adventures and letters-第54节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　is　extremely　good。　　Griscom　and　the　Secretaries　have　all　called　and　sent　pots　of　flowers；　and　we　are　dining　out　every　other　night。　　In　the　day　we　shop　and　ride。　　But　all　day　and　all　night　we　the　correspondents　plot　and　slave　and　intrigue　over　the　places　on　the　columns。　　I　got　mine　on　the　second　column　all　right　but　no　one　knows　if　it　ever　will　move。　　So；　naturally；　I　want　to　be　on　the　first。　　The　rows　are　so　engrossing　that　I　have　not　enjoyed　the　country　as　I　expected。　　Still；　I　am　everlastingly　glad　we　came。　　It　is　an　entirely　new　life　and　aspect。　　It　completes　so　much　that　we　have　read　and　seen。　　In　spite　of　the　bother　over　the　war　passes　I　learn　things　daily　and　we　see　beautiful　and　curious　things；　and　are　educated　as　to　the　East；　as　no　books　could　have　done　it　for　us。　　John　Bass　who　was　my　comrade　in　arms　in　Greece　and　his　wife　are　here。　　They　are　the　very　best。　　Also　we　see　Lloyd　daily；　and　the　hotel　is　full　of　amusing　men；　who　are　trying　to　get　to　the　front。　　Of　course；　we　know　less　of　the　war　than　you　do。　　None　of　the　news　from　Cheefoo；　none　of　the　〃unauthorized〃　news　reaches　us。　　Were　it　not　for　our　own　squabbles　we　would　not　know　not　only　that　the　country　was　at　war　but　not　even　that　war　existed　ANYWHERE　in　the　world。　　We　are　here　entirely　en　tourist　and　it　cannot　be　helped。　　The　men　who　tried　to　go　with　the　Russians　are　equally　unfortunate。　　Think　of　us　as　wandering　around　each　with　a　copy　of　Murray　seeing　sights。　　That　is　all　we　really　do；　　All　my　love。

DICK。


YOKOHAMAApril　2；　1904。　DEAR　MOTHER：

I　just　got　your　letter　dated　the　28th　of　February　and　the　days　following　in　which　you　worried　over　me　in　the　ice　coated　trenches　of　Korea。　　I　read　it　in　a　rickshaw　in　a　warm　sun　on　my　way　to　buy　favors　for　a　dinner　to　Griscom。　　We　have　had　three　warm　days　and　no　doubt　the　sun　will　be　out　soon。　　The　loss　of　the　sun；　though；　is　no　great　one。　　We　have　lots　of　pleasures　and　lots　of　troubles　in　spite　of　the　Sun。　　Yesterday　the　first　batch　of　correspondents　were　sent　on　their　way。　　I　doubt　if　they　will　get　any　further　than　Chemulpo　but　their　going　cheered　the　atmosphere　like　a　storm　in　summer。　　The　diplomats　and　Japanese　were　glad　to　get　rid　of　them；　they　were　delighted　to　be　off。　　Some　had　been　here　58　days；　and　we　all　looked　at　it　as　a　good　sign　as　it　now　puts　us　〃next。〃　　But　after　they　had　gone　it　was　pretty　blue　for　some　of　them　were　as　good　friends　as　I　want。　　I　know　few　men　I　like　as　well　as　I　do　John　Bass。　　Many　of　them　were　intensely　interesting。　　It　was；　by　all　odds；　the　crowd　one　would　have　wished　to　go　with。　　As　it　is；　I　suspect　we　all　will　meet　again　and　that　the　two　columns　will　be　merged　on　the　Yalu。　　None　of　the　attaches　have　been　allowed　to　go；　so　it　really　is　great　luck　for　the　correspondents。　　Tell　Chas　I　still　am　buying　my　Kit。　　It's　pretty　nearly　ready　now。　　I　began　in　New　York　and　kept　on　in　Boston；　San　Francisco；　and　here。　　It　always　was　my　boast　that　I　had　the　most　complete　kit　in　the　world；　and　in　spite　of　Charley's　jeers　at　my　lack　of　preparedness　everybody　here　voted　it　the　greatest　ever　seen。　　For　the　last　ten　days　all　the　Jap　saddlers；　tent　makers　and　tinsmiths　have　been　copying　it。

DICK。


TOKIOMay　2；　1904。　DEAR　MOTHER：

Today；　we　walked　into　our　new　house　and　tomorrow　we　will　settle　down　there。　　We　rented　the　furniture　for　the　two　unfurnished　rooms；　knives；　forks；　spoons；　china　for　the　table　and　extras　for　35　dollars　gold　for　two　months。　　It　took　six　men　to　bring　the　things　in　carts。　　They　got　nothing。　　Yesterday；　I　took　two　rickshaw　men　from　half　past　twelve　to　half　past　five。　　Out　of　that　time　they　ran　and　pushed　me　for　two　solid　hours。　　Their　price　for　the　five　hours　was　eighty　cents　gold。　　What　you　would　pay　a　cabman　to　drive　you　from　the　Waldorf　to　Martin's。　　I　wish　you　could　see　our　menage。　　Such　beautiful　persons　in　grey　silk　kimonos　who　bow；　and　bow　and　slip　and　slide　in　spotless　torn　white　stockings　with　one　big　toe。　　They　make　you　ashamed　of　yourself　for　walking　on　your　own　carpet　in　your　own　shoes。　　Today　we　got　the　first　news　of　the　battle　on　the　Yalu；　the　battle　of　April　26…30th。　　I　suppose　Palmer　and　Bass　saw　it；　and　I　try　to　be　glad　I　did　what　was　right　by　Collier's　instead　of　for　myself。　　But　I　don't　want　to　love　another　paper。　　I　suppose　there　will　be　other　fights　but　that　one　was　the　first；　and　it　must　have　been　wonderful。　　On　the　4th　we　expect　to　be　on　our　way　to　Kioto　with　Lloyd　and　his　wife　and　John　Fox。　　By　that　time　we　expect　to　be　settled　in　the　new　house。

DICK。


TOKIO；　May　22nd；　1904。　DEAR　MOTHER：

You　will　be　glad　to　hear　that　the　correspondents　at　the　front　are　not　allowed　within　two　and　a　half　miles　of　the　firing　line。　　This　I　am　sure　you　will　approve。　　Their　tales　of　woe　have　just　been　received　here；　and　they　certainly　are　having　a　hard　time。　　The　one　thing　they　all　hope　for　is　that　the　Japs　will　order　them　home。　　My　temper　is　vile　to…day；　as　I　cannot　enjoy　the　gentle　pleasures　of　this　town　any　longer　and　with　this　long　trip　to　Port　Arthur　before　I　can　turn　towards　home。　　I　am　as　cross　as　a　sick　bear。　　We　were　at　Yokohama　when　your　last　letters　came　and　they　were　a　great　pleasure。　　I　got　splendid　news　of　The　Dictator。　　Yesterday　we　all　went　to　Yokohama。　　There　are　four　wild　American　boys　here　just　out　of　Harvard　who　started　the　cry　of　〃Ping　Yang〃　for　the　〃Ping　Yannigans〃　they　being　the　〃Yannigans。〃　　They　help　to　make　things　very　lively　and　are　affectionately　regarded　by　all　classes。　　Yesterday；　they　and　Fox　and　Cecil　and　I　went　to　the　races；　with　five　ricksha　boys　each；　and　everybody　lost　his　money　except　myself。　　But　it　was　great　fun。　　It　rained　like　a　seive；　and　all　the　gentlemen　riders　fell　off；　and　every　time　we　won　money　our　thirty　ricksha　men　who　would　tell　when　we　won　by　watching　at　which　window　we　had　bet；　would　cheer　us　and　salaam　until　to　save　our　faces　we　had　to　scatter　largesses。　　Egan　turned　up　in　the　evening　and　dined　with　John　and　Cecil　and　me　in　the　Grand　Hotel　and　told　us　first　of　all　the　story　the　correspondents　had　brought　back　to　Kobbe　for　which　every　one　from　the　Government　down　has　been　waiting。　　It　would　make　lively　reading　if　any　of　us　dared　to　write　it。　　To…day　he　made　his　protests　to　Fukushima　as　we　mapped　them　out　last　night　and　the　second　lot　will　I　expect　be　treated　better。　　But；　as　the　first　lot　were　the　important　men　representing　the　important　syndicates　the　harm；　for　the　Japs；　has　been　done。　　Of　course；　much　they　do　is　through　not　knowing　our　points　of　view。　　To　them　none　of　us　is　of　any　consequence　except　that　he　is　a　nuisance；　and　while　they　are　conversationally　perfect　in　politeness；　the　regulations　they　inflict　are　too　insulting。　　However；　you　don't　care　about　that；　and　neither　do　I。　　I　am　going　to　earn　my　money　if　I　possibly　can；　and　come　home。

DICK。


TOKIO；　June　13th；　1904。　DEAR　MOTHER：

We　gave　a　farewell　dinner　last　night　to　the　Ping　Yannigans　two　of　whom　left　on　the　Navy　expedition　and　another　one　to…morrow　for　God's　country。　　There　were　eight　men　and　we　had　new　lanterns　painted　with　the　arms　of　Corea　and　the　motto　of　the　Ping　Yannigans。　　Also　many　flags。　　All　but　the　Japanese　flag。　　One　of　them　with　a　side　glance　at　the　servants　said；　〃Gentle…

man　and　Lady：　　I　propose　a　toast；　Japan　for　the　Japanese　and　the　Japanese　for　Japan。〃　　We　all　knew　what　he　meant　but　the　servants　were　greatly　pleased。　　Jack　London　turned　up　to…day　on　his　way　home。　　I　liked　him　very　much。　　He　is　very　simple　and　modest　and　gave　you　a　tremendous　impression　of　vitality　and　power。　　He　is　very　bitter　against　the　wonderful　little　people　and　says　he　carries　away　with　him　only　a　feeling　of　irritation。　　But　I　told　him　that　probably　would　soon　wear　off　and　he　would　remember　only　the　pleasant　things。　　I　did　envy　him　so；　going　home　after　having　seen　a　fight　and　I　not　yet　started。　　Still　THIS　TIME　we　may　get　off。　　Yokoyama　the　contractor　takes　our　stuff　on　the　16th；　and　so　we　feel　it　is　encouraging　to　have　our　luggage　at　the　front　even　if　we　are　here。

DICK。


YOKOHAMA；　July　26th；　1904。　DEAR　MOTHER：

We　gave　in　our　passes　to…day；　and　sail　to…morrow　at　five。　　They　say　we　are　not　to　see　Port　Arthur　fall　but　are　to　be　taken　up　to　Oku's　army。　　That　means　we　miss　the　〃popular〃　story；　and　may　have　to　wait　around　several　weeks　before　we　see　the　other　big　fight。　　They　promised　us　Port　Arthur　but　that　is　reason　enough　for　believing　they　do　not　intend　we　shall　see　it　at　all。　　John　and　I　are　here　at　a　Japanese　hotel；　the　one　Li　Hung　Chang　occupied　when　he　came　over　to　arrange　the　treaty　between　China　and　Japan。　　It　is　a　very　beautiful　house；　the　best　I　have　seen　of　real　Japanese　and　the　garden　and　view　of　the　harbor　is　magnificent。　　I　wish　Cecil　could　see　it　too；　but　I　know　she　would　not　care　for　a　room　which　is　as　free　to　the　public　view　as　the　porch　at　Marion。　　It　has　48　mats　and　as　a　mat　is　3　x　5　you　can　work　it　out。　　We　eat；　sleep　and　dress　in　this　room　and　it　is　like　trying　to　be　at　home　on　top　of　a　Chickering　Grand。　　But　it　is　very　beautiful　and　the　moonlight　is　fine　and　saddening。　　No　one　of　us　has　the　least　interest　in　the　war　or　in　what　we　may　see　or　be　kept　from　seeing。　　We　have　been　〃over　trained〃　and　not　even　a　siege　of　London　could　hold　our　thoughts　from　home。　　I　have　just　missed　the　mail　which　would　have　told　me　you　were　at　Marion。