short stories and essays-第14部分

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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　creators　looked　much　as　if　they　liked　it；　now　they
had　got　it；　and；　so　far　as　I　have　been　able　to　observe　them；　people　of
wealth　and　fashion　always　dissemble　their　joy；　and　have　the　air　of　being
bored　in　the　midst　of　their　amusements。　　This　reserve　of　rapture　may　be
their　delicacy；　their　unwillingness　to　awaken　envy　in　the　less　prospered；
and　I　should　not　have　objected　to　the　swells　at　the　Horse　Show　looking
dreary　if　they　had　looked　more　like　swells；　except　for　a　certain　hardness
of　the　countenance　（which　I　found　my　own　sympathetically　taking　on）　I
should　not　have　thought　them　very　patrician；　and　this　hardness　may　have
been　merely　the　consequence　of　being　so　much　stared　at。　　Perhaps；　indeed；
they　were　not　swells　whom　I　saw　in　the　boxes；　but　only　companies　of
ordinary　people　who　had　clubbed　together　and　hired　their　boxes；
I　understand　that　this　can　be　done；　and　the　student　of　civilization　so
far　misled。　　But　certainly　if　they　were　swells　they　did　not　look　quite　up
to　themselves；　though；　for　that　matter；　neither　do　the　nobilities　of
foreign　countries；　and　on　one　or　two　occasions　when　I　have　seen　them；
kings　and　emperors　have　failed　me　in　like　manner。　　They　have　all　wanted
that　indescribable　something　which　I　have　found　so　satisfying　in
aristocracies　and　royalties　on　the　stage；　and　here　at　the　Horse　Show；
while　I　made　my　tour；　I　constantly　met　handsome；　actor…like　folk　on　foot
who　could　much　better　have　taken　the　role　of　the　people　in　the　boxes。
The　promenaders　may　not　have　been　actors　at　all；　they　may　have　been　the
real　thing　for　which　I　was　in　vain　scanning　the　boxes；　but　they　looked
like　actors；　who　indeed　set　an　example　to　us　all　in　personal　beauty　and
in　correctness　of　dress。

I　mean　nothing　offensive　either　to　swells　or　to　actors。　　We　have　not
distinction；　as　a　people；　Matthew　Arnold　noted　that；　and　it　is　not　our
business　to　have　it：　When　it　is　our　business　our　swells　will　have　it；
just　as　our　actors　now　have　it；　especially　our　actors　of　English　birth。
I　had　not　this　reflection　about　me　at　the　time　to　console　me　for　my
disappointment；　and　it　only　now　occurs　to　me　that　what　I　took　for　an
absence　of　distinction　may　have　been　such　a　universal　prevalence　of　it
that　the　result　was　necessarily　a　species　of　indistinction。　　But　in　the
complexion　of　any　social　assembly　we　Americans　are　at　a　disadvantage　with
Europeans　from　the　want　of　uniforms。　　A　few　military　scattered　about　in
those　boxes；　or　even　a　few　sporting　bishops　in　shovel…hats　and　aprons；
would　have　done　much　to　relieve　them　from　the　reproach　I　have　been
heaping　upon　them。　　Our　women；　indeed；　poor　things；　always　do　their　duty
in　personal　splendor；　and　it　is　not　of　a　poverty　in　their　modes　at　the
Horse　Show　that　I　am　complaining。　　If　the　men　had　borne　their　part　as
well；　there　would　not　have　been　these　tears：　and　yet；　what　am　I　saying？
There　was　here　and　there　a　clean…shaven　face　（which　I　will　not　believe
was　always　an　actor's）；　and　here　and　there　a　figure　superbly　set　up；　and
so　faultlessly　appointed　as　to　shoes；　trousers；　coat；　tie；　hat；　and
gloves　as　to　have　a　salience　from　the　mass　of　good　looks　and　good　clothes
which　I　will　not　at　last　call　less　than　distinction。




II。

At　any　rate；　I　missed　these　marked　presences　when　I　left　the　lines　of　the
promenaders　around　the　ellipse；　and　climbed　to　a　seat　some　tiers　above
the　boxes。　　I　am　rather　anxious　to　have　it　known　that　my　seat　was　not　one
of　those　cheap　ones　in　the　upper　gallery；　but　was　with　the　virtuous　poor
who　could　afford　to　pay　a　dollar　and　a　half　for　their　tickets。　　I　bought
it　of　a　speculator　on　the　sidewalk；　who　said　it　was　his　last；　so　that　I
conceived　it　the　last　in　the　house；　but　I　found　the　chairs　by　no　means
all　filled；　though　it　was　as　good　an　audience　as　I　have　sometimes　seen　in
the　same　place　at　other　circuses。　　The　people　about　me　were　such　as　I　had
noted　at　the　other　circuses；　hotel…sojourners；　kindly…looking　comers　from
provincial　towns　and　cities；　whom　I　instantly　felt　myself　at　home　with；
and　free　to　put　off　that　gloomy　severity　of　aspect　which　had　grown　upon
me　during　my　association　with　the　swells　below。　　My　neighbors　were
sufficiently　well　dressed；　and　if　they　had　no　more　distinction　than　their
betters；　or　their　richers；　they　had　not　the　burden　of　the　occasion　upon
them；　and　seemed　really　glad　of　what　was　going　on　in　the　ring。

There　again　I　was　sensible　of　the　vast　advantage　of　costume。　　The　bugler
who　stood　up　at　one　end　of　the　central　platform　and　blew　a　fine　fanfare
（I　hope　it　was　a　fanfare）　towards　the　gates　where　the　horses　were　to
enter　from　their　stalls　in　the　basement　was　a　hussar…like　shape　that
filled　my　romantic　soul　with　joy；　and　the　other　figures　of　the　management
I　thought　very　fortunate　compromises　between　grooms　and　ringmasters。　　At
any　rate；　their　nondescript　costumes　were　gay；　and　a　relief　from　the
fashions　in　the　boxes　and　the　promenade；　they　were　costumes；　and　costumes
are　always　more　sincere；　if　not　more　effective；　than　fashions。　　As　I　have
hinted；　I　do　not　know　just　what　costumes　they　were；　but　they　took　the
light　well　from　the　girandole　far　aloof　and　from　th