north america-1-第55节

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st。　　I　have　known；　do　know；　and　mean　to　continue　to　know　as　far　as　in　me　may　lie；　American　ladies　as　bright；　as　beautiful；　as　graceful；　as　sweet；　as　mortal　limits　for　brightness；　beauty；　grace；　and　sweetness　will　permit。　　They　belong　to　the　aristocracy　of　the　land；　by　whatever　means　they　may　have　become　aristocrats。　　In　America　one　does　not　inquire　as　to　their　birth；　their　training；　or　their　old　names。　　The　fact　of　their　aristocratic　power　comes　out　in　every　word　and　look。　It　is　not　only　so　with　those　who　have　traveled　or　with　those　who　are　rich。　　I　have　found　female　aristocrats　with　families　and　slender　means；　who　have　as　yet　made　no　grand　tour　across　the　ocean。　These　women　are　charming　beyond　expression。　　It　is　not　only　their　beauty。　　Had　he　been　speaking　of　such；　Wendell　Phillips　would　have　been　right　in　saying　that　they　have　brains　all　over　them。　　So　much　for　those　who　are　bright　and　beautiful；　who　are　graceful　and　sweet！　And　now　a　word　as　to　those　who　to　me　are　neither　bright　nor　beautiful；　and　who　can　be　to　none　either　graceful　or　sweet。　It　is　a　hard　task；　that　of　speaking　ill　of　any　woman；　but　it　seems　to　me　that　he　who　takes　upon　himself　to　praise　incurs　the　duty　of　dispraising　also　where　dispraise　is；　or　to　him　seems　to　be；　deserved。　　The　trade　of　a　novelist　is　very　much　that　of　describing　the　softness；　sweetness；　and　loving　dispositions　of　women；　and　this　he　does；　copying　as　best　he　can　from　nature。　　But　if　he　only　sings　of　that　which　is　sweet；　whereas　that　which　is　not　sweet　too　frequently　presents　itself；　his　song　will　in　the　end　be　untrue　and　ridiculous。　　Women　are　entitled　to　much　observance　from　men；　but　they　are　entitled　to　no　observance　which　is　incompatible　with　truth。　　Women；　by　the　conventional　laws　of　society；　are　allowed　to　exact　much　from　men；　but　they　are　allowed　to　exact　nothing　for　which　they　should　not　make　some　adequate　return。　　It　is　well　that　a　man　should　kneel　in　spirit　before　the　grace　and　weakness　of　a　woman；　but　it　is　not　well　that　he　should　kneel　either　in　spirit　or　body　if　there　be　neither　grace　nor　weakness。　　A　man　should　yield　everything　to　a　woman　for　a　word；　for　a　smileto　one　look　of　entreaty。　　But　if　there　be　no　look　of　entreaty；　no　word；　no　smile；　I　do　not　see　that　he　is　called　upon　to　yield　much。　The　happy　privileges　with　which　women　are　at　present　blessed　have　come　to　them　from　the　spirit　of　chivalry。　　That　spirit　has　taught　man　to　endure　in　order　that　women　may　be　at　their　ease；　and　has　generally　taught　women　to　accept　the　ease　bestowed　on　them　with　grace　and　thankfulness。　　But　in　America　the　spirit　of　chivalry　has　sunk　deeper　among　men　than　it　has　among　women。　　It　must　be　borne　in　mind　that　in　that　country　material　well…being　and　education　are　more　extended　than　with　us；　and　that；　therefore；　men　there　have　learned　to　be　chivalrous　who　with　us　have　hardly　progressed　so　far。　The　conduct　of　men　to　women　throughout　the　States　is　always　gracious。　　They　have　learned　the　lesson。　　But　it　seems　to　me　that　the　women　have　not　advanced　as　far　as　the　men　have　done。　　They　have　acquired　a　sufficient　perception　of　the　privileges　which　chivalry　gives　them；　but　no　perception　of　that　return　which　chivalry　demands　from　them。　　Women　of　the　class　to　which　I　allude　are　always　talking　of　their　rights；　but　seem　to　have　a　most　indifferent　idea　of　their　duties。　　They　have　no　scruple　at　demanding　from　men　everything　that　a　man　can　be　called　on　to　relinquish　in　a　woman's　behalf；　but　they　do　so　without　any　of　that　grace　which　turns　the　demand　made　into　a　favor　conferred。　I　have　seen　much　of　this　in　various　cities　of　America；　but　much　more　of　it　in　New　York　than　elsewhere。　　I　have　heard　young　Americans　complain　of　it；　swearing　that　they　must　change　the　whole　tenor　of　their　habits　toward　women。　　I　have　heard　American　ladies　speak　of　it　with　loathing　and　disgust。　　For　myself；　I　have　entertained　on　sundry　occasions　that　sort　of　feeling　for　an　American　woman　which　the　close　vicinity　of　an　unclean　animal　produces。　　I　have　spoken　of　this　with　reference　to　street　cars；　because　in　no　position　of　life　does　an　unfortunate　man　become　more　liable　to　these　anti…feminine　atrocities　than　in　the　center　of　one　of　these　vehicles。　　The　woman；　as　she　enters；　drags　after　her　a　misshapen；　dirty　mass　of　battered　wirework；　which　she　calls　her　crinoline；　and　which　adds　as　much　to　her　grace　and　comfort　as　a　log　of　wood　does　to　a　donkey　when　tied　to　the　animal's　leg　in　a　paddock。　　Of　this　she　takes　much　heed；　not　managing　it　so　that　it　may　be　conveyed　up　the　carriage　with　some　decency；　but　striking　it　about　against　men's　legs；　and　heaving　it　with　violence　over　people's　knees。　　The　touch　of　a　real　woman's　dress　is　in　itself　delicate；　but　these　blows　from　a　harpy's　fins　are　as　loathsome　as　a　snake's　slime。　　If　there　be　two　of　them　they　talk　loudly　together；　having　a　theory　that　modesty　has　been　put　out　of　court　by　women's　rights。　　But；　though　not　modest；　the　woman　I　describe　is　ferocious　in　her　propriety。　　She　ignores　the　whole　world　around　her　as　she　sits；　with　a　raised　chin　and　face　flattened　by　affectation；　she　pretends　to　declare　aloud　that　she　is　positively　not　aware　that　any　man　is　even　near　her。　　She　speaks　as　though　to　her；　in　her　womanhood；　the　neighborhood　of　men　was　the　same　as　that　of　dogs　or　cats。　　They　are　there；　but　she　does　not　hear　them；　see　them；　or　even　acknowledge　them　by　any　courtesy　of　motion。　　But　her　own　face　always　gives　her　the　lie。　　In　her　assumption　of　indifference　she　displays　her　nasty　consciousness；　and　in　each　attempt　at　a　would…be　propriety　is　guilty　of　an　immodesty。　　Who　does　not　know　the　timid　retiring　face　of　the　young　girl　who　when　alone　among　men　unknown　to　her　feels　that　it　becomes　her　to　keep　herself　secluded？　　As　many　men　as　there　are　around　her；　so　many　knights　has　such　a　one；　ready　bucklered　for　her　service；　should　occasion　require　such　services。　Should　it　not；　she　passes　on　unmolestedbut　not；　as　she　herself　will　wrongly　think；　unheeded。　　But　as　to　her　of　whom　I　am　speaking；　we　may　say　that　every　twist　of　her　body　and　every　tone　of　her　voice　is　an　unsuccessful　falsehood。　　She　looks　square　at　you　in　the　face；　and　you　rise　to　give　her　your　seat。　　You　rise　from　a　deference　to　your　own　old　convictions；　and　from　that　courtesy　which　you　have　ever　paid　to　a　woman's　dress；　let　it　be　worn　with　ever　such　hideous　deformities。　　She　takes　the　place　from　which　you　have　moved　without　a　word　or　a　bow。　　She　twists　herself　round；　banging　your　shins　with　her　wires；　while　her　chin　is　still　raised；　and　her　face　is　still　flattened；　and　she　directs　her　friend's　attention　to　another　seated　man；　as　though　that　place　were　also　vacant；　and　necessarily　at　her　disposure。　　Perhaps　the　man　opposite　has　his　own　ideas　about　chivalry。　　I　have　seen　such　a　thing；　and　have　rejoiced　to　see　it。　You　will　meet　these　women　daily；　hourly；　everywhere　in　the　streets。　Now　and　again　you　will　find　them　in　society；　making　themselves　even　more　odious　there　than　elsewhere。　　Who　they　are；　whence　they　come；　and　why　they　are　so　unlike　that　other　race　of　women　of　which　I　have　spoken；　you　will　settle　for　yourself。　　Do　we　not　all　say　of　our　chance　acquaintances；　after　half　an　hour's　conversation；　nay；　after　half　an　hour　spent　in　the　same　room　without　conversation；　that　this　woman　is　a　lady；　and　that　that　other　woman　is　not？　　They　jostle　each　other　even　among　us；　but　never　seem　to　mix。　　They　are　closely　allied；　but　neither　imbues　the　other　with　her　attributes。　　Both　shall　be　equally　well　born；　or　both　shall　be　equally　ill　born；　but　still　it　is　so。　　The　contrast　exists　in　England；　but　in　America　it　is　much　stronger。　　In　England　women　become　ladylike　or　vulgar。　　In　the　States　they　are　either　charming　or　odious。　See　that　female　walking　down　Broadway。　　She　is　not　exactly　such　a　one　as　her　I　have　attempted　to　describe　on　her　entrance　into　the　street　car；　for　this　lady　is　well　dressed；　if　fine　clothes　will　make　well　dressing。　　The　machinery　of　her　hoops　is　not　battered；　and　altogether　she　is　a　personage　much　more　distinguished　in　all　her　expenditures。　　But　yet　she　is　a　copy　of　the　other　woman。　　Look　at　the　train　which　she　drags　behind　her　over　the　dirty　pavement；　where　dogs　have　been；　and　chewers　of　tobacco；　and　everything　concerned　with　filth　except　a　scavenger。　　At　every　hundred　yards　some　unhappy　man　treads　upon　the　silken　swab　which　she　trails　behind　herloosening　it　dreadfully　at　the　girth　one　would　say；　and　then　see　the　style　of　face　and　the　expression　of　features　with　which　she　accepts　the　sinner's　half　muttered　apology。　　The　world；　she　supposes；　owes　her　everything　because　of　her　silken　train；　even　room　enough　in　a　crowded　thoroughfare　to　drag　it　along　unmolested。　But；　according　to　her　theory；　she　owes　the　world　nothing　in　return。　She　is　a　woman　with　perhaps　a　hundred　dollars　on　her　back；　and　having　done　the　world　the　honor　of　wearing　them　in　the　world's　presence；　expects　to　be　repaid　by　the　world's　homage　and　chivalry。　But　chivalry　owes　her　nothingnothing；　though　she　walk　about　beneath　a　hundred　times　a　hundred　dollarsnothing；　even　though　she　be　a　woman。　　Let　every　woman　learn　this；　that　chivalry　owes　her　nothing　unless　she　also　acknowledges　her　debt　to　chivalry。　　She　must　acknowledge　it　and　pay　it；　and　then　chivalry　will　not　be　backward　in　making　good　her　claims　u