首页 >出版文学> TYPEE>第23章

第23章

  appearedtoasmuchadvantageasasenatorofRomeenvelopedinthefoldsofhistoga。Afewfoldsofyellowtappa,tuckedaboutmywaist,descendedtomyfeetinthestyleofalady’spetticoat,onlyIdidnothaverecoursetothosevoluminouspaddingsintherearwithwhichourgentledamesareinthehabitofaugmentingthesublimerotundityoftheirfigures。Thisusuallycomprisedmyin-doordress:
  wheneverIwalkedout,Isuperaddedtoitanamplerobeofthesamematerial,whichcompletelyenvelopedmyperson,andscreeneditfromtheraysofthesun。
  OnemorningImadearentinthismantle;andtoshowtheislanderswithwhatfacilityitcouldberepaired,Iloweredmybundle,andtakingfromitaneedleandthread,proceededtostitchuptheopening。Theyregardedthiswonderfulapplicationofsciencewithintenseadmiration;andwhilstIwasstitchingaway,oldMarheyo,whowasoneofthelookers-on,suddenlyclappedhishandtohisforehead,andrushingtoacornerofthehouse,drewforthasoiledandtatteredstripoffadedcalico-whichhemustprocuredsometimeorotherintrafficonthebeach-andbesoughtmeeagerlytoexercisealittleofmyartuponit。Iwillinglycomplied,thoughcertainlysostumpyaneedleasminenevertooksuchgiganticstridesovercalicobefore。Therepairscompleted,oldMarheyogavemeapaternalhug;anddivestinghimselfofhis“maro“girdle,swathedthecalicoabouthisloins,andslippingthebelovedornamentsintohisears,graspedhisspearandsalliedoutofthehouse,likeavaliantTemplararrayedinanewandcostlysuitofarmour。
  Ineverusedmyrazorduringmystayintheisland,but,althoughaverysubordinateaffair,ithadbeenvastlyadmiredbytheTypees;andNarmonee,agreatheroamongthem,whowasexceedinglypreciseinthearrangementsofhistoiletandthegeneraladjustmentofhisperson,beingthemostaccuratelytattooedandlaboriouslyhorrifiedindividualinallthevalley,thoughtitwouldbeagreatadvantagetohaveitappliedtothealreadyshavencrownofhishead。
  Theimplementtheyusuallyemployisashark’stooth,whichisaboutaswelladaptedtothepurposeasaone-prongedforkforpitchinghay。Nowonder,then,thattheacuteNarmoneeperceivedtheadvantagemyrazorpossessedovertheusualimplement。Accordingly,oneday,herequestedasapersonalfavour,thatIwouldjustrunoverhisheadwiththerazor。Inreply,Igavehimtounderstandthatitwastoodull,andcouldnotbeusedtoanypurposewithoutbeingpreviouslysharpened。Toassistmymeaning,Iwentthroughanimaginaryhoningprocessonthepalmofmyhand。Narmoneetookmymeaninginaninstant,andrunningoutofthehouse,returnedthenextmomentwithahugeroughmassofrockasbigasamillstone,andindicatedtomethatthatwasexactlythethingIwanted。Ofcoursetherewasnothingleftformebuttoproceedtobusiness,andI
  beganscrapingawayatagreatrate。Hewrithedandwriggledundertheinfliction,but,fullyconvincedofmyskill,enduredthepainlikeamartyr。
  ThoughIneversawNarmoneeinbattle,Iwill,fromwhatIthenobserved,stakemylifeuponhiscourageandfortitude。Beforecommencingoperations,hisheadhadpresentedasurfaceofshortbristlinghairs,andbythetimeIhadconcludedmyunskilfuloperationitresemblednotalittleastubblefieldafterbeinggoneoverwithaharrow。However,asthechiefexpressedtheliveliestsatisfactionattheresult,Iwastoowisetodissentfromhisopinion。
  DAYafterdayworeon,andstilltherewasnoperceptiblechangeintheconductoftheislanderstowardsme。GraduallyIlostallknowledgeoftheregularrecurrenceofthedaysoftheweek,andsunkinsensiblyintothatkindofapathywhichensuesaftersomeviolentoutbreakofdespair。Mylimbsuddenlyhealed,theswellingwentdown,thepainsubsided,andIhadeveryreasontosupposeI
  shouldsooncompletelyrecoverfromtheafflictionthathadsolongtormentedme。
  AssoonasIwasenabledtorambleaboutthevalleyincompanywiththenatives,troopsofwhomfollowedmewheneverIsalliedoutofthehouse,IbegantoexperienceanelasticityofmindwhichplacedmebeyondthereachofthosedismalforebodingstowhichIhadsolatelybeenaprey。ReceivedwhereverIwentwiththemostdeferentialkindness;regaledperpetuallywiththemostdelightfulfruits;
  ministeredtobydark-eyednymphs;andenjoyingbesidesalltheservicesofthedevotedKory-Kory,Ithoughtthat,forasojournamongcannibals,nomancouldhavewellmadeamoreagreeableone。
  Tobesure,therewerelimitssettomywanderings。Towardthesea,myprogresswasbarredbyanexpressprohibitionofthesavages;andafterhavingmadetwoorthreeineffectualattemptstoreachit,asmuchtogratifymycuriosityasanythingelse,Igaveuptheidea。Itwasinvaintothinkofreachingitbystealth,sincethenativesescortedmeinnumberswhereverIwent,andnotforonesinglemomentthatIcanrecalltomindwasIeverpermittedtobealone。
  ThegreenandprecipitouselevationsthatstoodrangedaroundtheheadofthevalewhereMarheyo’shabitationwassituated,effectuallyprecludedallhopeofescapeinthatquarter,evenifI
  couldhavestolenawayfromthethousandeyesofthesavages。
  Butthesereflectionsnowseldomobtrudeduponme;Igavemyselfuptothepassinghour,andifeverdisagreeablethoughtsaroseinmymind,Idrovethemaway。WhenIlookedaroundtheverdantrecessinwhichIwasburied,andgazeduptothesummitsoftheloftyeminencethathemmedmein,IwaswelldisposedtothinkthatIwasinthe“HappyValley,“andthatbeyondthoseheightstherewasnoughtbutaworldofcareandanxiety。
  Inthisframeofmind,everyobjectthatpresenteditselftomynoticestruckmeinanewlight,andtheopportunitiesInowenjoyedofobservingthemannersofthenatives,tendedtostrengthenmyfavourableimpressions。Onepeculiaritythatfixedmyadmirationwastheperpetualhilarityreigningthroughthewholeextentofthevale。Thereseemedtobenocares,griefs,troubles,orvexationsinallTypee。Thehourstrippedalongasgailyasthelaughingcouplesdownacountrydance。
  Therewerenoneofthosethousandsourcesofirritationthattheingenuityofcivilizedmanhascreatedtomarhisownfelicity。
  Therewerenoforeclosuresofmortgages,noprotestednotes,nobillspayable,nodebtsofhonour,inTypee;nounreasonabletailorsandshoemakers,perverselybentonbeingpaid;nodunsofanydescription;noassaultandbatteryattorneys,tofomentdiscord,backingtheirclientsuptoaquarrel,andthenknockingtheirheadstogether;nopoorrelationseverlastinglyoccupyingthesparebed-chamber,anddiminishingtheelbow-roomatthefamilytable;nodestitutewidowswiththeirchildrenstarvingonthecoldcharitiesoftheworld;nobeggars;nodebtor’sprisons;noproudandhard-heartednabobsinTypee;or,tosumupallinoneword-noMoney!
  That“rootofallevil“wasnottobefoundinthevalley。
  Inthissecludedabodeofhappinesstherewerenocrossoldwomen,nocruelstep-dames,nowitheredspinsters,nolove-sickmaidens,nosouroldbachelors,noinattentivehusbands,nomelancholyyoungmen,noblubberingyoungsters,andnosquallingbrats。Allwasmirth,fun,andhighgoodhumour。Bluedevils,hypochondria,anddolefuldumpswentandhidthemselvesamongthenooksandcranniesoftherocks。
  Hereyouwouldseeaparcelofchildrenfrolickingtogetherthelive-longday,andnoquarrelling,nocontentionamongthem。Thesamenumberinourownlandcouldnothaveplayedtogetherforthespaceofanhourwithoutbitingorscratchingoneanother。Thereyoumighthaveseenathrongofyoungfemales,notfilledwithenvyingsofeachother’scharms,nordisplayingtheridiculousaffectationsofgentility,noryetmovinginwhalebonecorsets,likesomanyautomatons,butfree,inartificiallyhappy,andunconstrained。
  Thereweresomespotsinthatsunnyvalewheretheywouldfrequentlyresorttodecoratethemselveswithgarlandsofflowers。
  Tohaveseenthemrecliningbeneaththeshadowsofoneofthebeautifulgroves,thegroundaboutthemstrewnwithfreshlygatheredbudsandblossoms,employedinweavingchapletsandnecklaces,onewouldhavethoughtthatallthetrainofFlorahadgatheredtogethertokeepafestivalinhonouroftheirmistress。
  Withtheyoungmenthereseemedalmostalwayssomematterofdiversionorbusinessonhand,thataffordedaconstantvarietyofenjoyment。Butwhetherfishing,orcarvingcanoes,orpolishingtheirornaments,neverwasthereexhibitedtheleastsignofstrifeorcontentionamongthem。
  Asforthewarriors,theymaintainedatranquildignityofdemeanour,journeyingoccasionallyfromhousetohouse,wheretheywerealwayssuretobereceivedwiththeattentionbestowedupondistinguishedguests。Theoldmen,ofwhomthereweremanyinthevale,seldomstirredfromtheirmats,wheretheywouldreclineforhoursandhours,smokingandtalkingtooneanotherwithallthegarrulityofage。
  Butthecontinualhappinesswhich,sofarasIwasabletojudge,appearedtoprevailinthevalley,sprungprincipallyfromthatall-pervadingsensationwhichRousseauhastoldusheatonetimeexperienced,themerebuoyantsenseofahealthfulphysicalexistence。
  And,indeed,inthisparticulartheTypeeshadamplereasontofelicitatethemselves,forsicknesswasalmostunknown。Duringthewholeperiodofmystay,Isawbutoneinvalidamongthem;andontheirsmoothclearskinsyouobservednoblemishormarkofdisease。
  Thegeneralrepose,however,uponwhichIhavejustbeendescanting,wasbrokeninuponaboutthistimebyanevent,whichprovedthattheislanderswerenotentirelyexemptfromthoseoccurrenceswhichdisturbthequietofmorecivilizedcommunities。
  Havingnowbeenaconsiderabletimeinthevalley,IbegantofeelsurprisedthattheviolenthostilitysubsistingbetweenitsinhabitantsandthoseoftheadjoiningbayofHappar,shouldneverhavemanifesteditselfinanywarlikeencounter。AlthoughthevaliantTypeeswouldoften,bygesticulations,declaretheirundyinghatredagainsttheirenemies,andthedisgusttheyfeltattheircannibalpropensities;althoughtheydilateduponthemanifoldinjuriestheyhadreceivedattheirhands,yet,withaforbearancetrulycommendable,theyappearedpatientlytositdownundertheirgrievances,andtorefrainfrommakinganyreprisals。TheHappars,entrenchedbehindtheirmountains,andneverevenshowingthemselvesontheirsummits,didnotappeartometofurnishadequatecauseforthatexcessofanimosityevincedtowardsthembytheheroictenantsofourvale,andIwasinclinedtobelievethatthedeedsofbloodattributedtothemhadbeengreatlyexaggerated。