north america-1- 第48部分

r　guilt。　　New　York；　beginning　with　60；000　sixty　years　since；　has　now　a　million　soulsa　million　mouths；　all　of　which　eat　a　sufficiency　of　bread；　all　of　which　speak　ore　rotundo；　and　almost　all　of　which　can　read。　　And　this　has　come　of　its　love　of　dollars。　For　myself　I　do　not　believe　that　Dives　is　so　black　as　he　is　painted　or　that　his　peril　is　so　imminent。　　To　reconcile　such　an　opinion　with　holy　writ　might　place　me　in　some　difficulty　were　I　a　clergyman。　　Clergymen；　in　these　days；　are　surrounded　by　difficulties　of　this　naturefinding　it　necessary　to　explain　away　many　old…established　teachings　which　narrowed　the　Christian　Church；　and　to　open　the　door　wide　enough　to　satisfy　the　aspirations　and　natural　hopes　of　instructed　men。　　The　brethren　of　Dives　are　now　so　many　and　so　intelligent　that　they　will　no　longer　consent　to　be　damned　without　looking　closely　into　the　matter　themselves。　　I　will　leave　them　to　settle　the　matter　with　the　Church；　merely　assuring　them　of　my　sympathy　in　their　little　difficulties　in　any　case　in　which　mere　money　causes　the　hitch。　To　eat　his　bread　in　the　sweat　of　his　brow　was　man's　curse　in　Adam's　day；　but　is　certainly　man's　blessing　in　our　day。　　And　what　is　eating　one's　bread　in　the　sweat　of　one's　brow　but　making　money？　　I　will　believe　no　man　who　tells　me　that　he　would　not　sooner　earn　two　loaves　than　oneand　if　two；　then　two　hundred。　　I　will　believe　no　man　who　tells　me　that　he　would　sooner　earn　one　dollar　a　day　than　twoand　if　two；　then　two　hundred。　　That　is；　in　the　very　nature　of　the　argument；　caeteris　paribus。　　When　a　man　tells　me　that　he　would　prefer　one　honest　loaf　to　two　that　are　dishonest；　I　will；　in　all　possible　cases；　believe　him。　　So　also　a　man　may　prefer　one　quiet　loaf　to　two　that　are　unquiet。　　But　under　circumstances　that　are　the　same；　and　to　a　man　who　is　sane；　a　whole　loaf　is　better　than　half；　and　two　loaves　are　better　than　one。　　The　preachers　have　preached　well；　but　on　this　matter　they　have　preached　in　vain。　　Dives　has　never　believed　that　he　will　be　damned　because　he　is　Dives。　　He　has　never　even　believed　that　the　temptations　incident　to　his　position　have　been　more　than　a　fair　counterpoise；　or　even　so　much　as　a　fair　counterpoise；　to　his　opportunities　for　doing　good。　　All　men　who　work　desire　to　prosper　by　their　work；　and　they　so　desire　by　the　nature　given　to　them　from　God。　　Wealth　and　progress　must　go　on　hand　in　hand　together；　let　the　accidents　which　occasionally　divide　them　for　a　time　happen　as　often　as　they　may。　　The　progress　of　the　Americans　has　been　caused　by　their　aptitude　for　money…making；　and　that　continual　kneeling　at　the　shrine　of　the　coined　goddess　has　carried　them　across　from　New　York　to　San　Francisco。　　Men　who　kneel　at　that　shrine　are　called　on　to　have　ready　wits　and　quick　hands；　and　not　a　little　aptitude　for　self…denial。　　The　New　Yorker　has　been　true　to　his　dollar　because　his　dollar　has　been　true　to　him。　But　not　on　this　account　can　I；　nor　on　this　account　will　any　Englishman；　reconcile　himself　to　the　savor　of　dollars　which　pervades　the　atmosphere　of　New　York。　　The　ars　celare　artem　is　wanting。　　The　making　of　money　is　the　work　of　man；　but　he　need　not　take　his　work　to　bed　with　him；　and　have　it　ever　by　his　side　at　table；　amid　his　family；　in　church；　while　he　disports　himself；　as　he　declares　his　passion　to　the　girl　of　his　heart；　in　the　moments　of　his　softest　bliss；　and　at　the　periods　of　his　most　solemn　ceremonies。　　That　many　do　so　elsewhere　than　in　New　Yorkin　London；　for　instance；　in　Paris；　among　the　mountains　of　Switzerland；　and　the　steppes　of　RussiaI　do　not　doubt。　　But　there　is　generally　a　vail　thrown　over　the　object　of　the　worshiper's　idolatry。　　In　New　York　one's　ear　is　constantly　filled　with　the　fanatic's　voice　as　he　prays；　one's　eyes　are　always　on　the　familiar　altar。　　The　frankincense　from　the　temple　is　ever　in　one's　nostrils。　　I　have　never　walked　down　Fifth　Avenue　alone　without　thinking　of　money。　　I　have　never　walked　there　with　a　companion　without　talking　of　it。　　I　fancy　that　every　man　there；　in　order　to　maintain　the　spirit　of　the　place；　should　bear　on　his　forehead　a　label　stating　how　many　dollars　he　is　worth；　and　that　every　label　should　be　expected　to　assert　a　falsehood。　I　do　not　think　that　New　York　has　been　less　generous　in　the　use　of　its　money　than　other　cities；　or　that　the　men　of　New　York　generally　are　so。　　Perhaps　I　might　go　farther　and　say　that　in　no　city　has　more　been　achieved　for　humanity　by　the　munificence　of　its　richest　citizens　than　in　New　York。　　Its　hospitals；　asylums；　and　institutions　for　the　relief　of　all　ailments　to　which　flesh　is　heir；　are　very　numerous；　and　beyond　praise　in　the　excellence　of　their　arrangements。　　And　this　has　been　achieved　in　a　great　degree　by　private　liberality。　　Men　in　America　are　not　as　a　rule　anxious　to　leave　large　fortunes　to　their　children。　　The　millionaire　when　making　his　will　very　generally　gives　back　a　considerable　portion　of　the　wealth　which　he　has　made　to　the　city　in　which　he　made　it。　　The　rich　citizen　is　always　anxious　that　the　poor　citizen　shall　be　relieved。　　It　is　a　point　of　honor　with　him　to　raise　the　character　of　his　municipality；　and　to　provide　that　the　deaf　and　dumb；　the　blind；　the　mad；　the　idiots；　the　old；　and　the　incurable　shall　have　such　alleviation　in　their　misfortune　as　skill　and　kindness　can　afford。　Nor　is　the　New　Yorker　a　hugger…mugger　with　his　money。　　He　does　not　hide　up　his　dollars　in　old　stockings　and　keep　rolls　of　gold　in　hidden　pots。　　He　does　not　even　invest　it　where　it　will　not　grow　but　only　produce　small　though　sure　fruit。　　He　builds　houses；　he　speculates　largely；　he　spreads　himself　in　trade　to　the　extent　of　his　wingsand　not　seldom　somewhat　farther。　　He　scatters　his　wealth　broadcast　over　strange　fields；　trusting　that　it　may　grow　with　an　increase　of　a　hundredfold；　but　bold　to　bear　the　loss　should　the　strange　field　prove　itself　barren。　　His　regret　at　losing　his　money　is　by　no　means　commensurate　with　his　desire　to　make　it。　　In　this　there　is　a　living　spirit　which　to　me　divests　the　dollar…worshiping　idolatry　of　something　of　its　ugliness。　　The　hand　when　closed　on　the　gold　is　instantly　reopened。　　The　idolator　is　anxious　to　get；　but　he　is　anxious　also　to　spend。　　He　is　energetic　to　the　last；　and　has　no　comfort　with　his　stock　unless　it　breeds　with　Transatlantic　rapidity　of　procreation。　So　much　I　say；　being　anxious　to　scrape　off　some　of　that　daub　of　black　paint　with　which　I　have　smeared　the　face　of　my　New　Yorker；　but　not　desiring　to　scrape　it　all　off。　　For　myself；　I　do　not　love　to　live　amid　the　clink　of　gold；　and　never　have　〃a　good　time；〃　as　the　Americans　say；　when　the　price　of　shares　and　percentages　come　up　in　conversation。　　That　state　of　men's　minds　here　which　I　have　endeavored　to　explain　tends；　I　think；　to　make　New　York　disagreeable。　　A　stranger　there　who　has　no　great　interest　in　percentages　soon　finds　himself　anxious　to　escape。　　By　degrees　he　perceives　that　he　is　out　of　his　element；　and　had　better　go　away。　He　calls　at　the　bank；　and　when　he　shows　himself　ignorant　as　to　the　price　at　which　his　sovereigns　should　be　done；　he　is　conscious　that　he　is　ridiculous。　　He　is　like　a　man　who　goes　out　hunting　for　the　first　time　at　forty　years　of　age。　　He　feels　himself　to　be　in　the　wrong　place；　and　is　anxious　to　get　out　of　it。　　Such　was　my　experience　of　New　York；　at　each　of　the　visits　that　I　paid　to　it。　But　yet；　I　say　again；　no　other　American　city　is　so　intensely　American　as　New　York。　　It　is　generally　considered　that　the　inhabitants　of　New　England；　the　Yankees　properly　so　called；　have　the　American　characteristics　of　physiognomy　in　the　fullest　degree。　The　lantern　jaws；　the　thin　and　lithe　body；　the　dry　face　on　which　there　has　been　no　tint　of　the　rose　since　the　baby's　long…clothes　were　first　abandoned；　the　harsh；　thick　hair；　the　thin　lips；　the　intelligent　eyes；　the　sharp　voice　with　the　nasal　twangnot　altogether　harsh；　though　sharp　and　nasalall　these　traits　are　supposed　to　belong　especially　to　the　Yankee。　　Perhaps　it　was　so　once；　but　at　present　they　are；　I　think；　more　universally　common　in　New　York　than　in　any　other　part　of　the　States。　　Go　to　Wall　Street；　the　front　of　the　Astor　House；　and　the　regions　about　Trinity　Church；　and　you　will　find　them　in　their　fullest　perfection。　What　circumstances　of　blood　or　food；　of　early　habit　or　subsequent　education；　have　created　for　the　latter…day　American　his　present　physiognomy？　　It　is　as　completely　marked；　as　much　his　own；　as　is　that　of　any　race　under　the　sun　that　has　bred　in　and　in　for　centuries。　　But　the　American　owns　a　more　mixed　blood　than　any　other　race　known。　　The　chief　stock　is　English；　which　is　itself　so　mixed　that　no　man　can　trace　its　ramifications。　　With　this　are　mingled　the　bloods　of　Ireland；　Holland；　France；　Sweden；　and　Germany。　　All　this　has　been　done　within　but　a　few　years；　so　that　the　American　may　be　said　to　have　no　claim　to　any　national　type　of　face。　　Nevertheless；　no　man　has　a　type　of　face　so　clearly　national　as　the　American。　　He　is　acknowledged　by　it　all　over　the　continent　of　Europe；　and　on　his　own　side　of　the　water　is　gratified　by　knowing　that　he　is　never　mistaken　for　his　English　visitor。　　I　think　it　comes　from　the　hot…　air　pipes　and　from　dollar　worship。　　In　the　Jesuit　his　mode　of　dealing　with　things　divine　has　given　a　peculiar　cast　of　countenance；　and　why　should　not　the　American　be　similarly　moulded　by　his　special　aspirations？　　As　to　the　hot…air　pipes；　there　can；　I　think；　be　no　doubt　that　to　them　is　to　be　charged　the　murder　of　all　rosy　cheeks　throughout　the　States。　　If　the　effect　was　to　be　noticed　simply　in　the　dry　faces　of　the　men　about　Wall　Street；　I　should　be　very　indifferent　to　the　matter。　　But　the　young　ladies　of　Fifth　Avenue　are　in　the　same　category。　　The　very　pith　and　marrow　of　life　is　baked　out　of　their　young　bones　by　the　hot…air　chambers　to　which　they　are　accustomed。　　Hot　air　is　the　great　destroyer　of　American　beauty。　In　saying　that　there　is　very　little　to　be　seen　in　New　York　I　have　also　said　that　there　is　no　way　of　seeing　that　little。　　My　assertion　amounts　to　this；　that　there　are　no　cabs。　　To　the　reading　world　at　large　this　may　not　seem　to　be　much；　but　let　the　reading　world　go　to　New　York；　and　it　will　find　out　how　much　the　deficiency　means。　　In　London；　in　Paris；　in　Florence；　in　Rome；　in　the　Havana；　or　at　Grand　Cairo；　the　cab…driver　or　attendant　does　not　merely　drive　the　cab　or　belabor　the　donkey；　but　he　is　the　v