"Hawthorne, Nathaniel - The Celestial Railroad" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hawthorne Nathaniel)

which the smoke seemed to wreathe itself- and had heard the awful
murmurs, and shrieks, and deep shuddering whispers of the blast,
sometimes forming themselves into words almost articulate- would
have seized upon Mr. Smooth-it-away's comfortable explanation, as
greedily as we did. The inhabitants of the cavern, moreover, were
unlovely personages, dark, smoke-begrimed, generally deformed, with
mis-shapen feet, and a glow of dusky redness in their eyes; as if
their hearts had caught fire, and were blazing out of the upper
windows. It struck me as a peculiarity, that the laborers at the
forge, and those who brought fuel to the engine, when they began to
draw short breath, positively emitted smoke from their mouth and
nostrils.

Among the idlers about the train, most of whom were puffing
cigars which they had lighted at the flame of the crater, I was
perplexed to notice several who, to my certain knowledge, had
heretofore set forth by railroad for the Celestial City. They looked
dark, wild, and smoky, with a singular resemblance, indeed, to the
native inhabitants; like whom, also, they had a disagreeable
propensity to ill-natured gibes and sneers, the habit of which had
wrought a settled contortion of their visages. Having been on speaking
terms with one of these persons- an indolent, good-for-nothing fellow,
who went by the name of Take-it-easy- I called him, and inquired
what was his business there.

"Did you not start," said I, "for the Celestial City?"

"That's a fact," said Mr. Take-it-easy, carelessly puffing some
smoke into my eyes. "But I heard such bad accounts, that I never
took pains to climb the hill, on which the city stands. No business
doing- no fun going on- nothing to drink, and no smoking allowed-
and a thrumming of church-music from morning till night! I would not
stay in such a place, if they offered me house-room and living free."

"But, my good Mr. Take-it-easy," cried I, "why take up your
residence here, of all places in the world?"

"Oh," said the loafer, with a grin, "it is very warm hereabouts,
and I meet with plenty of old acquaintances, and altogether the
place suits me. I hope to see you back again, some day soon. A
pleasant journey to you!"

While he was speaking, the bell of the engine rang, and we dashed
away, after dropping a few passengers, but receiving no new ones.
Rattling onward through the Valley, we were dazzled with the
fiercely gleaming gas-lamps, as before. But sometimes, in the dark
of intense brightness, grim faces, that bore the aspect and expression
of individual sins, or evil passions, seemed to thrust themselves
through the veil of light, glaring upon us, and stretching forth a
great dusky hand, as if to impede our progress. I almost thought, that