspondent　to　use　the　cable。　　The　Consul　who　looks　like　William　D。　Howells　wriggled　around　in　his　chair　and　said　〃I　guess　you　mean　me　but　I　was　not　a　German　student；　I　was　born　and　raised　in　Philadelphia　and　Forbes　got　my　name　wrong；　it　is　Hance。〃　　So　then　I　got　up　and　shook　hands　with　him　in　my　turn　and　told　him　I　had　always　wanted　to　meet　that　correspondent　and　did　not　expect　to　do　so　in　Cardenas；　on　the　coast　of　Cuba。

Thank　you　all　for　your　letters。　　I　am　glad　you　liked　the　Jameson　book。　　I　thought　you　knew　I　was　a　F。　R。　G。　S。　　It　was　George　Curzon　proposed　me　and　as　he　is　a　gold　medallist　of　the　Society　it　was　easy　getting　in。　　Lots　of　love。

DICK。

　　Richard　returned　to　New　York　from　Cuba　in　February；　1897；　but　the　following　month　started　for　Florence　to　pay　me　a　long…promised　visit。　　On　his　way　he　stopped　for　a　few　days　in　London　and　Paris。



ABASSADE　DES　ETATS…UNIS　59　Rue　Galilee；　Paris；　April　1st；　1897。　DEAR　FAMILY：

I　got　over　here　to…day　after　the　heaviest　weather　I　ever　tackled　on　this　channel。　　Stephen　Crane　came　with　me。　　I　gave　him　a　lunchon　Wednesday。　　Anthony　Hope；　McCarthy；　Harold　Frederic　and　Barrie　came。　　Sir　Evelyn　Wood　instead　of　coming　was　detained　at　the　war　office　and　sent　instead　a　lance　Sergeant　on　horseback　with　a　huge　envelope　marked　〃On　Her　Majesty's　Service；〃　which　was　to　be　delivered　into　my　hands　The　entire　Savoy　was　upset　and　it　was　generally　supposed　that　war　had　been　declared　and　that　I　was　being　ordered　to　the　front　The　whole　hotel　hung　over　us　until　I　had　receipted　for　the　package　and　the　soldier　had　saluted　and　clanked　away。　　I　gave　Crane　the　letter　as　a　souvenir。　　I　also　saw　Seymour　Hicks'　first　night　and　recognized　15　American　songs　in　it。

The　London　Times　offered　me　the　position　of　correspondent　on　the　Greek　frontier。　　Every　one　in　London　thought　it　an　enormous　compliment　and　Harold　Frederic；　Ralph；　Ballard　Smith　and　the　rest　were　very　envious。　　I　told　them　I　could　not　go；　but　I　was　glad　to　have　had　the　compliment　paid　me。　　Barrie　has　made　out　a　scenario　of　the　〃Soldiers〃　for　dramatic　purposes　and　has　asked　the　Haymarket　management　to　consider　it。　　So；　that　I　guess　that　it　must　be　good

So；　I　also　guess　I　had　better　finish　it　I　leave　for　Florence　to　night。　　I　am　having　a　fine；　fine　time　and　I　am　so　glad　you　are　all　well。

Lots　of　love；

DICK。


Of　the　many　happy　days　we　have　spent　together；　I　do　not　believe　there　were　any　much　more　happy　than　the　three　weeks　Richard　remained　with　me。　　It　was　his　first　long　visit　to　Italy　and　from　the　day　of　his　arrival　he　loved　the　old　town　and　its　people　who　gave　him　a　most　friendly　welcome。　　He　had　come　at　a　time　when　Florence　was　at　its　best；　its　narrow　quaint　streets　filled　with　sunshine　and　thronged　with　idling　natives　and　the　scurrying　tourists　that　always　came　with　the　first　days　of　spring。　　The　Cascine　and　the　pink…walled　roads　of　the　environs　were　ablaze　with　wild　roses　and　here；　after　his　rather　strenuous　experience　in　Cuba；　Richard　gave　himself　up　to　long　days　of　happy　idleness。　　Together　we　took　voyages　of　discovery　to　many　of　the　little　walled　and　forgotten　towns　where　the　tourists　seldom　set　foot。　　Once　we　even　wandered　so　far　as　Monte　Carlo；　where　my　brother　tried　very　hard　to　break　the　bank　and　did　not　succeed。　　But　the　Richard　Harding　Davis　luck　did　not　fail　him　completely　and　I　remember　I　greatly　envied　him　the　huge　pile　of　gold　and　notes　that　represented　his　winnings　and　which　we　did　our　very　best　to　spend　before　we　left　the　land　of　the　Prince　of　Monaco。　　However；　having　had　his　first　taste　of　war；　Richard　felt　that　he　must　leave　the　peace　and　content　of　Florence　to　see　how　the　Greeks；　with　whom　he　had　much　sympathy；　were　faring　with　their　enemies　the　Turks。　　As　it　happened；　this　expedition　proved　but　a　short　interruption；　and　in　less　than　a　month　he　was　once　more　back　with　his　new…found　friends　in　Florence。


April　28；　1897

On　the　Way　to　Patras　on　a　Steamer。　DEAR　FAMILY：

It　has　been　a　week　since　I　wrote　you　last；　when　I　sent　you　the　Inauguration　article。　　Since　then　I　have　been　having　the　best　time　I　ever　had　any　place　ALONE。　　I　have　had　more　fun　with　a　crowd；　but　never　have　been　so　happy　by　myself。　　What　I　would　have　been　had　I　taken　some　other　chap　with　me　I　cannot　imagine。　　But　the　people　of　this　part　of　Greece　have　been　so　kind　that　I　cannot　say　I　have　been　alone。　　I　never　met　with　strangers　anywhere　who　were　so　hospitable；　so　confiding　and　polite。　　After　that　slaughter…yard　and　pest　place　of　Cuba；　which　is　much　more　terrible　to　me　now　than　it　was　when　I　was　there；　or　before　I　had　seen　that　war　can　be　conducted　like　any　other　evil　of　civilization；　this　opera　bouffe　warfare　is　like　a　duel　between　two　gentlemen　in　the　Bois。　　Cuba　is　like　a　slave…holder　beating　a　slave's　head　in　with　a　whip。　　I　am　a　war　correspondent　only　by　a　great　stretch　of　the　imagination；　I　am　a　peace　correspondent　really；　and　all　the　fighting　I　have　seen　was　by　cannon　at　long　range。　　（I　was　at　long　range；　not　the　cannon。）　　I　am　doing　this　campaign　in　a　personally　conducted　sense　with　no　regard　to　the　Powers　or　to　the　London　Times。　　I　did　send　them　an　article　called　〃The　Piping　Times　of　War。〃　　If　they　do　not　use　it　I　shall　illustrate　it　with　the　photos　I　have　taken　and　sell　it；　for　five　times　the　sum　they　would　give；　to　the　Harpers　who　are　ever　with　us。　　As　I　once　said　in　a　noted　work；　〃Greece；　Mrs。　Morris；　restores　all　your　lost　illusions。〃　　For　the　last　week　I　have　been　back　in　the　days　of　Conrad；　the　Corsair；　and　〃Oh；　Maid　of　Athens；　ere　We　Part。〃　　I　have　been　riding　over　wind…swept　hills　and　mountains　topped　with　snow；　and　with　sheep　and　goats　and　wild　flowers　of　every　color　spreading　for　acres；　and　in　a　land　where　every　man　dresses　by　choice　like　a　grand　opera　brigand；　and　not　only　for　photographic　purposes。　　I　have　been　on　the　move　all　the　time；　chasing　in　the　rear　of　armies　that　turn　back　as　soon　as　I　approach　and　apologize　for　disappointing　me　of　a　battle；　or　riding　to　the　scene　of　a　battle　that　never　comes　off；　or　hastening　to　a　bombardment　that　turns　out　to　be　an　attack　on　an　empty　fort。

I　live　on　brown　bread　and　cheese　and　goat's　milk　and　sleep　like　a　log　in　shepherds'　huts。　　It　is　so　beautiful　that　I　almost　grudge　the　night。　　Nora　and　Mother　could　take　this　trip　as　safely　as　a　regiment　and　would　see　things　out　of　fairyland。　　And　such　adventures！　　Late　in　life　I　am　at　last　having　adventures　and　honors　heaped　upon　me。　　I　was　elected　a　captain　of　a　band　of　brigands　who　had　been　watching　a　mountain　pass　for　a　month；　and　as　it　showed　no　signs　of　running　away　had　taken　to　dancing　on　the　green。　　I　caught　them　at　this　innocent　pastime　and　they　allowed　me　to　photograph　them　and　give　them　wine　at　eight　cents　a　quart　which　we　drank　out　of　a　tin　stovepipe。　　They　drank　about　four　feet　of　stovepipe　or　thirty…six　cents'　worth；　then　they　danced　and　sang　for　me　in　a　circle；　old　men　and　boys；　then　drilled　with　their　carbines；　and　I　showed　them　my　revolver　and　field…glasses　and　themselves　in　the　finder　of　the　camera；　and　when　I　had　to　go　they　took　me　on　their　shoulders　and　marched　me　around　waving　their　rifles。　　Then　the　old　men　kissed　me　on　the　cheek　and　we　all　embraced　and　they　wept；　and　I　felt　as　badly　as　though　I　were　parting　from　fifty　friends。　　They　told　my　guide　that　if　I　would　come　back　they　would　get　fifty　more　〃as　brave　as　they〃　and　I　could　be　captain。　　I　could　not　begin　to　tell　you　all　the　amusing　things　that　have　happened　in　this　one　week。　　I　did　not　want　to　come　at　all；　only　a　stern　sense　of　duty　made　me。　　For　I　wanted　to　write　the　play　in　Charley's　gilded　halls　and　get　to　Paris　and　London。　　But　I　can　never　cease　rejoicing　that　I　took　this　trip。　　And　it　will　make　the　book；　〃A　Year　from　a　Reporter's　Diary；〃　as　complete　as　it　can　be。　　That　was　why　I　came。　　Now　I　have　the　Coronation　of　the　Czar；　the　Millennial　at　Hungary；　the　Inauguration　at　Washington；　the　Queen's　Jubilee；　the　War　in　Cuba；　and　the　Greco…Turkish　War。　　That　is　a　good　year's　work　and　I　mean　to　loaf　after　it。　　You　will　laugh　and　say　that　that　is　what　I　always　say；　but　if　you　knew　how　I　had　to　kick　myself　out　of　Florence　and　the　Cascine　to　come　here　you　would　believe　me。　I　want　a　rest　and　I　am　cutting　this　very　short。

Don't　fail　to　cut　anything　Dad　and　Mother　don't　like　out　of　the　Inauguration　article。　　You　will　have　me　with　you　this　winter　on　my　little　bicycle　and　going　to　dances　and　not　paying　board　to　anyone。　　Remember　how　I　used　to　threaten　to　go　to　Greece