north america-2-第66章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


he　latches　were　familiar　to　my　hands；　faces　which　I　knew　so　well　that　they　had　ceased　to　put　on　for　me　the　fictitious　smiles　of　courtesy。　　Faces；　houses；　doors；　and　haunts；where　are　they　now？　　For　me　they　are　as　though　they　had　never　been。　　They　are　among　the　things　which　one　would　fain　remember　as　one　remembers　a　dream。　　Look　back　on　it　as　a　vision　and　it　is　all　pleasant；　but　if　you　realize　your　vision　and　believe　your　dream　to　be　a　fact；　all　your　pleasure　is　obliterated　by　regret。　I　know　that　I　shall　never　again　be　at　Boston；　and　that　I　have　said　that　about　the　Americans　which　would　make　me　unwelcome　as　a　guest　if　I　were　there。　　It　is　in　this　that　my　regret　consists；　for　this　reason　that　I　would　wish　to　remember　so　many　social　hours　as　though　they　had　been　passed　in　sleep。　　They　who　will　expect　blessings　from　me；　will　say　among　themselves　that　I　have　cursed　them。　　As　I　read　the　pages　which　I　have　written；　I　feel　that　words　which　I　intended　for　blessings　when　I　prepared　to　utter　them　have　gone　nigh　to　turn　themselves　into　curses。　I　have　ever　admired　the　United　States　as　a　nation。　　I　have　loved　their　liberty；　their　prowess；　their　intelligence；　and　their　progress。　　I　have　sympathized　with　a　people　who　themselves　have　had　no　sympathy　with　passive　security　and　inaction。　　I　have　felt　confidence　in　them；　and　have　known；　as　it　were；　that　their　industry　must　enable　them　to　succeed　as　a　people　while　their　freedom　would　insure　to　them　success　as　a　nation。　　With　these　convictions　I　went　among　them　wishing　to　write　of　them　good　wordswords　which　might　be　pleasant　for　them　to　read；　while　they　might　assist　perhaps　in　producing　a　true　impression　of　them　here　at　home。　　But　among　my　good　words　there　are　so　many　which　are　bitter；　that　I　fear　I　shall　have　failed　in　my　object　as　regards　them。　　And　it　seems　to　me；　as　I　read　once　more　my　own　pages；　that　in　saying　evil　things　of　my　friends　I　have　used　language　stronger　than　I　intended；　whereas　I　have　omitted　to　express　myself　with　emphasis　when　I　have　attempted　to　say　good　things。　　Why　need　I　have　told　of　the　mud　of　Washington；　or　have　exposed　the　nakedness　of　Cairo？　　Why　did　I　speak　with　such　eager　enmity　of　those　poor　women　in　the　New　York　cars；　who　never　injured　me；　now　that　I　think　of　it？　　Ladies　of　New　York；　as　I　write　this；　the　words　which　were　written　among　you　are　printed　and　cannot　be　expunged；　but　I　tender　to　you　my　apologies　from　my　home　in　England。　And　that　Van　Wyck　Committeemight　I　not　have　left　those　contractors　to　be　dealt　with　by　their　own　Congress；　seeing　that　that　Congress　committee　was　by　no　means　inclined　to　spare　them？　　I　might　have　kept　my　pages　free　from　gall；　and　have　sent　my　sheets　to　the　press　unhurt　by　the　conviction　that　I　was　hurting　those　who　had　dealt　kindly　by　me！　　But　what　then？　　Was　any　people　ever　truly　served　by　eulogy；　or　an　honest　cause　furthered　by　undue　praise？　O　my　friends　with　thin　skinsand　here　I　protest　that　a　thick　skin　is　a　fault　not　to　be　forgiven　in　a　man　or　a　nation；　whereas　a　thin　skin　is　in　itself　a　merit；　if　only　the　wearer　of　it　will　be　the　master　and　not　the　slave　of　his　skinO　my　friends　with　thin　skins；　ye　whom　I　call　my　cousins　and　love　as　brethren；　will　ye　not　forgive　me　these　harsh　words　that　I　have　spoken？　　They　have　been　spoken　in　lovewith　a　true　love；　a　brotherly　love；　a　love　that　has　never　been　absent　from　the　heart　while　the　brain　was　coining　them。　　I　had　my　task　to　do；　and　I　could　not　take　the　pleasant　and　ignore　the　painful。　　It　may　perhaps　be　that　as　a　friend　I　had　better　not　have　written　either　good　or　bad。　　But　no！　　To　say　that　would　indeed　be　to　speak　calumny　of　your　country。　　A　man　may　write　of　you　truly；　and　yet　write　that　which　you　would　read　with　pleasure；　only　that　your　skins　are　so　thin。　　The　streets　of　Washington　are　muddy　and　her　ways　are　desolate。　　The　nakedness　of　Cairo　is　very　naked。　　And　those　ladies　of　New　Yorkis　it　not　to　be　confessed　that　they　are　somewhat　imperious　in　their　demands？　　As　for　the　Van　Wyck　Committee；　have　I　not　repeated　the　tale　which　you　have　told　yourselves？　　And　is　it　not　well　that　such　tales　should　be　told？　And　yet　ye　will　not　forgive　me；　because　your　skins　are　thin；　and　because　the　praise　of　others　is　the　breath　of　your　nostrils。　I　do　not　know　that　an　American　as　an　individual　is　more　thin　skinned　than　an　Englishman；　but　as　the　representative　of　a　nation　it　may　almost　be　said　of　him　that　he　has　no　skin　at　all。　　Any　touch　comes　at　once　upon　the　net…work　of　his　nerves　and　puts　in　operation　all　his　organs　of　feeling　with　the　violence　of　a　blow。　　And　for　this　peculiarity　he　has　been　made　the　mark　of　much　ridicule。　　It　shows　itself　in　two　ways：　either　by　extreme　displeasure　when　anything　is　said　disrespectful　of　his　country；　or　by　the　strong　eulogy　with　which　he　is　accustomed　to　speak　of　his　own　institutions　and　of　those　of　his　countrymen　whom　at　the　moment　he　may　chance　to　hold　in　high　esteem。　　The　manner　in　which　this　is　done　is　often　ridiculous。　〃Sir；　what　do　you　think　of　Mr。　Jefferson　Brick？　　Mr。　Jefferson　Brick；　sir；　is　one　of　our　most　remarkable　men。〃　　And　again：　〃Do　you　like　our　institutions；　sir？　　Do　you　find　that　philanthropy；　religion；　philosophy　and　the　social　virtues　are　cultivated　on　a　scale　commensurate　with　the　unequaled　liberty　and　political　advancement　of　the　nation？〃　　There　is　something　absurd　in　such　a　mode　of　address　when　it　is　repeated　often。　　But　hero　worship　and　love　of　country　are　not　absurd；　and　do　not　these　addresses　show　capacity　for　hero　worship　and　an　aptitude　for　the　love　of　country？　Jefferson　Brick　may　not　be　a　hero；　but　a　capacity　for　such　worship　is　something。　　Indeed　the　capacity　is　everything；　for　the　need　of　a　hero　will　produce　a　hero。　　And　it　is　the　same　with　that　love　of　country。　　A　people　that　are　proud　of　their　country　will　see　that　there　is　something　in　their　country　to　justify　their　pride。　　Do　we　not　all　of　us　feel　assured　by　the　intense　nationality　of　an　American　that　he　will　not　desert　his　nation　in　the　hour　of　her　need？　　I　feel　that　assurance　respecting　them；　and　at　those　moments　in　which　I　am　moved　to　laughter　by　the　absurdities　of　their　addresses　to　me　I　feel　it　the　strongest。　I　left　Boston　with　the　snow；　and　returning　to　New　York　found　that　the　streets　there　were　dry　and　that　the　winter　was　nearly　over。　　As　I　had　passed　through　New　York　to　Boston　the　streets　had　been　by　no　means　dry。　　The　snow　had　lain　in　small　mountains　over　which　the　omnibuses　made　their　way　down　Broadway；　till　at　the　bottom　of　that　thoroughfare；　between　Trinity　Church　and　Bowling　Green；　alp　became　piled　upon　alp；　and　all　traffic　was　full　of　danger。　　The　cursed　love　of　gain　still　took　men　to　Wall　Street；　but　they　had　to　fight　their　way　thither　through　physical　difficulties　which　must　have　made　even　the　state　of　the　money　market　a　matter　of　indifference　to　them。　They　do　not　seem　to　me　to　manage　the　winter　in　New　York　so　well　as　they　do　in　Boston。　　But　now；　on　my　last　return　thither；　the　alps　were　gone；　the　roads　were　clear；　and　one　could　travel　through　the　city　with　no　other　impediment　than　those　of　treading　on　women's　dresses　if　one　walked；　or　having　to　look　after　women's　band…boxes　and　pay　their　fares　and　take　their　change　if　one　used　the　omnibuses。　And　now　had　come　the　end　of　my　adventure；　and　as　I　set　my　foot　once　more　upon　the　deck　of　the　Cunard　steamer；　I　felt　that　my　work　was　done；　whether　it　were　done　ill　or　well；　or　whether　indeed　any　approach　to　the　doing　of　it　had　been　attained；　all　had　been　done　that　I　could　accomplish。　　No　further　opportunity　remained　to　me　of　seeing；　hearing；　or　of　speaking。　　I　had　come　out　thither；　having　resolved　to　learn　a　little　that　I　might　if　possible　teach　that　little　to　others；　and　now　the　lesson　was　learned；　or　must　remain　unlearned。　　But　in　carrying　out　my　resolution　I　had　gradually　risen　in　my　ambition；　and　had　mounted　from　one　stage　of　inquiry　to　another；　till　at　last　I　had　found　myself　burdened　with　the　task　of　ascertaining　whether　or　no　the　Americans　were　doing　their　work　as　a　nation　well　or　ill；　and　now；　if　ever；　I　must　be　prepared　to　put　forth　the　result　of　my　inquiry。　　As　I　walked　up　and　down　the　deck　of　the　steamboat　I　confess　I　felt　that　I　had　been　somewhat　arrogant。　I　had　been　a　few　days　over　six　months　in　the　States；　and　I　was　engaged　in　writing　a　book　of　such　a　nature　that　a　man　might　well　engage　himself　for　six　years；　or　perhaps　for　sixty；　in　obtaining　the　materials　for　it。　　There　was　nothing　in　the　form　of　government；　or　legislature；　or　manners　of　the　people　as　to　which　I　had　not　taken　upon　myself　to　say　something。　　I　was　professing　to　understand　their　strength　and　their　weakness；　and　was　daring　to　censure　their　faults　and　to　eulogize　their　virtues。　　〃Who　is　he；〃　an　American　would　say；　〃that　he　comes　and　judges　us？　　His　judgment　is　nothing。〃　　〃Who　is　he；〃　an　Englishman　would　say；　〃that　he　comes　and　teaches　us？　　His　teaching　is　of　no　value。〃　In　answer　to　this　I　have　but　a　small　plea　to　makeI　have　done　my　best。　　I　have　nothing　〃extenuated；　and　have　set　down　naught　in　malice。〃　　I　do　feel　that　my　volumes　have　blown　themselves　out　into　proportions　greater　than　I　had　intended；　greater　not　in　mass　of　pages；　but　in　the　matter　handled。　　I　am　frequently　addressing　my　own　muse；　who　I　am　well　aware　is　not　Clio；　and　asking　her　whither　she　is　wending。　　〃Cease；　thou　wrong…headed　one；　to　meddle　with　these　mysteries。〃　　I　appeal　to　her　frequently；　but　ever　in　vain。　　One　cannot　drive　one's　muse；　nor　yet　always　lead　her。　　Of　the　various　women　with　which　a　man　is　blessed；　his　muse　is　by　no　means　the　least　difficult　to　manage。　But　again　I　put　in　my　slight　plea。　　In　doing　as　I　have　done；　I　have　at　least　done　my　best。　　I　have　endeavored　to　judge　without　prejudice；　and　to　hear　with　honest　ears　and　to　see　with　honest　eyes。　The　subject；　moreover；　on　which　I　have　written　is　one　which；　though　great；　is　so　universal　in　its　bearings　that　it　may　be　said　to　admit；　without　impropriety；　of　being　handled　by　the　unlearned　as　well　as　the　learned；　by　those　who　have　grown　gray　in　the　study　of　constitutional　lore；　and　by　those　who　have　simply　looked　on　at　the　government　of　men　as　we　all　look　on　at　those　matters　which　daily　surround　us。　　There　are　matters　as　to　which　a　man　should　never　take　a　pen　in　hand　unless　he　has　given　to　them　much　labor。　　The　botanist　must　have　learned　to　trace　the　herbs　and　flowers　before　he　can　presume　to　tell　us　how　God　has　formed　them。　　But　the　death　of　Hector　is　a　fit　subject　for　a　boy's　verses；　though　Homer　also　sang　of　it。　I　feel　that　there　is　scope　for　a　book　on　the　United　States　form　of　government　as　it　was　founded；　and　as　it　has　since　framed　itself；　which　might　do　honor　to　the　life…long　studies　of　some　one　of　those　great　constitutional　pundits　whom　we　have　among　us；　but；　nevertheless；　the　plain　words　of　a　man　who　is　no　pundit　need　not　disgrace　the　subject；　if　they　be　honestly　written；　and　if　he　who　writes　them　has　in　his　heart　an　honest　love　of　liberty。　　Such　were　my　thoughts　as　I　walked　the　deck　of　the　Cunard　steamer。　　Then　I　descended　to　my　cabin；　settled　my　luggage；　and　prepared　a　table　for　the　continuance　of　my　work。　　It　was　fourteen　days　from　that　time　before　I　reached　London；　but　the　fourteen　days　to　me　were　not　unpleasant。　　The　demon　of　sea…sickness　spares　me　always；　and　if　I　can　find　on　board　one　or　two　who　are　equally　fortunatewho　can　eat　with　me；　drink