passages from an old volume of life-第16章

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ear　us；　forming　a　group　by　themselves。　　Presently　one　addressed　me　by　name；　and；　on　inquiry；　I　found　him　to　be　the　gentleman　who　was　with　me　in　the　pulpit　as　Orator　on　the　occasion　of　another　Phi　Beta　Kappa　poem；　one　delivered　at　New　Haven。　　The　party　were　very　courteous　and　friendly；　and　contributed　in　various　ways　to　our　comfort。

It　sometimes　seems　to　me　as　if　there　were　only　about　a　thousand　people　in　the　world；　who　keep　going　round　and　round　behind　the　scenes　and　then　before　them；　like　the　〃army〃　in　a　beggarly　stage…show。　Suppose　that　I　should　really　wish；　some　time　or　other；　to　get　away　from　this　everlasting　circle　of　revolving　supernumeraries；　where　should　I　buy　a　ticket　the　like　of　which　was　not　in　some　of　their　pockets；　or　find　a　seat　to　which　some　one　of　them　was　not　a　neighbor。

A　little　less　than　a　year　before；　after　the　Ball's　Bluff　accident；　the　Captain；　then　the　Lieutenant；　and　myself　had　reposed　for　a　night　on　our　homeward　journey　at　the　Fifth　Avenue　Hotel；　where　we　were　lodged　on　the　ground…floor；　and　fared　sumptuously。　　We　were　not　so　peculiarly　fortunate　this　time；　the　house　being　really　very　full。　Farther　from　the　flowers　and　nearer　to　the　stars；to　reach　the　neighborhood　of　which　last　the　per　ardua　of　three　or　four　flights　of　stairs　was　formidable　for　any　mortal；　wounded　or　well。

The　〃vertical　railway〃　settled　that　for　us；　however。　　It　is　a　giant　corkscrew　forever　pulling　a　mammoth　cork；　which；　by　some　divine　judgment；　is　no　sooner　drawn　than　it　is　replaced　in　its　position。　This　ascending　and　descending　stopper　is　hollow；　carpeted；　with　cushioned　seats；　and　is　watched　over　by　two　condemned　souls；　called　conductors；　one　of　whom　is　said　to　be　named　Igion；　and　the　other　Sisyphus。

I　love　New　York；　because；　as　in　Paris；　everybody　that　lives　in　it　feels　that　it　is　his　property；at　least；　as　much　as　it　is　anybody's。　My　Broadway；　in　particular；　I　love　almost　as　I　used　to　love　my　Boulevards。　　I　went；　therefore；　with　peculiar　interest；　on　the　day　that　we　rested　at　our　grand　hotel；　to　visit　some　new　pleasure…grounds　the　citizens　had　been　arranging　for　us；　and　which　I　had　not　yet　seen。　The　Central　Park　is　an　expanse　of　wild　country；　well　crumpled　so　as　to　form　ridges　which　will　give　views　and　hollows　that　will　hold　water。　　The　hips　and　elbows　and　other　bones　of　Nature　stick　out　here　and　there　in　the　shape　of　rocks　which　give　character　to　the　scenery；　and　an　unchangeable；　unpurchasable　look　to　a　landscape　that　without　them　would　have　been　in　danger　of　being　fattened　by　art　and　money　out　of　all　its　native　features。　　The　roads　were　fine；　the　sheets　of　water　beautiful；　the　bridges　handsome；　the　swans　elegant　in　their　deportment；　the　grass　green　and　as　short　as　a　fast　horse's　winter　coat。　　I　could　not　learn　whether　it　was　kept　so　by　clipping　or　singeing。　　I　was　delighted　with　my　new　property；but　it　cost　me　four　dollars　to　get　there；　so　far　was　it　beyond　the　Pillars　of　Hercules　of　the　fashionable　quarter。　　What　it　will　be　by　and　by　depends　on　circumstances；　but　at　present　it　is　as　much　central　to　New　York　as　Brookline　is　central　to　Boston。

The　question　is　not　between　Mr。　Olmsted's　admirably　arranged；　but　remote　pleasure…ground　and　our　Common；　with　its　batrachian　pool；　but　between　his　Excentric　Park　and　our　finest　suburban　scenery；　between　its　artificial　reservoirs　and　the　broad　natural　sheet　of　Jamaica　Pond。　　I　say　this　not　invidiously；　but　in　justice　to　the　beauties　which　surround　our　own　metropolis。　　To　compare　the　situations　of　any　dwellings　in　either　of　the　great　cities　with　those　which　look　upon　the　Common；　the　Public　Garden；　the　waters　of　the　Back　Bay；　would　be　to　take　an　unfair　advantage　of　Fifth　Avenue　and　Walnut　Street。　St。　Botolph's　daughter　dresses　in　plainer　clothes　than　her　more　stately　sisters；　but　she　wears　an　emerald　on　her　right　hand　and　a　diamond　on　her　left　that　Cybele　herself　need　not　be　ashamed　of。

On　Monday　morning；　the　twenty…ninth　of　September；　we　took　the　cars　for　home。　　Vacant　lots；　with　Irish　and　pigs；　vegetable…gardens；　straggling　houses；　the　high　bridge；　villages；　not　enchanting；　then　Stamford　：　then　NORWALK。　　Here；　on　the　sixth　of　May；　1853；　I　passed　close　on　the　heels　of　the　great　disaster。　　But　that　my　lids　were　heavy　on　that　morning；　my　readers　would　probably　have　had　no　further　trouble　with　me。　　Two　of　my　friends　saw　the　car　in　which　they　rode　break　in　the　middle　and　leave　them　hanging　over　the　abyss。　　From　Norwalk　to　Boston；　that　day's　journey　of　two　hundred　miles　was　a　long　funeral　procession。

Bridgeport；　waiting　for　Iranistan　to　rise　from　its　ashes　with　all　its　phoenix…egg　domes；bubbles　of　wealth　that　broke；　ready　to　be　blown　again；　iridescent　as　ever；　which　is　pleasant；　for　the　world　likes　cheerful　Mr。　Barnum's　success；　New　Haven；　girt　with　flat　marshes　that　look　like　monstrous　billiard…tables；　with　hay…cocks　lying　about　for　balls；romantic　with　West　Rock　and　its　legends；cursed　with　a　detestable　depot；　whose　niggardly　arrangements　crowd　the　track　so　murderously　close　to　the　wall　that　the　peine　forte　et　dare　must　be　the　frequent　penalty　of　an　innocent　walk　on　its　platform；with　its　neat　carriages；　metropolitan　hotels；　precious　old　college…　dormitories；　its　vistas　of　elms　and　its　dishevelled　weeping…willows；　Hartford；　substantial；　well…bridged；　manysteepled　city；every　conical　spire　an　extinguisher　of　some　nineteenth…century　heresy；　so　onward；　by　and　across　the　broad；　shallow　Connecticut；dull　red　road　and　dark　river　woven　in　like　warp　and　woof　by　the　shuttle　of　the　darting　engine；　then　Springfield；　the　wide…meadowed；　well…feeding；　horse…loving；　hot…summered；　giant…treed　town；city　among　villages；　village　among　cities；　Worcester；　with　its　Daedalian　labyrinth　of　crossing　railroad…bars；　where　the　snorting　Minotaurs；　breathing　fire　and　smoke　and　hot　vapors；　are　stabled　in　their　dens；　Framingham；　fair　cup…bearer；　leaf…cinctured　Hebe　of　the　deep…bosomed　Queen　sitting　by　the　seaside　on　the　throne　of　the　Six　Nations。　　And　now　I　begin　to　know　the　road；　not　by　towns；　but　by　single　dwellings；　not　by　miles；　but　by　rods。　　The　poles　of　the　great　magnet　that　draws　in　all　the　iron　tracks　through　the　grooves　of　all　the　mountains　must　be　near　at　hand；　for　here　are　crossings；　and　sudden　stops；　and　screams　of　alarmed　engines　heard　all　around。　　The　tall　granite　obelisk　comes　into　view　far　away　on　the　left；　its　bevelled　cap…stone　sharp　against　the　sky；　the　lofty　chimneys　of　Charlestown　and　East　Cambridge　flaunt　their　smoky　banners　up　in　the　thin　air；　and　now　one　fair　bosom　of　the　three…pilled　city；　with　its　dome…crowned　summit；　reveals　itself；　as　when　many…breasted　Ephesian　Artemis　appeared　with　half…open　chlamys　before　her　worshippers。

Fling　open　the　window…blinds　of　the　chamber　that　looks　out　on　the　waters　and　towards　the　western　sun！　　Let　the　joyous　light　shine　in　upon　the　pictures　that　hang　upon　its　walls　and　the　shelves　thick…set　with　the　names　of　poets　and　philosophers　and　sacred　teachers；　in　whose　pages　our　boys　learn　that　life　is　noble　only　when　it　is　held　cheap　by　the　side　of　honor　and　of　duty。　　Lay　him　in　his　own　bed；　and　let　him　sleep　off　his　aches　and　weariness。　　So　comes　down　another　night　over　this　household；　unbroken　by　any　messenger　of　evil　tidings；a　night　of　peaceful　rest　and　grateful　thoughts；　for　this　our　son　and　brother　was　dead　and　is　alive　again；　and　was　lost　and　is　found。






THE　INEVITABLE　TRIAL

＇An　Oration　delivered　before　the　City　Authorities　of　Boston；　on　the　4th　of　July；　1863。＇

It　is　our　first　impulse；　upon　this　returning　day　of　our　nation's　birth；　to　recall　whatever　is　happiest　and　noblest　in　our　past　history；　and　to　join　our　voices　in　celebrating　the　statesmen　and　the　heroes；　the　men　of　thought　and　the　men　of　action；　to　whom　that　history　owes　its　existence。　　In　other　years　this　pleasing　office　may　have　been　all　that　was　required　of　the　holiday　speaker。　　But　to…day；　when　the　very　life　of　the　nation　is　threatened；　when　clouds　are　thick　about　us；　and　men's　hearts　are　throbbing　with　passion；　or　failing　with　fear；　it　is　the　living　question　of　the　hour；　and　not　the　dead　story　of　the　past；　which　forces　itself　into　all　minds；　and　will　find　unrebuked　debate　in　all　assemblies。

In　periods　of　disturbance　like　the　present；　many　persons　who　sincerely　love　their　country