worldly ways and byways-第12章

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teaches　that　consummate　taste　is　satisfied　only　with　a　perfected　

simplicity；　that　the　facades　of　a　house　must　be　the　envelope　of　the　

rooms　within　and　adapted　to　them；　as　the　rooms　are　to　the　habits　

and　requirements　of　them　〃that　dwell　therein；〃　that　proportion　is　

the　backbone　of　the　decorator's　art　and　that　supreme　elegance　is　

fitness　and　moderation；　and；　above　all；　that　an　attention　to　

architectural　principles　can　alone　lead　decoration　to　a　perfect　

development。









CHAPTER　13　…　Our　Elite　and　Public　Life





THE　complaint　is　so　often　heard；　and　seems　so　well　founded；　that　

there　is　a　growing　inclination；　not　only　among　men　of　social　

position；　but　also　among　our　best　and　cleverest　citizens；　to　stand　

aloof　from　public　life；　and　this　reluctance　on　their　part　is　so　

unfortunate；　that　one　feels　impelled　to　seek　out　the　causes　where　

they　must　lie；　beneath　the　surface。　　At　a　first　glance　they　are　not　

apparent。　　Why　should　not　the　honor　of　representing　one's　town　or　

locality　be　as　eagerly　sought　after　with　us　as　it　is　by　English　or　

French　men　of　position？　　That　such　is　not　the　case；　however；　is　

evident。



Speaking　of　this　the　other　evening；　over　my　after…dinner　coffee；　

with　a　high…minded　and　public…spirited　gentleman；　who　not　long　ago　

represented　our　country　at　a　European　court；　he　advanced　two　

theories　which　struck　me　as　being　well　worth　repeating；　and　which　

seemed　to　account　to　a　certain　extent　for　this　curious　abstinence。



As　a　first　and　most　important　cause；　he　placed　the　fact　that　

neither　our　national　nor　（here　in　New　York）　our　state　capital　

coincides　with　our　metropolis。　　In　this　we　differ　from　England　and　

all　the　continental　countries。　　The　result　is　not　difficult　to　

perceive。　　In　London；　a　man　of　the　world；　a　business　man；　or　a　

great　lawyer；　who　represents　a　locality　in　Parliament；　can　fulfil　

his　mandate　and　at　the　same　time　lead　his　usual　life　among　his　own　

set。　　The　lawyer　or　the　business　man　can　follow　during　the　day　his　

profession；　or　those　affairs　on　which　he　depends　to　support　his　

family　and　his　position　in　the　world。　　Then；　after　dinner　（owing　to　

the　peculiar　hours　adopted　for　the　sittings　of　Parliament）；　he　can　

take　his　place　as　a　law…maker。　　If　he　be　a　London…born　man；　he　in　

no　way　changes　his　way　of　life　or　that　of　his　family。　　If；　on　the　

contrary；　he　be　a　county　magnate；　the　change　he　makes　is　all　for　

the　better；　as　it　takes　him　and　his　wife　and　daughters　up　to　

London；　the　haven　of　their　longings；　and　the　centre　of　all　sorts　of　

social　dissipations　and　advancement。



With　us；　it　is　exactly　the　contrary。　　As　the　District　of　Columbia　

elects　no　one；　everybody　living　in　Washington　officially　is　more　or　

less　expatriated；　and　the　social　life　it　offers　is　a　poor　

substitute　for　the　circle　which　most　families　leave　to　go　there。



That；　however；　is　not　the　most　important　side　of　the　question。　　Go　

to　any　great　lawyer　of　either　New　York　or　Chicago；　and　propose　

sending　him　to　Congress　or　the　Senate。　　His　answer　is　sure　to　be；　

〃I　cannot　afford　it。　　I　know　it　is　an　honor；　but　what　is　to　replace　

the　hundred　thousand　dollars　a　year　which　my　profession　brings　me　

in；　not　to　mention　that　all　my　practice　would　go　to　pieces　during　

my　absence？〃　　Or　again；　〃How　should　I　dare　to　propose　to　my　family　

to　leave　one　of　the　great　centres　of　the　country　to　go　and　vegetate　

in　a　little　provincial　city　like　Washington？　　No；　indeed！　　Public　

life　is　out　of　the　question　for　me！〃



Does　any　one　suppose　England　would　have　the　class　of　men　she　gets　

in　Parliament；　if　that　body　sat　at　Bristol？



Until　recently　the　man　who　occupied　the　position　of　Lord　Chancellor　

made　thirty　thousand　pounds　a　year　by　his　profession　without　

interfering　in　any　way　with　his　public　duties；　and　at　the　present　

moment　a　recordership　in　London　in　no　wise　prevents　private　

practice。　　Were　these　gentlemen　Americans；　they　would　be　obliged　to　

renounce　all　hope　of　professional　income　in　order　to　serve　their　

country　at　its　Capital。



Let　us　glance　for　a　moment　at　the　other　reason。　　Owing　to　our　laws　

（doubtless　perfectly　reasonable；　and　which　it　is　not　my　intention　

to　criticise；）　a　man　must　reside　in　the　place　he　represents。　　Here　

again　we　differ　from　all　other　constitutional　countries。　　

Unfortunately；　our　clever　young　men　leave　the　small　towns　of　their　

birth　and　flock　up　to　the　great　centres　as　offering　wider　fields　

for　their　advancement。　　In　consequence；　the　local　elector　finds　his　

choice　limited　to　what　is　left　…　the　intellectual　skimmed　milk；　of　

which　the　cream　has　been　carried　to　New　York　or　other　big　cities。　　

No　country　can　exist　without　a　metropolis；　and　as　such　a　centre　by　

a　natural　law　of　assimilation　absorbs　the　best　brains　of　the　

country；　in　other　nations　it　has　been　found　to　the　interests　of　all　

parties　to　send　down　brilliant　young　men　to　the　〃provinces；〃　to　be；　

in　good　time；　returned　by　them　to　the　national　assemblies。



As　this　is　not　a　political　article　the　simple　indication　of　these　

two　causes　will　suffice；　without　entering　into　the　question　of　

their　reasonableness　or　of　their　justice。　　The　social　bearing　of　

such　a　condition　is　here　the　only　side　of　the　question　under　

discussion；　it　is　difficult　to　over…rate　the　influence　that　a　man's　

family　exert　over　his　decisions。



Political　ambition　is　exceedingly　rare　among　our　women　of　position；　

when　the　American　husband　is　bitten　with　it；　the　wife　submits　to；　

rather　than　abets；　his　inclinations。　　In　most　cases　our　women　are　

not　cosmopolitan　enough　to　enjoy　being　transplanted　far　away　from　

their　friends　and　relations；　even　to　fill　positions　of　importance　

and　honor。　　A　New　York　woman　of　great　frankness　and　intelligence；　

who　found　herself　recently　in　a　Western　city　under　these　

circumstances；　said；　in　answer　to　a　flattering　remark　that　〃the　

ladies　of　the　place　expected　her　to　become　their　social　leader；〃　〃I　

don't　see　anything　to　lead；〃　thus　very　plainly　expressing　her　

opinion　of　the　situation。　　It　is　hardly　fair　to　expect　a　woman　

accustomed　to　the　life　of　New　York　or　the　foreign　capitals；　to　look　

forward　with　enthusiasm　to　a　term　of　years　passed　in　Albany；　or　in　

Washington。



In　France　very　much　the　same　state　of　affairs　has　been　reached　by　

quite　a　different　route。　　The　aristocracy　detest　the　present　

government；　and　it　is　not　considered　〃good　form〃　by　them　to　sit　in　

the　Chamber　of　Deputies　or　to　accept　any　but　diplomatic　positions。　　

They　condescend　to　fill　the　latter　because　that　entails　living　away　

from　their　own　country；　as　they　feel　more　at　ease　in　foreign　courts　

than　at　the　Republican　receptions　of　the　Elysee。



There　is　a　deplorable　tendency　among　our　self…styled　aristocracy　to　

look　upon　their　circle　as　a　class　apart。　　They　separate　themselves　

more　each　year　from　the　life　of　the　country；　and　affect　to　smile　at　

any　of　their　number　who　honestly　wish　to　be　of　service　to　the　

nation。　　They；　like　the　French　aristocracy；　are　perfectly　willing；　

even　anxious；　to　fill　agreeable　diplomatic　posts　at　first…class　

foreign　capitals；　and　are　naively　astonished　when　their　offers　of　

service　are　not　accepted　with　gratitude　by　the　authorities　in　

Washington。　　But　let　a　husband　propose　to　his　better　half　some　

humble　position　in　the　machinery　of　our　government；　and　see　what　

the　lady's　answer　will　be。



The　opinion　prevails　among　a　large　class　of　our　wealthy　and　

cultivated　people；　that　to　go　into　public　life　is　to　descend　to　

duties　beneath　them。　　They　judge　the　men　who　occupy　such　positions　

with　insulting　severity；　classing　them　in　their　minds　as　corrupt　

and　self…seeking；　than　which　nothing　can　be　more　childish　or　more　

imbecile。　　Any　observer　who　has　lived　in　the　different　grades　of　

society　will　quickly　renounce　the　puerile　idea　that　sporting　or　

intellectual　pursuits　are　alone　worthy　of　a　gentleman's　attention。　　

This　very　political　life；　which　appears　unworthy　of　their　attention　

to　so　many　men；　is；　in　reality；　the　great　field　where　the　nations　

of　the　world　fight　out　their　differences；　where　the　seed　is　sown　

that　will　ripen　later　into　vast　crops　of　truth　and　justice。　　It　is　

（if　rightly　regarded　and　honestly　followed）　the　battle…ground　where　

man's　highest　qualities　are　put　to　their　noblest　use　…　that　of　

working　for　the　happiness　of　others。









CHAPTER　14　…　The　Small　Summer　Hotel





WE　certainly　are　the　most　eccentric　race　on　the　surface　of　the　

globe　and　ought　to　be　a　delight　to　the　soul　of　an　explorer；　so　full　

is　our　civilization　of　contradictions；　unexplained　habits　and　

curious　customs。　　It　is　quite　unnecessary　for　the　inquisitive　

gentlemen　who　pass　their　time　prying　into　other　people's　affairs　

and　then　returning　home　to　write　books　about　their　discoveries；　to　

risk　their　lives　and　digestions　in　long　journeys　into　Central　

Africa　or　to　the　frozen　zones；　while　so　much　good　material　lies　

ready　to　their　hands　in　our　own　land。　　The　habits　of　the　〃natives〃　

in　New　England　alone　might　occupy　an　active　mind　indefinitely；　

offering　as　interesting　problems　as　any　to　be　solved　by　penetrating　

Central　Asia　or　visiting　the　man…eating　tribes　of　Australia。



Perhaps　one　of　our　scientific　celebrities；　before　undertaking　his　

next　long　voyage；　will　find　time　to　make　observations　at　home　and　

collect　sufficient　data　to　answer　some　questions　that　have　long　

puzzled　my　unscientific　brain。　　He　would　be　doing　good　work。　　Fame　

and　honors　await　the　man　who　can　explain　why；　for　instance；　sane　

Americans　of　the　better　class；　with　money　enough　to　choose　their　

surroundings；　should　pass　so　much　of　their　time　in　hotels　and　

boarding　houses。　　There　must　be　a　reason　for　the　vogue　of　these　

retreats　…　every　action　has　a　cause；　however　remote。　　I　shall　await　

with　the　deepest　interest　a　paper　on　this　subject　from　one　of　our　

great　explorers；　untoward　circumstances　having　some　time　ago　forced　

me　to　pass　a　few　days　in　a　popular　establishment　of　this　class。



During　my　visit　I　amused　myself　by　observing　the　inmates　and　trying　

to　discover　why　they　had　come　there。　　So　far　as　I　could　find　out；　

the　greater　part　of　them　belonged　to　our　well…to…do　class；　and　when　

at　home　doubtless　lived　in　luxurious　houses　and　were　waited　on　by　

trained　servants。　　In　the　small　summer　hotel　where　I　met　them；　they　

were　living　in　dreary　little　ten　by　twelve　foot　rooms；　containing　

only　the　absolute　necessities　of　existence；　a　wash…stand；　a　bureau；　

two　chairs　and　a　bed。　　And　such　a　bed！　　One　mattress　about　four　

inches　thick　over　squeaking　slats；　cotton　sheets；　so　nicely　

calculated　to　the　size　of　the　bed　that　the　slightest　move　on　the　

part　of　the　sleeper　would　detach　them　from　their　moorings　and　undo　

the　housemaid's　work；　two　limp；　discouraged　pillows　that　had　

evidently　been　〃banting；〃　and　a　few　towels　a　foot　long　with　a　

surface　like　sand…paper；　comp