north america-1-第50章

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。　　I　do　not　accuse　them　of　any　incivility。　　If　addressed；　they　answered　me。　　If　application　was　made　by　me　for　any　special　information；　trouble　was　taken　to　give　it　me。　　But　I　found　no　aptitude；　no　wish　for　conversationnay；　even　a　disinclination　to　converse。　　In　the　Western　States　I　do　not　think　that　I　was　ever　addressed　first　by　an　American　sitting　next　to　me　at　table。　Indeed；　I　never　held　any　conversation　at　a　public　table　in　the　West。　　I　have　sat　in　the　same　room　with　men　for　hours；　and　have　not　had　a　word　spoken　to　me。　　I　have　done　my　very　best　to　break　through　this　ice；　and　have　always　failed。　　A　Western　American　man　is　not　a　talking　man。　　He　will　sit　for　hours　over　a　stove；　with　a　cigar　in　his　mouth　and　his　hat　over　his　eyes；　chewing　the　cud　of　reflection。　A　dozen　will　sit　together　in　the　same　way；　and　there　shall　not　be　a　dozen　words　spoken　between　them　in　an　hour。　　With　the　women　one's　chance　of　conversation　is　still　worse。　　It　seemed　as　though　the　cares　of　the　world　had　been　too　much　for　them；　and　that　all　talking　excepting　as　to　businessdemands；　for　instance；　on　the　servants　for　pickles　for　their　childrenhad　gone　by　the　board。　　They　were　generally　hard；　dry；　and　melancholy。　　I　am　speaking；　of　course；　of　aged　femalesfrom　five　and　twenty；　perhaps；　to　thirtywho　had　long　since　given　up　the　amusements　and　levities　of　life。　　I　very　soon　abandoned　any　attempt　at　drawing　a　word　from　these　ancient　mothers　of　families；　but　not　the　less　did　I　ponder　in　my　mind　over　the　circumstances　of　their　lives。　　Had　things　gone　with　them　so　sadlywas　the　struggle　for　independence　so　hardthat　all　the　softness　of　existence　had　been　trodden　out　of　them？　　In　the　cities；　too；　it　was　much　the　same。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　a　future　mother　of　a　family；　in　those　parts；　had　left　all　laughter　behind　her　when　she　put　out　her　finger　for　the　wedding　ring。　For　these　reasons　I　must　say　that　life　on　board　these　steamboats　was　not　as　pleasant　as　I　had　hoped　to　find　it；　but　for　our　discomfort　in　this　respect　we　found　great　atonement　in　the　scenery　through　which　we　passed。　　I　protest　that　of　all　the　river　scenery　that　I　know　that　of　the　Upper　Mississippi　is　by　far　the　finest　and　the　most　continued。　　One　thinks；　of　course；　of　the　Rhine；　but；　according　to　my　idea　of　beauty；　the　Rhine　is　nothing　to　the　Upper　Mississippi。　　For　miles　upon　milesfor　hundreds　of　milesthe　course　of　the　river　runs　through　low　hills；　which　are　there　called　bluffs。　　These　bluffs　rise　in　every　imaginable　form；　looking　sometimes　like　large；　straggling；　unwieldy　castles；　and　then　throwing　themselves　into　sloping　lawns　which　stretch　back　away　from　the　river　till　the　eye　is　lost　in　their　twists　and　turnings。　Landscape　beauty；　as　I　take　it；　consists　mainly　in　four　attributes　in　water；　in　broken　land；　in　scattered　timber；　timber　scattered　as　opposed　to　continuous　forest　timber；　and　in　the　accident　of　color。　In　all　these　particulars　the　banks　of　the　Upper　Mississippi　can　hardly　be　beaten。　　There　are　no　high　mountains；　but　high　mountains　themselves　are　grand　rather　than　beautiful。　　There　are　no　high　mountains；　but　there　is　a　succession　of　hills；　which　group　themselves　forever　without　monotony。　　It　is；　perhaps；　the　ever…　variegated　forms　of　these　bluffs　which　chiefly　constitute　the　wonderful　loveliness　of　this　river。　　The　idea　constantly　occurs　that　some　point　on　every　hillside　would　form　the　most　charming　site　ever　yet　chosen　for　a　noble　residence。　　I　have　passed　up　and　down　rivers　clothed　to　the　edge　with　continuous　forest。　　This　at　first　is　grand　enough；　but　the　eye　and　feeling　soon　become　weary。　　Here　the　trees　are　scattered　so　that　the　eye　passes　through　them；　and　ever　and　again　a　long　lawn　sweeps　back　into　the　country　and　up　the　steep　side　of　a　hill；　making　the　traveler　long　to　stay　there　and　linger　through　the　oaks；　and　climb　the　bluffs；　and　lay　about　on　the　bold　but　easy　summits。　　The　boat；　however；　steams　quickly　up　against　the　current；　and　the　happy　valleys　are　left　behind　one　quickly　after　another。　　The　river　is　very　various　in　its　breadth；　and　is　constantly　divided　by　islands。　　It　is　never　so　broad　that　the　beauty　of　the　banks　is　lost　in　the　distance　or　injured　by　it。　It　is　rapid；　but　has　not　the　beautifully　bright　color　of　some　European　riversof　the　Rhine；　for　instance；　and　the　Rhone。　　But　what　is　wanting　in　the　color　of　the　water　is　more　than　compensated　by　the　wonderful　hues　and　luster　of　the　shores。　　We　visited　the　river　in　October；　and　I　must　presume　that　they　who　seek　it　solely　for　the　sake　of　scenery　should　go　there　in　that　month。　　It　was　not　only　that　the　foliage　of　the　trees　was　bright　with　every　imaginable　color；　but　that　the　grass　was　bronzed　and　that　the　rocks　were　golden。　　And　this　beauty　did　not　last　only　for　awhile；　and　then　cease。　　On　the　Rhine　there　are　lovely　spots　and　special　morsels　of　scenery　with　which　the　traveler　becomes　duly　enraptured。　　But　on　the　Upper　Mississippi　there　are　no　special　morsels。　　The　position　of　the　sun　in　the　heavens　will；　as　it　always　does；　make　much　difference　in　the　degree　of　beauty。　　The　hour　before　and　the　half　hour　after　sunset　are　always　the　loveliest　for　such　scenes。　　But　of　the　shores　themselves　one　may　declare　that　they　are　lovely　throughout　those　four　hundred　miles　which　run　immediately　south　from　St。　Paul。　About　half　way　between　La　Crosse　and　St。　Paul　we　came　upon　Lake　Pepin；　and　continued　our　course　up　the　lake　for　perhaps　fifty　or　sixty　miles。　　This　expanse　of　water　is　narrow　for　a　lake；　and；　by　those　who　know　the　lower　courses　of　great　rivers；　would　hardly　be　dignified　by　that　name。　　But；　nevertheless；　the　breadth　here　lessens　the　beauty。　　There　are　the　same　bluffs；　the　same　scattered　woodlands；　and　the　same　colors。　　But　they　are　either　at　a　distance；　or　else　they　are　to　be　seen　on　one　side　only。　　The　more　that　I　see　of　the　beauty　of　scenery；　and　the　more　I　consider　its　elements；　the　stronger　becomes　my　conviction　that　size　has　but　little　to　do　with　it；　and　rather　detracts　from　it　than　adds　to　it。　　Distance　gives　one　of　its　greatest　charms；　but　it　does　so　by　concealing　rather　than　displaying　an　expanse　of　surface。　　The　beauty　of　distance　arises　from　the　romance；　the　feeling　of　mystery　which　it　creates。　It　is　like　the　beauty　of　woman；　which　allures　the　more　the　more　that　it　is　vailed。　　But　open；　uncovered　land　and　water；　mountains　which　simply　rise　to　great　heights；　with　long；　unbroken　slopes；　wide　expanses　of　lake；　and　forests　which　are　monotonous　in　their　continued　thickness；　are　never　lovely　to　me。　　A　landscape　should　always　be　partly　vailed；　and　display　only　half　its　charms。　To　my　taste　the　finest　stretch　of　the　river　was　that　immediately　above　Lake　Pepin；　but　then；　at　this　point；　we　had　all　the　glory　of　the　setting　sun。　　It　was　like　fairy…land；　so　bright　were　the　golden　hues；　so　fantastic　were　the　shapes　of　the　hills；　so　broken　and　twisted　the　course　of　the　waters！　　But　the　noisy　steamer　went　groaning　up　the　narrow　passages　with　almost　unabated　speed；　and　left　the　fairy　land　behind　all　too　quickly。　　Then　the　bell　would　ring　for　tea；　and　the　children　with　the　beef…steaks；　the　pickled　onions；　and　the　light　fixings　would　all　come　over　again。　　The　care…　laden　mothers　would　tuck　the　bibs　under　the　chins　of　their　tyrant　children；　and　some