worldly ways and byways-第12章

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way　in　which　girls　were　dressed　in　my　youth；　I　wonder　how　any　of　us　

ever　got　a　husband。〃



Study　a　photograph　of　the　Empress　Eugenie；　that　supreme　arbiter　of　

elegance　and　grace。　　Oh！　those　bunchy　hooped　skirts！　　That　awful　

India　shawl　pinned　off　the　shoulders；　and　the　bonnet　perched　on　a　

roll　of　hair　in　the　nape　of　the　neck！　　What　were　people　thinking　of　

at　that　time？　　Were　they　lunatics　to　deform　in　this　way　the　

beautiful　lines　of　the　human　body　which　it　should　be　the　first　

object　of　toilet　to　enhance；　or　were　they　only　lacking　in　the　

artistic　sense？　　Nothing　of　the　kind。　　And　what　is　more；　they　were　

convinced　that　the　real　secret　of　beauty　in　dress　had　been　

discovered　by　them；　that　past　fashions　were　absurd；　and　that　the　

future　could　not　improve　on　their　creations。　　The　sculptors　and　

painters　of　that　day　（men　of　as　great　talent　as　any　now　living）；　

were　enthusiastic　in　reproducing　those　monstrosities　in　marble　or　

on　canvas；　and　authors　raved　about　the　ideal　grace　with　which　a　

certain　beauty　draped　her　shawl。



Another　marked　manner　in　which　we　are　influenced　by　circumambient　

suggestion；　is　in　the　transient　furore　certain　games　and　pastimes　

create。　　We　see　intelligent　people　so　given　over　to　this　influence　

as　barely　to　allow　themselves　time　to　eat　and　sleep；　begrudging　the　

hours　thus　stolen　from　their　favorite　amusement。



Ten　years　ago；　tennis　occupied　every　moment　of　our　young　people's　

time；　now　golf　has　transplanted　tennis　in　public　favor；　which　does　

not　prove；　however；　that　the　latter　is　the　better　game；　but　simply　

that　compelled　by　the　accumulated　force　of　other　people's　opinions；　

youths　and　maidens；　old　duffers　and　mature　spinsters　are　willing　to　

pass　many　hours　daily　in　all　kinds　of　weather；　solemnly　following　

an　indian…rubber　ball　across　ten…acre　lots。



If　you　suggest　to　people　who　are　laboring　under　the　illusion　they　

are　amusing　themselves　that　the　game；　absorbing　so　much　of　their　

attention；　is　not　as　exciting　as　tennis　nor　as　clever　in　

combinations　as　croquet；　that　in　fact　it　would　be　quite　as　amusing　

to　roll　an　empty　barrel　several　times　around　a　plowed　field；　they　

laugh　at　you　in　derision　and　instantly　put　you　down　in　their　

profound　minds　as　a　man　who　does　not　understand　〃sport。〃



Yet　these　very　people　were　tennis…mad　twenty　years　ago　and　had　

night　come　to　interrupt　a　game　of　croquet　would　have　ordered　

lanterns　lighted　in　order　to　finish　the　match　so　enthralling　were　

its　intricacies。



Everybody　has　known　how　to　play　BEZIQUE　in　this　country　for　years；　

yet　within　the　last　eighteen　months；　whole　circles　of　our　friends　

have　been　seized　with　a　midsummer　madness　and　willingly　sat　glued　

to　a　card…table　through　long　hot　afternoons　and　again　after　dinner　

until　day　dawned　on　their　folly。



Certain　MEMOIRES　of　Louis　Fifteenth's　reign　tell　of　an　

〃unravelling〃　mania　that　developed　at　his　court。　　It　began　by　some　

people　fraying　out　old　silks　to　obtain　the　gold　and　silver　threads　

from　worn…out　stuffs；　this　occupation　soon　became　the　rage；　nothing　

could　restrain　the　delirium　of　destruction；　great　ladies　tore　

priceless　tapestries　from　their　walls　and　brocades　from　their　

furniture；　in　order　to　unravel　those　materials　and　as　the　old　stock　

did　not　suffice　for　the　demand　thousands　were　spent　on　new　brocades　

and　velvets；　which　were　instantly　destroyed；　entertainments　were　

given　where　unravelling　was　the　only　amusement　offered；　the　entire　

court　thinking　and　talking　of　nothing　else　for　months。



What　is　the　logical　deduction　to　be　drawn　from　all　this？　　Simply　

that　people　do　not　see　with　their　eyes　or　judge　with　their　

understandings；　that　an　all…pervading　hypnotism；　an　ambient　

suggestion；　at　times　envelops　us　taking　from　people　all　free　will；　

and　replacing　it　with　the　taste　and　judgment　of　the　moment。



The　number　of　people　is　small　in　each　generation；　who　are　strong　

enough　to　rise　above　their　surroundings　and　think　for　themselves。　　

The　rest　are　as　dry　leaves　on　a　stream。　　They　float　along　and　turn　

gayly　in　the　eddies；　convinced　all　the　time　（as　perhaps　are　the　

leaves）　that　they　act　entirely　from　their　own　volition　and　that　

their　movements　are　having　a　profound　influence　on　the　direction　

and　force　of　the　current。









CHAPTER　10　…　Bohemia





LUNCHING　with　a　talented　English　comedian　and　his　wife　the　other　

day；　the　conversation　turned　on　Bohemia；　the　evasive　no…man's…land　

that　Thackeray　referred　to；　in　so　many　of　his　books；　and　to　which　

he　looked　back　lovingly　in　his　later　years；　when；　as　he　said；　he　

had　forgotten　the　road　to　Prague。



The　lady　remarked：　〃People　have　been　more　than　kind　to　us　here　in　

New　York。　　We　have　dined　and　supped　out　constantly；　and　have　met　

with　gracious　kindness；　such　as　we　can　never　forget。　　But　so　far　we　

have　not　met　a　single　painter；　or　author；　or　sculptor；　or　a　man　who　

has　explored　a　corner　of　the　earth。　　Neither　have　we　had　the　good　

luck　to　find　ourselves　in　the　same　room　with　Tesla　or　Rehan；　Edison　

or　Drew。　　We　shall　regret　so　much　when　back　in　England　and　are　

asked　about　your　people　of　talent；　being　obliged　to　say；　'We　never　

met　any　of　them。'　　Why　is　it？　　We　have　not　been　in　any　one　circle；　

and　have　pitched　our　tents　in　many　cities；　during　our　tours　over　

here；　but　always　with　the　same　result。　　We　read　your　American　

authors　as　much　as；　if　not　more　than；　our　own。　　The　names　of　dozens　

of　your　discoverers　and　painters　are　household　words　in　England。　　

When　my　husband　planned　his　first　tour　over　here　my　one　idea　was；　

'How　nice　it　will　be！　　Now　I　shall　meet　those　delightful　people　of　

whom　I　have　heard　so　much。'　　The　disappointment　has　been　complete。　　

Never　one　have　I　seen。〃



I　could　not　but　feel　how　all　too　true　were　the　remarks　of　this　

intelligent　visitor；　remembering　how　quick　the　society　of　London　is　

to　welcome　a　new　celebrity　or　original　character；　how　a　place　is　at　

once　made　for　him　at　every　hospitable　board；　a　permanent　one　to　

which　he　is　expected　to　return；　and　how　no　Continental　

entertainment　is　considered　complete　without　some　bright　particular　

star　to　shine　in　the　firmament。



〃Lion…hunting；〃　I　hear　my　reader　say　with　a　sneer。　　That　may　be；　

but　it　makes　society　worth　the　candle；　which　it　rarely　is　over　

here。　　I　realized　what　I　had　often　vaguely　felt　before；　that　the　

Bohemia　the　English　lady　was　looking　for　was　not　to　be　found　in　

this　country；　more's　the　pity。　　Not　that　the　elements　are　lacking。　　

Far　from　it；　（for　even　more　than　in　London　should　we　be　able　to　

combine　such　a　society）；　but　perhaps　from　a　misconception　of　the　

true　idea　of　such　a　society；　due　probably　to　Henry　Murger's　dreary　

book　SCENES　DE　LA　VIE　DE　BOHEME　which　is　chargeable　with　the　fact　

that　a　circle　of　this　kind　evokes　in　the　mind　of　most　Americans　

visions　of　a　scrubby；　poorly…fed　and　less…washed　community；　a　world　

they　would　hardly　dare　ask　to　their　tables　for　fear　of　some　

embarrassing　unconventionality　of　conduct　or　dress。



Yet　that　can　hardly　be　the　reason；　for　even　in　Murger　or　Paul　de　

Kock；　at　their　worst；　the　hero　is　still　a　gentleman；　and　even　when　

he　borrows　a　friend's　coat；　it　is　to　go　to　a　great　house　and　among　

people　of　rank。　　Besides；　we　are　becoming　too　cosmopolitan；　and　

wander　too　constantly　over　this　little　globe；　not　to　have　learned　

that　the　Bohemia　of　1830　is　as　completely　a　thing　of　the　past　as　a　

GRISETTE　or　a　glyphisodon。　　It　disappeared　with　Gavarni　and　the　

authors　who　described　it。　　Although　we　have　kept　the　word；　its　

meaning　has　gradually　changed　until　it　has　come　to　mean　something　

difficult　to　define；　a　will…o'…the…wisp；　which　one　tries　vainly　to　

grasp。　　With　each　decade　it　has　put　on　a　new　form　and　changed　its　

centre；　the　one　definite　fact　being　that　it　combines　the　better　

elements　of　several　social　layers。



Drop　in；　if　you　are　in　Paris　and　know　the　way；　at　one　of　Madeleine　

Lemaire's　informal　eveni