a hazard of new fortunes v1-第12部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


asleep；　and　then　it　was　of　a　hideous　thing　with　two　square　eyes　and　a
series　of　sections　growing　darker　and　then　lighter；　till　the　tail　of　the
monstrous　articulate　was　quite　luminous　again。　　She　shuddered　at　the
vague　description　she　was　able　to　give；　but　he　asked；　〃Did　it　offer　to
bite　you？〃

〃No。　　That　was　the　most　frightful　thing　about　it；　it　had　no　mouth。〃

March　laughed。　　〃Why；　my　dear；　it　was　nothing　but　a　harmless　New　York
flatseven　rooms　and　a　bath。〃

〃I　really　believe　it　was；〃　she　consented；　recognizing　an　architectural
resemblance；　and　she　fell　asleep　again；　and　woke　renewed　for　the　work
before　them。




IX。

Their　house…hunting　no　longer　had　novelty；　but　it　still　had　interest；　and
they　varied　their　day　by　taking　a　coupe；　by　renouncing　advertisements；
and　by　reverting　to　agents。　　Some　of　these　induced　them　to　consider　the
idea　of　furnished　houses；　and　Mrs。　March　learned　tolerance　for　Fulkerson
by　accepting　permits　to　visit　flats　and　houses　which　had　none　of　the
qualifications　she　desired　in　either；　and　were　as　far　beyond　her　means　as
they　were　out　of　the　region　to　which　she　had　geographically　restricted
herself。　　They　looked　at　three…thousand　and　four…thousand　dollar
apartments；　and　rejected　them　for　one　reason　or　another　which　had　nothing
to　do　with　the　rent；　the　higher　the　rent　was；　the　more　critical　they　were
of　the　slippery　inlaid　floors　and　the　arrangement　of　the　richly　decorated
rooms。　　They　never　knew　whether　they　had　deceived　the　janitor　or　not；　as
they　came　in　a　coupe；　they　hoped　they　had。

They　drove　accidentally　through　one　street　that　seemed　gayer　in　the
perspective　than　an　L　road。　　The　fire…escapes；　with　their　light　iron
balconies　and　ladders　of　iron；　decorated　the　lofty　house　fronts；　the
roadway　and　sidewalks　and　door…steps　swarmed　with　children；　women's　heads
seemed　to　show　at　every　window。　　In　the　basements；　over　which　flights　of
high　stone　steps　led　to　the　tenements；　were　green…grocers'　shops
abounding　in　cabbages；　and　provision　stores　running　chiefly　to　bacon　and
sausages；　and　cobblers'　and　tinners'　shops；　and　the　like；　in　proportion
to　the　small　needs　of　a　poor　neighborhood。　　Ash　barrels　lined　the
sidewalks；　and　garbage　heaps　filled　the　gutters；　teams　of　all　trades
stood　idly　about；　a　peddler　of　cheap　fruit　urged　his　cart　through　the
street；　and　mixed　his　cry　with　the　joyous　screams　and　shouts　of　the
children　and　the　scolding　and　gossiping　voices　of　the　women；　the　burly
blue　bulk　of　a　policeman　defined　itself　at　the　corner；　a　drunkard
zigzagged　down　the　sidewalk　toward　him。　　It　was　not　the　abode　of　the
extremest　poverty；　but　of　a　poverty　as　hopeless　as　any　in　the　world；
transmitting　itself　from　generation　to　generation；　and　establishing
conditions　of　permanency　to　which　human　life　adjusts　itself　as　it　does　to
those　of　some　incurable　disease；　like　leprosy。

The　time　had　been　when　the　Marches　would　have　taken　a　purely　aesthetic
view　of　the　facts　as　they　glimpsed　them　in　this　street　of　tenement…
houses；　when　they　would　have　contented　themselves　with　saying　that　it　was
as　picturesque　as　a　street　in　Naples　or　Florence；　and　with　wondering　why
nobody　came　to　paint　it；　they　would　have　thought　they　were　sufficiently
serious　about　it　in　blaming　the　artists　for　their　failure　to　appreciate
it；　and　going　abroad　for　the　picturesque　when　they　had　it　here　under
their　noses。　　It　was　to　the　nose　that　the　street　made　one　of　its
strongest　appeals；　and　Mrs。　March　pulled　up　her　window　of　the　coupe。
〃Why　does　he　take　us　through　such　a　disgusting　street？〃　　she　demanded；
with　an　exasperation　of　which　her　husband　divined　the　origin。

〃This　driver　may　be　a　philanthropist　in　disguise；〃　he　answered；　with
dreamy　irony；　〃and　may　want　us　to　think　about　the　people　who　are　not
merely　carried　through　this　street　in　a　coupe；　but　have　to　spend　their
whole　lives　in　it；　winter　and　summer；　with　no　hopes　of　driving　out　of　it；
except　in　a　hearse。　　I　must　say　they　don't　seem　to　mind　it。　　I　haven't
seen　a　jollier　crowd　anywhere　in　New　York。　　They　seem　to　have　forgotten
death　a　little　more　completely　than　any　of　their　fellow…citizens；　Isabel。
And　I　wonder　what　they　think　of　us；　making　this　gorgeous　progress　through
their　midst。　　I　suppose　they　think　we're　rich；　and　hate　usif　they　hate
rich　people；　they　don't　look　as　if　they　hated　anybody。　　Should　we　be　as
patient　as　they　are　with　their　discomfort？　　I　don't　believe　there's　steam
heat　or　an　elevator　in　the　whole　block。　　Seven　rooms　and　a　bath　would　be
more　than　the　largest　and　genteelest　family　would　know　what　to　do　with。
They　wouldn't　know　what　to　do　with　the　bath；　anyway。〃

His　monologue　seemed　to　interest　his　wife　apart　from　the　satirical　point
it　had　for　themselves。　　〃You　ought　to　get　Mr。　Fulkerson　to　let　you　work
some　of　these　New　York　sights　up　for　Every　Other　Week；　Basil；　you　could
do　them　very　nicely。〃

〃Yes；　I've　thought　of　that。　　But　don't　let's　leave　the　personal　ground。
Doesn't　it　make　you　feel　rather　small　and　otherwise　unworthy　when　you　see
the　kind　of　street　these　fellow…beings　of　yours　live　in；　and　then　think
how　particular　you　are　about　locality　and　the　number　of　bellpulls？
I　don't　see　even　ratchets　and　speaking…tubes　at　these　doors。〃　　He　craned
his　neck　out　of　the　window　for　a　better　look；　and　the　children　of
discomfort　cheered　him；　out　of　sheer　good　feeling　and　high　spirits。
〃I　didn't　know　I　was　so　popular。　　Perhaps　it's　a　recognition　of　my　humane
sentiments。〃

〃Oh；　it's　very　easy　to　have　humane　sentiments；　and　to　satirize　ourselves
for　wanting　eight　rooms　and　a　bath　in　a　good　neighborhood；　when　we　see
how　these　wretched　creatures　live；〃　said　his　wife。　　〃But　if　we　shared　all
we　have　with　them；　and　then　settled　down　among　them；　what　good　would　it
do？〃

〃Not　the　least　in　the　world。　　It　might　help　us　for　the　moment；　but　it
wouldn't　keep　the　wolf　from　their　doors　for　a　week；　and　then　they　would
go　on　just　as　before；　only　they　wouldn't　be　on　such　good　terms　with　the
wolf。　　The　only　way　for　them　is　to　keep　up　an　unbroken　intimacy　with　the
wolf；　then　they　can　manage　him　somehow。　　I　don't　know　how；　and　I'm　afraid
I　don't　want　to。　　Wouldn't　you　like　to　have　this　fellow　drive　us　round
among　the　halls　of　pride　somewhere　for　a　little　while？　　Fifth　Avenue　or
Madison；　up…town？〃

〃No；　we've　no　time　to　waste。　　I've　got　a　place　near　Third　Avenue；　on　a
nice　cross　street；　and　I　want　him　to　take　us　there。〃　　It　proved　that　she
had　several　addresses　near　together；　and　it　seemed　best　to　dismiss　their
coupe　and　do　the　rest　of　their　afternoon's　work　on　foot。　　It　came　to
nothing；　she　was　not　humbled　in　the　least　by　what　she　had　seen　in　the
tenement…house　street；　she　yielded　no　point　in　her　ideal　of　a　flat；　and
the　flats　persistently　refused　to　lend　themselves　to　it。　　She　lost　all
patience　with　them。

〃Oh；　I　don't　say　the　flats　are　in　the　right　of　it；〃　said　her　husband；
when　she　denounced　their　stupid　inadequacy　to　the　purposes　of　a　Christian
home。　　〃But　I'm　not　so　sure　that　we　are；　either。　　I've　been　thinking
about　that　home　business　ever　since　my　sensibilities　were　draggedin　a
coupethrough　that　tenement…house　street。　　Of　course；　no　child　born　and
brought　up　in　such　a　place　as　that　could　have　any　conception　of　home。
But　that's　because　those　poor　people　can't　give　character　to　their
habitations。　　They　have　to　take　what　they　can　get。　　But　people　like　us
that　is；　of　our　meansdo　give　character　to　the　average　flat。　　It's　made
to　meet　their　tastes；　or　their　supposed　tastes；　and　so　it's　made　for
social　show；　not　for　family　life　at　all。　　Think　of　a　baby　in　a　flat！
It's　a　contradiction　in　terms；　the　flat　is　the　negation　of　motherhood。
The　flat　means　society　life；　that　is；　the　pretence　of　social　life。　　It's
made　to　give　artificial　people　a　society　basis　on　a　little　moneytoo
much　money；　of　course；　for　what　they　get。　　So　the　cost　of　the　building　is
put　into　marble　halls　and　idiotic　decoration　of　all　kinds。　　I　don't。
object　to　the　conveniences；　but　none　of　these　flats　has　a　living…room。
They　have　drawing…rooms　to　foster　social　pretence；　and　they　have　dining…
rooms　and　bedrooms；　but　they　have　no　room　where　the　family　can　all　come
together　and　feel　the　sweetness　of　being　a　family。　　The　bedrooms　are
black…holes　mostly；　with　a　sinful　waste　of　space　in　each。　　If　it　were　not
for　the　marble　halls；　and　the　decorations；　and　the　foolishly　expensive
finish；　the　houses　could　be　built　round　a　court；　and　the　flats　could　be
shaped　something　like　a　Pompeiian　house；　with　small　sleeping…closets
only　lit　from　the　outsideand　the　rest　of　the　floor　thrown　into　two　or
three　large　cheerful　halls；　where　all　the　family　life　could　go　on；　and
society　could　be　transacted　unpretentiously。　　Why；　those　tenements　are
better　and　humaner　than　those　flats！　　There　the　whole　family　lives　in　the
kitchen；　and　has　its　consciousness　of　being；　but　the　flat　abolishes　the
family　consciousness。　　It's　confinement　without　coziness；　it's　cluttered
without　being　snug。　　You　couldn't　keep　a　self…respecting　cat　in　a　flat；
you　couldn't　go　down　cellar　to　get　cider。　　No！　the　Anglo…Saxon　home；　as
we　know　it　in　the　Anglo…Saxon　house；　is　simply　impossible　in　the　Franco…
American　flat；　not　because　it's　humble；　but　because　it's　false。〃

〃Well；　then；〃　said　Mrs。　March；　〃let's　look　at　houses。〃

He　had　been　denouncing　the　flat　in　the　abstract；　and　he　had　not　expected
this　concrete　result。　　But　he　said；　〃We　will　look　at　houses；　then。〃




X。

Nothing　mystifies　a　man　more　than　a　woman's　aberrations　from　some　point
at　which　he；　supposes　her　fixed　as　a　star。　　In　these　unfurnished　houses；
without　steam　or　elevator；　March　followed　his　wife　about　with　patient
wonder。　　She　rather　liked　the　worst　of　them　best：　but　she　made　him　go
down　into　the　cellars　and　look　at　the　furnaces；　she　exacted　from　him　a
rigid　inquest　of　the　plumbing。　　She　followed　him　into　one　of　the　cellars
by　the　fitful　glare　of　successively　lighted　matches；　and　they　enjoyed　a
moment　in　which　the　anomaly　of　their　presence　there　on　that　errand；　so
remote　from　all　the　facts　of　their　long…established　life　in　Boston；
realized　itself　for　them。

〃Think　how　easily　we　might　have　been　murdered　and　nobody　been　any　the
wiser！〃　she　said　when　they　were　comfortably　outdoors　aga