north america-1-第86章

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ere　fathers　were　divided　from　sons；　and　mothers　from　daughters。　　Terrible　tales　were　told　of　threats　uttered　by　one　member　of　a　family　against　another。　　Old　ties　of　friendship　were　broken　up。　　Society　had　so　divided　itself　that　one　side　could　hold　no　terms　of　courtesy　with　the　other。　　〃When　this　is　over；〃　one　gentleman　said　to　me；　〃every　man　in　Baltimore　will　have　a　quarrel　to　the　death　on　his　hands　with　some　friend　whom　he　used　to　love。〃　　The　complaints　made　on　both　sides　were　eager　and　open…　mouthed　against　the　other。　Late　in　the　autumn　an　election　for　a　new　legislature　of　the　State　had　taken　place；　and　the　members　returned　were　all　supposed　to　be　Unionists。　　That　they　were　prepared　to　support　the　government　is　certain。　　But　no　known　or　presumed　secessionist　was　allowed　to　vote　without　first　taking　the　oath　of　allegiance。　　The　election；　therefore；　even　if　the　numbers　were　true；　cannot　be　looked　upon　as　a　free　election。　　Voters　were　stopped　at　the　poll　and　not　allowed　to　vote　unless　they　would　take　an　oath　which　would；　on　their　parts；　undoubtedly　have　been　false。　　It　was　also　declared　in　Baltimore　that　men　engaged　to　promote　the　Northern　party　were　permitted　to　vote　five　or　six　times　over；　and　the　enormous　number　of　votes　polled　on　the　government　side　gave　some　coloring　to　the　statement。　At　any　rate；　an　election　carried　under　General　Dix's　guns　cannot　be　regarded　as　an　open　election。　　It　was　out　of　the　question　that　any　election　taken　under　such　circumstances　should　be　worth　anything　as　expressing　the　minds　of　the　people。　　Red　and　white　had　been　declared　to　be　the　colors　of　the　Confederates；　and　red　and　white　had　of　course　become　the　favorite　colors　of　the　Baltimore　ladies。　Then　it　was　given　out　that　red　and　white　would　not　be　allowed　in　the　streets。　　Ladies　wearing　red　and　white　were　requested　to　return　home。　　Children　decorated　with　red　and　white　ribbons　were　stripped　of　their　bits　of　finerymuch　to　their　infantile　disgust　and　dismay。　　Ladies　would　put　red　and　white　ornaments　in　their　windows；　and　the　police　would　insist　on　the　withdrawal　of　the　colors。　　Such　was　the　condition　of　Baltimore　during　the　past　winter。　Nevertheless　cakes　and　ale　abounded；　and　though　there　was　deep　grief　in　the　city；　and　wailing　in　the　recesses　of　many　houses；　and　a　feeling　that　the　good　times　were　gone；　never　to　return　within　the　days　of　many　of　them；　still　there　existed　an　excitement　and　a　consciousness　of　the　importance　of　the　crisis　which　was　not　altogether　unsatisfactory。　　Men　and　women　can　endure　to　be　ruined；　to　be　torn　from　their　friends；　to　be　overwhelmed　with　avalanches　of　misfortune；　better　than　they　can　endure　to　be　dull。　Baltimore　is；　or　at　any　rate　was；　an　aspiring　city；　proud　of　its　commerce　and　proud　of　its　society。　　It　has　regarded　itself　as　the　New　York　of　the　South；　and　to　some　extent　has　forced　others　so　to　regard　it　also。　　In　many　respects　it　is　more　like　an　English　town　than　most　of　its　Transatlantic　brethren；　and　the　ways　of　its　inhabitants　are　English。　　In　old　days　a　pack　of　fox　hounds　was　kept　hereor　indeed　in　days　that　are　not　yet　very　old；　for　I　was　told　of　their　doings　by　a　gentleman　who　had　long　been　a　member　of　the　hunt。　　The　country　looks　as　a　hunting　country　should　look；　whereas　no　man　that　ever　crossed　a　field　after　a　pack　of　hounds　would　feel　the　slightest　wish　to　attempt　that　process　in　New　England　or　New　York。　　There　is　in　Baltimore　an　old　inn　with　an　old　sign；　standing　at　the　corner　of　Eutaw　and　Franklin　Streets；　just　such　as　may　still　be　seen　in　the　towns　of　Somersetshire；　and　before　it　there　are　to　be　seen　old　wagons；　covered　and　soiled　and　battered；　about　to　return　from　the　city　to　the　country；　just　as　the　wagons　do　in　our　own　agricultural　counties。　　I　have　seen　nothing　so　thoroughly　English　in　any　other　part　of　the　Union。　But　canvas…back　ducks　and　terrapins　are　the　great　glories　of　Baltimore。　　Of　the　nature　of　the　former　bird　I　believe　all　the　world　knows　something。　　It　is　a　wild　duck　which　obtains　the　peculiarity　of　its　flavor　from　the　wild　celery　on　which　it　feeds。　This　celery　grows　on　the　Chesapeake　Bay；　and　I　believe　on　the　Chesapeake　Bay　only。　　At　any　rate；　Baltimore　is　the　headquarters　of　the　canvas…backs；　and　it　is　on　the　Chesapeake　Bay　that　they　are　shot。　　I　was　kindly　invited　to　go　down　on　a　shooting…party；　but　when　I　learned　that　I　should　have　to　ensconce　myself　alone　for　hours　in　a　wet　wooden　box　on　the　water's　edge；　waiting　there　for　the　chance　of　a　duck　to　come　to　me；　I　declined。　　The　fact　of　my　never　having　as　yet　been　successful　in　shooting　a　bird　of　any　kind　conduced　somewhat；　perhaps；　to　my　decision。　I　must　acknowledge　that　the　canvas…back　duck　fully　deserves　all　the　reputation　it　has　acquired。　　As　to　the　terrapin；　I　have　not　so　much　to　say。　　The　terrapin　is　a　small　turtle；　found　on　the　shores　of　Maryland　and　Virginia；　out　of　which　a　very　rich　soup　is　made。　　It　is　cooked　with　wines　and　spices；　and　is　served　in　the　shape　of　a　hash；　with　heaps　of　little　bones　mixed　through　it。　　It　is　held　in　great　repute；　and　the　guest　is　expected　as　a　matter　of　course　to　be　helped　twice。　The　man　who　did　not　eat　twice　of　terrapin　would　be　held　in　small　repute；　as　the　Londoner　is　held　who　at　a　city　banquet　does　not　partake　of　both　thick　and　thin　turtle。　　I　must；　however；　confess　that　the　terrapin　for　me　had　no　surpassing　charms。　Maryland　was　so　called　from　Henrietta　Maria；　the　wife　of　Charles　I。；　by　which　king；　in　1632；　the　territory　was　conceded　to　the　Roman　Catholic　Lord　Baltimore。　　It　was　chiefly　peopled　by　Roman　Catholics；　but　I　do　not　think　that　there　is　now　any　such　specialty　attaching　to　the　State。　　There　are　in　it　two　or　three　old　Roman　Catholic　families；　but　the　people　have　come　down　from　the　North；　and　have　no　peculiar　religious　tendencies。　　Some　of　Lord　Baltimore's　descendants　remained　in　the　State　up　to　the　time　of　the　Revolution。　　From　Baltimore　I　went　on　to　Washington。


END　OF　VOL。　I。