short stories and essays-第10节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


and　faced　it；　like　soldiers　under　review　making　ready　to　salute　a
superior。　　They　were　perfectly　silent；　perfectly　respectful；　but　their
eyes　seemed　to　pierce　the　coupe　through　and　through。

My　friend　was　suddenly　aware　of　a　certain　quality　of　representivity；　he
stood　to　these　men　for　all　the　ease　and　safety　that　they　could　never；
never　hope　to　know。　　He　was　Society：　Society　that　was　to　be　preserved
because　it　embodies　Civilization。　　He　wondered　if　they　hated　him　in　his
capacity　of　Better　Classes。　　He　no　longer　thought　of　getting　out　and
watching　their　behavior　as　they　took　their　bread　and　coffee。　　He　would
have　liked　to　excuse　that　thought；　and　protest　that　he　was　ashamed　of　it；
that　he　was　their　friend；　and　wished　them　wellas　well　as　might　be
without　the　sacrifice　of　his　own　advantages　or　superfluities；　which　he
could　have　persuaded　them　would　be　perfectly　useless。　　He　put　his　hand　on
that　of　his　companion　trembling　on　his　arm　with　sympathy；　or　at　least
with　intelligence。

〃You　mustn't　mind。　　What　we　are　and　what　we　do　is　all　right。　　It's　what
they　are　and　what　they　suffer　that's　all　wrong。〃




V。

〃Does　that　view　of　the　situation　still　satisfy　you？〃　　I　asked；　when　he
had　told　me　of　this　singular　experience；　I　liked　his　apparently　not
coloring　it　at　all。

〃I　don't　know；〃　he　answered。　　〃It　seems　to　be　the　only　way　out。〃

〃Well；　it's　an　easy　way；〃　I　admitted；　〃and　it's　an　idea　that　ought　to
gratify　the　midnight　platoon。〃






THE　BEACH　AT　ROCKAWAY

I　confess　that　I　cannot　hear　people　rejoice　in　their　summer　sojourn　as
beyond　the　reach　of　excursionists　without　a　certain　rebellion；　and　yet　I
have　to　confess　also　that　after　spending　a　Sunday　afternoon　of　late　July；
four　or　five　years　ago；　with　the　excursionists　at　one　of　the　beaches　near
New　York；　I　was　rather　glad　that　my　own　summer　sojourn　was　not　within
reach　of　them。　　I　know　very　well　that　the　excursionists　must　go
somewhere；　and　as　a　man　and　a　brother　I　am　willing　they　should　go
anywhere；　but　as　a　friend　of　quiet　and　seclusion　I　should　be　sorry　to
have　them　come　much　where　I　am。　　It　is　not　because　I　would　deny　them　a
share　of　any　pleasure　I　enjoy；　but　because　they　are　so　many　and　I　am　so
few　that　I　think　they　would　get　all　the　pleasure　and　I　none。　　I　hope　the
reader　will　see　how　this　attitude　distinguishes　me　from　the　selfish
people　who　inhumanly　exult　in　their　remoteness　from　excursionists。




I。

It　was　at　Rockaway　Beach　that　I　saw　these　fellow…beings　whose　mere
multitude　was　too　much　for　me。　　They　were　otherwise　wholly　without
offence　towards　me；　and　so　far　as　I　noted；　towards　each　other；　they　were；
in　fact；　the　most　entirely　peaceable　multitude　I　ever　saw　in　any　country；
and　the　very　quietest。

There　were　thousands；　mounting　well　up　towards　tens　of　thousands；　of
them；　in　every　variety　of　age　and　sex；　yet　I　heard　no　voice　lifted　above
the　conversational　level；　except　that　of　some　infant　ignorant　of　its
privileges　in　a　day　at　the　sea…side；　or　some　showman　crying　the
attractions　of　the　spectacle　in　his　charge。　　I　used　to　think　the　American
crowds　rather　boisterous　and　unruly；　and　many　years　ago；　when　I　lived　in
Italy；　I　celebrated　the　greater　amiability　and　self…control　of　the
Italian　crowds。　　But　we　have　certainly　changed　all　that　within　a
generation；　and　if　what　I　saw　the　other　day　was　a　typical　New　York　crowd；
then　the　popular　joy　of　our　poorer　classes　is　no　longer　the　terror　it
once　was　to　the　peaceful　observer。　　The　tough　was　not　visibly　present；
nor　the　toughness；　either　of　the　pure　native　East　Side　stock　or　of　the
Celtic　extraction；　yet　there　were　large　numbers　of　Americans　with　rather
fewer　recognizable　Irish　among　the　masses；　who　were　mainly　Germans；
Russians；　Poles；　and　the　Jews　of　these　several　nationalities。

There　was　eating　and　drinking　without　limit；　on　every　hand　and　in　every
kind；　at　the　booths　abounding　in　fried　seafood；　and　at　the　tables　under
all　the　wide…spreading　verandas　of　the　hotels　and　restaurants；　yet　I　saw
not　one　drunken　man；　and　of　course　not　any　drunken　women。　　No　one　that　I
saw　was　even　affected　by　drink；　and　no　one　was　guilty　of　any　rude　or
unseemly　behavior。　　The　crowd　was；　in　short；　a　monument　to　the　democratic
ideal　of　life　in　that　very　important　expression　of　life；　personal
conduct；　I　have　not　any　notion　who　or　what　the　people　were；　or　how
virtuous　or　vicious　they　privately　might　be；　but　I　am　sure　that　no
society　assemblage　could　be　of　a　goodlier　outside；　and　to　be　of　a　goodly
outside　is　all　that　the　mere　spectator　has　a　right　to　ask　of　any　crowd。

I　fancied；　however；　that　great　numbers　of　this　crowd；　or　at　least　all　the
Americans　in　it；　were　Long…Islanders　from　the　inland　farms　and　villages
within　easy　distance　of　the　beach。　　They　had　probably　the　hereditary
habit　of　coming　to　it；　for　it　was　a　favorite　resort　in　the　time　of　their
fathers　and　grandfathers；　who　had

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃many　an　hour　whiled　away
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Listening　to　the　breakers'　roar
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　That　washed　the　beach　at　Rockaway。〃

But　the　clothing　store　and　the　paper　pattern　have　equalized　the　cheaper
dress　of　the　people　so　that　you　can　no　longer　know　citizen　and　countryman
apart　by　their　clothes；　still　less　citizeness　and　countrywoman；　and　I　can
only　conjecture　that　the　foreign…looking　folk　I　saw　were　from　New　York
and　Brooklyn。　　They　came　by　boat；　and　came　and　went　by　the　continually
arriving　and　departing　trains；　and　last　but　not　least　by　bicycles；　both
sexes。　　A　few　came　in　the　public　carriages　and　omnibuses　of　the
neighborhood；　but　by　far　the　vaster　number　whom　neither　the　boats　nor　the
trains　had　brought　had　their　own　vehicles；　the　all…pervading　bicycles；
which　no　one　seemed　so　poor　as　not　to　be　able　to　keep。　　The　bicyclers
stormed　into　the　frantic　village　of　the　beach　the　whole　afternoon；　in　the
proportion　of　one　woman　to　five　men；　and　most　of　these　must　have　ridden
down　on　their　wheels　from　the　great　cities。　　Boys　ran　about　in　the
roadway　with　bunches　of　brasses；　to　check　the　wheels；　and　put　them　for
safekeeping　in　what　had　once　been　the　stable…yards　of　the　hotels；　the
restaurants　had　racks　for　them；　where　you　could　see　them　in　solid　masses；
side　by　side；　for　a　hundred　feet；　and　no　shop　was　without　its　door…side
rack；　which　the　wheelman　might　slide　his　wheel　into　when　he　stopped　for　a
soda；　a　cigar；　or　a　sandwich。　　All　along　the　road　the　gay　bicycler　and
bicycless　swarmed　upon　the　piazzas　of　the　inns；　munching；　lunching；　while
their　wheels　formed　a　fantastic　decoration　for　the　underpinning　of　the
house　and　a　novel　balustering　for　the　steps。




II。

The　amusements　provided　for　these　throngs　of　people　were　not　different
from　those　provided　for　throngs　of　people　everywhere；　who　must　be　of　much
the　same　mind　and　taste　the　world　over。　　I　had　fine　moments　when　I　moved
in　an　illusion　of　the　Midway　Plaisance；　again　I　was　at　the　Fete　de
Neuilly；　with　all　of　Paris　but　the　accent　about　me；　yet　again　the　county
agricultural　fairs　of　my　youth　spread　their　spectral　joys　before　me。　　At
none　of　these　places；　however；　was　there　a　sounding　sea　or　a　mountainous
chute；　and　I　made　haste　to　experience　the　variety　these　afforded；
beginning　with　the　chute；　since　the　sea　was　always　there；　and　the　chute
might　be　closed　for　the　day　if　I　waited　to　view　it　last。　　I　meant　only　to
enjoy　the　pleasure　of　others　in　it；　and　I　confined　my　own　participation
to　the　ascent　of　the　height　from　which　the　boat　plunges　down　the　watery
steep　into　the　oblong　pool　below。　　When　I　bought　my　ticket　for　the　car
that　carried　passengers　up；　they　gave　me　also　a　pasteboard　medal；
certifying　for　me；　〃You　have　shot　the　chute；〃　and　I　resolved　to　keep　this
and　show　it　to　doubting　friends　as　a　proof　of　my　daring；　but　it　is　a
curious　evidence　of　my　unfitness　for　such　deceptions　that　I　afterwards
could　not　find　the　medal。　　So　I　will　frankly　own　that　for　me　it　was　quite
enough　to　see　others　shoot　the　chute；　and　that　I　came　tamely　down　myself
in　the　car。　　There　is　a　very　charming　view　from　the　top；　of　the　sea　with
its　ships；　and　all　the　mad　gayety　of　the　shore；　but　of　course　my　main
object　was　to　exult　in　the　wild　absurdity　of　those　who　shot　the　chute。
There　was　always　a　lady　among　the　people　in　the　clumsy　flat…boat　that
flew　down　the　long　track；　and　she　tried　usually　to　be　a　pretty　girl；　who
clutched　her　friends　and　lovers　and　shrieked　aloud　in　her　flight；　but
sometimes　it　was　a　sober　mother　of　a　family；　with　her　brood　about　her；
who　was　probably　meditating；　all　the　way；　the　inculpation　of　their　father
for　any　harm　that　came　of　it。　　Apparently　no　harm　came　of　it　in　any　case。

The　boat　struck　the　water　with　the　impetus　gained　from　a　half…
perpendicular　slide　of　a　hundred　feet；　bounded　high　into　the　air；　struck
again　and　again；　and　so　flounced　awkwardly　across　the　pond　to　the　farther
shore；　where　the　passengers　debarked　and　went　away　to　commune　with　their
viscera；　and　to　get　their　breath　as　they　could。　　I　did　not　ask　any　of
them　what　their　emotions　or　sensations　were；　but；　so　far　as　I　could
conjecture；　the　experience　of　shooting　the　chute　must　comprise　the　rare
transport　of　a　fall　from　a　ten…story　building　and　the　delight　of　a
tempestuous　passage　of