worldly ways and byways-第21节

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takes　his　place　in　the　little　pavilion　where　for　so　many　years　

Eugenie　used　to　sit　in　state；　and　which　has　sheltered　so　many　

crowned　heads　under　its　simple　roof。　　Faure's　arrival　is　the　signal　

for　the　racing　to　begin；　from　that　moment　the　interest　goes　on　

increasing　until　the　great　〃event。〃　　Then　in　an　instant　the　vast　

throng　of　human　beings　breaks　up　and　flows　homeward　across　the　

Bois；　filling　the　big　Place　around　the　Arc　de　Triomphe；　rolling　

down　the　Champs　Elysees；　in　twenty　parallel　lines　of　carriages。　　

The　sidewalks　are　filled　with　a　laughing；　singing；　uproarious　crowd　

that　quickly　invades　every　restaurant；　CAFE；　or　chop…house　until　

their　little　tables　overflow　on　to　the　grass　and　side…walks；　and　

even　into　the　middle　of　the　streets。　　Later　in　the　evening　the　

open…air　concerts　and　theatres　are　packed；　and　every　little　square　

organizes　its　impromptu　ball；　the　musicians　mounted　on　tables；　and　

the　crowd　dancing　gayly　on　the　wooden　pavement　until　daybreak。



The　next　day；　Paris　becomes　from　a　fashionable　point　of　view；　

〃impossible。〃　　If　you　walk　through　the　richer　quarters；　you　will　

see　only　long　lines　of　closed　windows。　　The　approaches　to　the　

railway　stations　are　blocked　with　cabs　piled　with　trunks　and　

bicycles。　　The　〃great　world〃　is　fleeing　to　the　seashore　or　its　

CHATEAUX；　and　Paris　will　know　it　no　more　until　January；　for　the　

French　are　a　country…loving　race；　and　since　there　has　been　no　

court；　the　aristocracy　pass　longer　and　longer　periods　on　their　own　

estates　each　year；　partly　from　choice　and　largely　to　show　their　

disdain　for　the　republic　and　its　entertainments。



The　shady　drives　in　the　park；　which　only　a　day　or　two　ago　were　so　

brilliant　with　smart　traps　and　spring　toilets；　are　become　a　cool　

wilderness；　where　will　meet；　perhaps；　a　few　maiden　ladies　

exercising　fat　dogs；　uninterrupted　except　by　the　watering…cart　or　

by　a　few　stray　tourists　in　cabs。　　Now　comes　a　delightful　time　for　

the　real　amateur　of　Paris　and　the　country　around；　which　is　full　of　

charming　corners　where　one　can　dine　at　quiet　little　restaurants；　

overhanging　the　water　or　buried　among　trees。　　You　are　sure　of　

getting　the　best　of　attention　from　the　waiters；　and　the　dishes　you　

order　receive　all　the　cook's　attention。　　Of　an　evening　the　Bois　is　

alive　with　a　myriad　of　bicycles；　their　lights　twinkling　among　the　

trees　like　many…colored　fire…flies。　　To　any　one　who　knows　how　to　

live　there；　Paris　is　at　its　best　in　the　last　half　of　June　and　July。　　

Nevertheless；　in　a　couple　of　days　there　will　not　be　an　American　in　

Paris；　London　being　the　objective　point；　for　we　love　to　be　〃in　at　

the　death；〃　and　a　coronation；　a　musical　festival；　or　a　big　race　is　

sure　to　attract　all　our　floating　population。



The　Americans　who　have　the　hardest　time　in　Paris　are　those　who　try　

to　〃run　with　the　deer　and　hunt　with　the　hounds；〃　as　the　French　

proverb　has　it；　who　would　fain　serve　God　and　Mammon。　　As　anything　

especially　amusing　is　sure　to　take　place　on　Sunday　in　this　wicked　

capital；　our　friends　go　through　agonies　of　indecision；　their　

consciences　pulling　one　way；　their　desire　to　amuse　themselves　the　

other。　　Some　find　a　middle　course；　it　seems；　for　yesterday　this　

conversation　was　overheard　on　the　steps　of　the　American　Church：



FIRST　AMERICAN　LADY：　〃Are　you　going　to　stop　for　the　sermon？〃



SECOND　AMERICAN　LADY：　〃I　am　so　sorry　I　can't；　but　the　races　begin　

at　one！〃









CHAPTER　20　…　〃The　Treadmill。〃





A　HALF…HUMOROUS；　half…pathetic　epistle　has　been　sent　to　me　by　a　

woman；　who　explains　in　it　her　particular　perplexity。　　Such　letters　

are　the　windfalls　of　our　profession！　　For　what　is　more　attractive　

than　to　have　a　woman　take　you　for　her　lay　confessor；　to　whom　she　

comes　for　advice　in　trouble？　opening　her　innocent　heart　for　your　

inspection！



My　correspondent　complains　that　her　days　are　not　sufficiently　long；　

nor　is　her　strength　great　enough；　for　the　thousand　and　one　duties　

and　obligations　imposed　upon　her。　　〃If；〃　she　says；　〃a　woman　has　

friends　and　a　small　place　in　the　world　…　and　who　has　not　in　these　

days？　…　she　must　golf　or　'bike'　or　skate　a　bit；　of　a　morning；　then　

she　is　apt　to　lunch　out；　or　have　a　friend　or　two　in；　to　that　meal。　　

After　luncheon　there　is　sure　to　be　a　'class'　of　some　kind　that　she　

has　foolishly　joined；　or　a　charity　meeting；　matinee；　or　reception；　

but　above　all；　there　are　her　'duty'　calls。　　She　must　be　home　at　

five　to　make　tea；　that　she　has　promised　her　men　friends；　and　they　

will　not　leave　until　it　is　time　for　her　to　dress　for　dinner；　'out'　

or　at　home；　with　often　the　opera；　a　supper；　or　a　ball　to　follow。　　

It　is　quite　impossible；〃　she　adds；　〃under　these　circumstances　to　

apply　one's　self　to　anything　serious；　to　read　a　book　or　even　open　a　

periodical。　　The　most　one　can　accomplish　is　a　glance　at　a　paper。〃



Indeed；　it　would　require　an　exceptional　constitution　to　carry　out　

the　above　programme；　not　to　mention　the　attention　that　a　woman　must　

（however　reluctantly）　give　to　her　house　and　her　family。　　Where　are　

the　quiet　hours　to　be　found　for　self…culture；　the　perusal　of　a　

favorite　author；　or；　perhaps；　a　little　timid　〃writing〃　on　her　own　

account？　　Nor　does　this　treadmill　round　fill　a　few　months　only　of　

her　life。　　With　slight　variations　of　scene　and　costume；　it　

continues　through　the　year。



A　painter；　I　know；　was　fortunate　enough　to　receive；　a　year　or　two　

ago；　the　commission　to　paint　a　well…known　beauty。　　He　was　delighted　

with　the　idea　and　convinced　that　he　could　make　her　portrait　the　

best　work　of　his　life；　one　that　would　be　the　stepping…stone　to　fame　

and　fortune。　　This　was　in　the　spring。　　He　was　naturally　burning　to　

begin　at　once；　but　found　to　his　dismay　that　the　lady　was　just　about　

starting　for　Europe。　　So　he　waited；　and　at　her　suggestion　installed　

himself　a　couple　of　months　later　at　the　seaside　city　where　she　had　

a　cottage。　　No　one　could　be　more　charming　than　she　was；　inviting　

him　to　dine　and　drive　daily；　but　when　he　broached　the　subject　of　

〃sitting；〃　was　〃too　busy　just　that　day。〃　　Later　in　the　autumn　she　

would　be　quite　at　his　disposal。　　In　the　autumn；　however；　she　was　

visiting；　never　ten　days　in　the　same　place。　　Early　winter　found　her　

〃getting　her　house　in　order；〃　a　mysterious　rite　apparently　attended　

with　vast　worry　and　fatigue。　　With　cooling　enthusiasm；　the　painter　

called　and　coaxed　and　waited。　　November　brought　the　opera　and　the　

full　swing　of　a　New　York　season。　　So　far　she　has　given　him　half　a　

dozen　sittings；　squeezed　in　between　a　luncheon；　which　made　her　

〃unavoidably　late；〃　for　which　she　is　charmingly　〃sorry；〃　and　a　

reception　that　she　was　forced　to　attend；　although　〃it　breaks　my　

heart　to　leave　just　as　you　are　beginning　to　work　so　well；　but　I　

really　must；　or　the　tiresome　old　cat　who　is　giving　the　tea　will　be　

saying　all　sorts　of　unpleasant　things　about　me。〃　　So　she　flits　off；　

leaving　the　poor；　disillusioned　painter　before　his　canvas；　knowing　

now　that　his　dream　is　over；　that　in　a　month　or　two　his　pretty　

sitter　will　be　off　again　to　New　Orleans　for　the　carnival；　or　

abroad；　and　that　his　weary　round　of　waiting　will　recommence。　　He　

will　be　fortunate　if　some　day　it　does　not　float　back　to　him；　in　the　

mysterious　way　disagreeable　things　do　come　to　one；　that　she　has　

been　heard　to　say；　〃I　fear　dear　Mr。　Palette　is　not　very　clever；　for　

I　have　been　sitting　to　him　for　over　a　year；　and　he　has　really　done　

nothing　yet。〃



He　has　been　simply　the　victim　of　a　state　of　affairs　that　neither　of　

them　were　strong　enough　to　break　through。　　It　never　entered　into　

Beauty's　head　that　she　could　lead　a　life　different　from　her　

friends。　　She　was　honestly　anxious　to　have　a　successful　portrait　of　

herself；　but　the　sacrifice　of　any　of　her　habits　was　more　than　she　

could　make。



Who　among　my　readers　（and　I　am　tempted　to　believe　they　are　all　more　

sensible　than　the　above　young　woman）　has　not；　during　a　summer　

passed　with　agreeable　friends；　made　a　thousand　pleasant　little　

plans　with　them　for　the　ensuing　winter；　…　the　books　they　were　to　

read　at　the　same　time；　the　〃exhibitions〃　they　were　to　see；　the　

visits　to　our　wonderful　collections　in　the　Metropolitan　Museum　or　

private　galleries；　cosy　little　dinners；　etc。？　　And　who　has　not　

found；　as　the　winter　slips　away；　that　few　of　these　charming　plans　

have　been　carried　out？　　He　and　his　friends　have　unconsciously　

fallen　back　into　their　ruts　of　former　years；　and　the　pleasant　

things　projected　have　been　brushed　aside　by　that　strongest　of　

tyrants；　habit。



I　once　asked　a　very　great　lady；　whose　gracious　manner　was　never　

disturbed；　who　floated　through　the　endless　complications　of　her　

life　with　smiling　serenity；　how　she　achieved　this　Olympian　calm。　　

She　was　good　enough　to　explain。　　〃I　make　a　list　of　what　I　want　to　

do　each　day。　　Then；　as　I　find　my　day　passing；　or　I　get　behind；　or　

tired；　I　throw　over　every　other　engagement。　　I　could　have　done　them　

all　with　hu