the uncommercial traveller-第38部分

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Much　better　the　tramping　Sailor；　although　his　cloth　is　somewhat　too

thick　for　land　service。　　But；　why　the　tramping　merchant…mate　should

put　on　a　black　velvet　waistcoat；　for　a　chalky　country　in　the　dog…

days；　is　one　of　the　great　secrets　of　nature　that　will　never　be

discovered。



I　have　my　eye　upon　a　piece　of　Kentish　road；　bordered　on　either　side

by　a　wood；　and　having　on　one　hand；　between　the　road…dust　and　the

trees；　a　skirting　patch　of　grass。　　Wild　flowers　grow　in　abundance

on　this　spot；　and　it　lies　high　and　airy；　with　a　distant　river

stealing　steadily　away　to　the　ocean；　like　a　man's　life。　　To　gain

the　milestone　here；　which　the　moss；　primroses；　violets；　blue…bells；

and　wild　roses；　would　soon　render　illegible　but　for　peering

travellers　pushing　them　aside　with　their　sticks；　you　must　come　up　a

steep　hill；　come　which　way　you　may。　　So；　all　the　tramps　with　carts

or　caravans　…　the　Gipsy…tramp；　the　Show…tramp；　the　Cheap　Jack　…

find　it　impossible　to　resist　the　temptations　of　the　place；　and　all

turn　the　horse　loose　when　they　come　to　it；　and　boil　the　pot。　　Bless

the　place；　I　love　the　ashes　of　the　vagabond　fires　that　have

scorched　its　grass！　　What　tramp　children　do　I　see　here；　attired　in

a　handful　of　rags；　making　a　gymnasium　of　the　shafts　of　the　cart；

making　a　feather…bed　of　the　flints　and　brambles；　making　a　toy　of

the　hobbled　old　horse　who　is　not　much　more　like　a　horse　than　any

cheap　toy　would　be！　　Here；　do　I　encounter　the　cart　of　mats　and

brooms　and　baskets　…　with　all　thoughts　of　business　given　to　the

evening　wind　…　with　the　stew　made　and　being　served　out　…　with　Cheap

Jack　and　Dear　Jill　striking　soft　music　out　of　the　plates　that　are

rattled　like　warlike　cymbals　when　put　up　for　auction　at　fairs　and

markets　…　their　minds　so　influenced　（no　doubt）　by　the　melody　of　the

nightingales　as　they　begin　to　sing　in　the　woods　behind　them；　that

if　I　were　to　propose　to　deal；　they　would　sell　me　anything　at　cost

price。　　On　this　hallowed　ground　has　it　been　my　happy　privilege　（let

me　whisper　it）；　to　behold　the　White…haired　Lady　with　the　pink　eyes；

eating　meat…pie　with　the　Giant：　　while；　by　the　hedge…side；　on　the

box　of　blankets　which　I　knew　contained　the　snakes；　were　set　forth

the　cups　and　saucers　and　the　teapot。　　It　was　on　an　evening　in

August；　that　I　chanced　upon　this　ravishing　spectacle；　and　I　noticed

that；　whereas　the　Giant　reclined　half　concealed　beneath　the

overhanging　boughs　and　seemed　indifferent　to　Nature；　the　white　hair

of　the　gracious　Lady　streamed　free　in　the　breath　of　evening；　and

her　pink　eyes　found　pleasure　in　the　landscape。　　I　heard　only　a

single　sentence　of　her　uttering；　yet　it　bespoke　a　talent　for　modest

repartee。　　The　ill…mannered　Giant　…　accursed　be　his　evil　race！　…

had　interrupted　the　Lady　in　some　remark；　and；　as　I　passed　that

enchanted　corner　of　the　wood；　she　gently　reproved　him；　with　the

words；　'Now；　Cobby；'　…　Cobby！　so　short　a　name！　…　'ain't　one　fool

enough　to　talk　at　a　time？'



Within　appropriate　distance　of　this　magic　ground；　though　not　so

near　it　as　that　the　song　trolled　from　tap　or　bench　at　door；　can

invade　its　woodland　silence；　is　a　little　hostelry　which　no　man

possessed　of　a　penny　was　ever　known　to　pass　in　warm　weather。

Before　its　entrance；　are　certain　pleasant；　trimmed　limes；　likewise；

a　cool　well；　with　so　musical　a　bucket…handle　that　its　fall　upon　the

bucket　rim　will　make　a　horse　prick　up　his　ears　and　neigh；　upon　the

droughty　road　half　a　mile　off。　　This　is　a　house　of　great　resort　for

haymaking　tramps　and　harvest　tramps；　insomuch　that　as　they　sit

within；　drinking　their　mugs　of　beer；　their　relinquished　scythes　and

reaping…hooks　glare　out　of　the　open　windows；　as　if　the　whole

establishment　were　a　family　war…coach　of　Ancient　Britons。　　Later　in

the　season；　the　whole　country…side；　for　miles　and　miles；　will　swarm

with　hopping　tramps。　　They　come　in　families；　men；　women；　and

children；　every　family　provided　with　a　bundle　of　bedding；　an　iron

pot；　a　number　of　babies；　and　too　often　with　some　poor　sick　creature

quite　unfit　for　the　rough　life；　for　whom　they　suppose　the　smell　of

the　fresh　hop　to　be　a　sovereign　remedy。　　Many　of　these　hoppers　are

Irish；　but　many　come　from　London。　　They　crowd　all　the　roads；　and

camp　under　all　the　hedges　and　on　all　the　scraps　of　common…land；　and

live　among　and　upon　the　hops　until　they　are　all　picked；　and　the

hop…gardens；　so　beautiful　through　the　summer；　look　as　if　they　had

been　laid　waste　by　an　invading　army。　　Then；　there　is　a　vast　exodus

of　tramps　out　of　the　country；　and　if　you　ride　or　drive　round　any

turn　of　any　road；　at　more　than　a　foot　pace；　you　will　be　bewildered

to　find　that　you　have　charged　into　the　bosom　of　fifty　families；　and

that　there　are　splashing　up　all　around　you；　in　the　utmost

prodigality　of　confusion；　bundles　of　bedding；　babies；　iron　pots；

and　a　good…humoured　multitude　of　both　sexes　and　all　ages；　equally

divided　between　perspiration　and　intoxication。







CHAPTER　XII　…　DULLBOROUGH　TOWN







It　lately　happened　that　I　found　myself　rambling　about　the　scenes

among　which　my　earliest　days　were　passed；　scenes　from　which　I

departed　when　I　was　a　child；　and　which　I　did　not　revisit　until　I

was　a　man。　　This　is　no　uncommon　chance；　but　one　that　befalls　some

of　us　any　day；　perhaps　it　may　not　be　quite　uninteresting　to　compare

notes　with　the　reader　respecting　an　experience　so　familiar　and　a

journey　so　uncommercial。



I　call　my　boyhood's　home　（and　I　feel　like　a　Tenor　in　an　English

Opera　when　I　mention　it）　Dullborough。　　Most　of　us　come　from

Dullborough　who　come　from　a　country　town。



As　I　left　Dullborough　in　the　days　when　there　were　no　railroads　in

the　land；　I　left　it　in　a　stage…coach。　　Through　all　the　years　that

have　since　passed；　have　I　ever　lost　the　smell　of　the　damp　straw　in

which　I　was　packed　…　like　game　…　and　forwarded；　carriage　paid；　to

the　Cross　Keys；　Wood…street；　Cheapside；　London？　　There　was　no　other

inside　passenger；　and　I　consumed　my　sandwiches　in　solitude　and

dreariness；　and　it　rained　hard　all　the　way；　and　I　thought　life

sloppier　than　I　had　expected　to　find　it。



With　this　tender　remembrance　upon　me；　I　was　cavalierly　shunted　back

into　Dullborough　the　other　day；　by　train。　　My　ticket　had　been

previously　collected；　like　my　taxes；　and　my　shining　new　portmanteau

had　had　a　great　plaster　stuck　upon　it；　and　I　had　been　defied　by　Act

of　Parliament　to　offer　an　objection　to　anything　that　was　done　to

it；　or　me；　under　a　penalty　of　not　less　than　forty　shillings　or　more

than　five　pounds；　compoundable　for　a　term　of　imprisonment。　　When　I

had　sent　my　disfigured　property　on　to　the　hotel；　I　began　to　look

about　me；　and　the　first　discovery　I　made；　was；　that　the　Station　had

swallowed　up　the　playing…field。



It　was　gone。　　The　two　beautiful　hawthorn…trees；　the　hedge；　the

turf；　and　all　those　buttercups　and　daisies；　had　given　place　to　the

stoniest　of　jolting　roads：　　while；　beyond　the　Station；　an　ugly　dark

monster　of　a　tunnel　kept　its　jaws　open；　as　if　it　had　swallowed　them

and　were　raveno