short stories and essays-第25章

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faces　and　snowy　aprons　of　those　who　served　them　were　so　quite　those　of
other　days　that　they　decided　all　repasts　since　were　mere　Barmecide
feasts；　and　made　up　for　the　long　fraud　practised　upon　them　with　the
appetites　of　the　year　1850。




II。

A　rigider　sincerity　than　shall　be　practised　here　might　own　that　the　table
of　the　good　steamboat　'Avonek'　left　something　to　be　desired；　if　tested　by
more　sophisticated　cuisines；　but　in　the　article　of　corn…bread　it　was　of
an　inapproachable　preeminence。　　This　bread　was　made　of　the　white　corn
which　North　knows　not；　nor　the　hapless　East；　and　the　buckwheat　cakes　at
breakfast　were　without　blame；　and　there　was　a　simple　variety　in　the
abundance　which　ought　to　have　satisfied　if　it　did　not　flatter　the　choice。
The　only　thing　that　seemed　strangely；　that　seemed　sadly；　anomalous　in　a
land　flowing　with　ham　and　bacon　was　that　the　'Avonek'　had　not　imagined
providing　either　for　the　guests；　no　one　of　whom　could　have　had　a
religious　scruple　against　them。

The　thing；　indeed；　which　was　first　and　last　conspicuous　in　the
passengers；　was　their　perfectly　American　race　and　character。　　At　the
start；　when　with　an　acceptable　observance　of　Western　steamboat　tradition
the　'Avonek'　left　her　wharf　eight　hours　behind　her　appointed　time；　there
were　very　few　passengers；　but　they　began　to　come　aboard　at　the　little
towns　of　both　shores　as　she　swam　southward　and　westward；　till　all　the
tables　were　so　full　that；　in　observance　of　another　Western　steamboat
tradition；　one　did　well　to　stand　guard　over　his　chair　lest　some　other　who
liked　it　should　seize　it　earlier。　　The　passengers　were　of　every　age　and
condition；　except　perhaps　the　highest　condition；　and　they　seemed　none　the
worse　for　being　more　like　Americans　of　the　middle　of　the　last　century
than　of　the　beginning　of　this。　　Their　fashions　were　of　an　approximation
to　those　of　the　present；　but　did　not　scrupulously　study　detail；　their
manners　were　those　of　simpler　if　not　sincerer　days。

The　women　kept　to　themselves　at　their　end　of　the　saloon；　aloof　from　the
study　of　any　but　their　husbands　or　kindred；　but　the　men　were　everywhere
else　about；　and　open　to　observation。　　They　were　not　so　open　to
conversation；　for　your　mid…Westerner　is　not　a　facile；　though　not　an
unwilling；　talker。　　They　sat　by　their　tall；　cast…iron　stove　（of　the　oval
pattern　unvaried　since　the　earliest　stove　of　the　region）；　and　silently
ruminated　their　tobacco　and　spat　into　the　clustering；　cuspidors　at　their
feet。　　They　would　always　answer　civilly　if　questioned；　and　oftenest
intelligently；　but　they　asked　nothing　in　return；　and　they　seemed　to　have
none　of　that　curiosity　once　known　or　imagined　in　them　by　Dickens　and
other　averse　aliens。　　They　had　mostly　faces　of　resolute　power；　and　such　a
looking　of　knowing　exactly　what　they　wanted　as　would　not　have　promised
well　for　any　collectively　or　individually　opposing　them。　　If　ever　the
sense　of　human　equality　has　expressed　itself　in　the　human　countenance　it
speaks　unmistakably　from　American　faces　like　theirs。

They　were　neither　handsome　nor　unhandsome；　but　for　a　few　striking
exceptions；　they　had　been　impartially　treated　by　nature；　and　where　they
were　notably　plain　their　look　of　force　made　up　for　their　lack　of　beauty。
They　were　notably　handsomest　in　a　tall　young　fellow　of　a　lean　face；
absolute　Greek　in　profile；　amply　thwarted　with　a　branching　mustache；　and
slender　of　figure；　on　whom　his　clothes；　lustrous　from　much　sitting　down
and　leaning　up；　grew　like　the　bark　on　a　tree；　and　who　moved　slowly　and
gently　about；　and　spoke　with　a　low；　kind　voice。　　In　his　young　comeliness
he　was　like　a　god；　as　the　gods　were　fancied　in　the　elder　world：　a　chewing
and　a　spitting　god；　indeed；　but　divine　in　his　passionless　calm。

He　was　a　serious　divinity；　and　so　were　all　the　mid…Western　human…beings
about　him。　　One　heard　no　joking　either　of　the　dapper　or　cockney　sort　of
cities；　or　the　quaint　graphic　phrasing　of　Eastern　country　folk；　and　it
may　have　been　not　far　enough　West　for　the　true　Western　humor。　　At　any
rate；　when　they　were　not　silent　these　men　still　were　serious。

The　women　were　apparently　serious；　too；　and　where　they　were　associated
with　the　men　were；　if　they　were　not　really　subject；　strictly　abeyant；　in
the　spectator's　eye。　　The　average　of　them　was　certainly　not　above　the
American　woman's　average　in　good　looks；　though　one　young　mother　of　six
children；　well　grown　save　for　the　baby　in　her　arms；　was　of　the　type　some
masters　loved　to　paint；　with　eyes　set　wide　under　low　arched　brows。　　She
had　the　placid　dignity　and　the　air　of　motherly　goodness　which　goes　fitly
with　such　beauty；　and　the　sight　of　her　was　such　as　to　disperse　many　of
the　misgivings　that　beset　the　beholder　who　looketh　upon　the　woman　when
she　is　New。　　As　she　seemed；　so　any　man　might　wish　to　remember　his　mother
seeming。

All　these　river　folk；　who　came　from　the　farms　and　villages　along　the
stream；　and　never　from　the　great　towns　or　cities；　were　well　mannered；　if
quiet　manners　are　good；　and　though　the　men　nearly　all　chewed　tobacco　and
spat　between　meals；　at　the　table　they　were　of　an　exemplary　behavior。　　The
use　of　the　fork　appeared　strange　to　them；　and　they　handled　it　strenuously
rather　than　agilely；　yet　they　never　used　their　knives　shovel…wise；
however　they　planted　their　forks　like　daggers　in　the　steak：　the　steak
deserved　no　gentler　usage；　indeed。　　They　were　usually　young；　and　they
were　constantly　changing；　bent　upon　short　journeys　between　the　shore
villages；　they　were　mostly　farm　youth；　apparently；　though　some　were　said
to　be　going　to　find　work　at　the　great　potteries　up　the　river　for　wages
fabulous　to　home…keeping　experience。

One　personality　which　greatly　took　the　liking　of　one　of　our　tourists　was
a　Kentucky　mountaineer　who；　after　three　years'　exile　in　a　West　Virginia
oil　town；　was　gladly　returning　to　the　home　for　which　he　and　all　his
brood…of　large　and　little　comely；　red…haired　boys　and　girls…had　never
ceased　to　pine。　　His　eagerness　to　get　back　was　more　than　touching；　it　was
awing；　for　it　was　founded　on　a　sort　of　mediaeval　patriotism　that　could
own　no　excellence　beyond　the　borders　of　the　natal　region。　　He　had
prospered　at　high　wages　in　his　trade　at　that　oil　town；　and　his　wife　and
children　had　managed　a　hired　farm　so　well　as　to　pay　all　the　family
expenses　from　it；　but　he　was　gladly　leaving　opportunity　behind；　that　he
might　return　to　a　land　where；　if　you　were　passing　a　house　at　meal…time；
they　came　out　and　made　you　come　in　and　eat。　　〃When　you　eat　where　I've
been　living　you　pay　fifty　cents；〃　he　explained。　　〃And　are　you　taking　all
your　household　stuff　with　you？〃　　〃Only　the　cook…stove。　　Well；　I'll　tell
you：　we　made　the　other　things　ourselves；　made　them　out　of　plank；　and　they
were　not　worth…moving。〃　　Here　was　the　backwoods　surviving　into　the　day　of
Trusts；　and　yet　we　talk　of　a　world　drifted　hopelessly　far　from　the　old
ideals！




III。

The　new　ideals；　the　ideals　of　a　pitiless　industrialism；　were　sufficiently
expressed　along　the　busy　shores；　where　the　innumerable　derricks　of　oil…
wells　silhouetted　their　gibbet　shapes　against　the　horizon；　and　the　myriad
chimneys　of　the　foundries　sent　up　the　smoke　of　their　torment　into　the
quiet　skies　and　flamed　upon　the　forehead　of　the　evening　like　baleful
suns。　　But　why　should　I　be　so　violent　of　phrase　against　these　guiltless
means　of　millionairing？　　There　must　be　iron　and　coal　as　well　as　wheat　and
corn　in　the　world；　and　without　their　combination　we　cannot　have　bread。
If　the　combination　is　in　the　form　of　a　trust；　such　as　has　laid　its　giant
clutch　upon　all　those　warring　industries　beside　the　Ohio　and　swept　them
into　one　great　monopoly；　why；　it　has　still　to　show　that　it　is　worse　than
competition；　that　it　is　not；　indeed；　merely　the　first　blind　stirrings　of
the　universal　cooperation　of　which　the　dreamers　of　ideal　commonwealths
have　always　had　the　vision。

The　derricks　and　the　chimneys；　when　one　saw　them；　seem　to　have　all　the
land　to　themselves；　but　this　was　an　appearance　only；　terrifying　in　its
strenuousness；　but　not；　after　all；　the　prevalent　aspect。　　That　was　rather
of　farm；　farms；　and　evermore　farms；　lying　along　the　rich　levels　of　the
stream；　and　climbing　as　far　up　its　beautiful　hills　as　the　plough　could
drive。　　In　the　spring　and　in　the　Mall；　when　it　is　suddenly　swollen　by　the
earlier　and　the　later　rains；　the　river　scales　its　banks　and　swims　over
those　levels　to　the　feet　of　those　hills；　and　when　it　recedes　it　leaves
the　cornfields　enriched　for　the　crop　that；　has　never　failed　since　the
forests　were　first　cut　from　the　land。　　Other　fertilizing　the　fields　have
never　had　any；　but　they　teem　as　if　the　guano　islands　had　been　emptied
into　their　laps。　　They　feel　themselves　so　rich　that　they　part　with　great
lengths　and　breadths　of　their　soil　to　the　river；　which　is　not　good　for
the　river；　and　is　not　well　for　the　fields；　so　that　the　farmers；　whose
ease　learns　slowly；　are　beginning　more　and　more　to　fence　their　borders
with　the　young　willows　which　form　a　hedge　in　the　shallow　wash　such　a
great　part　of　the　way　up　and　down　the　Ohio。　　Elms　and　maples　wade　in
among　the　willows；　and　in　time　the　river　will　be　denied　the　indigestion
which　it　confesses　in　shoals　and　bars　at　low　water；　and　in　a　difficulty
of　channel　at　all　stages。

Meanwhile　the　fields　flourish　in　spite　of　their　unwise　largesse　to　the
stream；　whose　shores　the　comfortable　farmsteads　keep　so　constantly　that
they　are　never　out　of　sight。　　Most　commonly　they　are　of　brick；　but
sometimes　of　painted　wood；　and　they　are　set　on　little　eminences　high
enough　to　save　them　from　the　freshets；　but　always　so　near　the　river　that
they　cannot　fail　of　its　passing　life。　　Usually　a　group　of　planted
evergreens　half　hides　the　house　from　the　boat；　but　its　inmates　will　not
lose　any　detail　of　the　show；　and　come　down　to　the　gate　of　the　paling
fence　to　watch　the　'Avonek'　float　by：　motionless　men　and　women；　who　lean
upon　the　supporting　barrier；　and　rapt　children　who　hold　by　their　skirts
and　hands。　　There　is　not　the　eager　New　England　neatness　about　these
homes；　now　and　then　they　have　rather　a　sloven　air；　which　does　not　discord
with　their　air　of　comfort；　and　very；　very　rarely　they　stagger　drunkenly
in　a　ruinous　neglect。　　Except　where　a　log　cabin　has　hardily　survived　the
pioneer　period；　the　houses　are　nearly　all　of　one　pattern；　their　facades
front　the　river；　and　low　chimneys　point　either　gable；　where　a　half…story
forms　the　attic　of　the　two　stories　below。　　Gardens　of　pot…herbs　flank
them；　and　behind　cluster　the　corn…cribs；　and　the　barns　and　stables
stretch　into　the　fields　that　stretch　out　to　the　hills；　now　scantily
wooded；　but　ever　lovely　in　the　lines　that　change　with　the　steamer's
course。

Except　in　the　immediate　suburbs　of　the　large　towns；　there　is　no　ambition
beyond　that　of　rustic　comfort　in　the　buildings　on　the　shore。　　There　is　no
such　thing；　apparently；　as　a　summer　cottage；　with　its　mock　humility　of
name；　up　or　down　the　whole　tortuous　length　of　the　Ohio。　　As　yet　the　land
is　not　openly　depraved　by　shows　of　wealth；　those　who　amass　it　either　keep
it　to　themselves　or　come　away　to　spend　it　in　European　travel；　or　pause　to
waste　it　unrecognized　on　the　ungrateful　Atlantic　seaboard。　　The　only
distinctions　that　are　marked　are　between　the　homes　of　honest　industry