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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 everywhere
else about； and open to observation。 They were not so open to
conversation； for your mid…Westerner is not a facile； though not an
unwilling； talker。 They sat by their tall； cast…iron stove （of the oval
pattern unvaried since the earliest stove of the region）； and silently
ruminated their tobacco and spat into the clustering； cuspidors at their
feet。 They would always answer civilly if questioned； and oftenest
intelligently； but they asked nothing in return； and they seemed to have
none of that curiosity once known or imagined in them by Dickens and
other averse aliens。 They had mostly faces of resolute power； and such a
looking of knowing exactly what they wanted as would not have promised
well for any collectively or individually opposing them。 If ever the
sense of human equality has expressed itself in the human countenance it
speaks unmistakably from American faces like theirs。
They were neither handsome nor unhandsome； but for a few striking
exceptions； they had been impartially treated by nature； and where they
were notably plain their look of force made up for their lack of beauty。
They were notably handsomest in a tall young fellow of a lean face；
absolute Greek in profile； amply thwarted with a branching mustache； and
slender of figure； on whom his clothes； lustrous from much sitting down
and leaning up； grew like the bark on a tree； and who moved slowly and
gently about； and spoke with a low； kind voice。 In his young comeliness
he was like a god； as the gods were fancied in the elder world： a chewing
and a spitting god； indeed； but divine in his passionless calm。
He was a serious divinity； and so were all the mid…Western human…beings
about him。 One heard no joking either of the dapper or cockney sort of
cities； or the quaint graphic phrasing of Eastern country folk； and it
may have been not far enough West for the true Western humor。 At any
rate； when they were not silent these men still were serious。
The women were apparently serious； too； and where they were associated
with the men were； if they were not really subject； strictly abeyant； in
the spectator's eye。 The average of them was certainly not above the
American woman's average in good looks； though one young mother of six
children； well grown save for the baby in her arms； was of the type some
masters loved to paint； with eyes set wide under low arched brows。 She
had the placid dignity and the air of motherly goodness which goes fitly
with such beauty； and the sight of her was such as to disperse many of
the misgivings that beset the beholder who looketh upon the woman when
she is New。 As she seemed； so any man might wish to remember his mother
seeming。
All these river folk； who came from the farms and villages along the
stream； and never from the great towns or cities； were well mannered； if
quiet manners are good； and though the men nearly all chewed tobacco and
spat between meals； at the table they were of an exemplary behavior。 The
use of the fork appeared strange to them； and they handled it strenuously
rather than agilely； yet they never used their knives shovel…wise；
however they planted their forks like daggers in the steak： the steak
deserved no gentler usage； indeed。 They were usually young； and they
were constantly changing； bent upon short journeys between the shore
villages； they were mostly farm youth； apparently； though some were said
to be going to find work at the great potteries up the river for wages
fabulous to home…keeping experience。
One personality which greatly took the liking of one of our tourists was
a Kentucky mountaineer who； after three years' exile in a West Virginia
oil town； was gladly returning to the home for which he and all his
brood…of large and little comely； red…haired boys and girls…had never
ceased to pine。 His eagerness to get back was more than touching； it was
awing； for it was founded on a sort of mediaeval patriotism that could
own no excellence beyond the borders of the natal region。 He had
prospered at high wages in his trade at that oil town； and his wife and
children had managed a hired farm so well as to pay all the family
expenses from it； but he was gladly leaving opportunity behind； that he
might return to a land where； if you were passing a house at meal…time；
they came out and made you come in and eat。 〃When you eat where I've
been living you pay fifty cents；〃 he explained。 〃And are you taking all
your household stuff with you？〃 〃Only the cook…stove。 Well； I'll tell
you： we made the other things ourselves； made them out of plank； and they
were not worth…moving。〃 Here was the backwoods surviving into the day of
Trusts； and yet we talk of a world drifted hopelessly far from the old
ideals！
III。
The new ideals； the ideals of a pitiless industrialism； were sufficiently
expressed along the busy shores； where the innumerable derricks of oil…
wells silhouetted their gibbet shapes against the horizon； and the myriad
chimneys of the foundries sent up the smoke of their torment into the
quiet skies and flamed upon the forehead of the evening like baleful
suns。 But why should I be so violent of phrase against these guiltless
means of millionairing？ There must be iron and coal as well as wheat and
corn in the world； and without their combination we cannot have bread。
If the combination is in the form of a trust； such as has laid its giant
clutch upon all those warring industries beside the Ohio and swept them
into one great monopoly； why； it has still to show that it is worse than
competition； that it is not； indeed； merely the first blind stirrings of
the universal cooperation of which the dreamers of ideal commonwealths
have always had the vision。
The derricks and the chimneys； when one saw them； seem to have all the
land to themselves； but this was an appearance only； terrifying in its
strenuousness； but not； after all； the prevalent aspect。 That was rather
of farm； farms； and evermore farms； lying along the rich levels of the
stream； and climbing as far up its beautiful hills as the plough could
drive。 In the spring and in the Mall； when it is suddenly swollen by the
earlier and the later rains； the river scales its banks and swims over
those levels to the feet of those hills； and when it recedes it leaves
the cornfields enriched for the crop that； has never failed since the
forests were first cut from the land。 Other fertilizing the fields have
never had any； but they teem as if the guano islands had been emptied
into their laps。 They feel themselves so rich that they part with great
lengths and breadths of their soil to the river； which is not good for
the river； and is not well for the fields； so that the farmers； whose
ease learns slowly； are beginning more and more to fence their borders
with the young willows which form a hedge in the shallow wash such a
great part of the way up and down the Ohio。 Elms and maples wade in
among the willows； and in time the river will be denied the indigestion
which it confesses in sho