A TRIP TO AFRICA.
Sedgwick and Jordan, with only now and then a few words of conversation,
reached the coast and embarked on the channel steamer. A fresh wind was
blowing, and the craft was shamefully unsteady.
"It must uv been heah, Jim, whar ther original mustang learned his
cussedness," said Jordan. "See how ther steam devil performs, startin' up
ez tho' it meant to climb a wave and then without er provercation rollin'
half way over and all ther time shakin hisself an' makin' things thet
uncomfortable thet ther man aboard, while sayin' nothin', wishes all ther
time he'd never tackled ther brute. Didn't ther useter call ther sea,
'Mare?' I know why, she were a mustang shor."
Sedgwick's face kindled with the ghost of a laugh, and he agreed that
Jordan's theory was not a bad one.
"But, Jim," said Jordan, "this war er famous old place after all."
"Yes," said Sedgwick; "history has compiled some of its wonderful pages
right here. We are where the Great Armada sailed, the souls of those on
board believing they were going to make the conquest of England. Here is
where Howard gave that fleet its first blow; here is where Howard and
Drake sent their fire ships to play havoc with the hostile fleet. A great
place indeed! But it was only 300 years ago that Howard and Drake
performed their part; before their day many a fleet swept over this
watery way; the Crusaders crossed here; before them, a thousand years,
the great Julius came and invaded England; before him, a hundred savage
nations worked their rude boats in these turbulent seas. When the light
of civilization well-nigh went out in the land where it was first
kindled, it was re-lighted on these shores, and though it burned slowly
for a long time it never quite went out; rather, it grew brighter and
brighter until its sheen began to fill the world. Bright souls have
peopled both sides of this channel; both are lands of fair women and
brave men; their literature has made the world gentler and higher; their
laws dominate mankind; their power is a controlling force among the
nations; they make the center of the world's wealth; they are each
examples of how much men may accomplish on small areas of land, provided
they possess sovereign hearts and brains and souls."
The ship scraped against the pier while Sedgwick was talking, and the
travelers hurried on their way. At Paris they were detained several
hours, and Jordan hiring a carriage, they took in as much of the
beautiful city as possible.
Jordan all the time exerted himself to talk, and by asking questions to
compel Sedgwick to think of something besides the sad-browed bride whom
he had left in London.
"What war the special charm 'bout Paris, Jim? I feel it, but blamed ef I
can splain it even ter myself," said he.
"I do not know," replied his friend, "but I suspect, Tom, it is the
culmination of something which has for a thousand years been maturing.
Long ago, a full thousand years, there was an Emperor here who was in
advance of his generation. He believed that a perfect education meant the
full enlightenment of the mortal, that his hands and eyes as well as his
mind must be disciplined, that every useful attribute must be trained. So
he built cathedrals to improve the taste of the people, established free
drawing schools, had the people taught the secret of fusing worthless
material with acute brains and making something valuable--something which
the rich are glad to give their gold in exchange for. That emperor died,
but his work continued to live and increase until France became a nation
of artisans and artists, and that art has now become second nature, and
therein lies the charm. See how yonder lady picks up her drapery to cross
the street; not ten women in England could do that little thing as she
does. Do you know the reason why? She caught the art originally from old
Charlemagne. That is, thirty generations ago, the old Emperor established
the schools which made possible the perfection of the present, and the
graceful art of that lady is in truth a graceful compliment to the old
soldier-Emperor who more than a thousand years ago fell back to dust."
"I reckon yo' are right, Jim," said Jordan. "When I was heah afore, I put
up at er tavern whar ther war young women as waited on ther table. I jest
had plain food, in course, but when one o' them young women brot me ther
bill, she would hand et out in sech er way thet tho' I knowed she war
a-robbin' me, I never thot o' pertestin'; rather, she war shor ter git er
tip in addition. Talk er high art, them girls war daisies, shor. One time
thar war a row. A dapper feller disputed er bill. He thumped his heart,
waved his arms, and made er speech like er politician. Ther perprieter
cum in, then both made speeches. I thot ther would be shootin' or
cuttin', sartin, but finally one rushed out, and I tho't in course hed
gone for a gun. While waitin' ter see ther fun, I seen over at er table
a feller smilin' like, and I tho't by his face he war a Yankee, so I went
over, and sez I: 'parler vouse Fronsa?' Then he laffed and said: 'Yes, a
little, but I understand English better.' Then I shuk his hand 'nd axed
him wot ther row war, an 'nd ef he tho't that thar man hed gone fur a
wepin. He smiled sort o' quiet-like, and said: 'No, it war jest a
difficulty about an overcharge of five sous, and it's all settled.' 'All
that row for five sous?' I asked. 'Yes,' he answered. Then I said, 'My
God, suppose it hed a-been five francs, it would uv been ez good ez er
play.' Yo' see, that old trick thet they got from big Charlie, they
overplay sometimes."
Sedgwick smiled faintly, and Jordan continued:
"But are they not er light-hearted, joyus race, tho'? How they can sing
'nd dance 'nd play hades! When I war heah they hed a review uv ther
soldiers, 'nd how ther hull town turned out 'nd yelled 'nd yelled 'nd
sung ther Marseilles, 'nd yet ther scars and humilitation uv ther mighty
defeat war still fresh upon them. They'r ez hopeful ez ther Irish, same
time they is a great deal closer traders. Ther stranger pays fur eny bow
they make, for any smile they give. Still, they is country-loving; every
one uv 'em 'r ready ter die fur ther beautiful France, 'nd ther women ez
jest ez'thuseastic ez ther men. If I war young 'nd cud round up
ther language a little, I'd camp heah fur six months."
"The place is worth a longer visit," said Sedgwick, "just to study its
past, to go over the spots made sacred in history, to study the
monuments, to visit galleries; to dream of all the events which
transpired to round the present city into form; to trace the city's
career through wars, revolutions, uprisings, victories and defeats; to
learn the processes, and count the throes which were necessary before the
manhood of the people asserted its superiority over the manhood of kings.
"Think! It is but sixty years since the great Corsican led his army out
of here to his last campaign. One can picture him now in thought, moving
up this very street, the old familiar sovereign face, eyes straining
towards the star that even then had become a fallen star, his ears
thrilled with the plaudits of shouting armies and shouting people, his
soul imperturbable in its dream of conquest. Then the man was everything,
the people nothing; now the people are everything, the man--he is asleep
and his heart is not colder in the grave than it was in life."