the ways of men-第27章

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t　families　the　　others　may　have　had；　that　only　one　man　in　England　（Lord　de　　Ros）　can　at　the　present　day　PROVE　male　descent　further　back　　than　the　eleventh　century；　must　appreciate　the　absurdity　of　　our　compatriots'　pretensions。　　Burke's　Peerage　is　acknowledged　　to　be　the　most　〃faked〃　volume　in　the　English　language；　but　the　　descents　it　attributes　are　like　mathematical　demonstrations　　compared　to　the　〃trees〃　that　members　of　these　new　American　　orders　climb。

When　my　class　was　graduated　from　Mr。　McMullen's　school；　we　　little　boys　had　the　brilliant　idea　of　uniting　in　a　society；　　but　were　greatly　put　about　for　an　effective　name；　hitting　　finally　upon　that　of　Ancient　Seniors'　Society。　　For　a　group　of　　infants；　this　must　be　acknowledged　to　have　been　a　luminous　　inspiration。　　We　had　no　valid　reason　for　forming　that　society；　　not　being　particularly　fond　of　each　other。　　Living　in　several　　cities；　we　rarely　met　after　leaving　school　and　had　little　to　　say　to　each　other　when　we　did。　　But　it　sounded　so　fine　to　be　　an　〃Ancient　Senior；〃　and　we　hoped　in　our　next　school　to　　impress　new　companions　with　that　title　and　make　them　feel　　proper　respect　for　us　in　consequence。　　Pride；　however；　　sustained　a　fall　when　it　was　pointed　out　that　the　initials　　formed　the　ominous　word　〃Ass。〃

I　have　a　shrewd　suspicion　that　the　motives　which　prompted　our　　youthful　actions　are　not　very　different　from　those　now　　inciting　children　of　a　larger　growth　to　band　together；　　blackball　their　friends；　crown　queens；　and　perform　other　　senseless　mummeries；　such　as　having　the　weathercock　of　a　　departed　meeting…house　brought　in　during　a　banquet；　and　　dressing　restaurant　waiters　in　knickerbockers　for　〃one　night　　only。〃

This　malarial　condition　of　our　social　atmosphere　accounts　for　　the　quantity　of　genealogical　quacks　that　have　taken　to　sending　　typewritten　letters；　stating　that　the　interest　they　take　in　　your　private　affairs　compels　them　to　offer　proof　of　your　　descent　from　any　crowned　head　to　whom　you　may　have　taken　a　　fancy。　　One　correspondent　assured　me　only　this　month　that　he　　had　papers　in　his　possession　showing　beyond　a　doubt　that　I　　might　claim　a　certain　King　McDougal　of　Scotland　for　an　　ancestor。　　I　have　misgivings；　however；　as　to　the　quality　of　　the　royal　blood　in　my　veins；　for　the　same　correspondent　was　　equally　confident　six　months　ago　that　my　people　came　in　direct　　line　from　Charlemagne。　　As　I　have　no　desire　to　〃corner〃　the　　market　in　kings；　these　letters　have　remained　unanswered。

Considering　the　mania　to　trace　descent　from　illustrious　men；　　it　astonishes　me　that　a　Mystic　Band；　consisting　of　lineal　　descendants　from　the　Seven　Sages　of　Greece；　has　not　before　now　　burst　upon　an　astonished　world。　　It　has　been　suggested　that　if　　some　one　wanted　to　organize　a　truly　restricted　circle；　〃The　　Grandchildren　of　our　Tripoli　War〃　would　be　an　excellent　title。　　　So　few　Americans　took　part　in　that　conflict　…　and　still　fewer　　know　anything　about　it　…　that　the　satisfaction　of　joining　the　　society　would　be　immense　to　exclusively…minded　people。

There　is　only　one　explanation　that　seems　in　any　way　to　account　　for　this　vast　tomfoolery。　　A　little　sentence；　printed　at　the　　bottom　of　a　prospectus　recently　sent　to　me；　lets　the　ambitious　　cat　out　of　the　genealogical　bag。　　It　states　that　〃social　　position　is　assured　to　people　joining　our　order。〃　　Thanks　to　　the　idiotic　habit　some　newspapers　have　inaugurated　of　　advertising；　gratis；　a　number　of　self…elected　society　　〃leaders；〃　many　feeble…minded　people；　with　more　ambition　than　　cash；　and　a　larger　supply　of　family　papers　than　brains；　have　　been　bitten　with　a　social　madness；　and　enter　these　traps；　　thinking　they　are　the　road　to　position　and　honors。　　The　number　　of　fools　is　larger　than　one　would　have　believed　possible；　if　　the　success　of　so　many　〃orders；〃　〃circles；〃　〃commanderies；〃　　and　〃regencies〃　were　not　there　to　testify　to　the　unending　　folly　of　the　would…be　〃smart。〃

This　last　decade　of　the　century　has　brought　to　light　many　　strange　fads　and　senseless　manias。　　This　〃descent〃　craze；　　however；　surpasses　them　all　in　inanity。　　The　keepers　of　insane　　asylums　will　tell　you　that　one　of　the　hopeless　forms　of　　madness　is　LA　FOLIE　DES　GRANDEURS。　　A　breath　of　this　delirium　　seems　to　be　blowing　over　our　country。　　Crowns　and　sceptres　　haunt　the　dreams　of　simple　republican　men　and　women；　troubling　　their　slumbers　and　leading　them　a　will…o'…the…wisp　dance　back　　across　the　centuries。




Chapter　20　…　As　the　Twig　is　Bent


I　KNEW；　in　my　youth；　a　French　village　far　up　among　the　　Cevennes　Mountains；　where　the　one　cultivated　man　of　the　place；　　saddened　by　the　unlovely　lives　of　the　peasants　around　him　and　　by　the　bare　walls　of　the　village　school；　organized　evening　　classes　for　the　boys。　　During　these　informal　hours；　he　talked　　to　them　of　literature　and　art　and　showed　them　his　prints　and　　paintings。　　When　the　youths'　interest　was　aroused　he　lent　them　　books；　that　they　might　read　about　the　statues　and　buildings　　that　had　attracted　their　attention。　　At　first　it　appeared　a　　hopeless　task　to　arouse　any　interest　among　these　peasants　in　　subjects　not　bearing　on　their　abject　lives。　　To　talk　with　boys　　of　the　ideal；　when　their　poor　bodies　were　in　need　of　food　and　　raiment；　seemed　superfluous；　but　in　time　the　charm　worked；　as　　it　always　will。　　The　beautiful　appealed　to　their　simple　　natures；　elevating　and　refining　them；　and　opening　before　their　　eager　eyes　perspectives　of　undreamed…of　interest。　　The　self…　imposed　task　became　a　delight　as　his　pupils'　minds　responded　　to　his　efforts。　　Although　death　soon　ended　his　useful　life；　　the　seed　planted　grew　and　bore　fruit　in　many　humble　homes。

At　this　moment　I　know　men　in　several　walks　of　life　who　revere　　with　touching　devotion　the　memory　of　the　one　human　being　who　　had　brought　to　them；　at　the　moment　when　they　were　most　　impressionable；　the　gracious　message　that　existence　was　not　　merely　a　struggle　for　bread。　　The　boys　he　had　gathered　around　　him　realize　now　that　the　encouragement　and　incentive　received　　from　those　evening　glimpses　of　noble　works　existing　in　the　　world　was　the　mainspring　of　their　subsequent　development　and　a　　source　of　infinite　pleasure　through　all　succeeding　years。

This　reference　to　an　individual　effort　toward　cultivating　the　　poor　has　been　made　because　other　delicate　spirits　are　　attempting　some　such　task　in　our　city；　where　quite　as　much　as　　in　the　French　village　schoolchildren　stand　in　need　of　some　　message　of　beauty　in　addition　to　the　instruction　they　receive；　　…　some　window　opened　for　them；　as　it　were；　upon　the　fields　of　　art；　that　their　eyes　when　raised　from　study　or　play　may　rest　　on　objects　more　inspiring　than　blank　walls　and　the　graceless　　surroundings　of　street　or　schoolroom。

We　are　far　too　quick　in　assuming　that　love　of　the　beautiful　is　　confined　to　the　highly　educated；　that　the　poor　have　no　desire　　to　surround　themselves　with　graceful　forms　and　harmonious　　colors。　　We　wonder　at　and　deplore　their　crude　standards；　　bewailing　the　general　lack　of　taste　and　the　gradual　reducing　　of　everything　to　a　commonplace　money　basis。　　We　smile　at　the　　efforts　toward　adornment　attempted　by　the　poor；　taking　it　too　　readily　for　granted　that　on　this　point　they　are　beyond　　redemption。　　This　error　is　the　less　excusable　as　so　little　has　　been　done　by　way　of　experiment　before　forming　an　opinion；　…　　whole　classes　being　put　down　as　inferior　beings；　incapable　of　　appreciation；　before　they　have　been　allowed　even　a　glimpse　of　　the　works　of　art　that　form　the　daily　mental　food　of　their　　judges。

The　portly　charlady　who　rules　despotically　in　my　chambers　is　　an　example。　　It　has　been　a　curious　study　to　watch　her　growing　　interest　in　the　objects　that　have　here　for　the　first　time　come　　under　her　notice；　the　delight　she　has　come　to　take　in　dusting　　and　arranging　my　belongings；　and　her　enthusiasm　at　any　new　　acquisition。　　Knowing　how　bare　her　own　home　was；　I　felt　at　　first　only　astonishment　at　her　vivid　interest　in　what　seemed　　beyond　her　comprehension；　but　now　realize　that　in　some　blind　　way　she　appreciates　the　rare　and　the　delicate　quite　as　much　as　　my　more　cultivated　visitors。　　At　the　end　of　one　laborious　　morning；　when　everything　was　arranged　to　her　satisfaction；　she　　turned　to　me　her　poor；　plain　face；　lighted　up