a belated guest-第1部分

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A　Belated　Guest

by　William　Dean　Howells







It　is　doubtful　whether　the　survivor　of　any　order　of　things　finds
compensation　in　the　privilege；　however　undisputed　by　his　contemporaries；
of　recording　his　memories　of　it。　　This　is；　in　the　first　two　or　three
instances；　a　pleasure。　　It　is　sweet　to　sit　down；　in　the　shade　or　by　the
fire；　and　recall　names；　looks；　and　tones　from　the　past；　and　if　the
Absences　thus　entreated　to　become　Presences　are　those　of　famous　people；
they　lend　to　the　fond　historian　a　little　of　their　lustre；　in　which　he
basks　for　the　time　with　an　agreeable　sense　of　celebrity。　　But　another
time　comes；　and　comes　very　soon；　when　the　pensive　pleasure　changes　to　the
pain　of　duty；　and　the　precious　privilege　converts　itself　into　a　grievous
obligation。　　You　are　unable　to　choose　your　company　among　those　immortal
shades；　if　one；　why　not　another；　where　all　seem　to　have　a　right　to　such
gleams　of　this　'dolce　lome'　as　your　reminiscences　can　shed　upon　them？
Then　they　gather　so　rapidly；　as　the　years　pass；　in　these　pale　realms；
that　one；　if　one　continues　to　survive；　is　in　danger　of　wearing　out　such
welcome；　great　or　small；　as　met　ones　recollections　in　the　first　two　or
three　instances；　if　one　does　one's　duty　by　each。　　People　begin　to　say；
and　not　without　reason；　in　a　world　so　hurried　and　wearied　as　this：　〃Ah；
here　he　is　again　with　his　recollections！〃　　Well；　but　if　the　recollections
by　some　magical　good…fortune　chance　to　concern　such　a　contemporary　of　his
as；　say；　Bret　Harte；　shall　not　he　be　partially　justified；　or　at　least
excused？




I。

My　recollections　of　Bret　Harte　begin　with　the　arrest；　on　the　Atlantic
shore；　of　that　progress　of　his　from　the　Pacific　Slope；　which；　in　the
simple　days　of　1871；　was　like　the　progress　of　a　prince；　in　the　universal
attention　and　interest　which　met　and　followed　it。　　He　was　indeed　a
prince；　a　fairy　prince　in　whom　every　lover　of　his　novel　and　enchanting
art　felt　a　patriotic　property；　for　his　promise　and　performance　in　those
earliest　tales　of　'The　Luck　of　Roaring　Camp'；　and　'Tennessee's　Partner'；
and　'Maggles'；　and　'The　Outcasts　of　Poker　Flat'；　were　the　earnests　of　an
American　literature　to　come。　　If　it　is　still　to　come；　in　great　measure；
that　is　not　Harte's　fault；　for　he　kept　on　writing　those　stories；　in　one
form　or　another；　as　long　as　he　lived。　　He　wrote　them　first　and　last　in
the　spirit　of　Dickens；　which　no　man　of　his　time　could　quite　help　doing；
but　he　wrote　them　from　the　life　of　Bret　Harte；　on　the　soil　and　in　the　air
of　the　newest　kind　of　new　world；　and　their　freshness　took　the　soul　of　his
fellow…countrymen　not　only　with　joy；　but　with　pride　such　as　the
Europeans；　who　adored　him　much　longer；　could　never　know　in　him。

When　the　adventurous　young　editor　who　had　proposed　being　his　host　for
Cambridge　and　the　Boston　neighborhood；　while　Harte　was　still　in　San
Francisco；　and　had　not　yet　begun　his　princely　progress　eastward；　read　of
the　honors　that　attended　his　coming　from　point　to　point；　his　courage
fell；　as　if　he　had　perhaps；　committed　himself　in　too　great　an　enterprise。
Who　was　he；　indeed；　that　he　should　think　of　making　this

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Dear　son　of　memory；　great　heir　of　fame；〃

his　guest；　especially　when　he　heard　that　in　Chicago　Harte　failed　of
attending　a　banquet　of　honor　because　the　givers　of　it　had　not　sent　a
carriage　to　fetch　him　to　it；　as　the　alleged　use　was　in　San　Francisco？
Whether　true　or　not；　and　it　was　probably　not　true　in　just　that　form；
it　must　have　been　this　rumor　which　determined　his　host　to　drive　into
Boston　for　him　with　the　handsomest　hack　which　the　livery　of　Cambridge
afforded；　and　not　trust　to　the　horse…car　and　the　local　expressman　to　get
him　and　his　baggage　out；　as　he　would　have　done　with　a　less　portentous
guest。　　However　it　was；　he　instantly　lost　all　fear　when　they　met　at　the
station；　and　Harte　pressed　forward　with　his　cordial　hand…clasp；　as　if　he
were　not　even　a　fairy　prince；　and　with　that　voice　and　laugh　which　were
surely　the　most　winning　in　the　world。　　He　was　then；　as　always；　a　child　of
extreme　fashion　as　to　his　clothes　and　the　cut　of　his　beard；　which　he　wore
in　a　mustache　and　the　drooping　side…whiskers　of　the　day；　and　his　jovial
physiognomy　was　as　winning　as　his　voice；　with　its　straight　nose　and
fascinating　thrust　of　the　under　lip；　its　fine　eyes；　and　good　forehead；
then　thickly　crowned　with　the　black　hair　which　grew　early　white；　while
his　mustache　remained　dark　the　most　enviable　and　consoling　effect
possible　in　the　universal　mortal　necessity　of　either　aging　or　dying。
He　was；　as　one　could　not　help　seeing；　thickly　pitted；　but　after　the　first
glance　one　forgot　this；　so　that　a　lady　who　met　him　for　the　first　time
could　say　to　him；　〃Mr。　Harte；　aren't　you　afraid　to　go　about　in　the　cars
so　recklessly　when　there　is　this　scare　about　smallpox？〃　　〃No；　madam；〃　he
could　answer　in　that　rich　note　of　his；　with　an　irony　touched　by　pseudo…
pathos；　〃I　bear　a　charmed　life。〃

The　drive　out　from　Boston　was　not　too　long　for　getting　on　terms　of
personal　friendship　with　the　family　which　just　filled　the　hack；　the　two
boys　intensely　interested　in　the　novelties　of　a　New　England　city　and
suburb；　and　the　father　and　mother　continually　exchanging　admiration　of
such　aspects　of　nature　as　presented　themselves　in　the　leafless　sidewalk
trees；　and　patches　of　park　and　lawn。　　They　found　everything　so　fine；　so
refined；　after　the　gigantic　coarseness　of　California；　where　the　natural
forms　were　so　vast　that　one　could　not　get　on　companionable　terms　with
them。　　Their　host　heard　them　without　misgiving　for　the　world　of　romance
which　Harte　had　built　up　among　those　huge　forms；　and　with　a　subtle
perception　that　this　was　no　excursion　of　theirs　to　the　East；　but　a
lifelong　exodus　from　the　exile　which　he　presently　understood　they　must
always　have　felt　California　to　be。　　It　is　different　now；　when　people　are
every　day　being　born　in　California；　and　must　begin　to　feel　it　home　from
the　first　breath；　but　it　is　notable　that　none　of　the　Californians　of　that
great　early　day　have　gone　back　to　live　amid　the　scenes　which　inspired　and
prospered　them。

Before　they　came　in　sight　of　the　editor's　humble　roof　he　had　mocked
himself　to　his　guest　for　his　trepidations；　and　Harte　with　burlesque
magnanimity　had　consented　to　be　for　that　occasion　only　something　less
formidable　than　he　had　loomed　afar。　　He　accepted　with　joy　the　theory　of
passing　a　week　in　the　home　of　virtuous　poverty；　and　the　week　began　as
delightfully　as　it　went　on。　　From　first　to　last　Cambridge　amused　him　as
much　as　it　charmed　him　by　that　air　of　academic　distinction　which　was
stranger　to　him　even　than　the　refined　trees　and　grass。　　It　has　already
been　told　how；　after　a　list　of　the　local　celebrities　had　been　recited　to
him；　he　said；　〃why；　you　couldn't　stand　on　your　front　porch　and　fire　off
your　revolver　without　bringing　down　a　two　volumer；〃　and　no　doubt　the
pleasure　he　had　in　it　was　the　effect　of　its　contrast　with　the　wild
California　he　had　known；　and　perhaps；　when　he　had　not　altogether　known
it；　had　invented。




II。

Cambridge　began　very　promptly　to　show　him　those　hospitalities　which　he
could　value；　and　continued　the　fable　of　his　fairy　princeliness　in　the
curiosity　of　those　humbler　admirers　who　could　not　hope　to　be　his　hosts　or
his　fellow…guests　at　dinner　or　luncheon。　　Pretty　presences　in　the　tie…
backs　of　the　period　were　seen　to　flit　before　the　home　of　virtuous
poverty；　hungering　for　any　chance　sight　of　him　which　his　outgoings　or
incomings　might　give。　　The　chances　were　better　with　the　outgoings　than
with　the　incomings；　for　these　were　apt　to　be　so　hurried；　in　the　final
result　of　his　constitutional　delays；　as　to　have　the　rapidity　of　the
homing　pigeon's　flight；　and　to　afford　hardly　a　glimpse　to　the　quickest
eye。　　It　cannot　harm　him；　or　any　one　now；　to　own　that　Harte　was　nearly
always　late　for　those　luncheons　and　dinners　which　he　was　always　going　out
to；　and　it　needed　the　anxieties　and　energies　of　both　families　to　get　him
into　his　clothes；　and　then　into　the　carriage　where　a　good　deal　of　final
buttoning　must　have　been　done；　in　order　that　he　might　not　arrive　so　very
late。　　He　was　the　only　one　concerned　who　was　quite　unconcerned；　his
patience　with　his　delays　was　inexhaustible；　he　arrived　at　the　expected
houses　smiling；　serenely　jovial；　radiating　a　bland　gaiety　from　his　whole
person；　and　ready　to　ignore　any　discomfort　he　might　have　occasioned。

Of　course；　people　were　glad　to　have　him　on　his　own　terms；　and　it　may　be
truly　said　that　it　was　worth　while　to　have　him　on　any　terms。　　There　never
was　a　more　charming　companion；　an　easier　or　more　delightful　guest。

It　was　not　from　what　he　said；　for　he　was　not　much　of　a　talker；　and　almost
nothing　of　a　story…teller；　but　he　could　now　and　then　drop　the　fittest
word；　and　with　a　glance　or　smile　of　friendly　intelligence　express　the
appreciation　of　another's　fit　word　which　goes　far　to　establish　for　a　man
the　character　of　boon　humorist。　　It　must　be　said　of　him　that　if　he　took
the　honors　easily　that　were　paid　him　he　took　them　modestly；　and　never　by
word　or　look　invited　them；　or　implied　that　he　expected　them。　　It　was　fine
to　see　him　humorously　accepting　the　humorous　attribution　of　scientific
sympathies　from　Agassiz；　in　compliment　of　his　famous　epic　describing　the
incidents　that　〃broke　up　the　society　upon　the　Stanislow。〃　　It　was　a
little　fearsome　to　hear　him　frankly　owning　to　Lowell　his　dislike　for
something　over…literary　in　the　phrasing　of　certain　verses　of　'The
Cathedral。'　　But　Lowell　could　stand　that　sort　of　thing　from　a　man　who
could　say　the　sort　of　things　that　Harte　said　to　him　of　that　delicious
line　picturing　the　bobolink　as　he

　　　　　　　　　　〃Runs　down　a　brook　of　laughter　in　the　air。〃

This；　Harte　told　him；　was　the　line　he　liked　best　of　all　his　lines；　and
Lowell　smoked　well　content　with　the　praise。　　Yet　they　were　not　men　to　get
on　easily　together；　Lowell　having　limitations　in　directions　where　Harte
had　none。　　Afterward　in　London　they　did　not　meet　often　or　willingly。
Lowell　owned　the　brilliancy　and　uncommonness　of　Harte's　gift；　while　he
sumptuously　surfeited　his　passion　of　finding　everybody　more　or　less　a　Jew
by　finding　that　Harte　was　at　least　half　a　Jew　on　his　father's　side；　he
had　long　contended　for　th