north america-1-第61章

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ro；　the　cab…driver　or　attendant　does　not　merely　drive　the　cab　or　belabor　the　donkey；　but　he　is　the　visitor's　easiest　and　cheapest　guide。　　In　London；　the　Tower；　Westminster　Abbey；　and　Madame　Tussaud　are　found　by　the　stranger　without　difficulty；　and　almost　without　a　thought；　because　the　cab…driver　knows　the　whereabouts　and　the　way。　Space　is　moreover　annihilated；　and　the　huge　distances　of　the　English　metropolis　are　brought　within　the　scope　of　mortal　power。　But　in　New　York　there　is　no　such　institution。　In　New　York　there　are　street　omnibuses　as　we　havethere　are　street　cars　such　as　last　year　we　declined　to　have；　and　there　are　very　excellent　public　carriages；　but　none　of　these　give　you　the　accommodation　of　a　cab；　nor　can　all　of　them　combined　do　so。　　The　omnibuses；　though　clean　and　excellent；　were　to　me　very　unintelligible。　　They　have　no　conductor　to　them。　　To　know　their　different　lines　and　usages　a　man　should　have　made　a　scientific　study　of　the　city。　　To　those　going　up　and　down　Broadway　I　became　accustomed；　but　in　them　I　was　never　quite　at　my　ease。　　The　money　has　to　be　paid　through　a　little　hole　behind　the　driver's　back；　and　should；　as　I　learned　at　last；　be　paid　immediately　on　entrance。　　But　in　getting　up　to　do　this　I　always　stumbled　about；　and　it　would　happen　that　when　with　considerable　difficulty　I　had　settled　my　own　account；　two　or　three　ladies　would　enter；　and　would　hand　me；　without　a　word；　some　coins　with　which　I　had　no　life…long　familiarity；　in　order　that　I　might　go　through　the　same　ceremony　on　their　account。　　The　change　I　would　usually　drop　into　the　straw；　and　then　there　would　arise　trouble　and　unhappiness。　　Before　I　became　aware　of　that　law　as　to　instant　payment；　bells　used　to　be　rung　at　me；　which　made　me　uneasy。　　I　knew　I　was　not　behaving　as　a　citizen　should　behave；　but　could　not　compass　the　exact　points　of　my　delinquency。　　And　then；　when　I　desired　to　escape；　the　door　being　strapped　up　tight；　I　would　halloo　vainly　at　the　driver　through　the　little　hole；　whereas；　had　I　known　my　duty；　I　should　have　rung　a　bell；　or　pulled　a　strap；　according　to　the　nature　of　the　omnibus　in　question。　　In　a　month　or　two　all　these　things　may　possibly　be　learned；　but　the　visitor　requires　his　facilities　for　locomotion　at　the　first　moment　of　his　entrance　into　the　city。　　I　heard　it　asserted　by　a　lecturer　in　Boston；　Mr。　Wendell　Phillips；　whose　name　is　there　a　household　word；　that　citizens　of　the　United　States　carried　brains　in　their　fingers　as　well　as　in　their　heads；　whereas　〃common　people；〃　by　which　Mr。　Phillips　intended　to　designate　the　remnant　of　mankind　beyond　the　United　States；　were　blessed　with　no　such　extended　cerebral　development。　　Having　once　learned　this　fact　from　Mr。　Phillips；　I　understood　why　it　was　that　a　New　York　omnibus　should　be　so　disagreeable　to　me；　and　at　the　same　time　so　suitable　to　the　wants　of　the　New　Yorkers。　And　then　there　are　street　carsvery　long　omnibuseswhich　run　on　rails　but　are　dragged　by　horses。　　They　are　capable　of　holding　forty　passengers　each；　and　as　far　as　my　experience　goes　carry　an　average　load　of　sixty。　　The　fare　of　the　omnibus　is　six　cents；　or　three　pence。　　That　of　the　street　car　five　cents；　or　two　pence　halfpenny。　They　run　along　the　different　avenues；　taking　the　length　of　the　city。　　In　the　upper　or　new　part　of　the　town　their　course　is　simple　enough；　but　as　they　descend　to　the　Bowery；　Peck　Slip；　and　Pearl　Street；　nothing　can　be　conceived　more　difficult　or　devious　than　their　courses。　　The　Broadway　omnibus；　on　the　other　hand；　is　a　straightforward；　honest　vehicle　in　the　lower　part　of　the　town；　becoming；　however；　dangerous　and　miscellaneous　when　it　ascends　to　Union　Square　and　the　vicinities　of　fashionable　life。　The　street　cars　are　manned　with　conductors；　and；　therefore；　are　free　from　many　of　the　perils　of　the　omnibus；　but　they　have　perils　of　their　own。　　They　are　always　quite　full。　　By　that　I　mean　that　every　seat　is　crowded；　that　there　is　a　double　row　of　men　and　women　standing　down　the　center；　and　that　the　driver's　platform　in　front　is　full；　and　also　the　conductor's　platform　behind。　　That　is　the　normal　condition　of　a　street　car　in　the　Third　Avenue。　　You；　as　a　stranger　in　the　middle　of　the　car；　wish　to　be　put　down　at；　let　us　say；　89th　Street。　　In　the　map　of　New　York　now　before　me；　the　cross　streets　running　from　east　to　west　are　numbered　up　northward　as　far　as　154th　Street。　　It　is　quite　useless　for　you　to　give　the　number　as　you　enter。　　Even　an　American　conductor；　with　brains　all　over　him；　and　an　anxious　desire　to　accommodate；　as　is　the　case　with　all　these　men；　cannot　remember。　　You　are　left　therefore　in　misery　to　calculate　the　number　of　the　street　as　you　move　along；　vainly　endeavoring　through　the　misty　glass　to　decipher　the　small　numbers　which　after　a　day　or　two　you　perceive　to　be　written　on　the　lamp　posts。　But　I　soon　gave　up　all　attempts　at　keeping　a　seat　in　one　of　these　cars。　　It　became　my　practice　to　sit　down　on　the　outside　iron　rail　behind；　and　as　the　conductor　generally　sat　in　my　lap　I　was　in　a　measure　protected。　　As　for　the　inside　of　these　vehicles　the　women　of　New　York　were；　I　must　confess；　too　much　for　me。　　I　would　no　sooner　place　myself　on　a　seat；　than　I　would　be　called　on　by　a　mute；　unexpressive；　but　still　impressive　stare　into　my　face；　to　surrender　my　place。　　From　cowardice　if　not　from　gallantry　I　would　always　obey；　and　as　this　led　to　discomfort　and　an　irritated　spirit；　I　preferred　nursing　the　conductor　on　the　hard　bar　in　the　rear。　And　here　if　I　seem　to　say　a　word　against　women　in　America；　I　beg　that　it　may　be　understood　that　I　say　that　word　only　against　a　certain　class；　and　even　as　to　that　class　I　admit　that　they　are　respectable；　intelligent；　and；　as　I　believe；　industrious。　　Their　manners；　however；　are　to　me　more　odious　than　those　of　any　other　human　beings　that　I　ever　met　elsewhere。　　Nor　can　I　go　on　with　that　which　I　have　to　say　without　carrying　my　apology　further；　lest；　perchance；　I　should　be　misunderstood　by　some　American　women　whom　I　would　not　only　exclude　from　my　censure；　but　would　include　in　the　very　warmest　eulogium　which　words　of　mine　could　express　as　to　those　of　the　female　sex　whom　I　love　and　admire　the　most。　　I　have　known；　do　know；　and　mean　to　continue　to　know　as　far　as　in　me　may　lie；　American　ladies　as　bright；　as　beautiful；　as　graceful；　as　sweet；　as　mortal　limits　for　brightness；　beauty；　grace；　and　sweetness　will　permit。　　They　belong　to　the　aristocracy　of　the　land；　by　whatever　means　they　may　have　become　aristocrats。　　In　America　one　does　not　inquire　as　to　their　birth；　their　training；　or　their　old　names。　　The　fact　of　their　aristocratic　power　comes　out　in　every　word　and　look。　It　is　not　only　so　with　those　who　have　traveled　or　with　those　who　are　rich。　　I　have　found　female　aristocrats　with　families　and　slender　means；　who　have　as　yet　made　no　grand　tour　across　the　ocean。　These　women　are　charming　beyond　expression。　　It　is　not　only　their　beauty。　　Had　he　been　speaking　of　such；　Wendell　Phillips　would　have　been　right　in　saying　that　they　have　brains　all　over　them。　　So　much　for　those　who　are　bright　and　beautiful；　who　are　graceful　and　sweet！　And　now　a　word　as　to　those　who　to　me　are　neither　bright　nor　beautiful；　and　who　can　be　to　none　either　graceful　or　sweet。　It　is　a　hard　task；　that　of　speaking　ill　of　any　woman；　but　it　seems　to　me　that　he　who　takes　upon　himself　to　praise　incurs　the　duty　of　dispraising　also　where　dispraise　is；　or　to　him　seems　to　be；　deserved。　　The　trade　of　a　novelist　is　very　much　that　of　describing　the　softness；　sweetness；　and　loving　dispositions　of　women；　and　this　he　does；　copying　as　best　he　can　from　nature。　　But　if　he　only　sings　of　that　which　is　sweet；　whereas　that　which　is　not　sweet　too　frequently　presents　itself；　his　song　will　in　the　end　be　untrue　and　ridiculous。　　Women　are　entitled　to　much　observance　from　men；　but　they　are　entitled　to　no　observance　which　is　incompatible　with　truth。　　Women；　by　the　conventional　laws　of　society；　are　allowed　to　exact　much　from　men；　but　they　are　allowed　to　exact　nothing　for　which　they　should　not　make　some　adequate　return。　　It　is　well　that　a　man　should　kneel　in　spirit　before　the　grace　and　weakness　of　a　woman；　but　it　is　not　well　that　he　should　kneel　either　in　spirit　or　body　if　there　be　neither　grace　nor　weakness。　　A　man　should　yield　everything　to　a　woman　for　a　word；　for　a　smileto