north america-1-第87章
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t a people have declared their intention of being henceforward better than their neighbors； and going upon a new theory that shall lead them direct to a terrestrial paradise； we button up our pockets and lock up our spoons。 And that is what we have done very much as regards the Americans。 We have walked with them and talked with them； and bought with them and sold with them； but we have mistrusted them as to their internal habits and modes of life； thinking that their philanthropy was pretentious and that their theories were vague。 Many cities in the States are but skeletons of towns； the streets being there； and the houses numberedbut not one house built out of ten that have been so counted up。 We have regarded their institutions as we regard those cities； and have been specially willing so to consider them because of the fine language in which they have been paraded before us。 They have been regarded as the skeletons of philanthropical systems； to which blood and flesh and muscle； and even skin； are wanting。 But it is at least but fair to inquire how far the promise made has been carried out。 The elaborate wordings of the constitutions made by the French politicians in the days of their great revolution have always been to us no more than so many written grimaces； but we should not have continued so to regard them had the political liberty which they promised followed upon the promises so magniloquently made。 As regards education in the Statesat any rate in the Northern and Western StatesI think that the assurances put forth in the various written constitutions have been kept。 If this be so； an American citizen； let him be ever so arrogant； ever so impudent if you will； is at any rate a civilized being； and on the road to that cultivation which will sooner or later divest him of his arrogance。 Emollit mores。 We quote here our old friend the colonel again。 If a gentleman be compelled to confine his classical allusions to one quotation； he cannot do better than hang by that。 But has education been so general； and has it had the desired result？ In the City of Boston； as I have said； I found that in 1857 about one…eighth of the whole population were then on the books of the free public schools as pupils； and that about one… ninth of the population formed the average daily attendance。 To these numbers of course must be added all pupils of the richer classesthose for whose education their parents chose to pay。 As nearly as I can learn； the average duration of each pupil's schooling is six years； and if this be figured out statistically； I think it will show that education in Boston reaches a very large majorityI might almost say the wholeof the population。 That the education given in other towns of Massachusetts is not so good as that given in Boston I do not doubt； but I have reason to believe that it is quite as general。 I have spoken of one of the schools of New York。 In that city the public schools are apportioned to the wards； and are so arranged that in each ward of the city there are public schools of different standing for the gratuitous use of the children。 The population of the City of New York in 1857 was about 650；000； and in that year it is stated that there were 135；000 pupils in the schools。 By this it would appear that one person in five throughout the city was then under process of educationwhich statement； however； I cannot receive with implicit credence。 It is； however； also stated that the daily attendances averaged something less than 50；000 a day； and this latter statement probably implies some mistake in the former one。 Taking the two together for what they are worth； they show； I think； that school teaching is not only brought within the reach of the population generally； but is used by almost all classes。 At New York there are separate free schools for colored children。 At Philadelphia I did not see the schools； but I was assured that the arrangements there were equal to those at New York and Boston。 Indeed I was told that they were infinitely better； but then I was so told by a Philadelphian。 In the State of Connecticut the public schools are certainly equal to those in any part of the union。 As far as I could learn educationwhat we should call advanced educationis brought within the reach of all classes in the Northern and Western States of Americaand； I would wish to add here； to those of the Canadas also。 So much for the schools； and now for the results。 I do not know that anything impresses a visitor more strongly with the amount of books sold in the States； than the practice of selling them as it has been adopted in the railway cars。 Personally the traveler will find the system very disagreeableas is everything connected with these cars。 A young man enters during the journeyfor the trade is carried out while the cars are traveling； as is also a very brisk trade in lollipops； sugar…candy； apples； and ham sandwiches the young tradesman enters the car firstly with a pile of magazines； or of novels bound like magazines。 These are chiefly the 〃Atlantic；〃 published at Boston； 〃Harper's Magazine；〃 published at New York； and a cheap series of novels published at Philadelphia。 As he walks along he flings one at every passenger。 An Englishman； when he is first introduced to this manner of trade； becomes much astonished。 He is probably reading； and on a sudden he finds a fat； fluffy magazine； very unattractive in its exterior； dropped on to the page he is perusing。 I thought at first that it was a present from some crazed philanthropist； who was thus endeavoring to disseminate literature。 But I was soon undeceived。 The bookseller； having gone down the whole car and the next； returned； and beginning again where he had begun before； picked up either his magazine or else the price of it。 Then； in some half hour； he came again； with an armful or basket of books； and distributed them in the same way。 They were generally novels； but not always。 I do not think that any endeavor is made to assimilate the book to the expected customer。 The object is to bring the book and the man together； and in this way a very large sale is effected。 The same thing is done with illustrated newspapers。 The sale of political newspapers goes on so quickly in these cars that no such enforced distribution is necessary。 I should say that the average consumption of newspapers by an American must amount to about three a day。 At Washington I begged the keeper of my lodgings to let me have a paper regularlyone American newspaper being much the same to me as anotherand my host supplied me daily with four。 But the numbers of the popular books of the day； printed and sold； afford the most conclusive proof of the extent to which education is carried in the States。 The readers of Tennyson； Mackay； Dickens； Bulwer； Collins； Hughes； and Martin Tupper are to be counted by tens of thousands in the States； to the thousands by which they may be counted in our own islands。 I do not doubt that I had fully fifteen copies of the 〃Silver Cord〃 thrown at my head in different railway cars on the continent of America。 Nor is the taste by any means confined to the literature of England。 Longfellow； Curtis； Holmes； Hawthorne； Lowell； Emerson； and Mrs。 Stowe are almost as popular as their English rivals。 I do not say whether or no the literature is well chosen； but there it is。 It is printed； sold； and read。 The disposal of ten thousand copies of a work is no large sale in America of a book published at a dollar； but in England it is a very large sale of a book brought out at five shillings。 I do not remember that I ever examined the rooms of an American without finding books or magazines in them。 I do not speak here of the houses of my friends； as of course the same remark would apply as strongly in England； but of the houses of persons presumed to earn their bread by the labor of their hands。 The opportunity for such examination does not come daily； but when it has been in my power I have made it； and have always found signs of education。 Men and women of the classes to which I allude talk of reading and writing as of arts belonging to them as a matter of course； quite as much as are the arts of eating and drinking。 A port
