worldly ways and byways-第3章

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amusements　and　home　life　of　a　clique　of　people　with　whom　they　have　

little　in　common；　whose　whole　education　and　point　of　view　are　

different　from　their　own；　and　whom　they　have　rarely　seen　and　never　

expect　to　meet；　should　afford　the　average　citizen　any　amusement　

seems　little　short　of　impossible。



One　accepts　as　a　natural　sequence　that　abroad　（where　an　hereditary　

nobility　have　ruled　for　centuries；　and　accustomed　the　people　to　

look　up　to　them　as　the　visible　embodiment　of　all　that　is　splendid　

and　unattainable　in　life）　such　interest　should　exist。　　That　the　

home…coming　of　an　English　or　French　nobleman　to　his　estates　should　

excite　the　enthusiasm　of　hundreds　more　or　less　dependent　upon　him　

for　their　amusement　or　more　material　advantages；　that　his　marriage　

to　an　heiress　…　meaning　to　them　the　re…opening　of　a　long…closed　

CHATEAU　and　the　beginning　of　a　period　of　prosperity　for　the　

district　…　should　excite　his　neighbors　is　not　to　be　wondered　at。



It　is　well　known　that　whole　regions　have　been　made　prosperous　by　

the　residence　of　a　court；　witness　the　wealth　and　trade　brought　into　

Scotland　by　the　Queen's　preference　for　〃the　Land　of　Cakes；〃　and　the　

discontent　and　poverty　in　Ireland　from　absenteeism　and　persistent　

avoidance　of　that　country　by　the　court。　　But　in　this　land；　where　

every　reason　for　interesting　one　class　in　another　seems　lacking；　

that　thousands　of　well…to…do　people　（half　the　time　not　born　in　this　

hemisphere）；　should　delightedly　devour　columns　of　incorrect　

information　about　New　York　dances　and　Lenox　house…parties；　winter　

cruises；　or　Newport　coaching　parades；　strikes　the　observer　as　the　

〃unexpected〃　in　its　purest　form。



That　this　interest　exists　is　absolutely　certain。　　During　a　trip　in　

the　West；　some　seasons　ago；　I　was　dumbfounded　to　find　that　the　

members　of　a　certain　New　York　set　were　familiarly　spoken　of　by　

their　first　names；　and　was　assailed　with　all　sorts　of　eager　

questions　when　it　was　discovered　that　I　knew　them。　　A　certain　young　

lady；　at　that　time　a　belle　in　New　York；　was　currently　called　SALLY；　

and　a　well…known　sportsman　FRED；　by　thousands　of　people　who　had　

never　seen　either　of　them。　　It　seems　impossible；　does　it　not？　　Let　

us　look　a　little　closer　into　the　reason　of　this　interest；　and　we　

shall　find　how　simple　is　the　apparent　paradox。



Perhaps　in　no　country；　in　all　the　world；　do　the　immense　middle　

classes　lead　such　uninteresting　lives；　and　have　such　limited　

resources　at　their　disposal　for　amusement　or　the　passing　of　leisure　

hours。



Abroad　the　military　bands　play　constantly　in　the　public　parks；　the　

museums　and　palaces　are　always　open　wherein　to　pass　rainy　Sunday　

afternoons；　every　village　has　its　religious　FETES　and　local　fair；　

attended　with　dancing　and　games。　　All　these　mental　relaxations　are　

lacking　in　our　newer　civilization；　life　is　stripped　of　everything　

that　is　not　distinctly　practical；　the　dull　round　of　weekly　toil　is　

only　broken　by　the　duller　idleness　of　an　American　Sunday。　　

Naturally；　these　people　long　for　something　outside　of　themselves　

and　their　narrow　sphere。



Suddenly　there　arises　a　class　whose　wealth　permits　them　to　break　

through　the　iron　circle　of　work　and　boredom；　who　do　picturesque　and　

delightful　things；　which　appeal　directly　to　the　imagination；　they　

build　a　summer　residence　complete；　in　six　weeks；　with　furniture　and　

bric…a…brac；　on　the　top　of　a　roadless　mountain；　they　sail　in　

fairylike　yachts　to　summer　seas；　and　marry　their　daughters　to　the　

heirs　of　ducal　houses；　they　float　up　the　Nile　in　dahabeeyah；　or　

pass　the　〃month　of　flowers〃　in　far　Japan。



It　is　but　human　nature　to　delight　in　reading　of　these　things。　　Here　

the　great　mass　of　the　people　find　（and　eagerly　seize　on）；　the　

element　of　romance　lacking　in　their　lives；　infinitely　more　

enthralling　than　the　doings　of　any　novel's　heroine。　　It　is　real！　　

It　is　taking　place！　and　…　still　deeper　reason　…　in　every　ambitious　

American　heart　lingers　the　secret　hope　that　with　luck　and　good　

management　they　too　may　do　those　very　things；　or　at　least　that　

their　children　will　enjoy　the　fortunes　they　have　gained；　in　just　

those　ways。　　The　gloom　of　the　monotonous　present　is　brightened；　the　

patient　toiler　returns　to　his　desk　with　something　definite　before　

him　…　an　objective　point　…　towards　which　he　can　struggle；　he　knows　

that　this　is　no　impossible　dream。　　Dozens　have　succeeded　and　prove　

to　him　what　energy　and　enterprise　can　accomplish。



Do　not　laugh　at　this　suggestion；　it　is　far　truer　than　you　imagine。　　

Many　a　weary　woman　has　turned　from　such　reading　to　her　narrow　

duties；　feeling　that　life　is　not　all　work；　and　with　renewed　hope　in　

the　possibilities　of　the　future。



Doubtless　a　certain　amount　of　purely　idle　curiosity　is　mingled　with　

the　other　feelings。　　I　remember　quite　well　showing　our　city　sights　

to　a　bored　party　of　Western　friends；　and　failing　entirely　to　amuse　

them；　when；　happening　to　mention　as　we　drove　up　town；　〃there　goes　

Mr。　Blank；〃　（naming　a　prominent　leader　of　cotillions）；　my　guests　

nearly　fell　over　each　other　and　out　of　the　carriage　in　their　

eagerness　to　see　the　gentleman　of　whom　they　had　read　so　much；　and　

who　was；　in　those　days；　a　power　in　his　way；　and　several　times　after　

they　expressed　the　greatest　satisfaction　at　having　seen　him。



I　have　found；　with　rare　exceptions；　and　the　experience　has　been　

rather　widely　gathered　all　over　the　country；　that　this　interest　…　

or　call　it　what　you　will　…　has　been　entirely　without　spite　or　

bitterness；　rather　the　delight　of　a　child　in　a　fairy　story。　　For　

people　are　rarely　envious　of　things　far　removed　from　their　grasp。　　

You　will　find　that　a　woman　who　is　bitter　because　her　neighbor　has　a　

girl　〃help〃　or　a　more　comfortable　cottage；　rarely　feels　envy　

towards　the　owners　of　opera…boxes　or　yachts。　　Such　heart…burnings　

（let　us　hope　they　are　few）　are　among　a　class　born　in　the　shadow　of　

great　wealth；　and　bred　up　with　tastes　that　they　can　neither　

relinquish　nor　satisfy。　　The　large　majority　of　people　show　only　a　

good…natured　inclination　to　chaff；　none　of　the　〃class　feeling〃　

which　certain　papers　and　certain　politicians　try　to　excite。　　

Outside　of　the　large　cities　with　their　foreign…bred；　semi…

anarchistic　populations；　the　tone　is　perfectly　friendly；　for　the　

simple　reason　that　it　never　entered　into　the　head　of　any　American　

to　imagine　that　there　WAS　any　class　difference。　　To　him　his　rich　

neighbors　are　simply　his　lucky　neighbors；　almost　his　relations；　

who；　starting　from　a　common　stock；　have　been　able　to　〃get　there〃　

sooner　than　he　has　done。　　So　he　wishes　them　luck　on　the　voyage　in　

which　he　expects　to　join　them　as　soon　as　he　has　had　time　to　make　a　

fortune。



So　long　as　the　world　exists；　or　at　least　until　we　have　reformed　it　

and　adopted　Mr。　Bellamy's　delightful　scheme　of　existence　as　

described　in　〃Looking　Backward；〃　great　fortunes　will　be　made；　and　

painful　contrasts　be　seen；　especially　in　cities；　and　it　would　seem　

to　be　the　duty　of　the　press　to　soften　…　certainly　not　to　sharpen　…　

the　edge　of　discontent。　　As　long　as　human　nature　is　human　nature；　

and　the　poor　care　to　read　of　the　doings　of　the　more　fortunate；　by　

all　means　give　them　the　reading　they　enjoy　and　demand；　but　let　it　

be　written　in　a　kindly　spirit　so　that　it　may　be　a　cultivation　as　

well　as　a　recreation。　　Treat　this　perfectly　natural　and　honest　

taste　honestly　and　naturally；　for；　after　all；　it　is





The　desire　of　the　moth　for　the　star；

Of　the　night　for　the　morrow。

The　devotion　to　something　afar

From　the　sphere　of　our　sorrow。









CHAPTER　3　…　Contrasted　Travelling





WHEN　our　parents　went　to　Europe　fifty　years　ago；　it　was　the　event　

of　a　lifetime　…　a　tour　lovingly　mapped　out　in　advance　with　advice　

from　travelled　friends。　　Passports　were　procured；　books　read；　wills　

made；　and　finally；　prayers　were　offered　up　in　church　and　solemn　

leave…taking　performed。　　Once　on　the　other　side；　descriptive　

letters　wer