a mortal antipathy-第7部分

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sure　that　Chang　and　Eng　really　existed；　and　if　he　has　taken　the

trouble　to　inquire；　he　has　satisfied　himself　that　similar　cases　have

been　recorded　by　credible　witnesses；　though　at　long　intervals　and　in

countries　far　apart　from　each　other。



This　is　the　first　sweep　of　the　brush；　to　clear　the　hearth　of　the

skepticism　and　incredulity　which　must　be　got　out　of　the　way　before　we

can　begin　to　tell　and　to　listen　in　peace　with　ourselves　and　each

other。



One　more　stroke　of　the　brush　is　needed　before　the　stage　will　be　ready

for　the　chief　characters　and　the　leading　circumstances　to　which　the

reader's　attention　is　invited。　　If　the　principal　personages　made

their　entrance　at　once；　the　reader　would　have　to　create　for　himself

the　whole　scenery　of　their　surrounding　conditions。　　In　point　of　fact；

no　matter　how　a　story　is　begun；　many　of　its　readers　have　already

shaped　its　chief　actors　out　of　any　hint　the　author　may　have　dropped；

and　provided　from　their　own　resources　a　locality　and　a　set　of　outward

conditions　to　environ　these　imagined　personalities。　　These　are　all　to

be　brushed　away；　and　the　actual　surroundings　of　the　subject　of　the

narrative　represented　as　they　were；　at　the　risk　of　detaining　the

reader　a　little　while　from　the　events　most　likely　to　interest　him。

The　choicest　egg　that　ever　was　laid　was　not　so　big　as　the　nest　that

held　it。　　If　a　story　were　so　interesting　that　a　maiden　would　rather

hear　it　than　listen　to　the　praise　of　her　own　beauty；　or　a　poet　would

rather　read　it　than　recite　his　own　verses；　still　it　would　have　to　be

wrapped　in　some　tissue　of　circumstance；　or　it　would　lose　half　its

effectiveness。



It　may　not　be　easy　to　find　the　exact　locality　referred　to　in　this

narrative　by　looking　into　the　first　gazetteer　that　is　at　hand。

Recent　experiences　have　shown　that　it　is　unsafe　to　be　too　exact　in

designating　places　and　the　people　who　live　in　them。　　There　are；　it

may　be　added；　so　many　advertisements　disguised　under　the　form　of

stories　and　other　literary　productions　that　one　naturally　desires　to

avoid　the　suspicion　of　being　employed　by　the　enterprising　proprietors

of　this　or　that　celebrated　resort　to　use　his　gifts　for　their　especial

benefit。　　There　are　no　doubt　many　persons　who　remember　the　old　sign

and　the　old　tavern　and　its　four　chief　personages　presently　to　be

mentioned。　　It　is　to　be　hoped　that　they　will　not　furnish　the　public

with　a　key　to　this　narrative；　and　perhaps　bring　trouble　to　the　writer

of　it；　as　has　happened　to　other　authors。　　If　the　real　names　are　a

little　altered；　it　need　not　interfere　with　the　important　facts

relating　to　those　who　bear　them。　　It　might　not　be　safe　to　tell　a

damaging　story　about　John　or　James　Smythe；　but　if　the　slight　change

is　made　of　spelling　the　name　Smith；　the　Smythes　would　never　think　of

bringing　an　action；　as　if　the　allusion　related　to　any　of　them。　　The

same　gulf　of　family　distinction　separates　the　Thompsons　with　a　p　from

the　Thomsons　without　that　letter。



There　are　few　pleasanter　places　in　the　Northern　States　for　a　summer

residence　than　that　known　from　the　first　period　of　its　settlement　by

the　name　of　Arrowhead　Village。　　The　Indians　had　found　it　out；　as　the

relics　they　left　behind　them　abundantly　testified。　　The　commonest　of

these　were　those　chipped　stones　which　are　the　medals　of　barbarism；

and　from　Which　the　place　took　its　name；the　heads　of　arrows；　of

various　sizes；　material；　and　patterns：　some　small　enough　for　killing

fish　and　little　birds；　some　large　enough　for　such　game　as　the　moose

and　the　bear；　to　say　nothing　of　the　hostile　Indian　and　the　white

settler；　some　of　flint；　now　and　then　one　of　white　quartz；　and　others

of　variously　colored　jasper。　　The　Indians　must　have　lived　here　for

many　generations；　and　it　must　have　been　a　kind　of　factory　village　of

the　stone　age；which　lasted　up　to　near　the　present　time；　if　we　may

judge　from　the　fact　that　many　of　these　relics　are　met　with　close　to

the　surface　of　the　ground。



No　wonder　they　found　this　a　pleasant　residence；　for　it　is　to…day　one

of　the　most　attractive　of　all　summer　resorts；　so　inviting；　indeed；

that　those　who　know　it　do　not　like　to　say　too　much　about　it；　lest　the

swarms　of　tourists　should　make　it　unendurable　to　those　who　love　it

for　itself；　and　not　as　a　centre　of　fashionable　display　and　extramural

cockneyism。



There　is　the　lake；　in　the　first　place；Cedar　Lake；about　five　miles

long；　and　from　half　a　mile　to　a　mile　and　a　half　wide；　stretching　from

north　to　south。　　Near　the　northern　extremity　are　the　buildings　of

Stoughton　University；　a　flourishing　young　college　with　an　ambitious

name；　but　well　equipped　and　promising；　the　grounds　of　which　reach　the

water。　　At　the　southern　end　of　the　lake　are　the　edifices　of　the

Corinna　Institute；　a　favorite　school　for　young　ladies；　where　large

numbers　of　the　daughters　of　America　are　fitted；　so　far　as　education

can　do　it；　for　all　stations　in　life；　from　camping　out　with　a　husband

at　the　mines　in　Nevada　to　acting　the　part　of　chief　lady　of　the　land

in　the　White　House　at　Washington。



Midway　between　the　two　extremities；　on　the　eastern　shore　of　the　lake；

is　a　valley　between　two　hills；　which　come　down　to　the　very　edge　of

the　lake；　leaving　only　room　enough　for　a　road　between　their　base　and

the　water。　　This　valley；　half　a　mile　in　width；　has　been　long　settled；

and　here　for　a　century　or　more　has　stood　the　old　Anchor　Tavern。　　A

famous　place　it　was　so　long　as　its　sign　swung　at　the　side　of　the

road：　famous　for　its　landlord；　portly；　paternal；　whose　welcome　to　a

guest　that　looked　worthy　of　the　attention　was　like　that　of　a　parent

to　a　returning　prodigal；　and　whose　parting　words　were　almost　as　good

as　a　marriage　benediction；　famous　for　its　landlady；　ample　in　person；

motherly；　seeing　to　the　whole　household　with　her　own　eyes；　mistress

of　all　culinary　secrets　that　Northern　kitchens　are　most　proud　of；

famous　also　for　its　ancient　servant；　as　city　people　would　call　her；

help；　as　she　was　called　in　the　tavern　and　would　have　called

herself；the　unchanging；　seemingly　immortal　Miranda；　who　cared　for

the　guests　as　if　she　were　their　nursing　mother；　and　pressed　the

specially　favorite　delicacies　on　their　attention　as　a　connoisseur

calls　the　wandering　eyes　of　an　amateur　to　the　beauties　of　a　picture。

Who　that　has　ever　been　at　the　old　Anchor　Tavern　forgets　Miranda's



　　　　　〃A　little　of　this　fricassee？…it　is　ver…y　nice；〃



or



　　　　　〃Some　of　these　cakes？　　You　will　find　them　ver…y　good。〃



Nor　would　it　be　just　to　memory　to　forget　that　other　notable　and　noted

member　of　the　household；the　unsleeping；　unresting；　omnipresent

Pushee；　ready　for　everybody　and　everything；　everywhere　within　the

limits　of　the　establishment　at　all　hours　of　the　day　and　night。　　He

fed；　nobody　could　say　accurately　when　or　where。　　There　were　rumors　of

a　〃bunk；〃　in　which　he　lay　down　with　his　clothes　on；　but　he　seemed　to

be　always　wide　awake；　and　at　the　service　of　as　many　guest；　at　once　as

if　there　had　been　half　a　dozen　of　him。



So　much　for　old　reminiscences。



The　landlord　of　the　Anchor　Tavern　had　taken　down　his　sign。　　He　had

had　the　house　thoroughly　renovated　and　furnished　it　anew；　and　kept　it

open　in　summer　for　a　few　boarders。　　It　happened　more　than　once　that

the　summer　boarders　were　so　much　pleased　with　the　place　that　they

stayed　on　through　the　autumn；　and　some　of　them　through　the　winter。

The　attractions　of　the　village　were　really　remarkable。　　Boating　in

summer；　and　skating　in　winter；　ice…boats；　too；　which　the　wild　ducks

could　hardly　keep　up　with；　fishing；　for　which　the　lake　was　renowned；

varied　and　beautiful　walks　through　the　valley　and　up　the　hillsides；

houses　sheltered　from　the　north　and　northeasterly　winds；　and

refreshed　in　the　hot　summer　days　by　the　breeze　which　came　over　the

water；all　this　made　the　frame　for　a　pleasing　picture　of　rest　and

happiness。　　But　there　was　a　great　deal　more　than　this。　　There　was　a

fine　library　in　the　little　village；　presented　and　richly　endowed　by　a

wealthy　native　of　the　place。　　There　was　a　small　permanent　population

of　a　superior　character　to　that　of　an　everyday　country　town；　there

was　a　pretty　little　Episcopal　church；　with　a　good…hearted　rector；

broad　enough　for　the　Bishop　of　the　diocese　to　be　a　little　afraid　of；

and　hospitable　to　all　outsiders；　of　whom；　in　the　summer　season；　there

were　always　some　who　wanted　a　place　of　worship　to　keep　their　religion

from　dying　out　during　the　heathen　months；　while　the　shepherds　of　the

flocks　to　which　they　belonged　were　away　from　their　empty　folds。



What　most　helped　to　keep　the　place　alive　all　through　the　year　was　the

frequent　coming　together　of　the　members　of　a　certain　literary

association。　　Some　time　before　the　tavern　took　down　its　sign　the

landlord　had　built　a　hall；　where　many　a　ball　had　been　held；　to　which

the　young　folks　of　all　the　country　round　had　resorted。　　It　was　still

sometimes　used　for　similar　occasions；　but　it　was　especially　notable

as　being　the　place　of　meeting　of　the　famous　PANSOPHIAN　SOCIETY。



This　association；　the　name　of　which　might　be　invidiously　interpreted

as　signifying　that　its　members　knew　everything；　had　no　such

pretensions；　but；　as　its　Constitution　said　very　plainly　and　modestly；

held　itself　open　to　accept　knowledge　on　any　and　all　subjects　from

such　as　had　knowledge　to　impart。　　Its　President　was　the　rector　of　the

little　chapel；　a　man　who；　in　spite　of　the　Thirty…Nine　Articles；　could

stand　fire　from　the　widest…mouthed　heretical　blunderbuss　without

flinching　or　losing　his　temper。　　The　hall　of　the　old　Anchor　Tavern

was　a　convenient　place　of　meeting　for　the　students　and　instructors　of

the　University　and　the　Institute。　　Sometimes　in　boat…loads；　sometimes

in　carriage…loads；　sometimes　in　processions　of　skaters；　they　came　to

the　meetings　in　Pansophian　Hall；　as　it　was　now　commonly　called。



These　meetings　had　grown　to　be　occasions　of　great　interest。　　It　was

customary　to　have　papers　written　by　members　of　the　Society；　for　the

most　part；　but　now　a