worldly ways and byways-第4节

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Stael's　line　on　perfect　happiness：　〃To　be　young！　to　be　in　love！　to　

be　in　Italy！〃



Do　people　enjoy　Europe　as　much　now？　　I　doubt　it！　　It　has　become　too　

much　a　matter　of　course；　a　necessary　part　of　the　routine　of　life。　　

Much　of　the　bloom　is　brushed　from　foreign　scenes　by　descriptive　

books　and　photographs；　that　St。　Mark's　or　Mt。　Blanc　has　become　as　

familiar　to　a　child's　eye　as　the　house　he　lives　in；　and　in　

consequence　the　reality　now　instead　of　being　a　revelation　is　often　

a　disappointment。



In　my　youth；　it　was　still　an　event　to　cross。　　I　remember　my　first　

voyage　on　the　old　side…wheeled　SCOTIA；　and　Captain　Judkins　in　a　

wheeled　chair；　and　a　perpetual　bad　temper；　being　pushed　about　the　

deck；　and　our　delight；　when　the　inevitable　female　asking　him　（three　

days　out）　how　far　we　were　from　land；　got　the　answer　〃about　a　mile！〃



〃Indeed！　　How　interesting！　　In　which　direction？〃



〃In　that　direction；　madam；〃　shouted　the　captain；　pointing　downward　

as　he　turned　his　back　to　her。



If　I　remember；　we　were　then　thirteen　days　getting　to　Liverpool；　and　

made　the　acquaintance　on　board　of　the　people　with　whom　we　travelled　

during　most　of　that　winter。　　Imagine　anyone　now　making　an　

acquaintance　on　board　a　steamer！　　In　those　simple　days　people　

depended　on　the　friendships　made　at　summer　hotels　or　boarding…

houses　for　their　visiting　list。　　At　present；　when　a　girl　comes　out；　

her　mother　presents　her　to　everybody　she　will　be　likely　to　know　if　

she　were　to　live　a　century。　　In　the　seventies；　ladies　cheerfully　

shared　their　state…rooms　with　women　they　did　not　know；　and　often　

became　friends　in　consequence；　but　now；　unless　a　certain　deck…suite　

can　be　secured；　with　bath　and　sitting…room；　on　one　or　two　

particular　〃steamers；〃　the　great　lady　is　in　despair。　　Yet　our　

mothers　were　quite　as　refined　as　the　present　generation；　only　they　

took　life　simply；　as　they　found　it。



Children　are　now　taken　abroad　so　young；　that　before　they　have　

reached　an　age　to　appreciate　what　they　see；　Europe　has　become　to　

them　a　twice…told　tale。　　So　true　is　this；　that　a　receipt　for　making　

children　good　Americans　is　to　bring　them　up　abroad。　　Once　they　get　

back　here　it　is　hard　to　entice　them　away　again。



With　each　improvement　in　the　speed　of　our　steamers；　something　of　

the　glamour　of　Europe　vanishes。　　The　crowds　that　yearly　rush　across　

see　and　appreciate　less　in　a　lifetime　than　our　parents　did　in　their　

one　tour　abroad。　　A　good　lady　of　my　acquaintance　was　complaining　

recently　how　much　Paris　bored　her。



〃What　can　you　do　to　pass　the　time？〃　she　asked。　　I　innocently　

answered　that　I　knew　nothing　so　entrancing　as　long　mornings　passed　

at　the　Louvre。



〃Oh；　yes；　I　do　that　too；〃　she　replied；　〃but　I　like　the　'Bon　Marche'　

best！〃



A　trip　abroad　has　become　a　purely　social　function　to　a　large　number　

of　wealthy　Americans；　including　〃presentation〃　in　London　and　a　

winter　in　Rome　or　Cairo。　　And　just　as　a　〃smart〃　Englishman　is　sure　

to　tell　you　that　he　has　never　visited　the　〃Tower；〃　it　has　become　

good　form　to　ignore　the　sight…seeing　side　of　Europe；　hundreds　of　

New　Yorkers　never　seeing　anything　of　Paris　beyond　the　Rue　de　la　

Paix　and　the　Bois。　　They　would　as　soon　think　of　going　to　Cluny　or　

St。　Denis　as　of　visiting　the　museum　in　our　park！



Such　people　go　to　Fontainebleau　because　they　are　buying　furniture；　

and　they　wish　to　see　the　best　models。　　They　go　to　Versailles　on　the　

coach　and　〃do〃　the　Palace　during　the　half…hour　before　luncheon。　　

Beyond　that；　enthusiasm　rarely　carries　them。　　As　soon　as　they　have　

settled　themselves　at　the　Bristol　or　the　Rhin　begins　the　endless　

treadmill　of　leaving　cards　on　all　the　people　just　seen　at　home；　and　

whom　they　will　meet　again　in　a　couple　of　months　at　Newport　or　Bar　

Harbor。　　This　duty　and　the　all…entrancing　occupation　of　getting　

clothes　fills　up　every　spare　hour。　　Indeed；　clothes　seem　to　pervade　

the　air　of　Paris　in　May；　the　conversation　rarely　deviating　from　

them。　　If　you　meet　a　lady　you　know　looking　ill；　and　ask　the　cause；　

it　generally　turns　out　to　be　〃four　hours　a　day　standing　to　be　

fitted。〃　　Incredible　as　it　may　seem；　I　have　been　told　of　one　plain　

maiden　lady；　who　makes　a　trip　across；　spring　and　autumn；　with　the　

sole　object　of　getting　her　two　yearly　outfits。



Remembering　the　hundreds　of　cultivated　people　whose　dream　in　life　

（often　unrealized　from　lack　of　means）　has　been　to　go　abroad　and　

visit　the　scenes　their　reading　has　made　familiar；　and　knowing　what　

such　a　trip　would　mean　to　them；　and　how　it　would　be　looked　back　

upon　during　the　rest　of　an　obscure　life；　I　felt　it　almost　a　duty　to　

〃suppress〃　a　wealthy　female　（doubtless　an　American　cousin　of　Lady　

Midas）　when　she　informed　me；　the　other　day；　that　decidedly　she　

would　not　go　abroad　this　spring。



〃It　is　not　necessary。　　Worth　has　my　measures！〃









CHAPTER　4　…　The　Outer　and　the　Inner　Woman





IT　is　a　sad　commentary　on　our　boasted　civilization　that　cases　of　

shoplifting　occur　more　and　more　frequently　each　year；　in　which　the　

delinquents　are　women　of　education　and　refinement；　or　at　least　

belong　to　families　and　occupy　positions　in　which　one　would　expect　

to　find　those　qualities！　　The　reason；　however；　is　not　difficult　to　

discover。



In　the　wake　of　our　hasty　and　immature　prosperity　has　come　（as　it　

does　to　all　suddenly　enriched　societies）　a　love　of　ostentation；　a　

desire　to　dazzle　the　crowd　by　displays　of　luxury　and　rich　trappings　

indicative　of　crude　and　vulgar　standards。　　The　newly　acquired　

money；　instead　of　being　expended　for　solid　comforts　or　articles　

which　would　afford　lasting　satisfaction；　is　lavished　on　what　can　be　

worn　in　public；　or　the　outer　shell　of　display；　while　the　home　table　

and　fireside　belongings　are　neglected。　　A　glance　around　our　

theatres；　or　at　the　men　and　women　in　our　crowded　thoroughfares；　is　

sufficient　to　reveal　to　even　a　casual　observer　that　the　mania　for　

fine　clothes　and　what　is　costly；　PER　SE；　has　become　the　besetting　

sin　of　our　day　and　our　land。



The　tone　of　most　of　the　papers　and　of　our　theatrical　advertisements　

reflects　this　feeling。　　The　amount　of　money　expended　for　a　work　of　

art　or　a　new　building　is　mentioned　before　any　comment　as　to　its　

beauty　or　fitness。　　A　play　is　spoken　of　as　〃Manager　So　and　So's　

thirty…thousand…dollar　production！〃　　The　fact　that　a　favorite　

actress　will　appear　in　four　different　dresses　during　the　three　acts　

of　a　comedy；　each　toilet　being　a　special　creation　designed　for　her　

by　a　leading　Parisian　house；　is　considered　of　supreme　importance　

and　is　dwelt　upon　in　the　programme　as　a　special　attraction。



It　would　be　astonishing　if　the　taste　of　our　women　were　different；　

considering　the　way　clothes　are　eternally　being　dangled　before　

their　eyes。　　Leading　papers　publish　illustrated　supplements　devoted　

exclusively　to　the　subject　of　attire；　thus　carrying　temptation　into　

every　humble　home；　and　suggesting　unattainable　luxuries。　　Windows　

in　many　of　the　larger　shops　contain　life…sized　manikins　loaded　with　

the　latest　costly　and　ephemeral　caprices　of　fashion　arranged　to　

catch　the　eye　of　the　poorer　class　of　women；　who　stand　in　hundreds　

gazing　at　the　display　like　larks　attracted　by　a　mirror！　　Watch　

those　women　as　they　turn　away；　and　listen　to　their　sighs　of　

discontent　and　envy。　　Do　they　not　tell　volumes　about　petty　hopes　

and　ambitions？



I　do　not　refer　to　the　wealthy　women　whose　toilets　are　in　keeping　

with　their　incomes　and　the　general　footing　of　their　households；　

that　they　should　spend　more　or　less　in　fitting　themselves　out　

daintily　is　of　little　importance。　　The　point　where　this　subject　

becomes　painful　is　in　families　of　small　means　where　young　girls　

imagine　that　to　be　elaborately　dressed　is　the　first　essential　of　

existence；　and；　in　consequence；　bend　their　labors　and　their　

intelligence　towards　this　end。　　Last　spring　I　asked　an　old　friend　

where　she　and　her　daughters　intended　passing　their　summer。　　Her　

answer　struck　me　as　being　characteristic　enough　to　quote：　〃We　

should　much　prefer；〃　she　said；　〃returning　to　Bar　Harbor；　for　we　all　

enjoy　that　place　and　have　many　friends　there。　　But　the　truth　is；　my　

daughters　have　bought　themselves　very　little　in　the　way　of　toilet　

this　year；　as　our　finances　are　not　in　a　flourishing　condition。　　So　

my　poor　girls　will　be　obliged　to　make　their　last　year's　dresses　do　

for　another　season。　　Under　these　circumstances；　it　is　out　of　the　

question　for　us　to　return　a　second　summer　to　the　same　place。〃



I　do　not　know　how　this　anecdote　strikes　my　readers。　　It　made　me　

thoughtful　and　sad　to　think　that；　in　a　family　of　intelligent　and　

practical　women；　such　a　reason　should　be　considered　sufficient　to　

outweigh　enjoyment；　social　relations；　even　health；　and　allowed　to　

change　the　plans　of　an　entire　family。



As　American　women　are　so　fond　of　copying　English　ways　they　should　

be　willing　to　take　a　few　lessons　on　the　subject　of　raiment　from　

across