第23章
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  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。

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