第2章
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  II。

  Thetypeismostlyofaseafaringbrown,acomplexionwhichseemstobeinheritedratherthanpersonallyacquired;forthecommerceofKitteryPointperishedlongago,andthefishingfleetsthatusedtofitoutfromherwharveshavealmostaslongagopassedtoGloucester。Allthatisleftofthefishinginterestistheweiroutsidewhichsupplies,fitfullyanduncertainly,thefishshippedfreshtothenearestmarkets。Butinspiteofthisthetinttakenfromthesunsandwindsofthesealingersonthelocalcomplexion;andthelocalmanneristhatfreerandeasiermannerofpeoplewhohaveknownothercoasts,andareinsomesortcitizensoftheworld。ItisverydifferentfromtheinlandNewEnglandmanner;asdifferentasthegentle,slowspeechoftheshorefromtheclippednasalsofthehill-country。Theloungingnativewalkisnottheheavyplodtaughtbythefurrow,buthasthelurchandtheswayofthedeckinit。

  Nothingcouldbebettersuitedtoprogressthroughthelongvillage,whichrisesandsinksbesidetheshorelikealandscapewithitssea-legson;andnothingcouldbemorecharmingandfriendlythanthisvillage。

  Itisquiteuntaintedasyetbythesummercottageswhichhavecoveredsomuchofthecoast,andmadeitlookasiftheaestheticsuburbsofNewYorkandBostonhadgoneashoreuponit。Therearetwoorthreeold-

  fashionedsummerhotels;butthesummerlifedistinctlyfailstocharacterizetheplace。Thepeoplelivewheretheirforefathershavelivedfortwohundredandfiftyyears;andforthecenturysincethebaronialdomainofSirWilliamwasbrokenupandhispossessionsconfiscatedbytheyoungRepublic,theyhavedweltinsmallredorwhitehousesontheirsmallholdingsalongtheslopesandlevelsofthelowhillsbesidethewater,whereamanmaypasswiththeleastinconvenienceanddelayfromhisthresholdtohisgunwale。Notallthehousesaresmall;somearespaciousandambitioustobeofuglymodernpatterns;butmostaresimpleandhomelike。Theirgardens,followingtheexampleofSirWilliam\'svanishedpleasaunce,dropsouthwardtotheshore,wherethelobster-trapsandthehen-coopsmeetinunembarrassedpromiscuity。Butthefish-flakeswhichoncegavetheseinclinestheeffectofterracedvineyardshavepassedasutterlyastheproudparterresoftheoldbaronet;andKitteryPointnolonger\"makes\"acodorahaddockforthemarket。

  Threegroceries,abutchershop,andasmallvarietystorestudythefewnativewants;andwithalittlemoneyonemayliveinasgreatrealcomforthereasformuchinalargerplace。Thestreettakescareofitself;theseafaringhousekeepingofNewEnglandisnotoftheinsatiableDutchtypewhichwillnotsparethestonesofthehighway;butwithinthehousesareofalmostterrifyingcleanliness。TheotherdayI

  foundmyselfinakitchenwherethestoveshonelikeoxidizedsilver;thepumpandsinkwerecladinoilclothaswithbluetiles;thewallswerepapered;thestainlessfloorwasstrewnwithhome-madehookedandbraidedrugs;andIfelttheplacesoaltogethertoogoodformethatIpleadedtostaythereforthetransactionofmybusiness,lestasharpersenseofmyunfitnessshouldawaitmeintheparlor。

  Thevillage,withscarcelyanintervaloffarm-lands,stretchesfourmilesalongthewater-sidetoPortsmouth;butitseemstomethatjustatthepointwhereourlineshavefallenthereisthegreatestconcentrationofitscharacter。Thishasapparentlynotbeenweakened,ithasbeenaccented,bythetrolley-linewhichpassesthroughitswholelength,withgaylyfreightedcarscomingandgoingeveryhalf-hour。Isupposetheyarenotlongerthanothertrolley-cars,buttheyeachaffectmelikeaprocession。Theyarecheerfulpresencesbyday,andbynighttheylightupthedim,windingstreetwiththeflareoftheirelectricbulbs,andbringtothecountryavisionofcitysplendorupontermsthatdonothumiliateordisquiet。DuringJulyandAugusttheyaremostlyfilledwithsummerfolksfromagreatsummerresortbeyondus,andtheirlightsrevealtheprettyfashionsofhatsandgownsinallthecharmofthelatestlinesandtints。Butthereisanincreasingdemocracyinthesesplendors,andonemighteasilymistakeapassingexcursionistfromsomeneighboringinlandtown,orevenalocalnativewiththeinstinctofclothes,forasocialleaderfromYorkHarbor。

  Withthefallingleaf,thebarge-likeopencarscloseupintowell-warmedsaloons,andfaltertohourlyintervalsintheircourse。Butwearestillfarfromthefallingleaf;wearehardlycometotheblushingorfadingleaf。Hereandthereanimpassionedmapleconfessestheautumn;

  theancientPepperrellelmsflingdownshowersofthebaronet\'sfairygoldintheSeptembergusts;thesumacsandtheblackberryvinesareablazealongthetumblingblackstonewalls;butitisstillsummer,itisstillsummer:Icannotallowotherwise!

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