north america-1- 第60部分

by　no　means　mar　a　gentleman。　　In　Boston　nearly　every　man；　woman；　and　child　has　had　his　or　her　manners　so　far　softened；　and　though　they　may　still　occasionally　be　somewhat　rough　to　the　outer　touch；　the　inward　effect　is　plainly　visible。　　With　us；　especially　among　our　agricultural　population；　the　absence　of　that　inner　softening　is　as　visible。　I　went　to　see　a　public　library　in　the　city；　which；　if　not　founded　by　Mr。　Bates；　whose　name　is　so　well　known　in　London　as　connected　with　the　house　of　Messrs。　Baring；　has　been　greatly　enriched　by　him。　It　is　by　his　money　that　it　has　been　enabled　to　do　its　work。　　In　this　library　there　is　a　certain　number　of　thousands　of　volumesa　great　many　volumes；　as　there　are　in　most　public　libraries。　　There　are　books　of　all　classes；　from　ponderous　unreadable　folios；　of　which　learned　men　know　the　title…pages；　down　to　the　lightest　literature。　　Novels　are　by　no　means　eschewed；are　rather；　if　I　understood　aright；　considered　as　one　of　the　staples　of　the　library。　From　this　library　any　book；　excepting　such　rare　volumes　as　in　all　libraries　are　considered　holy；　is　given　out　to　any　inhabitant　of　Boston；　without　any　payment；　on　presentation　of　a　simple　request　on　a　prepared　form。　　In　point　of　fact；　it　is　a　gratuitous　circulating　library　open　to　all　Boston；　rich　or　poor；　young　or　old。　　The　books　seemed　in　general　to　be　confided　to　young　children；　who　came　as　messengers　from　their　fathers　and　mothers；　or　brothers　and　sisters。　No　question　whatever　is　asked；　if　the　applicant　is　known　or　the　place　of　his　residence　undoubted。　　If　there　be　no　such　knowledge；　or　there　be　any　doubt　as　to　the　residence；　the　applicant　is　questioned；　the　object　being　to　confine　the　use　of　the　library　to　the　bona　fide　inhabitants　of　the　city。　　Practically　the　books　are　given　to　those　who　ask　for　them；　whoever　they　may　be。　　Boston　contains　over　200；000　inhabitants；　and　all　those　200；000　are　entitled　to　them。　　Some　twenty　men　and　women　are　kept　employed　from　morning　till　night　in　carrying　on　this　circulating　library；　and　there　is；　moreover；　attached　to　the　establishment　a　large　reading…　room　supplied　with　papers　and　magazines；　open　to　the　public　of　Boston　on　the　same　terms。　Of　course　I　asked　whether　a　great　many　of　the　books　were　not　lost；　stolen；　and　destroyed；　and　of　course　I　was　told　that　there　were　no　losses；　no　thefts；　and　no　destruction。　　As　to　thefts；　the　librarian　did　not　seem　to　think　that　any　instance　of　such　an　occurrence　could　be　found。　　Among　the　poorer　classes；　a　book　might　sometimes　be　lost　when　they　were　changing　their　lodgings；　but　anything　so　lost　was　more　than　replaced　by　the　fines。　　A　book　is　taken　out　for　a　week；　and　if　not　brought　back　at　the　end　of　that　weekwhen　the　loan　can　be　renewed　if　the　reader　wishesa　fine；　I　think　of　two　cents；　is　incurred。　　The　children；　when　too　late　with　the　books；　bring　in　the　two　cents　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　the　sum　so　collected　fully　replaces　all　losses。　　It　was　all　couleur　de　rose；　the　librarianesses　looked　very　pretty　and　learned；　and；　if　I　remember　aright；　mostly　wore　spectacles；　the　head　librarian　was　enthusiastic；　the　nice；　instructive　books　were　properly　dogs…eared；　my　own　productions　were　in　enormous　demand；　the　call　for　books　over　the　counter　was　brisk；　and　the　reading…room　was　full　of　readers。　It　has；　I　dare　say；　occurred　to　other　travelers　to　remark　that　the　proceedings　at　such　institutions；　when　visited　by　them　on　their　travels；　are　always　rose　colored。　　It　is　natural　that　the　bright　side　should　be　shown　to　the　visitor。　　It　may　be　that　many　books　are　called　for　and　returned　unread；　that　many　of　those　taken　out　are　so　taken　by　persons　who　ought　to　pay　for　their　novels　at　circulating　libraries；　that　the　librarian　and　librarianesses　get　very　tired　of　their　long　hours　of　attendance；　for　I　found　that　they　were　very　long；　and　that　many　idlers　warm　themselves　in　that　reading…room。　Nevertheless　the　fact　remainsthe　library　is　public　to　all　the　men　and　women　in　Boston；　and　books　are　given　out　without　payment　to　all　who　may　choose　to　ask　for　them。　　Why　should　not　the　great　Mr。　Mudie　emulate　Mr。　Bates；　and　open　a　library　in　London　on　the　same　system？　The　librarian　took　me　into　one　special　room；　of　which　he　himself　kept　the　key；　to　show　me　a　present　which　the　library　had　received　from　the　English　government。　　The　room　was　filled　with　volumes　of　two　sizes；　all　bound　alike；　containing　descriptions　and　drawings　of　all　the　patents　taken　out　in　England。　　According　to　this　librarian；　such　a　work　would　be　invaluable　as　to　American　patents；　but　he　conceived　that　the　subject　had　become　too　confused　to　render　any　such　an　undertaking　possible。　　〃I　never　allow　a　single　volume　to　be　used　for　a　moment　without　the　presence　of　myself　or　one　of　my　assistants；〃　said　the　librarian；　and　then　he　explained　to　me；　when　I　asked　him　why　he　was　so　particular；　that　the　drawings　would；　as　a　matter　of　course；　be　cut　out　and　stolen　if　he　omitted　his　care。　〃But　they　may　be　copied；〃　I　said。　　〃Yes；　but　if　Jones　merely　copies　one；　Smith　may　come　after　him　and　copy　it　also。　　Jones　will　probably　desire　to　hinder　Smith　from　having　any　evidence　of　such　a　patent。〃　　As　to　the　ordinary　borrowing　and　returning　of　books；　the　poorest　laborer's　child　in　Boston　might　be　trusted　as　honest；　but　when　a　question　of　trade　came　upof　commercial　competitionthen　the　librarian　was　bound　to　bethink　himself　that　his　countrymen　are　very　smart。　　〃I　hope；〃　said　the　librarian；　〃you　will　let　them　know　in　England　how　grateful　we　are　for　their　present。〃　　And　I　hereby　execute　that　librarian's　commission。　I　shall　always　look　back　to　social　life　in　Boston　with　great　pleasure。　　I　met　there　many　men　and　women　whom　to　know　is　a　distinction；　and　with　whom　to　be　intimate　is　a　great　delight。　　It　was　a　Puritan　city；　in　which　strict　old　Roundhead　sentiments　and　laws　used　to　prevail；　but　now…a…days　ginger　is　hot　in　the　mouth　there；　and；　in　spite　of　the　war；　there　were　cakes　and　ale。　　There　was　a　law　passed　in　Massachusetts　in　the　old　days　that　any　girl　should　be　fined　and　imprisoned　who　allowed　a　young　man　to　kiss　her。　That　law　has　now；　I　think；　fallen　into　abeyance；　and　such　matters　are　regulated　in　Boston　much　as　they　are　in　other　large　towns　farther　eastward。　　It　still；　I　conceive；　calls　itself　a　Puritan　city；　but　it　has　divested　its　Puritanism　of　austerity；　and　clings　rather　to　the　politics　and　public　bearing　of　its　old　fathers　than　to　their　social　manners　and　pristine　severity　of　intercourse。　　The　young　girls　are；　no　doubt；　much　more　comfortable　under　the　new　dispensationand　the　elderly　men　also；　as　I　fancy。　　Sunday；　as　regards　the　outer　streets；　is　sabbatical。　　But　Sunday　evenings　within　doors　I　always　found　to　be　what　my　friends　in　that　country　call　〃quite　a　good　time。〃　　It　is　not　the　thing　in　Boston　to　smoke　in　the　streets　during　the　day；　but　the　wisest；　the　sagest；　and　the　most　holyeven　those　holy　men　whom　the　lecturer　saw　around　him　seldom　refuse　a　cigar　in　the　dining…room　as　soon　as　the　ladies　have　gone。　　Perhaps　even　the　wicked　weed　would　make　its　appearance　before　that　sad　eclipse；　thereby　postponing　or　perhaps　absolutely　annihilating　the　melancholy　period　of　widowhood　to　both　parties；　and　would　light　itself　under　the　very　eyes　of　those　who　in　sterner　cities　will　lend　no　countenance　to　such　lightings。　　Ah　me；　it　was　very　pleasant！　　I　confess　I　like　this　abandonment　of　the　stricter　rules　of　the　more　decorous　world。　　I　fear　that　there　is　within　me　an　aptitude　to　the　milder　debaucheries　which　makes　such　deviations　pleasant。　　I　like　to　drink　and　I　like　to　smoke；　but　I　do　not　like　to　turn　women　out　of　the　room。　　Then　comes　the　question　whether　one　can　have　all　that　one　likes　together。　　In　some　small　circles　in　New　England　I　found　people　simple　enough　to　fancy　that　they　could。　　In　Massachusetts　the　Maine　liquor　law　is　still　the　law　of　the　land；　but；　like　that　other　law　to　which　I　have　alluded；　it　has　fallen　very　much　out　of　use。　　At　any　rate；　it　had　not　reached　the　houses　of　the　gentlemen　with　whom　I　had　the　pleasure　of　making　acquaintance。　　But　here　I　must　guard　myself　from　being　misunderstood。　　I　saw　but　one　drunken　man　through　all　New　England；　and　he　was　very　respectable。　　He　was；　however；　so　uncommonly　drunk　that　he　might　be　allowed　to　count　for　two　or　three。　　The　Puritans　of　Boston　are；　of　course；　simple　in　their　habits　and　simple　in　their　expenses。　　Champagne　and　canvas…back　ducks　I　found　to　be　the　provisions　most　in　vogue　among　those　who　desired　to　adhere　closely　to　the　manner　of　their　forefathers。　　Upon　the　whole；　I　found　the　ways　of　life　which　had　been　brought　over　in　the　〃Mayflower〃　from　the　stern　sects　of　England；　and　preserved　through　the　revolutionary　war　for　liberty；　to　be　very　pleasant　ways；　and　I　made　up　my　mind　that　a　Yankee　Puritan　can　be　an　uncommonly　pleasant　fellow。　　I　wish　that　some　of　them　did　not　dine　so　early；　for　when　a　man　sits　down　at　half…past　two；　that　keeping　up　of　the　after…dinner　recreations　till　bedtime　becomes　hard　work。　In　Boston　the　houses　are　very　spacious　and　excellent；　and　they　are　always　furnished　with　those　luxuries　which　it　is　so　difficult　to　introduce　into　an　old　house。　　They　have　hot　and　cold　water　pipes　into　every　room；　and　baths　attached　to　the　bedchambers。　　It　is　not　only　that　comfort　is　increased　by　such　arrangements；　but　that　much　labor　is　saved。　　In　an　old　English　house　it　will　occupy　a　servant　the　best　part　of　the　day　to　carry　water　up　and　down　for　a　large　family。　　Everything　also　is　spacious；　commodious；　and　well　lighted。　I　certainly　think　that　in　house…building　the　Americans　have　gone　beyond　us；　for　even　our　new　houses　are　not　commodious　as　are　theirs。　　One　practice　which　they　have　in　their　cities　would　hardly　suit　our　limited　London　spaces。　　When　the　body　of　the　house　is　built；　they　throw　out　the　dining…room　behind。　　It　stands　alone；　as　it　were；　with　no　other　chamber　above　it；　and　removed　from　the　rest　of　the　house。　　It　is　consequently　behind　the　double　drawing…rooms　which　form　the　ground　floor；　and　is　approached　from　them　and　also　from　the　back　of　the　hall。　　The　second　entrance　to　the　dining…room　is　thus　near　the　top　of　the　kitchen　stairs；　which　no　doubt　is　its　proper　position。　　The　whole　of　the　upper　part　of　the　house　is　thus　kept　for　the　private　uses　of　the　family。　　To　me　this　plan　of　building　recommended　itself　as　being　very