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