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end I might subtly insinuate that it was possible he might have had no
such feeling towards her as the reader had been led to imagine。
III。
The question as to which ending I ought to have given my romance is what
has ever since remained to perplex me； and it is what has prevented my
ever writing it。 Here is material of the best sort lying useless on my
hands； which； if I could only make up my mind； might be wrought into a
short story as affecting as any that wring our hearts in fiction； and I
think I could get something fairly unintelligible out of the broken
English of Jan and Nina's grandmother； and certainly something novel。
All that I can do now； however； is to put the case before the reader； and
let him decide for himself how it should end。
The mere humanist； I suppose； might say； that I am rightly served for
having regarded the fact I had witnessed as material for fiction at all；
that I had no business to bewitch it with my miserable art； that I ought
to have spoken to that little child and those poor old women； and tried
to learn something of their lives from them； that I might offer my
knowledge again for the instruction of those whose lives are easy and
happy in the indifference which ignorance breeds in us。 I own there is
something in this； but then； on the other hand； I have heard it urged by
nice people that they do not want to know about such squalid lives； that
it is offensive and out of taste to be always bringing them in； and that
we ought to be writing about good society； and especially creating
grandes dames for their amusement。 This sort of people could say to the
humanist that he ought to be glad there are coke…carts for fuel to fall
off from for the lower classes； and that here was no case for sentiment；
for if one is to be interested in such things at all； it must be
aesthetically； though even this is deplorable in the presence of fiction
already overloaded with low life； and so poor in grades dames as ours。
SUMMER ISLES OF EDEN
It may be all an illusion of the map； where the Summer Islands glimmer a
small and solitary little group of dots and wrinkles； remote from
continental shores； with a straight line descending southeastwardly upon
them； to show how sharp and swift the ship's course is； but they seem so
far and alien from my wonted place that it is as if I had slid down a
steepy slant from the home…planet to a group of asteroids nebulous
somewhere in middle space； and were resting there； still vibrant from the
rush of the meteoric fall。 There were； of course； facts and incidents
contrary to such a theory： a steamer starting from New York in the raw
March morning； and lurching and twisting through two days of diagonal
seas； with people aboard dining and undining； and talking and smoking and
cocktailing and hot…scotching and beef…teaing； but when the ship came in
sight of the islands； and they began to lift their cedared slopes from
the turquoise waters； and to explain their drifted snows as the white
walls and white roofs of houses； then the waking sense became the
dreaming sense； and the sweet impossibility of that drop through air
became the sole reality。
I。
Everything here； indeed； is so strange that you placidly accept whatever
offers itself as the simplest and naturalest fact。 Those low hills； that
climb； with their tough； dark cedars； from the summer sea to the summer
sky； might have drifted down across the Gulf Stream from the coast of
Maine； but when； upon closer inspection； you find them skirted with palms
and bananas； and hedged with oleanders； you merely wonder that you had
never noticed these growths in Maine before； where you were so familiar
with the cedars。 The hotel itself； which has brought the Green Mountains
with it； in every detail； from the dormer…windowed mansard…roof； and the
white…painted； green…shuttered walls； to the neat； school…mistressly
waitresses in the dining…room； has a clump of palmettos beside it；
swaying and sighing in the tropic breeze； and you know that when it
migrates back to the New England hill…country； at the end of the season；
you shall find it with the palmettos still before its veranda； and
equally at home； somewhere in the Vermont or New Hampshire July。 There
will be the same American groups looking out over them； and rocking and
smoking； though； alas！ not so many smoking as rocking。
But where； in that translation； would be the gold braided red or blue
jackets of the British army and navy which lend their lustre and color
here to the veranda groups？ Where should one get the house walls of
whitewashed stone and the garden walls which everywhere glow in the sun；
and belt in little spaces full of roses and lilies？ These things must
come from some other association； and in the case of him who here
confesses； the lustrous uniforms and the glowing walls rise from waters
as far away in time as in space； and a long…ago apparition of Venetian
Junes haunts the coral shore。 （They are beginning to say the shore is
not coral； but no matter。） To be sure； the white roofs are not accounted
for in this visionary presence； and if one may not relate them to the
snowfalls of home winters； then one must frankly own them absolutely
tropical； together with the green…pillared and green…latticed galleries。
They at least suggest the tropical scenery of Prue and I as one remembers
seeing it through Titbottom's spectacles； and yet； if one supplies roofs
of brown…red tiles； it is all Venetian enough； with the lagoon…like
expanses that lend themselves to the fond effect。 It is so Venetian；
indeed； that it wants but a few silent gondolas and noisy gondoliers；
in place of the dark； taciturn oarsmen of the clumsy native boats； to
complete the coming and going illusion； and there is no good reason why
the rough little isles that fill the bay should not call themselves
respectively San Giorgio and San Clemente； and Sant' Elena and San
Lazzaro： they probably have no other names！
II。
These summer isles of Eden have this advantage over the scriptural Eden；
that apparently it was not woman and her seed who were expelled； when
once she set foot here； but the serpent and his seed： women now abound in
the Summer Islands； and there is not a snake anywhere to be found。 There
are some tortoises and a great many frogs in their season； but no other
reptiles。 The frogs are fabled of a note so deep and hoarse that its
vibration almost springs the environing mines of dynamite； though it has
never yet done so； the tortoises grow to a great size and a patriarchal
age； and are fond of Boston brown bread and baked beans； if their
preferences may be judged from those of a colossal specimen in the care
of an American family living on the islands。 The observer who
contributes this fact to science is able to report the case of a parrot…
fish； on the same premises； so exactly like a large brown and purple
cockatoo that； seeing such a cockatoo later on dry land； it was with a
sense of something like cruelty in its exile from its native waters。
The angel…fish he thinks not so much like angels； they are of a
transparent purity of substance； and a cherubic