CITY AND COUNTRY IN THE FALL

A Long-distance Eclogue

1902

Morrison. Hello! Hello! Is that you, Wetherbee?

 

Wetherbee. Yes. Who are you? What do you want with me?

 

Morrison. Oh, nothing much. It's Morrison, you know;

Morrison—down at Clamhurst Shortsands.

 

Wetherbee. Oh!

Why, Morrison, of course! Of course, I know!

How are you, Morrison? And, by the way,

Where are you? What! You never mean to say

You are down there yet? Well, by the Holy Poker¹!

What are you doing there, you ancient joker?

 

Morrison. Sticking it out over Thanksgiving Day.

I said I would. I tell you, it is gay

[Pg 244]Down here. You ought to see the Hunter's Moon,

These silver nights, prinking in our lagoon².

You ought to see our sunsets, glassy red,

Shading to pink and violet overhead.

You ought to see our mornings, still and clear,

White silence, far as you can look and hear.

You ought to see the leaves—our oaks and ashes

Crimson³ and yellow, with those gorgeous splashes,

Purple and orange, against the bluish green

Of the pine woods; and scattered⁴ in between

The scarlet⁵ of the maples⁶; and the blaze

Of blackberry-vines, along the dusty ways

And on the old stone walls; the air just balm,

And the crows cawing through the perfect calm

Of afternoons all gold and turquoise⁷. Say,

You ought to have been with wife and me to-day,

A drive we took—it would have made you sick:

The pigeons and the partridges so thick;

And on the hill just beyond Barkin's lane,

Before you reach the barn of Widow Payne,

Showing right up against the sky, as clear

And motionless as sculpture, stood a deer!

Say, does that jar you just a little? Say,

How have you found things up there, anyway,

Since you got back? Air like a cotton string

To breathe? The same old dust on everything,

And in your teeth, and in your eyes? The smoke

From the soft coal, got long beyond a joke?

[Pg 245]The trolleys⁸ rather more upon your curves,

And all the roar and clatter⁹ in your nerves?

Don't you wish you had stayed here, too?

 

Wetherbee. Well, yes,

I do at certain times, I must confess.

I swear it is enough at times to make you swear

You would almost rather be anywhere

Than here. The building up and pulling down,

The getting to and fro about the town,

The turmoil¹⁰ underfoot and overhead,

Certainly make you wish that you were dead,

At first; and all the mean vulgarity

Of city life, the filth¹¹ and misery¹²

You see around you, make you want to put

Back to the country anywhere, hot-foot.

Yet—there are compensations.

 

Morrison. Such as?

 

Wetherbee. Why,

There is the club.

 

Morrison. The club I can't deny.

Many o' the fellows back there?

 

Wetherbee. Nearly all.

Over the twilight¹³ cocktails¹⁴ there are tall

Stories and talk. But you would hardly care;

You have the natives to talk with down there,

And always find them meaty.

 

Morrison. Well, so-so.

Their words outlast¹⁵ their ideas at times, you know,

[Pg 246]And they have staying powers. The theaters

All open now?

 

Wetherbee. Yes, all. And it occurs

To me: there's one among the things that you

Would have enjoyed; an opera with the new—

Or at least the last—music by Sullivan,

And words, though not Gilbertian, that ran

Trippingly with it. Oh, I tell you what,

I'd rather that you had been there than not.

 

Morrison. Thanks ever so!

 

Wetherbee. Oh, there is nothing mean

About your early friend. That deer and autumn scene

Were kind of you! And, say, I think you like

Afternoon teas when good. I have chanced to strike

Some of the best of late, where people said

They had sent you cards, but thought you must be dead.

I told them I left you down there by the sea,

And then they sort of looked askance at me,

As if it were a joke, and bade me get

Myself some bouillon or some chocolate,

And turned the subject—did not even give

Me time to prove it is not life to live

In town as long as you can keep from freezing

Beside the autumn sea. A little sneezing,

At Clamhurst Shortsands, since the frosts set in?

[Pg 247]

Morrison. Well, not enough to make a true friend grin.

Slight colds, mere¹⁶ nothings. With our open fires

We've all the warmth and cheer that heart desires.

Next year we'll have a furnace in, and stay

Not till Thanksgiving, but till Christmas Day.

It's glorious in these roomy autumn nights

To sit between the firelight and the lights

Of our big lamps, and read aloud by turns

As long as kerosene¹⁷ or hickory burns.

We hate to go to bed.

 

Wetherbee. Of course you do!

And hate to get up in the morning, too—

To pull the coverlet from your frost-bit nose,

And touch the glary matting with your toes!

Are you beginning yet to break the ice

In your wash-pitchers? No? Well, that is nice.

I always hate to do it—seems as if

Summer was going; but when your hand is stiff

With cold, it can be done. Still, I prefer

To wash and dress beside my register,

When summer gets a little on, like this.

But some folks find the other thing pure bliss—

Lusty young chaps, like you.

 

Morrison. And some folks find

A sizzling radiator¹⁸ to their mind.

What else have you, there, you could recommend

To the attention of a country friend?

[Pg 248]

Wetherbee. Well, you know how it is in Madison Square,

Late afternoons, now, if the day's been fair—

How all the western sidewalk ebbs¹⁹ and flows

With pretty women in their pretty clo'es:

I've never seen them prettier than this year.

Of course, I know a dear is not a deer,

But still, I think that if I had to meet

One or the other in the road, or street,

All by myself, I am not sure but that

I'd choose the dear that wears the fetching hat.

 

Morrison. Get out! What else?

 

Wetherbee. Well, it is not so bad,

If you are feeling a little down, or sad,

To walk along Fifth Avenue to the Park,

When the day thinks perhaps of getting dark,

And meet that mighty²⁰ flood of vehicles

Laden²¹ with all the different kinds of swells²²,

Homing to dinner, in their carriages—

Victorias, landaus, chariots, coupés—

There's nothing like it to lift up the heart

And make you realize yourself a part,

Sure, of the greatest show on earth.

 

Morrison. Oh, yes,

I know. I've felt that rapture²³ more or less.

But I would rather put it off as long

As possible. I suppose you like the song

[Pg 249]Of the sweet car-gongs better than the cry

Of jays and yellowhammers when the sky

Begins to redden these October mornings,

And the loons sound their melancholy²⁴ warnings;

Or honk²⁵ of the wild-geese that write their A

Along the horizon in the evening's gray.

Or when the squirrels look down on you and bark

From the nut trees—

 

Wetherbee. We have them in the Park

Plenty enough. But, say, you aged²⁶ sinner,

Have you been out much recently at dinner?

 

Morrison. What do you mean? You know there's no one here

That dines except ourselves now.

 

Wetherbee. Well, that's queer!

I thought the natives— But I recollect²⁷!

It was not reasonable to expect—

 

Morrison. What are you driving at?

 

Wetherbee. Oh, nothing much.

But I was thinking how you come in touch

With life at the first dinner in the fall,

When you get back, first, as you can't at all

Later along. But you, of course, won't care

With your idyllic²⁸ pleasures.

 

Morrison. Who was there?

 

Wetherbee. Oh—ha, ha! What d'you mean by there?

 

 

Morrison. Come off!

[Pg 250]

Wetherbee. What! you remain to pray that came to scoff²⁹!

 

Morrison. You know what I am after.

 

Wetherbee. Yes, that dinner.

Just a round dozen: Ferguson and Binner

For the fine arts; Bowyer the novelist;

Dr. Le Martin; the psychologist

Fletcher; the English actor Philipson;

The two newspaper Witkins, Bob and John;

A nice Bostonian, Bane the archæologer,

And a queer Russian amateur astrologer;

And Father Gray, the jolly ritualist priest,

And last your humble³⁰ servant, but not least.

The food was not so filthy³¹, and the wine

Was not so poison. We made out to dine

From eight till one A.M. One could endure

The dinner. But, oh say! The talk was poor!

Your natives down at Clamhurst—

 

Morrison. Look ye here!

What date does Thanksgiving come on this year?

 

Wetherbee. Why, I suppose—although I don't remember

Certainly—the usual 28th November.

 

Morrison. Novem—You should have waited to get sober!

It comes on the 11th of October!

And that's to-morrow; and if you happen down

Later, you'd better look for us in town.

1 poker   

n.扑克；vt.烙制

参考例句：

• He was cleared out in the poker game.他打扑克牌，把钱都输光了。
• I'm old enough to play poker and do something with it.我打扑克是老手了，可以玩些花样。

2 lagoon   

n.泻湖，咸水湖

参考例句：

• The lagoon was pullulated with tropical fish.那个咸水湖聚满了热带鱼。
• This area isolates a restricted lagoon environment.将这一地区隔离起来使形成一个封闭的泻湖环境。

3 crimson   

n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色

参考例句：

• She went crimson with embarrassment.她羞得满脸通红。
• Maple leaves have turned crimson.枫叶已经红了。

4 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

5 scarlet   

n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的

参考例句：

• The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
• The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

6 maples   

槭树，枫树( maple的名词复数 )； 槭木

参考例句：

• There are many maples in the park. 公园里有好多枫树。
• The wind of the autumn colour the maples carmine . 秋风给枫林涂抹胭红。

7 turquoise   

n.绿宝石；adj.蓝绿色的

参考例句：

• She wore a string of turquoise round her neck.她脖子上戴着一串绿宝石。
• The women have elaborate necklaces of turquoise.那些女人戴着由绿松石制成的精美项链。

8 trolleys   

n.（两轮或四轮的）手推车( trolley的名词复数 )；装有脚轮的小台车；电车

参考例句：

• Cars and trolleys filled the street. 小汽车和有轨电车挤满了街道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Garbage from all sources was deposited in bins on trolleys. 来自各方的垃圾是装在手推车上的垃圾箱里的。 来自辞典例句

9 clatter   

v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声

参考例句：

• The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.碟子碗碰得丁丁当当的。
• Don't clatter your knives and forks.别把刀叉碰得咔哒响。

10 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

11 filth   

n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥

参考例句：

• I don't know how you can read such filth.我不明白你怎么会去读这种淫秽下流的东西。
• The dialogue was all filth and innuendo.这段对话全是下流的言辞和影射。

12 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

13 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

14 cocktails   

n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 )；餐前开胃菜；混合物

参考例句：

• Come about 4 o'clock. We'll have cocktails and grill steaks. 请四点钟左右来，我们喝鸡尾酒，吃烤牛排。 来自辞典例句
• Cocktails were a nasty American habit. 喝鸡尾酒是讨厌的美国习惯。 来自辞典例句

15 outlast   

v.较…耐久

参考例句：

• The great use of life is to spend it doing something that will outlast it.人生的充分利用就是为争取比人生更长久的东西而度过一生。
• These naturally dried flowers will outlast a bouquet of fresh blooms.这些自然风干的花会比一束鲜花更加持久。

16 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

17 kerosene   

n.(kerosine)煤油，火油

参考例句：

• It is like putting out a fire with kerosene.这就像用煤油灭火。
• Instead of electricity,there were kerosene lanterns.没有电，有煤油灯。

18 radiator   

n.暖气片，散热器

参考例句：

• The two ends of the pipeline are connected with the radiator.管道的两端与暖气片相连接。
• Top up the radiator before making a long journey.在长途旅行前加满散热器。

19 ebbs   

退潮( ebb的名词复数 )； 落潮； 衰退

参考例句：

• When the tide ebbs it's a rock pool inhabited by crustaceans. 退潮时，它便成为甲壳动物居住的岩石区潮水潭。
• The new Russia steadily ebbs away drive out of Moscow. 驶离莫斯科愈来愈远以后，俄罗斯崭新的景象也逐渐消失。

20 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

21 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

22 swells   

增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情）

参考例句：

• The waters were heaving up in great swells. 河水正在急剧上升。
• A barrel swells in the middle. 水桶中部隆起。

23 rapture   

n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜

参考例句：

• His speech was received with rapture by his supporters.他的演说受到支持者们的热烈欢迎。
• In the midst of his rapture,he was interrupted by his father.他正欢天喜地，被他父亲打断了。

24 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

25 honk   

n.雁叫声，汽车喇叭声

参考例句：

• Don't honk the horn indiscriminately.不要乱鸣喇叭！
• While passing another vehicle,you must honk your horn.通过另一部车时必须鸣按喇叭。

26 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

27 recollect   

v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得

参考例句：

• He tried to recollect things and drown himself in them.他极力回想过去的事情而沉浸于回忆之中。
• She could not recollect being there.她回想不起曾经到过那儿。

28 idyllic   

adj.质朴宜人的，田园风光的

参考例句：

• These scenes had an idyllic air.这种情景多少有点田园气氛。
• Many people living in big cities yearn for an idyllic country life.现在的很多都市人向往那种田园化的生活。

29 scoff   

n.嘲笑，笑柄，愚弄；v.嘲笑，嘲弄，愚弄，狼吞虎咽

参考例句：

• You are not supposed to scoff at religion.你不该嘲弄宗教。
• He was the scoff of the town.他成为全城的笑柄。

30 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

31 filthy   

adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的

参考例句：

• The whole river has been fouled up with filthy waste from factories.整条河都被工厂的污秽废物污染了。
• You really should throw out that filthy old sofa and get a new one.你真的应该扔掉那张肮脏的旧沙发，然后再去买张新的。