the dwelling place of ligh-第48章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


subject　to　the　operation　of　cause　and　effect。　　It　was　not　what　an
ingenuous　orthodoxy；　keeping　alive　the　fate　of　the　ancient　city　from
which　Lot　fled；　would　call　the　wrath　of　heaven　that　visited　Hampton；
although　a　sermon　on　these　lines　was　delivered　from　more　than　one　of　her
pulpits　on　the　following　Sunday。　　Let　us　surmise；　rather；　that　a　decrepit
social　system　in　a　moment　of　lowered　vitality　becomes　an　easy　prey　to
certain　diseases　which　respectable　communities　are　not　supposed　to　have。
The　germ　of　a　philosophy　evolved　in　decadent　Europe　flies　across　the　sea
to　prey　upon　a　youthful　and　vigorous　America；　lodging　as　host　wherever
industrial　strife　has　made　congenial　soil。　　In　four　and　twenty　hours
Hampton　had　〃caught〃　Syndicalism。　　All　day　Tuesday；　before　the　true
nature　of　the　affection　was　developed；　prominent　citizens　were　outraged
and　appalled　by　the　supineness　of　their　municipal　phagocytes。　　Property；
that　sacred　fabric　of　government；　had　been　attacked　and　destroyed；　law
had　been　defied；　and　yet　the　City　Hall；　the　sanctuary　of　American
tradition；　was　turned　over　to　the　alien　mob　for　a　continuous　series　of
mass　meetings。　　All　day　long　that　edifice；　hitherto　chastely　familiar
with　American　doctrine　alone；　with　patriotic　oratory；　with　perorations
that　dwelt　upon　the　wrongs　and　woes　of　Irelandpart　of　our　national
propagandaall　day　long　that　edifice　rang　with　strange；　exotic　speech；
sometimes　guttural；　often　musical；　but　always　impassioned；　weirdly
cadenced　and　intoned。　　From　the　raised　platform；　in　place　of　the　shrewd；
matter…of…fact　New　England　politician　alive　to　the　votegetting　powers
of　Fourth　of　July　patriotism；　in　place　of　the　vehement　but　fun…loving　son
of　Erin；　men　with　wild；　dark　faces；　with　burning　black　eyes　and　unkempt
hair；　unshaven；　flannel　skirtedmade　more　alien；　paradoxically；　by　their
conventional；　ready…made　American　clothesgave　tongue　to　the
inarticulate　aspirations　of　the　peasant　drudge　of　Europe。　　From　lands
long　steeped　in　blood　they　came；　from　low　countries　by　misty　northern
seas；　from　fair　and　ancient　plains　of　Lombardy；　from　Guelph　and
Ghibelline　hamlets　in　the　Apennines；　from　vine…covered　slopes　in　Sicily
and　Greece；　from　the　Balkans；　from　Caucasus　and　Carpathia；　from　the
mountains　of　Lebanon；　whose　cedars　lined　the　palaces　of　kings；　and　from
villages　beside　swollen　rivers　that　cross　the　dreary　steppes。　　Each
peasant　listened　to　a　recital　in　his　own　tonguethe　tongue　in　which　the
folklore；　the　cradle　sayings　of　his　race　had　been　preservedof　the
common　wrongs　of　all；　of　misery　still　present；　of　happiness　still
unachieved　in　this　land　of　liberty　and　opportunity　they　had　found　a
mockery；　to　appeals　to　endure　and　suffer　for　a　common　cause。　　But　who　was
to　weld　together　this　medley　of　races　and　traditions；　to　give　them　the
creed　for　which　their　passions　were　prepared；　to　lead　into　battle　these
ignorant　and　unskilled　from　whom　organized　labour　held　aloof？　　Even　as
dusk　was　falling；　even　as　the　Mayor；　the　Hon。　Michael　McGrath；　was　making
from　the　platform　an　eloquent　plea　for　order　and　peace；　promising　a
Committee　of　Arbitration　and　thinking　about　soldiers；　the　leader　and　the
philosophy　were　landing　in　Hampton。

The　〃five　o'clock〃　edition　of　the　Banner　announced　him；　Antonio
Antonelli；　of　the　Industrial　Workers　of　the　World！　　An　ominous　name；　an
ominous　title；compared　by　a　wellknown　publicist　to　the　sound　of　a　fire…
bell　in　the　night。　　The　Industrial　Workers；　not　of　America；　but　of　the
World！　　No　wonder　it　sent　shivers　down　the　spine　of　Hampton！　　The　writer
of　the　article　in　the　Banner　was　unfamiliar　with　the　words　〃syndicalism〃
and　〃sabotage；〃　or　the　phrase　〃direct　action；〃　he　was　too　young　to　know
the　history　of　the　Knights；　he　had　never　heard　of　a　philosophy　of　labour；
or　of　Sorel　or　Pouget；　but　the　West　he　had　heard　of；the　home　of
lawlessness；　of　bloodshed；　rape；　and　murder。　　For　obvious　reasons　he　did
not　betray　this　opinion；　but　for　him　the　I。W。W。　was　born　in　the　West；
where　it　had　ravaged　and　wrecked　communities。　　His　article　was　guardedly
respectful；　but　he　ventured　to　remind　his　readers　that　Mr。　Antonelli　had
been　a　leader　in　some　of　these　titanic　struggles　between　crude　labour　and
capitalcatastrophes　that　hitherto　had　seemed　to　the　citizens　of　Hampton
as　remote　as　Kansas　cyclones。。。。

Some　of　the　less　timorous　of　the　older　inhabitants；　curious　to　learn　what
doctrine　this　interloper　had　to　proclaim；　thrust　their　way　that　evening
into　the　City　Hall；　which　was　crowded；　as　the　papers　said；　〃to
suffocation。〃　　Not　prepossessing；　this　modern　Robespierre；　younger　than
he　looked；　for　life　had　put　its　mark　on　him；　once；　in　the　days　of　severe
work　in　the　mines；　his　body　had　been　hard；　and　now　had　grown　stout。　　In
the　eyes　of　a　complacent；　arm…chair　historian　he　must　have　appeared　one
of　the；　strange　and　terrifying　creatures　which；　in　times　of　upheaval；　are
thrust　from　the　depths　of　democracies　to　the　surface；　with　gifts　to　voice
the　longings　and　passions　of　those　below。　　He　did　not　blink　in　the　light；
he　was　sure　of　himself；　he　had　a　creed　and　believed　in　it；　he　gazed
around　him　with　the　leonine　stare　of　the　conqueror；　and　a　hush　came　over
the　hall　as　he　arose。　　His　speech　was　taken　down　verbatim；　to　be
submitted　to　the　sharpest　of　legal　eyes；　when　was　discovered　the
possession　of　a　powerrare　among　agitatorsto　pour　forth　in　torrents
apparently　unpremeditated　appeals；　to　skirt　the　border　of　sedition　and
never　transgress　it；　to　weigh　his　phrases　before　he　gave　them　birth；　and
to　remember　them。　　If　he　said　an　incendiary　thing　one　moment　he　qualified
it　the　next；　he　justified　violence　only　to　deprecate　it；　and　months
later；　when　on　trial　for　his　life　and　certain　remarks　were　quoted　against
him；　he　confounded　his　prosecutors　by　demanding　the　contexts。　　Skilfully；
always　within　the　limits　of　their　intelligence；　he　outlined　to　his
hearers　his　philosophy　and　proclaimed　it　as　that　of　the　world's
oppressed。　　Their　cause　was　histhe　cause　of　human　progress；　he
universalized；　it。　　The　world　belonged　to　the　〃producer；〃　if　only　he　had
the　courage　to　take　possession　of　his　own。。。。

Suddenly　the　inspirer　was　transformed　into　the　man　of　affairs　who　calmly
proposed　the　organization　of　a　strike　committee；　three　members　of　which
were　to　be　chosen　by　each　nationality。　　And　the　resolution；　translated
into　many　tongues；　was　adopted　amidst　an　uproar　of　enthusiasm。　　Until
that　moment　the　revolt　had　been　personal；　local；　founded　on　a　particular
grievance　which　had　to　do　with　wages　and　the　material　struggle　for
existence。　　Now　all　was　changed；　now　they　were　convinced　that　the
deprivation　and　suffering　to　which　they　had　pledged　themselves　were　not
for　selfish　ends　alone；　but　also　vicarious；　dedicated　to　the　liberation
of　all　the　downtrodden　of　the　earth。　　Antonelli　became　a　saviour；　they
reached　out　to　touch　him　as　he　passed；　they　trooped　into　the　snowy
street；　young　men　and　old；　and　girls；　and　women　holding　children　in　their
arms；　their　faces　alight　with　something　never　known　or　felt　before。

Such　was　Antonelli　to　the　strikers。　　But　to　those　staid　residents　of
Hampton　who　had　thought　themselves　still　to　be　living　in　the　old　New
England　tradition；　he　was　the　genius　of　an　evil　dream。　　Hard　on　his　heels
came　a　nightmare　troop；　whose　coming　brought　to　the　remembrance　of　the
imaginative　the　old　nursery　rhyme：

〃Hark！　　Hark！　　The　dogs　do　bark；　The　beggars　are　come　to　town。〃

It　has；　indeed；　a　knell…like　ring。　　Do　philosophies　tend　also　to　cast
those　who　adopt　them　into　a　mould？　　These　were　of　the　self…same　breed；
indubitably　the　followers　of　Antonelli。　　The　men　wore　their　hair　long；
affected；　like　their　leader；　soft　felt　hats　and　loose　black　ties　that
fell　over　the　lapels　of　their　coats。　　Loose　morals　and　loose　ties！　　The
projection　of　these　against　a　Puritan　background　ties　symbolical　of
everything　the　Anglo…Saxon　shudders　at　and　abhors；　of　anarchy　and　mob
rule；　of　bohemia　and　vagabondia；　of　sedition　and　murder；　of　Latin
revolutions　and　reigns　of　terror；　of　sex　irregularitynot　of　the
clandestine　sort　to　be　found　in　decent　communitiesbut　of　free　love　that
flaunts　itself　in　the　face　of　an　outraged　public。　　For　there　were　women
in　the　band。　　All　this；　and　more；　the　invaders　suggestedatheism；
unfamiliarity　with　soap　and　water；　and；　more　vaguely；　an　exotic　poetry
and　art　that　to　the　virile　of　American　descent　is　saturated　with
something　indefinable　yet　abhorrent。　　Such　things　are　felt。　　Few　of　the
older　citizens　of　Hampton　were　able　to　explain　why　something　rose　in
their　gorges；　why　they　experienced　a　new　and　clammy　quality　of　fear　and
repulsion　when；　on　the　day　following　Antonelli's　advent；　these　strangers
arrived　from　nowhere　to　install　themselveswith　no　baggage　to　speak　of
in　Hampton's　more　modest　but　hitherto　respectable　hostelries。　　And　no
sooner　had　the　city　been　rudely　awakened　to　the　perilous　presence；　in
overwhelming　numbers；　of　ignorant　and　inflammable　foreigners　than　these
turned　up　and　presumed　to　lead　the　revolt；　to　make　capital　out　of　it；　to
interpret　it　in　terms　of　an　exotic　and　degenerate　creed。　　Hampton　would
take　care　of　itselfor　else　the　sovereign　state　within　whose　borders　it
was　would　take　care　of　it。　　And　his　Honour　the　Mayor；　who　had　proclamed
his　faith　in　the　reasonableness　of　the　strikers；　who　had　scorned　the
suggestions　of　indignant　inhabitants　that　the　Governor　be　asked　for
soldiers；　twenty…four　hours　too　late　arranged　for　the　assembly　of　three
companies　of　local　militia　in　the　armory；　and　swore　in　a　hundred　extra
police。

The　hideous　stillness　of　Fillmore　Street　was　driving　Janet　mad。　　What　she
burned　to　do　was　to　go　to　Boston　and　take　a　train　for　somewhere　in　the
West；　to　lose　herself；　never　to　see　Hampton　again。　　Butthere　was　her
mother。　　She　could　not　leave　Hannah　in　these　empty　rooms；　alone；　and
Edward　was　to　remain　at　the　mill；　to　eat　and　sleep　there；　until　the
danger　of　the　strike　had　passed。　　A　messenger　had　come　to　fetch　his
clothes。　　After　leaving　Ditmar　in　the　office　of　the　mill；　Janet　crept　up
the　dark　stairs　to　the　flat　and　halted　in　the　hallway。　　Through　the　open
doorway　of　the　dining…room　she　saw　Hannah　seated　on　the　horsehair　sofa
for　the　first　time　within　memory　idle　at　this　hour　of　the　day。　　Nothing
else　could　have　brought　home　to　her　like　this　the　sheer　tragedy　of　their
plight。　　Until　then　Janet　had　been　sustained　by　anger　and　excitement；　by
physical　action。　　She　thought　Hannah　was　staring　at　her；　after　a　moment
it　seemed　that　the　widened　pupils　were　fixed　in　fascination　on　something
beyond；　on　the　Thing　that　had　come　to　dwell　here　with　them　forever。

Janet　entered　the　room。　　She　sat　down　on　the　sofa　and　took　her　mother's
hand　in　hers。　　And　Hannah　submitted　passively。　　Janet　could　not　speak。　　A
minute　might　have　passed；　and　the　silence；　which　neither　had　broken；
acquired　an　intensity　that　to　Janet　became　unbearable。　　Never　had　the
room　been　so　still！　　Her　glance；　raised　instinctively　to　the　face　of　the
picture…clock；　saw　the　hands　pointing　to　ten。　　Every　Monday　morning；　as
far　back　as　she　could　recall；　her　father　had　wound　it　before　going　to
workand　to…day　he　had　forgotten。　　Getting　up；　she　opened　the　glass
door；　and　stood　trying　to　estimate　the　hour：　it