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shall be overtaken by a fate that fixes it in unwasting arrest； it cannot
be felt that the law has been set aside in the interest of men's
happiness or cheerfulness。 Neither Pompeii nor Herculaneum invites the
gayety of the spectator； who as he walks their disinterred thoroughfares
has the weird sense of taking a former civilization out of storage； and
the ache of finding it wholly unadapted to the actual world。 As far as
his comfort is concerned； it had been far better that those cities had
not been stored； but had fallen to the ruin that has overtaken all their
contemporaries。
IV
No； good friend； sir or madam； as the case may be； but most likely madam：
if you are about to break up your household for any indefinite period；
and are not so poor that you need sell your things； be warned against
putting them in storage； unless of the most briskly combustible type。
Better； far better； give them away； and disperse them by that means to a
continuous use that shall end in using them up； or if no one will take
them； then hire a vacant lot； somewhere； and devote them to the flames。
By that means you shall bear witness against a custom that insults the
order of nature； and crowds the cities with the cemeteries of dead homes；
where there is scarcely space for the living homes。 Do not vainly fancy
that you shall take your stuff out of storage and find it adapted to the
ends that it served before it was put in。 You will not be the same； or
have the same needs or desire； when you take it out； and the new place
which you shall hope to equip with it will receive it with cold
reluctance； or openly refuse it； insisting upon forms and dimensions that
render it ridiculous or impossible。 The law is that nothing taken out of
storage is the same as it was when put in； and this law； hieroglyphed in
those rude 'graffiti' apparently inscribed by accident in the process of
removal； has only such exceptions as prove the rule。
The world to which it has returned is not the same； and that makes all
the difference。 Yet； truth and beauty do not change； however the moods
and fashions change。 The ideals remain； and these alone you can go back
to； secure of finding them the same； to…day and to…morrow； that they were
yesterday。 This perhaps is because they have never been in storage； but
in constant use； while the moods and fashions have been put away and
taken out a thousand times。 Most people have never had ideals； but only
moods and fashions； but such people； least of all； are fitted to find in
them that pleasure of the rococo which consoles the idealist when the old
moods and fashions reappear。
〃FLOATING DOWN THE RIVER ON THE O…HI…O 〃
There was not much promise of pleasure in the sodden afternoon of a mid…
March day at Pittsburg； where the smoke of a thousand foundry chimneys
gave up trying to rise through the thick； soft air； and fell with the
constant rain which it dyed its own black。 But early memories stirred
joyfully in the two travellers in whose consciousness I was making my
tour； at sight of the familiar stern…wheel steamboat lying beside the
wharf boat at the foot of the dilapidated levee； and doing its best to
represent the hundreds of steamboats that used to lie there in the old
days。 It had the help of three others in its generous effort； and the
levee itself made a gallant pretence of being crowded with freight； and
succeeded in displaying several saturated piles of barrels and
agricultural implements on the irregular pavement whose wheel…worn
stones； in long stretches； were sunken out of sight in their parent mud。
The boats and the levee were jointly quite equal to the demand made upon
them by the light…hearted youngsters of sixty…five and seventy； who were
setting out on their journey in fulfilment of a long…cherished dream； and
for whom much less freight and much fewer boats would have rehabilitated
the past。
I。
When they mounted the broad stairway； tidily strewn with straw to save it
from the mud of careless boots； and entered the long saloon of the
steamboat； the promise of their fancy was more than made good for them。
From the clerk's office； where they eagerly paid their fare； the saloon
stretched two hundred feet by thirty away to the stern； a cavernous
splendor of white paint and gilding； starred with electric bulbs； and
fenced at the stern with wide windows of painted glass。 Midway between
the great stove in the bow where the men were herded； and the great stove
at the stern where the women kept themselves in the seclusion which the
tradition of Western river travel still guards； after well…nigh a hundred
years； they were given ample state…rooms； whose appointments so exactly
duplicated those they remembered from far…off days that they could have
believed themselves awakened from a dream of insubstantial time； with the
events in which it had seemed to lapse； mere feints of experience。 When
they sat down at the supper…table and were served with the sort of
belated steamboat dinner which it recalled as vividly； the kind； sooty
faces and snowy aprons of those who served them were so quite those of
other days that they decided all repasts since were mere Barmecide
feasts； and made up for the long fraud practised upon them with the
appetites of the year 1850。
II。
A rigider sincerity than shall be practised here might own that the table
of the good steamboat 'Avonek' left something to be desired； if tested by
more sophisticated cuisines； but in the article of corn…bread it was of
an inapproachable preeminence。 This bread was made of the white corn
which North knows not； nor the hapless East； and the buckwheat cakes at
breakfast were without blame； and there was a simple variety in the
abundance which ought to have satisfied if it did not flatter the choice。
The only thing that seemed strangely； that seemed sadly； anomalous in a
land flowing with ham and bacon was that the 'Avonek' had not imagined
providing either for the guests； no one of whom could have had a
religious scruple against them。
The thing； indeed； which was first and last conspicuous in the
passengers； was their perfectly American race and character。 At the
start； when with an acceptable observance of Western steamboat tradition
the 'Avonek' left her wharf eight hours behind her appointed time； there
were very few passengers； but they began to come aboard at the little
towns of both shores as she swam southward and westward； till all the
tables were so full that； in observance of another Western steamboat
tradition； one did well to stand guard over his chair lest some other who
liked it should seize it earlier。 The passengers were of every age and
condition； except perhaps the highest condition； and they seemed none the
worse for being more like Americans of the middle of the last century
than of the beginning of this。 Their fashions were of an approximation
to those of the present； but did not scrupulously study detail； their
manners were those of simpler if not sincerer days。
The women kept to themselves at their end of the saloon； aloof from the
study of any but their husbands or kindred； but the men were ever