north america-1-第13章

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luring　to　the　navigator；　but　delicious　to　the　eyes　of　an　uncommercial　traveler。　　There　are　in　all　four　outlets　to　the　sea；　one　of　which　appears　to　have　been　made　expressly　for　the　Great　Eastern。　　Then　there　is　the　hill　looking　inward。　　If　it　has　a　name；　I　forget　it。　　The　view　from　this　hill　is　also　over　the　water　on　each　side；　and；　though　not　so　extensive；　is　perhaps　as　pleasing　as　the　other。　The　ways　of　the　people　seemed　to　be　quiet；　smooth；　orderly；　and　republican。　　There　is　nothing　to　drink　in　Portland；　of　course；　for；　thanks　to　Mr。　Neal　Dow；　the　Father　Matthew　of　the　State　of　Maine；　the　Maine　liquor　law　is　still　in　force　in　that　State。　　There　is　nothing　to　drink；　I　should　say；　in　such　orderly　houses　as　that　I　selected。　　〃People　do　drink　some　in　the　town；　they　say；〃　said　my　hostess　to　me；　〃and　liquor　is　to　be　got。　　But　I　never　venture　to　sell　any。　　An　ill…natured　person　might　turn　on　me；　and　where　should　I　be　then？〃　　I　did　not　press　her；　and　she　was　good　enough　to　put　a　bottle　of　porter　at　my　right　hand　at　dinner；　for　which　I　observed　she　made　no　charge。　　〃But　they　advertise　beer　in　the　shop　windows；〃　I　said　to　a　man　who　was　driving　me〃Scotch　ale　and　bitter　beer。　　A　man　can　get　drunk　on　them。〃　　〃Waal；　yes。　　If　he　goes　to　work　hard；　and　drinks　a　bucketful；〃　said　the　driver；　〃perhaps　he　may。〃　　From　which　and　other　things　I　gathered　that　the　men　of　Maine　drank　pottle　deep　before　Mr。　Neal　Dow　brought　his　exertions　to　a　successful　termination。　The　Maine　liquor　law　still　stands　in　Maine；　and　is　the　law　of　the　land　throughout　New　England；　but　it　is　not　actually　put　in　force　in　the　other　States。　　By　this　law　no　man　may　retail　wine；　spirits；　or；　in　truth；　beer；　except　with　a　special　license；　which　is　given　only　to　those　who　are　presumed　to　sell　them　as　medicines。　　A　man　may　have　what　he　likes　in　his　own　cellar　for　his　own　usesuch；　at　least；　is　the　actual　working　of　the　lawbut　may　not　obtain　it　at　hotels　and　public　houses。　　This　law；　like　all　sumptuary　laws；　must　fail。　　And　it　is　fast　failing　even　in　Maine。　　But　it　did　appear　to　me；　from　such　information　as　I　could　collect；　that　the　passing　of　it　had　done　much　to　hinder　and　repress　a　habit　of　hard　drinking　which　was　becoming　terribly　common；　not　only　in　the　towns　of　Maine；　but　among　the　farmers　and　hired　laborers　in　the　country。　But；　if　the　men　and　women　of　Portland　may　not　drink；　they　may　eat；　and　it　is　a　place；　I　should　say；　in　which　good　living　on　that　side　of　the　question　is　very　rife。　　It　has　an　air　of　supreme　plenty；　as　though　the　agonies　of　an　empty　stomach　were　never　known　there。　　The　faces　of　the　people　tell　of　three　regular　meals　of　meat　a　day；　and　of　digestive　powers　in　proportion。　　O　happy　Portlanders；　if　they　only　knew　their　own　good　fortune！　　They　get　up　early；　and　go　to　bed　early。　　The　women　are　comely　and　sturdy；　able　to　take　care　of　themselves；　without　any　fal…lal　of　chivalry；　and　the　men　are　sedate；　obliging；　and　industrious。　　I　saw　the　young　girls　in　the　streets　coming　home　from　their　tea　parties　at　nine　o'clock；　many　of　them　alone；　and　all　with　some　basket　in　their　hands；　which　betokened　an　evening　not　passed　absolutely　in　idleness。　　No　fear　there　of　unruly　questions　on　the　way；　or　of　insolence　from　the　ill…　conducted　of　the　other　sex。　　All　was；　or　seemed　to　be；　orderly；　sleek；　and　unobtrusive。　　Probably；　of　all　modes　of　life　that　are　allotted　to　man　by　his　Creator；　life　such　as　this　is　the　most　happy。　　One　hint；　however；　for　improvement；　I　must　give　even　to　Portland：　It　would　be　well　if　they　could　make　their　streets　of　some　material　harder　than　sand。　I　must　not　leave　the　town　without　desiring　those　who　may　visit　it　to　mount　the　observatory。　　They　will　from　thence　get　the　best　view　of　the　harbor　and　of　the　surrounding　land；　and；　if　they　chance　to　do　so　under　the　reign　of　the　present　keeper　of　the　signals；　they　will　find　a　man　there　able　and　willing　to　tell　them　everything　needful　about　the　State　of　Maine　in　general　and　the　harbor　in　particular。　　He　will　come　out　in　his　shirt　sleeves；　and；　like　a　true　American；　will　not　at　first　be　very　smooth　in　his　courtesy；　but　he　will　wax　brighter　in　conversation；　and；　if　not　stroked　the　wrong　way；　will　turn　out　to　be　an　uncommonly　pleasant　fellow。　　Such　I　believe　to　be　the　case　with　most　of　them。　From　Portland　we　made　our　way　up　to　the　White　Mountains；　which　lay　on　our　route　to　Canada。　　Now；　I　would　ask　any　of　my　readers　who　are　candid　enough　to　expose　their　own　ignorance　whether　they　ever　heard；　or　at　any　rate　whether　they　know　anything；　of　the　White　Mountains？　　As　regards　myself；　I　confess　that　the　name　had　reached　my　ears；　that　I　had　an　indefinite　idea　that　they　formed　an　intermediate　stage　between　the　Rocky　Mountains　and　the　Alleghanies；　and　that　they　were　inhabited　either　by　Mormons；　Indians；　or　simply　by　black　bears。　　That　there　was　a　district　in　New　England　containing　mountain　scenery　superior　to　much　that　is　yearly　crowded　by　tourists　in　Europe；　that　this　is　to　be　reached　with　ease　by　railways　and　stagecoaches；　and　that　it　is　dotted　with　huge　hotels　almost　as　thickly　as　they　lie　in　Switzerland；　I　had　no　idea。　　Much　of　this　scenery；　I　say；　is　superior　to　the　famed　and　classic　lands　of　Europe。　　I　know　nothing；　for　instance；　on　the　Rhine　equal　to　the　view　from　Mount　Willard　down　the　mountain　pass　called　the　Notch。　Let　the　visitor　of　these　regions　be　as　late　in　the　year　as　he　can；　taking　care　that　he　is　not　so　late　as　to　find　the　hotels　closed。　October；　no　doubt；　is　the　most　beautiful　month　among　these　mountains；　but；　according　to　the　present　arrangement　of　matters　here；　the　hotels　are　shut　up　by　the　end　of　September。　　With　us；　August；　September；　and　October　are　the　holiday　months；　whereas　our　rebel　children　across　the　Atlantic　love　to　disport　themselves　in　July　and　August。　　The　great　beauty　of　the　autumn；　or　fall；　is　in　the　brilliant　hues　which　are　then　taken　by　the　foliage。　　The　autumnal　tints　are　fine　with　us。　　They　are　lovely　and　bright　wherever　foliage　and　vegetation　form　a　part　of　the　beauty　of　scenery。　　But　in　no　other　land　do　they　approach　the　brilliancy　of　the　fall　in　America。　　The　bright　rose　color；　the　rich　bronze　which　is　almost　purple　in　its　richness；　and　the　glorious　golden　yellows　must　be　seen　to　be　understood。　　By　me；　at　any　rate；　they　cannot　be　described。　　They　begin　to　show　themselves　in　September；　and　perhaps　I　might　name　the　latter　half　of　that　month　as　the　best　time　for　visiting　the　White　Mountains。　I　am　not　going　to　write　a　guide　book；　feeling　sure　that　Mr。　Murray　will　do　New　England　and　Canada；　including　Niagara；　and　the　Hudson　River；　with　a　peep　into　Boston　and　New　York；　before　many　more　seasons　have　passed　by。　　But　I　cannot　forbear　to　tell　my　countrymen　that　any　enterprising　individual；　with　a　hundred　pounds　to　spend　on　his　holidaya　hundred　and　twenty　would　make　him　more　comfortable　in　regard　to　wine；　washing；　and　other　luxuriesand　an　absence　of　two　months　from　his　labors；　may　see　as　much　and　do　as　much　here　for　the　money　as　he　can　see　or　do　elsewhere。　　In　some　respects　he　may　do　more；　for　he　will　learn　more　of　American　nature　in　such　a　journey　than　he　can　ever　learn　of　the　nature　of　Frenchmen　or　Americans　by　such　an　excursion　among　them。　　Some　three　weeks　of　the　time；　or　perhaps　a　day　or　two　over；　he