the ways of men-第4节

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〃That　no　success　is　cheaply　bought　I　have　long　known；　my　　profession　above　all　others　is　calculated　to　teach　one　that　　truth。

〃If　Rostand's　play　is　the　best　this　century　has　produced；　and　　our　greatest　critics　are　unanimous　in　pronouncing　it　equal；　if　　not　superior；　to　Victor　Hugo's　masterpieces；　the　young　author　　has　not　stolen　his　laurels；　but　gained　them　leaf　by　leaf　　during　endless　midnight　hours　of　brain…wringing　effort　…　a　　price　that　few　in　a　generation　would　be　willing　to　give　or　　capable　of　giving　for　fame。　　The　labor　had　been　in　proportion　　to　the　success；　it　always　is！　　I　doubt　if　there　is　one　word　in　　his　‘duel'　ballad　that　has　not　been　changed　again　and　again　　for　a　more　fitting　expression；　as　one　might　assort　the　shades　　of　a　mosaic　until　a　harmonious　whole　is　produced。　　I　have　　there　in　my　desk　whole　scenes　that　he　discarded　because　they　　were　not　essential　to　the　action　of　the　piece。　　They　will　　probably　never　be　printed；　yet　are　as　brilliant　and　cost　their　　author　as　much　labor　as　any　that　the　public　applauded　to…　night。

〃As　our　rehearsals　proceeded　I　saw　another　side　of　Rostand's　　character；　the　energy　and　endurance　hidden　in　his　almost　　effeminate　frame　astonished　us　all。　　He　almost　lived　at　the　　theatre；　drilling　each　actor；　designing　each　costume；　ordering　　the　setting　of　each　scene。　　There　was　not　a　dress　that　he　did　　not　copy　from　some　old　print；　or　a　PASSADE　that　he　did　not　　indicate　to　the　humblest　member　of　the　troop。　　The　marvellous　　diction　that　I　had　noticed　during　the　reading　at　Sarah's　　served　him　now　and　gave　the　key　to　the　entire　performance。　　I　　have　never　seen　him　peevish　or　discouraged；　but　always　　courteous　and　cheerful　through　all　those　weary　weeks　of　　repetition；　when　even　the　most　enthusiastic　feel　their　courage　　oozing　away　under　the　awful　grind　of　afternoon　and　evening　　rehearsal；　the　latter　beginning　at　midnight　after　the　regular　　performance　was　over。

〃The　news　was　somehow　spread　among　the　theatre…loving　public　　that　something　out　if　the　ordinary　was　in　preparation。　　The　　papers　took　up　the　tale　and　repeated　it　until　the　whole　　capital　was　keyed　up　to　concert　pitch。　　The　opening　night　was　　eagerly　awaited　by　the　critics；　the　literary　and　the　artistic　　worlds。　　When　the　curtain　rose　on　the　first　act　there　was　the　　emotion　of　a　great　event　floating　in　the　air。〃　　Here　　Coquelin's　face　assumed　an　intense　expression　I　had　rarely　　seen　there　before。　　He　was　back　on　the　stage；　living　over　　again　the　glorious　hours　of　that　night's　triumph。　　His　breath　　was　coming　quick　and　his　eyes　aglow　with　the　memory　of　that　　evening。　　〃Never；　never　have　I　lived　through　such　an　evening。　　　Victor　Hugo's　greatest　triumph；　the　first　night　of　HERNANI；　　was　the　only　theatrical　event　that　can　compare　to　it。　　It；　　however；　was　injured　by　the　enmity　of　a　clique　who　　persistently　hissed　the　new　play。　　There　is　but　one　phrase　to　　express　the　enthusiasm　at　our　first　performance　…　UNE　SALLE　EN　　DELIRE　gives　some　idea　of　what　took　place。　　As　the　curtain　　fell　on　each　succeeding　act　the　entire　audience　would　rise　to　　its　feet；　shouting　and　cheering　for　ten　minutes　at　a　time。　　　The　coulisse　and　the　dressing…rooms　were　packed　by　the　critics　　and　the　author's　friends；　beside　themselves　with　delight。　　I　　was　trembling　so　I　could　hardly　get　from　one　costume　into　　another；　and　had　to　refuse　my　door　to　every　one。　　Amid　all　　this　confusion　Rostand　alone　remained　cool　and　seemed　　unconscious　of　his　victory。　　He　continued　quietly　giving　last　　recommendations　to　the　figurants；　overseeing　the　setting　of　　the　scenes；　and　thanking　the　actors　as　they　came　off　the　　stage；　with　the　same　self…possessed　urbanity　he　had　shown　　during　the　rehearsals。　　Finally；　when　the　play　was　over；　and　　we　had　time　to　turn　and　look　for　him；　our　author　had　　disappeared；　having　quietly　driven　off　with　his　wife　to　their　　house　in　the　country；　from　which　he　never　moved　for　a　week。〃

It　struck　two　o'clock　as　Coquelin　ended。　　The　sleepless　city　　had　at　last　gone　to　rest。　　At　our　feet；　as　we　stood　by　the　　open　window；　the　great　square　around　the　Arc　de　Triomphe　lay　　silent　and　empty；　its　vast　arch　rising　dimly　against　the　night　　sky。

As　I　turned　to　go；　Coquelin　took　my　hand　and　remarked；　　smiling：　〃Now　you　have　heard　the　story　of　a　genius；　an　actor；　　and　a　masterpiece。〃




Chapter　4　…　Machine…made　Men


AMONG　the　commonplace　white　and　yellow　envelopes　that　compose　　the　bulk　of　one's　correspondence；　appear　from　time　to　time　　dainty　epistles　on　tinted　paper；　adorned　with　crests　or　　monograms。　　〃Ha！　ha！〃　I　think　when　one　of　these　appears；　〃here　　is　something　worth　opening！〃　　For　between　ourselves；　reader　　mine；　old　bachelors　love　to　receive　notes　from　women。　　It's　so　　flattering　to　be　remembered　by　the　dear　creatures；　and　recalls　　the　time　when　life　was　beginning；　and　POULETS　in　feminine　　writing　suggested　such　delightful　possibilities。

Only　this　morning　an　envelope　of　delicate　Nile　green　caused　me　　a　distinct　thrill　of　anticipation。　　To　judge　by　appearances　it　　could　contain　nothing　less　attractive　than　a　declaration；　so；　　tearing　it　hurriedly　open；　I　read：　〃Messrs。　Sparks　&　Splithers　　take　pleasure　in　calling　attention　to　their　patent　suspenders　　and　newest　designs　in　reversible　paper　collars！〃

Now；　if　that's　not　enough　to　put　any　man　in　a　bad　humor　for　　twenty…four　hours；　I　should　like　to　know　what　is？　　Moreover；　I　　have　〃patents〃　in　horror；　experience　having　long　ago　revealed　　the　fact　that　a　patent　is　pretty　sure　to　be　only　a　new　way　of　　doing　fast　and　cheaply　something　that　formerly　was　　accomplished　slowly　and　well。

Few　people　stop　to　think　how　quickly　this　land　of　ours　is　　degenerating　into　a　paradise　of　the　cheap　and　nasty；　but　allow　　themselves　to　be　heated　and　cooled　and　whirled　about　the　　streets　to　the　detriment　of　their　nerves　and　digestions；　under　　the　impression　that　they　are　enjoying　the　benefits　of　modern　　progress。

So　complex　has　life　become　in　these　later　days　that　the　very　　beds　we　lie　on　and　the　meals　we　eat　are　controlled　by　patents。　　　Every　garment　and　piece　of　furniture　now　pays　a　〃royalty〃　to　　some　inventor；　from　the　hats　on　our　heads　to　the　carpets　under　　foot；　which　latter　are　not　only　manufactured；　but　cleaned　and　　shaken　by　machinery；　and　（be　it　remarked　EN　PASSANT）　lose　　their　nap　prematurely　in　the　process。　　To　satisfy　our　national　　love　of　the　new；　an　endless　and　nameless　variety　of　trifles　　appears　each　season；　so…called　labor　and　time…saving　　combinations；　that　enjoy　a　brief　hour　of　vogue；　only　to　make　　way　for　a　newer　series　of　inventions。

As　long　as　our　geniuses　confined　themselves　to　making　life　one　　long　and　breathless　scramble；　it　was　bad　enough；　but　a　line　　should　have　been　drawn　where　meddling　with　the　sanctity　of　the　　toilet　began。　　This；　alas！　was　not　done。　　Nothing　has　remained　　sacred　to　the　inventor。　　In　consequence；　the　average　up…to…　date　American　is　a　walking　collection　of　Yankee　notions；　an　　ingenious　illusion；　made　up　of　patents；　requiring　as　nice　　adjustment　to　put　together　and　undo　as　a　thirteenth…century　　warrior；　and　carrying　hardly　less　metal　about　his　person　than　　a　Crusader　of　old。

There　are　a　number　of　haberdashery　shops　on　Broadway　that　have　　caused　me　to　waste　many　precious　minutes　gazing　into　their　　windows　and　wondering　what　the　strange　instruments　of　steel　　and　elastic　could　be；　that　were　exhibited　alongside　of　the　　socks　and　ties。　　The　uses　of　these　would；　in　all　probability；　　have　remained　wrapped　in　mystery　but　for　the　experience　of　one　　fateful　morning　（after　a　night　in　a　sleeping…car）；　when　　countless　hidden　things　were　made　clear；　as　I　sat；　an　awe…　struck　witness　to　my　fellow…passengers'　…　toilets？　…　No！　　　Getting　their　machinery　into　running　order　for　the　day；　would　　be　a　more　correct　expression。

Originally；　〃tags〃　were　the　backbone　of　the　toilet；　different　　garments　being　held　together　by　their　aid。　　Later；　buttons　and　　attendant　button…holes　were　evolved；　now　replaced　by　the　　devices　used　in　composing　the　machine…made　man。　　As　far　as　I　　could　see　（I　have　overcome　a　natural　delicacy　in　making　my　　discoveries　public；　because　it　seems　unfair　to　keep　all　this　　information　to　myself）；　nothing　so　archaic　as　a　button…hole　is　　employed　at　the　present　time　by　our　patent…ridden　compatriots。　　　The　shirt；　for　instance；　which　was　formerly　such　a　simple…　minded　and　straightforward　garment；　knowing　no　guile；　has　　become；　in　the　hands　of　the　inventors；　a　mere　pretence；　a　　frail　scaffold；　on　which　an　elaborate　superstructure　of　shams　　is　erected。

The　varieties　of　this　garment　that　one　sees　in　the　shop　　windows；　exposing　virgin　bosoms　to　the　day；　are　not　what　they　　seem！　　Those　very　bosoms　are　fakes；　and　cannot　open；　being　　instead　pierced　by　eyelets；　into　which　bogus　studs　are　fixed　　by　machinery。　　The　owner　is　obliged　to　enter　into　those　　deceptive　garments　surreptitiously　from　the　rear；　by　　stratagem；　as　it　were。　　Why　all　this　trouble；　one　asks；　for　no　　apparent　reason；　except　that　old…fashioned　shirts　opened　in　　front；　and　no　Yankee　will　wear　a　non…patented　garment　…　if　he　　can　help　it？

There　was　not　a　single　accessory　to　the　toilet　in　that　car　　which　behaved　in　a　normal　way。　　Buttons　mostly　backed　into　　place；　tail…end　foremost　（like　horses　getting　between　shafts）；