the ways of men-第32节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


be　taken　to　　represent　a　social　condition；　a　phase；　as　it　were；　in　our　　development。　　In　a　certain　obscure　way；　it　was　an　epoch…　marking　structure。　　Its　building　closed　the　era　of　primitive　　Newport；　its　decline　corresponded　with　the　end　of　the　pre…　palatial　period　…　an　era　extending　from　1845　to　1885。

During　forty　years　Newport　had　a　unique　existence；　unknown　to　　the　rest　of　America；　and　destined　to　have　a　lasting　influence　　on　her　ways；　an　existence　now　as　completely　forgotten　as　the　　earlier　boarding…house　MATINEE　DANSANTE　time。　*　　The　sixties；　　seventies；　and　eighties　in　Newport　were　pleasant　years　that　　many　of　us　regret　in　spite　of　modern　progress。　　Simple；　　inexpensive　days；　when　people　dined　at　three　（looking　on　the　　newly　introduced　six　o'clock　dinners　as　an　English　innovation　　and　modern　〃frill〃）；　and　〃high…teaed〃　together　dyspeptically　　off　〃sally　lunns〃　and　〃preserves；〃　washed　down　by　coffee　and　　chocolate；　which　it　was　the　toilsome　duty　of　a　hostess　to　　dispense　from　a　silver…laden　tray；　days　when　〃rockaways〃　drawn　　by　lean；　long…tailed　horses　and　driven　by　mustached　darkies　　were；　if　not　the　rule；　far　from　being　an　exception。

*　〃Newport　of　the　Past；〃　WORLDLY　WAYS　AND　BY…WAYS。

〃Dutch　treat〃　picnics；　another　archaic　amusement；　flourished　　then；　directed　by　a　famous　organizer　at　his　farm；　each　guest　　being　told　what　share　of　the　eatables　it　was　his　duty　to　　provide；　an　edict　from　which　there　was　no　appeal。

Sport　was　little　known　then；　young　men　passing　their　　afternoons　tooling　solemnly　up　and　down　Bellevue　Avenue　in　　top…hats　and　black　frock…coats　under　the　burning　August　sun。

This　was　the　epoch　when　the　Town　and　Country　Club　was　young　　and　full　of　vigor。　　We　met　at　each　other's　houses　or　at　　historic　sites　to　hear　papers　read　on　serious　subjects。　　One　　particular　afternoon　is　vivid　in　my　memory。　　We　had　all　driven　　out　to　a　point　on　the　shore　beyond　the　Third　Beach；　where　the　　Norsemen　were　supposed　to　have　landed　during　their　apocryphal　　visit　to　this　continent。　　It　had　been　a　hot　drive；　but　when　we　　stopped；　a　keen　wind　was　blowing　in　from　the　sea。　　During　a　　pause　in　the　prolix　address　that　followed；　a　coachman's　voice　　was　heard　to　mutter；　〃If　he　jaws　much　longer　all　the　horses　　will　be　foundered；〃　which　brought　the　learned　address　to　an　　ignominious　and　hasty　termination。

Newport　during　the　pre…palatial　era　affected　culture；　and　a　　whiff　of　Boston　pervaded　the　air；　much　of　which　was　tiresome；　　yet　with　an　under…current　of　charm　and　refinement。　　Those　who　　had　the　privilege　of　knowing　Mrs。　Julia　Ward　Howe；　will　　remember　the　pleasant　〃teas〃　and　sparkling　conversation　she　　offered　her　guests　in　the　unpretending　cottage　where　the　　beauty　of　the　daughter　was　as　brilliant　as　the　mother's　wit。

Two　estates　on　Bellevue　Avenue　are　now　without　the　hostesses　　who；　in　those　days；　showed　the　world　what　great　ladies　America　　could　produce。　　It　was　the　foreign…born　husband　of　one　of　　these　women　who　gave　Newport　its　first　lessons　in　luxurious　　living。　　Until　then　Americans　had　travelled　abroad　and　seen　　elaborately　served　meals　and　properly　appointed　stables　　without　the　ambition　of　copying　such　things　at　home。　　Colonial　　and　revolutionary　state　had　died　out；　and　modern　extravagance　　had　not　yet　appeared。　　In　the　interregnum　much　was　neglected　　that　might　have　added　to　the　convenience　and　grace　of　life。

In　France；　under　Louis　Philippe；　and　in　England；　during　　Victoria's　youth；　taste　reached　an　ebb　tide；　in　neither　of　　those　countries；　however；　did　the　general　standard　fall　so　low　　as　here。　　It　was　owing　to　the　SAVOIR　FAIRE　of　one　man　that　　Newporters　and　New　York　first　saw　at　home　what　they　had　　admired　abroad；　…　liveried　servants　in　sufficient　numbers；　　dinners　served　A　LA　RUSSE；　and　breeched　and　booted　grooms　on　　English…built　traps；　innovations　quickly　followed　by　his　　neighbors；　for　the　most　marked　characteristic　of　the　American　　is　his　ability　to　〃catch　on。〃

When；　during　the　war　of　the　secession；　our　Naval　Academy　was　　removed　from　Annapolis　and　installed　in　the　empty　Atlantic　　House　（corner　of　Bellevue　Avenue　and　Pelham　Street）；　hotel　　life　had　already　begun　to　decline；　but　the　Ocean　House；　which　　was　considered　a　vast　enterprise　at　that　time；　inherited　from　　the　older　hotels　the　custom　of　giving　Saturday　evening　〃hops；〃　　the　cottagers　arriving　at　these　informal　entertainments　toward　　nine　o'clock　and　promenading　up　and　down　the　corridors　or　　dancing　in　the　parlor；　to　the　admiration　of　a　public　collected　　to　enjoy　the　spectacle。　　At　eleven　the　doors　of　the　dining…　room　opened；　and　a　line　of　well…drilled　darkies　passed　ices　　and　lemonade。　　By　half…past　eleven　（the　hour　at　which　we　now　　arrive　at　a　dance）　every　one　was　at　home　and　abed。

One　remembers　with　a　shudder　the　military　manoeuvres　that　　attended　hotel　meals　in　those　days；　the　marching　and　　countermarching；　your　dinner　cooling　while　the　head　waiter　　reviewed　his　men。　　That　idiotic　custom　has　been　abandoned；　　like　many　better　and　worse。　　Next　to　the　American　ability　to　　catch　on　comes　the　facility　with　which　he　can　drop　a　fad。

In　this　peculiarity　the　history　of　Newport　has　been　an　epitome　　of　the　country；　every　form　of　amusement　being　in　turn　taken　　up；　run　into　the　ground；　and　then　abandoned。　　At　one　time　it　　was　the　fashion　to　drive　to　Fort　Adams　of　an　afternoon　and　　circle　round　and　round　the　little　green　to　the　sounds　of　a　　military　band；　then；　for　no　visible　reason；　people　took　to　　driving　on　the　Third　Beach；　an　inaccessible　and　lonely　point　　which　for　two　or　three　summers　was　considered　the　only　correct　　promenade。

I　blush　to　recall　it；　but　at　that　time　most　of　the　turnouts　　were　hired　hacks。　　Next；　Graves　Point；　on　the　Ocean　Drive；　　became　the　popular　meeting…place。　　Then　society　took　to　　attending　polo　of　an　afternoon；　a　sport　just　introduced　from　　India。　　This　era　corresponded　with　the　opening　of　the　Casino　　（the　old　reading…room　dating　from　1854）。　　For　several　years　　every　one　crowded　during　hot　August　mornings　onto　the　airless　　lawns　and　piazzas　of　the　new　establishment。　　It　seems　on　　looking　back　as　if　we　must　have　been　more　fond　of　seeing　each　　other　in　those　days　than　we　are　now。　　To　ride　up　and　down　a　　beach　and　bow　filled　our　souls　with　joy；　and　the　〃cake　walk〃　　was　an　essential　part　of　every　ball；　the　guests　parading　in　　pairs　round　and　round　the　room　between　the　dances　instead　of　　sitting　quietly　〃out。〃　　The　opening　promenade　at　the　New　York　　Charity　Ball　is　a　survival　of　this　inane　custom。

The　disappearance　of　the　Ocean　House　〃hops〃　marked　the　last　　stage　in　hotel　life。　　Since　then　better…class　watering　places　　all　over　the　country　have　slowly　but　surely　followed　Newport's　　lead。　　The　closed　caravansaries　of　Bar　Harbor　and　elsewhere　　bear　silent　testimony　to　the　fact　that　refined　Americans　are　　at　last　awakening　to　the　charms　of　home　life　during　their　　holidays；　and　are　discarding；　as　fast　as　finances　will　permit；　　the　pernicious　herding　system。　　In　consequence　the　hotel　has　　ceased　to　be；　what　it　undoubtedly　was　twenty　years　ago；　the　　focus　of　our　summer　life。

Only　a　few　charred　rafters　remain　of　the　Ocean　House。　　A　few　　talkative　old　duffers　like　myself　alone　survive　the　day　it　　represents。　　Changing　social　conditions　have　gradually　placed　　both　on　the　retired　list。　　A　new　and　palatial　Newport　has　　replaced　the　simpler　city。　　Let　us　not　waste　too　much　time　　regretting　the　past；　or　be　too　sure　that　it　was　better　than　　the　present。　　It　is　quite　possible；　if　the　old　times　we　are　　writing　so　fondly　about　should　return；　we　might　discover　that　　the　same　thing　was　true　of　them　as　a　ragged　urchin　asserted　　the　other　afternoon　of　the　burning　building：

〃Say；　Tom；　did　ye　know　there　was　the　biggest　room　in　the　world　　in　that　hotel？〃

〃No；　what　room？〃

〃Room　for　improvement；　ya！〃




Chapter　27　…　SARDOU　at　Marly…le…Roy


NEAR　the　centre　of　that　verdant　triangle　formed　by　Saint　　Cloud；　Versailles；　and　Saint　Germain　lies　the　village　of　　Marly…le…Roy；　high　up　on　a　slope　above　the　lazy　Seine　…　an　　entrancing　corner　of　the　earth；　much　affected　formerly　by　　French　crowned　heads；　and　by　the　〃Sun　King〃　in　particular；　who　　in　his　old　age　grew　tired　of　Versailles　and　built　here　one　of　　his　many　villas　（the　rival　in　its　day　of　the　Trianons）；　and　　proceeded　to　amuse　himself　therein　with　the　same　solemnity　　which　had　already　made　vice　at　Versailles　more　boresome　than　　virtue　elsewhere。

Two　centuries　and　four　revolutions　have　swept　away　all　trace　　of　this　kingly　caprice　and　the　art　treasures　it　contained。　　　Alone；　the　marble　horses　of　Coustou；　transported　later　to　the　　Champs　Elysees；　remain　to　attest　the　splendor　of　the　past。

The　quaint　village　of　Marly；　clustered　around　its　church；　　stands；　however　…　with　the　faculty　that　insignificant　things　　have　of　remaining　unchanged　…　as　it　did　when　the　most　polished　　court　of　Europe　rode　through　it　to　and　from　the　hunt。　　On　the　　outskirts　of　this　village　are　now　two　forged　and　gilded　　gateways　through　which　the　passer…by　can　catch　a　glimpse　of　　trim　avenues；　fountains；　and　well…kept　lawns。

There　seems　a　certain　poetical　justice　in　the　fact　that　　Alexandre　Dumas　FILS　and　Victorien　Sardou；　the　two　giants　of　　modern　drama；　should　have　divided　between　them　the　inheritance　　of　Lou