worldly ways and byways-第4章

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

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

letters　were　conscientiously　written；　and　eagerly　read　by　friends　

at　home；　…　in　spite　of　these　epistles　being　on　the　thinnest　of　

paper　and　with　crossing　carried　to　a　fine　art；　for　postage　was　high　

in　the　forties。　　Above　all；　a　journal　was　kept。



Such　a　journal　lies　before　me　as　I　write。　　Four　little　volumes　in　

worn　morocco　covers　and　faded　〃Italian〃　writing；　more　precious　than　

all　my　other　books　combined；　their　sight　recalls　that　lost　time　…　

my　youth　…　when；　as　a　reward；　they　were　unlocked　that　I　might　look　

at　the　drawings；　and　the　sweetest　voice　in　the　world　would　read　to　

me　from　them！　　Happy；　vanished　days；　that　are　so　far　away　they　seem　

to　have　been　in　another　existence！



The　first　volume　opens　with　the　voyage　across　the　Atlantic；　made　in　

an　American　clipper　（a　model　unsurpassed　the　world　over）；　which　was　

accomplished　in　thirteen　days；　a　feat　rarely　equalled　now；　by　sail。　　

Genial　Captain　Nye　was　in　command。　　The　same　who　later；　when　a　

steam　propelled　vessel　was　offered　him；　refused；　as　unworthy　of　a　

seaman；　〃to　boil　a　kettle　across　the　ocean。〃



Life　friendships　were　made　in　those　little　cabins；　under　the　

swinging　lamp　the　travellers　re…read　last　volumes　so　as　to　be　

prepared　to　appreciate　everything　on　landing。　　Ireland；　England　and　

Scotland　were　visited　with　an　enthusiasm　born　of　Scott；　the　tedium　

of　long　coaching　journeys　being　beguiled　by　the　first　〃numbers〃　of　

〃Pickwick；〃　over　which　the　men　of　the　party　roared；　but　which　the　

ladies　did　not　care　for；　thinking　it　vulgar；　and　not　to　be　compared　

to　〃Waverley；〃　〃Thaddeus　of　Warsaw；〃　or　〃The　Mysteries　of　Udolpho。〃



A　circular　letter　to　our　diplomatic　agents　abroad　was　presented　in　

each　city；　a　rite　invariably　followed　by　an　invitation　to　dine；　for　

which　occasions　a　black　satin　frock　with　a　low　body　and　a　few　

simple　ornaments；　including　（supreme　elegance）　a　diamond　cross；　

were　carried　in　the　trunks。　　In　London　a　travelling　carriage　was　

bought　and　stocked；　the　indispensable　courier　engaged；　half　guide；　

half　servant；　who　was　expected　to　explore　a　city；　or　wait　at　table；　

as　occasion　required。　　Four　days　were　passed　between　Havre　and　

Paris；　and　the　slow　progress　across　Europe　was　accomplished；　Murray　

in　one　hand　and　Byron　in　the　other。



One　page　used　particularly　to　attract　my　boyish　attention。　　It　was　

headed　by　a　naive　little　drawing　of　the　carriage　at　an　Italian　inn　

door；　and　described　how；　after　the　dangers　and　discomforts　of　an　

Alpine　pass；　they　descended　by　sunny　slopes　into　Lombardy。　　Oh！　the　

rapture　that　breathes　from　those　simple　pages！　　The　vintage　scenes；　

the　mid…day　halt　for　luncheon　eaten　in　the　open　air；　the　afternoon　

start；　the　front　seat　of　the　carriage　heaped　with　purple　grapes；　

used　to　fire　my　youthful　imagination　and　now　recalls　Madame　de　

Stael's　line　on　perfect　happiness：　〃To　be　young！　to　be　in　love！　to　

be　in　Italy！〃



Do　people　enjoy　Europe　as　much　now？　　I　doubt　it！　　It　has　become　too　

much　a　matter　of　course；　a　necessary　part　of　the　routine　of　life。　　

Much　of　the　bloom　is　brushed　from　foreign　scenes　by　descriptive　

books　and　photographs；　that　St。　Mark's　or　Mt。　Blanc　has　become　as　

familiar　to　a　child's　eye　as　the　house　he　lives　in；　and　in　

consequence　the　reality　now　instead　of　being　a　revelation　is　often　

a　disappointment。



In　my　youth；　it　was　still　an　event　to　cross。　　I　remember　my　first　

voyage　on　the　old　side…wheeled　SCOTIA；　and　Captain　Judkins　in　a　

wheeled　chair；　and　a　perpetual　bad　temper；　being　pushed　about　the　

deck；　and　our　delight；　when　the　inevitable　female　asking　him　（three　

days　out）　how　far　we　were　from　land；　got　the　answer　〃about　a　mile！〃



〃Indeed！　　How　interesting！　　In　which　direction？〃



〃In　that　direction；　madam；〃　shouted　the　captain；　pointing　downward　

as　he　turned　his　back　to　her。



If　I　remember；　we　were　then　thirteen　days　getting　to　Liverpool；　and　

made　the　acquaintance　on　board　of　the　people　with　whom　we　travelled　

during　most　of　that　winter。　　Imagine　anyone　now　making　an　

acquaintance　on　board　a　steamer！　　In　those　simple　days　people　

depended　on　the　friendships　made　at　summer　hotels　or　boarding…

houses　for　their　visiting　list。　　At　present；　when　a　girl　comes　out；　

her　mother　presents　her　to　everybody　she　will　be　likely　to　know　if　

she　were　to　live　a　century。　　In　the　seventies；　ladies　cheerfully　

shared　their　state…rooms　with　women　they　did　not　know；　and　often　

became　friends　in　consequence；　but　now；　unless　a　certain　deck…suite　

can　be　secured；　with　bath　and　sitting…room；　on　one　or　two　

particular　〃steamers；〃　the　great　lady　is　in　despair。　　Yet　our　

mothers　were　quite　as　refined　as　the　present　generation；　only　they　

took　life　simply；　as　they　found　it。



Children　are　now　taken　abroad　so　young；　that　before　they　have　

reached　an　age　to　appreciate　what　they　see；　Europe　has　become　to　

them　a　twice…told　tale。　　So　true　is　this；　that　a　receipt　for　making　

children　good　Americans　is　to　bring　them　up　abroad。　　Once　they　get　

back　here　it　is　hard　to　entice　them　away　again。



With　each　improvement　in　the　speed　of　our　steamers；　something　of　

the　glamour　of　Europe　vanishes。　　The　crowds　that　yearly　rush　across　

see　and　appreciate　less　in　a　lifetime　than　our　parents　did　in　their　

one　tour　abroad。　　A　good　lady　of　my　acquaintance　was　complaining　

recently　how　much　Paris　bored　her。



〃What　can　you　do　to　pass　the　time？〃　she　asked。　　I　innocently　

answered　that　I　knew　nothing　so　entrancing　as　long　mornings　passed　

at　the　Louvre。



〃Oh；　yes；　I　do　that　too；〃　she　replied；　〃but　I　like　the　'Bon　Marche'　

best！〃



A　trip　abroad　has　become　a　purely　social　function　to　a　large　number　

of　wealthy　Americans；　including　〃presentation〃　in　London　and　a　

winter　in　Rome　or　Cairo。　　And　just　as　a　〃smart〃　Englishman　is　sure　

to　tell　you　that　he　has　never　visited　the　〃Tower；〃　it　has　become　

good　form　to　ignore　the　sight…seeing　side　of　Europe；　hundreds　of　

New　Yorkers　never　seeing　anything　of　Paris　beyond　the　Rue　de　la　

Paix　and　the　Bois。　　They　would　as　soon　think　of　going　to　Cluny　or　

St。　Denis　as　of　visiting　the　museum　in　our　park！



Such　people　go　to　Fontainebleau　because　they　are　buying　furniture；　

and　they　wish　to　see　the　best　models。　　They　go　to　Versailles　on　the　

coach　and　〃do〃　the　Palace　during　the　half…hour　before　luncheon。　　

Beyond　that；　enthusiasm　rarely　carries　them。　　As　soon　as　they　have　

settled　themselves　at　the　Bristol　or　the　Rhin　begins　the　endless　

treadmill　of　leaving　cards　on　all　the　people　just　seen　at　home；　and　

whom　they　will　meet　again　in　a　couple　of　months　at　Newport　or　Bar　

Harbor。　　This　duty　and　the　all…entrancing　occupation　of　getting　

clothes　fills　up　every　spare　hour。　　Indeed；　clothes　seem　to　pervade　

the　air　of　Paris　in　May；　the　conversation　rarely　deviating　from　

them。　　If　you　meet　a　lady　you　know　looking　ill；　and　ask　the　cause；　

it　generally　turns　out　to　be　〃four　hours　a　day　standing　to　be　

fitted。〃　　Incredible　as　it　may　seem；　I　have　been　told　of　one　plain　

maiden　lady；　who　makes　a　trip　across；　spring　and　autumn；　with　the　

sole　object　of　getting　her　two　yearly　outfits。



Remembering　the　hundreds　of　cultivated　people　whose　dream　in　life　

（often　unrealized　from　lack　of　means）　has　been　to　go　abroad　and　

visit　the　scenes　their　reading　has　made　familiar；　and　knowing　what　

such　a　trip　would　mean　to　them；　and　how　it　would　be　looked　back　

upon　during　the　rest　of　an　obscure　life；　I　felt　it　almost　a　duty　to　

〃suppress〃　a　wealthy　female　（doubtless　an　American　cousin　of　Lady　

Midas）　when　she　informed　me；　the　other　day；　that　decidedly　she　

would　not　go　abroad　this　spring。



〃It　is　not　necessary。　　Worth　has　my　measures！〃









CHAPTER　4　…　The　Outer　and　the　Inner　Woman





IT　is　a　sad　commentary　on　our　boasted　civilization　that　cases　of　

shoplifting　occur　more　and　more　frequently　each　y