lady baltimore-第1节

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Lady　Baltimore

by　Owen　Wister






To
S。　Weir　Mitchell
With　the　Affection　and　Memories　of　All　My　Life



To　the　Reader


You　know　the　great　text　in　Burns；　I　am　sure；　where　he　wishes　he　could　see　himself　as　others　see　him。　Well；　here　lies　the　hitch　in　many　a　work　of　art：　if　its　makerpoet；　painter；　or　novelistcould　but　have　become　its　audience　too；　for　a　single　day；　before　he　launched　it　irrevocably　upon　the　uncertain　ocean　of　publicity；　how　much　better　his　boat　would　often　sail！　How　many　little　touches　to　the　rigging　he　would　give；　how　many　little　drops　of　oil　to　the　engines　here　and　there；　the　need　of　which　he　had　never　suspected；　but　for　that　trial　trip！　That's　where　the　ship…builders　and　dramatists　have　the　advantage　over　us　others：　they　can　dock　their　productions　and　tinker　at　them。　Even　to　the　musician　comes　this　useful　chance；　and　Schumann　can　reform　the　proclamation　which　opens　his　B…flat　Symphony。

Still；　to　publish　a　story　in　weekly　numbers　previously　to　its　appearance　as　a　book　does　sometimes　give　to　the　watchful　author　an　opportunity　to　learn；　before　it　is　too　late；　where　he　has　failed　in　clearness；　and　it　brings　him　also；　through　the　mails；　some　few　questions　that　are　pleasant　and　proper　to　answer　when　his　story　sets　forth　united　upon　its　journey　of　adventure　among　gentle　readers。

How　came　my　hero　by　his　name？

If　you　will　open　a　book　more　valuable　than　any　I　dare　hope　to　write；　and　more　entertaining　too；　The　Life　of　Paul　Jones；　by　Mr。　Buell；　you　will　find　the　real　ancestor　of　this　imaginary　boy；　and　fall　in　love　with　John　Mayrant　the　First；　as　did　his　immortal　captain　of　the　Bon　Homme　Richard。　He　came　from　South　Carolina；　and　believing　his　seed　and　name　were　perished　there　to…day；　I　gave　him　a　descendant。　I　have　learned　that　the　name；　until　recently；　was　in　existence；　I　trust　it　will　not　seem　taken　in　vain　in　these　pages。

Whence　came　such　a　person　as　Augustus？

Our　happier　cities　produce　many　Augustuses；　and　may　they　long　continue　to　do　so！　If　Augustus　displeases　any　one；　so　much　the　worse　for　that　one；　not　for　Augustus。　To　be　sure；　he　doesn't　admire　over　heartily　the　parvenus　of　steel　or　oil；　whose　too　sudden　money　takes　them　to　the　divorce　court；　he　calls　them　the　'yellow　rich'；　do　you　object　to　that？　Nor　does　he　think　that　those　Americans　who　prefer　their　pockets　to　their　patriotism；　are　good　citizens。　He　says　of　such　people　that　'eternal　vigilance　cannot　watch　liberty　and　the　ticker　at　the　same　time。'　Do　you　object　to　that？　Why；　the　young　man　would　be　perfect；　did　he　but　attend　his　primaries　and　vote　more　regularly；and　who　wants　a　perfect　young　man？

What　would　John　Mayrant　have　done　if　Hortense　had　not　challenged　him　as　she　did？

I　have　never　known；　and　I　fear　we　might　have　had　a　tragedy。

Would　the　old　ladies　really　have　spoken　to　Augustus　about　the　love　difficulties　of　John　Mayrant？

I　must　plead　guilty。　The　old　ladies　of　Kings　Port；　like　American　gentlefolk　everywhere；　keep　family　matters　sacredly　inside　the　family　circle。　But　you　see；　had　they　not　told　Augustus；　how　in　the　world　could　I　have　toldhowever；　I　plead　guilty。

Certain　passages　have　been　interpreted　most　surprisingly　to　signify　a　feeling　against　the　colored　race；　that　is　by　no　means　mine。　My　only　wish　regarding　these　people；　to　whom　we　owe　an　immeasurable　responsibility；　is　to　see　the　best　that　is　in　them　prevail。　Discord　over　this　seems　on　the　wane；　and　sane　views　gaining。　The　issue　sits　on　all　our　shoulders；　but　local　variations　call　for　a　sliding　scale　of　policy。　So　admirably　dispassionate　a　novel　as　The　Elder　Brother；　by　Mr。　Jervey。　forwards　the　understanding　of　Northerners　unfamiliar　with　the　South；　and　also　that　friendliness　between　the　two　places；　which　is　retarded　chiefly　by　tactless　newspapers。

Ah；　tact　should　have　been　one　of　the　cardinal　virtues；　and　if　I　didn't　possess　a　spice　of　it　myself；　I　should　here　thank　by　name　certain　two　members　of　the　St。　Michael　family　of　Kings　Port　for　their　patience　with　this　comedy；　before　ever　it　saw　the　light。　Tact　bids　us　away　from　many　pleasures；　but　it　can　never　efface　the　memory　of　kindness。



LADY　BALTIMORE



I：　A　Word　about　My　Aunt


Like　Adam；　our　first　conspicuous　ancestor；　I　must　begin；　and　lay　the　blame　upon　a　woman；　I　am　glad　to　recognize　that　I　differ　from　the　father　of　my　sex　in　no　important　particular；　being　as　manlike　as　most　of　his　sons。　Therefore　it　is　the　woman；　my　Aunt　Carola；　who　must　bear　the　whole　reproach　of　the　folly　which　I　shall　forthwith　confess　to　you；　since　she　it　was　who　put　it　into　my　head；　and；　as　it　was　only　to　make　Eve　happy　that　her　husband　ever　consented　to　eat　the　disastrous　apple；　so　I；　save　to　please　my　relative；　had　never　aspired　to　become　a　Selected　Salic　Scion。　I　rejoice　now　that　I　did　so；　that　I　yielded　to　her　temptation。　Ours　is　a　wide　country；　and　most　of　us　know　but　our　own　corner　of　it；　while；　thanks　to　my　Aunt；　I　have　been　able　to　add　another　corner。　This；　among　many　other　enlightenments　of　navel　and　education；　do　I　owe　her；　she　stands　on　the　threshold　of　all　that　is　to　come；　therefore　I　were　lacking　in　deference　did　I　pass　her　and　her　Scions　by　without　due　mention；employing　no　English　but　such　as　fits　a　theme　so　stately。　Although　she　never　left　the　threshold；　nor　went　to　Kings　Port　with　me；　nor　saw　the　boy；　or　the　girl；　or　any　part　of　what　befell　them；　she　knew　quite　well　who　the　boy　was。　When　I　wrote　her　about　him；　she　remembered　one　of　his　grandmothers　whom　she　had　visited　during　her　own　girlhood；　long　before　the　war；　both　in　Kings　Port　and　at　the　family　plantation；　and　this　old　memory　led　her　to　express　a　kindly　interest　in　him。　How　odd　and　far　away　that　interest　seems；　now　that　it　has　been　turned　to　cold　displeasure！

Some　other　day；　perhaps；　I　may　try　to　tell　you　much　more　than　I　can　tell　you　here　about　Aunt　Carola　and　her　Colonial　Societythat　apple　which　Eve；　in　the　form　of　my　Aunt；　held　out　to　me。　Never　had　I　expected　to　feel　rise　in　me　the　appetite　for　this　particular　fruit；　though　I　had　known　such　hunger　to　exist　in　some　of　my　neighbors。　Once　a　worthy　dame　of　my　town；　at　whose　dinner…table　young　men　and　maidens　of　fashion　sit　constantly；　asked　me　with　much　sentiment　if　I　was　aware　that　she　was　descended　from　Boadicea。　Why　had　she　never　（I　asked　her）　revealed　this　to　me　before？　And　upon　her　informing　me　that　she　had　learned　it　only　that　very　day；　I　exclaimed　that　it　was　a　great　distance　to　have　descended　so　suddenly。　To　this；　after　a　look　at　me；　she　assented；　adding　that　she　had　the　good　news　from　the　office　of　The　American　Almanach　de　Gotha；　Union　Square；　New　York；　and　she　recommended　that　publication　to　me。　There　was　but　a　slight　fee　to　pay；　a　matter　of　fifty　dollars　or　upwards；　and　for　this　trifling　sum　you　were　furnished　with　your　rightful　coat…of…arms　and　with　papers　clearly　tracing　your　family　to　the　Druids；　the　Vestal　Vir…　gins；　and　all　the　best　people　in　the　world。　Therefore　I　felicitated　the　Boadicean　lady　upon　the　illustrious　progenitrix　with　whom　the　Almanach　de　Gotha　had　provided　her　for　so　small　a　consideration；　and　observed　that　for　myself　I　supposed　I　should　continue　to　rest　content　with　the　thought　that　in　our　enlightened　Republic　every　American　was　himself　a　sovereign。　But　that；　said　the　lady；　after　giving　me　another　look；　is　so　different　from　Boadicea！　And　to　this　I　perfectly　agreed。　Later　I　had　the　pleasure　to　hear　in　a　roundabout　way　that　she　had　pronounced　me　one　of　the　most　agreeable　young　men　in　society；　though　sophisticated。　I　have　not　cherished　this　against　her；　my　gift　of　humor　puzzles　many　who　can　see　only　my　refinement　and　my　scrupulous　attention　to　dress。

Yes；　indeed；　I　counted　myself　proof　against　all　Boadiceas。　But　you　have　noticedhave　you　not？how；　whenever　a　few　people　gather　together　and　style　themselves　something；　and　choose　a　president；　and　eight　or　nine　vice…presidents；　and　a　secretary　and　a　treasurer；　and　a　committee　on　elections；　and　then　let　it　be　known　that　almost　nobody　else　is　qualified　to　belong　to　it；　that　there　springs　up　immediately　in　hundreds　and　thou…　sands　of　breasts　a　fiery　craving　to　get　into　that　body？　You　may　try　this　experiment　in　science；　law；　medicine；　art；　letters；　society；　farming；　I　care　not　what；　but　you　will　set　the　same　craving　afire　in　doctors；　academicians；　and　dog　breeders　all　over　the　earth。　Thus；　when　my　Aunt　the　president；　herself；　mind　you！said　to　me　one　day　that　she　thought；　if　I　proved　my　qualifications；　my　name　might　be　favorably　considered　by　the　Selected　Salic　ScionsI　say　no　more；　I　blush；　though　you　cannot　see　me；　when　I　am　tempted；　I　seem　to　be　human；　after　all。

At　first；　to　be　sure；　I　met　Aunt　Carola's　suggestion　in　the　way　that　I　am　too　ready　to　meet　many　of　her　remarks；　for　you　must　know　she　once；　with　sincere　simplicity　and　good…will；　told　my　Uncle　Andrew　（her　husband；　she　is　only　my　Aunt　by　marriage）　that　she　had　married　beneath　her；　and　she　seemed　unprepared　for　his　reception　of　this　candid　statement：　Uncle　Andrew　was　unaffectedly　merry　over　it。　Ever　since　then　all　of　us　wait　hopefully　every　day　for　what　she　may　do　or　say　next。

She　is　from　old　New　York；　oldest　New　York；　the　family　manor　is　still　habitable；　near　Cold　Spring；　she　was；　in　her　youth；　handsome；　I　am　assured　by　those　whose　word　I　have　always　trus