north america-2-第29章

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　if　he　were　emancipated　to…morrow？　The　natural　beauty　of　the　place　which　I　was　visiting　was　very　great。　The　trees　were　fine　and　well　scattered　over　the　large；　park…like　pastures；　and　the　ground　was　broken　on　every　side　into　hills。　　There　was　perhaps　too　much　timber；　but　my　friend　seemed　to　think　that　that　fault　would　find　a　natural　remedy　only　too　quickly。　　〃I　do　not　like　to　cut　down　trees　if　I　can　help　it；〃　he　said。　　After　that　I　need　not　say　that　my　host　was　quite　as　much　an　Englishman　as　an　American。　　To　the　purely　American　farmer　a　tree　is　simply　an　enemy　to　be　trodden　under　foot；　and　buried　underground；　or　reduced　to　ashes　and　thrown　to　the　winds　with　what　most　economical　dispatch　may　be　possible。　　If　water　had　been　added　to　the　landscape　here　it　would　have　been　perfect；　regarding　it　as　ordinary　English　park…scenery。　　But　the　little　rivers　at　this　place　have　a　dirty　trick　of　burying　themselves　under　the　ground。　　They　go　down　suddenly　into　holes；　disappearing　from　the　upper　air；　and　then　come　up　again　at　the　distance　of　perhaps　half　a　mile。　　Unfortunately　their　periods　of　seclusion　are　more　prolonged　than　those　of　their　upper…air　distance。　　There　were　three　or　four　such　ascents　and　descents　about　the　place。　My　host　was　a　breeder　of　race…horses；　and　had　imported　sires　from　England；　of　sheep　also；　and　had　imported　famous　rams；　of　cattle　too；　and　was　great　in　bulls。　　He　was　very　loud　in　praise　of　Kentucky　and　its　attractions；　if　only　this　war　could　be　brought　to　an　end。　　But　I　could　not　obtain　from　him　an　assurance　that　the　speculation　in　which　he　was　engaged　had　been　profitable。　　Ornamental　farming　in　England　is　a　very　pretty　amusement　for　a　wealthy　man；　but　I　fancywithout　intending　any　slight　on　Mr。　Mechithat　the　amusement　is　expensive。　I　believe　that　the　same　thing　may　be　said　of　it　in　a　slave　State。　Frankfort　is　the　capital　of　Kentucky；　and　is　as　quietly　dull　a　little　town　as　I　ever　entered。　　It　is　on　the　River　Kentucky；　and　as　the　grounds　about　it　on　every　side　rise　in　wooded　hills；　it　is　a　very　pretty　place。　　In　January　it　was　very　pretty；　but　in　summer　it　must　be　lovely。　　I　was　taken　up　to　the　cemetery　there　by　a　path　along　the　river；　and　am　inclined　to　say　that　it　is　the　sweetest　resting…place　for　the　dead　that　I　have　ever　visited。　　Daniel　Boone　lies　there。　　He　was　the　first　white　man　who　settled　in　Kentucky；　or　rather；　perhaps；　the　first　who　entered　Kentucky　with　a　view　to　a　white　man's　settlement。　　Such　frontier　men　as　was　Daniel　Boone　never　remained　long　contented　with　the　spots　they　opened。　　As　soon　as　he　had　left　his　mark　in　that　territory　he　went　again　farther　west；　over　the　big　rivers　into　Missouri；　and　there　he　died。　　But　the　men　of　Kentucky　are　proud　of　Daniel　Boone；　and　so　they　have　buried　him　in　the　loveliest　spot　they　could　select；　immediately　over　the　river。　Frankfort　is　worth　a　visit；　if　only　that　this　grave　and　graveyard　may　be　seen。　　The　legislature　of　the　State　was　not　sitting　when　I　was　there；　and　the　grass　was　growing　in　the　streets。　Louisville　is　the　commercial　city　of　the　State；　and　stands　on　the　Ohio。　　It　is　another　great　town；　like　all　the　others；　built　with　high　stores；　and　great　houses　and　stone…faced　blocks。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　all　the　building　speculations　have　been　failures；　and　that　the　men　engaged　in　them　were　all　ruined。　　But　there；　as　the　result　of　their　labor；　stands　a　fair　great　city　on　the　southern　banks　of　the　Ohio。　　Here　General　Buell　held　his　headquarters；　but　his　army　lay　at　a　distance。　　On　my　return　from　the　West　I　visited　one　of　the　camps　of　this　army；　and　will　speak　of　it　as　I　speak　of　my　backward　journey。　　I　had　already　at　this　time　begun　to　conceive　an　opinion　that　the　armies　in　Kentucky　and　in　Missouri　would　do　at　any　rate　as　much　for　the　Northern　cause　as　that　of　the　Potomac；　of　which　so　much　more　had　been　heard　in　England。　While　I　was　at　Louisville　the　Ohio　was　flooded。　　It　had　begun　to　rise　when　I　was　at　Cincinnati；　and　since　then　had　gone　on　increasing　hourly；　rising　inch　by　inch　up　into　the　towns　upon　its　bank。　　I　visited　two　suburbs　of　Louisville；　both　of　which　were　submerged；　as　to　the　streets　and　ground　floors　of　the　houses。　　At　Shipping　Port；　one　of　these　suburbs；　I　saw　the　women　and　children　clustering　in　the　up…stairs　room；　while　the　men　were　going　about　in　punts　and　wherries；　collecting　drift…wood　from　the　river　for　their　winter's　firing。　　In　some　places　bedding　and　furniture　had　been　brought　over　to　the　high　ground；　and　the　women　were　sitting；　guarding　their　little　property。　　That　village；　amid　the　waters；　was　a　sad　sight　to　see；　but　I　heard　no　complaints。　　There　was　no　tearing　of　hair　and　no　gnashing　of　teeth；　no　bitter　tears　or　moans　of　sorrow。　　The　men　who　were　not　at　work　in　the　boats　stood　loafing　about　in　clusters；　looking　at　the　still　rising　river；　but　each　seemed　to　be　personally　indifferent　to　the　matter。　　When　the　house　of　an　American　is　carried　down　the　river；　he　builds　himself　another；　as　he　would　get　himself　a　new　coat　when　his　old　coat　became　unserviceable。　　But　he　never　laments　or　moans　for　such　a　loss。　　Surely　there　is　no　other　people　so　passive　under　personal　misfortune！　Going　from　Louisville　up　to　St。　Louis；　I　crossed　the　Ohio　River　and　passed　through　parts　of　Indiana　and　of　Illinois；　and；　striking　the　Mississippi　opposite　St。　Louis；　crossed　that　river　also；　and　then　entered　the　State　of　Missouri。　　The　Ohio　was；　as　I　have　said；　flooded；　and　we　went　over　it　at　night。　　The　boat　had　been　moored　at　some　unaccustomed　place。　　There　was　no　light。　　The　road　was　deep　in　mud　up　to　the　axle…tree；　and　was　crowded　with　wagons　and　carts；　which　in　the　darkness　of　the　night　seemed　to　have　stuck　there。　　But　the　man　drove　his　four　horses　through　it　all；　and　into　the　ferry…　boat；　over　its　side。　　There　were　three　or　four　such　omnibuses；　and　as　many　wagons；　as　to　each　of　which　I　predicted　in　my　own　mind　some　fatal　catastrophe。　　But　they　were　all　driven　on　to　the　boat　in　the　dark；　the　horses　mixing　in　through　each　other　in　a　chaos　which　would　have　altogether　incapacitated　any　English　coachman。　　And　then　the　vessel　labored　across　the　flood；　going　sideways；　and　hardly　keeping　her　own　against　the　stream。　　But　we　did　get　over；　and　were　all　driven　out　again；　up　to　the　railway　station　in　safety。　　On　reaching　the　Mississippi　about　the　middle　of　the　next　day；　we　found　it　frozen　over；　or　rather　covered　from　side　to　side　with　blocks　of　ice　which　had　forced　their　way　down　the　river；　so　that　the　steam…ferry　could　not　reach　its　proper　landing。　　I　do　not　think　that　we　in　England　would　have　attempted　the　feat　of　carrying　over　horses　and　carriages　under　stress　of　such　circumstances。　　But　it　was　done　here。　　Huge　plankings　were　laid　down　over　the　ice；　and　omnibuses　and　wagons　were　driven　on。　　In　getting　out　again；　these　vehicles；　each　with　four　horses；　had　to　be　twisted　about；　and　driven　in　and　across　the　vessel；　and　turned　in　spaces　to　look　at　which　would　have　broken　the　heart　of　an　English　coachman。　　And　then　with　a　spring　they　were　driven　up　a　bank　as　steep　as　a　ladder！　　Ah　me！　under　what　mistaken　illusions　have　I　not　labored　all　the　days　of　my　youth；　in　supposing　that　no　man　could　drive　four　horses　well　but　an　English　stage　coachman！　　I　have　seen　performances　in　Americaand　in　Ital