Tourists.docx
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Tourists.docx
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Tourists
Tourists--ByNancyMitford
ThemostintensivestudyIevermadeoftouristsasatTorcello,whereitisimpossibletoavoidthem.TorcelloisaminuteislandintheVenetianlagoon:
here,amongvineyardsandwildflowers,somethirtycottagessurroundagreatcathedralwhichwasbeingbuiltwhenWilliamtheConquerorcametoEngland.Acanalandapathleadfromthelagoontothevillage,thevineyardsareintersectedbycanals;redandyellowsailsglideslowlythroughthevines.Bellsfromthecampanileringoutreproachesthreetimesaday("cloches,cloches,divinesreproaches")joinedbyachorusfromthesurroundingislands.ThereisaninnwhereIlivedonesummer,writingmybookandobservingthetourist.TorcellowhichusedtobelonelyasacloudhasrecentlybecomeanoutingfromVenice.Manymorevisitorsthanitcancomfortablyholdpourintoit,offtheregularsteamers,offcharteredmotor-boats,andoffyachts;alldaytheyambledupthetow-path,lookingforwhat?
Thecathedralisdecoratedwithearlymosaics--scenesfromhell,muchrestored,andagreatsad,austereMadonna;Byzantineartisanacquiredtasteandprobablynotoneintenofthevisitorshasacquiredit.Theywanderintothechurchandlookroundaimlessly.Theycomeoutontothevillagegreenandphotographeachotherinastonearmchair,saidtobethethroneofAttila.Theyrelentlesslytearatthewildroseswhichonehasseeninbudandlongedtoseeinbloomandwhich,foradayhavescentedthewholeisland.Assoonastheyarepickedtherosesfadeandarethrownintothecanal.TheAmericansvisittheinntoeatordrinksomething.TheEnglishdeclarethattheycan'taffordtodothis.TheytakefoodwhichtheyhavebroughtwiththemintothevineyardandIamsorrytosayleavethedevilofamessbehindthem.EveryThursdayGermanscomeupthetow-path,marchingastowar,withaLeader.Thereisastandingordertofiftyluncheonsattheinn;whiletheyeattheLeaderlecturesthemthroughamegaphone.Afterluncheontheymarchintothecathedralandundergoanotherlecture.They,atleast,knowwhattheyareseeing.Thentheymarchbacktotheirboat.Theyaretidy;theyleavenolitter.
Moreinteresting,however,thanthebehaviorofthetouristsisthatoftheislanders.Astheyareobliged,whethertheylikeitornot,toliveinpublicduringthewholesummer,theyverynaturallytrytoextractsomefinancialbenefitfromthisstateofaffairs.TheItalianisabonactor;betweenthefirstboatfromVenice,at11a.m.andthelastonwhichtheordinarytouristleavesat6p.m.,theislandisturnedintoastagewithallthenativesplayingapart.YoungmenfromBurano,thenextisland,dressupasgondoliersandferrytouristsfromthesteamertothevillageinsandolos.OneofthembringsadreadfullittlebrothercalledEricwhopesterseverybodytobuythedeadbodiesofsea-horses,paintedgold."Buonafortuna",hechants.IgotveryfrondofEric.Sweet-facedoldwomensitatthecottagedoorssellingpostcardsandtrinketsandapparentlymakingpointdeVeniselace.Theyhavereallygotit,onsaleorreturn,fromrelationsinBurano,whereitismadebyyounggirls.Oldwomen,withtoil-wornhands,cannotdosuchfinework.Itissupposedthatthetouristsaremorelikelytobuyiftheythinktheyseethelacebeingmade,buthardlyanyofthemseemtoappreciateitsmarvelousquality.Babiestoddleaboutofferingfour-leafedcloversandhopingforatip.Morecriesof"Buonafortuna".Thepriestorganizesholyprocessionstocoincidewiththearrivalofthesteamer.Andsotheplaygoeson..Thetouristsarealmostincrediblymean,theyhardlyleaveanythingontheislandexceptemptycigaretteboxesandflappingDailyMails.Thelaceisexpansive,buttheymightbuyafewpostcardsorshellnecklacesandgivethechildrensomepennies;theyseemtohaveheartsofstone.
Assoonasthelastboathasgone,downcomesthecurtain.The"gondoliers"shedtheirwhitelinenjacketsandsillystrawhatsandgobacktoBurano,takingEric,highlydissatisfiedwithhisearningandsayingifthisgoesonhewilldieofhunger.Thesweetoldwomenletthesmilesfadefromtheirfaces,putawaytheirlace-makingpillows,andturntoordinaryactivitiesofvillagelifesuchasdrowningkittens.Thefatherofthecloverbabiescreepsaboutonhiskneesfindingfour-leafedcloverforthenextday.Theeveningreproachesringout,themooncomesup,theflappingDailyMailsblowintothelagoon.Torcelloisitselfagain.
Salvation--ByLangstonHuges
IwassavedfromsinwhenIwasgoingonthirteen.Butnotreallysaved.Ithappenedlikethis.TherewasabigrevivalatmyAuntieReed'schurch.Everynightforweekstherehadbeenmuchpreaching,singing,praying,andshouting,andsomeveryhardenedsinnershadbeenbroughttoChrist,andthemembershipofthechurchhadgrownbyleapsandbounds.Thenjustbeforetherevivalended,theyheldaspecialmeetingforchildren,"tobringtheyounglambstothefold."Myauntspokeofitfordaysahead.ThatnightIwasescortedtothefrontrowandplacedonthemourners'benchwithalltheotheryoungsinners,whohadnotyetbeenbroughttoJesus.
Myaunttoldmethatwhenyouweresavedyousawalight,andsomethinghappenedtoyouinside!
AndJesuscameintoyourlife!
AndGodwaswithyoufromthenon!
ShesaidyoucouldseeandhearandfeelJesusinyoursoul.Ibelievedher.Ihadheardagreatmanyoldpeoplesaythesamethinganditseemedtometheyoughttoknow.SoIsattherecalmlyinthehot,crowdedchurch,waitingforJesustocometome.
Thepreacherpreachedawonderfulrhythmicalsermon,allmoansandshoutsandlonelycriesanddirepicturesofhell,andthenhesangasongabouttheninetyandninesafeinthefold,butonelittlelambwasleftoutinthecold.Thenhesaid:
"Won'tyoucome?
Won'tyoucometoJesus?
Younglambs,won'tyoucome?
"Andheheldouthisarmstoallusyoungsinnersthereonthemourners'bench.Andthelittlegirlscried.AndsomeofthemjumpedupandwenttoJesusrightaway.Butmostofusjustsatthere.
Agreatmanyoldpeoplecameandkneltaroundusandprayed,oldwomenwithjet-blackfacesandbraidedhair,oldmenwithwork-gnarledhands.Andthechurchsangasongaboutthelowerlightsareburning,somepoorsinnerstobesaved.Andthewholebuildingrockedwithprayerandsong.
StillIkeptwaitingtoseeJesus.
Finallyalltheyoungpeoplehadgonetothealtarandweresaved,butoneboyandme.Hewasarounder'ssonnamedWestley.WestleyandIweresurroundedbysistersanddeaconspraying.Itwasveryhotinthechurch,andgettinglatenow.FinallyWestleysaidtomeinawhisper:
"Goddamn!
I'mtiredo'sittinghere.Let'sgetupandbesaved."Sohegotupandwassaved.
ThenIwasleftallaloneonthemourners'bench.Myauntcameandkneltatmykneesandcried,whileprayersandsongswirledallaroundmeinthelittlechurch.Thewholecongregationprayedformealone,inamightywailofmoansandvoices.AndIkeptwaitingserenelyforJesus,waiting,waiting-buthedidn'tcome.Iwantedtoseehim,butnothinghappenedtome.Nothing!
Iwantedsomethingtohappentome,butnothinghappened.
Iheardthesongsandtheministersaying:
"Whydon'tyoucome?
Mydearchild,whydon'tyoucometoJesus?
Jesusiswaitingforyou.Hewantsyou.Whydon'tyoucome?
SisterReed,whatisthischild'sname?
"
"Langston,"myauntsobbed.
"Langston,whydon'tyoucome?
Whydon'tyoucomeandbesaved?
Oh,LambofGod!
Whydon'tyoucome?
"
Nowitwasreallygettinglate.Ibegantobeashamedofmyself,holdingeverythingupsolong.IbegantowonderwhatGodthoughtaboutWestley,whocertainlyhadn'tseenJesuseither,butwhowasnowsittingproudlyontheplatform,swinginghisknickerbockeredlegsandgrinningdownatme,surroundedbydeaconsandoldwomenontheirkneespraying.GodhadnotstruckWestleydeadfortakinghisnameinvainorforlyinginthetemple.SoIdecidedthatmaybetosavefurthertrouble,I'dbetterlie,too,andsaythatJesushadcome,andgetupandbesaved.
SoIgotup.
Suddenlythewholeroombrokeintoaseaofshouting,astheysawmerise.Wavesofrejoicingswepttheplace.Womenleapedintheair.Myauntthrewherarmsaroundme.Theministertookmebythehandandledmetotheplatform.
Whenthingsquieteddown,inahushedsilence,punctuatedbyafewecstatic"Amens,"allthenewyounglambswereblessedinthenameofGod.Thenjoyoussingingfilledtheroom.
Thatnight,forthefirsttimeinmylifebutoneforIwasabigboytwelveyearsold-Icried.Icried,inbedalone,andcouldn'tstop.Iburiedmyheadunderthequilts,butmyauntheardme.ShewokeupandtoldmyuncleIwascryingbecausetheHolyGhosthadcomeintomylife,andbecauseIhadseenJesus.ButIwasreallycryingbecauseIcouldn'tbeartotellherthatIhadlied,thatIhaddeceivedeverybodyinthechurch,thatIhadn'tseenJesus,andthatnowIdidn'tbelievetherewasaJesusanymore,sincehedidn'tcometohelpme.
HowtoGrowOld
BertrandRussell
Inspiteofthetitle,thisarticlewillreallybeonhownottogrowold,which,atmytimeoflife,isamuchmoreimportantsubject.Myfirstadvicewouldbetochooseyourancestorscarefully.Althoughbothmyparentsdiedyoung,Ihavedonewellinthisrespectasregardsmyotherancestors.Mymaternalgrandfather,itistrue,wascutoffintheflowerofhisyouthattheageofsixty-seven,butmyotherthreegrandparentsalllivedtobeovereighty.OfremoterancestorsIcanonlydiscoveronewhodidnotlivetoagreatage,andhediedofadiseasewhichisnowrare,namely,havinghisheadcutoff.Agreat-grandmotherofmine,whowasafriendofGibbon,lived
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