short stories and essays-第26章

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waste　it　unrecognized　on　the　ungrateful　Atlantic　seaboard。　　The　only
distinctions　that　are　marked　are　between　the　homes　of　honest　industry
above　the　banks　and　the　homes　below　them　of　the　leisure；　which　it　is
hoped　is　not　dishonest。　　But；　honest　or　dishonest；　it　is　there　apparently
to　stay　in　the　house…boats　which　line　the　shores　by　thousands；　and　repeat
on　Occidental　terms　in　our　new　land　the　river…life　of　old　and　far　Cathay。

They　formed　the　only　feature　of　their　travel　which　our　tourists　found
absolutely　novel；　they　could　clearly　or　dimly　recall　from　the　past　every
other　feature　but　the　houseboats；　which　they　instantly　and　gladly
naturalized　to　their　memories　of　it。　　The　houses　had　in　common　the　form
of　a　freight…car　set　in　a　flat…bottomed　boat；　the　car　would　be　shorter　or
longer；　with　one；　or　two；　or　three　windows　in　its　sides；　and　a　section　of
stovepipe　softly　smoking　from　its　roof。　　The　windows　might　be　curtained
or　they　might　be　bare；　but　apparently　there　was　no　other　distinction
among　the　houseboat　dwellers；　whose　sluggish　craft　lay　moored　among　the
willows；　or　tied　to　an　elm　or　a　maple；　or　even　made　fast　to　a　stake　on
shore。　　There　were　cases　in　which　they　had　not　followed　the　fall　of　the
river　promptly　enough；　and　lay　slanted　on　the　beach；　or　propped　up　to　a
more　habitable　level　on　its　slope；　in　a　sole；　sad　instance；　the　house　had
gone　down　with　the　boat　and　lay　wallowing　in　the　wash　of　the　flood。　　But
they　all　gave　evidence　of　a　tranquil　and　unhurried　life　which　the　soul　of
the　beholder　envied　within　him；　whether　it　manifested　itself　in　the　lord
of　the　house…boat　fishing　from　its　bow；　or　the　lady　coming　to　cleanse
some　household　utensil　at　its　stern。　　Infrequently　a　group　of　the　house…
boat　dwellers　seemed　to　be　drawing　a　net；　and　in　one　high　event　they
exhibited　a　good…sized　fish　of　their　capture；　but　nothing　so　strenuous
characterized　their　attitude　on　any　other　occasion。　　The　accepted　theory
of　them　was　that　they　did　by　day　as　nearly　nothing　as　men　could　do　and
live；　and　that　by　night　their　forays　on　the　bordering　farms　supplied　the
simple　needs　of　people　who　desired　neither　to　toil　nor　to　spin；　but　only
to　emulate　Solomon　in　his　glory　with　the　least　possible　exertion。　　The
joyful　witness　of　their　ease　would　willingly　have　sacrificed　to　them　any
amount　of　the　facile　industrial　or　agricultural　prosperity　about　them　and
left　them　slumberously　afloat；　unmolested　by　dreams　of　landlord　or　tax…
gatherer。　　Their　existence　for　the　fleeting　time　seemed　the　true
interpretation　of　the　sage's　philosophy；　the　fulfilment　of　the　poet's
aspiration。

　　　　　〃Why　should　we　only　toil；　that　are　the　roof　and　crown　of　things。

How　did　they　pass　their　illimitable　leisure；　when　they　rested　from　the
fishing…net　by　day　and　the　chicken…coop　by　night？　　Did　they　read　the　new
historical　fictions　aloud　to　one　another？　　Did　some　of　them　even　meditate
the　thankless　muse　and　not　mind　her　ingratitude？　　Perhaps　the　ladies　of
the　house…boats；　when　they　found　themselvesas　they　often　didin
companies　of　four　or　five；　had　each　other　in　to　〃evenings；〃　at　which　one
of　them　read　a　paper　on　some　artistic　or　literary　topic。




IV。

The　trader's　boat；　of　an　elder　and　more　authentic　tradition；　sometimes
shouldered　the　house…boats　away　from　a　village　landing；　but　it；　too；　was
a　peaceful　home；　where　the　family　life　visibly　went　hand…in…hand　with
commerce。　　When　the　trader　has　supplied　all　the　wants　and　wishes　of　a
neighborhood；　he　unmoors　his　craft　and　drops　down　the　river's　tide　to
where　it　meets　the　ocean's　tide　in　the　farthermost　Mississippi；　and　there
either　sells　out　both　his　boat　and　his　stock；　or　hitches　his　home　to　some
returning　steamboat；　and　climbs　slowly；　with　many　pauses；　back　to　the
upper　Ohio。　　But　his　home　is　not　so　interesting　as　that　of　the
houseboatman；　nor　so　picturesque　as　that　of　the　raftsman；　whose　floor　of
logs　rocks　flexibly　under　his　shanty；　but　securely　rides　the　current。　　As
the　pilots　said；　a　steamboat　never　tries　to　hurt　a　raft　of　logs；　which　is
adapted　to　dangerous　retaliation；　and　by　night　it　always　gives　a　wide
berth　to　the　lantern　tilting　above　the　raft　from　a　swaying　pole。　　By　day
the　raft　forms　one　of　the　pleasantest　aspects　of　the　river…life；　with　its
convoy　of　skiffs　always　searching　the　stream　or　shore　for　logs　which　have
broken　from　it；　and　which　the　skiffmen　recognize　by　distinctive　brands　or
stamps。　　Here　and　there　the　logs　lie　in　long　ranks　upon　the　shelving
beaches；　mixed　with　the　drift　of　trees　and　fence…rails；　and　frames　of
corn…cribs　and　hencoops；　and　even　house　walls；　which　the　freshets　have
brought　down　and　left　stranded。　　The　tops　of　the　little　willows　are
tufted　gayly　with　hay　and　rags；　and　other　spoil　of　the　flood；　and　in　one
place　a　disordered　mattress　was　lodged　high　among　the　boughs　of　a　water…
maple；　where　it　would　form　building　material　for　countless　generations　of
birds。　　The　fat　cornfields　were　often　littered　with　a　varied　wreckage
which　the　farmers　must　soon　heap　together　and　burn；　to　be　rid　of　it；　and
everywhere　were　proofs　of　the　river's　power　to　devastate　as　well　as
enrich　its　shores。　　The　dwellers　there　had　no　power　against　it；　in　its
moments　of　insensate　rage；　and　the　land　no　protection　from　its
encroachments　except　in　the　simple　device　of　the　willow　hedges；　which；　if
planted；　sometimes　refused　to　grow；　but　often　came　of　themselves　and　kept
the　torrent　from　the　loose；　unfathomable　soil　of　the　banks；　otherwise
crumbling　helplessly　into　it。

The　rafts　were　very　well；　and　the　house…boats　and　the　traders'　boats；　but
the　most　majestic　feature　of　the　riverlife　was　the　tow　of　coal…barges
which；　going　or　coming；　the　'Avonek'　met　every　few　miles。　　Whether　going
or　coming　they　were　pushed；　not　pulled；　by　the　powerful　steamer　which
gathered　them　in　tens　and　twenties　before　her；　and　rode　the　mid…current
with　them；　when　they　were　full；　or　kept　the　slower　water　near　shore　when
they　were　empty。　　They　claimed　the　river　where　they　passed；　and　the
'Avonek'　bowed　to　an　unwritten　law　in　giving　them　the　full　right　of　way；
from　the　time　when　their　low　bulk　first　rose　in　sight；　with　the　chimneys
of　their　steamer　towering　above　them　and　her　gay　contours　gradually
making　themselves　seen；　till　she　receded　from　the　encounter；　with　the
wheel　at　her　stern　pouring　a　cataract　of　yellow　water　from　its　blades。
It　was　insurpassably　picturesque　always；　and　not　the　tapering　masts　or
the　swelling　sails　of　any　sea…going　craft　could　match　it。




V。

So　at　least　the　travellers　thought　who　were　here　revisiting　the　earliest
scenes　of　childhood；　and　who　perhaps　found　them　unduly　endeared。　　They
perused　them　mostly　from　an　easy　seat　at　the　bow　of　the　hurricane…deck；
and；　whenever　the　weather　favored　them；　spent　the　idle　time　in　selecting
shelters　for　their　declining　years　among　the　farmsteads　that　offered
themselves　to　their　choice　up　and　down　the　shores。　　The　weather　commonly
favored　them；　and　there　was　at　least　one　whole　day　on　the　lower　river
when　the　weather　was　divinely　flattering。　　The　soft；　dull　air　lulled
their　nerves　while　it　buffeted　their　faces；　and　the　sun；　that　looked
through　veils　of　mist　and　smoke；　gently　warmed　their　aging　frames　and
found　itself　again　in　their　hearts。　　Perhaps　it　was　there　that　the　water…
elms　and　watermaples　chiefly　budded；　and　the　red…birds　sang；　and　the
drifting　flocks　of　blackbirds　called　and　clattered；　but　surely　these　also
spread　their　gray　and　pink　against　the　sky　and　filled　it　with　their
voices。　　There　were　meadow…larks　and　robins　without　as　well　as　within；
and　it　was　no　subjective　plough　that　turned　the　earliest　furrows　in　those
opulent　fields。

When　they　were　tired　of　sitting　there；　they　climbed；　invited　or
uninvited；　but　always　welcomed；　to　the　pilothouse；　where　either　pilot　of
the　two　who　were　always　on　watch　poured　out　in　an　unstinted　stream　the
lore　of　the　river　on　which　all　their　days　had　been　passed。　　They　knew
from　indelible　association　every　ever…changing　line　of　the　constant
hills；　every　dwelling　by　the　low　banks；　every　aspect　of　the　smoky　towns；
every　caprice　of　the　river；　every…tree；　every　stump；　probably　every　bud
and　bird　in　the　sky。　　They　talked　only　of　the　river；　they　cared　for
nothing　else。　　The　Cuban　cumber　and　the　Philippine　folly　were　equally　far
from　them；　the　German　prince　was　not　only　as　if　he　had　never　been　here；
but　as　if　he　never　had　been；　no　public　question　concerned　them　but　that
of　abandoning　the　canals　which　the　Ohio　legislature　was　then　foolishly
debating。　　Were　not　the　canals　water…ways；　too；　like　the　river；　and　if
the　State　unnaturally　abandoned　them　would　not　it　be　for　the　behoof　of
those　railroads　which　the　rivermen　had　always　fought；　and　which　would
have　made　a　solitude　of　the　river　if　they　could？

But　they　could　not；　and　there　was　nothing　more　surprising　and　delightful
in　this　blissful　voyage　than　the　evident　fact　that　the　old　river　traffic
had　strongly　survived；　and　seemed　to　be　more　strongly　reviving。　　Perhaps
it　was　not；　perhaps　the　fondness　of　those　Ohio…river…born　passengers　was
abused　by　an　illusion　（as　subjective　as　that　of　the　buds　and　birds）　of　a
vivid　variety　of　business　and　pleasure　on　the　beloved　stream。　　But　again；
perhaps　not。　　They　were　seldom　out　of　sight　of　the　substantial　proofs　of
both　in　the　through　or　way　packets　they　encountered；　or　the　nondescript
steam　craft　that　swarmed　about　the　mouths　of　the　contributory　rivers；　and
climbed　their　shallowing　courses　into　the　recesses　of　their　remotest
hills；　to　the　last　lurking…places　of　their　oil　and　coal。




VI。

The　Avonek　was　always　stopping　to　put　off　or　take　on　merchandise　or　men。
She　would　stop　for　a　single　passenger；　plaited　in　the　mud　with　his
telescope　valise　or　gripsack　under　the　edge　of　a　lonely　cornfield；　or　to
gather　upon　her　decks　the　few　or　many　casks　or　bales　that　a　farmer　wished
to　ship。　　She　lay　long　hours　by　the　wharf…boats　of　busy　towns；　exchanging
one　cargo　for　another；　in　that　anarchic　fetching　and　carrying　which　we
call　commerce；　and　which　we　drolly　suppose　to　be　governed　by　laws。　　But
wherever　she　paused　or　parted；　she　tested　the　pilot's　marvellous　skill；
for　no　landing；　no　matter　how　often　she　landed　in　the　same　place；　could
be　twice　the　same。　　At　each　return　the　varying　stream　and　shore　must　be
studied；　and　every　caprice　of　either　divined。　　It　was　always　a　triumph；
a　miracle；　whether　by　day　or　by　night；　a　constant　wonder　how　under　the
pilot's　inspired　touch　she　glided　softly　to　her　moorings；　and　without　a
jar　slipped　from　them　again　and　went　on　her　course。

But　the　landings　by　night　were　of　course　the　finest。　　Then　the　wide　fan
of　the　search…light　was　unfurled　upon　the　point　to　be　attained　and　the
heavy　staging　lowered　from　the　bow　to　the　brink；　perhaps　crushing　the
willow　hedges　in　it's　fall；　and　scarcely　touching　the　land　before　a
black；　ragged　deck…hand　had　run　out　through　the　splendor　and　made　a　line
fast　to　the　trunk　of　the　nearest　tree。　　Then　the　work　of　lading　or
unlading　rapidly　began　in　the　witching　play　of　the　light　that　set　into
radiant　relief　the　black；　eager　faces　and　the　black；　eager　figures　of　the
deck…hands　struggling　up　or　down　the　staging　under　boxes　of　heavy　wares；
or　kegs　of　nails；　or　bales　of　str