north america-1-第7部分

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hole　performance。　　The　little；　precocious；　full…blown　beauty　of　four　signifies　that　she　has　completed　her　mealor　is　〃through〃　her　dinner；　as　she　would　express　itby　carefully　extricating　herself　from　the　napkin　which　has　been　tucked　around　her。　　Then　the　waiter；　ever　attentive　to　her　movements；　draws　back　the　chair　on　which　she　is　seated；　and　the　young　lady　glides　to　the　floor。　　A　little　girl　in　Old　England　would　scramble　down；　but　little　girls　in　New　England　never　scramble。　　Her　father　and　mother；　who　are　no　more　than　her　chief　ministers；　walk　before　her　out　of　the　saloon；　and　then　sheswims　after　them。　　But　swimming　is　not　the　proper　word。　　Fishes；　in　making　their　way　through　the　water；　assist；　or　rather　impede；　their　motion　with　no　dorsal　wriggle。　　No　animal　taught　to　move　directly　by　its　Creator　adopts　a　gait　so　useless；　and　at　the　same　time　so　graceless。　　Many　women；　having　received　their　lessons　in　walking　from　a　less　eligible　instructor；　do　move　in　this　way；　and　such　women　this　unfortunate　little　lady　has　been　instructed　to　copy。　　The　peculiar　step　to　which　I　allude　is　to　be　seen　often　on　the　boulevards　in　Paris。　　It　is　to　be　seen　more　often　in　second…rate　French　towns；　and　among　fourth…rate　French　women。　　Of　all　signs　in　women　betokening　vulgarity；　bad　taste；　and　aptitude　to　bad　morals；　it　is　the　surest。　　And　this　is　the　gait　of　going　which　American　mothers　some　American　mothers　I　should　saylove　to　teach　their　daughters！　As　a　comedy　at　a　hotel　it　is　very　delightful；　but　in　private　life　I　should　object　to　it。　To　me　Newport　could　never　be　a　place　charming　by　reason　of　its　own　charms。　　That　it　is　a　very　pleasant　place　when　it　is　full　of　people　and　the　people　are　in　spirits　and　happy；　I　do　not　doubt。　　But　then　the　visitors　would　bring；　as　far　as　I　am　concerned；　the　pleasantness　with　them。　　The　coast　is　not　fine。　　To　those　who　know　the　best　portions　of　the　coast　of　Wales　or　Cornwallor　better　still；　the　western　coast　of　Ireland；　of　Clare　and　Kerry　for　instanceit　would　not　be　in　any　way　remarkable。　　It　is　by　no　means　equal　to　Dieppe　or　Biarritz；　and　not　to　be　talked　of　in　the　same　breath　with　Spezzia。　　The　hotels；　too；　are　all　built　away　from　the　sea；　so　that　one　cannot　sit　and　watch　the　play　of　the　waves　from　one's　windows。　　Nor　are　there　pleasant　rambling　paths　down　among　the　rocks；　and　from　one　short　strand　to　another。　　There　is　excellent　bathing　for　those　who　like　bathing　on　shelving　sand。　　I　don't。　　The　spot　is　about　half　a　mile　from　the　hotels；　and　to　this　the　bathers　are　carried　in　omnibuses。　　Till　one　o'clock　ladies　bathe；　which　operation；　however；　does　not　at　all　militate　against　the　bathing　of　men；　but　rather　necessitates　it　as　regards　those　men　who　have　ladies　with　them。　　For　here　ladies　and　gentlemen　bathe　in　decorous　dresses；　and　are　very　polite　to　each　other。　　I　must　say　that　I　think　the　ladies　have　the　best　of　it。　　My　idea　of　sea　bathing；　for　my　own　gratification；　is　not　compatible　with　a　full　suit　of　clothing。　　I　own　that　my　tastes　are　vulgar；　and　perhaps　indecent；　but　I　love　to　jump　into　the　deep；　clear　sea　from　off　a　rock；　and　I　love　to　be　hampered　by　no　outward　impediments　as　I　do　so。　　For　ordinary　bathers；　for　all　ladies；　and　for　men　less　savage　in　their　instincts　than　I　am；　the　bathing　at　Newport　is　very　good。　The　private　housesvilla　residences　as　they　would　be　termed　by　an　auctioneer　in　Englandare　excellent。　　Many　of　them　are；　in　fact；　large　mansions；　and　are　surrounded　with　grounds　which；　as　the　shrubs　grow　up；　will　be　very　beautiful。　　Some　have　large；　well…kept　lawns；　stretching　down　to　the　rocks；　and　these；　to　my　taste；　give　the　charm　to　Newport。　　They　extend　about　two　miles　along　the　coast。　Should　my　lot　have　made　me　a　citizen　of　the　United　States；　I　should　have　had　no　objection　to　become　the　possessor　of　one　of　these　〃villa　residences；〃　but　I　do　not　think　that　I　should　have　〃gone　in〃　for　hotel　life　at　Newport。　We　hired　saddle…horses；　and　rode　out　nearly　the　length　of　the　island。　　It　was　all　very　well；　but　there　was　little　in　it　remarkable　either　as　regards　cultivation　or　scenery。　　We　found　nothing　that　it　would　be　possible　either　to　describe　or　remember。　The　Americans　of　the　United　States　have　had　time　to　build　and　populate　vast　cities；　but　they　have　not　yet　had　time　to　surround　themselves　with　pretty　scenery。　　Outlying　grand　scenery　is　given　by　nature；　but　the　prettiness　of　home　scenery　is　a　work　of　art。　　It　comes　from　the　thorough　draining　of　land；　from　the　planting　and　subsequent　thinning　of　trees；　from　the　controlling　of　waters；　and　constant　use　of　minute　patches　of　broken　land。　　In　another　hundred　years　or　so；　Rhode　Island　may　be；　perhaps；　as　pretty　as　the　Isle　of　Wight。　　The　horses　which　we　got　were　not　good。　　They　were　unhandy　and　badly　mouthed；　and　that　which　my　wife　rode　was　altogether　ignorant　of　the　art　of　walking。　　We　hired　them　from　an　Englishman　who　had　established　himself　at　New　York　as　a　riding…master　for　ladies；　and　who　had　come　to　Newport　for　the　season　on　the　same　business。　　He　complained　to　me　with　much　bitterness　of　the　saddle…　horses　which　came　in　his　wayof　course　thinking　that　it　was　the　special　business　of　a　country　to　produce　saddle…horses；　as　I　think　it　the　special　business　of　a　country　to　produce　pens；　ink；　and　paper　of　good　quality。　　According　to　him；　riding　has　not　yet　become　an　American　art；　and　hence　the　awkwardness　of　American　horses。　〃Lord　bless　you；　sir！　they　don't　give　an　animal　a　chance　of　a　mouth。〃　　In　this　he　alluded　only；　I　presume；　to　saddle…horses。　　I　know　nothing　of　the　trotting　horses；　but　I　should　imagine　that　a　fine　mouth　must　be　an　essential　requisite　for　a　trotting　match　in　harness。　　As　regards　riding　at　Newport；　we　were　not　tempted　to　repeat　the　experiment。　　The　number　of　carriages　which　we　saw　there　remembering　as　I　did　that　the　place　was　comparatively　emptyand　their　general　smartness；　surprised　me　very　much。　　It　seemed　that　every　lady；　with　a　house　of　her　own；　had　also　her　own　carriage。　These　carriages　were　always　open；　and　the　law　of　the　land　imperatively　demands　that　the　occupants　shall　cover　their　knees　with　a　worked　worsted　apron　of　brilliant　colors。　　These　aprons　at　first　I　confess　seemed　tawdry；　but　the　eye　soon　becomes　used　to　bright　colors；　in　carriage　aprons　as　well　as　in　architecture；　and　I　soon　learned　to　like　them。　Rhode　Island；　as　the　State　is　usually　called；　is　the　smallest　State　in　the　Union。　　I　may　perhaps　best　show　its　disparity　to　other　States　by　saying　that　New　York　extends　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles　from　north　to　south；　and　the　same　distance　from　east　to　west；　whereas　the　State　called　Rhode　Island　is　about　forty　miles　long　by　twenty　broad；　independently　of　certain　small　islands。　　It　would；　in　fact；　not　form　a　considerable　addition　if　added　on　to　many　of　the　other　States。　　Nevertheless；　it　has　all　the　same　powers　of　self…　government　as　are　possessed　by　such　nationalities　as　the　States　of　New　York　and　Pennsylvania；　and　sends　two　Senators　to　the　Senate　at　Washington；　as　do　those　enormous　States。　　Small　as　the　State　is；　Rhode　Island　itself　forms　but　a　small　portion　of　it。　　The　authorized　and　proper　name　of　the　State　is　Providence　Plantation　and　Rhode　Island。　　Roger　Williams　was　the　first　founder　of　the　colony；　and　he　established　himself　on　the　mainland　at　a　spot　which　he　called　Providence。　　Here　now　stands　the　City　of　Providence；　the　chief　town　of　the　State；　and　a　thriving；　comfortable　town　it　seems　to　be；　full　of　banks；　fed　by　railways　and　steamers；　and　going　ahead　quite　as　quickly　as　Roger　Williams　could　in　his　fondest　hopes　have　desired。　Rhode　Island；　as　I　have　said；　has　all　the　attributes　of　government　in　common　with　her　stouter　and　more　famous　sisters。　　She　has　a　governor；　and　an　upper　house　and　a　lower　house　of　legislature；　and　she　is　somewhat　fantastic　in　the　use　of　these　constitutional　powers；　for　she　calls　on　them　to　sit　now　in　one　town　and　now　in　another。　　Providence　is　the　capital　of　the　State；　but　the　Rhode　Island　parliament　sits　sometimes　at　Providence　and　sometimes　at　Newport。　　At　stated　times　also　it　has　to　collect　itself　at　Bristol；　and　at　other　stated　times　at　Kingston；　and　at　others　at　East　Greenwich。　　Of　all　legislative　assemblies　it　is　the　most　peripatetic。　　Universal　suffrage　does　not　absolutely　prevail　in　this　State；　a　certain　property　qualification　being　necessary　to　confer　a　right　to　vote　even　for　the　State　representatives。　　I　should　think　it　would　be　well　for　all　parties　if　the　whole　State　could　be　swallowed　up　by　Massachusetts　or　by　Connecticut；　either　of　which　lie　conveniently　for　the　feat；　but　I　presume　that　any　suggestion　of　such　a　nature　would　be　regarded　as　treason　by　the　men　of　Providence　Plantation。　We　returned　back　to　Boston　by　Attleborough；　a　town　at　which；　in　ordinary　times；　the　whole　population　is　supported　by　the　jewelers'　trade。　　It　is　a　place　with　a　specialty；　upon　which　specialty　it　has　thriven　well　and　become　a　town。　　But　the　specialty　is　one　ill　adapted　for　times　of　war　and　we　were　assured　that　the　trade　was　for　the　present　at　an　end。　　What　man　could　now…a…days　buy　jewels；　or　even　what　woman；　seeing　that　everything　would　be　required　for　the　war？　　I　do　not　say　that　such　abstinence　from　luxury　has　been　begotten　altogether　by　a　feeling　of　patriotism。　　The　direct　taxes　which　all　Americans　will　now　be　called　on　to　pay；　have　had　and　will　have　much　to　do　with　such　abstinence。　　In　the　mean　time　the　poor　jewelers　of　Attleborough　have　gone　altogether　to　the　wall。

CHAPTER　III。　MAINE；　NEW　HAMPSHIRE；　AND　VERMONT。

Perhaps　I　ought　to　assume　that　all　the　world　in　England　knows　that　that　portion　of　the　United　States　called　New　England　consists　of　the　six　States　of　Maine；　New　Hampshire；　Vermont；　Massachusetts；　Connecticut；　and　Rhode　Island。　　This　is　especially　the　land　of　Yankees；　and　none　can　properly　be　called　Yankees　but　those　who　belong　to　New　England。　　I　have　named　the　States　as　nearly　as　may　be　in　order　from　the　north　downward。　　Of　Rhode　Island；　the　smallest　State　in　the　Union；　I　have　already　said　what　little　I　have　to　say。　Of　these　six　States　Boston　may　be　called　the　capital。　　Not　that　it　is　so　in　any　civil　or　political　sense；　it　is　simply　the　capital　of　Massachusetts。　　But　as　it　is　the　Athens　of　the　Western　world；　as　it　was　the　cradle　of　American　freedom；　as　everybody　of　course　knows　that　into　Boston　harbor