the uncommercial traveller-第57章

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forefathers　who　got　to　sea；　and　fought　the　sea；　and　held　the　sea；

without　them。　　This　remembrance　putting　me　in　the　best　of　tempers

with　an　old　hulk；　very　green　as　to　her　copper；　and　generally　dim

and　patched；　I　pull　off　my　hat　to　her。　　Which　salutation　a　callow

and　downy…faced　young　officer　of　Engineers；　going　by　at　the　moment；

perceiving；　appropriates　…　and　to　which　he　is　most　heartily

welcome；　I　am　sure。



Having　been　torn　to　pieces　（in　imagination）　by　the　steam　circular

saws；　perpendicular　saws；　horizontal　saws；　and　saws　of　eccentric

action；　I　come　to　the　sauntering　part　of　my　expedition；　and

consequently　to　the　core　of　my　Uncommercial　pursuits。



Everywhere；　as　I　saunter　up　and　down　the　Yard；　I　meet　with　tokens

of　its　quiet　and　retiring　character。　　There　is　a　gravity　upon　its

red　brick　offices　and　houses；　a　staid　pretence　of　having　nothing

worth　mentioning　to　do；　an　avoidance　of　display；　which　I　never　saw

out　of　England。　　The　white　stones　of　the　pavement　present　no　other

trace　of　Achilles　and　his　twelve　hundred　banging　men　（not　one　of

whom　strikes　an　attitude）　than　a　few　occasional　echoes。　　But　for　a

whisper　in　the　air　suggestive　of　sawdust　and　shavings；　the　oar…

making　and　the　saws　of　many　movements　might　be　miles　away。　　Down

below　here；　is　the　great　reservoir　of　water　where　timber　is　steeped

in　various　temperatures；　as　a　part　of　its　seasoning　process。　　Above

it；　on　a　tramroad　supported　by　pillars；　is　a　Chinese　Enchanter's

Car；　which　fishes　the　logs　up；　when　sufficiently　steeped；　and　rolls

smoothly　away　with　them　to　stack　them。　　When　I　was　a　child　（the

Yard　being　then　familiar　to　me）　I　used　to　think　that　I　should　like

to　play　at　Chinese　Enchanter；　and　to　have　that　apparatus　placed　at

my　disposal　for　the　purpose　by　a　beneficent　country。　　I　still　think

that　I　should　rather　like　to　try　the　effect　of　writing　a　book　in

it。　　Its　retirement　is　complete；　and　to　go　gliding　to　and　fro　among

the　stacks　of　timber　would　be　a　convenient　kind　of　travelling　in

foreign　countries　…　among　the　forests　of　North　America；　the　sodden

Honduras　swamps；　the　dark　pine　woods；　the　Norwegian　frosts；　and　the

tropical　heats；　rainy　seasons；　and　thunderstorms。　　The　costly　store

of　timber　is　stacked　and　stowed　away　in　sequestered　places；　with

the　pervading　avoidance　of　flourish　or　effect。　　It　makes　as　little

of　itself　as　possible；　and　calls　to　no　one　'Come　and　look　at　me！'

And　yet　it　is　picked　out　from　the　trees　of　the　world；　picked　out

for　length；　picked　out　for　breadth；　picked　out　for　straightness；

picked　out　for　crookedness；　chosen　with　an　eye　to　every　need　of

ship　and　boat。　　Strangely　twisted　pieces　lie　about；　precious　in　the

sight　of　shipwrights。　　Sauntering　through　these　groves；　I　come　upon

an　open　glade　where　workmen　are　examining　some　timber　recently

delivered。　　Quite　a　pastoral　scene；　with　a　background　of　river　and

windmill！　and　no　more　like　War　than　the　American　States　are　at

present　like　an　Union。



Sauntering　among　the　ropemaking；　I　am　spun　into　a　state　of　blissful

indolence；　wherein　my　rope　of　life　seems　to　be　so　untwisted　by　the

process　as　that　I　can　see　back　to　very　early　days　indeed；　when　my

bad　dreams　…　they　were　frightful；　though　my　more　mature

understanding　has　never　made　out　why　…　were　of　an　interminable　sort

of　ropemaking；　with　long　minute　filaments　for　strands；　which；　when

they　were　spun　home　together　close　to　my　eyes；　occasioned

screaming。　　Next；　I　walk　among　the　quiet　lofts　of　stores　…　of

sails；　spars；　rigging；　ships'　boats　…　determined　to　believe　that

somebody　in　authority　wears　a　girdle　and　bends　beneath　the　weight

of　a　massive　bunch　of　keys；　and　that；　when　such　a　thing　is　wanted；

he　comes　telling　his　keys　like　Blue　Beard；　and　opens　such　a　door。

Impassive　as　the　long　lofts　look；　let　the　electric　battery　send

down　the　word；　and　the　shutters　and　doors　shall　fly　open；　and　such

a　fleet　of　armed　ships；　under　steam　and　under　sail；　shall　burst

forth　as　will　charge　the　old　Medway　…　where　the　merry　Stuart　let

the　Dutch　come；　while　his　not　so　merry　sailors　starved　in　the

streets　…　with　something　worth　looking　at　to　carry　to　the　sea。

Thus　I　idle　round　to　the　Medway　again；　where　it　is　now　flood　tide；

and　I　find　the　river　evincing　a　strong　solicitude　to　force　a　way

into　the　dry　dock　where　Achilles　is　waited　on　by　the　twelve　hundred

bangers；　with　intent　to　bear　the　whole　away　before　they　are　ready。



To　the　last；　the　Yard　puts　a　quiet　face　upon　it；　for　I　make　my　way

to　the　gates　through　a　little　quiet　grove　of　trees；　shading　the

quaintest　of　Dutch　landing…places；　where　the　leaf…speckled　shadow

of　a　shipwright　just　passing　away　at　the　further　end　might　be　the

shadow　of　Russian　Peter　himself。　　So；　the　doors　of　the　great　patent

safe　at　last　close　upon　me；　and　I　take　boat　again：　　somehow；

thinking　as　the　oars　dip；　of　braggart　Pistol　and　his　brood；　and　of

the　quiet　monsters　of　the　Yard；　with　their　'We　don't　particularly

want　to　do　it；　but　if　it　must　be　done　…　！'　　Scrunch。







CHAPTER　XXVII　…　IN　THE　FRENCH…FLEMISH　COUNTRY







'It　is　neither　a　bold　nor　a　diversified　country；'　said　I　to　myself；

'this　country　which　is　three…quarters　Flemish；　and　a　quarter

French；　yet　it　has　its　attractions　too。　　Though　great　lines　of

railway　traverse　it；　the　trains　leave　it　behind；　and　go　puffing　off

to　Paris　and　the　South；　to　Belgium　and　Germany；　to　the　Northern

Sea…Coast　of　France；　and　to　England；　and　merely　smoke　it　a　little

in　passing。　　Then　I　don't　know　it；　and　that　is　a　good　reason　for

being　here；　and　I　can't　pronounce　half　the　long　queer　names　I　see

inscribed　over　the　shops；　and　that　is　another　good　reason　for　being

here；　since　I　surely　ought　to　learn　how。'　　In　short；　I　was　'here；'

and　I　wanted　an　excuse　for　not　going　away　from　here；　and　I　made　it

to　my　satisfaction；　and　stayed　here。



What　part　in　my　decision　was　borne　by　Monsieur　P。　Salcy；　is　of　no

moment；　though　I　own　to　encountering　that　gentleman's　name　on　a　red

bill　on　the　wall；　before　I　made　up　my　mind。　　Monsieur　P。　Salcy；

'par　permission　de　M。　le　Maire；'　had　established　his　theatre　in　the

whitewashed　Hotel　de　Ville；　on　the　steps　of　which　illustrious

edifice　I　stood。　　And　Monsieur　P。　Salcy；　privileged　director　of

such　theatre；　situate　in　'the　first　theatrical　arrondissement　of

the　department　of　the　North；'　invited　French…Flemish　mankind　to

come　and　partake　of　the　intellectual　banquet　provided　by　his　family

of　dramatic　artists；　fifteen　subjects　in　number。　　'La　Famille　P。

SALCY；　composee　d'artistes　dramatiques；　au　nombre　de　15　sujets。'



Neither　a　bold　nor　a　diversified　country；　I　say　again；　and　withal

an　untidy　country；　but　pleasant　enough　to　ride　in；　when　the　paved

roads　over　the　flats　and　through　the　hollows；　are　not　too　deep　in

black　mud。　　A　country　so　sparely　inhabited；　that　I　wonder　where　the

peasants　who　till　and　sow　and　reap　the　ground；　can　possibly　dwell；

and　also　by　what　invisible　balloons　they　are　conveyed　from　their

distant　homes　into　the　fields　at　sunrise　and　back　again　at　sunset。

The　occasional　few　poor　cottages　and　farms　in　this　region；　surely

cannot　afford　shelter　to　the　numbers　necessary　to　the　cultivation；

albeit　the　work　is　done　so　very　deliberately；　that　on　one　long

harvest　day　I　have　seen；　in　twelve　miles；　about　twice　as　many　men

and　women　（all　told）　reaping　and　binding。　　Yet　have　I　seen　more

cattle；　more　sheep；　more　pigs；　and　all　in　better　case；　than　where

there　is　purer　French　spoken；　and　also　better　ricks　…　round

swelling　peg…top　ricks；　well　thatched；　not　a　shapeless　brown　heap；

like　the　toast　of　a　Giant's　toast…and…water；　pinned　to　the　earth

with　one　of　the　skewers　out　of　his　kitchen。　　A　good　custom　they

have　about　here；　likewise；　of　prolonging　the　sloping　tiled　roof　of

farm　or　cottage；　so　that　it　overhangs　three　or　four　feet；　carrying

off　the　wet；　and　making　a　good　drying…place　wherein　to　hang　up

herbs；　or　implements；　or　what　not。　　A　better　custom　than　the

popular　one　of　keeping　the　refuse…heap　and　puddle　close　before　the

house　door：　　which；　although　I　paint　my　dwelling　never　so　brightly

blue　（and　it　cannot　be　too　blue　for　me；　hereabouts）；　will　bring

fever　inside　my　door。　　Wonderful　poultry　of　the　French…Flemish

country；　why　take　the　trouble　to　BE　poultry？　　Why　not　stop　short　at

eggs　in　the　rising　generation；　and　die　out　and　have　done　with　it？

Parents　of　chickens　have　I　seen　this　day；　followed　by　their

wretched　young　families；　scratching　nothing　out　of　the　mud　with　an

air　…　tottering　about　on　legs　so　scraggy　and　weak；　that　the　valiant

word　drumsticks　becomes　a　mockery　when　applied　to　them；　and　the

crow　of　the　lord　and　master　has　been　a　mere　dejected　case　of　croup。

Carts　have　I　seen；　and　other　agricultural　instruments；　unwieldy；

dislocated；　monstrous。　　Poplar…trees　by　the　thousand　fringe　the

fields　and　fringe　the　end　of　the　flat　landscape；　so　that　I　feel；

looking　straight　on　before　me；　as　if；　when　I　pass　the　extremest

fringe　on　the　low　horizon；　I　shall　tumble　over　into　space。　　Little

whitewashed　black　holes　of　chapels；　with　barred　doors　and　Flemish

inscriptions；　abound　at　roadside　corners；　and　often　they　are

garnished　with　a　sheaf　of　wooden　crosses；　like　children's　swords；

or；　in　their　default；　some　hollow　old　tree　with　a　saint　roosting　in

it；　is　similarly　decorated；　or　a　pole　with　a　very　diminutive　saint

enshrined　aloft　in　a　sort　of　sacred　pigeon…house。　　Not　that　we　are

deficient　in　such　decoration　in　the　town　here；　for；　over　at　the

church　yonder；　outside　the　building；　is　a　scenic　representation　of

the　Crucifixion；　built　up　with　old　bricks　and　stones；　and　made　out

with　painted　canvas　and　wooden　figures：　　the　whole　surmounting　the

dusty　skull　of　some　holy　personage　（perhaps）；　shut　up　behind　a

little　ashy　iron　grate；　as　if　it　were　originally　put　there　to　be

cooked；　and　the　fire　had　long　gone　out。　　A　windmilly　country　this；

though　the　windmills　are　so　damp　and　rickety；　that　they　nearly

knock　themselves　off　their　legs　at　every　turn　of　their　sails；　and

creak　in　loud　complaint。　　A　weaving　country；　too；　for　in　the

wayside　cottages　the　loom　goes　wearily　…　rattle　and　click；　rattle

and　click　…　and；　looking　in；　I　see　the　poor　weaving　peasant；　man　or

woman；　bending　at　the　work；　while　the　child；　working　too；　turns　a

little　hand…wheel　put　upon　the　ground　to　suit　its　height。　　An

unconscionable　monster；　the　loom　in　a　small　dwelling；　asserting

himself　ungenerously　as　the　bread…winner；　straddling　over　the

children's　straw　beds；　cramping　the　family　in　space　and　air；　and

making　himself　generally　objectionable　and　tyrannical。　　He　is

tributary；　too；　to　ugly　mills　and　factories　and　bleaching…grounds；

rising　out　of　the　sluiced　fields　in　an　abrupt　bare　way；　disdaining；

like　himself；　to　be　ornamental　or　accommodating。　　Surrounded　by

these　things；　here　I　stood　on　the　steps　of　the　Hotel　de　Ville；

persuaded　to　remain　by　the　P。　Salcy　family；　fifteen　dramatic

subjects　strong。



There　was　a　Fair　besides。　　Th