worldly ways and byways-第4章

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fine　clothes　and　what　is　costly；　PER　SE；　has　become　the　besetting　

sin　of　our　day　and　our　land。



The　tone　of　most　of　the　papers　and　of　our　theatrical　advertisements　

reflects　this　feeling。　　The　amount　of　money　expended　for　a　work　of　

art　or　a　new　building　is　mentioned　before　any　comment　as　to　its　

beauty　or　fitness。　　A　play　is　spoken　of　as　〃Manager　So　and　So's　

thirty…thousand…dollar　production！〃　　The　fact　that　a　favorite　

actress　will　appear　in　four　different　dresses　during　the　three　acts　

of　a　comedy；　each　toilet　being　a　special　creation　designed　for　her　

by　a　leading　Parisian　house；　is　considered　of　supreme　importance　

and　is　dwelt　upon　in　the　programme　as　a　special　attraction。



It　would　be　astonishing　if　the　taste　of　our　women　were　different；　

considering　the　way　clothes　are　eternally　being　dangled　before　

their　eyes。　　Leading　papers　publish　illustrated　supplements　devoted　

exclusively　to　the　subject　of　attire；　thus　carrying　temptation　into　

every　humble　home；　and　suggesting　unattainable　luxuries。　　Windows　

in　many　of　the　larger　shops　contain　life…sized　manikins　loaded　with　

the　latest　costly　and　ephemeral　caprices　of　fashion　arranged　to　

catch　the　eye　of　the　poorer　class　of　women；　who　stand　in　hundreds　

gazing　at　the　display　like　larks　attracted　by　a　mirror！　　Watch　

those　women　as　they　turn　away；　and　listen　to　their　sighs　of　

discontent　and　envy。　　Do　they　not　tell　volumes　about　petty　hopes　

and　ambitions？



I　do　not　refer　to　the　wealthy　women　whose　toilets　are　in　keeping　

with　their　incomes　and　the　general　footing　of　their　households；　

that　they　should　spend　more　or　less　in　fitting　themselves　out　

daintily　is　of　little　importance。　　The　point　where　this　subject　

becomes　painful　is　in　families　of　small　means　where　young　girls　

imagine　that　to　be　elaborately　dressed　is　the　first　essential　of　

existence；　and；　in　consequence；　bend　their　labors　and　their　

intelligence　towards　this　end。　　Last　spring　I　asked　an　old　friend　

where　she　and　her　daughters　intended　passing　their　summer。　　Her　

answer　struck　me　as　being　characteristic　enough　to　quote：　〃We　

should　much　prefer；〃　she　said；　〃returning　to　Bar　Harbor；　for　we　all　

enjoy　that　place　and　have　many　friends　there。　　But　the　truth　is；　my　

daughters　have　bought　themselves　very　little　in　the　way　of　toilet　

this　year；　as　our　finances　are　not　in　a　flourishing　condition。　　So　

my　poor　girls　will　be　obliged　to　make　their　last　year's　dresses　do　

for　another　season。　　Under　these　circumstances；　it　is　out　of　the　

question　for　us　to　return　a　second　summer　to　the　same　place。〃



I　do　not　know　how　this　anecdote　strikes　my　readers。　　It　made　me　

thoughtful　and　sad　to　think　that；　in　a　family　of　intelligent　and　

practical　women；　such　a　reason　should　be　considered　sufficient　to　

outweigh　enjoyment；　social　relations；　even　health；　and　allowed　to　

change　the　plans　of　an　entire　family。



As　American　women　are　so　fond　of　copying　English　ways　they　should　

be　willing　to　take　a　few　lessons　on　the　subject　of　raiment　from　

across　the　water。　　As　this　is　not　intended　to　be　a　dissertation　on　

〃How　to　Dress　Well　on　Nothing　a　Year；〃　and　as　I　feel　the　greatest　

diffidence　in　approaching　a　subject　of　which　I　know　absolutely　

nothing；　it　will　be　better　to　sheer　off　from　these　reefs　and　

quicksands。　　Every　one　who　reads　these　lines　will　know　perfectly　

well　what　is　meant；　when　reference　is　made　to　the　good　sense　and　

practical　utility　of　English　women's　dress。



What　disgusts　and　angers　me　（when　my　way　takes　me　into　our　surface　

or　elevated　cars　or　into　ferry　boats　and　local　trains）　is　the　utter　

dissonance　between　the　outfit　of　most　of　the　women　I　meet　and　their　

position　and　occupation。　　So　universal　is　this；　that　it　might　

almost　be　laid　down　as　an　axiom；　that　the　American　woman；　no　matter　

in　what　walk　of　life　you　observe　her；　or　what　the　time　or　the　

place；　is　always　persistently　and　grotesquely　overdressed。　　From　

the　women　who　frequent　the　hotels　of　our　summer　or　winter　resorts；　

down　all　the　steps　of　the　social　staircase　to　the　char…woman；　who　

consents　（spasmodically）　to　remove　the　dust　and　waste…papers　from　

my　office；　there　seems　to　be　the　same　complete　disregard　of　

fitness。　　The　other　evening；　in　leaving　my　rooms；　I　brushed　against　

a　portly　person　in　the　half…light　of　the　corridor。　　There　was　a　

shimmer　of　（what　appeared　to　my　inexperienced　eyes　as）　costly　

stuffs；　a　huge　hat　crowned　the　shadow　itself；　〃topped　by　nodding　

plumes；〃　which　seemed　to　account　for　the　depleted　condition　of　my　

feather　duster。



I　found　on　inquiring　of　the　janitor；　that　the　dressy　person　I　had　

met；　was　the　char…woman　in　street　attire；　and　that　a　closet　was　set　

aside　in　the　building；　for　the　special　purpose　of　her　morning　and　

evening　transformations；　which　she　underwent　in　the　belief　that　her　

social　position　in　Avenue　A　would　suffer；　should　she　appear　in　the　

streets　wearing　anything　less　costly　than　seal…skin　and　velvet　or　

such　imitations　of　those　expensive　materials　as　her　stipend　would　

permit。



I　have　as　tenants　of　a　small　wooden　house　in　Jersey　City；　a　bank　

clerk；　his　wife　and　their　three　daughters。　　He　earns　in　the　

neighborhood　of　fifteen　hundred　dollars　a　year。　　Their　rent　（with　

which；　by　the　way；　they　are　always　in　arrears）　is　three　hundred　

dollars。　　I　am　favored　spring　and　autumn　by　a　visit　from　the　ladies　

of　that　family；　in　the　hope　（generally　futile）　of　inducing　me　to　do　

some　ornamental　papering　or　painting　in　their　residence；　subjects　

on　which　they　have　by　experience　found　my　agent　to　be　

unapproachable。　　When　those　four　women　descend　upon　me；　I　am　fairly　

dazzled　by　the　splendor　of　their　attire；　and　lost　in　wonder　as　to　

how　the　price　of　all　that　finery　can　have　been　squeezed　out　of　the　

twelve　remaining　hundreds　of　their　income。　　When　I　meet　the　father　

he　is　shabby　to　the　outer　limits　of　the　genteel。　　His　hat　has；　I　am　

sure；　supported　the　suns　and　snowstorms　of　a　dozen　seasons。　　There　

is　a　threadbare　shine　on　his　apparel　that　suggests　a　heartache　in　

each　whitened　seam；　but　the　ladies　are　mirrors　of　fashion；　as　well　

as　moulds　of　form。　　What　can　remain　for　any　creature　comforts　after　

all　those　fine　clothes　have　been　paid　for？　　And　how　much　is　put　

away　for　the　years　when　the　long…suffering　money　maker　will　be　past　

work；　or　saved　towards　the　time　when　sickness　or　accident　shall　

appear　on　the　horizon？　　How　those　ladies　had　the　〃nerve〃　to　enter　a　

ferry　boat　or　crowd　into　a　cable　car；　dressed　as　they　were；　has　

always　been　a　marvel　to　me。　　A　landau　and　two　liveried　servants　

would　barely　have　been　in　keeping　with　their　appearance。



Not　long　ago；　a　great　English　nobleman；　who　is　also　famous　in　the　

yachting　world；　visited　this　country　accompanied　by　his　two　

daughters；　high…bred　and　genial　ladies。　　No　self…respecting　

American　shop　girl　or　fashionable　typewriter　would　have　

condescended　to　appear　in　the　inexpensive　attire　which　those　

English　women　wore。　　Wherever　one　met　them；　at　dinner；　FETE；　or　

ball；　they　were　always　the　most　simply　dressed　women　in　the　room。　　

I　wonder　if　it　ever　occurred　to　any　of　their　gorgeously　attired　

hostesses；　that　it　was　because　their　transatlantic　guests　were　so　

sure　of　their　position；　that　they　contented　themselves　with　such　

simple　toilets　knowing　that　nothing　they　might　wear　could　either　

improve　or　alter　their　standing



In　former　ages；　sumptuary　laws　were　enacted　by　parental　

governments；　in　the　hope　of　suppressing　extravagance　in　dress；　the　

state　of　affairs　we　deplore　now；　not　being　a　new　development　of　

human　weakness；　but　as　old　as　wealth。



The　desire　to　shine　by　the　splendor　of　one's　trappings　is　the　first　

idea　of　the　parvenu；　especially　here　in　this　country；　where　the　

ambitious　are　denied　the　pleasure　of　acquiring　a　title；　and　where　

official　rank　carries　with　it　so　little　social　weight。　　Few　more　

striking　ways　present　themselves　to　the　crude　and　half…educated　for　

the　expenditure　of　a　new　fortune　than　the　purchase　of　sumptuous　

apparel；　the　satisfaction　being　immediate　and　material。　　The　wearer　

of　a　complete　and　perfect　toilet　must　experience　a　delight　of　which　

the　uninitiated　know　nothing；　for　such　cruel　sacrifices　are　made　

and　so　many　privations　endured　to　procure　this　satisfaction。　　When　

I　see　groups　of　women；　clad　in　the　latest　designs　of　purple　and　

fine　linen；　stand　shivering　on　street　corners　of　a　winter　night；　

until　they　can　crowd　into　a　car；　I　doubt　if　the　joy　they　get　from　

their　clothes；　compensates　them　for　the　creature　comforts　they　are　

forced　to　forego；　and　I　wonder　if　it　never　occurs　to　them　to　spend　

less　on　their　wardrobes　and　so　feel　they　can　afford　to　return　from　

a　theatre　or　concert　comfortably；　in　a　cab；　as　a　foreign　woman；　

with　their　income　would　do。



There　is　a　stoical　determination　about　the　American　point　of　view　

that　compels　a　certain　amount　of　respect。　　Our　countrywomen　will　

deny　themselves　pleasures；　will　economize　on　their　food　and　will　

remain　in　town　during　the　summer；　but　when　walking　abroad　they　must　

be　clad　in　the　best；　so　that　no　one　may　know　by　their　appearance　if　

the　income　be　counted　by　hundreds　or　thousands。



While　these　standards　prevail　and　the　female　mind　is　fixed　on　this　

subject　with　such　dire　intent；　it　is　not　astonishing　that　a　weaker　

sister　is　occasionally　tempted　beyond　her　powers　of　resistance。　　

Nor　that　each　day　a　new　case　of　a　well…dressed　woman　thieving　in　a　

shop　reaches　our　ears。　　The　poor　feeble…minded　creature　is　not　to　

blame。　　She　is　but　the　reflexion　of　the　minds　around　her　and　is　

probably　like　the　lady　Emerson　tells　of；　who　confessed　to　him　〃that　

the　sense　of　being　perfectly　well…dressed　had　given　her　a　feeling　

of　inward　tranquillity　which　religion　was　powerless　to　bestow。〃









CHAPTER　5　…　On　Some　Gilded　Misalliances





A　DEAR　old　American　lady；　who　lived　the　greater　part　of　her　life　in　

Rome；　and　received　every　body　worth　knowing　in　her　spacious　

drawing…rooms；　far　up　in　the　dim　vastnesses　of　a　Roman　palace；　used　

to　say　that　she　had　only　known　one　really　happy　marriage　made　by　an　

American　girl　abroad。



In　those　days；　being　young　and　innocent；　I　considered　that　remark　

cynical；　and　in　my　heart　thought　nothing　could　be　more　romantic　and　

charming　than　for　a　fair　compatriot　to　assume　an　historic　title　and　

retire　to　her　husband's　estates；　and　rule　smilingly　over　him　and　a　

devoted　tenantry；　as　in　the　last　act　of　a　comic　opera；　when　a　rose…

colored　light　is　burning　and　the　orchestra　plays　the　last　brilliant　

chords　of　a　wedding　march。



There　seemed　to　my　perverted　sense　a　certain　poetic　justice　about　

the　fact　that　money；　gained　honestly　but　prosaically；　in　groceries　

or　gas；　should　go　to　regild　an　ancient　blazon　or　prop　up　the　

crumbling　walls　of　some　stately　palace　abroad。



Many　thoughtful　years　and　many　cruel　realities　have　taught　me　that　

m