the american claimant-第18部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

exchange　that　he　has　put　up　as　an　explanation。　　It's　rather　thin；
too　thin　altogether。　　Well；　he's　young；　never　been　anywhere；　knows
nothing　about　the　world；　sentimental；　no　doubt。　　Perhaps　it　was　the
natural　thing　for　him　to　do；　but　it　was　a　most　singular　choice；　curious
freak；　altogether。〃

Both　men　were　busy　with　their　thoughts　for　a　time；　then　Tracy　heaved　a
sigh　and　said；

〃Mr。　Barrow；　the　case　of　that　young　fellow　troubles　me。〃

〃You　mean　Nat　Brady？〃

〃Yes；　Brady；　or　Baxter；　or　whatever　it　was。　　The　old　landlord　called　him
by　several　different　names。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　he　has　been　very　liberal　with　names　for　Brady；　since　Brady　fell
into　arrears　for　his　board。　　Well；　that's　one　of　his　sarcasmsthe　old
man　thinks　he's　great　on　sarcasm。〃

〃Well；　what　is　Brady's　difficulty？　　What　is　Bradywho　is　he？〃

〃Brady　is　a　tinner。　　He's　a　young　journeyman　tinner　who　was　getting　along
all　right　till　he　fell　sick　and　lost　his　job。　　He　was　very　popular　before
he　lost　his　job；　everybody　in　the　house　liked　Brady。　　The　old　man　was
rather　especially　fond　of　him；　but　you　know　that　when　a　man　loses　his　job
and　loses　his　ability　to　support　himself　and　to　pay　his　way　as　he　goes；
it　makes　a　great　difference　in　the　way　people　look　at　him　and　feel　about
him。〃

〃Is　that　so！　　Is　it　so？〃

Barrow　looked　at　Tracy　in　a　puzzled　way。　　〃Why　of　course　it's　so。
Wouldn't　you　know　that；　naturally。　　Don't　you　know　that　the　wounded　deer
is　always　attacked　and　killed　by　its　companions　and　friends？〃

Tracy　said　to　himself；　while　a　chilly　and　boding　discomfort　spread　itself
through　his　system；　〃In　a　republic　of　deer　and　men　where　all　are　free　and
equal；　misfortune　is　a　crime；　and　the　prosperous　gore　the　unfortunate　to
death。〃　　Then　he　said　aloud；　〃Here　in　the　boarding　house；　if　one　would
have　friends　and　be　popular　instead　of　having　the　cold　shoulder　turned
upon　him；　he　must　be　prosperous。〃

〃Yes；〃　Barrow　said；　〃that　is　so。　　It's　their　human　nature。　　They　do　turn
against　Brady；　now　that　he's　unfortunate；　and　they　don't　like　him　as　well
as　they　did　before；　but　it　isn't　because　of　any　lack　in　Bradyhe's　just
as　he　was　before；　has　the　same　nature　and　the　same　impulses；　but　they
well；　Brady　is　a　thorn　in　their　consciences；　you　see。　　They　know　they
ought　to　help　him　and　they're　too　stingy　to　do　it；　and　they're　ashamed　of
themselves　for　that；　and　they　ought　also　to　hate　themselves　on　that
account；　but　instead　of　that　they　hate　Brady　because　he　makes　them
ashamed　of　themselves。　　I　say　that's　human　nature；　that　occurs
everywhere；　this　boarding　house　is　merely　the　world　in　little；　it's　the
case　all　overthey're　all　alike。　　In　prosperity　we　are　popular；
popularity　comes　easy　in　that　case；　but　when　the　other　thing　comes　our
friends　are　pretty　likely　to　turn　against　us。〃

Tracy's　noble　theories　and　high　purposes　were　beginning　to　feel　pretty
damp　and　clammy。　　He　wondered　if　by　any　possibility　he　had　made　a　mistake
in　throwing　his　own　prosperity　to　the　winds　and　taking　up　the　cross
of　other　people's　unprosperity。　　But　he　wouldn't　listen　to　that　sort　of
thing；　he　cast　it　out　of　his　mind　and　resolved　to　go　ahead　resolutely
along　the　course　he　had　mapped　out　for　himself。

Extracts　from　his　diary：

Have　now　spent　several　days　in　this　singular　hive。　　I　don't　know　quite
what　to　make　out　of　these　people。　　They　have　merits　and　virtues；　but　they
have　some　other　qualities；　and　some　ways　that　are　hard　to　get　along　with。
I　can't　enjoy　them。　　The　moment　I　appeared　in　a　hat　of　the　period；
I　noticed　a　change。　　The　respect　which　had　been　paid　me　before；　passed
suddenly　away；　and　the　people　became　friendlymore　than　thatthey
became　familiar；　and　I'm　not　used　to　familiarity；　and　can't　take　to　it
right　off；　I　find　that　out。　　These　people's　familiarity　amounts　to
impudence；　sometimes。　　I　suppose　it's　all　right；　no　doubt　I　can　get　used
to　it；　but　it's　not　a　satisfactory　process　at　all。　　I　have　accomplished
my　dearest　wish；　I　am　a　man　among　men；　on　an　equal　footing　with　Tom；　Dick
and　Harry；　and　yet　it　isn't　just　exactly　what　I　thought　it　was　going　to
be。　　II　miss　home。　　Am　obliged　to　say　I　am　homesick。　　Another　thing
and　this　is　a　confessiona　reluctant　one；　but　I　will　make　it：　The　thing
I　miss　most　and　most　severely；　is　the　respect；　the　deference；　with　which
I　was　treated　all　my　life　in　England；　and　which　seems　to　be　somehow
necessary　to　me。　　I　get　along　very　well　without　the　luxury　and　the　wealth
and　the　sort　of　society　I've　been　accustomed　to；　but　I　do　miss　the
respect　and　can't　seem　to　get　reconciled　to　the　absence　of　it。　　There　is
respect；　there　is　deference　here；　but　it　doesn't　fall　to　my　share。　　It　is
lavished　on　two　men。　　One　of　them　is　a　portly　man　of　middle　age　who　is　a
retired　plumber。　　Everybody　is　pleased　to　have　that　man's　notice。
He's　full　of　pomp　and　circumstance　and　self　complacency　and　bad　grammar；
and　at　table　he　is　Sir　Oracle　and　when　he　opens　his　mouth　not　any　dog　in
the　kennel　barks。　　The　other　person　is　a　policeman　at　the　capitol…
building。　　He　represents　the　government。　　The　deference　paid　to　these　two
men　is　not　so　very　far　short　of　that　which　is　paid　to　an　earl　in　England；
though　the　method　of　it　differs。　　Not　so　much　courtliness；　but　the
deference　is　all　there。

Yes；　and　there　is　obsequiousness；　too。

It　does　rather　look　as　if　in　a　republic　where　all　are　free　and　equal；
prosperity　and　position　constitute　rank。




CHAPTER　XIII。

The　days　drifted　by；　and　they　grew　ever　more　dreary。　　For　Barrow's
efforts　to　find　work　for　Tracy　were　unavailing。　　Always　the　first
question　asked　was；　〃What　Union　do　you　belong　to？〃

Tracy　was　obliged　to　reply　that　he　didn't　belong　to　any　trade…union。

〃Very　well；　then；　it's　impossible　to　employ　you。　　My　men　wouldn't　stay
with　me　if　I　should　employ　a　'scab；'　or　'rat；'〃　or　whatever　the　phrase
was。

Finally；　Tracy　had　a　happy　thought。　　He　said；　〃Why　the　thing　for　me　to
do；　of　course；　is　to　join　a　trade…union。〃

〃Yes；〃　Barrow　said；　〃that　is　the　thing　for　you　to　doif　you　can。〃

〃If　I　can？　　Is　it　difficult？〃

〃Well；　Yes；〃　Barrow　said；　〃it's　sometimes　difficultin　fact；　very
difficult。　　But　you　can　try；　and　of　course　it　will　be　best　to　try。〃

Therefore　Tracy　tried；　but　he　did　not　succeed。　　He　was　refused　admission
with　a　good　deal　of　promptness；　and　was　advised　to　go　back　home；　where　he
belonged；　not　come　here　taking　honest　men's　bread　out　of　their　mouths。
Tracy　began　to　realize　that　the　situation　was　desperate；　and　the　thought
made　him　cold　to　the　marrow。　　He　said　to　himself；　〃So　there　is　an
aristocracy　of　position　here；　and　an　aristocracy　of　prosperity；　and
apparently　there　is　also　an　aristocracy　of　the　ins　as　opposed　to　the
outs；　and　I　am　with　the　outs。　　So　the　ranks　grow　daily；　here。　　Plainly
there　are　all　kinds　of　castes　here　and　only　one　that　I　belong　to；　the
outcasts。〃　　But　he　couldn't　even　smile　at　his　small　joke；　although　he　was
obliged　to　confess　that　he　had　a　rather　good　opinion　of　it。　　He　was
feeling　so　defeated　and　miserable　by　this　time　that　he　could　no　longer
look　with　philosophical　complacency　on　the　horseplay　of　the　young　fellows
in　the　upper　rooms　at　night。　　At　first　it　had　been　pleasant　to　see　them
unbend　and　have　a　good　time　after　having　so　well　earned　it　by　the　labors
of　the　day；　but　now　it　all　rasped　upon　his　feelings　and　his　dignity。
He　lost　patience　with　the　spectacle。　　When　they　were　feeling　good；　they
shouted；　they　scuffled；　they　sang　songs；　they　romped　about　the　place　like
cattle；　and　they　generally　wound　up　with　a　pillow　fight；　in　which　they
banged　each　other　over　the　head；　and　threw　the　pillows　in　all　directions；
and　every　now　and　then　he　got　a　buffet　himself；　and　they　were　always
inviting　him　to　join　in。　　They　called　him　〃Johnny　Bull；〃　and　invited　him
with　excessive　familiarity　to　take　a　hand。　　At　first　he　had　endured　all
this　with　good　nature；　but　latterly　he　had　shown　by　his　manner　that　it
was　distinctly　distasteful　to　him；　and　very　soon　he　saw　a　change　in　the
manner　of　these　young　people　toward　him。　　They　were　souring　on　him　as
they　would　have　expressed　it　in　their　language。　　He　had　never　been　what
might　be　called　popular。　　That　was　hardly　the　phrase　for　it；　he　had
merely　been　liked；　but　now　dislike　for　him　was　growing。　　His　case　was　not
helped　by　the　fact　that　he　was　out　of　luck；　couldn't　get　work；　didn't
belong　to　a　union；　and　couldn't　gain　admission　to　one：　He　got　a　good　many
slights　of　that　small　ill…defined　sort　that　you　can't　quite　put　your
finger　on；　and　it　was　manifest　that　there　was　only　one　thing　which
protected　him　from　open　insult；　and　that　was　his　muscle。　　These　young
people　had　seen　him　exercising；　mornings；　after　his　cold　sponge　bath；
and　they　had　perceived　by　his　performance　and　the　build　of　his　body；
that　he　was　athletic；　and　also　versed　in　boxing。　　He　felt　pretty　naked
now；　recognizing　that　he　was　shorn　of　all　respect　except　respect　for　his
fists。　　One　night　when　he　entered　his　room　he　found　about　a　dozen　of　the
young　fellows　there　carrying　on　a　very　lively　conversation　punctuated
with　horse…laughter。　　The　talking　ceased　instantly；　and　the　frank　affront
of　a　dead　silence　followed。　　He　said；

〃Good　evening　gentlemen；〃　and　sat　down。

There　was　no　response。　　He　fl