character-第61章

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quite　out　of　my　way；　and；　of　course；　tutorially　pedantic；　but

unconscious；　and　therefore　giving　expression　to　that　goodwill

towards　men　which　I　really　feel；　and　these；　I　believe；　are

the　main　points。〃　（13）



Washington；　who　was　an　Englishman　in　his　lineage；　was　also　one　in

his　shyness。　　He　is　described　incidentally　by　Mr。　Josiah　Quincy；

as　〃a　little　stiff　in　his　person；　not　a　little　formal　in　his

manner；　and　not　particularly　at　ease　in　the　presence　of　strangers。

He　had　the　air　of　a　country　gentleman　not　accustomed　to　mix　much

in　society；　perfectly　polite；　but　not　easy　in　his　address　and

conversation；　and　not　graceful　in　his　movements。〃



Although　we　are　not　accustomed　to　think　of　modern　Americans　as

shy；　the　most　distinguished　American　author　of　our　time　was

probably　the　shyest　of　men。　　Nathaniel　Hawthorne　was　shy　to　the

extent　of　morbidity。　　We　have　observed　him；　when　a　stranger

entered　the　room　where　he　was；　turn　his　back　for　the　purpose　of

avoiding　recognition。　　And　yet；　when　the　crust　of　his　shyness　was

broken；　no　man　could　be　more　cordial　and　genial　than　Hawthorne。



We　observe　a　remark　in　one　of　Hawthorne's　lately…published

'Notebooks；'　（14）　that　on　one　occasion　he　met　Mr。　Helps　in　society；

and　found　him　〃cold。〃　　And　doubtless　Mr。　Helps　thought　the　same　of

him。　　It　was　only　the　case　of　two　shy　men　meeting；　each　thinking

the　other　stiff　and　reserved；　and　parting　before　their　mutual　film

of　shyness　had　been　removed　by　a　little　friendly　intercourse。

Before　pronouncing　a　hasty　judgment　in　such　cases；　it　would　be

well　to　bear　in　mind　the　motto　of　Helvetius；　which　Bentham　says

proved　such　a　real　treasure　to　him：　〃POUR　AIMER　LES　HOMMES；　IL

FAUT　ATTENDRE　PEU。〃



We　have　thus　far　spoken　of　shyness　as　a　defect。　　But　there　is

another　way　of　looking　at　it；　for　even　shyness　has　its　bright

side；　and　contains　an　element　of　good。　　Shy　men　and　shy　races　are

ungraceful　and　undemonstrative；　because；　as　regards　society　at

large；　they　are　comparatively　unsociable。　　They　do　not　possess

those　elegances　of　manner；　acquired　by　free　intercourse；　which

distinguish　the　social　races；　because　their　tendency　is　to　shun

society　rather　than　to　seek　it。　　They　are　shy　in　the　presence　of

strangers；　and　shy　even　in　their　own　families。　　They　hide　their

affections　under　a　robe　of　reserve；　and　when　they　do　give　way　to

their　feelings；　it　is　only　in　some　very　hidden　inner…chamber。　　And

yet　the　feelings　ARE　there；　and　not　the　less　healthy　and　genuine

that　they　are　not　made　the　subject　of　exhibition　to　others。



It　was　not　a　little　characteristic　of　the　ancient　Germans；　that

the　more　social　and　demonstrative　peoples　by　whom　they　were

surrounded　should　have　characterised　them　as　the　NIEMEC；　or　Dumb

men。　　And　the　same　designation　might　equally　apply　to　the　modern

English；　as　compared；　for　example；　with　their　nimbler；　more

communicative　and　vocal；　and　in　all　respects　more　social

neighbours；　the　modern　French　and　Irish。



But　there　is　one　characteristic　which　marks　the　English　people；　as

it　did　the　races　from　which　they　have　mainly　sprung；　and　that　is

their　intense　love　of　Home。　　Give　the　Englishman　a　home；　and　he　is

comparatively　indifferent　to　society。　　For　the　sake　of　a　holding

which　he　can　call　his　own；　he　will　cross　the　seas；　plant　himself

on　the　prairie　or　amidst　the　primeval　forest；　and　make　for　himself

a　home。　　The　solitude　of　the　wilderness　has　no　fears　for　him；　the

society　of　his　wife　and　family　is　sufficient；　and　he　cares　for　no

other。　　Hence　it　is　that　the　people　of　Germanic　origin；　from　whom

the　English　and　Americans　have　alike　sprung；　make　the　best　of

colonizers；　and　are　now　rapidly　extending　themselves　as　emigrants

and　settlers　in　all　parts　of　the　habitable　globe。



The　French　have　never　made　any　progress　as　colonizers；　mainly

because　of　their　intense　social　instinctsthe　secret　of　their

graces　of　manner；and　because　they　can　never　forget　that　they

are　Frenchmen。　（15）　　It　seemed　at　one　time　within　the　limits　of

probability　that　the　French　would　occupy　the　greater　part　of　the

North　American　continent。　　From　Lower　Canada　their　line　of　forts

extended　up　the　St。　Lawrence；　and　from　Fond　du　Lac　on　Lake

Superior；　along　the　River　St。　Croix；　all　down　the　Mississippi；　to

its　mouth　at　New　Orleans。　　But　the　great；　self…reliant；

industrious　〃Niemec；〃　from　a　fringe　of　settlements　along　the

seacoast；　silently　extended　westward；　settling　and　planting

themselves　everywhere　solidly　upon　the　soil；　and　nearly　all　that

now　remains　of　the　original　French　occupation　of　America；　is　the

French　colony　of　Acadia；　in　Lower　Canada。



And　even　there　we　find　one　of　the　most　striking　illustrations　of

that　intense　sociability　of　the　French　which　keeps　them　together；

and　prevents　their　spreading　over　and　planting　themselves　firmly

in　a　new　country；　as　it　is　the　instinct　of　the　men　of　Teutonic

race　to　do。　　While；　in　Upper　Canada；　the　colonists　of　English　and

Scotch　descent　penetrate　the　forest　and　the　wilderness；　each

settler　living；　it　may　be；　miles　apart　from　his　nearest　neighbour；

the　Lower　Canadians　of　French　descent　continue　clustered　together

in　villages；　usually　consisting　of　a　line　of　houses　on　either　side

of　the　road；　behind　which　extend　their　long　strips　of　farm…land；

divided　and　subdivided　to　an　extreme　tenuity。　　They　willingly

submit　to　all　the　inconveniences　of　this　method　of　farming　for　the

sake　of　each　other's　society；　rather　than　betake　themselves　to　the

solitary　backwoods；　as　English；　Germans；　and　Americans　so　readily

do。　　Indeed；　not　only　does　the　American　backwoodsman　become

accustomed　to　solitude；　but　he　prefers　it。　　And　in　the　Western

States；　when　settlers　come　too　near　him；　and　the　country　seems　to

become　〃overcrowded；〃　he　retreats　before　the　advance　of　society；

and；　packing　up　his　〃things〃　in　a　waggon；　he　sets　out　cheerfully；

with　his　wife　and　family；　to　found　for　himself　a　new　home　in

the　Far　West。



Thus　the　Teuton；　because　of　his　very　shyness；　is　the　true

colonizer。　　English；　Scotch；　Germans；　and　Americans　are　alike

ready　to　accept　solitude；　provided　they　can　but　establish　a　home

and　maintain　a　family。　　Thus　their　comparative　indifference　to

society　has　tended　to　spread　this　race　over　the　earth；　to　till　and

to　subdue　it；　while　the　intense　social　instincts　of　the　French；

though　issuing　in　much　greater　gracefulness　of　manner；　has　stood

in　their　way　as　colonizers；　so　that；　in　the　countries　in　which

they　have　planted　themselvesas　in　Algiers　and　elsewherethey

have　remained　little　more　than　garrisons。　（16）



There　are　other　qualities　besides　these；　which　grow　out　of　the

comparative　unsociableness　of　the　Englishman。　　His　shyness　throws

him　back　upon　himself；　and　renders　him　self…reliant　and　self…

dependent。　　Society　not　being　essential　to　his　happiness；　he　takes

refuge　in　reading；　in　study；　in　invention；　or　he　finds　pleasure　in

industrial　work；　and　becomes　the　best　of　mechanics。　　He　does　not

fear　to　entrust　himself　to　the　solitude　of　the　ocean；　and　he

becomes　a　fisherman；　a　sailor；　a　discoverer。　　Since　the　early

Northmen　scoured　the　northern　seas；　discovered　America；　and　sent

their　fleets　along　the　shores　of　Europe　and　up　the　Mediterranean；

the　seamanship　of　the　men　of　Teutonic　race　has　always　been

in　the　ascendant。



The　English　are　inartistic　for　the　same　reason　that　they　are

unsociable。　　They　may　make　good　colonists；　sailors；　and　mechanics；

but　they　do　not　make　good　singers；　dancers；　actors；　artistes；　or

modistes。　　They　neither　dress　well；　act　well；　speak　well；　nor

write　well。　　They　want　stylethey　want　elegance。　　What　they　have

to　do　they　do　in　a　straightforward　manner；　but　without　grace。

This　was　strikingly　exhibited　at　an　International　Cattle

Exhibition　held　at　Paris　a　few　years　ago。　　At　the　close　of　the

Exhibition；　the　competitors　came　up　with　the　prize　animals　to

receive　the　prizes。　　First　came　a　gay　and　gallant　Spaniard；　a

magnificent　man；　beautifully　dressed；　who　received