north america-1-第20章

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　that　fears　of　war　or　the　paying　of　taxes　drive　many　individuals　away　from　home。　　Men　who　would　be　so　influenced　have　not　the　amount　of　foresight　which　would　induce　them　to　avoid　such　evils；　or；　at　any　rate；　such　fears　would　act　slowly。　　Laborers；　however；　will　go　where　work　is　certain；　where　work　is　well　paid；　and　where　the　wages　to　be　earned　will　give　plenty　in　return。　　It　may　be　that　work　will　become　scarce　in　the　States；　as　it　has　done　with　those　poor　jewelers　at　Attleborough　of　whom　we　spoke；　and　that　food　will　become　dear。　　If　this　be　so；　laborers　from　the　States　will　no　doubt　find　their　way　into　Canada。　From　Sherbrooke　we　went　with　the　mails　on　a　pair…horse　wagon　to　Magog。　　Cross…country　mails　are　not　interesting　to　the　generality　of　readers；　but　I　have　a　professional　liking　for　them　myself。　　I　have　spent　the　best　part　of　my　life　in　looking　after；　and　I　hope　in　improving；　such　mails；　and　I　always　endeavor　to　do　a　stroke　of　work　when　I　come　across　them。　　I　learned　on　this　occasion　that　the　conveyance　of　mails　with　a　pair　of　horses；　in　Canada；　costs　little　more　than　half　what　is　paid　for　the　same　work　in　England　with　one　horse；　and　something　less　than　what　is　paid　in　Ireland；　also　for　one　horse。　　But　in　Canada　the　average　pace　is　only　five　miles　an　hour。　　In　Ireland　it　is　seven；　and　the　time　is　accurately　kept；　which　does　not　seem　to　be　the　case　in　Canada。　　In　England　the　pace　is　eight　miles　an　hour。　　In　Canada　and　in　Ireland　these　conveyances　carry　passengers；　but　in　England　they　are　prohibited　from　doing　so。　In　Canada　the　vehicles　are　much　better　got　up　than　they　are　in　England；　and　the　horses　too　look　better。　　Taking　Ireland　as　a　whole；　they　are　more　respectable　in　appearance　there　than　in　England。　　From　all　which　it　appears　that　pace　is　the　article　that　costs　the　highest　price；　and　that　appearance　does　not　go　for　much　in　the　bill。　　In　Canada　the　roads　are　very　bad　in　comparison　with　the　English　or　Irish　roads；　but；　to　make　up　for　this；　the　price　of　forage　is　very　low。　I　have　said　that　the　cross…mail　conveyances　in　Canada　did　not　seem　to　be　very　closely　bound　as　to　time；　but　they　are　regulated　by　clock…work　in　comparison　with　some　of　them　in　the　United　States。　〃Are　you　going　this　morning？〃　I　said　to　a　mail…driver　in　Vermont。　〃I　thought　you　always　started　in　the　evening。〃　　〃Wa'll；　I　guess　I　do；　but　it　rained　some　last　night；　so　I　jist　stayed　at　home。〃　　I　do　not　know　that　I　ever　felt　more　shocked　in　my　life；　and　I　could　hardly　keep　my　tongue　off　the　man。　　The　mails；　however；　would　have　paid　no　respect　to　me　in　Vermont；　and　I　was　obliged　to　walk　away　crest…fallen。　We　went　with　the　mails　from　Sherbrooke　to　a　village　called　Magog；　at　the　outlet　of　the　lake；　and　from　thence　by　a　steamer　up　the　lake；　to　a　solitary　hotel　called　the　Mountain　House；　which　is　built　at　the　foot　of　the　mountain；　on　the　shore；　and　which　is　surrounded　on　every　side　by　thick　forest。　　There　is　no　road　within　two　miles　of　the　house。　　The　lake　therefore　is　the　only　highway；　and　that　is　frozen　up　for　four　months　in　the　year。　　When　frozen；　however；　it　is　still　a　road；　for　it　is　passable　for　sledges。　　I　have　seldom　been　in　a　house　that　seemed　so　remote　from　the　world；　and　so　little　within　reach　of　doctors；　parsons；　or　butchers。　　Bakers　in　this　country　are　not　required；　as　all　persons　make　their　own　bread。　　But　in　spite　of　its　position　the　hotel　is　well　kept；　and　on　the　whole　we　were　more　comfortable　there　than　at　any　other　inn　in　Lower　Canada。　　The　Mountain　house　is　but　five　miles　from　the　borders　of　Vermont；　in　which　State　the　head　of　the　lake　lies。　　The　steamer　which　brought　us　runs　on　to　Newport；　or　rather　from　Newport　to　Magog　and　back　again。　　And　Newport　is　in　Vermont。　The　one　thing　to　be　done　at　the　Mountain　House　is　the　ascent　of　the　mountain　called　the　Owl's　head。　　The　world　there　offers　nothing　else　of　active　enterprise　to　the　traveler；　unless　fishing　be　considered　an　active　enterprise。　　I　am　not　capable　of　fishing；　therefore　we　resolved　on　going　up　the　Owl's　Head。　　To　dine　in　the　middle　of　the　day　is　absolutely　imperative　at　these　hotels；　and　thus　we　were　driven　to　select　either　the　morning　or　the　afternoon。　Evening　lights　we　declared　were　the　best　for　all　views；　and　therefore　we　decided　on　the　afternoon。　　It　is　but　two　miles；　but　then；　as　we　were　told　more　than　once　by　those　who　had　spoken　to　us　on　the　subject；　those　two　miles　are　not　like　other　miles。　　〃I　doubt　if　the　lady　can　do　it；〃　one　man　said　to　me。　　I　asked　if　ladies　did　not　sometimes　go　up。　　〃Yes；　young　women　do；　at　times；〃　he　said。　After　that　my　wife　resolved　that　she　would　see　the　top　of　the　Owl's　Head；　or　die　in　the　attempt；　and　so　we　started。　　They　never　think　of　sending　a　guide　with　one　in　these　places；　whereas　in　Europe　a　traveler　is　not　allowed　to　go　a　step　without　one。　　When　I　asked　for　one　to　show　us　the　way　up　Mount　Washington；　I　was　told　that　there　were　no　idle　boys　about　that　place。　　The　path　was　indicated　to　us；　and　off　we　started　with　high　hopes。　I　have　been　up　many　mountains；　and　have　climbed　some　that　were　perhaps　somewhat　dangerous　in　their　ascent。　　In　climbing　the　Owl's　Head　there　is　no　danger。　　One　is　closed　in　by　thick　trees　the　whole　way。　　But　I　doubt　if　I　ever　went　up　a　steeper　ascent。　　It　was　very　hard　work；　but　we　were　not　beaten。　　We　reached　the　top；　and　there　sitting　down；　thoroughly　enjoyed　our　victory。　　It　was　then　half…　past　five　o'clock；　and　the　sun　was　not　yet　absolutely　sinking。　　It　did　not　seem　to　give　us　any　warning　that　we　should　especially　require　its　aid；　and；　as　the　prospect　below　us　was　very　lovely；　we　remained　there　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　　The　ascent　of　the　Owl's　Head　is　certainly　a　thing　to　do；　and　I　still　think；　in　spite　of　our　following　misfortune；　that　it　is　a　thing　to　do　late　in　the　afternoon。　　The　view　down　upon　the　lakes　and　the　forests　around；　and　on　the　wooded　hills　below；　is　wonderfully　lovely。　　I　never　was　on　a　mountain　which　gave　me　a　more　perfect　command　of　all　the　country　round。　　But　as　we　arose　to　descend　we　saw　a　little　cloud　coming　toward　us　from　over　Newport。　The　little　cloud　came　on　with　speed；　and　we　had　hardly　freed　ourselves　from　the　rocks　of　the　summit　before　we　were　surrounded　by　rain。　　As　the　rain　became　thicker；　we　were　surrounded　by　darkness　also；　or；　if　not　by　darkness；　by　so　dim　a　light　that　it　became　a　task　to　find　our　path。　　I　still　thought　that　the　daylight　had　not　gone；　and　that　as　we　descended；　and　so　escaped　from　the　cloud；　we　should　find　light　enough　to　guide　us。　　But　it　was　not　so。　　The　rain　soon　became　a　matter　of　indifference；　and　so　also　did　the　mud　and　briers　beneath　our　feet。　　Even　the　steepness　of　the　way　was　almost　forgotten　as　we　endeavored　to　thread　our　path　through　the　forest　before　it　should　become　impossible　to　discern　the　track。　　A　dog　had　followed　us　up；　and　though　the　beast　would　not　stay　with　us　so　as　to　be　our　guide；　he　returned　ever　and　anon；　and　made　us　aware　of　his　presence　by　dashing　by　us。　　I　may　confess　now　that　I　became　much　frightened。　　We　were　wet　through；　and　a　night　out　in　the　forest　would　have　been　unpleasant　to　us。　　At　last　I　did　utterly　lose　the　track；　it　had　become　quite　dark；　so　dark　that　we　could　hardly　see　each　other。　　We　had　succeeded　in　getting　down　the　steepest　and　worst　part