worldly ways and byways-第12节

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parvenu。　　To　be　gracious　and　at　ease　with　all　classes　and　

professions；　one　must　be　perfectly　sure　of　one's　own　position；　and　

with　us　few　feel　this　security；　it　being　based　on　too　frail　a　

foundation；　a　crisis　in　the　〃street〃　going　a　long　way　towards　

destroying　it。



Of　course　I　am　generalizing　and　doubt　not　that　in　many　cultivated　

homes　the　right　spirit　exists；　but　unfortunately　these　are　not　the　

centres　which　give　the　tone　to　our　〃world。〃　　Lately　at　one　of　the　

most　splendid　houses　in　this　city　a　young　Italian　tenor　had　been　

engaged　to　sing。　　When　he　had　finished　he　stood　alone；　unnoticed；　

unspoken　to　for　the　rest　of　the　evening。　　He　had　been　paid　to　sing。　　

〃What　more；　in　common　sense；　could　he　want？〃　thought　the　〃world；〃　

without　reflecting　that　it　was　probably　not　the　TENOR　who　lost　by　

that　arrangement。　　It　needs　a　delicate　hand　to　hold　the　reins　over　

the　backs　of　such　a　fine…mouthed　community　as　artists　and　singers　

form。　　They　rarely　give　their　best　when　singing　or　performing　in　a　

hostile　atmosphere。



A　few　years　ago　when　a　fancy…dress　ball　was　given　at　the　Academy　of　

Design；　the　original　idea　was　to　have　it　an　artists'　ball；　the　

community　of　the　brush　were；　however；　approached　with　such　a　

complete　lack　of　tact　that；　with　hardly　an　exception；　they　held　

aloof；　and　at　the　ball　shone　conspicuous　by　their　absence。



At　present　in　this　city　I　know　of　but　two　hospitable　firesides　

where　you　are　sure　to　meet　the　best　the　city　holds　of　either　

foreign　or　native　talent。　　The　one　is　presided　over　by　the　wife　of　

a　young　composer；　and　the　other；　oddly　enough；　by　two　unmarried　

ladies。　　An　invitation　to　a　dinner　or　a　supper　at　either　of　these　

houses　is　as　eagerly　sought　after　and　as　highly　prized　in　the　great　

world　as　it　is　by　the　Bohemians；　though　neither　〃salon〃　is　open　

regularly。



There　is　still　hope　for　us；　and　I　already　see　signs　of　better　

things。　　Perhaps；　when　my　English　friend　returns　in　a　few　years；　we　

may　be　able　to　prove　to　her　that　we　have　found　the　road　to　Prague。









CHAPTER　11　…　Social　Exiles





BALZAC；　in　his　COMEDIE　HUMAINE；　has　reviewed　with　a　master…hand　

almost　every　phase　of　the　Social　World　of　Paris　down　to　1850　and　

Thackeray　left　hardly　a　corner　of　London　High　Life　unexplored；　but　

so　great　have　been　the　changes　（progress；　its　admirers　call　it；）　

since　then；　that；　could　Balzac　come　back　to　his　beloved　Paris；　he　

would　feel　like　a　foreigner　there；　and　Thackeray；　who　was　among　us　

but　yesterday；　would　have　difficulty　in　finding　his　bearings　in　the　

sea　of　the　London　world　to…day。



We　have　changed　so　radically　that　even　a　casual　observer　cannot　

help　being　struck　by　the　difference。　　Among　other　most　significant　

〃phenomena〃　has　appeared　a　phase　of　life　that　not　only　neither　of　

these　great　men　observed　（for　the　very　good　reason　that　it　had　not　

appeared　in　their　time）；　but　which　seems　also　to　have　escaped　the　

notice　of　the　writers　of　our　own　day；　close　observers　as　they　are　

of　any　new　development。　　I　mean　the　class　of　Social　Exiles；　

pitiable　wanderers　from　home　and　country；　who　haunt　the　Continent；　

and　are　to　be　found　（sad　little　colonies）　in　out…of…the…way　corners　

of　almost　every　civilized　country。



To　know　much　of　this　form　of　modern　life；　one　must　have　been　a　

wanderer；　like　myself；　and　have　pitched　his　tent　in　many　queer　

places；　for　they　are　shy　game　and　not　easily　raised；　frequenting　

mostly　quiet　old　cities　like　Versailles　and　Florence；　or　

inexpensive　watering…places　where　their　meagre　incomes　become　

affluence　by　contrast。　　The　first　thought　on　dropping　in　on　such　a　

settlement　is；　〃How　in　the　world　did　these　people　ever　drift　here？〃　　

It　is　simple　enough　and　generally　comes　about　in　this　way：



The　father　of　a　wealthy　family　dies。　　The　fortune　turns　out　to　be　

less　than　was　expected。　　The　widow　and　children　decide　to　go　abroad　

for　a　year　or　so；　during　their　period　of　mourning；　partially　for　

distraction；　and　partially　（a　fact　which　is　not　spoken　of）　because　

at　home　they　would　be　forced　to　change　their　way　of　living　to　a　

simpler　one；　and　that　is　hard　to　do；　just　at　first。　　Later　they　

think　it　will　be　quite　easy。　　So　the　family　emigrates；　and　after　a　

little　sight…seeing；　settles　in　Dresden　or　Tours；　casually　at　

first；　in　a　hotel。　　If　there　are　young　children　they　are　made　the　

excuse。　　〃The　languages　are　so　important！〃　　Or　else　one　of　the　

daughters　develops　a　taste　for　music；　or　a　son　takes　up　the　study　

of　art。　　In　a　year　or　two；　before　a　furnished　apartment　is　taken；　

the　idea　of　returning　is　discussed；　but　abandoned　〃for　the　

present。〃　　They　begin　vaguely　to　realize　how　difficult　it　will　be　

to　take　life　up　again　at　home。　　During　all　this　time　their　income　

（like　everything　else　when　the　owners　are　absent）　has　been　slowly　

but　surely　disappearing；　making　the　return　each　year　more　

difficult。　　Finally；　for　economy；　an　unfurnished　apartment　is　

taken。　　They　send　home　for　bits　of　furniture　and　family　belongings；　

and　gradually　drop　into　the　great　army　of　the　expatriated。



Oh；　the　pathos　of　it！　　One　who　has　not　seen　these　poor　stranded　

waifs　in　their　self…imposed　exile；　with　eyes　turned　towards　their　

native　land；　cannot　realize　all　the　sadness　and　loneliness　they　

endure；　rarely　adopting　the　country　of　their　residence　but　becoming　

more　firmly　American　as　the　years　go　by。　　The　home　papers　and　

periodicals　are　taken；　the　American　church　attended；　if　there　

happens　to　be　one；　the　English　chapel；　if　there　is　not。　　Never　a　

French　church！　　In　their　hearts　they　think　it　almost　irreverent　to　

read　the　service　in　French。　　The　acquaintance　of　a　few　fellow…

exiles　is　made　and　that　of　a　half…dozen　English　families；　mothers　

and　daughters　and　a　younger　son　or　two；　whom　the　ferocious　

primogeniture　custom　has　cast　out　of　the　homes　of　their　childhood　

to　economize　on　the　Continent。



I　have　in　my　mind　a　little　settlement　of　this　kind　at　Versailles；　

which　was　a　type。　　The　formal　old　city；　fallen　from　its　grandeur；　

was　a　singularly　appropriate　setting　to　the　little　comedy。　　There　

the　modest　purses　of　the　exiles　found　rents　within　their　reach；　the　

quarters　vast　and　airy。　　The　galleries　and　the　park　afforded　a　

diversion；　and　then　Paris；　dear　Paris；　the　American　Mecca；　was　

within　reach。　　At　the　time　I　knew　it；　the　colony　was　fairly　

prosperous；　many　of　its　members　living　in　the　two　or　three　

principal　PENSIONS；　the　others　in　apartments　of　their　own。　　They　

gave　feeble　little　entertainments　among　themselves；　card…parties　

and　teas；　and　dined　about　with　each　other　at　their　respective　

TABLES　D'HOTE；　even　knowing　a　stray　Frenchman　or　two；　whom　the　

quest　of　a　meal　had　tempted　out　of　their　native　fastnesses　as　it　

does　the　wolves　in　a　hard　winter。　　Writing　and　receiving　letters　

from　America　was　one　of　the　principal　occupations；　and　an　epistle　

descriptive　of　a　particular　event　at　home　went　the　rounds；　and　was　

eagerly　read　and　discussed。



The　merits　of　the　different　PENSIONS　also　formed　a　subject　of　vital　

interest。　　The　advantages　and　disadvantages　of　these　rival　

establishments　were；　as　a　topic；　never　exhausted。　　MADAME　UNE　TELLE　

gave　five　o'clock　tea；　included　in　the　seven　francs　a　day；　but　her　

rival　gave　one　more　meat　course　at　dinner　and　her　coffee　was　

certainly　better；　while　a　third　undoubtedly　had　a　nicer　set　of　

people。　　No　one　here　at　home　can　realize　the　importance　these　

matters　gradually　assume　in　the　eyes　of　the　exiles。　　Their　slender　

incomes　have　to　be　so　carefully　handled　to　meet　the　strain　of　even　

this　simple　way　of　living；　if　they　are　to　show　a　surplus　for　a　

little　trip　to　the　seashore　in　the　summer　months；　that　an　extra　

franc　a　day　becomes　a　serious　consideration。



Every　now　and　then　a　family　stronger…minded　than　the　others；　or　

with　serious　reasons　for　returning　home　（a　daughter　to　bring　out　or　

a　son　to　put　into　business）；　would　break　away　from　its　somnolent　

surroundings　and　re…cross　the　Atlantic；　alternating　between　hope　

and　fear。　　It　is　here　that　a　sad　fate　awaits　these　modern　Rip　Van　

Winkles。　　They　find　their　native　cities　changed　beyond　recognition。　　

（For　we　move　fast　in　these　days。）　　The　mother　gets　out　her　visiting　

list　of　ten　years　before　and　is　thunderstruck　to　find　that　it　

contains　chiefly　names　of　the　〃dead；　the　divorced；　and　defaulted。〃　　

The　waves　of　a　decade　have　washed　over　her　place　and　the　world　she　

once　belonged　to　knows　her　no　more。　　The　leaders　of　her　day　on　

whose　aid　she　counted　have　retired　from　the　fray。　　Younger；　and　

alas！　unknown　faces　sit　in　the　opera　boxes　and　around　the　dinner　

tables　where　before　she　had　found　only　friends。　　After　a　feeble　

little　struggle　to　get　again　into　the　〃swim；〃　the　family　drifts　

back　across　the　ocean　into　the　quiet　back　water　of　a　continental　

town；　and　goes　circling　around　with　the　other　twigs　and　dry　leaves；　

moral　flotsam　and　jetsam；　thrown　aside　by　th