a mortal antipathy-第62章

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I　am　sure　you　will　have　a　beautiful　one。　　I　suppose　you　will　have

some　fine　horses；　and　who　would　n't　be　glad　to？　　But　I　do　not　believe

you　will　try　to　make　your　old　Arrowhead　Village　friends　stare　their

eyes　out　of　their　heads　with　a　display　meant　to　outshine　everybody

else　that　comes　here。　　You　can　have　a　yacht　on　the　lake；　if　you　like；

but　I　hope　you　will　pull　a　pair　of　oars　in　our　old　boat　once　in　a

while；　with　me　to　steer　you。　　I　know　you　will　be　just　the　same　dear…

Euthymia　you　always　were　and　always　must　be。　　How　happy　you　must　make

such　a　man　as　Maurice　Kirkwood！　　And　how　happy　you　ought　to　be　with

him！a　man　who　knows　what　is　in　books；　and　who　has　seen　for　himself；

what　is　in　men。　　If　he　has　not　seen　so　much　of　women；　where　could　he

study　all　that　is　best　in　womanhood　as　he　can　in　his　own　wife？　　Only

one　thing　that　dear　Euthymia　lacks。　　She　is　not　quite　pronounced

enough　in　her　views　as　to　the　rights　and　the　wrongs　of　the　sex。　　When

I　visit　you；　as　you　say　I　shall；　I　mean　to　indoctrinate　Maurice　with

sound　views　on　that　subject。　　I　have　written　an　essay　for　the

Society；　which　I　hope　will　go　a　good　way　towards　answering　all　the

objections　to　female　suffrage。　　I　mean　to　read　it　to　your　husband；　if

you　will　let　me；　as　I　know　you　will；　and　perhaps　you　would　like　to

hear　it；only　you　know　my　thoughts　on　the　subject　pretty　well

already。



With　all　sorts　of　kind　messages　to　your　dear　husband；　and　love　to

your　precious　self；

I　am　ever　your



LURIDA。









DR。　BUTTS　TO　MRS。　EUTHYMIA　KIRKWOOD。



MY　DEAR　EUTHYMIA；My　pen　refuses　to　call　you　by　any　other　name。

Sweet…souled　you　are；　and　your　Latinized　Greek　name　isthe　one　which

truly　designates　you。　　I　cannot　tell　you　how　we　have　followed　you；

with　what　interest　and　delight　through　your　travels；　as　you　have　told

their　story　in　your　letters　to　your　mother。　　She　has　let　us　have　the

privilege　of　reading　them；　and　we　have　been　with　you　in　steamer；

yacht；　felucca；　gondola；　Nile…boat；　in　all　sorts　of　places；　from

crowded　capitals　to　〃deserts　where　no　men　abide；〃everywhere　keeping

company　with　you　in　your　natural　and　pleasant　descriptions　of　your

experiences。　　And　now　that　you　have　returned　to　your　home　in　the

great　city　I　must　write　you　a　few　lines　of　welcome；　if　nothing　more。



You　will　find　Arrowhead　Village　a　good　deal　changed　since　you　left

it。　　We　are　discovered　by　some　of　those　over…rich　people　who　make　the

little　place　upon　which　they　swarm　a　kind　of　rural　city。　　When　this

happens　the　consequences　are　striking；some　of　them　desirable　and

some　far　otherwise。　　The　effect　of　well…built；　well…furnished；　well…

kept　houses　and　of　handsome　grounds　always　maintained　in　good　order

about　them　shows　itself　in　a　large　circuit　around　the　fashionable

centre。　　Houses　get　on　a　new　coat　of　paint；　fences　are　kept　in　better

order；　little　plots　of　flowers　show　themselves　where　only　ragged

weeds　had　rioted；　the　inhabitants　present　themselves　in　more　comely

attire　and　drive　in　handsomer　vehicles　with　more　carefully　groomed

horses。　　On　the　other　hand；　there　is　a　natural　jealousy　on　the　part

of　the　natives　of　the　region　suddenly　become　fashionable。　　They　have

seen　the　land　they　sold　at　farm　prices　by　the　acre　coming　to　be

valued　by　the　foot；　like　the　corner　lots　in　a　city。　　Their　simple　and

humble　modes　of　life　look　almost　poverty…stricken　in　the　glare　of

wealth　and　luxury　which　so　outshines　their　plain　way　of　living。　　It

is　true　that　many　of　them　have　found　them　selves　richer　than　in

former　days；　when　the　neighborhood　lived　on　its　own　resources。　　They

know　how　to　avail　themselves　of　their　altered　position；　and　soon

learn　to　charge　city　prices　for　country　products；　but　nothing　can

make　people　feel　rich　who　see　themselves　surrounded　by　men　whose

yearly　income　is　many　times　their　own　whole　capital。　　I　think　it

would　be　better　if　our　rich　men　scattered　themselves　more　than　they

do；buying　large　country　estates；　building　houses　and　stables　which

will　make　it　easy　to　entertain　their　friends；　and　depending　for

society　on　chosen　guests　rather　than　on　the　mob　of　millionaires　who

come　together　for　social　rivalry。　　But　I　do　not　fret　myself　about　it。

Society　will　stratify　itself　according　to　the　laws　of　social

gravitation。　　It　will　take　a　generation　or　two　more；　perhaps；　to

arrange　the　strata　by　precipitation　and　settlement；　but　we　can　always

depend　on　one　principle　to　govern　the　arrangement　of　the　layers。

People　interested　in　the　same　things　will　naturally　come　together。

The　youthful　heirs　of　fortunes　who　keep　splendid　yachts　have　little

to　talk　about　with　the　oarsman　who　pulls　about　on　the　lake　or　the

river。　　What　does　young　Dives；　who　drives　his　four…in…hand　and　keeps

a　stable　full　of　horses；　care　about　Lazarus；　who　feels　rich　in　the

possession　of　a　horse…railroad　ticket？　　You　know　how　we　live　at　our

house；　plainly；　but　with　a　certain　degree　of　cultivated　propriety。

We　make　no　pretensions　to　what　is　called　〃style。〃　　We　are　still　in

that　social　stratum　where　the　article　called　〃a　napkin…ring〃　is

recognized　as　admissible　at　the　dinner…table。　　That　fact　sufficiently

defines　our　modest　pretensions。　　The　napkin…ring　is　the　boundary　mark

between　certain　classes。　　But　one　evening　Mrs。　Butts　and　I　went　out

to　a　party　given　by　the　lady　of　a　worthy　family；　where　the　napkin

itself　was　a　newly　introduced　luxury。　　The　conversation　of　the

hostess　and　her　guests　turned　upon　details　of　the　kitchen　and　the

laundry；　upon　the　best　mode　of　raising　bread；　whether　with　〃emptins〃

（emptyings；　yeast）　or　baking　powder；　about　〃bluing〃　and　starching　and

crimping；　and　similar　matters。　　Poor　Mrs。　Butts！　　She　knew　nothing

more　about　such　things　than　her　hostess　did　about　Shakespeare　and　the

musical　glasses。　　What　was　the　use　of　trying　to　enforce　social

intercourse　under　such　conditions？　　Incompatibility　of　temper　has

been　considered　ground　for　a　divorce；　incompatibility　of　interests　is

a　sufficient　warrant　for　social　separation。　　The　multimillionaires

have　so　much　that　is　common　among　themselves；　and　so　little　that　they

share　with　us　of　moderate　means；　that　they　will　naturally　form　a

specialized　class；　and　in　virtue　of　their　palaces；　their　picture…

galleries；　their　equipages；　their　yachts；　their　large　hospitality；

constitute　a　kind　of　exclusive　aristocracy。　　Religion；　which　ought　to

be　the　great　leveller；　cannot　reduce　these　elements　to　the　same

grade。　　You　may　read　in　the　parable；　〃Friend；　how　camest　thou　in

hither　not　having　a　wedding　garment？〃　　The　modern　version　would　be；

〃How　came　you　at　Mrs。　Billion's　ball　not　having　a　dress　on　your　back

which　came　from　Paris？〃



The　little　church　has　got　a　new　stained　window；　a　saint　who　reminds

me　of　Hamlet's　uncle；a　thing　〃of　shreds　and　patches；〃　but　rather

pretty　to　look　at；　with　an　inscription　under　it　which　is　supposed　to

be　the　name　of　the　person　in　whose　honor　the　window　was　placed　in　the

church。　　Smith　was　a　worthy　man　and　a　faithful　churchwarden；　and　I

hope　posterity　will　be　able　to　spell　out　his　name　on　his　monumental

window；　but　that　old　English　lettering　would　puzzle　Mephistopheles

himself；　if　he　found　himself　before　this　memorial　tribute；　on　the

inside；you　know　he　goes　to　church　sometimes；　if　you　remember　your

Faust。



The　rector　has　come　out；　in　a　quiet　way；　as　an　evolutionist。　　He　has

always　been　rather　〃broad　〃　in　his　views；　but　cautious　in　their

expression。　　You　can　tell　the　three　branches　of　the　mother…island

church　by　the　way　they　carry　their　heads。　　The　low…church　clergy　look

down；　as　if　they　felt　themselves　to　be　worms　of　the　dust；　the　high…

church　priest　drops　his　head　on　one　side；　after　the　pattern　of　the

mediaeval　saints；　the　broad…church　preacher　looks　forward　and　round

about　him；　as　if　he　felt　himself　the　heir　of　creation。　　Our　rector

carries　his　head　in　the　broad…church　aspect；　which　I　suppose　is　the

least　open　to　the　charge　of　affectation；in　fact；　is　the　natural　and

manly　way　of　carrying　it。



The　S