short stories and essays-第4章

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rainbow。

All　this　seems　probable　and　natural　enough　at　the　writing；　but　how　will
it　be　when　one　has　turned　one's　back　upon　it？　　Will　it　not　lapse　into　the
gross　fable　of　travellers；　and　be　as　the　things　which　the　liars　who　swap
them　cannot　themselves　believe？　　What　will　be　said　to　you　when　you　tell
that　in　the　Summer　Islands　one　has　but　to　saw　a　hole　in　his　back　yard　and
take　out　a　house　of　soft；　creamy　sandstone　and　set　it　up　and　go　to　living
in　it？　　What；　when　you　relate　that　among　the　northern　and　southern
evergreens　there　are　deciduous　trees　which；　in　a　clime　where　there　is　no
fall　or　spring；　simply　drop　their　leaves　when　they　are　tired　of　keeping
them　on；　and　put　out　others　when　they　feel　like　it？　　What；　when　you
pretend　that　in　the　absence　of　serpents　there　are　centipedes　a　span　long；
and　spiders　the　bigness　of　bats；　and　mosquitoes　that　sweetly　sing　in　the
drowsing　ear；　but　bite　not；　or　that　there　are　swamps　but　no　streams；　and
in　the　marshes　stand　mangrove…trees　whose　branches　grow　downward　into　the
ooze；　as　if　they　wished　to　get　back　into　the　earth　and　pull　in　after　them
the　holes　they　emerged　from？

These　every…day　facts　seem　not　only　incredible　to　the　liar　himself；　even
in　their　presence；　but　when　you　begin　the　ascent　of　that　steep　slant　back
to　New　York　you　foresee　that　they　will　become　impossible。　　As　impossible
as　the　summit　of　the　slant　now　appears　to　the　sense　which　shudderingly
figures　it　a　Bermuda　pawpaw…tree　seven　hundred　miles　high；　and　fruiting
icicles　and　snowballs　in　the　March　air！






WILD　FLOWERS　OF　THE　ASPHALT

Looking　through　Mrs。　Caroline　A。　Creevey's　charming　book　on　the　Flowers
of　Field；　Hill；　and　Swamp；　the　other　day；　I　was　very　forcibly　reminded　of
the　number　of　these　pretty；　wilding　growths　which　I　had　been　finding　all
the　season　long　among　the　streets　of　asphalt　and　the　sidewalks　of
artificial　stone　in　this　city；　and　I　am　quite　sure　that　any　one　who　has
been　kept　in　New　York；　as　I　have　been　this　year；　beyond　the　natural　time
of　going　into　the　country；　can　have　as　real　a　pleasure　in　this　sylvan
invasion　as　mine；　if　he　will　but　give　himself　up　to　a　sense　of　it。




I。

Of　course　it　is　altogether　too　late；　now；　to　look　for　any　of　the　early
spring　flowers；　but　I　can　recall　the　exquisite　effect　of　the　tender　blue
hepatica　fringing　the　centre　rail　of　the　grip…cars；　all　up　and　down
Broadway；　and　apparently　springing　from　the　hollow　beneath；　where　the
cable　ran　with　such　a　brooklike　gurgle　that　any　damp…living　plant　must
find　itself　at　home　there。　　The　water…pimpernel　may　now　be　seen；　by　any
sympathetic　eye；　blowing　delicately　along　the　track；　in　the　breeze　of　the
passing　cabs；　and　elastically　lifting　itself　from　the　rush　of　the　cars。
The　reader　can　easily　verify　it　by　the　picture　in　Mrs。　Creevey's　book。
He　knows　it　by　its　other　name　of　brook　weed；　and　he　will　have　my　delight；
I　am　sure；　in　the　cardinal…flower　which　will　be　with　us　in　August。　　It　is
a　shy　flower；　loving　the　more　sequestered　nooks；　and　may　be　sought　along
the　shady　stretches　of　Third　Avenue；　where　the　Elevated　Road　overhead
forms　a　shelter　as　of　interlacing　boughs。　　The　arrow…head　likes　such
swampy　expanses　as　the　converging　surface　roads　form　at　Dead　Man's　Curve
and　the　corners　of　Twenty　third　Street。　　This　is　in　flower　now；　and　will
be　till　September；　and　St。…John's…wort；　which　some　call　the　false　golden…
rod；　is　already　here。　　You　may　find　it　in　any　moist；　low　ground；　but　the
gutters　of　Wall　Street；　or　even　the　banks　of　the　Stock　Exchange；　are　not
too　dry　for　it。　　The　real　golden…rod　is　not　much　in　evidence　with　us；　for
it　comes　only　when　summer　is　on　the　wane。　　The　other　night；　however；　on
the　promenade　of　the　Madison　Square　Roof　Garden；　I　was　delighted　to　see
it　growing　all　over　the　oblong　dome　of　the　auditorium；　in　response　to　the
cry　of　a　homesick　cricket　which　found　itself　in　exile　there　at　the　base
of　a　potted　ever　green。　　This　lonely　insect　had　no　sooner　sounded　its
winter…boding　note　than　the　fond　flower　began　sympathetically　to　wave　and
droop　along　those　tarry　slopes；　as　I　have　seen　it　on　how　many　hill…side
pastures！　　But　this　may　have　been　only　a　transitory　response　to　the
cricket；　and　I　cannot　promise　the　visitor　to　the　Roof　Garden　that　he　will
find　golden…rod　there　every　night。　　I　believe　there　is　always　Golden
Seal；　but　it　is　the　kind　that　comes　in　bottles；　and　not　in　the　gloom　of
〃deep；　cool；　moist　woods；〃　where　Mrs。　Creevey　describes　it　as　growing；
along　with　other　wildings　of　such　sweet　names　or　quaint　as　Celandine；　and
Dwarf　Larkspur；　and　Squirrel…corn；　and　Dutchman's　breeches；　and
Pearlwort；　and　Wood…sorrel；　and　Bishop'scap；　and　Wintergreen；　and
Indian…pipe；　and　Snowberry；　and　Adder's…tongue；　and　Wakerobin；　and
Dragon…root；　and　Adam…and…Eve；　and　twenty　more；　which　must　have　got　their
names　from　some　fairy　of　genius。　　I　should　say　it　was　a　female　fairy　of
genius　who　called　them　so；　and　that　she　had　her　own　sex　among　mortals　in
mind　when　she　invented　their　nomenclature；　and　was　thinking　of　little
girls；　and　slim；　pretty　maids；　and　happy　young　wives。　　The　author　tells
how　they　all　look；　with　a　fine　sense　of　their　charm　in　her　words；　but　one
would　know　how　they　looked　from　their　names；　and　when　you　call　them　over
they　at　once　transplant　themselves　to　the　depths　of　the　dells　between　our
sky…scrapers；　and　find　a　brief　sojourn　in　the　cavernous　excavations
whence　other　sky…scrapers　are　to　rise。




II。

That　night　on　the　Roof　Garden；　when　the　cricket's　cry　flowered　the　dome
with　golden…rod；　the　tall　stems　of　rye　growing　among　the　orchestra　sloped
all　one　way　at　times；　just　like　the　bows　of　violins；　in　the　half…dollar
gale　that　always　blows　over　the　city　at　that　height。　　But　as　one　turns
the　leaves　of　Mrs。　Creevey's　magic　book…perhaps　one　ought　to　say　turns
its　petalsthe　forests　and　the　fields　come　and　make　themselves　at　home
in　the　city　everywhere。　　By　virtue　of　it　I　have　been　more　in　the　country
in　a　half…hour　than　if　I　had　lived　all　June　there。　　When　I　lift　my　eyes
from　its　pictures　or　its　letter…press　my　vision　prints　the　eidolons　of
wild　flowers　everywhere；　as　it　prints　the　image　of　the　sun　against　the
air　after　dwelling　on　his　brightness。　　The　rose…mallow　flaunts　along
Fifth　Avenue　and　the　golden　threads　of　the　dodder　embroider　the　house
fronts　on　the　principal　cross　streets；　and　I　might　think　at　times　that　it
was　all　mere　fancy；　it　has　so　much　the　quality　of　a　pleasing　illusion。

Yet　Mrs。　Creevey's　book　is　not　one　to　lend　itself　to　such　a　deceit　by　any
of　the　ordinary　arts。　　It　is　rather　matter　of　fact　in　form　and　manner；
and　largely　owes　what　magic　it　has　to　the　inherent　charm　of　its　subject。
One　feels　this　in　merely　glancing　at　the　index；　and　reading　such　titles
of　chapters　as　〃Wet　Meadows　and　Low　Grounds〃；　〃Dry　FieldsWaste　Places
Waysides〃；　〃Hills　and　Rocky　Woods；　Open　Woods〃；　and　〃Deep；　Cool；　Moist
Woods〃；　each　a　poem　in　itself；　lyric　or　pastoral；　and　of　a　surpassing
opulence　of　suggestion。　　The　spring　and；　summer　months　pass　in　stately
processional　through　the　book；　each　with　her　fillet　inscribed　with　the
names　of　her　characteristic　flowers　or　blossoms；　and　brightened　with　the
blooms　themselves。

They　are　plucked　from　where　nature　bade　them　grow　in　the　wild　places；　or
their　own　wayward　wills　led　them　astray。　　A　singularly　fascinating
chapter　is　that　called　〃Escaped　from　Gardens；〃　in　which　some　of　these
pretty　runagates　are　catalogued。　　I　supposed　in　my　liberal　ignorance　that
the　Bouncing　Bet　was　the　only　one　of　these；　but　I　have　learned　that　the
Pansy　and　the　Sweet　Violet　love　to　gad；　and　that　the　Caraway；　the
Snapdragon；　the　Prince's　Feather；　the　Summer　Savory；　the　Star　of
Bethlehem；　the　Day…Lily；　and　the　Tiger…Lily；　and　even　the　sluggish　Stone
Crop　are　of　the　vagrant；　fragrant　company。　　One　is　not　surprised　to　meet
the　Tiger…Lily　in　it；　that　must　always　have　had　the　jungle　in　its　heart；
but　that　the　Baby's　Breath　should　be　found　wandering　by　the　road…sides
from　Massachusetts　and　Virginia　to　Ohio；　gives　one　a　tender　pang　as　for　a
lost　child。　　Perhaps　the　poor　human　tramps；　who　sleep　in　barns　and　feed
at　back　doors　along　those　dusty　ways；　are　mindful　of　the　Baby's　Breath；
and　keep　a　kindly　eye　out　for　the　little　truant。




III。

As　I　was　writing　those　homely　names　I　felt　again　how　fit　and　lovely　they
were；　how　much　more　fit　and　lovely　than　the　scientific　names　of　the
flowers。　　Mrs。　Creevey　will　make　a　botanist　of　you　if　you　will　let　her；
and　I　fancy　a　very　good　botanist；　though　I　cannot　speak　from　experience；
but　she　will　make　a　poet　of　you　in　spite　of　yourself；　as　I　very　well
know；　and　she　will　do　this　simply　by　giving　you　first　the　familiar　name
of　the　flowers　she　loves　to　write　of。　　I　am　not　saying　that　the　Day…Lily
would　not　smell　as　sweet　by　her　title　of　'Hemerocallis　Fulva'；　or　that
the　homely；　hearty　Bouncing　Bet　would　not　kiss　as　deliciously　in　her
scholar's　cap　and　gown　of　'Saponaria　Officinalis'；　but　merely　that　their
college　degrees　do　not　lend　themselves　so　willingly　to　verse；　or　even
melodious　prose；　which　is　what　the　poet　is　often　after　nowadays。　　So　I
like　best　to　hail　the　flowers　by　the　names　that　the　fairies　gave　them；
and　the　children　know　them　by；　especially　when　my　longing　for　them　makes
them　grow　here　in　the　city　streets。　　I　have　a　fancy　that　they　would　all
vanish　away　if　I　saluted　them　in　botanical　terms。　　As　long　as　I　talk　of
cat…tail　rushes；　the　homeless　grimalkins　of　the　areas　and　the　back　fences
help　me　to　a　vision　of　the　swamps　thickly　studded　with　their　stiff
spears；　but　if　I　called　them　'Typha　Latifolia'；　or　even　'Typha
Angustifolia'；　there　is　not　the　hardiest　and　fiercest　prowler　of　the　roof
and　the　fire…escape　but　would　fly　the　sound　of　my　voice　and　leave　me
forlorn　amid　the　withered　foliage　of　my　dream。　　The　street　sparrows；
pestiferous　and　persistent　as　they　are；　would　forsake　my　sylvan　pageant
if　I　spoke　of　the　Bird…foot　Violet　as　the　'Viola　Pedata'；　and　the
commonest　cur　would　run　howling　if　he　beard　the　gentle　Poison　Dogwood
maligned　as　the　'Rhus　Venenata'。　　The　very　milk…cans　would　turn　to　their
native　pumps　in　disgust　from　my　attempt　to　invoke　our　simple　American
Cowslip　as　the　'Dodecatheon　Meadia'。




IV

Yet　I　do　not　deny　that　such　scientific　nomenclature　has　its　uses；　and　I
should　be　far　from　undervaluing　this　side　of　Mrs。　Creevey's　book。　　In
fact；　I　secretly　respect　it　the　more　for　its　botanical　lore；　and　if　ever
I　get　into　the　woods　or　fields　again　I　mean　to　go　up　to　some　of　the
humblest　flowers；　such　as　I　can　feel　myself　on　easy　terms　with；　and　tell
them　what　they　are　in　Latin。　　I　think　it　will　surprise　them；　and　I　dare
say　they　will　some　of　them　like　it；　and　will　want　their　initials
inscribed　on　their　leaves；　like　those　signatures　which　the　medicinal
plants　bear；　or　are　supposed　to　bear。　　But　as　long　as　I　am　engaged　in
their　culture　amid　this　stone　and　iron　and　asphalt；　I　find　it　best　to
invite　their　presence　by　their　familiar　names；　and　I　hope　they　will　not
think　them　too　familiar。　　I　should　like　to　get　them　all　naturalized　here；
so　that　the　thousands　of　poor　city　children；　who　never　saw　them　growing
in　their　native　places；　might　have　some　notion　of　how　bountifully　the
world　is　equipped　with