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第39章

worldly ways and byways(世俗之路)-第39章

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the party; and succeeded with the greatest difficulty in getting together ten 

people。 From this modest beginning has grown the vast undertaking that 

to…day covers the globe with tourists; from the frozen seas where they 〃do〃 

the midnight sun; to the deserts three thousand miles up the Nile。 

     As    I  was    returning     a  couple     of  years    ago    VIA    Vienna     from 

Constantinople;       the   train  was    filled  with   a  party   of   our  compatriots 

conducted by an agency of this kind … simple people of small means who; 

twenty years ago; would as soon have thought of leaving their homes for a 

trip in the East as they would of starting off in balloons en route for the 

inter…stellar spaces。 

     I doubted at the time as to the amount of information and appreciation 

they brought to bear on their travels; so I took occasion to draw one of the 

thin; unsmiling women into conversation; asking her where they intended 

stopping next。 

     〃At Buda…Pesth;〃 she answered。 I said in some amusement: 

     〃But that was Buda…Pesth we visited so carefully yesterday。〃 

     〃Oh; was   it;〃 she   replied;  without   any  visible change on her   face;  〃I 

thought we had not got there yet。〃 Apparently it was enough for her to be 

travelling; the rest was of little importance。 Later in the day; when asked if 

she   had   visited   a   certain   old   city   in   Germany;   she   told   me   she   had   but 

would never go there again: 〃They gave us such poor coffee at the hotel。〃 

Again later in speaking to her husband; who seemed a trifle vague as to 

whether he had seen Nuremberg or not; she said: 



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     〃Why; you remember it very well; it was there you bought those nice 

overshoes!〃 

     All of which left me with some doubts in my mind as to the cultivating 

influences of foreign travel on their minds。 

     You cannot change a leopard's spots; neither can you alter the nature of 

a race; and one of the strongest characteristics of the Anglo…Saxon; is the 

nomadic instinct。 How often one hears people say: 

     〃I am not going to sit at home and take care of my furniture。 I want to 

see    something     of   the  world    before   I  am   too   old。〃   Lately;   a  sprightly 

maiden of uncertain years; just returned from a long trip abroad; was asked 

if she intended now to settle down。 

     〃Settle    down;    indeed!    I'm   a  butterfly   and   I  never    expect   to  settle 

down。〃 

     There   is   certainly   food   here   for   reflection。   Why   should   we   be   more 

inclined to wander than our neighbors? Perhaps it is in a measure due to 

our nervous; restless temperament; which is itself the result of our climate; 

but whatever the cause is; inability to remain long in one place is having a 

most   unfortunate   influence   on   our   social   life。   When   everyone   is   on   the 

move   or   longing   to   be;   it   becomes   difficult   to   form   any   but   the   most 

superficial   ties;   strong  friendships become   impossible;  the   most   intimate 

family relations are loosened。 

     If one were of a speculative frame of   mind and   chose to take as   the 

basis for a calculation the increase in tourists between 1855; when the ten 

pioneers   started   for   Paris;   and   the   number   〃personally   conducted〃   over 

land and sea today; and then glance forward at what the future will be if 

this   ratio   of   increase   is   maintained   the   result   would   be   something   too 

awful for words。 For if ten have become a million in forty years; what will 

be the total in 1955? Nothing less than entire nations given over to sight… 

seeing; passing their lives and incomes in rushing aimlessly about。 

     If   the   facilities   of   communication   increase   as   they   undoubtedly   will 

with   the   demand;   the   prospect   becomes   nearer   the   idea   of   a   〃Walpurgis 

Night〃 than anything else。 For the earth and the sea will be covered and 

the air filled with every form of whirling; flying; plunging device to get 

men quickly from one place to another。 



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     Every   human   being   on   the   globe   will   be   flying   South   for   the   cold 

months and North for the hot season。 

     As personally conducted tours have been so satisfactory; agencies will 

be   started   to   lead   us   through   all   the   stages   of   existence。   Parents   will 

subscribe on the birth of their children to have them personally conducted 

through      life  and   everything     explained     as  it  is  done   at  present    in  the 

galleries   abroad;   food;   lodging   and   reading   matter;   husbands   and   wives 

will    be    provided     by    contract;    to   be   taken     back    and    changed      if 

unsatisfactory; as the big stores do with their goods。 Delightful prospect! 

Homes will become superfluous; parents and children will only meet when 

their 〃tours〃 happen to cross each other。 Our great…grandchildren will float 

through       life   freed    from     every    responsibility      and    more      perfectly 

independent       than    even    that  delightful    dreamer;     Bellamy;      ventured    to 

predict。 



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                     CHAPTER 29 … Husks 



       AMONG         the  Protestants     driven   from    France    by   that   astute   and 

liberal…minded sovereign Louis XIV。; were a colony of weavers; who as all 

the    world     knows;     settled    at   Spitalfields    in   England;      where     their 

descendants weave silk to this day。 

     On their arrival in Great Britain; before the looms could be set up and 

a   market   found   for   their   industry;   the   exiles   were   reduced     to   the   last 

extremity of destitution and hunger。 Looking about them for anything that 

could   be   utilized   for   food;   they   discovered   that   the   owners   of   English 

slaughter…houses threw away as worthless; the tails of the cattle they killed。 

Like   all   the   poor   in   France;   these   wanderers   were   excellent   cooks;   and 

knew   that   at   home   such   caudal   appendages   were   highly   valued   for   the 

tenderness   and   flavor of   the   meat。 To   the   amazement   and   disgust   of   the 

English   villagers   the   new   arrivals   proceeded   to   collect   this   〃refuse〃   and 

carry it home for food。 As the first principle of French culinary art is the 

POT…AU…FEU;   the   tails   were   mostly   converted   into   soup;   on   which   the 

exiles thrived and feasted。 

     Their neighbors; envious at seeing the despised French indulging daily 

in   savory  dishes;   unknown   to   English   palates;   and   tempted   like   〃Jack's〃 

giant by the smell of 〃fresh meat;〃 began to inquire into the matter; and 

slowly   realized   how;   in   their   ignorance;   they   had   been   throwing   away 

succulent      and    delicate   food。    The    news    of   this   discovery     gradually 

spreading      through    all  classes;   〃ox…tail〃   became      and   has   remained     the 

national English soup。 

     If this veracious tale could be twisted into a metaphor; it would serve 

marvellously to illustrate the position of the entire Anglo… Saxon race; and 

especially that of their American descendants as regards the Latin peoples。 

For foolish prodigality and reckless; ignorant extravagance; however; we 

leave our English cousins far behind。 

     Two     American       hotels    come    to   my    mind;     as  different    in   their 

appearance and management as they are

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