worldly ways and byways-第16章

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of　a　Fall　River　boat　resembles　the　GALERIE　DES　GLACES　at　

Versailles。　　The　humiliating　knowledge　that　they　are　all　wrong　

breaks　upon　them；　as　it　is　doing　on　hundreds　of　others；　at　the　same　

time　as　the　desire　to　know　more　and　appreciate　better　the　perfect　

productions　of　this　art。



A　seventh　and　last　step　is　before　them　but　they　know　not　how　to　

make　it。　　A　surer　guide　than　the　upholsterer　is；　they　know；　

essential；　but　their　library　contains　nothing　to　help　them。　　Others　

possess　the　information　they　need；　yet　they　are　ignorant　where　to　

turn　for　what　they　require。



With　singular　appropriateness　a　volume　treating　of　this　delightful　

〃art〃　has　this　season　appeared　at　Scribner's。　　〃The　Decoration　of　

Houses〃　is　the　result　of　a　woman's　faultless　taste　collaborating　

with　a　man's　technical　knowledge。　　Its　mission　is　to　reveal　to　the　

hundreds　who　have　advanced　just　far　enough　to　find　that　they　can　go　

no　farther　alone；　truths　lying　concealed　beneath　the　surface。　　It　

teaches　that　consummate　taste　is　satisfied　only　with　a　perfected　

simplicity；　that　the　facades　of　a　house　must　be　the　envelope　of　the　

rooms　within　and　adapted　to　them；　as　the　rooms　are　to　the　habits　

and　requirements　of　them　〃that　dwell　therein；〃　that　proportion　is　

the　backbone　of　the　decorator's　art　and　that　supreme　elegance　is　

fitness　and　moderation；　and；　above　all；　that　an　attention　to　

architectural　principles　can　alone　lead　decoration　to　a　perfect　

development。









CHAPTER　13　…　Our　Elite　and　Public　Life





THE　complaint　is　so　often　heard；　and　seems　so　well　founded；　that　

there　is　a　growing　inclination；　not　only　among　men　of　social　

position；　but　also　among　our　best　and　cleverest　citizens；　to　stand　

aloof　from　public　life；　and　this　reluctance　on　their　part　is　so　

unfortunate；　that　one　feels　impelled　to　seek　out　the　causes　where　

they　must　lie；　beneath　the　surface。　　At　a　first　glance　they　are　not　

apparent。　　Why　should　not　the　honor　of　representing　one's　town　or　

locality　be　as　eagerly　sought　after　with　us　as　it　is　by　English　or　

French　men　of　position？　　That　such　is　not　the　case；　however；　is　

evident。



Speaking　of　this　the　other　evening；　over　my　after…dinner　coffee；　

with　a　high…minded　and　public…spirited　gentleman；　who　not　long　ago　

represented　our　country　at　a　European　court；　he　advanced　two　

theories　which　struck　me　as　being　well　worth　repeating；　and　which　

seemed　to　account　to　a　certain　extent　for　this　curious　abstinence。



As　a　first　and　most　important　cause；　he　placed　the　fact　that　

neither　our　national　nor　（here　in　New　York）　our　state　capital　

coincides　with　our　metropolis。　　In　this　we　differ　from　England　and　

all　the　continental　countries。　　The　result　is　not　difficult　to　

perceive。　　In　London；　a　man　of　the　world；　a　business　man；　or　a　

great　lawyer；　who　represents　a　locality　in　Parliament；　can　fulfil　

his　mandate　and　at　the　same　time　lead　his　usual　life　among　his　own　

set。　　The　lawyer　or　the　business　man　can　follow　during　the　day　his　

profession；　or　those　affairs　on　which　he　depends　to　support　his　

family　and　his　position　in　the　world。　　Then；　after　dinner　（owing　to　

the　peculiar　hours　adopted　for　the　sittings　of　Parliament）；　he　can　

take　his　place　as　a　law…maker。　　If　he　be　a　London…born　man；　he　in　

no　way　changes　his　way　of　life　or　that　of　his　family。　　If；　on　the　

contrary；　he　be　a　county　magnate；　the　change　he　makes　is　all　for　

the　better；　as　it　takes　him　and　his　wife　and　daughters　up　to　

London；　the　haven　of　their　longings；　and　the　centre　of　all　sorts　of　

social　dissipations　and　advancement。



With　us；　it　is　exactly　the　contrary。　　As　the　District　of　Columbia　

elects　no　one；　everybody　living　in　Washington　officially　is　more　or　

less　expatriated；　and　the　social　life　it　offers　is　a　poor　

substitute　for　the　circle　which　most　families　leave　to　go　there。



That；　however；　is　not　the　most　important　side　of　the　question。　　Go　

to　any　great　lawyer　of　either　New　York　or　Chicago；　and　propose　

sending　him　to　Congress　or　the　Senate。　　His　answer　is　sure　to　be；　

〃I　cannot　afford　it。　　I　know　it　is　an　honor；　but　what　is　to　replace　

the　hundred　thousand　dollars　a　year　which　my　profession　brings　me　

in；　not　to　mention　that　all　my　practice　would　go　to　pieces　during　

my　absence？〃　　Or　again；　〃How　should　I　dare　to　propose　to　my　family　

to　leave　one　of　the　great　centres　of　the　country　to　go　and　vegetate　

in　a　little　provincial　city　like　Washington？　　No；　indeed！　　Public　

life　is　out　of　the　question　for　me！〃



Does　any　one　suppose　England　would　have　the　class　of　men　she　gets　

in　Parliament；　if　that　body　sat　at　Bristol？



Until　recently　the　man　who　occupied　the　position　of　Lord　Chancellor　

made　thirty　thousand　pounds　a　year　by　his　profession　without　

interfering　in　any　way　with　his　public　duties；　and　at　the　present　

moment　a　recordership　in　London　in　no　wise　prevents　private　

practice。　　Were　these　gentlemen　Americans；　they　would　be　obliged　to　

renounce　all　hope　of　professional　income　in　order　to　serve　their　

country　at　its　Capital。



Let　us　glance　for　a　moment　at　the　other　reason。　　Owing　to　our　laws　

（doubtless　perfectly　reasonable；　and　which　it　is　not　my　intention　

to　criticise；）　a　man　must　reside　in　the　place　he　represents。　　Here　

again　we　differ　from　all　other　constitutional　countries。　　

Unfortunately；　our　clever　young　men　leave　the　small　towns　of　their　

birth　and　flock　up　to　the　great　centres　as　offering　wider　fields　

for　their　advancement。　　In　consequence；　the　local　elector　finds　his　

choice　limited　to　what　is　left　…　the　intellectual　skimmed　milk；　of　

which　the　cream　has　been　carried　to　New　York　or　other　big　cities。　　

No　country　can　exist　without　a　metropolis；　and　as　such　a　centre　by　

a　natural　law　of　assimilation　absorbs　the　best　brains　of　the　

country；　in　other　nations　it　has　been　found　to　the　interests　of　all　

parties　to　send　down　brilliant　young　men　to　the　〃provinces；〃　to　be；　

in　good　time；　returned　by　them　to　the　national　assemblies。



As　this　is　not　a　political　article　the　simple　indication　of　these　

two　causes　will　suffice；　without　entering　into　the　question　of　

their　reasonableness　or　of　their　justice。　　The　social　bearing　of　

such　a　condition　is　here　the　only　side　of　the　question　under　

discussion；　it　is　difficult　to　over…rate　the　influence　that　a　man's　

family　exert　over　his　decisions。



Political　ambition　is　exceedingly　rare　among　our　women　of　position；　

when　the　American　husband　is　bitten　with　it；　the　wife　submits　to；　

rather　than　abets；　his　inclinations。　　In　most　cases　our　women　are　

not　cosmopolitan　enough　to　enjoy　being　transplanted　far　away　from　

their　friends　and　relations；　even　to　fill　positions　of　importance　

and　honor。　　A　New　York　woman　of　great　frankness　and　intelligence；　

who　found　herself　recently　in　a　Western　city　under　these　

circumstances；　said；　in　answer　to　a　flattering　remark　that　〃the　

ladies　of　the　place　expected　her　to　become　their　social　leader；〃　〃I　

don't　see　anything　to　lead；〃　thus　very　plainly　expressing　her　

opinion　of　the　situation。　　It　is　hardly　fair　to　expect　a　woman　

accustomed　to　the　life　of　New　York　or　the　foreign　capitals；　to　look　

forward　with　enthusiasm　to　a　term　of　years　passed　in　Albany；　or　in　

Washington。



In　France　very　much　the　same　state　of　affairs　has　been　reached　by　

quite　a　different　route。　　The　aristocracy　detest　the　present　

government；　and　it　is　not　considered　〃good　form〃　by　them　to　sit　in　

the　Chamber　of　Deputies　or　to　accept　any　but　diplomatic　positions。　　

They　condescend　to　fill　the　latter　because　that　entails　living　away　

from　their　own　country；　as　they　feel　more　at　ease　in　foreign　courts　

than　at　the　Republican　receptions　of　the　Elysee。



There　is　a　deplorable　tendency　among　our　self…styled　aristocracy　to　

look　upon　their　circle　as　a　class　apart。　　They　separate　themselves　

more　each　year　from　the　life　of　the　country；　and　affect　to　smile　at　

any　of　their　number　who　honestly　wish　to　be　of　service　to　the　

nat