questionable amusements and worthy substitutes-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！



is　our　purpose　to　incite　in　others　the　love　for　and　the　right　us　of　all

helpful　resources　of　happiness　and　power；　it　seemed　to　us　that　we　could

no　better　accomplish　our　purpose　with　respect　to　this　subject　than　to

recount　our　own　observations　from　this　one　limited；　imperfect　journey。





AN　EYE…OPEN　AND　EAR…OPEN　EXPERIENCE。



One　is　always　at　a　disadvantage　in　relating　the　faults　of　others；　for　he

seems　to　himself　and　to　his　friends　to　be　telling　his　own　experience。　　We

were　about　to　speak　of　the　superficial　way　in　which　Americans　travel。

One　who　has　traveled　much　says　that　〃the　average　company　of　American

tourists　goes　through　the　Art　Galleries　of　Europe　like　a　drove　of　cattle

through　the　lanes　of　a　stock…market。〃　　Nor　is　it　the　art　gallery　and　museum

alone　that　is　done　superficially。　　How　many　persons　before　entering

grand　old　Notre　Dame；　or　the　British　Houses　of　Parliament；　pause　to

admire　the　elaborate　and　expansive　beauty　of　the　great　archways　and

outer　walls？　　It　is　possible　to　live　in　this　world；　to　travel　around　it；　to

touch　at　every　great　port　and　city；　and　yet　fail　to　see　what　is　of　value

or　of　interest。　　A　man　on　our　boat　going　to　Liverpool；　said　that　he　had

traveled　over　the　world；　had　been　in　London　many　a　time；　but　had　not

taken　the　pains　to　go　into　St。　Paul's；　nor　to　visit　the　Tower　of　London。

A　wise　man；　a　seer；　is　one　who　sees。　　It　is　possible　to　live　in　this　world；

and　not　to　leave　one's　own　dooryard；　and　yet　to　possess　the　knowledge

of　the　world；　and　to　tell　others　how　to　see。　　Louis　Agassiz；　the　scientist；

was　invited　by　a　friend　to　spend　the　summer　with　him　abroad。　　Mr。

Agassiz　declined　the　gracious　offer　on　the　ground　that　he　had　just

Planned　a　summer's　tour　through　his　own　back　yard。　　What　did　Agassiz

find　on　that　tour？　　Instruction　for　the　children　of　many　generations；　a

treatise　on　animal　life；　and　later　a　text…book　of　Zoology。　　Kant；　the

philosopher；　the　greatest　mind　since　Socrates；　was　never　forty　miles

from　his　birthplace。　　On　the　other　hand；　Grant　Allen；　author；　scholar；

and　traveler；　says：　　〃One　year　in　the　great　university　we　call　Europe；

will　teach　one　more　than　three　at　Yale　or　Columbia。　　And　what　it

teaches　one　will　be　real；　vivid；　practical；　abiding　。　。　。　ingrained　in

the　very　fiber　of　one's　brain　and　thought。　。　。　。　　He　will　read　deeper

meaning　thenceforward　in　every　picture；　every　building；　every　book；

every　newspaper。　。　。　。　　If　you　want　to　know　the　origin　of　the　art　of

building；　the　art　of　painting；　the　art　of　sculpture；　as　you　find　them

to…day　in　contemporary　America；　you　must　look　them　up　in　the

churches；　and　the　galleries　of　early　Europe。　　If　you　want　to　know

the　origin　of　American　institutions；　American　law；　American　thought；

and　American　language；　you　must　go　to　England；　you　must　go　farther

still　to　France；　Italy；　Hellas；　and　the　Orient。　　Our　whole　life　is　bound

up　with　Greece　and　Rome；　with　Egypt　and　Assyria。〃　　But　whatever

advantage　travel　may　afford　for　broad　and　intense　study；　whatever

be　its　superior　processes　of　refinement　and　learning；　yet　it　is　well

to　remember　this；　that　at　any　place　and　at　any　time　one　may　open

his　eyes　and　his　ears；　his　heart　and　his　reason；　and　find　more　than

he　is　able　to　understand　and　a　heart　to　feel！　　You　can　not　limit　God

to　the　land　nor　to　the　sea；　to　one　country　nor　to　one　hemisphere。

Thus　the　kind　of　travel　of　which　we　speak　is　the　eye…open　and　ear…

open　sort。



Let　us　note　first；　then；　that　travel　is　a　study　of　history　at　the　spot

where　the　event　took　place。　　The　history　of　a　nation　is　a　record　of

its　great　men。　　You　tell　a　faithful　story　of　Columbus；　John　Cabot；

and　Henry　Hudson；　of　Winthrop；　John　Smith；　and　Melendez；　of

General　Wolfe；　General　Washington；　Patrick　Henry；　and　Franklin；

of　Jefferson；　Adams；　Jackson；　and　Webster；　of　Abraham　Lincoln；

Wendell　Phillips；　John　Brown；　and　General　Grant；　of　John　Sherman；

Grover　Cleveland；　and　William　McKinley；　and　you　an　up…to…date

history　of　the　young　American　Republic；　acknowledged　by　every

country　to　have　the　greatest　future　of　all　nations。　　So；　if　one　reads

with　understanding　the　inscriptions　on　the　monuments　of　Gough；

O'Connell；　and　Parnell；　he　will　get　the　story　of　the　struggles　of　the

Irish。　　Enter　London　Tower；　〃the　most　historical　spot　in　England；〃

and　recount　the　bloody　tragedies　of　the　English　people　since　the

time　of　William　the　Conqueror；　1066　A。D。　　Here　we　have　a　〃series

of　equestrian　figures　in　full　equipment；　as　well　as　many　figures　on

foot；　affording　a　faithful　picture；　in　approximate　chronological

order；　of　English　war…array　from　the　time　of　Edward　I；　1272；　down

to　that　of　James　II；　1688。〃　　In　glass　cases；　and　in　forms　of　trophies

on　the　walls；　we　find　arms　and　armor　of　the　old　Romans；　of　the

early　Greeks；　and　Britons；　and　of　the　Anglo…Saxons。　　Maces　and

axes；　long　and　cross　bows　and　leaden　missile　weapons　and　shields；

highly　adorned　with　metal　figures；　all　tend　to　make　more　vivid　the

word…pictures　of　the　historian。〃　　Of　the　small　burial…ground　in　this

Tower；　Macaulay　writes：　　〃In　truth　there　is　no　sadder　spot　on　earth

than　this　little　cemetery。　　Death　is　there　associated；　not；　as　in

Westminster　Abbey　and　St。　Paul's；　with　genius　and　virtue；　with

public　veneration；　and　with　imperishable　renown；　not；　as　in　our

humblest　churches　and　church…yards；　with　every　thing　that　is　most

endearing　in　social　and　domestic　charities；　but　with　whatever　is

darkest　in　human　nature　and　in　human　destiny；　with　the　savage

triumph　of　implacable　enemies；　with　the　inconstancy；　the　ingratitude；

the　cowardice　of　friends；　with　all　the　miseries　of　fallen　greatness　and

of　blighted　fame。〃　　We　note　a　few　names　chiseled　here：　　Sir　Thomas

More；　beheaded　1535；　Anne　Boleyn；　beheaded　in　this　tower；　1536；

Thomas　Cromwell；　beheaded；　1540；　Margaret　Pole；　beheaded　here；

1541；　Queen　Catharine　Howard；　beheaded；　1542；　Lady　Jane　Grey

and　her　husband；　beheaded　here；　1544；　Sir　Thomas　Overbudy；

poisoned　in　this　tower；　1613。　　Since　travel　is　a　study　of　history　at

the　spot　where　the　event　took　place；　let　us　cross　the　rough　and　famed

English　Channel　to　visit　one　of　the　many　noted　spots　of　France。　　We

select　the　site　of　the　Hotel　de　Ville　or　the　town…hall　of　Paris。　　〃The

construction　of　the　old　hall　was　begun　in　1533；　and　was　over　seventy

years　in　its　completion。　　Additions　were　made；　and　the　building　was

reconstructed　in　1841。　　This　has　been　the　usual　rallying　site　of　the

Democratic　party　for　centuries。　　Here　occurred　the　tragedy　of　St。

Bartholomew　in　1572；　here　mob…posts；　gallows；　and　guillotines

did　the　work　of　a　despotic　misrule　until　1789。　　（As　we　left　for

Brussels　on　the　evening　of　the　13th　of　July；　all　Paris　was　gayly

decorated　with　red；　white；　and　blue　bunting；　ready　to　celebrate　the

event　of　July　14；　1789；　the　fall　of　the　Bastile。）　　On　this　date；　110

years　ago；　the　captors　of　the　Bastile　marched　into　this　noted　hall。

Three　days　later　Louis　XVI　came　here　in　procession　from　Versailles；

followed　by　a　dense　mob。〃　　Here　Robespierre　attempted　suicide　to

avoid　arrest；　when　five　battalions　under　Barras　forced　entrance　to

assault　the　Commune　party；　of　which　Robespierre　was　head。　　Here；

in　1848；　Louis　Blanc　proclaimed　the　institution　of　the　Republic　of

France。　　This　was　a　central　spot　during　the　revolution　of　1871。　　The

leaders　of　the　Commune　party　place　in　this　building　barrels　of

gunpowder；　and　heaps　of　combustibles　steeped　in　petroleum；　and　on

May　25th　they　succeeded　in　destroying　with　it　600　human　lives。　　A

new　Hotel　de　Ville；　one　of　the　most　magnificent　buildings　in　Europe；

has　replaced　the　old　hall。　　This　is　open　to　visitors　at　all　hours。　　To

study　history　at　the　spot　where　the　event　took　place　means　work　as

well　as　pleasure；　so　we　took　our　luncheon　and　sleep　in　our　car　while

the　train　carried　us　to　Brussels；　and　out　to　Braine…l'Alleud；　where；　on

the　beautiful　rolling　plain　of　Belgium；　June　18；　1805；　Napoleon

Bonaparte　met　his　Waterloo；　and　Wellington　became　England's　idol。



A　railway　baggageman　was　on　our　train　returning　to　his　home　in

Cleveland；　Ohio。　　In　conversation；　he　said：　　〃I　have　been　with　this

company　for　twenty…two　years；　have　drawn　two　dollars　a　day；　365

days　in　the　year　for　that　time；　and　I　haven't　a　dollar　in　the　world；　but

one；　and　I　gave　it　yesterday　for　a　dog。　　But；〃　said　he；　〃I　have　a　good

woman　and　the　greatest　little　girl　in　the　world；　so　I　am　happy。〃　　This

is　one　of　a　large　class　of　persons　who　receive　fair　wages　all　their　lives；

and　yet　die　paupers；　because　they　plan　to　spend　all　they　make　as　they

go　along。　　In　conversation　with　a　gruff；　old　Dutch　conductor　between

Albany　and　New　York　City；　I　ventured　to　ask　him　if　he　had　ever

crossed　the　ocean。　　〃No；〃　he　said；　〃nopody　eber　crosses　de　ocean；　bud

emigrants；　and　beoble　vat　hab　more　muney　dan　prains。〃



Travel　is　a　study　of　religious　institutions。　　Among　the　most　interesting

in　Europe；　that　we　visited；　are　Wesley's　Chapel；　Westminster　Abbey；

St。　Paul's　Cathedral；　and　Notre　Dame。