worldly ways and byways-第14节

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up　in　strict　obedience　to　the　teachings　of　the　new　sect。　　The　

dining…room　is　made　about　as　cheerful　as　the　entrance　to　a　family　

vault。　　The　rest　of　the　house　bears　a　close　resemblance　to　an　

ecclesiastical　junk　shop。　　The　entrance　hall　is　filled　with　what　

appears　to　be　a　communion　table　in　solid　oak；　and　the　massive　

chairs　and　settees　of　the　parlor　suggest　the　withdrawing　room　of　

Rowena；　aesthetic　shades　of　momie…cloth　drape　deep…set　windows；　

where　anaemic　and　disjointed　females　in　stained　glass　pluck　

conventional　roses。



To　each　of　these　successive　transitions　the　husband　has　remained　

obediently　and　tranquilly　indifferent。　　He　has　in　his　heart　

considered　them　all　equally　unfitting　and　uncomfortable　and　sighed　

in　regretful　memory　of　a　deep；　old…fashioned　arm…chair　that　

sheltered　his　after…dinner　naps　in　the　early　rosewood　period。　　So　

far　he　has　been　as　clay　in　the　hands　of　his　beloved　wife；　but　the　

anaemic　ladies　and　the　communion　table　are　the　last　drop　that　

causes　his　cup　to　overflow。　　He　revolts　and　begins　to　take　matters　

into　his　own　hands　with　the　result　that　the　household　enters　its　

fifth　incarnation　under　his　guidance；　during　which　everything　is　

painted　white　and　all　the　wall…papers　are　a　vivid　scarlet。　　The　

family　sit　on　bogus　Chippendale　and　eat　off　blue　and　white　china。



With　the　building　of　their　grand　new　house　near　the　park　the　couple　

rise　together　into　the　sixth　cycle　of　their　development。　　Having　

travelled　and　studied　the　epochs　by　this　time；　they　can　tell　a　

Louis　XIV。　from　a　Louis　XV。　room；　and　recognize　that　mahogany　and　

brass　sphinxes　denote　furniture　of　the　Empire。　　This　newly　acquired　

knowledge　is；　however；　vague　and　hazy。　　They　have　no　confidence　in　

themselves；　so　give　over　the　fitting　of　their　principal　floors　to　

the　New　York　branch　of　a　great　French　house。　　Little　is　talked　of　

now　but　periods；　plans；　and　elevations。　　Under　the　guidance　of　the　

French　firm；　they　acquire　at　vast　expense；　faked　reproductions　as　

historic　furniture。



The　spacious　rooms　are　sticky　with　new　gilding；　and　the　flowered　

brocades　of　the　hangings　and　furniture　crackle　to　the　touch。　　The　

rooms　were　not　designed　by　the　architect　to　receive　any　special　

kind　of　〃treatment。〃　　Immense　folding…doors　unite　the　salons；　and　

windows　open　anywhere。　　The　decorations　of　the　walls　have　been　

applied　like　a　poultice；　regardless　of　the　proportions　of　the　rooms　

and　the　distribution　of　the　spaces。



Building　and　decorating　are；　however；　the　best　of　educations。　　The　

husband；　freed　at　last　from　his　business　occupations；　finds　in　this　

new　study　an　interest　and　a　charm　unknown　to　him　before。　　He　and　

his　wife　are　both　vaguely　disappointed　when　their　resplendent　

mansion　is　finished；　having　already　outgrown　it；　and　recognize　that　

in　spite　of　correct　detail；　their　costly　apartments　no　more　

resemble　the　stately　and　simple　salons　seen　abroad　than　the　cabin　

of　a　Fall　River　boat　resembles　the　GALERIE　DES　GLACES　at　

Versailles。　　The　humiliating　knowledge　that　they　are　all　wrong　

breaks　upon　them；　as　it　is　doing　on　hundreds　of　others；　at　the　same　

time　as　the　desire　to　know　more　and　appreciate　better　the　perfect　

productions　of　this　art。



A　seventh　and　last　step　is　before　them　but　they　know　not　how　to　

make　it。　　A　surer　guide　than　the　upholsterer　is；　they　know；　

essential；　but　their　library　contains　nothing　to　help　them。　　Others　

possess　the　information　they　need；　yet　they　are　ignorant　where　to　

turn　for　what　they　require。



With　singular　appropriateness　a　volume　treating　of　this　delightful　

〃art〃　has　this　season　appeared　at　Scribner's。　　〃The　Decoration　of　

Houses〃　is　the　result　of　a　woman's　faultless　taste　collaborating　

with　a　man's　technical　knowledge。　　Its　mission　is　to　reveal　to　the　

hundreds　who　have　advanced　just　far　enough　to　find　that　they　can　go　

no　farther　alone；　truths　lying　concealed　beneath　the　surface。　　It　

teaches　that　consummate　taste　is　satisfied　only　with　a　perfected　

simplicity；　that　the　facades　of　a　house　must　be　the　envelope　of　the　

rooms　within　and　adapted　to　them；　as　the　rooms　are　to　the　habits　

and　requirements　of　them　〃that　dwell　therein；〃　that　proportion　is　

the　backbone　of　the　decorator's　art　and　that　supreme　elegance　is　

fitness　and　moderation；　and；　above　all；　that　an　attention　to　

architectural　principles　can　alone　lead　decoration　to　a　perfect　

development。









CHAPTER　13　…　Our　Elite　and　Public　Life





THE　complaint　is　so　often　heard；　and　seems　so　well　founded；　that　

there　is　a　growing　inclination；　not　only　among　men　of　social　

position；　but　also　among　our　best　and　cleverest　citizens；　to　stand　

aloof　from　public　life；　and　this　reluctance　on　their　part　is　so　

unfortunate；　that　one　feels　impelled　to　seek　out　the　causes　where　

they　must　lie；　beneath　the　surface。　　At　a　first　glance　they　are　not　

apparent。　　Why　should　not　the　honor　of　representing　one's　town　or　

locality　be　as　eagerly　sought　after　with　us　as　it　is　by　English　or　

French　men　of　position？　　That　such　is　not　the　case；　however；　is　

evident。



Speaking　of　this　the　other　evening；　over　my　after…dinner　coffee；　

with　a　high…minded　and　public…spirited　gentleman；　who　not　long　ago　

represented　our　country　at　a　European　court；　he　advanced　two　

theories　which　struck　me　as　being　well　worth　repeating；　and　which　

seemed　to　account　to　a　certain　extent　for　this　curious　abstinence。



As　a　first　and　most　important　cause；　he　placed　the　fact　that　

neither　our　national　nor　（here　in　New　York）　our　state　capital　

coincides　with　our　metropolis。　　In　this　we　differ　from　England　and　

all　the　continental　countries。　　The　result　is　not　difficult　to　

perceive。　　In　London；　a　man　of　the　world；　a　business　man；　or　a　

great　lawyer；　who　represents　a　locality　in　Parliament；　can　fulfil　

his　mandate　and　at　the　same　time　lead　his　usual　life　among　his　own　

set。　　The　lawyer　or　the　business　man　can　follow　during　the　day　his　

profession；　or　those　affairs　on　which　he　depends　to　support　his　

family　and　his　position　in　the　world。　　Then；　after　dinner　（owing　to　

the　peculiar　hours　adopted　for　the　sittings　of　Parliament）；　he　can　

take　his　place　as　a　law…maker。　　If　he　be　a　London…born　man；　he　in　

no　way　changes　his　way　of　life　or　that　of　his　family。　　If；　on　the　

contrary；　he　be　a　county　magnate；　the　change　he　makes　is　all　for　

the　better；　as　it　takes　him　and　his　wife　and　daughters　up　to　

London；　the　haven　of　their　longings；　and　the　centre　of　all　sorts　of　

social　dissipations　and　advancement。



With　us；　it　is　exactly　the　contrary。　　As　the　District　of　Columbia　

elects　no　one；　everybody　living　in　Washington　officially　is　more　or　

less　expatriated；　and　the　social　life　it　offers　is　a　poor　

substitute　for　the　circle　which　most　families　leave　to　go　there。



That；　however；　is　not　the　most　important　side　of　the　question。　　Go　

to　any　great　lawyer　of　either　New　York　or　Chicago；　and　propose　

sending　him　to　Congress　or　the　Senate。　　His　answer　is　sure　to　be；　

〃I　cannot　afford　it。　　I　know　it　is　an　honor；　but　what　is　to　replace　

the　hundred　thousand　dollars　a　year　which　my　profession　brings　me　

in；　not　to　mention　that　all　my　practice　would　go　to　pieces　during　

my　absence？〃　　Or　again；　〃How　should　I　dare　to　propose　to　my　family　

to　leave　one　of　the　great　centres　of　the　country　to　go　and　vegetate　

in　a　little　provincial　city　like　Washington？　　No；　indeed！　　Public　

life　is　out　of　the　question　for　me！〃



Does　any　one　suppose　England　would　have　the　class　of　men　she　gets　

in　Parliament；　if　that　body　sat　at　Bristol？



Until　recently　the　man　who　occupied　the　position　of　Lord　Chancellor　

made　thirty　thousand　pounds　a　year　by　his　profession　without　

interfering　in　any　way　with　his　public　duties；　and　at　the　present　

moment　a　recordership　in　London　in　no　wise　prevents　private　

practice。　　Were　these　gentlemen　Americans；　they　would　be　obliged　to　

renounce　all　hope　of　professional　income　in　order　to　serve　their　

country　at　its　Capital。



Let　us　glance　for　a　moment　at　the　other　reason。　　Owing　to　our　laws　

（doubtless　perfectly　reasonable；　and　which　it　is　not　my　intention　

to　criticise；）　a　man　must　reside　in　the　place　he　represents。　　Here　

again　we　differ　from　all　other　constitutional　countries。　　

Unfortunately；　our　clever　young　men　leave　the　small　towns　of　their　

birth　and　flock　up　to　the　great　centres　as　offering　wider　fields　

for　their　advancement。　　In　consequence；　the　local　elector　finds　his　

choice　limited　to　what　is　left　…　the　intellectual　skimmed　milk；　of　

which　the　cream　has　been　carried　to　New　York　or　other　big　cities。　　

No　country　can　exist　without　a　metropolis；　and　as　such　a　centre　by　

a　natural　law　of　assimilation　absorbs　the　best　brains　of　the　

country；　in　other　nations　it　has　been　found　to　the　interests　of　all　

parties　to　send　down　brilliant　young　men　to　the　〃provinces；〃　to　be；　

in　good　time；　returned　by　them　to　the　national　assemblies。



As　this　is　not　a　political