worldly ways and byways-第24章

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form　of　some　hero。　　Emerson　would　have　given　a　place　in　his　

Pantheon　to　Sagan。　　For　it　is　he　who　sustained　the　traditions　and　

became　the　type　of　that　distinguished　and　frivolous　society；　which　

judged　that　serious　things　were　of　no　importance；　enthusiasm　a　

waste　of　time；　literature　a　bore；　that　nothing　was　interesting　and　

worthy　of　occupying　their　attention　except　the　elegant　distractions　

that　helped　to　pass　their　days…and　nights！　　He　had　the　merit　（？）　in　

these　days　of　the　practical　and　the　commonplace；　of　preserving　in　

his　gracious　person　all　the　charming　uselessness　of　a　courtier　in　a　

country　where　there　was　no　longer　a　court。



What　a　strange　sight　it　would　be　if　this　departing　dandy　could；　

before　he　leaves　for　ever　the　theatre　of　so　many　triumphs；　take　his　

place　at　some　street　corner；　and　review　the　shades　of　the　

companions　his　long　life　had　thrown　him　with；　the　endless　

procession　of　departed　belles　and　beaux；　who；　in　their　youth；　had；　

under　his　rule；　helped　to　dictate　the　fashions　and　lead　the　sports　

of　a　world。









CHAPTER　28　…　A　Nation　on　the　Wing





ON　being　taken　the　other　day　through　a　large　and　costly　residence；　

with　the　thoroughness　that　only　the　owner　of　a　new　house　has　the　

cruelty　to　inflict　on　his　victims；　not　allowing　them　to　pass　a　

closet　or　an　electric　bell　without　having　its　particular　use　and　

convenience　explained；　forcing　them　to　look　up　coal…slides；　and　

down　air…shafts　and　to　visit　every　secret　place；　from　the　cellar　to　

the　fire…escape；　I　noticed　that　a　peculiar　arrangement　of　the　rooms　

repeated　itself　on　each　floor；　and　several　times　on　a　floor。　　I　

remarked　it　to　my　host。



〃You　observe　it；〃　he　said；　with　a　blush　of　pride；　〃it　is　my　wife's　

idea！　　The　truth　is；　my　daughters　are　of　a　marrying　age；　and　my　

sons　starting　out　for　themselves；　this　house　will　soon　be　much　too　

big　for　two　old　people　to　live　in　alone。　　We　have　planned　it　so　

that　at　any　time　it　can　be　changed　into　an　apartment　house　at　a　

nominal　expense。　　It　is　even　wired　and　plumbed　with　that　end　in　

view！〃



This　answer　positively　took　my　breath　away。　　I　looked　at　my　host　in　

amazement。　　It　was　hard　to　believe　that　a　man　past　middle　age；　who　

after　years　of　hardest　toil　could　afford　to　put　half　a　million　into　

a　house　for　himself　and　his　children；　and　store　it　with　beautiful　

things；　would　have　the　courage　to　look　so　far　into　the　future　as　to　

see　all　his　work　undone；　his　home　turned　to　another　use　and　himself　

and　his　wife　afloat　in　the　world　without　a　roof　over　their　wealthy　

old　heads。



Surely　this　was　the　Spirit　of　the　Age　in　its　purest　expression；　the　

more　strikingly　so　that　he　seemed　to　feel　pride　rather　than　

anything　else　in　his　ingenious　combination。



He　liked　the　city　he　had　built　in　well　enough　now；　but　nothing　

proved　to　him　that　he　would　like　it　later。　　He　and　his　wife　had　

lived　in　twenty　cities　since　they　began　their　brave　fight　with　

Fortune；　far　away　in　a　little　Eastern　town。　　They　had　since　changed　

their　abode　with　each　ascending　rung　of　the　ladder　of　success；　and　

beyond　a　faded　daguerreotype　or　two　of　their　children　and　a　few　

modest　pieces　of　jewelry；　stored　away　in　cotton；　it　is　doubtful　if　

they　owned　a　single　object　belonging　to　their　early　life。



Another　case　occurs　to　me。　　Near　the　village　where　I　pass　my　

summers；　there　lived　an　elderly；　childless　couple　on　a　splendid　

estate　combining　everything　a　fastidious　taste　could　demand。　　One　

fine　morning　this　place　was　sold；　the　important　library　divided　

between　the　village　and　their　native　city；　the　furniture　sold　or　

given　away；　…　everything　went；　at　the　end　the　things　no　one　wanted　

were　made　into　a　bon…fire　and　burned。



A　neighbor　asking　why　all　this　was　being　done　was　told　by　the　lady；　

〃We　were　tired　of　it　all　and　have　decided　to　be　'Bohemians'　for　the　

rest　of　our　lives。〃　　This　couple　are　now　wandering　about　Europe　and　

half　a　dozen　trunks　contain　their　belongings。



These　are；　of　course；　extreme　cases　and　must　be　taken　for　what　they　

are　worth；　nevertheless　they　are　straws　showing　which　way　the　wind　

blows；　signs　of　the　times　that　he　who　runs　may　read。　　I　do　not　run；　

but　I　often　saunter　up　our　principal　avenue；　and　always　find　myself　

wondering　what　will　be　the　future　of　the　splendid　residences　that　

grace　that　thoroughfare　as　it　nears　the　Park；　the　ascending　tide　of　

trade　is　already　circling　round　them　and　each　year　sees　one　or　more　

crumble　away　and　disappear。



The　finer　buildings　may　remain；　turned　into　clubs　or　restaurants；　

but　the　greater　part　of　the　newer　ones　are　so　ill…adapted　to　any　

other　use　than　that　for　which　they　are　built　that　their　future　

seems　obscure。



That　fashion　will　flit　away　from　its　present　haunts　there　can　be　

little　doubt；　the　city　below　the　Park　is　sure　to　be　given　up　to　

business；　and　even　the　fine　frontage　on　that　green　space　will　

sooner　or　later　be　occupied　by　hotels；　if　not　stores；　and　he　who　

builds　with　any　belief　in　the　permanency　of　his　surroundings　must　

indeed　be　of　a　hopeful　disposition。



A　good　lady　occupying　a　delightful　corner　on　this　same　avenue；　

opposite　a　one…story　florist's　shop；　said：



〃I　shall　remain　here　until　they　build　across　the　way；　then　I　

suppose　I　shall　have　to　move。〃



So　after　all　the　man　who　is　contented　to　live　in　a　future　apartment　

house；　may　not　be　so　very　far　wrong。



A　case　of　the　opposite　kind　is　that　of　a　great　millionaire；　who；　

dying；　left　his　house　and　its　collections　to　his　eldest　son　and　his　

grandson　after　him；　on　the　condition　that　they　should　continue　to　

live　in　it。



Here　was　an　attempt　to　keep　together　a　home　with　its　memories　and　

associations。　　What　has　been　the　result？　　The　street　that　was　a　

charming　centre　for　residences　twenty　years　ago　has　become　a　

〃slum；〃　the　unfortunate　heirs　find　themselves　with　a　house　on　their　

hands　that　they　cannot　live　in　and　are　forbidden　to　rent　or　sell。　　

As　a　final　result　the　will　must　in　all　probability　be　broken　and　

the　matter　ended。



Of　course　the　reason　for　a　great　deal　of　this　is　the　phenomenal　

growth　of　our　larger　cities。　　Hundreds　of　families　who　would　gladly　

remain　in　their　old　homes　are　fairly　pushed　out　of　them　by　the　

growth　of　business。



Everything　has　its　limits　and　a　time　must　come　when　our　cities　will　

cease　to　expand　or　when　centres　will　be　formed　as　in　London　or　

Paris；　where　generations　may　succeed　each　other　in　the　same　homes。　　

So　far；　I　see　no　indications　of　any　such　crystallization　in　this　

our　big　city；　we　seem　to　be　condemned　like　the　〃Wandering　Jew〃　or　

poor　little　〃Joe〃　to　be　perpetually　〃moving　on。〃



At　a　dinner　of　young　people　not　long　ago　a　Frenchman　visiting　our　

country；　expressed　his　surprise　on　hearing　a　girl　speak　of　〃not　

remembering　the　house　she　was　born　in。〃　　Piqued　by　his　manner　the　

young　lady　answered：



〃We　are　twenty…four　at　this　table。　　I　do　not　believe　there　is　one　

person　here　living　in　the　house　in　which　he　or　she　was　born。〃　　This　

assertion　raised　a　murmur　of　dissent　around　the　table；　on　a　census　

being　taken　it　proved；　however；　to　be　true。



How　can　one　expect；　under　circumstances　like　these；　to　find　any　

great　respect　among　young　people　for　home　life　or　the　conservative　

side　of　existence？　　They　are　born　as　it　were　on　the　wing；　and　on　

the　wing　will　they　live。



The　conditions　of　life　in　this　country；　although　contributing　

largely　to　such　a　state　of　affairs；　must　not　be　held；　however；　

entirely　responsible。　　Underlying　our　civilization　and　culture；　

there　is　still　strong　in　us　a　wild　nomadic　strain　inherited　from　a　

thousand　generations　of　wandering　ancestors；　which　breaks　out　so　

soon　as　man　is　freed　from　the　restraint　incumbent　on　bread…winning　

for　his　family。　　The　moment　there　is　wealth　or　even　a　modest　income　

insured；　comes　the　inclination　to　cut　loose　from　the　dull　routine　

of　business　and　duty；　returning　instinctively　to　the　migratory　

habits　of　primitive　man。



We　are　not　the　only　nation　that　has　given　itself　up　to　globe…

trotting；　it　is　strong　in　the　English；　in　spite　of　their　

conservative　education；　and　it　is　surprising　to　see　the　number　of　

formerly　stay…at…home　French　and　Germans　one　meets　wandering　in　

foreign　lands。



In　1855；　a　Londoner　advertised　the　plan　he　had　conceived　of　taking　

some　people　over　to　visit　the　International　Exhibition　in　Paris。　　

For　a　fixed　sum　paid　in　advance　he　offered　to　provide　everything　

and　act　as　courier　to　the　party；　and　succeeded　with　the　greatest　

difficulty　in　getting　together　ten　people。　　From　this　modest　

beginning　has　grown　the　vast　undertaking　that　to…day　covers　the　

globe　with　tourists；　from　the　frozen　seas　where　they　〃do〃　the　

midnight　sun；　to　the　deserts　three　thousand　miles　up　the　Nile。



As　I　was　returning　a　couple　of　years　ago　VIA　Vienna　from　

Constantinople；　the　train　was　filled　with　a　party　of　our　

compatriots　conducted　by　an　agency　of　this　kind　…　simple　people　of　

small　means　who；　twenty　years　ago；　would　as　soon　have　thought　of　

leaving　their　homes　for　a　trip　in　the　East　as　they　would　of　

starting　off　in　balloons　en　route　for　the　inter…stellar　spaces。



I　doubted　at　the　time　as　to　the　amount　of　information　and　

appreciation　they　brought　to　bear　on　their　travels；　so　I　took　

occasion　to　draw　one　of　the　thin；　unsmiling　women　into　

conversation；　asking　her　where　they　intended　stopping　next。



〃At　Buda…Pesth；〃　she　answered。　　I　said　in　some　amusement：



〃But　that　was　Buda…Pesth　we　visited　so　carefully　yesterday。〃



〃Oh；　was　it；〃　she　replied；　without　any　visible　change　on　her　face；　

〃I　thought　we　had　not　got　there　yet。〃　　Apparently　it　was　enough　for　

her　to　be　travelling；　the　rest　was　of　little　importance。　　Later　in　

the　day；　when　asked　if　she　had　visited　a　certain　old　city　in　

Germany；　she　told　me　she　had　but　would　never　go　there　again：　〃They　

gave　us　such　poor　coffee　at　the　hotel。〃　　Again　later　in　speaking　to　

her　husband；　who　seemed　a　trifle　vague　as　to　whether　he　had　seen　

Nuremberg　or　not；　she　said：



〃Why；　you　remember　it　very　well；　it　was　there　you　bought　those　nice　

overshoes！〃



All　of　which　left　me　with　some　doubts　in　my　mind　as　to　the　

cultivating　influences　of　foreign　travel　on　their　minds。



You　cannot　change　a　leopard's　spots；　neither　can　you　alter　the　

nature　of　a　race；　and　one　of　the　strongest　characteristics　of　the　

Anglo…Saxon；　is　the　nomadic　instinct。　　How　often　one　hears　people　

say：



〃I　am　not　going　to　sit　at　home　and　take　care　of　my　furniture。　　I　

want　to　see　something　of　the　world　before　I　am　too　old。〃　　Lately；　a　

sprightly　maiden　of　uncertain　years；　just　returned　from　a　long　trip　

abroad；　was　asked　if　she　intended　now　to　settle　down。



〃Settle　down；　indeed！　　I'm　a　butterfly　and　I　never　expect　to　settle　

down。〃



There　is　certainly　food　here　for　reflection。　　Why　should　we　be　more　

inclin