their silver wedding journey v2-第3部分

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municipal　reform　to　such　a　height　of　favor　with　the　respectable　classes
that　he　was　elected　on　a　citizens'　ticket　to　the　Legislature。　　In　the
reaction　which　followed　he　was　barely　defeated　for　Congress；　and　was
talked　of　as　a　dark　horse　who　might　be　put　up　for　the　governorship　some
day；　but　those　who　knew　him　best　predicted　that　he　would　not　get　far　in
politics；　where　his　bull…headed　business　ways　would　bring　him　to　ruin
sooner　or　later；　they　said；　〃You　can't　swing　a　bolt　like　you　can　a
strike。〃

When　his　mother　died；　he　surprised　his　old　neighbors　by　going　to　live　in
Chicago；　though　he　kept　his　works　in　the　place　where　he　and　they　had
grown　up　together。　　His　wife　died　shortly　after；　and　within　four　years　he
lost　his　three　eldest　children；　his　son；　it　was　said；　had　begun　to　go
wrong　first。　　But　the　rumor　of　his　increasing　wealth　drifted　back　from
Chicago；　he　was　heard　of　in　different　enterprises　and　speculations；　at
last　it　was　said　that　he　had　bought　a　newspaper；　and　then　his　boyhood
friends　decided　that　Jake　was　going　into　politics　again。

In　the　wider　horizons　and　opener　atmosphere　of　the　great　city　he　came　to
understand　better　that　to　be　an　American　in　all　respects　was　not　the
best。　　His　mounting　sense　of　importance　began　to　be　retroactive　in　the
direction　of　his　ancestral　home；　he　wrote　back　to　the　little　town　near
Wurzburg　which　his　people　had　come　from；　and　found　that　he　had　relatives
still　living　there；　some　of　whom　had　become　people　of　substance；　and
about　the　time　his　health　gave　way　from　life…long　gluttony；　and　he　was
ordered　to　Carlsbad；　he　had　pretty　much　made　up　his　mind　to　take　his
younger　daughters　and　put　them　in　school　for　a　year　or　two　in　Wurzburg；
for　a　little　discipline　if　not　education。　　He　had　now　left　them　there；　to
learn　the　language；　which　he　had　forgotten　with　such　heart…burning　and
shame；　and　music；　for　which　they　had　some　taste。

The　twins　loudly　lamented　their　fate；　and　they　parted　from　their　father
with　open　threats　of　running　away；　and　in　his　heart　he　did　not　altogether
blame　them。　　He　came　away　from　Wurzburg　raging　at　the　disrespect　for　his
money　and　his　standing　in　business　which　had　brought　him　a　more　galling
humiliation　there　than　anything　he　had　suffered　in　his　boyhood　at　Des
Vaches。　　It　intensified　him　in　his　dear…bought　Americanism　to　the　point
of　wishing　to　commit　lese　majesty　in　the　teeth　of　some　local　dignitaries
who　had　snubbed　him；　and　who　seemed　to　enjoy　putting　our　eagle　to　shame
in　his　person；　there　was　something　like　the　bird　of　his　step…country　in
Stoller's　pale　eyes　and　huge　beak。




XXVIII。

March　sat　with　a　company　of　other　patients　in　the　anteroom　of　the　doctor；
and　when　it　came　his　turn　to　be　prodded　and　kneaded；　he　was　ashamed　at
being　told　he　was　not　so　bad　a　case　as　he　had　dreaded。　　The　doctor　wrote
out　a　careful　dietary　for　him；　with　a　prescription　of　a　certain　number　of
glasses　of　water　at　a　certain　spring　and　a　certain　number　of　baths；　and　a
rule　for　the　walks　he　was　to　take　before　and　after　eating；　then　the
doctor　patted　him　on　the　shoulder　and　pushed　him　caressingly　out　of　his
inner　office。　　It　was　too　late　to　begin　his　treatment　that　day；　but　he
went　with　his　wife　to　buy　a　cup；　with　a　strap　for　hanging　it　over　his
shoulder；　and　he　put　it　on　so　as　to　be　an　invalid　with　the　others　at
once；　he　came　near　forgetting　the　small　napkin　of　Turkish　towelling　which
they　stuffed　into　their　cups；　but　happily　the　shopman　called　him　back　in
time　to　sell　it　to　him。

At　five　the　next　morning　he　rose；　and　on　his　way　to　the　street　exchanged
with　the　servants　cleaning　the　hotel　stairs　the　first　of　the　gloomy
'Guten　Morgens'　which　usher　in　the　day　at　Carlsbad。　　They　cannot　be　so
finally　hopeless　as　they　sound；　they　are　probably　expressive　only　of　the
popular　despair　of　getting　through　with　them　before　night；　but　March
heard　the　salutations　sorrowfully　groaned　out　on　every　hand　as　he　joined
the　straggling　current　of　invalids　which　swelled　on　the　way　past　the
silent　shops　and　cafes　in　the　Alte　Wiese；　till　it　filled　the　street；　and
poured　its　thousands　upon　the　promenade　before　the　classic　colonnade　of
the　Muhlbrunn。　　On　the　other　bank　of　the　Tepl　the　Sprudel　flings　its
steaming　waters　by　irregular　impulses　into　the　air　under　a　pavilion　of
iron　and　glass；　but　the　Muhlbrunn　is　the　source　of　most　resort。　　There　is
an　instrumental　concert　somewhere　in　Carlsbad　from　early　rising　till
bedtime；　and　now　at　the　Muhlbrunn　there　was　an　orchestra　already　playing；
and　under　the　pillared　porch；　as　well　as　before　it；　the　multitude
shuffled　up　and　down；　draining　their　cups　by　slow　sips；　and　then　taking
each　his　place　in　the　interminable　line　moving　on　to　replenish　them　at
the　spring。

A　picturesque　majority　of　Polish　Jews；　whom　some　vice　of　their　climate　is
said　peculiarly　to　fit　for　the　healing　effects　of　Carlsbad；　most　took　his
eye　in　their　long　gabardines　of　rusty　black　and　their　derby　hats　of　plush
or　velvet；　with　their　corkscrew　curls　coming　down　before　their　ears。
They　were　old　and　young；　they　were　grizzled　and　red　and　black；　but　they
seemed　all　well…to…do；　and　what　impresses　one　first　and　last　at　Carlsbad
is　that　its　waters　are　mainly　for　the　healing　of　the　rich。　　After　the
Polish　Jews；　the　Greek　priests　of　Russian　race　were　the　most　striking
figures。　　There　were　types　of　Latin　ecclesiastics；　who　were　striking　in
their　way　too；　and　the　uniforms　of　certain　Austrian　officers　and　soldiers
brightened　the　picture。　　Here　and　there　a　southern　face；　Italian　or
Spanish　or　Levantine；　looked　passionately　out　of　the　mass　of　dull　German
visages；　for　at　Carlsbad　the　Germans；　more　than　any　other　gentile　nation；
are　to　the　fore。　　Their　misfits；　their　absence　of　style；　imparted　the
prevalent　effect；　though　now　and　then　among　the　women　a　Hungarian；　or
Pole；　or　Parisian；　or　American；　relieved　the　eye　which　seeks　beauty　and
grace　rather　than　the　domestic　virtues。　　There　were　certain　faces；　types
of　discomfort　and　disease；　which　appealed　from　the　beginning　to　the　end。
A　young　Austrian；　yellow　as　gold；　and　a　livid　South…American；　were　of　a
lasting　fascination　to　March。

What　most　troubled　him；　in　his　scrutiny　of　the　crowd；　was　the　difficulty
of　assigning　people　to　their　respective　nations；　and　he　accused　his　years
of　having　dulled　his　perceptions；　but　perhaps　it　was　from　their　long
disuse　in　his　homogeneous　American　world。　　The　Americans　themselves　fused
with　the　European　races　who　were　often　so　hard　to　make　out；　his　fellow…
citizens　would　not　be　identified　till　their　bad　voices　gave　them　away；
he　thought　the　women's　voices　the　worst。

At　the　springs；　a　line　of　young　girls　with　a　steady　mechanical　action
dipped　the　cups　into　the　steaming　source；　and　passed　them　impersonally　up
to　their　owners。　　With　the　patients　at　the　Muhlbrunn　it　was　often　a　half…
hour　before　one's　turn　carne；　and　at　all　a　strict　etiquette　forbade　any
attempt　to　anticipate　it。　　The　water　was　merely　warm　and　flat；　and　after
the　first　repulsion　one　could　forget　it。　　March　formed　a　childish　habit
of　counting　ten　between　the　sips；　and　of　finishing　the　cup　with　a　gulp
which　ended　it　quickly；　he　varied　his　walks　between　cups　by　going
sometimes　to　a　bridge　at　the　end　of　the　colonnade　where　a　group　of
Triestines　were　talking　Venetian；　and　sometimes　to　the　little　Park　beyond
the　Kurhaus；　where　some　old　women　were　sweeping　up　from　the　close　sward
the　yellow　leaves　which　the　trees　had　untidily　dropped　overnight。　　He
liked　to　sit　there　and　look　at　the　city　beyond　the　Tepl；　where　it　climbed
the　wooded　heights　in　terraces　till　it　lost　its　houses　in　the　skirts　and
folds　of　the　forest。　　Most　mornings　it　rained；　quietly；　absent…mindedly；
and　this；　with　the　chili　in　the　air；　deepened　a　pleasant　illusion　of
Quebec　offered　by　the　upper　town　across　the　stream；　but　there　were　sunny
mornings　when　the　mountains　shone　softly　through　a　lustrous　mist；　and　the
air　was　almost　warm。

Once　in　his　walk　he　found　himself　the　companion　of　Burnamy's　employer；
whom　he　had　sometimes　noted　in　the　line　at　the　Muhlbrunn；　waiting　his
turn；　cup　in　hand；　with　a　face　of　sullen　impatience。　　Stoller　explained
that　though　you　could　have　the　water　brought　to　you　at　your　hotel；　he
chose　to　go　to　the　spring　for　the　sake　of　the　air；　it　was　something　you
had　got　to　live　through；　before　he　had　that　young　Burnamy　to　help　him　he
did　not　know　what　to　do　with　his　time；　but　now；　every　minute　he　was　not
eating　or　sleeping　he　was　working；　his　cure　did　not　oblige　him　to　walk
much。　　He　examined　March；　with　a　certain　mixture　of　respect　and　contempt；
upon　the　nature　of　the　literary　life；　and　how　it　differed　from　the　life
of　a　journalist。　　He　asked　if　he　thought　Burnamy　would　amount　to　anything
as　a　literary　man；　he　so　far　assented　to　March's　faith　in　him　as　to　say；
〃He's　smart。〃　　He　told　of　leaving　his　daughters　in　school　at　Wurzburg；
and　upon　the　whole　he　moved　March　with　a　sense　of　his　pathetic　loneliness
without　moving　his　liking；　as　he　passed　lumberingly　on；　dangling　his　cup。

March　gave　his　own　cup　to　the　little　maid　at　his　spring；　and　while　she
gave　it　to　a　second；　who　dipped　it　and　handed　it　to　a　third　for　its
return　to　him；　he　heard　an　unmistakable　fellow…countryman　saying　good…；
morning　to　them　all　in　English。　　〃Are　you　going　to　teach　them　United
States？〃　he　asked　of　a　face　with　which　he　knew　such　an　appeal　would　not
fail。

〃Well；〃　the　man　admitted；　〃I　try　to　teach　them　that　much。　　They　like　it。
You　are　an　American？　　I　am　glad　of　it。　　I　have　'most　lost　the　use　of　my
lungs；　here。　　I'm　a　great　talker；　and　I　talk　to　my　wife　till　she's　about
dead；　then　I'm　out　of　it　for　the　rest　of　the　day；　I　can't　speak　German。〃

His　manner　was　the　free；　friendly　manner　of　the　West。　　He　must　be　that
sort　of　untravelled　American　whom　March　had　so　seldom　met；　but　he　was
afraid　to　ask　him　if　this　was　his　first　time　at　Carlsbad；　lest　it　should
prove　the　third　or　fourth。　　〃Are　you　taking　the　cure？〃　he　asked　instead。

〃Oh；　no。　　My　wife　is。　　She'll　be　along　directly；　I　come　down　here　and
drink　the　waters　to　encourage　her；　doctor　said　to。　　That　gets　me　in　for
the　diet；　too。　　I've　e't　more　cooked　fruit　since　I　been　here　than　I　ever
did　in　my　life　before。　　Prunes？　　My　Lord；　I'm　full　o'