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spiritual and dainty Fanny Osgood； clapping her hands and crowing like a
baby；〃 where she sits 〃nestled under a shawl of heraldic devices； like a
bird escaped from its cage〃； or as Margaret Fuller； 〃her large； gray eyes
Tamping inspiration； and her thin； quivering lip prophesying like a
Pythoness〃？
I hope not； I earnestly hope not。 Whatever I said at the outset；
affirming the persistent equality of New York characteristics and
circumstances； I wish to take back at this point； and I wish to warn
malign foreign observers； of the sort who have so often refused to see us
as we see ourselves； that they must not expect to find us now grouped in
the taste of 1849。 Possibly it was not so much the taste of 1849 as the
author of 'New York in Slices' would have us believe； and perhaps any one
who trusted his pictures of life among us otherwise would be deceived by
a parity of the spirit in which they are portrayed with that of our
modern 〃society journalism。〃
FROM NEW YORK INTO NEW ENGLAND
There is； of course； almost a world's difference between England and the
Continent anywhere； but I do not recall just now any transition between
Continental countries which involves a more distinct change in the
superficial aspect of things than the passage from the Middle States into
New England。 It is all American； but American of diverse ideals； and you
are hardly over the border before you are sensible of diverse effects；
which are the more apparent to you the more American you are。 If you
want the contrast at its sharpest you had better leave New York on a
Sound boat； for then you sleep out of the Middle State civilization and
wake into the civilization of New England； which seems to give its stamp
to nature herself。 As to man； he takes it whether native or alien； and
if he is foreign…born it marks him another Irishman； Italian； Canadian；
Jew； or negro from his brother in any other part of the United States。
I。
When you have a theory of any kind； proofs of it are apt to seek you out；
and I； who am rather fond of my faith in New England's influence of this
sort； had as pretty an instance of it the day after my arrival as I could
wish。 A colored brother of Massachusetts birth； as black as a man can
well be； and of a merely anthropoidal profile； was driving me along shore
in search of a sea…side hotel when we came upon a weak…minded young
chicken in the road。 The natural expectation is that any chicken in
these circumstances will wait for your vehicle； and then fly up before it
with a loud screech； but this chicken may have been overcome by the heat
（it was a land breeze and it drew like the breath of a furnace over the
hay…cocks and the clover）； or it may have mistimed the wheel； which
passed over its head and left it to flop a moment in the dust and then
fall still。 The poor little tragedy was sufficiently distressful to me；
but I bore it well； compared with my driver。 He could hardly stop
lamenting it； and when presently we met a young farmer； he pulled up。
〃You goin' past Jim Marden's？〃 〃Yes。〃 〃Well； I wish you'd tell him I
just run over a chicken of his； and I killed it； I guess。 I guess it was
a pretty big one。〃 〃Oh no；〃 I put in； 〃it was only a broiler。 What do
you think it was worth？〃 I took out some money； and the farmer noted the
largest coin in my hand； 〃About half a dollar； I guess。〃 On this I put
it all back in my pocket； and then he said； 〃Well； if a chicken don't
know enough to get out of the road； I guess you ain't to blame。〃
I expressed that this was my own view of the case； and we drove on。 When
we parted I gave the half…dollar to my driver； and begged him not to let
the owner of the chicken come on me for damages； and though he chuckled
his pleasure in the joke； I could see that he was still unhappy； and I
have no doubt that he has that pullet on his conscience yet； unless he
has paid for it。 He was of a race which elsewhere has so immemorially
plundered hen…roosts that chickens are as free to it as the air it
breathes； without any conceivable taint of private ownership。 But the
spirit of New England had so deeply entered into him that the imbecile
broiler of another； slain by pure accident and by its own contributory
negligence； was saddening him； while I was off in my train without a pang
for the owner and with only an agreeable pathos for the pullet。
II。
The instance is perhaps extreme； and； at any rate； it has carried me in a
psychological direction away from the simpler differences which I meant
to note in New England。 They were evident as soon as our train began to
run from the steamboat landing into the country； and they have
intensified； if they have not multiplied； themselves as I have penetrated
deeper and deeper into the beautiful region。 The land is poorer than the
land to the southwardone sees that at once； the soil is thin； and often
so thickly burdened with granite bowlders that it could never have borne
any other crop since the first Puritans； or Pilgrims； cut away the
primeval woods and betrayed its hopeless sterility to the light。 But
wherever you come to a farm…house； whether standing alone or in one of
the village groups that New England farm…houses have always liked to
gather themselves into； it is of a neatness that brings despair； and of a
repair that ought to bring shame to the beholder from more easy…going
conditions。 Everything is kept up with a strenuous virtue that imparts
an air of self…respect to the landscape； which the bleaching and
blackening stone walls； wandering over the hill…slopes； divide into wood
lots of white birch and pine； stony pastures； and little patches of
potatoes and corn。 The mowing…lands alone are rich； and if the New
England year is in the glory of the latest June； the breath of the clover
blows honeysweet into the car windows； and the fragrance of the new…cut
hay rises hot from the heavy swaths that seem to smoke in the sun。
We have struck a hot spell； one of those torrid mood of continental
weather which we have telegraphed us ahead to heighten our suffering by
anticipation。 But the farmsteads and village houses are safe in the
shade of their sheltering trees amid the fluctuation of the grass that
grows so tall about them that the June roses have to strain upward to get
themselves free of it。 Behind each dwelling is a billowy mass of
orchard； and before it the Gothic archway of the elms stretches above the
quiet street。 There is no tree in the world so full of sentiment as the
American elm； and it is nowhere so graceful as in these New England
villages； which are themselves； I think； the prettiest and wholesomest of
mortal sojourns。 By a happy instinct； their wooden houses are all
painted white； to a marble effect that suits our meridional sky； and the
contrast of their dark…green shutters is deliciously refreshing。 There
was an evil hour； the terrible moment of the aesthetic revival now
happily past； when white walls and green blinds were thought in bad
taste； and the village houses were often tinged a dreary ground color； or
a doleful olive； or a gloomy red； but now they have returned to their
earlier love。 Not