the ways of men-第25节

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when　everything　was　arranged　to　her　satisfaction；　she　　turned　to　me　her　poor；　plain　face；　lighted　up　with　an　　expression　of　delight；　and　exclaimed；　〃Oh；　sir；　I　do　love　to　　work　in　these　rooms！　　I'm　never　so　happy　as　when　I'm　arranging　　them　elegant　things！〃　　And；　although　my　pleasure　in　her　　pleasure　was　modified　by　the　discovery　that　she　had　taken　an　　eighteenth…century　comb　to　disentangle　the　fringes　of　a　rug；　　and　broken　several　of　its　teeth　in　her　ardor；　that　she　　invariably　placed　a　certain　Whister　etching　upside　down；　and　　then　stood　in　rapt　admiration　before　it；　still；　in　watching　　her　enthusiasm；　I　felt　a　thrill　of　satisfaction　at　seeing　how　　her　untaught　taste　responded　to　a　contact　with　good　things。

Here　in　America；　and　especially　in　our　city；　which　we　have　　been　at　such　pains　to　make　as　hideous　as　possible；　the　　schoolrooms；　where　hundreds　of　thousands　of　children　pass　many　　hours　daily；　are　one　degree　more　graceless　than　the　town　　itself；　the　most　artistically　inclined　child　can　hardly　　receive　any　but　unfortunate　impressions。　　The　other　day　a　　friend　took　me　severely　to　task　for　rating　our　American　women　　on　their　love　of　the　big　shops；　and　gave　me；　I　confess；　an　　entirely　new　idea　on　the　subject。　　〃Can't　you　see；〃　she　said；　　〃that　the　shops　here　are　what　the　museums　abroad　are　to　the　　poor？　　It　is　in　them　only　that　certain　people　may　catch　　glimpses　of　the　dainty　and　exquisite　manufactures　of　other　　countries。　　The　little　education　their　eyes　receive　is　　obtained　during　visits　to　these　emporiums。〃

If　this　proves　so；　and　it　seems　probable；　it　only　proves　how　　the　humble　long　for　something　more　graceful　than　their　meagre　　homes　afford。

In　the　hope　of　training　the　younger　generations　to　better　　standards　and　less　vulgar　ideals；　a　group　of　ladies　are　making　　an　attempt　to　surround　our　schoolchildren　during　their　　impressionable　youth　with　reproductions　of　historic　　masterpieces；　and　have　already　decorated　many　schoolrooms　in　　this　way。　　For　a　modest　sum　it　is　possible　to　tint　the　bare　　walls　an　attractive　color　…　a　delight　in　itself　…　and　adorn　　them　with　plaster　casts　of　statues　and　solar　prints　of　　pictures　and　buildings。　　The　transformation　that　fifty　or　　sixty　dollars　judiciously　expended　in　this　way　produces　in　a　　school…room　is　beyond　belief；　and；　as　the　advertisements　say；　　〃must　be　seen　to　be　appreciated；〃　giving　an　air　of　　cheerfulness　and　refinement　to　the　dreariest　apartment。

It　is　hard　to　make　people　understand　the　enthusiasm　these　　decorations　have　excited　in　both　teachers　and　pupils。　　The　　directress　of　one　of　our　large　schools　was　telling　me　of　the　　help　and　pleasure　the　prints　and　casts　had　been　to　her；　she　　had　given　them　as　subjects　for　the　class　compositions；　and　　used　them　in　a　hundred　different　ways　as　object…lessons。　　As　　the　children　are　graduated　from　room　to　room；　a　great　variety　　of　high…class　subjects　can　be　brought　to　their　notice　by　　varying　the　decorations。

It　is　by　the　eye　principally　that　taste　is　educated。　　〃We　　speak　with　admiration　of　the　eighth　sense　common　among　　Parisians；　and　envy　them　their　magic　power　of　combining　simple　　materials　into　an　artistic　whole。　　The　reason　is　that　for　　generations　the　eyes　of　those　people　have　been　unconsciously　　educated　by　the　harmonious　lines　of　well…proportioned　　buildings；　finely　finished　detail　of　stately　colonnade；　and　　shady　perspective　of　quay　and　boulevard。　　After　years　of　this　　subtle　training　the　eye　instinctively　revolts　from　the　vulgar　　and　the　crude。　　There　is　little　in　the　poorer　quarters　of　our　　city　to　rejoice　or　refine　the　senses；　squalor　and　all…　pervading　ugliness　are　not　least　among　the　curses　that　poverty　　entails。

If　you　have　a　subject　of　interest　in　your　mind；　it　often　　happens　that　every　book　you　open；　every　person　you　speak　with；　　refers　to　that　topic。　　I　never　remember　having　seen　an　　explanation　offered　of　this　phenomenon。

The　other　morning；　while　this　article　was　lying　half　finished　　on　my　desk；　I　opened　the　last　number　of　a　Paris　paper　and　　began　reading　an　account　of　the　drama；　LES　MAUVAIS　BERGERS　　（treating　of　that　perilous　subject；　the　〃strikes〃）；　which　　Sarah　Bernhardt　had　just　had　the　courage　to　produce　before　the　　Paris　public。　　In　the　third　act；　when　the　owner　of　the　factory　　receives　the　disaffected　hands；　and　listens　to　their　　complaints；　the　leader　of　the　strike　（an　intelligent　young　　workman）；　besides　shorter　hours　and　increased　pay；　demands　　that　recreation　rooms　be　built　where　the　toilers；　their　wives；　　and　their　children　may　pass　unoccupied　hours　in　the　enjoyment　　of　attractive　surroundings；　and　cries　in　conclusion：　〃We；　the　　poor；　need　some　poetry　and　some　art　in　our　lives；　man　does　not　　live　by　bread　alone。　　He　has　a　right；　like　the　rich；　to　things　　of　beauty！〃

In　commending　the　use　of　decoration　as　a　means　of　bringing　　pleasure　into　dull；　cramped　lives；　one　is　too　often　met　by　the　　curious　argument　that　taste　is　innate。　　〃Either　people　have　it　　or　they　haven't；〃　like　a　long　nose　or　a　short　one；　and　it　is　　useless　to　waste　good　money　in　trying　to　improve　either。　　〃It　　would　be　much　more　to　the　point　to　spend　your　money　in　giving　　the　poor　children　a　good　roast…beef　dinner　at　Christmas　than　　in　placing　the　bust　of　Clytie　before　them。〃　　That　argument　has　　crushed　more　attempts　to　elevate　the　poor　than　any　other　ever　　advanced。　　If　it　were　listened　to；　there　would　never　be　any　　progress　made；　because　there　are　always　thousands　of　people　　who　are　hungry。

When　we　reflect　how　painfully　ill…arranged　rooms　or　ugly　　colors　affect　our　senses；　and　remember　that　less　fortunate　　neighbors　suffer　as　much　as　we　do　from　hideous　environments；　　it　seems　like　keeping　sunlight　from　a　plant；　or　fresh　air　out　　of　a　sick…room；　to　refuse　glimpses　of　the　beautiful　to　the　　poor　when　it　is　in　our　power　to　give　them　this　satisfaction　　with　a　slight　effort。　　Nothing　can　be　more　encouraging　to　　those　who　occasionally　despair　of　human　nature　than　the　good　　results　already　obtained　by　this　small　attempt　in　the　schools。

We　fall　into　the　error　of　imagining　that　because　the　Apollo　　Belvedere　and　the　Square　of　St。　Mark's　have　become　stale　to　us　　by　reproduction　they　are　necessarily　so　to　others。　　The　great　　and　the　wealthy　of　the　world　form　no　idea　of　the　longing　the　　poor　feel　for　a　little　variety　in　their　lives。　　They　do　not　　know　what　they　want。　　They　have　no　standards　to　guide　them；　　but　the　desire　is　there。　　Let　us　offer　ourselves　the　　satisfaction；　as　we　start　off　for　pleasure　trips　abroad　or　to　　the　mountains；　of　knowing　that　at　home　the　routine　of　study　is　　lightened　for　thousands　of　children　by　the　counterfeit　　presentment　of　the　scenes　we　are　enjoying；　that；　as　we　float　　up　the　Golden　Horn　or　sit　in　the　moonlight　by　the　Parthenon；　　far　away　at　home　some　child　is　dreaming　of　those　fair　scenes　　as　she　raises　her　eyes　from　her　task；　and　is　unconsciously　　imbibing　a　love　of　the　beautiful；　which　will　add　a　charm　to　　her　humble　life；　and　make　the　present　labors　lighter。　　If　the　　child　never　lives　to　see　the　originals；　she　will　be　happier　　for　knowing　that　somewhere　in　the　world　domed　mosques　mirror　　themselves　in　still　waters；　and　marble　gods；　the　handiwork　of　　long…dead　nations；　stand　in　the　golden　sunlight　and　silently　　preach　the　gospel　of　the　beautiful。




Chapter　21　…　Seven　Small　Duchesses


SINCE　those　〃precious〃　days　when　the　habitues　of　the　Hotel　　Rambouillet　first　raised　social　intercourse　to　the　level　of　a　　fine　art；　the　morals　and　manners；　the　amusements　and　intrigues　　of　great　French　ladies　have　interested　the　world　and　　influenced　the　ways　of　civilized　nations。　　Thanks　to　Memoirs　　and　Maxims；　we　are　able　to　reconstruct　the　life　of　a　　seventeenth　or　eighteenth　century　noblewoman　as　completely　as　　German　archeologists　have　rebuilt　the　temple　of　the　Wingless　　Victory　on　the　Acropolis　from　surrounding　debris。

Interest　in　French　society　has；　however；　diminished　during　　this　century；　ceasing　almost　entirely　with　the　Second　Empire；　　when　foreign　women　gave　the　tone　to　a　parvenu　court　from　which　　the　older　aristocracy　held　aloof　in　disgust　behind　the　closed　　gates　of　their　〃hotels〃　and　historic　chateaux。

With　the　exception　of　Balzac；　few　writers　have　drawn　authentic　　pictures　of　nineteenth…century　noblewomen　in　France；　and　his　　vivid　portrayals　are　more　the　creations　of　genius　than　correct　　descriptions　of　a　caste。

During　the　last　fifty　years　French　aristocrats　have　ceased　to　　be　factors　even　in　matters　social；　the　sceptre　they　once　held　　having　passed　into　alien　hands；　the　daughters　of　Albion　to　a　　great　extent　replacing　their　French　rivals　in　influencing　the　　ways　of　the　〃world；〃　…　a　change；　be　it　remarked　in　passing；　　that　has　not　improved　the　tone　of　society　or　contributed　to　　the　spread　of　good　manners。

People　like　the　French　nobles；　engaged　in　sulking　and　　attempting　to　overthrow　or　boycott　each　succeeding　regime；　　must　naturally　lose　their　influence。　　They　have　held　aloof　so　　long　…　fearing　to　compromise　themselves　by　any　advances　to　the　　powers　that　be；　and　restrained　by　countless　traditions　from　　taking　an　active　part　in　either　the　social　or　political　strife　　…　that　little　by　little　they　have　been　passed　by　and　ignored；　　which　is　a　pity；　for　amid　the　ruin　of　many　hopes　and　ambitions