the complete writings-4-第20章

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The　road　over　Cut　Laurel　Gap　was　very　steep　and　stony；　the　thermometer　mounted　up　to　80　deg。；　and；　notwithstanding　the　beauty　of　the　way；　the　ride　became　tedious　before　we　reached　the　summit。　　On　the　summit　is　the　dwelling　and　distillery　of　a　colonel　famous　in　these　parts。　　We　stopped　at　the　house　for　a　glass　of　milk；　the　colonel　was　absent；　and　while　the　woman　in　charge　went　after　it；　we　sat　on　the　veranda　and　conversed　with　a　young　lady；　tall；　gent；　well　favored；　and　communicative；　who　leaned　in　the　doorway。

〃Yes；　this　house　stands　on　the　line。　　Where　you　sit；　you　are　in　Tennessee；　I'm　in　North　Carolina。〃

〃Do　you　live　here？〃

〃Law；　no；　I'm　just　staying　a　little　while　at　the　colonel's。　　I　live　over　the　mountain　here；　three　miles　from　Taylorsville。　　I　thought　I'd　be　where　I　could　step　into　North　Carolina　easy。〃

〃How's　that？〃

〃Well；　they　wanted　me　to　go　before　the　grand　jury　and　testify　about　some　pistol…shooting　down　by　our　house；　some　friends　of　mine　got　into　a　little　difficulty；and　I　did　n't　want　to。　　I　never　has　no　difficulty　with　nobody；　never　says　nothing　about　nobody；　has　nothing　against　nobody；　and　I　reckon　nobody　has　nothing　against　me。〃

〃Did　you　come　alone？〃

〃Why；　of　course。　　I　come　across　the　mountain　by　a　path　through　the　woods。　　That's　nothing。〃

A　discreet；　pleasant；　pretty　girl。　　This　surely　must　be　the　Esmeralda　who　lives　in　these　mountains；　and　adorns　low　life　by　her　virgin　purity　and　sentiment。　　As　she　talked　on；　she　turned　from　time　to　time　to　the　fireplace　behind　her；　and　discharged　a　dark　fluid　from　her　pretty　lips；　with　accuracy　of　aim；　and　with　a　nonchalance　that　was　not　assumed；　but　belongs　to　our　free…born　American　girls。　　I　cannot　tell　why　this　habit　of　hers　（which　is　no　worse　than　the　sister　habit　of　〃dipping〃）　should　take　her　out　of　the　romantic　setting　that　her　face　and　figure　had　placed　her　in；　but　somehow　we　felt　inclined　to　ride　on　farther　for　our　heroine。

〃And　yet；〃　said　the　Professor；　as　we　left　the　site　of　the　colonel's　thriving　distillery；　and　by　a　winding；　picturesque　road　through　a　rough　farming　country　descended　into　the　valley；〃and　yet；　why　fling　aside　so　readily　a　character　and　situation　so　full　of　romance；　on　account　of　a　habit　of　this　mountain　Helen；　which　one　of　our　best　poets　has　almost　made　poetical；　in　the　case　of　the　pioneer　taking　his　westward　way；　with　ox…goad　pointing　to　the　sky：

　　　　〃'He's　leaving　on　the　pictured　rock　　　　　　His　fresh　tobacco　stain。'

〃To　my　mind　the　incident　has　Homeric　elements。　　The　Greeks　would　have　looked　at　it　in　a　large；　legendary　way。　　Here　is　Helen；　strong　and　lithe　of　limb；　ox…eyed；　courageous；　but　woman…hearted　and　love…　inspiring；　contended　for　by　all　the　braves　and　daring　moonshiners　of　Cut　Laurel　Gap；　pursued　by　the　gallants　of　two　States；　the　prize　of　a　border　warfare　of　bowie　knives　and　revolvers。　　This　Helen；　magnanimous　as　attractive；　is　the　witness　of　a　pistol　difficulty　on　her　behalf；　and　when　wanted　by　the　areopagus；　that　she　may　neither　implicate　a　lover　nor　punish　an　enemy　（having　nothing；　this　noble　type　of　her　sex）　against　nobody）；　skips　away　to　Mount　Ida；　and　there；　under　the　aegis　of　the　flag　of　her　country；　in　a　Licensed　Distillery；　stands　with　one　slender　foot　in　Tennessee　and　the　other　in　North　Carolina〃

〃Like　the　figure　of　the　Republic　itself；　superior　to　state　sovereignty；〃　interposed　the　Friend。

〃I　beg　your　pardon；〃　said　the　Professor；　urging　up　Laura　Matilda　（for　so　he　called　the　nervous　mare；　who　fretted　herself　into　a　fever　in　the　stony　path）；　〃I　was　quite　able　to　get　the　woman　out　of　that　position　without　the　aid　of　a　metaphor。　　It　is　a　large　and　Greek　idea；　that　of　standing　in　two　mighty　States；　superior　to　the　law；　looking　east　and　looking　west；　ready　to　transfer　her　agile　body　to　either　State　on　the　approach　of　messengers　of　the　court；　and　I'll　be　hanged　if　I　didn't　think　that　her　nonchalant　rumination　of　the　weed；　combined　with　her　lofty　moral　attitude；　added　something　to　the　picture。〃

The　Friend　said　that　he　was　quite　willing　to　join　in　the　extremest　defense　of　the　privileges　of　beauty；that　he　even　held　in　abeyance　judgment　on　the　practice　of　dipping；　but　when　it　came　to　chewing；　gum　was　as　far　as　he　could　go　as　an　allowance　for　the　fair　sex。

　　　　〃When　I　consider　everything　that　grows　　　　　　Holds　in　perfection　but　a　little　moment。。。〃

The　rest　of　the　stanza　was　lost；　for　the　Professor　was　splashing　through　the　stream。　　No　sooner　had　we　descended　than　the　fording　of　streams　began　again。　　The　Friend　had　been　obliged　to　stipulate　that　the　Professor　should　go　ahead　at　these　crossings；　to　keep　the　impetuous　nag　of　the　latter　from　throwing　half　the　contents　of　the　stream　upon　his　slower　and　uncomplaining　companion。

What　a　lovely　country；　but　for　the　heat　of　noon　and　the　long　wearisomeness　of　the　way！not　that　the　distance　was　great；　but　miles　and　miles　more　than　expected。　　How　charming　the　open　glades　of　the　river；　how　refreshing　the　great　forests　of　oak　and　chestnut；　and　what　a　panorama　of　beauty　the　banks　of　rhododendrons；　now　intermingled　with　the　lighter　pink　and　white　of　the　laurel！　　In　this　region　the　rhododendron　is　called　laurel）　and　the　laurel　（the　sheep…laurel　of　New　England）　is　called　ivy。

At　Worth's；　well　on　in　the　afternoon；　we　emerged　into　a　wide；　open　farming　intervale；　a　pleasant　place　of　meadows　and　streams　and　decent　dwellings。　　Worth's　is　the　trading　center　of　the　region；　has　a　post　office　and　a　saw…mill　and　a　big　country　store；　and　the　dwelling　of　the　proprietor　is　not　unlike　a　roomy　New　England　country　house。　Worth's　has　been　immemorially　a　stopping…place　in　a　region　where　places　of　accommodation　are　few。　　The　proprietor；　now　an　elderly　man；　whose　reminiscences　are　long　ante　bellum；　has　seen　the　world　grow　up　about　him；　he　the　honored；　just　center　of　it；　and　a　family　come　up　into　the　modern　notions　of　life；　with　a　boarding…school　education　and　glimpses　of　city　life　and　foreign　travel。　　I　fancy　that　nothing　but　tradition　and　a　remaining　Southern　hospitality　could　induce　this　private　family　to　suffer　the　incursions　of　this　wayfaring　man。　　Our　travelers　are　not　apt　to　be　surprised　at　anything　in　American　life；　but　they　did　not　expect　to　find　a　house　in　this　region　with　two　pianos　and　a　bevy　of　young　ladies；　whose　clothes　were　certainly　not　made　on　Cut　Laurel　Gap；　and　to　read　in　the　books　scattered　about　the　house　the　evidences　of　the　finishing　schools　with　which　our　country　is　blessed；　nor　to　find　here　pupils　of　the　Stonewall　Jackson　Institute　at　Abingdon。　　With　a　flush　of　local　pride；　the　Professor　took　up；　in　the　roomy；　pleasant　chamber　set　apart　for　the　guests；　a　copy　of　Porter's　〃Elements　of　Moral　Science。〃

〃Where　you　see　the　'Elements　of　Moral　Science；'〃　the　Friend　generalized；　〃there'll　be　plenty　of　water　and　towels；〃　and　the　sign　did　not　fail。　　The　friends　intended　to　read　this　book　in　the　cool　of　the　day；　but　as　they　sat　on　the　long　veranda；　the　voice　of　a　maiden　reading　the　latest　novel　to　a　sewing　group　behind　the　blinds　in　the　drawing…room；　and　the　antics　of　a　mule　and　a　boy　in　front　of　the　store　opposite；　and　the　arrival　of　a　spruce　young　man；　who　had　just　ridden　over　from　somewhere；　a　matter　of　ten　miles'　gallop；　to　get　a　medicinal　potion　for　his　sick　mother；　and　lingered　chatting　with　the　young　ladies　until　we　began　to　fear　that　his　mother　would　recover　before　his　return；　the　coming　and　going　of　lean　women　in　shackly　wagons　to　trade　at　the　store；　the　coming　home　of　the　cows；　splashing　through　the　stream；　hooking　right　and　left；　and　lowing　for　the　hand　of　the　milker；all　these　interruptions；　together　with　the　generally　drowsy　quiet　of　the　approach　of　evening；　interfered　with　the　study　of　the　Elements。　　And　when　the　travelers；　after　a　refreshing　rest；　went　on　their　way　next　morning；　considering　the　Elements　and　the　pianos　and　the　refinement；　to　say　nothing　of　the　cuisine；　which　is　not　treated　of　in　the　text…book　referred　to；　they　were　content　with　a　bill　double　that　of　brother　Egger；　in　his　brick　magnificence。

The　simple　truth　is；　that　the　traveler　in　this　region　must　be　content　to　feed　on　natural　beauties。　　And　it　is　an　unfortunate　truth　in　natural　history　that　the　appetite　for　this　sort　of　diet　fails　after　a　time；　if　the　inner　man　is　not　supplied　with　other　sort　of　food。　There　is　no　landscape　in　the　world　that　is　agreeable　after　two　days　of　rusty…bacon　and　slack　biscuit。

〃How　lovely　this　would　be；〃　exclaimed　the　Professor；　if　it　had　a　background　of　beefsteak　and　coffee！

We　were　riding　along　the　west　fork　of　the　Laurel；　distinguished　locally　as　Three　Top　Creek；or；　rather；　we　were　riding　in　it；　crossing　it　thirty…one　times　within　six　miles；　a　charming　wood　（and　water）　road；　under　the　shade　of　fine　trees　with　the　rhododendron　illuminating　the　way；　gleaming　in　the　forest　and　reflected　in　the　stream；　all　the　ten　miles　to　Elk　Cross　Roads；　our　next　destination。　We　had　heard　a　great　deal　about　Elk　Cross　Roads；　it　was　on　the　map；　it　was　down　in　the　itinerary　furnished　by　a　member　of　the　Coast　Survey。　　We　looked　forward　to　it　as　a　sweet　place　of　repose　from　the　noontide　heat。　　Alas！　　Elk　Cross　Roads　is　a　dirty　grocery　store；　encumbered　with　dry…goods　boxes；　fly…blown　goods；　flies；　loafers。　　In　reply　to　our　inquiry　we　were　told　that　they　had　nothing　to　eat；　for　us；　and　not　a　grain　of　feed　for　the　horses。　　But　there　was　a　man　a　mile　farther　on；　who　was　well　to　do　and　had　stores　of　food；old　man　Tatern　would　treat　us　in　bang…up　style。　　The　difficulty　of　getting　feed　for　the　horses　was　chronic　all　through　the　journey。　　The　last　corn　crop　had　failed；　the　new　oats　and　corn　had　not　come　in；　and　the　country　was　literally　barren。　　We　had　noticed　all　along　that　the　hens　were　taking　a　vacation；　and　that　chickens　were　not　put　forward　as　an　article　of　diet。

We　were　unable；　when　we　reached　the　residence　of　old　man　Tatem；　to　imagine　how　the　local　superstition　of　his　wealth　arose。　　His　house　is　of　logs；　with　two　rooms；　a　kitchen　and　a　spare　room；　with　a　low　loft　accessible　by　a　ladder　at　the　side　of　the　chimney。　　The　chimney　is　a　huge　construction　of　stone；　separating　the　two　parts　of　the　house；　in　fact；　the　chimney　was　built　first；　apparently；　and　the　two　rooms　were　then　built　against　it。　　The　proprietor　sat　in　a　little　railed　veranda。　　These　Southern　verandas　give　an　air　to　the　meanest　dwelling；　and　they　are　much　used；　the　family　sit　here；　and　here　are　the　washbasin　and　pail　（which　is　filled　from　the　neighboring　spring…　house）；　and　the　row　of　milk…pans。　　The　old　man　Tatern　did　not　welcome　us　with　enthusiasm；　he　had　no　corn；these　were　hard　times。　　He　looked　like　hard　times；　grizzled　times；　dirty　times。　　It　seemed　time　out　of　mind　since　he　had　seen　comb　or　razor；　and　although　the　lovely　New　River；　along　which　we　had　ridden　to　his　house；a　broad；　inviting　stream；was　in　sight　across　the　meadow；　there　was　no　evidence　that　he　had　ever　made　acquaintance　with　its　cleansing　waters。　　As　to　corn；　the　necessities　of　the　case　and　pay　being　dwelt　on；　perhaps　he　could　find　a　dozen　ears。　　A　dozen　small　cars　he　did　find；　and　we　trust　that　the　horses　found　them。

We　took　a　family　dinner　with　old　man　Tatern　in　the　kitchen；　where　there　was　a　bed　and　a　stove；a　meal　that　the　host　seemed　to　enjoy；　but　which　we　could　not　make　much　of；　except　the　milk；　that　was　good。　A　painful　meal；　on　the　whole；　owi