short stories and essays-第18节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


agreeable　summer　would　be　as　good　in　that　way　as　in　making　a　hard…and…
fast　choice　of　a　certain　place　and　sticking　to　it。　　My　own　experience　is
that　in　these　things　chance　makes　a　very　good　choice　for　one；　as　it　does
in　most　non…moral　things。




II。

A　joke　dies　hard；　and　I　am　not　sure　that　the　life　is　yet　quite　out　of　the
kindly　ridicule　that　was　cast　for　a　whole　generation　upon　the　people　who
left　their　comfortable　houses　in　town　to　starve　upon　farm…board　or　stifle
in　the　narrow　rooms　of　mountain　and　seaside　hotels。　　Yet　such　people　were
in　the　right；　and　their　mockers　were　in　the　wrong；　and　their　patient
persistence　in　going　out　of　town　for　the　summer　in　the　face　of　severe
discouragements　has　multiplied　indefinitely　the　kinds　of　summer　resorts；
and　reformed　them　altogether。　　I　believe　the　city　boarding…house　remains
very　much　what　it　used　to　be；　but　I　am　bound　to　say　that　the　country
boarding…house　has　vastly　improved　since　I　began　to　know　it。　　As　for　the
summer　hotel；　by　steep　or　by　strand；　it　leaves　little　to　be　complained　of
except　the　prices。　　I　take　it　for　granted；　therefore；　that　the　out…of…
town　summer　has　come　to　stay；　for　all　who　can　afford　it；　and　that　the
chief　sorrow　attending　it　is　that　curse　of　choice；　which　I　have　already
spoken　of。

I　have　rather　favored　chance　than　choice；　because；　whatever　choice　you
make；　you　are　pretty　sure　to　regret　it；　with　a　bitter　sense　of
responsibility　added；　which　you　cannot　feel　if　chance　has　chosen　for　you。
I　observe　that　people　who　own　summer　cottages　are　often　apt　to　wish　they
did　not；　and　were　foot…loose　to　roam　where　they　listed；　and　I　have　been
told　that　even　a　yacht　is　not　a　source　of　unmixed　content；　though　so
eminently　detachable。　　To　great　numbers　Europe　looks　from　this　shore　like
a　safe　refuge　from　the　American　summer　problem；　and　yet　I　am　not　sure
that　it　is　altogether　so；　for　it　is　not　enough　merely　to　go　to　Europe；
one　has　to　choose　where　to　go　when　one　has　got　there。　　A　European　city　is
certainly　always　more　tolerable　than　an　American　city；　but　one　cannot
very　well　pass　the　summer　in　Paris；　or　even　in　London。　　The　heart　there；
as　here；　will　yearn　for　some　blessed　seat

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Where　falls　not　hail；　or　rain；　or　any　snow；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nor　ever　wind　blows　loudly；　but　it　lies
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Deep…meadow'd；　happy；　fair　with　orchard　lawns
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　bowery　hollows　crown'd　with　summer　sea；〃

and　still；　after　your　keel　touches　the　strand　of　that　alluring　old　world；
you　must　buy　your　ticket　and　register　your　trunk　for　somewhere　in
particular。




III。

It　is　truly　a　terrible　stress；　this　summer　problem；　and；　as　I　say；　my
heart　aches　much　more　for　those　who　have　to　solve　it　and　suffer　the
consequences　of　their　choice　than　for　those　who　have　no　choice；　but　must
stay　the　summer　through　where　their　work　is；　and　be　humbly　glad　that　they
have　any　work　to　keep　them　there。　　I　am　not　meaning　now；　of　course；
business　men　obliged　to　remain　in　the　city　to　earn　the　breador；　more
correctly；　the　cakeof　their　families　in　the　country；　or　even　their
clerks　and　bookkeepers；　and　porters　and　messengers；　but　such　people　as　I
sometimes　catch　sight　of　from　the　elevated　trains　（in　my　reluctant
midsummer　flights　through　the　city）；　sweltering　in　upper　rooms　over
sewing…machines　or　lap…boards；　or　stewing　in　the　breathless　tenement
streets；　or　driving　clangorous　trucks；　or　monotonous　cars；　or　bending
over　wash…tubs　at　open　windows　for　breaths　of　the　no…air　without。
These　all　get　on　somehow；　and　at　the　end　of　the　summer　they　have　not　to
accuse　themselves　of　folly　in　going　to　one　place　rather　than　another。
Their　fate　is　decided　for　them；　and　they　submit　to　it；　whereas　those　who
decide　their　fate　are　always　rebelling　against　it。　　They　it　is　whom　I　am
truly　sorry　for；　and　whom　I　write　of　with　tears　in　my　ink。　　Their　case　is
hard；　and　it　will　seem　all　the　harder　if　we　consider　how　foolish　they
will　look　and　how　flat　they　will　feel　at　the　judgment…day；　when　they　are
asked　about　their　summer　outings。　　I　do　not　really　suppose　we　shall　be
held　to　a　very　strict　account　for　our　pleasures　because　everybody　else
has　not　enjoyed　them；　too；　that　would　be　a　pity　of　our　lives；　and　yet
there　is　an　old…fashioned　compunction　which　will　sometimes　visit　the
heart　if　we　take　our　pleasures　ungraciously；　when　so　many　have　no
pleasures　to　take。　　I　would　suggest；　then；　to　those　on　whom　the　curse　of
choice　between　pleasures　rests；　that　they　should　keep　in　mind　those　who
have　chiefly　pains　to　their　portion　in　life。

I　am　not；　I　hope；　urging　my　readers　to　any　active　benevolence；　or
counselling　them　to　share　their　pleasures　with　others；　it　has　been
accurately　ascertained　that　there　are　not　pleasures　enough　to　go　round；
as　things　now　are；　but　I　would　seriously　entreat　them　to　consider　whether
they　could　not　somewhat　alleviate　the　hardships　of　their　own　lot　at　the
sea…side　or　among　the　mountains；　by　contrasting　it　with　the　lot　of　others
in　the　sweat…shops　and　the　boiler…factories　of　life。　　I　know　very　well
that　it　is　no　longer　considered　very　good　sense　or　very　good　morality　to
take　comfort　in　one's　advantages　from　the　disadvantages　of　others；　and
this　is　not　quite　what　I　mean　to　teach。　　Perhaps　I　mean　nothing　more　than
an　overhauling　of　the　whole　subject　of　advantages　and　disadvantages；
which　would　be　a　light　and　agreeable　occupation　for　the　leisure　of　the
summer　outer。　　It　might　be　very　interesting；　and　possibly　it　might　be
amusing；　for　one　stretched　upon　the　beach　or　swaying　in　the　hammock　to
inquire　into　the　reasons　for　his　or　her　being　so　favored；　and　it　is　not
beyond　the　bounds　of　expectation　that　a　consensus　of　summer　opinion　on
this　subject　would　go　far　to　enlighten　the　world　upon　a　question　that　has
vexed　the　world　ever　since　mankind　was　divided　into　those　who　work　too
much　and　those　who　rest　too　much。






AESTHETIC　NEW　YORK　FIFTY…ODD　YEARS　AGO

A　study　of　New　York　civilization　in　1849　has　lately　come　into　my　hands；
with　a　mortifying　effect；　which　I　should　like　to　share　with　the　reader；
to　my　pride　of　modernity。　　I　had　somehow　believed　that　after　half　a
century　of　material　prosperity；　such　as　the　world　has　never　seen　before；
New　York　in　1902　must　be　very　different　from　New　York　in　1849；　but　if　I
am　to　trust　either　the　impressions　of　the　earlier　student　or　my　own；　New
York　is　essentially　the　same　now　that　it　was　then。　　The　spirit　of　the
place　has　not　changed；　it　is　as　it　was；　splendidly　and　sordidly
commercial。　　Even　the　body　of　it　has　undergone　little　or　no　alteration；
it　was　as　shapeless；　as　incongruous；　as　ugly　when　the　author　of　'New　York
in　Slices'　wrote　as　it　is　at　this　writing；　it　has　simply　grown；　or
overgrown；　on　the　moral　and　material　lines　which　seem　to　have　been
structural　in　it　from　the　beginning。　　He　felt　in　his　time　the　same
vulgarity；　the　same　violence；　in　its　architectural　anarchy　that　I　have
felt　in　my　time；　and　he　noted　how　all　dignity　and　beauty　perished；　amid
the　warring　forms；　with　a　prescience　of　my　own　affliction；　which　deprives
me　of　the　satisfaction　of　a　discoverer　and　leaves　me　merely　the　sense　of
being　rather　old…fashioned　in　my　painful　emotions。




I。

I　wish　I　could　pretend　that　my　author　philosophized　the　facts　of　his　New
York　with　something　less　than　the　raw　haste　of　the　young　journalist；　but
I　am　afraid　I　must　own　that　'New　York　in　Slices'　affects　one　as　having
first　been　printed　in　an　evening　paper；　and　that　the　writer　brings　to　the
study　of　the　metropolis　something　like　the　eager　horror　of　a　country
visitor。　　This　probably　enabled　him　to　heighten　the　effect　he　wished　to
make　with　readers　of　a　kindred　tradition；　and　for　me　it　adds　a　certain
innocent　charm　to　his　work。　　I　may　make　myself　better　understood　if　I　say
that　his　attitude　towards　the　depravities　of　a　smaller　New　York　is　much
the　same　as　that　of　Mr。　Stead　towards　the　wickedness　of　a　much　larger
Chicago。　　He　seizes　with　some　such　avidity　upon　the　darker　facts　of　the
prisons；　the　slums；　the　gambling…houses；　the　mock　auctions；　the　toughs
（who　then　called　themselves　b'hoys　and　g'hals）；　the　quacks；　the　theatres；
and　even　the　intelligence　offices；　and　exploits　their　iniquities　with　a
ready　virtue　which　the　wickedest　reader　can　enjoy　with　him。

But　if　he　treated　of　these　things　alone；　I　should　not　perhaps　have
brought　his　curious　little　book　to　the　polite　notice　of　my　readers。
He　treats　also　of　the　press；　the　drama；　the　art；　and；　above　all；
〃the　literary　soirees〃　of　that　remote　New　York　of　his　in　a　manner　to　make
us　latest　New…Yorkers　feel　our　close　proximity　to　it。　　Fifty…odd　years
ago　journalism　had　already　become　〃the　absorbing；　remorseless；　clamorous
thing〃　we　now　know；　and　very　different　from　the　thing　it　was　when
〃expresses　were　unheard　of；　and　telegraphs　were　uncrystallized　from　the
lightning's　blue　and　fiery　film。〃　　Reporterism　was　beginning　to　assume
its　present　importance；　but　it　had　not　yet　become　the　paramount
intellectual　interest；　and　did　not　yet　〃stand　shoulder　to　shoulder〃　with
the　counting…room　in　authority。　　Great　editors；　then　as　now；　ranked　great
authors　in　the　public　esteem；　or　achieved　a　double　primacy　by　uniting
journalism　and　literature　in　the　same　pe