Nevertheless, in spite of the solitude, Hiram Winthrop liked the Institute, and often looked back afterwards upon the time he had spent there as one of the happiest portions of his life. He worked away hard in all his spare moments at drawing and painting; and some of the lady students still retain some of his works of this period, which they cherish in small gilt16 frames upon the parlour wall, as mementoes of their brief acquaintance with a prominent American artistic gentleman. Miss Almeda A. Stiles in particular (who followed Hiram from Betha-bara to Orange, where she graduated with him in the class of 18—) keeps even now two of his drawings in her rooms at the lyceum at Smyrna, Mo. One of them represents a large Europian bird, seated upon the bough17 of a tree in winter; it is obviously a copy from a drawing-master's design: the other, which is far finer and more original, is a sketch6 of Chattawauga Falls, before the erection of the existing sawmills and other improvements. Hiram was singularly fond of Chattawauga; but strange to say, from the very first day that the erection of the sawmills was undertaken, he refused to go near the spot, alleging18 no other reason for his refusal except that he regarded these useful institootions in the light of a positively19 wicked desecration20 of the work of nature. There was a general feeling at Orange that in many respects young Winthrop's sentiments and opinions were in fact painfully unAmerican.
In the holidays—no, vacation—(one mustn't apply European names to American objects), Hiram found enough to do in teaching school in remote country sections. Nay21, he even managed to save a little money out of his earnings22, which he put away to help him on his grand project of going to Europe—that dim, receding23, but now far more historical and less romantic Europe towards which his hopes were always pointing. Audouin would gladly have sent him on his own account—Hiram knew that much well; for Audouin was comfortably rich, and he had taken a great fancy to his young protégé. But Hiram didn't want to spend his friend's money if he could possibly help it: he had the honest democratic feeling strong upon him, that he would like to go to Europe by his own earnings or not at all. So as soon as his three years at Orange were over, he determined24 to go to Syracuse (not the Sicilian one, but its namesake in New York State), and start in business for the time being as a draughtsman on the wood. He was drawn25 to this scheme by an advertisement in the 'Syracuse Daily Independent,' requiring a smart hand at drawing for a large blockengraving establishment in that city.
'My dear Hiram,' Audouin exclaimed in dismay, when his young friend told him of his project, 'you really mustn't think of it. At Syracuse, too! why, what sort of work do you conceive people would want done at Syracuse? Nothing but advertisement drawings of factories for the covers of biscuit tins, or flaring26 red and yellow fruits for the decoration of canned peaches.'
'Well, Mr. Audouin,' Hiram answered with a smile, 'I guess I must go in for the canned peaches, then, if nothing better offers. I've got to earn enough to take me across to Europe, one way or the other;—no, don't say that now,' for he saw Audouin trying to cut in impatiently with his ever friendly offer of assistance: 'don't say that,' and he clutched his friend's arm tightly. 'I know you would. I know you would. But I can't accept it. This thing has just got to be done in the regular way of business or not at all; and what's more, Mr. Audouin, I've just got to go and do it.'
'But, Hiram,' Audouin cried, half angrily, 'I want you to go to Europe and learn to paint splendid pictures, and make all America proud of your talent. I found you out, and I've got a sort of proprietary27 interest in you; and just when I expect you to begin doing something really great, you calmly propose to go to Syracuse, and draw designs for canned peaches! You ought to consider your duty to your country.'
'I'm very sorry, Mr. Audouin,' Hiram answered with his accustomed gravity, 'if I disappoint you personally; but as for the rest of America, I dare say the country'll manage to hold on a year or two longer without my pictures.'
So Hiram really went at last to Syracuse (pronounced Sirrah-kyooze), and duly applied28 for the place as draughtsman. The short boy who showed him in to the office went off to call one of the bosses. In a few minutes, the boss in question entered, and in a quiet American tone, with just a faint relic29 of some English country dialect flavouring it dimly in the background, inquired if this was the young man who had come about the drawing. 'For if so, mister,' he said with the true New Yorker ring, 'just you step right back here with me, will 'ee, a minute, and we'll settle this little bit of business right away, smart and handy.'
Hiram knew the boss in a moment, in spite of his altered voice and manner. 'Sam,' he said, taking his hand warmly (for he hadn't had so many friends in his lifetime that he had forgotten how to be grateful to any single one of them): 'Sam, don't you remember me? I'm Hiram Winthrop.'
Sam's whole voice and manner changed in a moment, from the sharp, official, Syracuse business man to something more like the old simple, easygoing, bucolic30 Sam Churchill, who had come out so long ago from Dorsetshire. 'Why, bless my soul, Hiram,' he exclaimed, grasping both his hands at once in an iron grip, 'so it's you, lad, is it? Well, I am glad to see you. You step right back here and let's have a look at you! Why, how you've grown, Hiram! Only don't call me Sam, too open, here; here, I'm one of the bosses, and get called Mr. Churchill. And how's the deacon, and the missus, and old Major (you don't mind old Major? he was the off-horse at the plough, always, he was). And how are you? Been to college, I reckon, by the look of you. You come right back here and tell me all about it.'
So Hiram went right back (behind the little counter in the front office), and told Sam Churchill his whole story. And Sam in return told his. It wasn't very long, but it was all prosperous. He had left, the deacon soon after Hiram went to live at Bethabara Seminary; he had come to Syracuse in search of work; had begun trying his hand as draughtsman for a wood-engraver; had gone into partnership31 with another young man, on his own account; had risen as fast as people in America do rise, if they have anything in them; and was now joint32 boss of the biggest woodcut establishment in the whole Lake Shore section of New York State. 'See here,' he cried with infinite pride to Hiram. 'Just you look at all these labels. Hemmings' Patent Blacking—nigger woman admiring her own teeth in her master's boots—that's ours. And this: Chicago General Canning Company; Prime Fruit: I did that myself. And this: Philbrick's Certain Death to Eats: good design, rather, that one, ain't it? Here's more: Potterton's Choke-cherry Cordial; Old Dr. Hezekiah Bowdler's Elixir33 of Winter-green; Eselmann and Schneider's Eagle Brand Best Old Bourbon Whiskey; Smoke None but Cyrus A. Walker's Original and Only Genuine Old Dominion34 Honeydew. That's our line of business, you see, Hiram. That's where we've got on. We've put mind into it. We've struck out a career of our own. We've determined to revolutionise the American advertisement illustration market, When we took the thing in hand, it was all red and yellow uglinesses. We've discarded crudeness and vulgarity, we have, and gone in for artistic colouring and the best sentiments. Look at Philbrick's Certain Death, for example. That's fine, now, isn't it? We've made the fortune of the Certain Death. When we took it up, advertising35 I mean, there wasn't a living to be got out of Philbrick's. They had a sort of comic picture of four rats, poisoned, with labels coming out of their mouths, saying they were gone coons, and so forth36. Vulgar, vulgar, very. We went in for the contract, and produced the chaste37 and elegant design you see before you. It has succeeded, naturally,' and Sam looked across at Hiram with the serious face of profound conviction with which he was always wont38 to confront the expected customer, in the interests of the joint establishment.
Poor Hiram! his heart sank within him a little when he looked at the chaste and elegant design; but he had put his hand to the plough, and he would not look back: so before the end of that day Sam Churchill had definitely engaged him as chief draughtsman to his rising establishment.
That was how Hiram came to spend two years as an advertisement draughtsman at Syracuse. He didn't deny, afterwards, that those two years were about the dreariest39 and most, disappointing of his whole lifetime. In his spare moments, to be sure, he still went on studying as well as he was able; and on Sundays he stole away with his easel and colours to the few bits of decently pretty scenery that lie within reach of that flat and marshy40 mushroom city: but for the greater part of his time he was employed in designing neat and appropriate wrappers for quack41 medicine bottles, small illustrations for catalogues or newspaper advertisements, and huge flaring posters for mammoth42 circuses or variety dramatic entertainments. It was a grinding, horrible work; and though Sam Churchill did his best to make it pleasant and bearable for him, Hiram cordially detested43 it with all his heart. The only thing that made it any way endurable was the image of that far-off promised European journey, on which Hiram Winthrop had fixed44 all his earthly hopes and ambitions.
Sam often told him of Colin, for Colin had kept up a correspondence with his thriving American brother; and it was a sort of daydream45 with Hiram that one day or other Colin Churchill and he should go to Rome together. For Audouin's encouragement and Colin's eagerness had inspired Hiram with a like desire: and he saved and hoarded46 in hopes that the time would at last come when he might get rid of advertisements, and take instead to real painting. Meanwhile he contented47 himself with working at his art by himself, or with such little external aid as he could get in a brand-new green-and-white American city, and hoping for the future that never came but was always coming.
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1
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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2
elastically
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| adv.有弹性地，伸缩自如地 | |
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3
faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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4
kernel
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| n.(果实的)核，仁；(问题)的中心，核心 | |
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gatherings
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| 聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集 | |
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6
sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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7
sketching
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| n.草图 | |
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8
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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9
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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10
artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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11
proclivities
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| n.倾向，癖性( proclivity的名词复数 ) | |
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12
prim
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| adj.拘泥形式的，一本正经的；n.循规蹈矩，整洁；adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地 | |
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13
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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14
waggon
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| n.运货马车，运货车；敞篷车箱 | |
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15
amalgamate
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| v.(指业务等)合并，混合 | |
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16
gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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17
bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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18
alleging
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| 断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 ) | |
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19
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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desecration
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| n. 亵渎神圣, 污辱 | |
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21
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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22
earnings
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| n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得 | |
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23
receding
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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24
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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25
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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26
flaring
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| a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的 | |
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27
proprietary
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| n.所有权，所有的；独占的；业主 | |
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28
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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29
relic
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| n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物 | |
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30
bucolic
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| adj.乡村的；牧羊的 | |
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31
partnership
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| n.合作关系，伙伴关系 | |
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32
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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33
elixir
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| n.长生不老药，万能药 | |
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34
dominion
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| n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图 | |
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35
advertising
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| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
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36
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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37
chaste
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| adj.贞洁的；有道德的；善良的；简朴的 | |
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38
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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39
dreariest
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| 使人闷闷不乐或沮丧的( dreary的最高级 )； 阴沉的； 令人厌烦的； 单调的 | |
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40
marshy
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| adj.沼泽的 | |
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41
quack
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| n.庸医；江湖医生；冒充内行的人；骗子 | |
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42
mammoth
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| n.长毛象；adj.长毛象似的，巨大的 | |
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43
detested
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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45
daydream
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| v.做白日梦，幻想 | |
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46
hoarded
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| v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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