worldly ways and byways-第19节

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（which　all　this　family　speak　when　alone）　than　to　his　native　

English。　　Hair；　he　has　none；　except　a　little　fringe　across　the　back　

of　his　head；　just　above　a　fine　large　roll　of　fat　that　blushes　above　

his　shirt…collar。　　Too　bad　that　this　discovery　of　the　microbe　of　

baldness　comes　rather　late　for　him！　　He　has　a　pleasant　twinkle　in　

his　small　eyes；　and　an　entire　absence　of　POSE；　that　accounts　

largely　for　his　immense　and　enduring　popularity。



But　the　Hotel　Cap　Martin　shelters　quieter　crowned　heads。　　The　

Emperor　and　Empress　of　Austria；　who　tramp　about　the　hilly　roads；　

the　King　and　Queen　of　Saxony　and　the　fat　Arch…duchess　Stephanie。　　

Austria's　Empress　looks　sadly　changed　and　ill；　as　does　another　lady　

of　whom　one　can　occasionally　catch　a　glimpse；　walking　painfully　

with　a　crutch…stick　in　the　shadow　of　the　trees　near　her　villa。　　It　

is　hard　to　believe　that　this　white…haired；　bent　old　woman　was　once　

the　imperial　beauty　who　from　the　salons　of　the　Tuileries　dictated　

the　fashions　of　the　world！　　Few　have　paid　so　dearly　for　their　brief　

hour　of　splendor！



Cannes　with　its　excellent　harbor　is　the　centre　of　interest　during　

the　racing　season　when　the　Tsarewitsch　comes　on　his　yacht　Czaritza。　　

At　the　Battle　of　Flowers；　one　is　pretty　sure　to　see　the　Duke　of　

Cambridge；　his　Imperial　Highness；　the　Grand　Duke　Michael；　Prince　

Christian　of　Denmark；　H。R。H。　the　Duke　of　Nassau；　H。R。H。　the　

Archduke　Ferdinand　d'Este；　their　Serene　Highnesses　of　Mecklenburg…

Schwerin　and　the　Saxe…Coburg…Gothas；　also　H。R。H。　Marie　Valerie　and　

the　Schleswig…Holsteins；　pelting　each　other　and　the　public　with　

CONFETTI　and　flowers。　　Indeed；　half　the　A1MANACH　DE　GOTHA；　that　

continental　〃society　list；〃　seems　to　be　sunning　itself　here　and　

forgetting　its　cares；　on　bicycles　or　on　board　yachts。　　It　is　said　

that　the　Crown　Princess　of　Honolulu　（whoever　she　may　be）　honors　

Mentone　with　her　presence；　and　the　newly　deposed　Queen　〃Ranavalo〃　

of　Madagascar　is　EN　ROUTE　to　join　in　the　fun。



This　crowd　of　royalty　reminds　me　of　a　story　the　old　sea…dogs　who　

gather　about　the　〃Admirals'　corner〃　of　the　Metropolitan　Club　in　

Washington；　love　to　tell　you。　　An　American　cockswain；　dazzled　by　a　

doubly　royal　visit；　with　attending　suites；　on　board　the　old　

〃Constitution；〃　came　up　to　his　commanding　officer　and　touching　his　

cap；　said：



〃Beg　pardon；　Admiral；　but　one　of　them　kings　has　tumbled　down　the　

gangway　and　broke　his　leg。〃



It　has　become　a　much　more　amusing　thing　to　wear　a　crown　than　it　

was。　　Times　have　changed　indeed　since　Marie　Laczinska　lived　the　

fifty　lonely　years　of　her　wedded　life　and　bore　her　many　children；　

in　one　bed…room　at　Versailles　…　a　monotony　only　broken　by　visits　to　

Fontainebleau　or　Marly。　　Shakespeare's　line　no　longer　fits　the　

case。



Beyond　securing　rich　matches　for　their　children；　and　keeping　a　

sharp　lookout　that　the　Radicals　at　home　do　not　unduly　cut　down　

their　civil　lists；　these　great　ones　have　little　but　their　

amusements　to　occupy　them。　　Do　they　ever　reflect；　as　they　rush　

about　visiting　each　other　and　squabbling　over　precedence　when　they　

meet；　that　some　fine　morning　the　tax…payers　may　wake　up；　and　ask　

each　other　why　they　are　being　crushed　under　such　heavy　loads；　that　

eight　hundred　or　more　quite　useless　people　may　pass　their　lives　in　

foreign　watering…places；　away　from　their　homes　and　their　duties？　　

It　will　be　a　bad　day　for　them　when　the　long…suffering　subjects　say　

to　them；　〃Since　we　get　on　so　exceedingly　well　during　your　many　

visits　abroad；　we　think　we　will　try　how　it　will　work　without　you　at　

all！〃



The　Prince　of　little　Monaco　seems　to　be　about　the　only　one　up　to　

the　situation；　for　he　at　least　stays　at　home；　and　in　connection　

with　two　other　gentlemen　runs　an　exceedingly　good　hotel　and　several　

restaurants　on　his　estates；　doing　all　he　can　to　attract　money　into　

the　place；　while　making　the　strictest　laws　to　prevent　his　subjects　

gambling　at　the　famous　tables。　　Now　if　other　royalties　instead　of　

amusing　themselves　all　the　year　round　would　go　in　for　something　

practical　like　this；　they　might　become　useful　members　of　the　

community。　　This　idea　of　Monaco's　Prince　strikes　one　as　most　

timely；　and　as　opening　a　career　for　other　indigent　crowned　heads。　　

Hotels　are　getting　so　good　and　so　numerous；　that　without　some　

especial　〃attraction〃　a　new　one　can　hardly　succeed；　but　a　

〃Hohenzollern　House〃　well　situated　in　Berlin；　with　William　II。　to　

receive　the　tourists　at　the　door；　and　his　fat　wife　at　the　desk；　

would　be　sure　to　prosper。　　It　certainly　would　be　pleasanter　for　him　

to　spend　money　so　honestly　earned　than　the　millions　wrested　from　

half…starving　peasants　which　form　his　present　income。　　Besides　

there　is　almost　as　much　gold　lace　on　a　hotel　employee's　livery　as　

on　a　court　costume！



The　numerous　crowned　heads　one　meets　wandering　about；　can　hardly　

lull　themselves　over　their　〃games〃　with　the　flattering　unction　that　

they　are　of　use；　for；　have　they　not　France　before　them　（which　they　

find　so　much　to　their　taste）　stronger；　richer；　more　respected　than　

ever　since　she　shook　herself　free　of　such　incumbrances？　　Not　to　

mention　our　own　democratic　country；　which　has　managed　to　hold　its　

own；　in　spite　of　their　many　gleeful　predictions　to　the　contrary。









CHAPTER　18　…　A　Rock　Ahead





HAVING　had　occasion　several　times　during　this　past　season；　to　pass　

by　the　larger　stores　in　the　vicinity　of　Twenty…third　Street；　I　have　

been　struck　more　than　ever；　by　the　endless　flow　of　womankind　that　

beats　against　the　doors　of　those　establishments。　　If　they　were　

temples　where　a　beneficent　deity　was　distributing　health；　learning；　

and　all　the　good　things　of　existence；　the　rush　could　hardly　have　

been　greater。　　It　saddened　me　to　realize　that　each　of　the　eager　

women　I　saw　was；　on　the　contrary；　dispensing　something　of　her　

strength　and　brain；　as　well　as　the　wearily　earned　stipend　of　the　

men　of　her　family　（if　not　her　own）；　for　what　could　be　of　little　

profit　to　her。



It　occurred　to　me　that；　if　the　people　who　are　so　quick　to　talk　

about　the　elevating　and　refining　influences　of　women；　could　take　an　

hour　or　two　and　inspect　the　centres　in　question；　they　might　not　be　

so　firm　in　their　beliefs。　　For；　reluctant　as　I　am　to　acknowledge　

it；　the　one　great　misfortune　in　this　country；　is　the　unnatural　

position　which　has　been　（from　some　mistaken　idea　of　chivalry）　

accorded　to　women　here。　　The　result　of　placing　them　on　this　

pedestal；　and　treating　them　as　things　apart；　has　been　to　make　women　

in　America　poorer　helpmeets　to　their　husbands　than　in　any　other　

country　on　the　face　of　the　globe；　civilized　or　uncivilized。



Strange　as　it　may　appear；　this　is　not　confined　to　the　rich；　but　

permeates　all　classes；　becoming　more　harmful　in　descending　the　

social　scale；　and　it　will　bring　about　a　disintegration　of　our　

society；　sooner　than　could　be　believed。　　The　saying　on　which　we　

have　all　been　brought　up；　viz。；　that　you　can　gauge　the　point　of　

civilization　attained　in　a　nation　by　the　position　it　accords　to　

woman；　was　quite　true　as　long　as　woman　was　considered　man's　

inferior。　　To　make　her　his　equal　was　perfectly　just；　all　the　

trouble　begins　when　you　attempt　to　make　her　man's　superior；　a　

something　apart　from　his　working　life；　and　not　the　companion　of　his　

troubles　and　cares；　as　she　was　intended　to　be。



When　a　small　shopkeeper　in　Europe　marries；　the　next　day　you　will　

see　his　young　wife　taking　her　place　at　the　desk　in　his　shop。　　While　

he　serves　his　customers；　his　smiling　spouse　keeps　the　books；　makes　

change；　and　has　an　eye　on　the　employees。　　At　noon　they　dine　

together；　in　the　evening；　after　the　shop　is　closed；　are　pleased　or　

saddened　together　over　the　results　of　the　day。　　The　wife's　DOT　

almost　always　goes　into　the　business；　so　that　there　is　a　community　

of　interest　to　unite　them；　and　their　lives　are　passed　together。　　In　

this　country；　what　happens？　　The　husband　places　his　new　wife　in　a　

small　house；　or　in　two　or　three　furnished　rooms；　generally　so　far　

away　that　all　idea　of　dining　with　her　is　impossible。　　In　

consequence；　he　has　a　〃quick　lunch〃　down　town；　and　does　not　see　his　

wife　between　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning　and　seven　in　the　evening。　　

His　business　is　a　closed　book　to　her；　in　which　she　can　have　no　

interest；　for　her　weary　husband　naturally　revolts　from　talking　

〃shop；〃　even　if　she　is　in　a　position　to　understand　him。



His　false　sense　of　shielding　her　from　the　rude　world　makes　him　keep　

his　troubles　to　himself；　so　she　rarely　knows　his　financial　position　

and　sulks　over　his　〃meanness〃　to　her；　in　regard　to　pin…money；　and　

being　a　perfectly　idle　person；　her　days　are　apt　to　be　passed　in　a　

way　especially　devised　by　Satan　for　unoccupied　hands。　　She　has　

learned　no　cooking　from　her　mother；　〃going　to　market〃　has　become　a　

thing　of　the　past。　　So　she　falls　a　victim　to　the　allurements　of　the　

bargain…counter；　returning　home　after　hours　of　aimless　wander