samantha at saratoga-第17章

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e　covered　over。　　I　thought　I　knew　somethin'　of　their　nater　and　habits；　which　is　a　good　deal；　so　I　had　always　s'posed；　like　a　umbrell's。　　But　good　land！　　I　gin　up　that　I　knew　them　not；　nor　never　had。　Why　anybody　could　learn　more　on　'em　through　one　jerney　down　that　street；　than　from　a　hull　lifetime　in　Jonesville。　　Truly　travel　is　very　upliftin'　and　openin'　and　spreadin'　out　to　the　mind；　both　in　parasols　and　human　nater。　Wall；　them　2　masses　over　our　heads　wuz　2；　then　the　one　in　which　we　wuz　a　strugglin'　and　the　one　opposite　to　it　made　4。　　For　anybody　with　any　pretence　to　learnin'　knows　that　twice　2　is　4。　　And　then　in　the　middle　of　the　broad　street　was　a　bigger　mass　of　chariots　and　horsemen；　and　carts　and　carriages；　and　great　buggies　and　little　ones；　and　big　loads　of　barrels；　and　big　loads　of　ladies；　and　then　a　load　of　wood；　and　then　a　load　of　hay；　and　then　a　pair　of　young　folks　pretty　as　a　picture。　　And　then　came　some　high　big　coaches　as　big　as　our　spare　bedroom；　and　as　high　as　the　roof　on　our　horse　barn；　with　six　horses　hitched　to　e'm；　all　runnin'　over　on　top　with　men；　and　wimmen；　and　children；　and　parasols；　and　giggles；　and　ha　ha's。　　And　a　man　wuz　up　behind　a　soundin'　out　on　a　trumpet；　a　dretful　sort　of　a　high；　sweet　note；　not　dwindlin'　down　to　the　end　as　some　music　duz；　but　kinder　crinklin'　round　and　endin'　up　in　the　air　every　time。　Josiah　wuz　dretful　took　with　it　and　he　told　me　in　confidence　that　he　laid　out　when　he　got　home　to　buy　a　trumpet　and　blow　out　jest　them　strains　every　time　he　went　into　Jonesville　or　out　of　it。　　He　said　it　would　sound　so　sort　a　warlike　and　impressive。　I　expostulated　aginst　the　idee。　　But　sez　he；　〃You'll　enjoy　it　when　you　get　used　to　it。〃　〃Never！〃　sez　I。　〃Yes　you　will；〃　sez　he；　〃and　while　I　live　I　lay　out　that　you　shall　have　advantages；　and　shall　enjoy　things　new　and　uneek。〃　〃Yes；〃　sez　I　feelin'ly；　〃I　expect　to；　Josiah　Allen；　as　long　as　I　live　with　you。〃　　And　I　sithed。　　But　I　had　little　time　to　enjoy　even　sithin'；　for　oh！　the　crowd　that　wuz　a　pressin'　onto　us　and　surroundin'　us　on　every　side；　some　on　'em　curius　and　strange　lookin'；　some　on　'em　beautiful　and　grand。　　Pretty　young　girls　lookin'　sweet　enough　to　kiss；　and　right　behind　'em　a　Chinese　man　with　a　long　dress；　and　wooden　shoes；　and　his　hair　in　a　long　braid　behind；　and　his　eyes　sot　in　sideways。　　And　then　would　come　on　a　hull　lot　of　wimmen　in　dresses　ev'ry　color　of　the　rainbow；　and　some　men。　　Then　a　few　childern；　lookin'　sweet　as　roses；　with　their　mothers　a　pushin'　the　little　carts　ahead　on　'em。　　And　if　you'll　believe　it；　I　don't　s'pose　you　will；　but　it　is　true；　that　lots　of　black　ma's　had　childern　jest　as　white　as　snow；　and　pretty　as　rosebuds；　took　after　their　fathers　I　s'pose。　　But　I　don't　believe　in　a　mixin'　of　the　races。　　And　when　I　see　'em　a　kissin'　the　pretty　babys；　I　begun　to　muse　a　very　little　on　the　feelin's　of　the　indignent　South；　at　havin'　a　colered　girl　set　in　the　same　car　with　'em；　or　on　a　bench　in　the　same　school　room。　I　mewsed　on　how　they　held　the　white　forms　clost　to　their　black　breasts　at　birth；　and　in　the　hour　of　death　　the　black　lips　pressed　to　the　white　cheeks　and　lips；　in　both　cases。　　And　all　the　way　between　life　and　death　they　mingle　clost　as　they　can；　some　in　some　cases　like　the　hill　of　knowledge。　　Then　the　contact　is　too　clost；　when　they　sot　out　to　climb　up　by　'em。　　Truly　there　are　deep　conundrums　and　strange　ones；　all　along　through　life；　though　the　white　man　may　be；　and　is；　cleer　up　out　of　his　way；　on　the　sunshiny　brow　of　the　hill；　and　the　black　man　at　the　foot；　way　down　amongst　the　shadows　and　darkness　of　the　low　grounds。　　They　don't　come　very　nigh　each　other。　　But　the　arms　that　have　felt　the　clasp　and　the　lips　that　have　felt　the　kisses　of　that　very　same　black　climber　all　through　life；　moves　'em　and　shouts　'em　to　〃go　down；〃　to　〃go　back；〃　〃The　contact　is　getting　too　clost；　danger　is　ahead。〃　　Curious；　haint　it？　　Jest　as　if　any　danger　is　so　dangerous　as　ignorance　and　brutality。　　Curious；　haint　it？　　But　I　am　a　eppisodin'；　and　to　resoom。　Wall；　right　after　the　babies　we'd　meet　a　Catholic　priest　with　a　calm　and　fur　away　look　on　his　face；　a　lookin'　at　the　crowd　as　if　he　wuz　in　it；　but　not　of　it。　　And　then　a　burgler；　mebby；　anyway　a　mean　lookin'　creeter；　ragged　and　humble。　　And　then　2　or　3　men　foreign　lookin'；　jabberin'　in　a　tongue　I　know　nothin'　of；　nor　Josiah　either。　　And　then　some　more　childern；　and　wimmen；　and　dogs；　and　parasols；　and　men；　and　babies；　and　Injuns；　and　Frenchmen；　and　old　young　wimmen；　and　young　old　ones；　and　handsome　ones；　and　hombly　ones；　and　parasols；　and　some　sweet　young　girls　ag'in；　and　some　black　men；　and　some　white　men；　and　some　more　wimmen；　and　parasols；　and　silk；　and　velvet；　and　lace；　and　puckers；　and　raffles；　and　gethers；　and　gores；　and　flowers；　and　feathers；　and　fringes；　and　frizzles；　and　then　some　men；　some　Southerners　from　the　South；　some　Westerners　from　the　West；　some　Easterners　from　the　East；　and　some　Cubebs　from　Cuba；　and　some　Chinamen　from　China。　Oh！　what　a　seen！　　What　a　seen！　back　and　forth；　passin'　and　repassin'；　to　and　fro；　parasols；　and　dogs；　and　wimmen；　and　men；　and　babies；　and　parasols；　to　and　fro；　to　and　fro。　　Why；　if　I　stood　there　long　so　crazed　would　I　have　become　at　the　seen；　that　I　should　have　felt　that　Josiah　wuz　a　To　and　I　wuz　a　Fro；　or　I　wuz　a　parasol　and　he　wuz　a　dog。　And　to　prevent　that　fearful　catastrophe；　I　sez；　〃If　we　ever　get　beyond　this　side　of　the　village　that　seems　all　run　together；　if　we　ever　do　get　beyond　it；　which　seems　doubtful；　le's　go　and　sit　down；　in　some　quiet　spot；　and　try　to　collect　our　scattered　minds。〃　　Sez　I；　〃I　feel　curius；　Josiah　Allen！〃　and　sez　I；　〃How　do　you　feel？〃　His　answer　I　will　not　translate；　it　was　neither　Biblical　nor　even　moral。　　And　I　sez　agin；　〃Hain't　it　strange　that　they　have　the　village　all　run　together　with　no　streets　turnin'　off　of　it。〃　　Sez　I；　〃It　makes　me　feel　queer；　Josiah　Allen；　and　I　am　a　goin'　to　enquire　into　it。〃　　So　we　wended　our　way　some　further　on　amongst　the　dense　crowd　I　have　spoken　of；　only　more　crowded　and　more　denser；　and　anon；　if　not　oftener；　Josiah's　head　would　be　scooped　in　by　passin'　parasols；　and　then　in　low；　deep　tones；　Josiah　would　use　words　that　I　wouldn't　repeat　for　a　dollar　bill；　till　at　last　I　asked　a　by　bystander　a　standin'　by；　and　sez　I；　〃Is　this　village　all　built　together　　don't　you　have　no　streets　a　turnin'　off　of　it？〃　〃Yes；〃　sez　he；　〃you'll　find　a　street　jest　as　soon　as　you　get　by　this　hotel。〃　I　stopped　right　in　my　tracts；　I　wuz　dumbfoundered。　　Sez　I；　〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　this　hull　side　of　the　street　that　we　have　been　a　traversin'　anon；　or　long　before　anon；　　do　you　say　that　this　is　all　one　buildin'？〃　〃Yes　mom；〃　sez　he。　Sez　I；　in　faint　axents；　〃When　shall　we　get　to　the　end　on　it？〃　Sez　he；　〃You　have　come　jest　about　half　way。〃　Josiah　gin　a　deep　groan　and　turned　him　round　in　his　tracts　and　sez；　〃Le's　go　back　this　minute。〃　I　too　thought　of　the　quiet　haven　from　whence　we　had　set　out；　with　a　deep　longin'；　but　sech　is　the　force　and　strength　of　my　mind　that　I　grasped　holt　of　the　situation　and　held　it　there　tight。　　If　we　wuz　half　way　across　it　wouldn't　be　no　further　to　go　on　than　it　would　to　go　back。　　Such　wuz　my　intellect　that　I　see　it　to　once；　but　Josiah's　mind　couldn't　grasp　it；　and　with　words　murmured　in　my　ears　which　I