worldly ways and byways-第30节

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insured；　comes　the　inclination　to　cut　loose　from　the　dull　routine　

of　business　and　duty；　returning　instinctively　to　the　migratory　

habits　of　primitive　man。



We　are　not　the　only　nation　that　has　given　itself　up　to　globe…

trotting；　it　is　strong　in　the　English；　in　spite　of　their　

conservative　education；　and　it　is　surprising　to　see　the　number　of　

formerly　stay…at…home　French　and　Germans　one　meets　wandering　in　

foreign　lands。



In　1855；　a　Londoner　advertised　the　plan　he　had　conceived　of　taking　

some　people　over　to　visit　the　International　Exhibition　in　Paris。　　

For　a　fixed　sum　paid　in　advance　he　offered　to　provide　everything　

and　act　as　courier　to　the　party；　and　succeeded　with　the　greatest　

difficulty　in　getting　together　ten　people。　　From　this　modest　

beginning　has　grown　the　vast　undertaking　that　to…day　covers　the　

globe　with　tourists；　from　the　frozen　seas　where　they　〃do〃　the　

midnight　sun；　to　the　deserts　three　thousand　miles　up　the　Nile。



As　I　was　returning　a　couple　of　years　ago　VIA　Vienna　from　

Constantinople；　the　train　was　filled　with　a　party　of　our　

compatriots　conducted　by　an　agency　of　this　kind　…　simple　people　of　

small　means　who；　twenty　years　ago；　would　as　soon　have　thought　of　

leaving　their　homes　for　a　trip　in　the　East　as　they　would　of　

starting　off　in　balloons　en　route　for　the　inter…stellar　spaces。



I　doubted　at　the　time　as　to　the　amount　of　information　and　

appreciation　they　brought　to　bear　on　their　travels；　so　I　took　

occasion　to　draw　one　of　the　thin；　unsmiling　women　into　

conversation；　asking　her　where　they　intended　stopping　next。



〃At　Buda…Pesth；〃　she　answered。　　I　said　in　some　amusement：



〃But　that　was　Buda…Pesth　we　visited　so　carefully　yesterday。〃



〃Oh；　was　it；〃　she　replied；　without　any　visible　change　on　her　face；　

〃I　thought　we　had　not　got　there　yet。〃　　Apparently　it　was　enough　for　

her　to　be　travelling；　the　rest　was　of　little　importance。　　Later　in　

the　day；　when　asked　if　she　had　visited　a　certain　old　city　in　

Germany；　she　told　me　she　had　but　would　never　go　there　again：　〃They　

gave　us　such　poor　coffee　at　the　hotel。〃　　Again　later　in　speaking　to　

her　husband；　who　seemed　a　trifle　vague　as　to　whether　he　had　seen　

Nuremberg　or　not；　she　said：



〃Why；　you　remember　it　very　well；　it　was　there　you　bought　those　nice　

overshoes！〃



All　of　which　left　me　with　some　doubts　in　my　mind　as　to　the　

cultivating　influences　of　foreign　travel　on　their　minds。



You　cannot　change　a　leopard's　spots；　neither　can　you　alter　the　

nature　of　a　race；　and　one　of　the　strongest　characteristics　of　the　

Anglo…Saxon；　is　the　nomadic　instinct。　　How　often　one　hears　people　

say：



〃I　am　not　going　to　sit　at　home　and　take　care　of　my　furniture。　　I　

want　to　see　something　of　the　world　before　I　am　too　old。〃　　Lately；　a　

sprightly　maiden　of　uncertain　years；　just　returned　from　a　long　trip　

abroad；　was　asked　if　she　intended　now　to　settle　down。



〃Settle　down；　indeed！　　I'm　a　butterfly　and　I　never　expect　to　settle　

down。〃



There　is　certainly　food　here　for　reflection。　　Why　should　we　be　more　

inclined　to　wander　than　our　neighbors？　　Perhaps　it　is　in　a　measure　

due　to　our　nervous；　restless　temperament；　which　is　itself　the　

result　of　our　climate；　but　whatever　the　cause　is；　inability　to　

remain　long　in　one　place　is　having　a　most　unfortunate　influence　on　

our　social　life。　　When　everyone　is　on　the　move　or　longing　to　be；　it　

becomes　difficult　to　form　any　but　the　most　superficial　ties；　strong　

friendships　become　impossible；　the　most　intimate　family　relations　

are　loosened。



If　one　were　of　a　speculative　frame　of　mind　and　chose　to　take　as　the　

basis　for　a　calculation　the　increase　in　tourists　between　1855；　when　

the　ten　pioneers　started　for　Paris；　and　the　number　〃personally　

conducted〃　over　land　and　sea　today；　and　then　glance　forward　at　what　

the　future　will　be　if　this　ratio　of　increase　is　maintained　the　

result　would　be　something　too　awful　for　words。　　For　if　ten　have　

become　a　million　in　forty　years；　what　will　be　the　total　in　1955？　　

Nothing　less　than　entire　nations　given　over　to　sight…seeing；　

passing　their　lives　and　incomes　in　rushing　aimlessly　about。



If　the　facilities　of　communication　increase　as　they　undoubtedly　

will　with　the　demand；　the　prospect　becomes　nearer　the　idea　of　a　

〃Walpurgis　Night〃　than　anything　else。　　For　the　earth　and　the　sea　

will　be　covered　and　the　air　filled　with　every　form　of　whirling；　

flying；　plunging　device　to　get　men　quickly　from　one　place　to　

another。



Every　human　being　on　the　globe　will　be　flying　South　for　the　cold　

months　and　North　for　the　hot　season。



As　personally　conducted　tours　have　been　so　satisfactory；　agencies　

will　be　started　to　lead　us　through　all　the　stages　of　existence。　　

Parents　will　subscribe　on　the　birth　of　their　children　to　have　them　

personally　conducted　through　life　and　everything　explained　as　it　is　

done　at　present　in　the　galleries　abroad；　food；　lodging　and　reading　

matter；　husbands　and　wives　will　be　provided　by　contract；　to　be　

taken　back　and　changed　if　unsatisfactory；　as　the　big　stores　do　with　

their　goods。　　Delightful　prospect！　　Homes　will　become　superfluous；　

parents　and　children　will　only　meet　when　their　〃tours〃　happen　to　

cross　each　other。　　Our　great…grandchildren　will　float　through　life　

freed　from　every　responsibility　and　more　perfectly　independent　than　

even　that　delightful　dreamer；　Bellamy；　ventured　to　predict。









CHAPTER　29　…　Husks





AMONG　the　Protestants　driven　from　France　by　that　astute　and　

liberal…minded　sovereign　Louis　XIV。；　were　a　colony　of　weavers；　who　

as　all　the　world　knows；　settled　at　Spitalfields　in　England；　where　

their　descendants　weave　silk　to　this　day。



On　their　arrival　in　Great　Britain；　before　the　looms　could　be　set　up　

and　a　market　found　for　their　industry；　the　exiles　were　reduced　to　

the　last　extremity　of　destitution　and　hunger。　　Looking　about　them　

for　anything　that　could　be　utilized　for　food；　they　discovered　that　

the　owners　of　English　slaughter…houses　threw　away　as　worthless；　the　

tails　of　the　cattle　they　killed。　　Like　all　the　poor　in　France；　

these　wanderers　were　excellent　cooks；　and　knew　that　at　home　such　

caudal　appendages　were　highly　valued　for　the　tenderness　and　flavor　

of　the　meat。　　To　the　amazement　and　disgust　of　the　English　villagers　

the　new　arrivals　proceeded　to　collect　this　〃refuse〃　and　carry　it　

home　for　food。　　As　the　first　principle　of　French　culinary　art　is　

the　POT…AU…FEU；　the　tails　were　mostly　converted　into　soup；　on　which　

the　exiles　thrived　and　feasted。



Their　neighbors；　envious　at　seeing　the　despised　French　indulging　

daily　in　savory　dishes；　unknown　to　English　palates；　and　tempted　

like　〃Jack's〃　giant　by　the　smell　of　〃fresh　meat；〃　began　to　inquire　

into　the　matter；　and　slowly　realized　how；　in　their　ignorance；　they　

had　been　throwing　away　succulent　and　delicate　food。　　The　news　of　

this　discovery　gradually　spreading　through　all　classes；　〃ox…tail〃　

became　and　has　remained　the　national　English　soup。



If　this　veracious　tale　could　be　twisted　into　a　metaphor；　it　would　

serve　marvellously　to　illustrate　the　position　of　the　entire　Anglo…

Saxon　race；　and　especially　that　of　their　American　descendants　as　

regards　the　Latin　peoples。　　For　foolish　prodigality　and　reckless；　

ignorant　extravagance；　however；　we　leave　our　English　cousins　far　

behind。



Two　American　hotels　come　to　my　mind；　as　different　in　their　

appearance　and　management　as　they　are　geographically　asunder。　　Both　

are　types　and　illustrations　of　the　wilful　waste　that　has　recently　

excited　Mr。　Ian　Maclaren's　comment；　and　the　woeful　want　（of　good　

food）　that　is　the　result。　　At　one；　a　dreary　shingle　construction　on　

a　treeless　island；　off　our　New　England　coast；　where　the　ideas　of　

the　landlord　and　his　guests　have　remained　as　unchanged　and　

primitive　as　the　island　itself；　I　found　on　inquiry　that　all　

articles　of　food　coming　from　the　first　table　were　thrown　into　the　

sea；　and　I　have　myself　seen　chickens　hardly　touched；　rounds　of　

beef；　trays　of　vegetables；　and　every　variety　of　cake　and　dessert　

tossed　to　the　fish。



While　we　were　having　soups　so　thin　and　tasteless　that　they　would　

have　made　a　French　house…wife　blush；　the　ingredients　essential　to　

an　excellent　〃stock〃　were　cast　aside。　　The　boarders　were　paying　

five　dollars　a　day　and　appeared　contented；　the　place　was　packed；　

the　landlord　coining　money；　so　it　was　foolish　to　expect　any　

improvement。



The　other　hotel；　a　vast　caravansary　in　the　South；　where　a　fortune　

had　been　lavished　in　providing　every　modern　convenience　and　luxury；　

was　the　〃fad〃　of　its　wealthy　owner。　　I　had　many　talks　with　the　

manager　during　my　stay；　and　came　to　realize　that　most　of　the　

wastefulness　I　saw　around　me　was　not　his　fault；　but　that　of　the　

public；　to　whose　taste　he　was　obliged　to　cater。　　At　dinner；　after　

receiving　your　order；　the　waiter　would　disappear　for　half　an　hour；　

and　then　bring　your　entire　meal　on　one　tray；　the　over…coo