north america-2-第31章

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　to　give　forth　its　riches。　We　found　that　two　days　at　Cairo　were　quite　enough　for　us。　　We　had　seen　the　gun…boats　and　the　mortar…boats；　and　gone　through　the　sheds　of　the　soldiers。　　The　latter　were　bad；　comfortless；　damp；　and　cold；　and　certain　quarters　of　the　officers；　into　which　we　were　hospitably　taken；　were　wretched　abodes　enough；　but　the　sheds　of　Cairo　did　not　stink　like　those　of　Benton　Barracks　at　St。　Louis；　nor　had　illness　been　prevalent　there　to　the　same　degree。　　I　do　not　know　why　this　should　have　been　so；　but　such　was　the　result　of　my　observation。　　The　locality　of　Benton　Barracks　must；　from　its　nature；　have　been　the　more　healthy；　but　it　had　become　by　art　the　foulest　place　I　ever　visited。　　Throughout　the　army　it　seemed　to　be　the　fact；　that　the　men　under　canvas　were　more　comfortable；　in　better　spirits；　and　also　in　better　health；　than　those　who　were　lodged　in　sheds。　　We　had　inspected　the　Cairo　army　and　the　Cairo　navy；　and　had　also　seen　all　that　Cairo　had　to　show　us　of　its　own。　　We　were　thoroughly　disgusted　with　the　hotel；　and　retired　on　the　second　night　to　bed；　giving　positive　orders　that　we　might　be　called　at　half…past　two；　with　reference　to　that　terrible　start　to　be　made　at　half…past　three。　　As　a　matter　of　course　we　kept　dozing　and　waking　till　past　one；　in　our　fear　lest　neglect　on　the　part　of　the　watcher　should　entail　on　us　another　day　at　this　place；　of　course　we　went　fast　asleep　about　the　time　at　which　we　should　have　roused　ourselves；　and　of　course　we　were　called　just　fifteen　minutes　before　the　train　started。　　Everybody　knows　how　these　things　always　go。　　And　then　the　pair　of　us　jumping　out　of　bed　in　that　wretched　chamber；　went　through　the　mockery　of　washing　and　packing　which　always　takes　place　on　such　occasions；　a　mockery　indeed　of　washing；　for　there　was　but　one　basin　between　us！　And　a　mockery　also　of　packing；　for　I　left　my　hair…brushes　behind　me！　Cairo　was　avenged　in　that　I　had　declined　to　avail　myself　of　the　privileges　of　free　citizenship　which　had　been　offered　to　me　in　that　barber's　shop。　　And　then；　while　we　were　in　our　agony；　pulling　at　the　straps　of　our　portmanteaus　and　swearing　at　the　faithlessness　of　the　boots；　up　came　the　clerk　of　the　hotelthe　great　man　from　behind　the　barand　scolded　us　prodigiously　for　our　delay。　　〃Called！　　We　had　been　called　an　hour　ago！〃　　Which　statement；　however；　was　decidedly　untrue；　as　we　remarked；　not　with　extreme　patience。　　〃We　should　certainly　be　late；〃　he　said；　〃it　would　take　us　five　minutes　to　reach　the　train；　and　the　cars　would　be　off　in　four。〃　　Nobody　who　has　not　experienced　them　can　understand　the　agonies　of　such　momentsof　such　moments　as　regards　traveling　in　general；　but　none　who　have　not　been　at　Cairo　can　understand　the　extreme　agony　produced　by　the　threat　of　a　prolonged　sojourn　in　that　city。　　At　last　we　were　out　of　the　house；　rushing　through　the　mud；　slush；　and　half…melted　snow；　along　the　wooden　track　to　the　railway；　laden　with　bags　and　coats；　and　deafened　by　that　melancholy；　wailing　sound；　as　though　of　a　huge　polar　she…　bear　in　the　pangs　of　travail　upon　an　iceberg；　which　proceeds　from　an　American　railway…engine　before　it　commences　its　work。　　How　we　slipped　and　stumbled；　and　splashed　and　swore；　rushing　along　in　the　dark　night；　with　buttons　loose；　and　our　clothes　half　on！　　And　how　pitilessly　we　were　treated！　　We　gained　our　cars；　and　even　succeeded　in　bringing　with　us　our　luggage；　but　we　did　not　do　so　with　the　sympathy；　but　amid　the　derision　of　the　by…standers。　　And　then　the　seats　were　all　full；　and　we　found　that　there　was　a　lower　depth　even　in　the　terrible　deep　of　a　railway　train　in　a　Western　State。　　There　was　a　second…class　carriage；　prepared；　I　presume；　for　those　who　esteemed　themselves　too　dirty　for　association　with　the　aristocracy　of　Cairo；　and　into　this　we　flung　ourselves。　　Even　this　was　a　joy　to　us；　for　we　were　being　carried　away　from　Eden。　　We　had　acknowledged　ourselves　to　be　no　fitting　colleagues　for　Mark　Tapley；　and　would　have　been　glad　to　escape　from　Cairo　even　had　we　worked　our　way　out　of　the　place　as　assistant　stokers　to　the　engine…driver。　　Poor　Cairo！　unfortunate　Cairo！　　〃It　is　about　played　out！〃　said　its　citizen　to　me。　　But　in　truth　the　play　was　commenced　a　little　too　soon。　　Those　players　have　played　out；　but　another　set　will　yet　have　their　innings；　and　make　a　score　that　shall　perhaps　be　talked　of　far　and　wide　in　the　Western　World。　We　were　still　bent　upon　army　inspection；　and　with　this　purpose　went　back　from　Cairo　to　Louisville；　in　Kentucky。　　I　had　passed　through　Louisville　before；　as　told　in　my　last　chapter；　but　had　not　gone　south　from　Louisville　toward　the　Green　River；　and　had　seen　nothing　of　General　Buell's　soldiers。　　I　should　have　mentioned　before　that　when　we　were　at　St。　Louis；　we　asked　General　Halleck；　the　officer　in　command　of　the　Northern　army　of　Missouri；　whether　he　could　allow　us　to　pass　through　his　lines　to　the　South。　　This　he　assured　us　he　was　forbidden　to　do；　at　the　same　time　offering　us　every　facility　in　his　power　for　such　an　expedition　if　we　could　obtain　the　consent　of　Mr。　Seward；　who　at　that　time　had　apparently　succeeded　in　engrossing　into　his　own　hands；　for　the　moment；　supreme　authority　in　all　matters　of　government。　　Before　leaving　Washington　we　had　determined　not　to　ask　Mr。　Seward；　having　but　little　hope　of　obtaining　his　permission；　and　being　unwilling　to　encounter　his　refusal。　　Before　going　to　General　Halleck；　we　had　considered　the　question　of　visiting　the　land　of　〃Dixie〃　without　permission　from　any　of　the　men　in　authority。　　I　ascertained　that　this　might　easily　have　been　done　from　Kentucky　to　Tennessee；　but　that　it　could　only　be　done　on　foot。　　There　are　very　few　available　roads　running　North　and　South　through　these　States。　The　railways　came　before　roads；　and　even　where　the　railways　are　far　asunder；　almost　all　the　traffic　of　the　country　takes　itself　to　them；　preferring　a　long　circuitous　conveyance　with　steam；　to　short　distances　without。　　Consequently　such　roads　as　there　are　run　laterally　to　the　railways；　meeting　them　at　this　point　or　that；　and　thus　maintaining　the　communication　of　the　country。　　Now　the　railways　were　of　course　in　the　hands　of　the　armies。　　The　few　direct　roads　leading　from　North　to　South　were　in　the　same　condition；　and　the　by…　roads　were　impassable　from　mud。　　The　frontier　of　the　North；　therefore；　though　very　extended；　was　not　very　easily　to　be　passed；　unless；　as　I　have　said　before；　by　men　on　foot。　　For　myself　I　confess　that　I　was　anxious　to　go　South；　but　not　to　do　so　without　my　coats　and　trowsers；　or　shirts　and　pocket…handkerchiefs。　　The　readiest　way　of　getting　across　the　lineand　the　way　which　was；　I　believe；　the　most　frequently　usedwas　from　below　Baltimore；　in　Maryland；　by　boat　across　the　Potomac。　　But　in　this　there　was　a　considerable　danger　of　being　taken；　and　I　had　no　desire　to　become　a　state…prisoner　in　the　hands　of　Mr。　Seward　under　circumstances　which　would　have　justified　our　Minister　in　asking　for　my　release　only　as　a　matter　of　favor。　Therefore；　when　at　St。　Louis；　I　gave　up　all　hopes　of　seeing　〃Dixie〃　during　my　present　stay　in　America。　　I　presume　it　to　be　generally　known　that　Dixie　is　the　negro's　heaven；　and　that　the　Southern　slave　States；　in　which　it　is　presumed　that　they　have　found　a　Paradise；　have　since　the　beginning　of　the　war　been　so　named。　We　remained　a　few　days　at　Louisville；　and　were　greatly　struck　with　the　natural　beauty　of　the　country　around　it。　　Indeed；　as　far　as　I　was　enabled　to　see；　Kentucky　has　superior　attractions；　as　a　place　of　rural　residence　for　an　English　gentleman；　to　any　other　State　in　the　Union。　　There　is　nothing　of　landscape　there　equal　to　the　banks　of　the　Upper　Mississippi；　or　to　some　parts　of　the　Hudson　River。　　It　has　none　of　the　wild　grandeur　of　the　White　Mountains　of　New　Hampshire；　nor　does　it　break　itself　into　valleys　equal　to　those　of　the　Alleghanies；　in　Pennsylvania。　　But　all　those　are　beauties　for　the　tourist　rather　than　for　the　resident。　　In　Kentucky　the　land　lays　in　knolls　and　soft　sloping　hills。　　The　trees　stand　apart；　forming　forest　openings。　　The　herbage　is　rich；　and　the　soil；　though　not　fertile　like　the　prairies　of　Illinois；　or　the　river　bottoms　of　the　Mississippi　and　its　tributaries；　is　good；　steadfast；　wholesome　farming　ground。　　It　is　a　fine　country　for　a　resident　gentleman　farmer；　and　in　its　outward　aspect　reminds　me　more　of　England　in　its　rural　aspects　than　any　other　State　which　I　visited。　　Round　Louisville　there　are　beautiful　sites　for　houses；　of　which　advantage　in　some　instances　has　been　taken。　　But；　nevertheless；　Louisville；　though　a　well…built；　handsome　city；　is　not　now　a　thriving　city。　　I　liked　it　because　the　hotel　was　above　par；　and　because　the　country　round　it　was　good　for　walking；　but　it　has　not　advanced　as　Cincinnati　and　St。　Louis　have　advanced。　　And　yet　its　position　on　the　Ohio　is　favorable；　and　it　is　well　circumstanced　as　regards　the　wants　of　its　own　State。　　But　it　is　not　a　free…soil　city。　　Nor；　indeed；　is　St。　Louis；　but　St。　Louis　is　tending　that　way；　and　has　but　little　to　do　with　the　〃domestic　institution。〃　　At　the　hotels　in　Cincinnati　and　St。　Louis　you　are　served　by　white　men；　and　are　very　badly　served。　At　Louisville　the　ministration　is　by　black　men；　〃bound　to　labor。〃　The　difference　in　the　comfort　is　very　great。　　The　white　servants　are　noisy；　dirty；　forgetful；　indifferent；　and　sometimes　i