worldly ways and byways-第15部分

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Americans　who　have　travelled　and　have　seen　their　compatriot　in　his　

social　relations　with　foreigners；　will　agree　with　this；　reluctant　

as　I　am　to　acknowledge　it。



That　a　sister　and　brother　brought　up　together；　under　the　same　

influences；　should　later　differ　to　this　extent　seems　incredible。　　

It　is　just　this　that　convinces　me　we　have　made　a　false　start　as　

regards　the　education　and　ambitions　of　our　young　men。



To　find　the　reasons　one　has　only　to　glance　back　at　our　past。　　After　

the　struggle　that　insured　our　existence　as　a　united　nation；　came　a　

period　of　great　prosperity。　　When　both　seemed　secure；　we　did　not　

pause　and　take　breath；　as　it　were；　before　entering　a　new　epoch　of　

development；　but　dashed　ahead　on　the　old　lines。　　It　is　here　that　we　

got　on　the　wrong　road。　　Naturally　enough　too；　for　our　peculiar　

position　on　this　continent；　far　away　from　the　centres　of　

cultivation　and　art；　surrounded　only　by　less　successful　states　with　

which　to　compare　ourselves；　has　led　us　into　forming　erroneous　ideas　

as　to　the　proportions　of　things；　causing　us　to　exaggerate　the　value　

of　material　prosperity　and　undervalue　matters　of　infinitely　greater　

importance；　which　have　been　neglected　in　consequence。



A　man　who；　after　fighting　through　our　late　war；　had　succeeded　in　

amassing　a　fortune；　naturally　wished　his　son　to　follow　him　on　the　

only　road　in　which　it　had　ever　occurred　to　him　that　success　was　of　

any　importance。　　So　beyond　giving　the　boy　a　college　education；　

which　he　had　not　enjoyed；　his　ambition　rarely　went；　his　idea　being　

to　make　a　practical　business　man　of　him；　or　a　lawyer；　that　he　could　

keep　the　estate　together　more　intelligently。　　In　thousands　of　

cases；　of　course；　individual　taste　and　bent　over…ruled　this　

influence；　and　a　career　of　science　or　art　was　chosen；　but　in　the　

mass　of　the　American　people；　it　was　firmly　implanted　that　the　

pursuit　of　wealth　was　the　only　occupation　to　which　a　reasonable　

human　being　could　devote　himself。　　A　young　man　who　was　not　in　some　

way　engaged　in　increasing　his　income　was　looked　upon　as　a　very　

undesirable　member　of　society；　and　sure；　sooner　or　later；　to　come　

to　harm。



Millionaires　declined　to　send　their　sons　to　college；　saying　they　

would　get　ideas　there　that　would　unfit　them　for　business；　to　

Paterfamilias　the　one　object　of　life。　　Under　such　fostering　

influences；　the　ambitions　in　our　country　have　gradually　given　way　

to　money　standards　and　the　false　start　has　been　made！　　Leaving　

aside　at　once　the　question　of　money　in　its　relation　to　our　politics　

（although　it　would　be　a　fruitful　subject　for　moralizing）；　and　

confining　ourselves　strictly　to　the　social　side　of　life；　we　soon　

see　the　results　of　this　mammon　worship。



In　England　（although　Englishmen　have　been　contemptuously　called　the　

shop…keepers　of　the　world）　the　extension　and　maintenance　of　their　

vast　empire　is　the　mainspring　which　keeps　the　great　machine　in　

movement。　　And　one　sees　tens　of　thousands　of　well…born　and　

delicately…bred　men　cheerfully　entering　the　many　branches　of　public　

service　where　the　hope　of　wealth　can　never　come；　and　retiring　on　

pensions　or　half…pay　in　the　strength　of　their　middle　age；　

apparently　without　a　regret　or　a　thought　beyond　their　country's　

well…being。



In　France；　where　the　passionate　love　of　their　own　land　has　made　

colonial　extension　impossible；　the　modern　Frenchman　of　education　is　

more　interested　in　the　yearly　exhibition　at　the　SALON　or　in　a　

successful　play　at　the　FRANCAIS；　than　in　the　stock　markets　of　the　

world。



Would　that　our　young　men　had　either　of　these　bents！　　They　have　

copied　from　England　a　certain　love　of　sport；　without　the　English　

climate　or　the　calm　of　country　and　garrison　life；　to　make　these　

sports　logical　and　necessary。　　As　the　young　American　millionaire　

thinks　he　must　go　on　increasing　his　fortune；　we　see　the　anomaly　of　

a　man　working　through　a　summer's　day　in　Wall　Street；　then　dashing　

in　a　train　to　some　suburban　club；　and　appearing　a　half…hour　later　

on　the　polo　field。　　Next　to　wealth；　sport　has　become　the　ambition　

of　the　wealthy　classes；　and　has　grown　so　into　our　college　life　that　

the　number　of　students　in　the　freshman　class　of　our　great　

universities　is　seriously　influenced　by　that　institution's　losses　

or　gains　at　football。



What　is　the　result　of　all　this？　　A　young　man　starts　in　life　with　

the　firm　intention　of　making　a　great　deal　of　money。　　If　he　has　any　

time　left　from　that　occupation　he　will　devote　it　to　sport。　　Later　

in　life；　when　he　has　leisure　and　travels；　or　is　otherwise　thrown　

with　cultivated　strangers；　he　must　naturally　be　at　a　disadvantage。　　

〃Shop；〃　he　cannot　talk；　he　knows　that　is　vulgar。　　Music；　art；　the　

drama；　and　literature　are　closed　books　to　him；　in　spite　of　the　fact　

that　he　may　have　a　box　on　the　grand　tier　at　the　opera　and　a　couple　

of　dozen　high…priced　〃masterpieces〃　hanging　around　his　drawing…

rooms。　　If　he　is　of　a　finer　clay　than　the　general　run　of　his　class；　

he　will　realize　dimly　that　somehow　the　goal　has　been　missed　in　his　

life　race。　　His　chase　after　the　material　has　left　him　so　little　

time　to　cultivate　the　ideal；　that　he　has　prepared　himself　a　sad　and　

aimless　old　age；　unless　he　can　find　pleasure　in　doing　as　did　a　man　

I　have　been　told　about；　who；　receiving　half　a　dozen　millions　from　

his　father's　estate；　conceived　the　noble　idea　of　increasing　them　so　

that　he　might　leave　to　each　of　his　four　children　as　much　as　he　had　

himself　received。　　With　the　strictest　economy；　and　by　suppressing　

out　of　his　life　and　that　of　his　children　all　amusements　and　

superfluous　outlay；　he　has　succeeded　now　for　many　years　in　living　

on　the　income　of　his　income。　　Time　will　never　hang　heavy　on　this　

Harpagon's　hands。　　He　is　a　perfectly　happy　individual；　but　his　

conversation　is　hardly　of　a　kind　to　attract；　and　it　may　be　doubted　

if　the　rest　of　the　family　are　as　much　to　be　envied。



An　artist　who　had　lived　many　years　of　his　life　in　Paris　and　London　

was　speaking　the　other　day　of　a　curious　phase　he　had　remarked　in　

our　American　life。　　He　had　been　accustomed　over　there　to　have　his　

studio　the　meeting…place　of　friends；　who　would　drop　in　to　smoke　and　

lounge　away　an　hour；　chatting　as　he　worked。　　To　his　astonishment；　

he　tells　me　that　since　he　has　been　in　New　York　not　one　of　the　many　

men　he　knows　has　ever　passed　an　hour　in　his　rooms。　　Is　not　that　a　

significant　fact？　　Another　remark　which　points　its　own　moral　was　

repeated　to　me　recently。　　A　foreigner　visiting　here；　to　whom　

American　friends　were　showing　the　sights　of　our　city；　exclaimed　at　

last：　〃You　have　not　pointed　out　to　me　any　celebrities　except　

millionaires。　　'Do　you　see　that　man？　he　is　worth　ten　millions。　　

Look　at　that　house！　it　cost　one　million　dollars；　and　there　are　

pictures　in　it　worth　over　three　million　dollars。　　That　trotter　cost　

one　hundred　thousand　dollars；'　etc。〃　　Was　he　not　right？　　And　does　

it　not　give　my　reader　a　shudder　to　see　in　black　and　white　the　

phrases　that　are；　nevertheless；　so　often　on　our　lips？



This　levelling　of　everything　to　its　cash　value　is　so　ingrained　in　

us　that　we　are　unconscious　of　it；　as　we　are　of　using　slang　or　local　

expressions　until　our　attention　is　called　to　them。　　I　was　present　

once　at　a　farce　played　in　a　London　theatre；　where　the　audience　went　

into　roars　of　laughter　every　time　the　stage　American　said；　〃Why；　

certainly。〃　　I　was　indignant；　and　began　explaining　to　my　English　

friend　that　we　never　used　such　an　absurd　phrase。　　〃Are　you　sure？〃　

he　asked。　　〃Why；　certainly；〃　I　said；　and　stopped；　catching　the　

twinkle　in　his　eye。



It　is　very　much　the　same　thing　with　money。　　We　do　not　notice　how　

often　it　slips　into　the　conversation。　　〃Out　of　the　fullness　of　the　

heart　the　mouth　speaketh。〃　　Talk　to　an　American　of　a　painter　and　

the　charm　of　his　work。　　He　will　be　sure　to　ask；　〃Do　his　pictures　

sell　well？〃　and　will　lose　all　interest　if　you　say　he　can't　sell　

them　at　all。　　As　if　that　had　anything　to　do　with　it！



Remembering　the　well…known　anecdote　of　Schopenhauer　and　the　gold　

piece　which　he　used　to　put　beside　his　plate　at　the　TABLE　D'HOTE；　

where　he　ate；　surrounded　by　the　young　officers　of　the　German　army；　

and　which　was　to　be　given　to　the　poor　the　first　time　he　heard　any　

conversation　that　was　not　about　promotion　or　women；　I　have　been　

tempted　to　try　the　experiment　in　our　clubs；　changing　the　subjects　

to　stocks　and　sport；　and　feel　confident　that　my　contributions　to　

charity　would　not　ruin　me。



All　this　has　had　the　result　of　making　our　men　dull　companions；　

after　dinner；　or　at　a　country　house；　if　the　subject　they　love　is　

tabooed；　they　talk　of　nothing！　　It　is　sad　for　a　rich　man　（unless　

his　mind　has　remained　entirely　between　the　leaves　of　his　ledger）　to　

realize　that　money　really　buys　very　little；　and　above　a　certain　

amount　can　give　no　satisfaction　in　proportion　to　its　bulk；　beyond　

that　delight　which　comes　from　a　sense　of　possession。　　Croesus　often　

discovers　as　he　grows　old　that　he　has　neglected　to　provide　himself　

with　the　only　thing　that　〃is　a　joy　for　ever〃　…　a　cultivated　

intellect　…　in　order　to　amass　a　fortune　that　turns　to　ashes；　when　

he　has　time　to　ask　of　it　any　of　the　pleasures　and　resources　he　

fondly　imagined　it　would　afford　him。　　Like　Talleyrand's　young　man　

who　would　not　learn　whist；　he　finds　that　he　has　prepared　for　

himself　a　dreadful　old　age！









CHAPTER　16　…　A　Holy　Land





NOT　long　ago　an　article　came　under　my　notice　descriptive　of　the　

neighborhood　around　Grant's　tomb　and　the　calm　that　midsummer　brings　

to　that　vicinity；　laughingly　referred　to　as　the　〃Holy　Land。〃



As　careless　fingers　wandering　over　the　strings　of　a　violin　may　

unintentionally　strike　a　chord；　so　the　writer　of　those　lines；　all　

unconsciously；　with　a　jest；　set　vibrating　a　world　of　tender　

memories　and　associations；　for　the　region　spoken　of　is　truly　a　holy　

land　to　me；　the　playground　of　my　youth；　and　connected　wit