short stories and essays-第20章

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following　day　telegraphed　for　rooms　at　a　hotel　farther　down　the　coast。
The　answer　came　that　there　were　no　rooms；　and　being　by　this　time　ready　to
start；　they　started；　and　in　due　time　reported　themselves　at　the　hotel。
The　landlord　saw　that　something　must　be　done；　and　he　got　them　rooms；　at　a
smaller　house；　and　'mealed'　them　（as　it　used　to　be　called　at　Mt。　Desert）
in　his　own。　　But　upon　experiment　of　the　fare　at　the　smaller　house　they
liked　it　so　well　that　they　resolved　to　live　there　altogether；　and　they
spent　a　summer　of　the　greatest　comfort　there；　so　that　they　would　hardly
come　away　when　the　house　closed　in　the　fall。

This　was　an　extreme　case；　and　perhaps　such　a　venture　might　not　always
turn　out　so　happily；　but　I　think　that　people　might　oftener　trust
themselves　to　Providence　in　these　matters　than　they　do。　　There　is　really
an　infinite　variety　of　pleasant　resorts　of　all　kinds　now；　and　one　could
quite　safely　leave　it　to　the　man　in　the　ticket…office　where　one　should
go；　and　check　one's　baggage　accordingly。　　I　think　the　chances　of　an
agreeable　summer　would　be　as　good　in　that　way　as　in　making　a　hard…and…
fast　choice　of　a　certain　place　and　sticking　to　it。　　My　own　experience　is
that　in　these　things　chance　makes　a　very　good　choice　for　one；　as　it　does
in　most　non…moral　things。




II。

A　joke　dies　hard；　and　I　am　not　sure　that　the　life　is　yet　quite　out　of　the
kindly　ridicule　that　was　cast　for　a　whole　generation　upon　the　people　who
left　their　comfortable　houses　in　town　to　starve　upon　farm…board　or　stifle
in　the　narrow　rooms　of　mountain　and　seaside　hotels。　　Yet　such　people　were
in　the　right；　and　their　mockers　were　in　the　wrong；　and　their　patient
persistence　in　going　out　of　town　for　the　summer　in　the　face　of　severe
discouragements　has　multiplied　indefinitely　the　kinds　of　summer　resorts；
and　reformed　them　altogether。　　I　believe　the　city　boarding…house　remains
very　much　what　it　used　to　be；　but　I　am　bound　to　say　that　the　country
boarding…house　has　vastly　improved　since　I　began　to　know　it。　　As　for　the
summer　hotel；　by　steep　or　by　strand；　it　leaves　little　to　be　complained　of
except　the　prices。　　I　take　it　for　granted；　therefore；　that　the　out…of…
town　summer　has　come　to　stay；　for　all　who　can　afford　it；　and　that　the
chief　sorrow　attending　it　is　that　curse　of　choice；　which　I　have　already
spoken　of。

I　have　rather　favored　chance　than　choice；　because；　whatever　choice　you
make；　you　are　pretty　sure　to　regret　it；　with　a　bitter　sense　of
responsibility　added；　which　you　cannot　feel　if　chance　has　chosen　for　you。
I　observe　that　people　who　own　summer　cottages　are　often　apt　to　wish　they
did　not；　and　were　foot…loose　to　roam　where　they　listed；　and　I　have　been
told　that　even　a　yacht　is　not　a　source　of　unmixed　content；　though　so
eminently　detachable。　　To　great　numbers　Europe　looks　from　this　shore　like
a　safe　refuge　from　the　American　summer　problem；　and　yet　I　am　not　sure
that　it　is　altogether　so；　for　it　is　not　enough　merely　to　go　to　Europe；
one　has　to　choose　where　to　go　when　one　has　got　there。　　A　European　city　is
certainly　always　more　tolerable　than　an　American　city；　but　one　cannot
very　well　pass　the　summer　in　Paris；　or　even　in　London。　　The　heart　there；
as　here；　will　yearn　for　some　blessed　seat

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Where　falls　not　hail；　or　rain；　or　any　snow；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nor　ever　wind　blows　loudly；　but　it　lies
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Deep…meadow'd；　happy；　fair　with　orchard　lawns
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　bowery　hollows　crown'd　with　summer　sea；〃

and　still；　after　your　keel　touches　the　strand　of　that　alluring　old　world；
you　must　buy　your　ticket　and　register　your　trunk　for　somewhere　in
particular。




III。

It　is　truly　a　terrible　stress；　this　summer　problem；　and；　as　I　say；　my
heart　aches　much　more　for　those　who　have　to　solve　it　and　suffer　the
consequences　of　their　choice　than　for　those　who　have　no　choice；　but　must
stay　the　summer　through　where　their　work　is；　and　be　humbly　glad　that　they
have　any　work　to　keep　them　there。　　I　am　not　meaning　now；　of　course；
business　men　obliged　to　remain　in　the　city　to　earn　the　breador；　more
correctly；　the　cakeof　their　families　in　the　country；　or　even　their
clerks　and　bookkeepers；　and　porters　and　messengers；　but　such　people　as　I
sometimes　catch　sight　of　from　the　elevated　trains　（in　my　reluctant
midsummer　flights　through　the　city）；　sweltering　in　upper　rooms　over
sewing…machines　or　lap…boards；　or　stewing　in　the　breathless　tenement
streets；　or　driving　clangorous　trucks；　or　monotonous　cars；　or　bending
over　wash…tubs　at　open　windows　for　breaths　of　the　no…air　without。
These　all　get　on　somehow；　and　at　the　end　of　the　summer　they　have　not　to
accuse　themselves　of　folly　in　going　to　one　place　rather　than　another。
Their　fate　is　decided　for　them；　and　they　submit　to　it；　whereas　those　who
decide　their　fate　are　always　rebelling　against　it。　　They　it　is　whom　I　am
truly　sorry　for；　and　whom　I　write　of　with　tears　in　my　ink。　　Their　case　is
hard；　and　it　will　seem　all　the　harder　if　we　consider　how　foolish　they
will　look　and　how　flat　they　will　feel　at　the　judgment…day；　when　they　are
asked　about　their　summer　outings。　　I　do　not　really　suppose　we　shall　be
held　to　a　very　strict　account　for　our　pleasures　because　everybody　else
has　not　enjoyed　them；　too；　that　would　be　a　pity　of　our　lives；　and　yet
there　is　an　old…fashioned　compunction　which　will　sometimes　visit　the
heart　if　we　take　our　pleasures　ungraciously；　when　so　many　have　no
pleasures　to　take。　　I　would　suggest；　then；　to　those　on　whom　the　curse　of
choice　between　pleasures　rests；　that　they　should　keep　in　mind　those　who
have　chiefly　pains　to　their　portion　in　life。

I　am　not；　I　hope；　urging　my　readers　to　any　active　benevolence；　or
counselling　them　to　share　their　pleasures　with　others；　it　has　been
accurately　ascertained　that　there　are　not　pleasures　enough　to　go　round；
as　things　now　are；　but　I　would　seriously　entreat　them　to　consider　whether
they　could　not　somewhat　alleviate　the　hardships　of　their　own　lot　at　the
sea…side　or　among　the　mountains；　by　contrasting　it　with　the　lot　of　others
in　the　sweat…shops　and　the　boiler…factories　of　life。　　I　know　very　well
that　it　is　no　longer　considered　very　good　sense　or　very　good　morality　to
take　comfort　in　one's　advantages　from　the　disadvantages　of　others；　and
this　is　not　quite　what　I　mean　to　teach。　　Perhaps　I　mean　nothing　more　than
an　overhauling　of　the　whole　subject　of　advantages　and　disadvantages；
which　would　be　a　light　and　agreeable　occupation　for　the　leisure　of　the
summer　outer。　　It　might　be　very　interesting；　and　possibly　it　might　be
amusing；　for　one　stretched　upon　the　beach　or　swaying　in　the　hammock　to
inquire　into　the　reasons　for　his　or　her　being　so　favored；　and　it　is　not
beyond　the　bounds　of　expectation　that　a　consensus　of　summer　opinion　on
this　subject　would　go　far　to　enlighten　the　world　upon　a　question　that　has
vexed　the　world　ever　since　mankind　was　divided　into　those　who　work　too
much　and　those　who　rest　too　much。






AESTHETIC　NEW　YORK　FIFTY…ODD　YEARS　AGO

A　study　of　New　York　civilization　in　1849　has　lately　come　into　my　hands；
with　a　mortifying　effect；　which　I　should　like　to　share　with　the　reader；
to　my　pride　of　modernity。　　I　had　somehow　believed　that　after　half　a
century　of　material　prosperity；　such　as　the　world　has　never　seen　before；
New　York　in　1902　must　be　very　different　from　New　York　in　1849；　but　if　I
am　to　trust　either　the　impressions　of　the　earlier　student　or　my　own；　New
York　is　essentially　the　same　now　that　it　was　then。　　The　spirit　of　the
place　has　not　changed；　it　is　as　it　was；　splendidly　and　sordidly
commercial。　　Even　the　body　of　it　has　undergone　little　or　no　alteration；
it　was　as　shapeless；　as　incongruous；　as　ugly　when　the　author　of　'New　York
in　Slices'　wrote　as　it　is　at　this　writing；　it　has　simply　grown；　or
overgrown；　on　the　moral　and　material　lines　which　seem　to　have　been
structural　in　it　from　the　beginning。　　He　felt　in　his　time　the　same
vulgarity；　the　same　violence；　in　its　architectural　anarchy　that　I　have
felt　in　my　time；　and　he　noted　how　all　dignity　and　beauty　perished；　amid
the　warring　forms；　with　a　prescience　of　my　own　affliction；　which　deprives
me　of　the　satisfaction　of　a　discoverer　and　leaves　me　merely　the　sense　of
being　rather　old…fashioned　in