short stories and essays-第15节
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material prosperity has been disastrous to the pursuit of literature。
He said； or is said to have said （one cannot be too careful in
attributing to a public man the thoughts that may be really due to an
imaginative frame in the reporter）； that among us； 〃the old race of
writers of distinction； such as Longfellow； Bryant； Holmes； and
Washington Irving； have （sic） died out； and the Americans who are most
prominent in cultivated European opinion in art or literature； like
Sargent； Henry James； or Marion Crawford； live habitually out of America；
and draw their inspiration from England； France； and Italy。〃
I。
If this were true； I confess that I am so indifferent to what many
Americans glory in that it would not distress me； or wound me in the sort
of self…love which calls itself patriotism。 If it would at all help to
put an end to that struggle for material prosperity which has eventuated
with us in so many millionaires and so many tramps； I should be glad to
believe that it was driving our literary men out of the country。 This
would be a tremendous object…lesson； and might be a warning to the
millionaires and the tramps。 But I am afraid it would not have this
effect； for neither our very rich nor our very poor care at all for the
state of polite learning among us； though for the matter of that； I
believe that economic conditions have little to do with it； and that if a
general mediocrity of fortune prevailed and there were no haste to be
rich and to get poor； the state of polite learning would not be
considerably affected。 As matters stand； I think we may reasonably ask
whether the Americans 〃most prominent in cultivated European opinion；〃
the Americans who 〃live habitually out of America；〃 are not less exiles
than advance agents of the expansion now advertising itself to the world。
They may be the vanguard of the great army of adventurers destined to
overrun the earth from these shores； and exploit all foreign countries to
our advantage。 They probably themselves do not know it； but in the act
of 〃drawing their inspiration〃 from alien scenes； or taking their own
where they find it； are not they simply transporting to Europe 〃the
struggle for material prosperity 〃 which Sir Lepel supposes to be fatal
to them here？
There is a question； however； which comes before this； and that is the
question whether they have quitted us in such numbers as justly to alarm
our patriotism。 Qualitatively； in the authors named and in the late Mr。
Bret Harte； Mr。 Harry Harland； and the late Mr。 Harold Frederic； as well
as in Mark Twain； once temporarily resident abroad； the defection is very
great； but quantitatively it is not such as to leave us without a fair
measure of home…keeping authorship。 Our destitution is not nearly so
great now in the absence of Mr。 James and Mr。 Crawford as it was in the
times before the 〃struggle for material prosperity〃 when Washington
Irving went and lived in England and on the European continent well…nigh
half his life。
Sir Lepel Griffinor Sir Lepel Griffin's reporterseems to forget the
fact of Irving's long absenteeism when he classes him with 〃the old race〃
of eminent American authors who stayed at home。 But really none of those
he names were so constant to our air as he seemsor his reporter seems
to think。 Longfellow sojourned three or four years in Germany； Spain；
and Italy； Holmes spent as great time in Paris； Bryant was a frequent
traveller； and each of them 〃drew his inspiration〃 now and then from
alien sources。 Lowell was many years in Italy； Spain； and England；
Motley spent more than half his life abroad； Hawthorne was away from us
nearly a decade。
II。
If I seem to be proving too much in one way； I do not feel that I am
proving too much in another。 My facts go to show that the literary
spirit is the true world…citizen； and is at home everywhere。 If any good
American were distressed by the absenteeism of our authors； I should
first advise him that American literature was not derived from the folk…
lore of the red Indians； but was； as I have said once before； a condition
of English literature； and was independent even of our independence。
Then I should entreat him to consider the case of foreign authors who had
found it more comfortable or more profitable to live out of their
respective countries than in them。 I should allege for his consolation
the case of Byron； Shelley； and Leigh Hunt； and more latterly that of the
Brownings and Walter Savage Landor； who preferred an Italian to an
English sojourn； and yet more recently that of Mr。 Rudyard Kipling； who
voluntarily lived several years in Vermont； and has 〃drawn his
inspiration〃 in notable instances from the life of these States。 It will
serve him also to consider that the two greatest Norwegian authors；
Bjornsen and Ibsen； have both lived long in France and Italy。 Heinrich
Heine loved to live in Paris much better than in Dusseldorf； or even in
Hamburg； and Tourguenief himself； who said that any man's country could
get on without him； but no man could get on without his country； managed
to dispense with his own in the French capital； and died there after he
was quite free to go back to St。 Petersburg。 In the last century
Rousseau lived in France rather than Switzerland； Voltaire at least tried
to live in Prussia； and was obliged to a long exile elsewhere； Goldoni
left fame and friends in Venice for the favor of princes in Paris。
Literary absenteeism； it seems to me； is not peculiarly an American vice
or an American virtue。 It is an expression and a proof of the modern
sense which enlarges one's country to the bounds of civilization。
I cannot think it justly a reproach in the eyes of the world； and if any
American feels it a grievance； I suggest that he do what he can to have
embodied in the platform of his party a plank affirming the right of
American authors to a public provision that will enable them to live as
agreeably at home as they can abroad on the same money。 In the mean
time； their absenteeism is not a consequence of 〃the struggle for
material prosperity；〃 not a high disdain of the strife which goes on not
less in Europe than in America； and must； of course； go on everywhere as
long as competitive conditions endure； but is the result of chances and
preferences which mean nothing nationally calamitous or discreditable。
THE HORSE SHOW
〃As good as the circusnot so good as the circusbetter than the
circus。〃 These were my varying impressions； as I sat looking down upon
the tanbark； the other day； at the Horse Show in Madison Square Garden；
and I came away with their blend for my final opinion。
I。
I might think that the Horse Show （which is so largely a Man Show and a
Woman Show） was better or worse than the circus； or about as good； but I
could not get away from the circus； in my impression of it。 Perhaps the
circus is the norm of all splendors where the horse and his master are
joined for an effect upon the imagination of the spectator。 I am sure
that I have never been able quite to dissociate from it the
picturesqueness of chivalry； and that it will hereafter always suggest to
me the last correctness of fashion。 It is through the horse that these
far extremes meet； in all times the horse has been the supreme expression
of aristocracy； and it may very well be that a dream of the elder world
prophesied the ultimate type of the future； when the Swell shall have
evolved into the Centaur。
Some such teasing notion of their mystical affinity is what haunts you as
you make your round of the vast ellipse； with the well…groomed men about
you and the well…groomed horses beyond the barrier。
In this first affair of the newcomer； the horses are not so much on
show as the swells； you get only glimpses of shining coats and tossing
manes； with a glint here and there of a flying hoof through the lines of
people coming and going； and the ranks of people； three or four feet
deep； against the rails of the ellipse； but the swells are there in
perfect relief； and it is they who finally embody the Horse Show to you。
The fact is that they are there to see； of course； but the effect is that
they are there to be seen。
The whole spectacle had an historical quality； which I tasted with
pleasure。 It was the thing that had eventuated in every civilization；
and the American might feel a characteristic pride that what came to Rome
in five hundred years had come to America in a single century。 There was
something fine in the absolutely fatal nature of the result； and I
perceived that nowhere else in our life； which is apt to be reclusive in
its exclusiveness； is the prime motive at work in it so dramatically
apparent。 〃Yes；〃 I found myself thinking； 〃this is what it all comes to：
the 'subiti guadagni' of the new rich； made in large masses and seeking a
swift and eager exploitation； and the slowly accumulated fortunes； put
together from sparing and scrimping； from slaving and enslaving； in
former times； and now in the stainless white hands of the second or third
generation； they both meet here to the purpose of a common ostentation；
and create a Horse Show。〃
I cannot say that its creator
