worldly ways and byways-第6章

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condescended　to　appear　in　the　inexpensive　attire　which　those　

English　women　wore。　　Wherever　one　met　them；　at　dinner；　FETE；　or　

ball；　they　were　always　the　most　simply　dressed　women　in　the　room。　　

I　wonder　if　it　ever　occurred　to　any　of　their　gorgeously　attired　

hostesses；　that　it　was　because　their　transatlantic　guests　were　so　

sure　of　their　position；　that　they　contented　themselves　with　such　

simple　toilets　knowing　that　nothing　they　might　wear　could　either　

improve　or　alter　their　standing



In　former　ages；　sumptuary　laws　were　enacted　by　parental　

governments；　in　the　hope　of　suppressing　extravagance　in　dress；　the　

state　of　affairs　we　deplore　now；　not　being　a　new　development　of　

human　weakness；　but　as　old　as　wealth。



The　desire　to　shine　by　the　splendor　of　one's　trappings　is　the　first　

idea　of　the　parvenu；　especially　here　in　this　country；　where　the　

ambitious　are　denied　the　pleasure　of　acquiring　a　title；　and　where　

official　rank　carries　with　it　so　little　social　weight。　　Few　more　

striking　ways　present　themselves　to　the　crude　and　half…educated　for　

the　expenditure　of　a　new　fortune　than　the　purchase　of　sumptuous　

apparel；　the　satisfaction　being　immediate　and　material。　　The　wearer　

of　a　complete　and　perfect　toilet　must　experience　a　delight　of　which　

the　uninitiated　know　nothing；　for　such　cruel　sacrifices　are　made　

and　so　many　privations　endured　to　procure　this　satisfaction。　　When　

I　see　groups　of　women；　clad　in　the　latest　designs　of　purple　and　

fine　linen；　stand　shivering　on　street　corners　of　a　winter　night；　

until　they　can　crowd　into　a　car；　I　doubt　if　the　joy　they　get　from　

their　clothes；　compensates　them　for　the　creature　comforts　they　are　

forced　to　forego；　and　I　wonder　if　it　never　occurs　to　them　to　spend　

less　on　their　wardrobes　and　so　feel　they　can　afford　to　return　from　

a　theatre　or　concert　comfortably；　in　a　cab；　as　a　foreign　woman；　

with　their　income　would　do。



There　is　a　stoical　determination　about　the　American　point　of　view　

that　compels　a　certain　amount　of　respect。　　Our　countrywomen　will　

deny　themselves　pleasures；　will　economize　on　their　food　and　will　

remain　in　town　during　the　summer；　but　when　walking　abroad　they　must　

be　clad　in　the　best；　so　that　no　one　may　know　by　their　appearance　if　

the　income　be　counted　by　hundreds　or　thousands。



While　these　standards　prevail　and　the　female　mind　is　fixed　on　this　

subject　with　such　dire　intent；　it　is　not　astonishing　that　a　weaker　

sister　is　occasionally　tempted　beyond　her　powers　of　resistance。　　

Nor　that　each　day　a　new　case　of　a　well…dressed　woman　thieving　in　a　

shop　reaches　our　ears。　　The　poor　feeble…minded　creature　is　not　to　

blame。　　She　is　but　the　reflexion　of　the　minds　around　her　and　is　

probably　like　the　lady　Emerson　tells　of；　who　confessed　to　him　〃that　

the　sense　of　being　perfectly　well…dressed　had　given　her　a　feeling　

of　inward　tranquillity　which　religion　was　powerless　to　bestow。〃









CHAPTER　5　…　On　Some　Gilded　Misalliances





A　DEAR　old　American　lady；　who　lived　the　greater　part　of　her　life　in　

Rome；　and　received　every　body　worth　knowing　in　her　spacious　

drawing…rooms；　far　up　in　the　dim　vastnesses　of　a　Roman　palace；　used　

to　say　that　she　had　only　known　one　really　happy　marriage　made　by　an　

American　girl　abroad。



In　those　days；　being　young　and　innocent；　I　considered　that　remark　

cynical；　and　in　my　heart　thought　nothing　could　be　more　romantic　and　

charming　than　for　a　fair　compatriot　to　assume　an　historic　title　and　

retire　to　her　husband's　estates；　and　rule　smilingly　over　him　and　a　

devoted　tenantry；　as　in　the　last　act　of　a　comic　opera；　when　a　rose…

colored　light　is　burning　and　the　orchestra　plays　the　last　brilliant　

chords　of　a　wedding　march。



There　seemed　to　my　perverted　sense　a　certain　poetic　justice　about　

the　fact　that　money；　gained　honestly　but　prosaically；　in　groceries　

or　gas；　should　go　to　regild　an　ancient　blazon　or　prop　up　the　

crumbling　walls　of　some　stately　palace　abroad。



Many　thoughtful　years　and　many　cruel　realities　have　taught　me　that　

my　gracious　hostess　of　the　〃seventies〃　was　right；　and　that　marriage　

under　these　conditions　is　apt　to　be　much　more　like　the　comic　opera　

after　the　curtain　has　been　rung　down；　when　the　lights　are　out；　the　

applauding　public　gone　home；　and　the　weary　actors　brought　slowly　

back　to　the　present　and　the　positive；　are　wondering　how　they　are　to　

pay　their　rent　or　dodge　the　warrant　in　ambush　around　the　corner。



International　marriages　usually　come　about　from　a　deficient　

knowledge　of　the　world。　　The　father　becomes　rich；　the　family　travel　

abroad；　some　mutual　friend　（often　from　purely　interested　motives）　

produces　a　suitor　for　the　hand　of　the　daughter；　in　the　shape　of　a　

〃prince〃　with　a　title　that　makes　the　whole　simple　American　family　

quiver　with　delight。



After　a　few　visits　the　suitor　declares　himself；　the　girl　is　

flattered；　the　father　loses　his　head；　seeing　visions　of　his　loved　

daughter　hob…nobbing　with　royalty；　and　（intoxicating　thought！）　

snubbing　the　〃swells〃　at　home　who　had　shown　reluctance　to　recognize　

him　and　his　family。



It　is　next　to　impossible　for　him　to　get　any　reliable　information　

about　his　future　son…in…law　in　a　country　where；　as　an　American；　he　

has　few　social　relations；　belongs　to　no　club；　and　whose　idiom　is　a　

sealed　book　to　him。　　Every　circumstance　conspires　to　keep　the　flaws　

on　the　article　for　sale　out　of　sight　and　place　the　suitor　in　an　

advantageous　light。　　Several　weeks'　〃courting〃　follows；　

paterfamilias　agrees　to　part　with　a　handsome　share　of　his　earnings；　

and　a　marriage　is　〃arranged。〃



In　the　case　where　the　girl　has　retained　some　of　her　self…respect　

the　suitor　is　made　to　come　to　her　country　for　the　ceremony。　　And；　

that　the　contrast　between　European　ways　and　our　simple　habits　may　

not　be　too　striking；　an　establishment　is　hastily　got　together；　with　

hired　liveries　and　new…bought　carriages；　as　in　a　recent　case　in　

this　state。　　The　sensational　papers　write　up　this　〃international　

union；〃　and　publish　〃faked〃　portraits　of　the　bride　and　her　noble　

spouse。　　The　sovereign　of　the　groom's　country　（enchanted　that　some　

more　American　money　is　to　be　imported　into　his　land）　sends　an　

economical　present　and　an　autograph　letter。　　The　act　ends。　　

Limelight　and　slow　music！



In　a　few　years　rumors　of　dissent　and　trouble　float　vaguely　back　to　

the　girl's　family。　　Finally；　either　a　great　scandal　occurs；　and　

there　is　one　dishonored　home　the　more　in　the　world；　or　an　

expatriated　woman；　thousands　of　miles　from　the　friends　and　

relatives　who　might　be　of　some　comfort　to　her；　makes　up　her　mind　to　

accept　〃anything〃　for　the　sake　of　her　children；　and　attempts　to　

build　up　some　sort　of　an　existence　out　of　the　remains　of　her　lost　

illusions；　and　the　father　wakes　up　from　his　dream　to　realize　that　

his　wealth　has　only　served　to　ruin　what　he　loved　best　in　all　the　

world。



Sometimes　the　conditions　are　delightfully　comic；　as　in　a　well…known　

case；　where　the　daughter；　who　married　into　an　indolent；　happy…go…

lucky　Italian　family；　had　inherited　her　father's　business　push　and　

energy　along　with　his　fortune；　and　immediately　set　about　〃running〃　

her　husband's　estate　as　she　had　seen　her　father　do　his　bank。　　She　

tried　to　revive　a　half…forgotten　industry　in　the　district；　scraped　

and　whitewashed　their　picturesque　old　villa；　proposed　her　husband's　

entering　business；　and　in　short　dashed　head　down　against　all　his　

inherited　traditions　and　national　prejudices；　until　her　new　family　

loathed　the　sight　of　the　brisk　American　face；　and　the　poor　she　had　

tried　to　help；　sulked　in　their　newly　drained　houses　and　refused　to　

be　comforted。　　Her　ways　were　not　Italian　ways；　and　she　seemed　to　

the　nun…like　Italian　ladies；　almost　unsexed；　as　she　tramped　about　

the　fields；　talking　artificial　manure　and　subsoil　drainage　with　the　

men。　　Yet　neither　she　nor　her　husband　was　to　blame。　　The　young　

Italian　had　but　followed　the　teachings　of　his　family；　which　decreed