elinor wyllys-2-第20章

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is　the　gift　of　fortune；　but　to　write　and　read　comes　by　nature。〃　III。iii。14…16｝

〃Good　taste　never　came　by　nature；　anywhere　but　in　old　Greece；　I　take　it；〃　said　Ellsworth。　〃In　a　new　state　of　society；　such　things　must　force　themselves　upon　one。〃

〃Certainly；〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys；　〃and　you　young　people；　who　have　had　so　many　advantages　of　education　and　leisure；　are　very　right　to　give　the　subject　some　attention；　for　the　sake　of　the　community　in　which　you　live。　Manners　in　their　best　meaning；　as　a　part　of　civilization；　are　closely　connected　at　many　different　points；　with　the　character　and　morals　of　a　nation。　Hitherto　in　this　country；　the　subject　has　been　too　much　left　to　itself；　but　in　many　respects　there　is　a　good　foundation　to　work　uponsome　of　our　national　traits　are　very　creditable。〃

〃That　is　true；　sir；〃　replied　Mr。　Ellsworth；　〃and　Americans　are　naturally　very　quick　in　taking　a　hint；　and　in　fitting　it　to　their　own　uses。　They　are　a　good…natured；　sociable　race；　too；　neither　coarse　nor　unwieldy　in　body　or　mind。　All　they　want　is；　a　little　more　reflection　on　the　subject；　and　a　sufficiently　large　number　of　models；　to　observe；　and　compare　together；　for　they　are　too　quick　and　clever；　not　to　prefer　the　good　to　the　bad；　when　the　choice　lies　before　them。〃

〃Remember　too；〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys；　〃that　if　you　cannot　do　everything；　you　must　not　suppose　you　can　do　nothing。〃

〃There　is　one　point　in　American　manners；　that　is　very　good；〃　said　Harry：　〃among　our　very　best　people　we　find　a　great　deal　of　true　simplicity；　simplicity　of　the　right　sort；　real；　not　factitious。〃

〃Sweet　simplicity；　oh；　la！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Stryker。　〃Well；　I　am　a　bad　subject　to　deal　with；　myself。　I　am　too　old　to　go　to　school；　and　I　am　too　young　yet；　I　flatter　myself；　to　give　much　weight　to　my　advice。　Not　quite　incorrigible；　however；　I　trust；〃　he　added；　endeavouring　to　smile　in　a　natural　way；　as　he　turned　towards　Elinor　and　Mrs。　Creighton。　〃I　shall　be　most　happy　to　learn　from　the　ladies；　and　try　to　improve　under　their　advice。　Have　you　no　suggestions　to　make；　Miss　Wyllys？〃

〃I　am　afraid　I　could　not　be　of　much　use　in　that　way。〃

〃There　are　only　a　thousand…and…one　hints　that　I　should　give　you；〃　said　Mrs。　Creighton；　laughing。

〃You　must　be　frightfully　particular！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Stryker；　〃pray；　what　is　hint　No。　1？〃

〃Oh；　I　should　not　have　time　to　make　even　a　beginning；　it　is　growing　very　late；　and　I　shall　defer　your　education　until　the　next　time　we　meet。　Mr。　Hazlehurst；　that　is　my　scarf；　I　believe；　on　your　chair。〃

The　party　separated；　Harry　offering　his　arm　to　Mrs。　Creighton。



CHAPTER　VIII。　｛XXXI｝

〃Verily　You　shall　not　goa　lady's　verily　is　As　potent　as　a　lord's。　Will　you　go　yet？〃　Winter's　Tale。

｛William　Shakespeare；　〃A　Winter's　Tale〃；　I。ii。50…51｝

MRS。　STANLEY　had　joined　the　Wyllyses　at　Saratoga；　a　few　days　after　they　arrived；　and　the　meeting　between　Hazlehurst　and　herself　had　been　very　cordial。　She　had　always　felt　a　warm　interest　in　Harry；　looking　upon　him　as　her　husband's　chosen　representative；　and　all　but　an　adopted　son；　the　intercourse　between　them　had　invariably　been　of　the　most　friendly　and　intimate　nature。

Mr。　Stanley's　will　had　placed　the　entire　control　of　his　large　estate　in　the　hands　of　his　widow；　and　his　old　friend；　Mr。　Wyllys。　Mrs。　Stanley；　herself；　was　to　retain　one　half　of　the　property；　for　life；　at　her　death　it　was　to　be　divided　in　different　legacies；　to　relatives　of　her　own；　and　to　charitable　institutions；　according　to　her　own　discretion。　The　other　half　was　also　to　be　kept　in　the　hands　of　the　executors　until　his　own　son　returned；　and　had　reached　the　age　of　five…and…twenty；　or；　in　case　the　report　of　William　Stanley's　death；　which　had　just　reached　his　family；　were　to　be　confirmed；　then　Harry　Hazlehurst　was　to　take　his　place；　and　receive　his　son's　portion；　on　condition　that　his；　Hazlehurst's；　second　son　should　take　the　name　of　Stanley。　Hazlehurst　was　a　nephew　by　marriage；　that　is　to　say；　his　father；　after　the　death　of　a　first　wife；　Harry's　mother；　had　married　Mr。　Stanley's　only　sister：　this　lady　died　before　her　brother；　leaving　no　children。　At　the　time　this　will　was　made；　Mr。　Stanley　had　given　up　all；　but　the　faintest；　hope　of　his　son's　being　alive；　still；　he　left　letters　for　him；　containing　his　last　blessing；　and　forgiveness；　in　case　the　young　man　were　to　return。　He　also　expressed　a　wish　that　an　easy　allowance；　according　to　Mrs。　Stanley's　discretion；　should　be　given；　after　the　age　of　one…and…twenty；　to　his　son；　or　to　Harry；　whichever　were　to　prove　his　heir；　on　condition　that　the　recipient　should　pursue　some　regular　profession　or　occupation；　of　a　respectable　character。　Hazlehurst　was　to　receive　a　legacy　of　thirty　thousand　dollars；　in　case　of　William　Stanley's　return。

Such　was　Mr。　Stanley's　will；　and　circumstances　having　soon　showed　that　the　report　of　his　son's　death　was　scarcely　to　be　doubted；　Hazlehurst　had　been　for　years　considered　as　his　heir。　As　Harry　grew　up；　and　his　character　became　formed；　his　principles　proving；　in　every　respect；　such　as　his　friends　could　wish；　Mrs。　Stanley　had　made　very　ample　provision　for　him。　The　allowance　he　had　received　for　his　education　was　very　liberal；　and　during　his　visit　to　Europe　it　had　been　increased。　At　different　times　considerable　sums　had　been　advanced；　to　enable　him　to　make　desirable　purchases：　upon　one　occasion；　a　portion　of　the　property　upon　which　his　ancestors　had　first　settled；　as　colonists；　was　offered　for　sale　by　a　distant　relative；　and　Harry　wished　to　obtain　possession　of　it；　twenty　thousand　dollars　were　advanced　for　this　purpose。　Then；　Hazlehurst　was　very　desirous　of　collecting　a　respectable　library；　and；　as　different　opportunities　offered；　he　had　been　enabled；　while　in　Europe；　to　make　valuable　acquisitions　of　this　kind；　thanks　to　Mrs。　Stanley's　liberality。　As　every　collector　has　a　favourite　branch　of　his　own；　Harry's　tastes　had　led　him　to　look　for　botanical　works；　in　which　he　was　particularly　interested；　and　he　had　often　paid　large　sums　for　rare　or　expensive　volumes　connected　with　this　science。　Since　he　had　reached　the　age　of　five…and…twenty；　or；　during　the　last　two　years；　he　had　been　in　full　possession　of　the　entire　half　of　Mr。　Stanley's　property；　amounting；　it　was　generally　supposed；　to　some　ten　thousand　a　year。　According　to　a　codicil　of　the　will；　Hazlehurst　was　also　to　take　possession　of　Greatwood；　at　his　marriage：　this　was　a　pleasant　country…house；　surrounded　by　a　place　in　fine　order；　but　Mrs。　Stanley；　who　preferred　living　in　town；　had　already　given　him　possession。

〃I　wish；　Harry；　we　could　keep　you　at　home；　now；〃　said　Mrs。　Stanley　to　her　young　friend；　one　morning；　as　he　was　sitting　with　herself；　Mary　Van　Alstyne；　and　Elinor；　in　her　rooms　at　Congress　Hall。　〃I　think　Mr。　Henley　could　spare　you　better　than　we　can。　Is　it　quite　decided　that　you　go　to　Russia？〃

〃You　are　very　kind　to　express　so　much　interest　in　my　movements。　But　you　must　permit　me　to　remind　you　of　a　piece　of　advice　I　have　often　received；　as　a　youngster；　from　your　own　lips；　dear　Mrs。　Stanley；　and　that　is；　never　to　abandon　merely　from　caprice；　the　path　of　life　I　might　choose。〃

〃Certainly；　but　I　think　you　might　find　very　good　reasons　for　staying　at　home；　now；　your　affairs　would　go　on　all　the　better　for　some　personal　attention；　I　should　be　sorry　to　have　you　a　rover　all　your　life；　Harry。〃

〃I　have　no；　intention；　Ma'am；　I　assure　you；　of　being　a　vagrant　all　my　days。　And　if　there　is　nothing　else　to　keep　me　at　home；　it　is　highly　probable　that　I　shall　be　thrown　on　the　shelf　before　long　by　Uncle　Sam。　When　a　man　has　served　his　apprenticeship；　and　is　fully　qualified　to　fill　his　office　creditably；　he　may　prepare　to　be　turned　out；　and；　very　likely；　some　raw　backwoodsman；　who　knows　nothing　of　the　world　in　general；　or　of　diplomacy　in　particular；　will　be　put　in　his　place。　That　is　often　the　way　things　are　managed　among　us；　you　know。

｛Susan　Fenimore　Cooper　is　reflecting　the　views　of　her　father；　based　on　his　experience　with　American　diplomacy　in　Europe　from　1826…33。　The　United　States　Foreign　Service　did　not　become　a　fully　professional；　career　organization　until　1946｝

〃For　that　very　reason；　I　would　not　have　anything　to　do　with　public　life；　if　I　were　a　young　man！〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Stanley；　earnestly。　〃So　many　men　who　are　ill…qualified　for　eith