short stories and essays-第21章

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me　of　the　satisfaction　of　a　discoverer　and　leaves　me　merely　the　sense　of
being　rather　old…fashioned　in　my　painful　emotions。




I。

I　wish　I　could　pretend　that　my　author　philosophized　the　facts　of　his　New
York　with　something　less　than　the　raw　haste　of　the　young　journalist；　but
I　am　afraid　I　must　own　that　'New　York　in　Slices'　affects　one　as　having
first　been　printed　in　an　evening　paper；　and　that　the　writer　brings　to　the
study　of　the　metropolis　something　like　the　eager　horror　of　a　country
visitor。　　This　probably　enabled　him　to　heighten　the　effect　he　wished　to
make　with　readers　of　a　kindred　tradition；　and　for　me　it　adds　a　certain
innocent　charm　to　his　work。　　I　may　make　myself　better　understood　if　I　say
that　his　attitude　towards　the　depravities　of　a　smaller　New　York　is　much
the　same　as　that　of　Mr。　Stead　towards　the　wickedness　of　a　much　larger
Chicago。　　He　seizes　with　some　such　avidity　upon　the　darker　facts　of　the
prisons；　the　slums；　the　gambling…houses；　the　mock　auctions；　the　toughs
（who　then　called　themselves　b'hoys　and　g'hals）；　the　quacks；　the　theatres；
and　even　the　intelligence　offices；　and　exploits　their　iniquities　with　a
ready　virtue　which　the　wickedest　reader　can　enjoy　with　him。

But　if　he　treated　of　these　things　alone；　I　should　not　perhaps　have
brought　his　curious　little　book　to　the　polite　notice　of　my　readers。
He　treats　also　of　the　press；　the　drama；　the　art；　and；　above　all；
〃the　literary　soirees〃　of　that　remote　New　York　of　his　in　a　manner　to　make
us　latest　New…Yorkers　feel　our　close　proximity　to　it。　　Fifty…odd　years
ago　journalism　had　already　become　〃the　absorbing；　remorseless；　clamorous
thing〃　we　now　know；　and　very　different　from　the　thing　it　was　when
〃expresses　were　unheard　of；　and　telegraphs　were　uncrystallized　from　the
lightning's　blue　and　fiery　film。〃　　Reporterism　was　beginning　to　assume
its　present　importance；　but　it　had　not　yet　become　the　paramount
intellectual　interest；　and　did　not　yet　〃stand　shoulder　to　shoulder〃　with
the　counting…room　in　authority。　　Great　editors；　then　as　now；　ranked　great
authors　in　the　public　esteem；　or　achieved　a　double　primacy　by　uniting
journalism　and　literature　in　the　same　personality。　　They　were　often　the
owners　as　well　as　the　writers　of　their　respective　papers；　and　they
indulged　for　the　advantage　of　the　community　the　rancorous　rivalries；
recriminations；　and　scurrilities　which　often　form　the　charm；　if　not　the
chief　use；　of　our　contemporaneous　journals。　　Apparently；　however；
notarially　authenticated　boasts　of　circulation　had　not　yet　been　made　the
delight　of　their　readers；　and　the　press　had　not　become　the　detective
agency　that　it　now　is；　nor　the　organizer　and　distributer　of　charities。

But　as　dark　a　cloud　of　doubt　rested　upon　its　relations　to　the　theatre　as
still　eclipses　the　popular　faith　in　dramatic　criticism。　　〃How　can　you
expect；〃　our　author　asks；　〃a　frank　and　unbiassed　criticism　upon　the
performance　of　George　Frederick　Cooke　Snooks　。　　。　　。　　when　the　editor　or
reporter　who　is　to　write　it　has　just　been　supping　on　beefsteak　and　stewed
potatoes　at　Windust's；　and　regaling　himself　on　brandy…and…water　cold；
without；　at　the　expense　of　the　aforesaid　George　Frederick　Cooke　Snooks？〃
The　severest　censor　of　the　press；　however；　would　hardly　declare　now　that
〃as　to　such　a　thing　as　impartial　and　independent　criticism　upon　theatres
in　the　present　state　of　the　relations　between　editors；　reporters；
managers；　actorsand　actressesthe　thing　is　palpably　out　of　the
question；〃　and　if　matters　were　really　at　the　pass　hinted；　the　press　has
certainly　improved　in　fifty　years；　if　one　may　judge　from　its　present
frank　condemnations　of　plays　and　players。　　The　theatre　apparently　has
not；　for　we　read　that　at　that　period　〃a　very　great　majority　of　the
standard　plays　and　farces　on　the　stage　depend　mostly　for　their　piquancy
and　their　power　of　interesting　an　audience　upon　intrigues　with　married
women；　elopements；　seductions；　bribery；　cheating；　and　fraud　of　every
description　。　　。　　。　　。　　Stage　costume；　too；　wherever　there　is　half　a
chance；　is　usually　made　as　lascivious　and　immodest　as　possible；　and　a
freedom　and　impropriety　prevails　among　the　characters　of　the　piece　which
would　be　kicked　out　of　private　society　the　instant　it　would　have　the
audacity　to　make　its　appearance　there。〃




II。

I　hope　private　society　in　New　York　would　still　be　found　as　correct　if　not
quite　so　violent；　and　I　wish　I　could　believe　that　the　fine　arts　were
presently　in　as　flourishing　a　condition　among　us　as　they　were　in　1849。
That　was　the　prosperous　day　of　the　Art　Unions；　in　which　the　artists
clubbed　their　output；　and　the　subscribers　parted　the　works　among
themselves　by　something　so　very　like　raffling　that　the　Art　Unions　were
finally　suppressed　under　the　law　against　lotteries。　　While　they　lasted；
however；　they　had　exhibitions　thronged　by　our　wealth；　fashion；　and
intellect　（to　name　them　in　the　order　they　hold　the　New　York　mind）；　as　our
private　views　now　are；　or　ought　to　be；　and　the　author　〃devotes　an　entire
number〃　of　his　series　〃to　a　single　institution〃fearless　of　being
accused　of　partiality　by　any　who　rightly　appreciate　the　influences　of　the
fine　arts　upon　the　morals　and　refinement　of　mankind。〃

He　devotes　even　more　than　an　entire　number　to　literature；　for；　besides
treating　of　various　literary　celebrities　at　the　〃literary　soirees；〃　he
imagines　encountering　several　of　them　at　the　high…class　restaurants。
At　Delmonico's；　where　if　you　had　〃French　and　money〃　you　could　get　in　that
day　〃a　dinner　which；　as　a　work　of　art；　ranks　with　a　picture　by
Huntington；　a　poem　by　Willis；　or　a　statue　by　Powers；〃　he　meets　such　a
musical　critic　as　Richard　Grant　White；　such　an　intellectual　epicurean　as
N。　P。　Willis；　such　a　lyric　poet　as　Charles　Fenno　Hoffman。　　But　it　would
be　a　warm　day　for　Delmonico's　when　the　observer　in　this　epoch　could
chance　upon　so　much　genius　at　its　tables；　perhaps　because　genius　among　us
has　no　longer　the　French　or　the　money。　　Indeed；　the　author　of　'New　York
in　Slices'　seems　finally　to　think　that　he　has　gone　too　far；　even　for　his
own　period；　and　brings　himself　up　with　the　qualifying　reservation　that　if
Willis　and　Hoffman　never　did　dine　together　at　Delmonico's；　they　ought　to
have　done　so。　　He　has　apparently　no　misgivings　as　to　the　famous　musical
critic；　and　he　has　no　scruple　in　assembling　for　us　at　his　〃literary
soiree〃　a　dozen　distinguished…looking　men　and　〃twice　as　many　women。。。。
listening　to　a　tall；　deaconly　man；　who　stands　between　two　candles　held　by
a　couple　of　sticks　summoned　from　the　recesses　of　the　back　parlor；　reading
a　basketful　of　gilt…edged　notes。　　It　is　。　　。　　。　　the　annual　Valentine
Party；　to　which　all　the　male　and　female　authors　have　contributed　for　the
purpose　of　saying　on　paper　charming　things　of　each　other；　and　at　which；
for　a　few　hours；　all　are　gratified　with　the　full　meed　of　that　praise
which　a　cold　world　is　chary　of　bestowing　upon　its　literary　cobweb…
spinners。〃

It　must　be　owned　that　we　have　no　longer　anything　so　like　a　'salon'　as
this。　　It　is；　indeed；　rather　terrible；　and　it　is　of　a　quality　in　its
celebrities　which　may　well　carry　dismay　to　any　among　us　presently
intending　immortality。　　Shall　we；　one　day；　we　who　are　now　in　the　rich
and　full　enjoyment　of　our　far…reaching　fame；　affect　the　imagination　of
posterity　as　these　phantoms　of　the　past　affect　ours？　　Shall　we；　too；
appear　in　some　pale　limbo　of　unimportance　as　thin　and　faded　as　〃John
Inman；　the　getter…up　of　innumerable　things　for　the　annuals　and
magazines；〃　or　as　Dr。　Rufus　Griswold；　supposed　for　picturesque　purposes
to　be　〃stalking　about　with　an　immense　quarto　volume　under　his　arm　。　　。　　。
an　early　copy　of　his　forthcoming　'Female　Poets　of　America'〃；　or　as　Lewis
Gaylord　Clark；　the　〃sunnyfaced；　smiling〃　editor　of　the　Knickerbocker
Magazine；　〃who　don't　look　as　if　the　Ink…Fiend　had　ever　heard　of　him；〃
as　he　stands　up　to　dance　a　polka　with　〃a　demure　lady　who　has　evidently
spilled　the　inkstand　over　her　dress〃；　or　as　〃the　stately　Mrs。　Seba　Smith；
bending　aristocratically　over　the　centre…table；　and　talking　in　a　bright；
cold；　steady　stream；　like　an　antique　fountain　by　moonlight〃；　or　as　〃the
spiritual　and　dainty　Fanny　Osgood；　clapping　her　hands　and　crowing　like　a
baby；〃　whe