north america-2-第35章

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going　out　in　an　ambulance　and　returning　on　horseback。　　We　were　accompanied　by　the　general's　aid…de…camp；　and　also；　to　our　great　gratification；　by　the　general's　daughter。　　There　had　been　a　hard　frost　for　some　nights；　but　though　the　cold　was　very　great　there　was　always　heat　enough　in　the　middle　of　the　day　to　turn　the　surface　of　the　ground　into　glutinous　mud；　consequently　we　had　all　the　roughness　induced　by　frost；　but　none　of　the　usually　attendant　cleanliness。　　Indeed；　it　seemed　that　in　these　parts　nothing　was　so　dirty　as　frost。　　The　mud　stuck　like　paste　and　encompassed　everything。　　We　heard　that　morning　that　from　sixty　to　seventy　baggage　wagons　had　〃broken　through；〃　as　they　called　it；　and　stuck　fast　near　a　river；　in　their　endeavor　to　make　their　way　on　to　Lebanon。　　We　encountered　two　generals　of　brigade；　General　Siegel；　a　German；　and　General　Ashboth；　a　Hungarian；　both　of　whom　were　waiting　till　the　weather　should　allow　them　to　advance。　　They　were　extremely　courteous；　and　warmly　invited　us　to　go　on　with　them　to　Lebanon　and　Springfield；　promising　to　us　such　accommodation　as　they　might　be　able　to　obtain　for　themselves。　　I　was　much　tempted　to　accept　the　offer；　but　I　found　that　day　after　day　might　pass　before　any　forward　movement　was　commenced；　and　that　it　might　be　weeks　before　Springfield　or　even　Lebanon　could　be　reached。　　It　was　my　wish；　moreover；　to　see　what　I　could　of　the　people；　rather　than　to　scrutinize　the　ways　of　the　army。　　We　dined　at　the　tent　of　General　Ashboth；　and　afterward　rode　his　horses　through　the　camp　back　to　Rolla；　I　was　greatly　taken　with　this　Hungarian　gentleman。　　He　was　a　tall；　thin；　gaunt　man　of　fifty；　a　pure…blooded　Magyar　a　I　was　told；　who　had　come　from　his　own　country　with　Kossuth　to　America。　　His　camp　circumstances　were　not　very　luxurious；　nor　was　his　table　very　richly　spread；　but　he　received　us　with　the　ease　and　courtesy　of　a　gentleman。　　He　showed　us　his　sword；　his　rifle；　his　pistols；　his　chargers；　and　daguerreotype　of　a　friend　he　had　loved　in　his　own　country。　　They　were　all　the　treasures　that　he　carried　with　himover　and　above　a　chess…board　and　a　set　of　chessmen；　which　sorely　tempted　me　to　accompany　him　in　his　march。　In　my　next　chapter；　which　will；　I　trust；　be　very　short；　I　purport　to　say　a　few　words　as　to　what　I　saw　of　the　American　army；　and　therefore　I　will　not　now　describe　the　regiments　which　we　visited。　　The　tents　were　all　encompassed　by　snow；　and　the　ground　on　which　they　stood　was　a　bed　of　mud；　but　yet　the　soldiers　out　here　were　not　so　wretchedly　forlorn；　or　apparently　so　miserably　uncomfortable；　as　those　at　Benton　Barracks。　　I　did　not　encounter　that　horrid　sickly　stench；　nor　were　the　men　so　pale　and　woe…begone。　　On　the　following　day　we　returned　to　St。　Louis；　bringing　back　with　us　our　friend　the　German　aid…de…camp。　　I　stayed　two　days　longer　in　that　city；　and　then　I　thought　that　I　had　seen　enough　of　Missouri；　enough　of　Missouri　at　any　rate　under　the　present　circumstances　of　frost　and　secession。　　As　regards　the　people　of　the　West；　I　must　say　that　they　were　not　such　as　I　expected　to　find　them。　　With　the　Northerns　we　are　all　more　or　less　intimately　acquainted。　　Those　Americans　whom　we　meet　in　our　own　country；　or　on　the　continent；　are　generally　from　the　North；　or　if　not　so　they　have　that　type　of　American　manners　which　has　become　familiar　to　us。　　They　are　talkative；　intelligent；　inclined　to　be　social；　though　frequently　not　sympathetically　social　with　ourselves；　somewhat　soi…disant；　but　almost　invariably　companionable。　　As　the　traveler　goes　southward　into　Maryland　and　Washington；　the　type　is　not　altered　to　any　great　extent。　　The　hard　intelligence　of　the　Yankee　gives　place　gradually　to　the　softer；　and　perhaps　more　polished；　manner　of　the　Southern。　　But　the　change　thus　experienced　is　not　great　as　is　that　between　the　American　of　the　Western　and　the　American　of　the　Atlantic　States。　　In　the　West　I　found　the　men　gloomy　and　silentI　might　almost　say　sullen。　　A　dozen　of　them　will　sit　for　hours　round　a　stove；　speechless。　　They　chew　tobacco　and　ruminate。　They　are　not　offended　if　you　speak　to　them；　but　they　are　not　pleased。　　They　answer　with　monosyllables；　or；　if　it　be　practicable；　with　a　gesture　of　the　head。　　They　care　nothing　for　the　graces　or　shall　I　sayfor　the　decencies　of　life。　　They　are　essentially　a　dirty　people。　　Dirt；　untidiness；　and　noise　seem　in　nowise　to　afflict　them。　　Things　are　constantly　done　before　your　eyes　which　should　be　done　and　might　be　done　behind　your　back。　　No　doubt　we　daily　come　into　the　closest　contact　with　matters　which；　if　we　saw　all　that　appertains　to　them；　would　cause　us　to　shake　and　shudder。　　In　other　countries　we　do　not　see　all　this；　but　in　the　Western　States　we　do。　I　have　eaten　in　Bedouin　tents；　and　have　been　ministered　to　by　Turks　and　Arabs。　　I　have　sojourned　in　the　hotels　of　old　Spain　and　of　Spanish　America。　　I　have　lived　in　Connaught；　and　have　taken　up　my　quarters　with　monks　of　different　nations。　　I　have；　as　it　were；　been　educated　to　dirt；　and　taken　out　my　degree　in　outward　abominations。　But　my　education　had　not　reached　a　point　which　would　enable　me　to　live　at　my　ease　in　the　Western　States。　　A　man　or　woman　who　can　do　that　may　be　said　to　have　graduated　in　the　highest　honors；　and　to　have　become　absolutely　invulnerable；　either　through　the　sense　of　touch；　or　by　the　eye；　or　by　the　nose。　　Indifference　to　appearances　is　there　a　matter　of　pride。　　A　foul　shirt　is　a　flag　of　triumph。　　A　craving　for　soap　and　water　is　as　the　wail　of　the　weak　and　the　confession　of　cowardice。　　This　indifference　is　carried　into　all　their　affairs；　or　rather　this　manifestation　of　indifference。　　A　few　pages　back；　I　spoke　of　a　man　whose　furniture　had　been　sold　to　pay　a　heavy　tax　raised　on　him　specially　as　a　secessionist；　the　same　man　had　also　been　refused　the　payment　of　rent　due　to　him　by　the　government；　unless　he　would　take　a　false　oath。　　I　may　presume　that　he　was　ruined　in　his　circumstances　by　the　strong　hand　of　the　Northern　army。　　But　he　seemed　in　no　wise　to　be　unhappy　about　his　ruin。　　He　spoke　with　some　scorn　of　the　martial　law　in　Missouri；　but　I　felt　that　it　was　esteemed　a　small　matter　by　him　that　his　furniture　was　seized　and　sold。　　No　men　love　money　with　more　eager　love　than　these　Western　men；　but　they　bear　the　loss　of　it　as　an　Indian　bears　his　torture　at　the　stake。　　They　are　energetic　in　trade；　speculating　deeply　whenever　speculation　is　possible；　but　nevertheless　they　are　slow　in　motion；　loving　to　loaf　about。　　They　are　slow　in　speech；　preferring　to　sit　in　silence；　with　the　tobacco　between　their　teeth。　They　drink；　but　are　seldom　drunk　to　the　eye；　they　begin　at　it　early　in　the　morning；　and　take　it　in　a　solemn；　sullen；　ugly　manner；　standing　always　at　a　bar；　swallowing　their　spirits；　and　saying　nothing　as　they　swallow　it。　　They　drink　often；　and　to　great　excess；　but　they　carry　it　off　without　noise；　sitting　down　and　ruminating　over　it　with　the　everlasting　cud　within　their　jaws。　　I　believe　that　a　stranger　might　go　into　the　West；　and　passing　from　hotel　to　hotel　through　a　dozen　of　them；　might　sit　for　hours　at　each　in　the　large　everlasting　public　hall；　and　never　have　a　word　addressed　to　him。　　No　stranger　should　travel　in　the　Western　States；　or　indeed　in　any　of　the　States；　without　letters　of　introduction。　　It　is　the　custom　of　the　c