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1、TheLibidofortheUglyH.L.Mencken1OnaWinterdaysomeyearsago,comingoutof Pittsburgh ononeoftheexpressesofthe Pennsylvania Railroad,IrolledeastwardforanhourthroughthecoalandsteeltownsofWestmorelandcounty.Itwasfamiliarground;boyandman,Ihadbeenthroughitoftenbefore.But
2、somehowIhadneverquitesensedits appalling desolation.HerewastheveryheartofindustrialAmerica,thecenterofitsmostlucrativeandcharacteristicactivity,theboastandprideoftherichestandgrandestnationeverseenonearth--andherewasascenesodreadfully hideous ,sointolerablyble
3、akandforlornthatitreducedthewhole aspiration ofmantoa macabre anddepressingjoke .Herewaswealthbeyondcomputation,almostbeyondimagination--andherewerehumanhabitationssoabominablethattheywouldhavedisgracedaraceofalleycats. 2Iamnotspeakingofmerefilth.Oneexpectsste
4、eltownstobedirty.WhatIalludetoistheunbrokenand agonizing ugliness,thesheerrevoltingmonstrousness,ofeveryhouseinsight.FromEastLibertytoGreensburg,adistanceoftwenty-fivemiles,therewasnotoneinsightfromthetrainthatdidnotinsultandlaceratetheeye.Someweresobad,andthe
5、ywereamongthemost pretentious --churches,stores,warehouses,andthelike--thattheyweredown-rightstartling;oneblinkedbeforethemasoneblinksbeforeamanwithhisfaceshotaway.Afewlingerinmemory,horribleeventhere:acrazylittlechurchjustwestofJeannette,setlikeadormer-window
6、onthesideofabare leprous hill;theheadquartersoftheVeteransofForeignWarsatanother forlorn town,asteelstadiumlikeahugerattrapsomewherefurtherdowntheline.ButmostofallIrecallthegeneraleffect--ofhideousnesswithoutabreak.Therewasnotasingledecenthousewithineyerangefr
7、omthePittsburghtotheGreensburgyards.Therewasnotonethatwasnotmisshapen,andtherewasnotonethatwasnotshabby. 3Thecountryitselfisnotuncomely,despitethegrimeoftheendlessmills.Itis,inform,anarrowrivervalley,withdeepgulliesrunningupintothehills.Itisthicklysettled,butn
8、ot:noticeablyovercrowded.Thereisstillplentyofroomforbuilding,eveninthelargertowns,andthereareveryfewsolidblocks.Nearlyeveryhouse,bigandlittle,hasspaceonallfoursides.Obviously,ifthe
