the ways of men-第22部分

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only　this　month　that　he　　had　papers　in　his　possession　showing　beyond　a　doubt　that　I　　might　claim　a　certain　King　McDougal　of　Scotland　for　an　　ancestor。　　I　have　misgivings；　however；　as　to　the　quality　of　　the　royal　blood　in　my　veins；　for　the　same　correspondent　was　　equally　confident　six　months　ago　that　my　people　came　in　direct　　line　from　Charlemagne。　　As　I　have　no　desire　to　〃corner〃　the　　market　in　kings；　these　letters　have　remained　unanswered。

Considering　the　mania　to　trace　descent　from　illustrious　men；　　it　astonishes　me　that　a　Mystic　Band；　consisting　of　lineal　　descendants　from　the　Seven　Sages　of　Greece；　has　not　before　now　　burst　upon　an　astonished　world。　　It　has　been　suggested　that　if　　some　one　wanted　to　organize　a　truly　restricted　circle；　〃The　　Grandchildren　of　our　Tripoli　War〃　would　be　an　excellent　title。　　　So　few　Americans　took　part　in　that　conflict　…　and　still　fewer　　know　anything　about　it　…　that　the　satisfaction　of　joining　the　　society　would　be　immense　to　exclusively…minded　people。

There　is　only　one　explanation　that　seems　in　any　way　to　account　　for　this　vast　tomfoolery。　　A　little　sentence；　printed　at　the　　bottom　of　a　prospectus　recently　sent　to　me；　lets　the　ambitious　　cat　out　of　the　genealogical　bag。　　It　states　that　〃social　　position　is　assured　to　people　joining　our　order。〃　　Thanks　to　　the　idiotic　habit　some　newspapers　have　inaugurated　of　　advertising；　gratis；　a　number　of　self…elected　society　　〃leaders；〃　many　feeble…minded　people；　with　more　ambition　than　　cash；　and　a　larger　supply　of　family　papers　than　brains；　have　　been　bitten　with　a　social　madness；　and　enter　these　traps；　　thinking　they　are　the　road　to　position　and　honors。　　The　number　　of　fools　is　larger　than　one　would　have　believed　possible；　if　　the　success　of　so　many　〃orders；〃　〃circles；〃　〃commanderies；〃　　and　〃regencies〃　were　not　there　to　testify　to　the　unending　　folly　of　the　would…be　〃smart。〃

This　last　decade　of　the　century　has　brought　to　light　many　　strange　fads　and　senseless　manias。　　This　〃descent〃　craze；　　however；　surpasses　them　all　in　inanity。　　The　keepers　of　insane　　asylums　will　tell　you　that　one　of　the　hopeless　forms　of　　madness　is　LA　FOLIE　DES　GRANDEURS。　　A　breath　of　this　delirium　　seems　to　be　blowing　over　our　country。　　Crowns　and　sceptres　　haunt　the　dreams　of　simple　republican　men　and　women；　troubling　　their　slumbers　and　leading　them　a　will…o'…the…wisp　dance　back　　across　the　centuries。




Chapter　20　…　As　the　Twig　is　Bent


I　KNEW；　in　my　youth；　a　French　village　far　up　among　the　　Cevennes　Mountains；　where　the　one　cultivated　man　of　the　place；　　saddened　by　the　unlovely　lives　of　the　peasants　around　him　and　　by　the　bare　walls　of　the　village　school；　organized　evening　　classes　for　the　boys。　　During　these　informal　hours；　he　talked　　to　them　of　literature　and　art　and　showed　them　his　prints　and　　paintings。　　When　the　youths'　interest　was　aroused　he　lent　them　　books；　that　they　might　read　about　the　statues　and　buildings　　that　had　attracted　their　attention。　　At　first　it　appeared　a　　hopeless　task　to　arouse　any　interest　among　these　peasants　in　　subjects　not　bearing　on　their　abject　lives。　　To　talk　with　boys　　of　the　ideal；　when　their　poor　bodies　were　in　need　of　food　and　　raiment；　seemed　superfluous；　but　in　time　the　charm　worked；　as　　it　always　will。　　The　beautiful　appealed　to　their　simple　　natures；　elevating　and　refining　them；　and　opening　before　their　　eager　eyes　perspectives　of　undreamed…of　interest。　　The　self…　imposed　task　became　a　delight　as　his　pupils'　minds　responded　　to　his　efforts。　　Although　death　soon　ended　his　useful　life；　　the　seed　planted　grew　and　bore　fruit　in　many　humble　homes。

At　this　moment　I　know　men　in　several　walks　of　life　who　revere　　with　touching　devotion　the　memory　of　the　one　human　being　who　　had　brought　to　them；　at　the　moment　when　they　were　most　　impressionable；　the　gracious　message　that　existence　was　not　　merely　a　struggle　for　bread。　　The　boys　he　had　gathered　around　　him　realize　now　that　the　encouragement　and　incentive　received　　from　those　evening　glimpses　of　noble　works　existing　in　the　　world　was　the　mainspring　of　their　subsequent　development　and　a　　source　of　infinite　pleasure　through　all　succeeding　years。

This　reference　to　an　individual　effort　toward　cultivating　the　　poor　has　been　made　because　other　delicate　spirits　are　　attempting　some　such　task　in　our　city；　where　quite　as　much　as　　in　the　French　village　schoolchildren　stand　in　need　of　some　　message　of　beauty　in　addition　to　the　instruction　they　receive；　　…　some　window　opened　for　them；　as　it　were；　upon　the　fields　of　　art；　that　their　eyes　when　raised　from　study　or　play　may　rest　　on　objects　more　inspiring　than　blank　walls　and　the　graceless　　surroundings　of　street　or　schoolroom。

We　are　far　too　quick　in　assuming　that　love　of　the　beautiful　is　　confined　to　the　highly　educated；　that　the　poor　have　no　desire　　to　surround　themselves　with　graceful　forms　and　harmonious　　colors。　　We　wonder　at　and　deplore　their　crude　standards；　　bewailing　the　general　lack　of　taste　and　the　gradual　reducing　　of　everything　to　a　commonplace　money　basis。　　We　smile　at　the　　efforts　toward　adornment　attempted　by　the　poor；　taking　it　too　　readily　for　granted　that　on　this　point　they　are　beyond　　redemption。　　This　error　is　the　less　excusable　as　so　little　has　　been　done　by　way　of　experiment　before　forming　an　opinion；　…　　whole　classes　being　put　down　as　inferior　beings；　incapable　of　　appreciation；　before　they　have　been　allowed　even　a　glimpse　of　　the　works　of　art　that　form　the　daily　mental　food　of　their　　judges。

The　portly　charlady　who　rules　despotically　in　my　chambers　is　　an　example。　　It　has　been　a　curious　study　to　watch　her　growing　　interest　in　the　objects　that　have　here　for　the　first　time　come　　under　her　notice；　the　delight　she　has　come　to　take　in　dusting　　and　arranging　my　belongings；　and　her　enthusiasm　at　any　new　　acquisition。　　Knowing　how　bare　her　own　home　was；　I　felt　at　　first　only　astonishment　at　her　vivid　interest　in　what　seemed　　beyond　her　comprehension；　but　now　realize　that　in　some　blind　　way　she　appreciates　the　rare　and　the　delicate　quite　as　much　as　　my　more　cultivated　visitors。　　At　the　end　of　one　laborious　　morning；　when　everything　was　arranged　to　her　satisfaction；　she　　turned　to　me　her　poor；　plain　face；　lighted　up　with　an　　expression　of　delight；　and　exclaimed；　〃Oh；　sir；　I　do　love　to　　work　in　these　rooms！　　I'm　never　so　happy　as　when　I'm　arranging　　them　elegant　things！〃　　And；　although　my　pleasure　in　her　　pleasure　was　modified　by　the　discovery　that　she　had　taken　an　　eighteenth…century　comb　to　disentangle　the　fringes　of　a　rug；　　and　broken　several　of　its　teeth　in　her　ardor；　that　she　　invariably　placed　a　certain　Whister　etching　upside　down；　and　　then　stood　in　rapt　admiration　before　it；　still；　in　watching　　her　enthusiasm；　I　felt　a　thrill　of　satisfaction　at　seeing　how　　her　untaught　taste　responded　to　a　contact　with　good　things。

Here　in　America；　and　especially　in　our　city；　which　we　have　　been　at　such　pains　to　make　as　hideous　as　possible；　the　　schoolrooms；　where　hundreds　of　thousands　of　children　pass　many　　hours　daily；　are　one　degree　more　graceless　than　the　town　　itself；　the　most　artistically　inclined　child　can　hardly　　receive　any　but　unfortunate　impressions。　　The　other　day　a　　friend　took　me　severely　to　task　for　rating　our　American　women　　on　their　love　of　the　big　shops；　and　gave　me；　I　confess；　an　　entirely　new　idea　on　the　subject。　　〃Can't　you　see；〃　she　said；　　〃that　the　shops　here　are　what　the　museums　abroad　are　to　the　　poor？　　It　is　in　them　only　that　certain　people　may　catch　　glimpses　of　the　dainty　and　exquisite　manufactures　of　other　　countries。　　The　little　education　their　eyes　receive　is　　obtained　during　visits　to　these　emporiums。〃

If　this　proves　so；　and　it　seems　probable；　it　only　proves　how　　the　humble　long　for　something　more　graceful　than　their　meagre　　homes　afford。

In　the　hope　of　training　the　younger　generations　to　better　　standards　and　less　vulgar　ideals；　a　group　of　ladies　are　making　　an　attempt　to　surround　our　schoolchildren　during　their　　impressionable　youth　with　reproductions　of　historic　　masterpieces；　and　have　already　decorated　many　schoolrooms　in　　this　way。　　For　a　modest　sum　it　is　possible　to　tint　the　bare　　walls　an　attractive　color　…　a　delight　in　itself　…　and　adorn　　them　with　plaster　casts　of　statues　and　solar　prints　of　　pictures　and　buildings。　　The　transformation　that　fifty　or　　sixty　dollars　judiciously　expended　in　this　way　produces　in　a　　school…room　is　beyond　belief；　and；　as　the　advertisements　say；　　〃must　be　seen　to　be　appreciated；〃　giving　an　air　of　　cheerfulness　and　refinement　to　the　dreariest　apartment。

It　is　hard　to　make　people　understand　the　enthusiasm　these　　decorations　have　excited　in　both　teachers　and　pupils。　　The　　directress　of　one　of　our　large　schools　was　telling　me　of　the　　help　and　pleasure　the　prints　and　casts　had　been　to　her；　she　　had　given　them　as　subjects　for　the　class　compositions；　and　　used　them　in　a　hundred　different　ways　as　object…lessons。　　As　　the　children　are　graduated　from　room　to　room；　a　great　variety　　of　high…class　subjects　can　be　brought　to　their　notice　by　　varying　the　decorations。

It　is　by　the　eye　principally　that　taste　is　educated。　　〃We　　speak　with　admiration　of　the　eighth　sense　common　among　　Parisians；　and　envy　them　their　magic　power　of　combining　simple　　materials　into　an　artistic　whole。　　The　reason　is　that　for　　generations　the　eyes　of　those　people　have　been　unconsciously　　educated　by　the　harmonious　lines　of　well…proportioned　　buildings；　finely　finished　detail　of　stately　colonnade；　and　　shady　perspective　of　quay　and　boulevard。　　After　years　of　this　　subtle　training　the　eye　instinctively　revolts　from　the　vulgar　　and　the　crude。　　There　is　little　in　the　poorer　quarters　of　our　　city　to　rejoice　or　refine　the　senses；　squalor　and　all…　pervading　ugliness　are　not　least　among　the　curses　that　poverty　　entails。

If　you　have　a　subject　of　interest　in　your　mind；　it　often　　happens　that　every　book　you　open；　every　person　you　speak　with；　　refers　to　that　topic。　　I　never　remember　having　seen　an　　explanation　offered　of　this　phenomenon。

The　other　morning；　while　this　article　was　lying　half　finished　　on　my　desk；　I　opened　the　last　number　of　a　Paris　paper　and　　began　reading　an　account　of　the　drama；　LES　MAUVAIS　BERGERS　　（treating　of　that　perilous　subject；　the　〃strikes〃）；　which　　Sarah　Bernhardt　had　just　had　the