their silver wedding journey v2-第22部分

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marble。　　It　is　of　the　same　tradition　and　impulse　with　that　supreme　glory
of　the　native　sculpture；　the　ineffable　tabernacle　of　Adam　Krafft；　which
climbs　a　column　of　the　church　within；　a　miracle　of　richly　carven　story；
and　no　doubt　if　there　were　a　Nuremberg　sculptor　doing　great　things　today；
his　work　would　be　of　kindred　inspiration。

The　descendants　of　the　old　patrician　who　ordered　the　tabernacle　at　rather
a　hard　bargain　from　the　artist　still　worship　on　the　floor　below；　and　the
descendants　of　his　neighbor　patricians　have　their　seats　in　the　pews
about；　and　their　names　cut　in　the　proprietary　plates　on　the　pew…tops。
The　vergeress　who　showed　the　Marches　through　the　church　was　devout　in　the
praise　of　these　aristocratic　fellow…citizens　of　hers。　　〃So　simple；　and
yet　so　noble！〃　she　said。　　She　was　a　very　romantic　vergeress；　and　she　told
them　at　unsparing　length　the　legend　of　the　tabernacle；　how　the　artist
fell　asleep　in　despair　of　winning　his　patron's　daughter；　and　saw　in　a
vision　the　master…work　with　the　lily…like　droop　at　top；　which　gained　him
her　hand。　　They　did　not　realize　till　too　late　that　it　was　all　out　of　a
novel　of　Georg　Ebers's；　but　added　to　the　regular　fee　for　the　church　a
gift　worthy　of　an　inedited　legend。

Even　then　they　had　a　pleasure　in　her　enthusiasm　rarely　imparted　by　the
Nuremberg　manner。　　They　missed　there　the　constant；　sweet　civility　of
Carlsbad；　and　found　themselves　falling　flat　in　their　endeavors　for　a
little　cordiality。　　They　indeed　inspired　with　some　kindness　the　old　woman
who　showed　them　through　that　cemetery　where　Albert　Durer　and　Hans　Sachs
and　many　other　illustrious　citizens　lie　buried　under　monumental　brasses
of　such　beauty：

　　　　　〃That　kings　to　have　the　like；　might　wish　to　die。〃

But　this　must　have　been　because　they　abandoned　themselves　so　willingly　to
the　fascination　of　the　bronze　skull　on　the　tomb　of　a　fourteenth…century
patrician；　which　had　the　uncommon　advantage　of　a　lower　jaw　hinged　to　the
upper。　　She　proudly　clapped　it　up　and　down　for　their　astonishment；　and
waited；　with　a　toothless　smile；　to　let　them　discover　the　bead　of　a　nail
artfully　figured　in　the　skull；　then　she　gave　a　shrill　cackle　of　joy；　and
gleefully　explained　that　the　wife　of　this　patrician　had　killed　him　by
driving　a　nail　into　his　temple；　and　had　been　fitly　beheaded　for　the
murder。

She　cared　so　much　for　nothing　else　in　the　cemetery；　but　she　consented　to
let　them　wonder　at　the　richness　of　the　sculpture　in　the　level　tombs；　with
their　escutcheons　and　memorial　tablets；　overrun　by　the　long　grass　and　the
matted　ivy；　she　even　consented　to　share　their　indignation　at　the
destruction　of　some　of　the　brasses　and　the　theft　of　others。　　She　suffered
more　reluctantly　their　tenderness　for　the　old；　old　crucifixion　figured　in
sculpture　at　one　corner　of　the　cemetery；　where　the　anguish　of　the　Christ
had　long　since　faded　into　the　stone　from　which　it　had　been　evoked；　and
the　thieves　were　no　longer　distinguishable　in　their　penitence　or
impenitence；　but　she　parted　friends　with　them　when　she　saw　how　much　they
seemed　taken　with　the　votive　chapel　of　the　noble　Holzschuh　family；　where
a　line　of　wooden　shoes　puns　upon　the　name　in　the　frieze；　like　the　line　of
dogs　which　chase　one　another；　with　bones　in　their　mouths；　around　the
Canossa　palace　at　Verona。　　A　sense　of　the　beautiful　house　by　the　Adige
was　part　of　the　pleasing　confusion　which　possessed　them　in　Nuremberg
whenever　they　came　upon　the　expression　of　the　gothic　spirit　common　both
to　the　German　and　northern　Italian　art。　　They　knew　that　it　was　an　effect
which　had　passed　from　Germany　into　Italy；　but　in　the　liberal　air　of　the
older　land　it　had　come　to　so　much　more　beauty　that　now；　when　they　found
it　in　its　home；　it　seemed　something　fetched　from　over　the　Alps　and
coarsened　in　the　attempt　to　naturalize　it　to　an　alien　air。

In　the　Germanic　Museum　they　fled　to　the　Italian　painters　from　the　German
pictures　they　had　inspired；　in　the　great　hall　of　the　Rathhaus　the　noble
Processional　of　Durer　was　the　more　precious；　because　his　Triumph　of
Maximilian　somehow　suggested　Mantegna's　Triumph　of　Caesar。　　There　was　to
be　a　banquet　in　the　hall；　under　the　mighty　fresco；　to　welcome　the　German
Emperor；　coming　the　next　week；　and　the　Rathhaus　was　full　of　work…people
furbishing　it　up　against　his　arrival；　and　making　it　difficult　for　the
custodian　who　had　it　in　charge　to　show　it　properly　to　strangers。　　She　was
of　the　same　enthusiastic　sisterhood　as　the　vergeress　of　St。　Lawrence　and
the　guardian　of　the　old　cemetery；　and　by　a　mighty　effort　she　prevailed
over　the　workmen　so　far　as　to　lead　her　charges　out　through　the　corridor
where　the　literal　conscience　of　the　brothers　Kuhn　has　wrought　in　the　roof
to　an　exact　image　of　a　tournament　as　it　was　in　Nuremberg　four　hundred
years　ago。　　In　this　relief；　thronged　with　men　and　horses；　the　gala…life
of　the　past　survives　in　unexampled　fulness；　and　March　blamed　himself
after　enjoying　it　for　having　felt　in　it　that　toy…figure　quality　which
seems　the　final　effect　of　the　German　gothicism　in　sculpture。




XLVI。

On　Sunday　Mrs。　March　partially　conformed　to　an　earlier　New　England　ideal
of　the　day　by　ceasing　from　sight…seeing。　　She　could　not　have　understood
the　sermon　if　she　had　gone　to　church；　but　she　appeased　the　lingering
conscience　she　had　on　this　point　by　not　going　out　till　afternoon。　　Then
she　found　nothing　of　the　gayety　which　Sunday　afternoon　wears　in　Catholic
lands。　　The　people　were　resting　from　their　week…day　labors；　but　they　were
not　playing；　and　the　old　churches；　long　since　converted　to　Lutheran　uses；
were　locked　against　tourist　curiosity。

It　was　as　it　should　be；　it　was　as　it　would　be　at　home；　and　yet　in　this
ancient　city；　where　the　past　was　so　much　alive　in　the　perpetual
picturesqueness；　the　Marches　felt　an　incongruity　in　it；　and　they　were
fain　to　escape　from　the　Protestant　silence　and　seriousness　of　the　streets
to　the　shade　of　the　public　garden　they　had　involuntarily　visited　the
evening　of　their　arrival。

On　a　bench　sat　a　quiet；　rather　dejected　man；　whom　March　asked　some
question　of　their　way。　　He　answered　in　English；　and　in　the　parley　that
followed　they　discovered　that　they　were　all　Americans。　　The　stranger
proved　to　be　an　American　of　the　sort　commonest　in　Germany；　and　he　said　he
had　returned　to　his　native　country　to　get　rid　of　the　ague　which　he　had
taken　on　Staten　Island。　　He　had　been　seventeen　years　in　New　York；　and　now
a　talk　of　Tammany　and　its　chances　in　the　next　election；　of　pulls　and
deals；　of　bosses　and　heelers；　grew　up　between　the　civic　step…brothers；
and　joined　them　is　a　common　interest。　　The　German…American　said　he　was
bookkeeper　in　some　glass…works　which　had　been　closed　by　our　tariff；　and
he　confessed　that　he　did　not　mean　to　return　to　us；　though　he　spoke　of
German　affairs　with　the　impartiality　of　an　outsider。　　He　said　that　the
Socialist　party　was　increasing　faster　than　any　other；　and　that　this
tacitly　meant　the　suppression　of　rank　and　the　abolition　of　monarchy。　　He
warned　March　against　the　appearance　of　industrial　prosperity　in　Germany；
beggary　was　severely　repressed；　and　if　poverty　was　better　clad　than　with
us；　it　was　as　hungry　and　as　hopeless　in　Nuremberg　as　in　New　York。　　The
working　classes　were　kindly　and　peaceable；　they　only　knifed　each　other
quietly　on　Sunday　evenings　after　having　too　much　beer。

Presently　the　stranger　rose　and　bowed　to　the　Marches　for　good…by；　and　as
he　walked　down　the　aisle　of　trees　in　which　they　had　been　fitting
together；　he　seemed　to　be　retreating　farther　and　farther　from　such
Americanism　as　they　had　in　common。　　He　had　reverted　to　an　entirely　German
effect　of　dress　and　figure；　his　walk　was　slow　and　Teutonic；　he　must　be　a
type　of　thousands　who　have　returned　to　the　fatherland　without　wishing　to
own　themselves　its　children　again；　and　yet　out　of　heart　with　the　only
country　left　them。

〃He　was　rather　pathetic；　my　dear；〃　said　March；　in　the　discomfort　he　knew
his　wife　must　be　feeling　as　well　as　himself。　　〃How　odd　to　have　the　lid
lifted　here；　and　see　the　same　old　problems　seething　and　bubbling　in　the
witch's　caldron　we　call　civilization　as　we　left　simmering　away　at　home！
And　how　hard　to　have　our　tariff　reach　out　and　snatch　the　bread　from　the
mouths　of　those　poor　glass…workers！〃

〃I　thought　that　was　hard；〃　she　sighed。　　〃It　must　have　been　his　bread；
too。〃

〃Let's　hope　it　was　not　his　cake；　anyway。　　I　suppose；〃　he　added；　dreamily；
〃that　what　we　used　to　like　in　Italy　was　the　absence　of　all　the　modern
activities。　　The　Italians　didn't　repel　us　by　assuming　to　be　of　our　epoch
in　the　presence　of　their　monuments；　they　knew　how　to　behave　as　pensive
memories。　　I　wonder　if　they're　still　as　charming。〃

〃Oh；　no；〃　she　returned；　〃nothing　is　as　charming　as　it　used　to　be。　　And
now　we　need　the　charm　more　than　ever。〃

He　laughed　at　her　despair；　in　the　tacit　understanding　they　had　lived　into
that　only　one　of　them　was　to　be　desperate　at　a　time；　and　that　they　were
to　take　turns　in　cheering　each　other　up。　　〃Well；　perhaps　we　don't　deserve
it。　　And　I'm　not　sure　that　we　need　it　so　much　as　we　did　when　we　were
young。　　We've　got　tougher；　we　can　stand　the　cold　facts　better　now。　　They
made　me　shiver　once；　but　now　they　give　me　a　sort　of　agreeable　thrill。
Besides；　if；　life　kept　up　its　pretty　illusions；　if　it　insisted　upon　being
as　charming　as　it　used　to　be；　how　could　we　ever　bear　to　die？　　We've　got
that　to　consider。〃　　He　yielded　to　the　temptation　of　his　paradox；　but　he
did　not　fail　altogether　of　the　purpose　with　which　he　began；　and　they　took
the　trolley　back　to　their　hotel　cheerful　in　the　intrepid　fancy　that　they
had　confronted　fate　when　they　had　only　had　the　hardihood　to　face　a
phrase。

They　agreed　that　now　he　ought　really　to　find　out　something　about　the
contemporary　life　of　Nuremberg；　and　the　next　morning　he　went　out　before
breakfast；　and　strolled　through　some　of　the　simpler　streets；　in　the　hope
of　intimate　impressions。　　The　peasant　women；　serving　portions　of　milk
from　house　to　house　out　of　the　cans　in　the　little　wagons　which　they　drew
themselves；　were　a　touch　of　pleasing　domestic　comedy；　a　certain　effect　of
tragedy　imparted　itself　from　the　lamentations　of　the　sucking…pigs　jolted
over　the　pavements　in　handcarts；　a　certain　majesty　from　the　long
procession　of