worldly ways and byways-第45章

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broad　daylight；　accompanied　by　the　summer　visitors；　destroyed　the　

wall　and　threw　the　materials　into　the　sea。　　Lawrence；　bent　on　

maintaining　what　he　considered　his　rights；　called　the　law　to　his　

aid。　　It　was　then　discovered　that　an　immemorial　riverain　right　gave　

the　fishermen　and　the　public　generally；　access　to　the　shore　for　

fishing；　and　also　to　collect　seaweed；　…　a　right　of　way　that　no　one　

could　obstruct。



This　was　the　beginning　of　the　long　struggle　between　the　cliff…

dwellers　and　the　townspeople；　each　new　property…owner；　disgusted　at　

the　idea　that　all　the　world　can　stroll　at　will　across　his　well…kept　

lawns；　has　in　turn　tried　his　hand　at　suppressing　the　now　famous　

〃walk。〃　　Not　only　do　the　public　claim　the　liberty　to　walk　there；　

but　also　the　right　to　cross　any　property　to　get　to　the　shore。　　At　

this　moment　the　city　fathers　and　the　committee　of　the　new　buildings　

at　Bailey's　Beach　are　wrangling　as　gayly　as　in　Governor　Lawrence's　

day　over　a　bit　of　wall　lately　constructed　across　the　end　of　

Bellevue　Avenue。　　A　new　expedient　has　been　hit　upon　by　some　of　the　

would…be　exclusive　owners　of　the　cliffs；　they　have　lowered　the　

〃walk〃　out　of　sight；　thus　insuring　their　own　privacy　and　in　no　way　

interfering　with　the　rights　of　the　public。



Among　the　gentlemen　who　settled　in　Newport　about　Governor　

Lawrence's　time　was　Lord　Baltimore　（Mr。　Calvert；　he　preferred　to　

call　himself）；　who　remained　there　until　his　death。　　He　was　shy　of　

referring　to　his　English　peerage；　but　would　willingly　talk　of　his　

descent　through　his　mother　from　Peter　Paul　Rubens；　from　whom　had　

come　down　to　him　a　chateau　in　Holland　and　several　splendid　

paintings。　　The　latter　hung　in　the　parlor　of　the　modest　little　

dwelling；　where　I　was　taken　to　see　them　and　their　owner　many　years　

ago。　　My　introducer　on　this　occasion　was　herself　a　lady　of　no　

ordinary　birth；　being　the　daughter　of　Stuart；　our　greatest　portrait　

painter。　　I　have　passed　many　quiet　hours　in　the　quaint　studio　（the　

same　her　father　had　used）；　hearing　her　prattle　…　as　she　loved　to　do　

if　she　found　a　sympathetic　listener　…　of　her　father；　of　Washington　

and　his　pompous　ways；　and　the　many　celebrities　who　had　in　turn　

posed　before　Stuart's　easel。　　She　had　been　her　father's　companion　

and　aid；　present　at　the　sittings；　preparing　his　brushes　and　colors；　

and　painting　in　backgrounds　and　accessories；　and　would　willingly　

show　his　palette　and　explain　his　methods　and　theories　of　color；　his　

predilection　for　scrumbling　shadows　thinly　in　black　and　then　

painting　boldly　in　with　body　color。　　Her　lessons　had　not　profited　

much　to　the　gentle；　kindly　old　lady；　for　the　productions　of　her　own　

brush　were　far　from　resembling　her　great　parent's　work。　　She；　

however；　painted　cheerfully　on　to　life's　close；　surrounded　by　her　

many　friends；　foremost　among　whom　was　Charlotte　Cushman；　who　also　

passed　the　last　years　of　her　life　in　Newport。　　Miss　Stuart　was　over　

eighty　when　I　last　saw　her；　still　full　of　spirit　and　vigor；　

beginning　the　portrait　of　a　famous　beauty　of　that　day；　since　the　

wife　and　mother　of　dukes。



Miss　Stuart's　death　seems　to　close　one　of　the　chapters　in　the　

history　of　this　city；　and　to　break　the　last　connecting　link　with　

its　past。　　The　world　moves　so　quickly　that　the　simple　days　and　

modest　amusements　of　our　fathers　and　grandfathers　have　already　

receded　into　misty　remoteness。　　We　look　at　their　portraits　and　

wonder　vaguely　at　their　graceless　costumes。　　We　know　they　trod　

these　same　streets；　and　laughed　and　flirted　and　married　as　we　are　

doing　to…day；　but　they　seem　to　us　strangely　far　away；　like　

inhabitants　of　another　sphere！



It　is　humiliating　to　think　how　soon　we；　too；　shall　have　become　the　

ancestors　of　a　new　and　careless　generation；　fresh　faces　will　

replace　our　faded　ones；　young　voices　will　laugh　as　they　look　at　our　

portraits　hanging　in　dark　corners；　wondering　who　we　were；　and　

（criticising　the　apparel　we　think　so　artistic　and　appropriate）　how　

we　could　ever　have　made　such　guys　of　ourselves。









CHAPTER　38　…　A　Conquest　of　Europe





THE　most　important　event　in　modern　history　is　the　discovery　of　

Europe　by　the　Americans。　　Before　it；　the　peoples　of　the　Old　World　

lived　happy　and　contented　in　their　own　countries；　practising　the　

patriarchal　virtues　handed　down　to　them　from　generations　of　

forebears；　ignoring　alike　the　vices　and　benefits　of　modern　

civilization；　as　understood　on　this　side　of　the　Atlantic。　　The　

simple…minded　Europeans　remained　at　home；　satisfied　with　the　rank　

in　life　where　they　had　been　born；　and　innocent　of　the　ways　of　the　

new　world。



These　peoples　were；　on　the　whole；　not　so　much　to　be　pitied；　for　

they　had　many　pleasing　crafts　and　arts　unknown　to　the　invaders；　

which　had　enabled　them　to　decorate　their　capitals　with　taste　in　a　

rude　way；　nothing　really　great　like　the　lofty　buildings　and　

elevated　railway　structures；　executed　in　American　cities；　but　

interesting　as　showing　what　an　ingenious　race；　deprived　of　the　

secrets　of　modern　science；　could　accomplish。



The　more　aesthetic　of　the　newcomers　even　affected　to　admire　the　

antiquated　places　of　worship　and　residences　they　visited　abroad；　

pointing　out　to　their　compatriots　that　in　many　cases　marble；　bronze　

and　other　old…fashioned　materials　had　been　so　cleverly　treated　as　

to　look　almost　like　the　superior　cast…iron　employed　at　home；　and　

that　some　of　the　old　paintings；　preserved　with　veneration　in　the　

museums；　had　nearly　the　brilliancy　of　modern　chromos。　　As　their　

authors　had；　however；　neglected　to　use　a　process　lending　itself　to　

rapid　reproduction；　they　were　of　no　practical　value。　　In　other　

ways；　the　continental　races；　when　discovered；　were　sadly　behind　the　

times。　　In　business；　they　ignored　the　use　of　〃corners；〃　that　

backbone　of　American　trade；　and　their　ideas　of　advertising　were　but　

little　in　advance　of　those　known　among　the　ancient　Greeks。



The　discovery　of　Europe　by　the　Americans　was　made　about　1850；　at　

which　date　the　first　bands　of　adventurers　crossed　the　seas　in　

search　of　amusement。　　The　reports　these　pioneers　brought　back　of　

the　NAIVETE；　politeness；　and　gullibility　of　the　natives；　and　the　

cheapness　of　existence　in　their　cities；　caused　a　general　exodus　

from　the　western　to　the　eastern　hemisphere。　　Most　of　the　Americans　

who　had　used　up　their　credit　at　home　and　those　whose　incomes　were　

insufficient　for　their　wants；　immediately　migrated　to　these　happy　

hunting　grounds；　where　life　was　inexpensive　and　credit　unlimited。



The　first　arrivals　enjoyed　for　some　twenty　years　unique　

opportunities。　　They　were　able　to　live　in　splendor　for　a　pittance　

that　would　barely　have　kept　them　in　necessaries　on　their　own　side　

of　the　Atlantic；　and　to　pick　up　valuable　specimens　of　native　

handiwork　for　nominal　sums。　　In　those　happy　days；　to　belong　to　the　

invading　race　was　a　sufficient　passport　to　the　good　graces　of　the　

Europeans；　who　asked　no　other　guarantees　before　trading　with　the　

newcomers；　but　flocked　around　them；　offering　their　services　and　

their　primitive　manufactures；　convinced　that　Americans　were　all　

wealthy。



Alas！　　History　ever　repeats　itself。　　As　Mexicans　and　Peruvians；　

after　receiving　their　conquerors　with　confidence　and　enthusiasm；　

came　to　rue　the　day　they　had　opened　their　arms　to　strangers；　so　the　

European　peoples；　before　a　quarter　of　a　century　was　over；　realized　

that　the　hordes　from　across　the　sea　who　were　over…running　their　

lands；　raising　prices；　crowding　the　native　students　out　of　the　

schools；　and　finally　attempting　to　force　an　entrance　into　society；　

had　little　to　recommend　them　or　justify　their　presence　except　

money。　　Even　in　this　some　of　the　intruders　were　unsatisfactory。　　

Those　who　had　been　received　into　the　〃bosom〃　of　hotels　often　forgot　

to　settle　before　departing。　　The　continental　women　who　had　provided　

the　wives　of　discoverers　with　the　raiment　of　the　country　（a　luxury　

greatly　affected　by　those　ladies）　found；　to　th