worldly ways and byways-第6部分

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happy　separated　from　all　the　ties　and　traditions　of　her　youth？　　If　

she　is　taken　abroad　young；　she　may　still　hope　to　replace　her　

friends　as　is　often　done。　　But　the　real　reason　of　unhappiness　

（greater　and　deeper　than　this）　lies　in　the　fundamental　difference　

of　the　whole　social　structure　between　our　country　and　that　of　her　

adoption；　and　the　radically　different　way　of　looking　at　every　side　

of　life。



Surely　a　girl　must　feel　that　a　man　who　allows　a　marriage　to　be　

arranged　for　him　（and　only　signs　the　contact　because　its　pecuniary　

clauses　are　to　his　satisfaction；　and　who　would　withdraw　in　a　moment　

if　these　were　suppressed）；　must　have　an　entirely　different　point　of　

view　from　her　own　on　all　the　vital　issues　of　life。



Foreigners　undoubtedly　make　excellent　husbands　for　their　own　women。　　

But　they　are；　except　in　rare　cases；　unsatisfactory　helpmeets　for　

American　girls。　　It　is　impossible　to　touch　on　more　than　a　side　or　

two　of　this　subject。　　But　as　an　illustration　the　following　

contrasted　stories　may　be　cited：



Two　sisters　of　an　aristocratic　American　family；　each　with　an　income　

of　over　forty　thousand　dollars　a　year；　recently　married　French　

noblemen。　　They　naturally　expected　to　continue　abroad　the　life　they　

had　led　at　home；　in　which　opera　boxes；　saddle　horses；　and　constant　

entertaining　were　matters　of　course。　　In　both　cases；　our　

compatriots　discovered　that　their　husbands　（neither　of　them　

penniless）　had　entirely　different　views。　　In　the　first　place；　they　

were　told　that　it　was　considered　〃bad　form〃　in　France　for　young　

married　women　to　entertain；　besides；　the　money　was　needed　for　

improvements；　and　in　many　other　ways；　and　as　every　well…to…do　

French　family　puts　aside　at　least　a　third　of　its　income　as　DOTS　for　

the　children　（boys　as　well　as　girls）；　these　brides　found　themselves　

cramped　for　money　for　the　first　time　in　their　lives；　and　obliged；　

during　their　one　month　a　year　in　Paris；　to　put　up　with　hired　traps；　

and　depend　on　their　friends　for　evenings　at　the　opera。



This　story　is　a　telling　set…off　to　the　case　of　an　American　wife；　

who　one　day　received　a　windfall　in　the　form　of　a　check　for　a　tidy　

amount。　　She　immediately　proposed　a　trip　abroad　to　her　husband；　but　

found　that　he　preferred　to　remain　at　home　in　the　society　of　his　

horses　and　dogs。　　So　our　fair　compatriot　starts　off　（with　his　full　

consent）；　has　her　outing；　spends　her　little　〃pile；〃　and　returns　

after　three　or　four　months　to　the　home　of　her　delighted　spouse。



Do　these　two　stories　need　any　comment？　　Let　our　sisters　and　their　

friends　think　twice　before　they　make　themselves　irrevocably　wheels　

in　a　machine　whose　working　is　unknown　to　them；　lest　they　be　torn　to　

pieces　as　it　moves。　　Having　the　good　luck　to　be　born　in　the　

〃paradise　of　women；〃　let　them　beware　how　they　leave　it；　charm　the　

serpent　never　so　wisely；　for　they　may　find　themselves；　like　the　

Peri；　outside　the　gate。











CHAPTER　6　…　The　Complacency　of　Mediocrity





FULL　as　small　intellects　are　of　queer　kinks；　unexplained　turnings　

and　groundless　likes　and　dislikes；　the　bland　contentment　that　buoys　

up　the　incompetent　is　the　most　difficult　of　all　vagaries　to　account　

for。　　Rarely　do　twenty…four　hours　pass　without　examples　of　this　

exasperating　weakness　appearing　on　the　surface　of　those　shallows　

that　commonplace　people　so　naively　call　〃their　minds。〃



What　one　would　expect　is　extreme　modesty；　in　the　half…educated　or　

the　ignorant；　and　self…approbation　higher　up　in　the　scale；　where　it　

might　more　reasonably　dwell。　　Experience；　however；　teaches　that　

exactly　the　opposite　is　the　case　among　those　who　have　achieved　

success。



The　accidents　of　a　life　turned　by　chance　out　of　the　beaten　tracks；　

have　thrown　me　at　times　into　acquaintanceship　with　some　of　the　

greater　lights　of　the　last　thirty　years。　　And　not　only　have　they　

been；　as　a　rule；　most　unassuming　men　and　women；　but　in　the　majority　

of　cases　positively　self…depreciatory；　doubting　of　themselves　and　

their　talents；　constantly　aiming　at　greater　perfection　in　their　art　

or　a　higher　development　of　their　powers；　never　contented　with　what　

they　have　achieved；　beyond　the　idea　that　it　has　been　another　step　

toward　their　goal。　　Knowing　this；　it　is　always　a　shock　on　meeting　

the　mediocre　people　who　form　such　a　discouraging　majority　in　any　

society；　to　discover　that　they　are　all　so　pleased　with　themselves；　

their　achievements；　their　place　in　the　world；　and　their　own　ability　

and　discernment！



Who　has　not　sat　chafing　in　silence　while　Mediocrity；　in　a　white　

waistcoat　and　jangling　fobs；　occupied　the　after…dinner　hour　in　

imparting　second…hand　information　as　his　personal　views　on　

literature　and　art？　　Can　you　not　hear　him　saying　once　again：　〃I　

don't　pretend　to　know　anything　about　art　and　all　that　sort　of　

thing；　you　know；　but　when　I　go　to　an　exhibition　I　can　always　pick　

out　the　best　pictures　at　a　glance。　　Sort　of　a　way　I　have；　and　I　

never　make　mistakes；　you　know。〃



Then　go　and　watch；　as　I　have；　Henri　Rochefort　as　he　laboriously　

forms　the　opinions　that　are　to　appear　later　in　one　of　his　〃SALONS；〃　

realizing　the　while　that　he　is　FACILE　PRINCEPS　among　the　art　

critics　of　his　day；　that　with　a　line　he　can　make　or　mar　a　

reputation　and　by　a　word　draw　the　admiring　crowd　around　an　unknown　

canvas。　　While　Rochefort　toils　and　ponders　and　hesitates；　do　you　

suppose　a　doubt　as　to　his　own　astuteness　ever　dims　the　self…

complacency　of　White　Waistcoat？　　Never！



There　lies　the　strength　of　the　feeble…minded。　　By　a　special　

dispensation　of　Providence；　they　can　never　see　but　one　side　of　a　

subject；　so　are　always　convinced　that　they　are　right；　and　from　the　

height　of　their　contentment；　look　down　on　those　who　chance　to　

differ　with　them。



A　lady　who　has　gathered　into　her　dainty　salons　the　fruit　of　many　

years'　careful　study　and　tireless　〃weeding〃　will　ask　anxiously　if　

you　are　quite　sure　you　like　the　effect　of　her　latest　acquisition　…　

some　eighteenth…century　statuette　or　screen　（flotsam；　probably；　

from　the　great　shipwreck　of　Versailles）；　and　listen　earnestly　to　

your　verdict。　　The　good　soul　who　has　just　furnished　her　house　by　

contract；　with　the　latest　〃Louis　Fourteenth　Street〃　productions；　

conducts　you　complacently　through　her　chambers　of　horrors；　wreathed　

in　tranquil　smiles；　born　of　ignorance　and　that　smug　assurance　

granted　only　to　the　…　small。



When　a　small　intellect　goes　in　for　cultivating　itself　and　improving　

its　mind；　you　realize　what　the　poet　meant　in　asserting　that　a　

little　learning　was　a　dangerous　thing。　　For　Mediocrity　is　apt；　when　

it　dines　out；　to　get　up　a　subject　beforehand；　and　announce　to　an　

astonished　circle；　as　quite　new　and　personal　discoveries；　that　the　

Renaissance　was　introduced　into　France　from　Italy；　or　that　Columbus　

in　his　day　made　important　〃finds。〃



When　the　incompetent　advance　another　step　and　write　or　paint　…　

which；　alas！　is　only　too　frequent　…　the　world　of　art　and　literature　

is　flooded　with　their　productions。　　When　White　Waistcoat；　for　

example；　takes　to　painting；　late　in　life；　and　comes　to　you；　canvas　

in　hand；　for　criticism　（read　praise）；　he　is　apt　to　remark　modestly：



〃Corot　never　painted　until　he　was　fifty；　and　I　am　only　forty…eight。　　

So　I　feel　I　should　not　let　myself　be　discouraged。〃



The　problem　of　life　is　said　to　be　the　finding　of　a　happiness　that　

is　not　enjoyed　at　the　expense　of　others；　and　surely　this　class　have　

solved　that　Sphinx's　riddle；　for　they　float　through　their　days　in　a　

dream　of　complacency　disturbed　neither　by　corroding　doubt　nor　

harassed　by　jealousies。



Whole　families　of　feeble…minded　people；　on　the　strength　of　an　

ancestor　who　achieved　distinction　a　hundred　years　ago；　live　in　

constant　thanksgiving　that　they　〃are　not　as　other　men。〃　　None　of　

the　great　man's　descendants　have　done　anything　to　be　particularly　

proud　of　since　their　remote　progenitor　signed　the　Declaration　of　

Independence　or　governed　a　colony。　　They　have　vegetated　in　small　

provincial　cities　and　inter…married　into　other　equally　fortunate　

families；　but　the　sense　of　superiority　is　ever　present　to　sustain　

them；　under　straitened　circumstances　and　diminishing　prestige。　　The　

world　may　move　on　around　them；　but　they　never　advance。　　Why　should　

they？　　They　have　reached　perfection。　　The　brains　and　enterprise　

that　have　revolutionized　our　age　knock　in　vain　at　their　doors。　　

They　belong　to　that　vast　〃majority　that　is　always　in　the　wrong；〃　

being　so　pleased　with　themselves；　their　ways；　and　their　feeble　

little　lines　of　thought；　that　any　change　or　advancement　gives　their　

system　a　shock。



A　painter　I　know　was　once　importuned　for　a　sketch　by　a　lady　of　this　

class。　　After　many　delays　and　renewed　demands　he　presented　her　one　

day；　when　she　and　some　friends　were　visiting　his　studio；　with　a　

delightful　open…air　study　simply　framed。　　She　seemed　confused　at　

the　offering；　to　his　astonishment；　as　she　had　not　lacked　APLOMB　in　

asking　for　the　sketch。　　After　much　blushing　and　fumbling　she　

succeeded　in　getting　the　painting　loose；　and　handing　back　the　

frame；　remarked：



〃I　will　take　the　painting；　but　you　must　keep　the　frame。　　My　husband　

would　never　allow　me　to　accept　anything　of　value　from　you！〃　…　and　

smiled　on　the　speechless　painter；　doubtless　charmed　with　her　own　

tact。



Complacent　people　are　the　same　drag　on　a　society　that　a　brake　would　

be　to　a　coach　going　up　hill。　　They　are　the　〃eternal　negative〃　and　

would　extinguish；　if　they　could；　any　light　stronger　than　that　to　

which　their　weak　eyes　have　been　accustomed。　　They　look　with　

astonishment　and　distrust　at　any　one　trying　to　break　away　from　

their　tiresome　old　ways　and　habits；　and　wonder　why　all　the　world　is　

not　as　pleased　with　their　personalities　as　they　are　themselves；　

suggesting；　if　you　are　willing　to　waste　your　time　listening　to　

their　twaddle；　that　there　is　something　radically　wrong　in　any　

innovati