worldly ways and byways-第3节

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questions　when　it　was　discovered　that　I　knew　them。　　A　certain　young　

lady；　at　that　time　a　belle　in　New　York；　was　currently　called　SALLY；　

and　a　well…known　sportsman　FRED；　by　thousands　of　people　who　had　

never　seen　either　of　them。　　It　seems　impossible；　does　it　not？　　Let　

us　look　a　little　closer　into　the　reason　of　this　interest；　and　we　

shall　find　how　simple　is　the　apparent　paradox。



Perhaps　in　no　country；　in　all　the　world；　do　the　immense　middle　

classes　lead　such　uninteresting　lives；　and　have　such　limited　

resources　at　their　disposal　for　amusement　or　the　passing　of　leisure　

hours。



Abroad　the　military　bands　play　constantly　in　the　public　parks；　the　

museums　and　palaces　are　always　open　wherein　to　pass　rainy　Sunday　

afternoons；　every　village　has　its　religious　FETES　and　local　fair；　

attended　with　dancing　and　games。　　All　these　mental　relaxations　are　

lacking　in　our　newer　civilization；　life　is　stripped　of　everything　

that　is　not　distinctly　practical；　the　dull　round　of　weekly　toil　is　

only　broken　by　the　duller　idleness　of　an　American　Sunday。　　

Naturally；　these　people　long　for　something　outside　of　themselves　

and　their　narrow　sphere。



Suddenly　there　arises　a　class　whose　wealth　permits　them　to　break　

through　the　iron　circle　of　work　and　boredom；　who　do　picturesque　and　

delightful　things；　which　appeal　directly　to　the　imagination；　they　

build　a　summer　residence　complete；　in　six　weeks；　with　furniture　and　

bric…a…brac；　on　the　top　of　a　roadless　mountain；　they　sail　in　

fairylike　yachts　to　summer　seas；　and　marry　their　daughters　to　the　

heirs　of　ducal　houses；　they　float　up　the　Nile　in　dahabeeyah；　or　

pass　the　〃month　of　flowers〃　in　far　Japan。



It　is　but　human　nature　to　delight　in　reading　of　these　things。　　Here　

the　great　mass　of　the　people　find　（and　eagerly　seize　on）；　the　

element　of　romance　lacking　in　their　lives；　infinitely　more　

enthralling　than　the　doings　of　any　novel's　heroine。　　It　is　real！　　

It　is　taking　place！　and　…　still　deeper　reason　…　in　every　ambitious　

American　heart　lingers　the　secret　hope　that　with　luck　and　good　

management　they　too　may　do　those　very　things；　or　at　least　that　

their　children　will　enjoy　the　fortunes　they　have　gained；　in　just　

those　ways。　　The　gloom　of　the　monotonous　present　is　brightened；　the　

patient　toiler　returns　to　his　desk　with　something　definite　before　

him　…　an　objective　point　…　towards　which　he　can　struggle；　he　knows　

that　this　is　no　impossible　dream。　　Dozens　have　succeeded　and　prove　

to　him　what　energy　and　enterprise　can　accomplish。



Do　not　laugh　at　this　suggestion；　it　is　far　truer　than　you　imagine。　　

Many　a　weary　woman　has　turned　from　such　reading　to　her　narrow　

duties；　feeling　that　life　is　not　all　work；　and　with　renewed　hope　in　

the　possibilities　of　the　future。



Doubtless　a　certain　amount　of　purely　idle　curiosity　is　mingled　with　

the　other　feelings。　　I　remember　quite　well　showing　our　city　sights　

to　a　bored　party　of　Western　friends；　and　failing　entirely　to　amuse　

them；　when；　happening　to　mention　as　we　drove　up　town；　〃there　goes　

Mr。　Blank；〃　（naming　a　prominent　leader　of　cotillions）；　my　guests　

nearly　fell　over　each　other　and　out　of　the　carriage　in　their　

eagerness　to　see　the　gentleman　of　whom　they　had　read　so　much；　and　

who　was；　in　those　days；　a　power　in　his　way；　and　several　times　after　

they　expressed　the　greatest　satisfaction　at　having　seen　him。



I　have　found；　with　rare　exceptions；　and　the　experience　has　been　

rather　widely　gathered　all　over　the　country；　that　this　interest　…　

or　call　it　what　you　will　…　has　been　entirely　without　spite　or　

bitterness；　rather　the　delight　of　a　child　in　a　fairy　story。　　For　

people　are　rarely　envious　of　things　far　removed　from　their　grasp。　　

You　will　find　that　a　woman　who　is　bitter　because　her　neighbor　has　a　

girl　〃help〃　or　a　more　comfortable　cottage；　rarely　feels　envy　

towards　the　owners　of　opera…boxes　or　yachts。　　Such　heart…burnings　

（let　us　hope　they　are　few）　are　among　a　class　born　in　the　shadow　of　

great　wealth；　and　bred　up　with　tastes　that　they　can　neither　

relinquish　nor　satisfy。　　The　large　majority　of　people　show　only　a　

good…natured　inclination　to　chaff；　none　of　the　〃class　feeling〃　

which　certain　papers　and　certain　politicians　try　to　excite。　　

Outside　of　the　large　cities　with　their　foreign…bred；　semi…

anarchistic　populations；　the　tone　is　perfectly　friendly；　for　the　

simple　reason　that　it　never　entered　into　the　head　of　any　American　

to　imagine　that　there　WAS　any　class　difference。　　To　him　his　rich　

neighbors　are　simply　his　lucky　neighbors；　almost　his　relations；　

who；　starting　from　a　common　stock；　have　been　able　to　〃get　there〃　

sooner　than　he　has　done。　　So　he　wishes　them　luck　on　the　voyage　in　

which　he　expects　to　join　them　as　soon　as　he　has　had　time　to　make　a　

fortune。



So　long　as　the　world　exists；　or　at　least　until　we　have　reformed　it　

and　adopted　Mr。　Bellamy's　delightful　scheme　of　existence　as　

described　in　〃Looking　Backward；〃　great　fortunes　will　be　made；　and　

painful　contrasts　be　seen；　especially　in　cities；　and　it　would　seem　

to　be　the　duty　of　the　press　to　soften　…　certainly　not　to　sharpen　…　

the　edge　of　discontent。　　As　long　as　human　nature　is　human　nature；　

and　the　poor　care　to　read　of　the　doings　of　the　more　fortunate；　by　

all　means　give　them　the　reading　they　enjoy　and　demand；　but　let　it　

be　written　in　a　kindly　spirit　so　that　it　may　be　a　cultivation　as　

well　as　a　recreation。　　Treat　this　perfectly　natural　and　honest　

taste　honestly　and　naturally；　for；　after　all；　it　is





The　desire　of　the　moth　for　the　star；

Of　the　night　for　the　morrow。

The　devotion　to　something　afar

From　the　sphere　of　our　sorrow。









CHAPTER　3　…　Contrasted　Travelling





WHEN　our　parents　went　to　Europe　fifty　years　ago；　it　was　the　event　

of　a　lifetime　…　a　tour　lovingly　mapped　out　in　advance　with　advice　

from　travelled　friends。　　Passports　were　procured；　books　read；　wills　

made；　and　finally；　prayers　were　offered　up　in　church　and　solemn　

leave…taking　performed。　　Once　on　the　other　side；　descriptive　

letters　were　conscientiously　written；　and　eagerly　read　by　friends　

at　home；　…　in　spite　of　these　epistles　being　on　the　thinnest　of　

paper　and　with　crossing　carried　to　a　fine　art；　for　postage　was　high　

in　the　forties。　　Above　all；　a　journal　was　kept。



Such　a　journal　lies　before　me　as　I　write。　　Four　little　volumes　in　

worn　morocco　covers　and　faded　〃Italian〃　writing；　more　precious　than　

all　my　other　books　combined；　their　sight　recalls　that　lost　time　…　

my　youth　…　when；　as　a　reward；　they　were　unlocked　that　I　might　look　

at　the　drawings；　and　the　sweetest　voice　in　the　world　would　read　to　

me　from　them！　　Happy；　vanished　days；　that　are　so　far　away　they　seem　

to　have　been　in　another　existence！



The　first　volume　opens　with　the　voyage　across　the　Atlantic；　made　in　

an　American　clipper　（a　model　unsurpassed　the　world　over）；　which　was　

accomplished　in　thirteen　days；　a　feat　rarely　equalled　now；　by　sail。　　

Genial　Captain　Nye　was　in　command。　　The　same　who　later；　when　a　

steam　propelled　vessel　was　offered　him；　refused；　as　unworthy　of　a　

seaman；　〃to　boil　a　kettle　across　the　ocean。〃



Life　friendships　were　made　in　those　little　cabins；　under　the　

swinging　lamp　the　travellers　re…read　last　volumes　so　as　to　be　

prepared　to　appreciate　everything　on　landing。　　Ireland；　England　and　

Scotland　were　visited　with　an　enthusiasm　born　of　Scott；　the　tedium　

of　long　coaching　journeys　being　beguiled　by　the　first　〃numbers〃　of　

〃Pickwick；〃　over　which　the　men　of　the　party　roared；　but　which　the　

ladies　did　not　care　for；　thinking　it　vulgar；　and　not　to　be　compared　

to　〃Waverley；〃　〃Thaddeus　of　Warsaw；〃　or　〃The　Mysteries　of　Udolpho。〃



A　circular　letter　to　our　diplomatic　agents　abroad　was　presented　in　

each　city；　a　rite　invariably　followed　by　an　invitation　to　dine；　for　

which　occasions　a　black　satin　frock　with　a　low　body　and　a　few　

simple　ornaments；　including　（supreme　elegance）　a　diamond　cross；　

were　carried　in　the　trunks。　　In　London　a　travelling　carriage　was　

bought　and　stocked；　the　indispensable　courier　engaged；　half　guide；　

half　servant；　who　was　expected　to　explore　a　city；　or　wait　at　table；　

as　occasion　required。　　Four　days　were　passed　between　Havre　and　

Paris；　and　the　slow　progress　across　Europe　was　accomplished；　Murray　

in　one　hand　and　Byron　in　the　other。



One　page　used　particularly　to　attract　my　boyish　attention。　　It　was　

headed　by　a　naive　little　drawing　of　the　carriage　at　an　Italian　inn　

door；　and　described　how；　after　the　dangers　and　discomforts　of　an　

Alpine　pass；　they　descended　by　sunny　slopes　into　Lombardy。　　Oh！　the　

rapture　that　breathes　from　those　simple　pages！　　The　vintage　scenes；　

the　mid…day　halt　for　luncheon　eaten　in　the　open　air；　the　afternoon　

start；　the　front　seat　of　the　carriage　heaped　with　purple　grapes；　

used　to　fire　my　youthful　imagination　and　now　recalls　Madame　de　

Stael's　line　on　perfect　happiness：　〃To　be　young！　to　be　in　love！　to　

be　in　Italy！〃



Do　people　enjoy　Europe　as