essays on paul bourget-第1部分

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Essays　on　Paul　Bourget

by　Mark　Twain




CONTENTS：
　　　　　WHAT　PAUL　BOURGET　THINKS　OF　US
　　　　　A　LITTLE　NOTE　TO　M。　PAUL　BOURGET




WHAT　PAUL　BOURGET　THINKS　OF　US

He　reports　the　American　joke　correctly。　　In　Boston　they　ask；　How　much
does　he　know？　in　New　York；　How　much　is　he　worth？　in　Philadelphia；　Who
were　his　parents？　　And　when　an　alien　observer　turns　his　telescope　upon
usadvertisedly　in　our　own　special　interesta　natural　apprehension
moves　us　to　ask；　What　is　the　diameter　of　his　reflector？

I　take　a　great　interest　in　M。　Bourget's　chapters；　for　I　know　by　the
newspapers　that　there　are　several　Americans　who　are　expecting　to　get　a
whole　education　out　of　them；　several　who　foresaw；　and　also　foretold；　that
our　long　night　was　over；　and　a　light　almost　divine　about　to　break　upon
the　land。

　　　　　　　　　　〃His　utterances　concerning　us　are　bound　to　be　weighty　and　well
　　　　　　　　　　timed。〃

　　　　　　　　　　〃He　gives　us　an　object…lesson　which　should　be　thoughtfully　and
　　　　　　　　　　profitably　studied。〃

These　well…considered　and　important　verdicts　were　of　a　nature　to　restore
public　confidence；　which　had　been　disquieted　by　questionings　as　to
whether　so　young　a　teacher　would　be　qualified　to　take　so　large　a　class　as
70；000；000；　distributed　over　so　extensive　a　schoolhouse　as　America；　and
pull　it　through　without　assistance。

I　was　even　disquieted　myself；　although　I　am　of　a　cold；　calm　temperament；
and　not　easily　disturbed。　　I　feared　for　my　country。　　And　I　was　not　wholly
tranquilized　by　the　verdicts　rendered　as　above。　　It　seemed　to　me　that
there　was　still　room　for　doubt。　　In　fact；　in　looking　the　ground　over　I
became　more　disturbed　than　I　was　before。　　Many　worrying　questions　came　up
in　my　mind。　　Two　were　prominent。　　Where　had　the　teacher　gotten　his
equipment？　　What　was　his　method？

He　had　gotten　his　equipment　in　France。

Then　as　to　his　method！　　I　saw　by　his　own　intimations　that　he　was　an
Observer；　and　had　a　System　that　used　by　naturalists　and　other　scientists。
The　naturalist　collects　many　bugs　and　reptiles　and　butterflies　and
studies　their　ways　a　long　time　patiently。　　By　this　means　he　is　presently
able　to　group　these　creatures　into　families　and　subdivisions　of　families
by　nice　shadings　of　differences　observable　in　their　characters。　　Then　he
labels　all　those　shaded　bugs　and　things　with　nicely　descriptive　group
names；　and　is　now　happy；　for　his　great　work　is　completed；　and　as　a　result
he　intimately　knows　every　bug　and　shade　of　a　bug　there；　inside　and　out。
It　may　be　true；　but　a　person　who　was　not　a　naturalist　would　feel　safer
about　it　if　he　had　the　opinion　of　the　bug。　　I　think　it　is　a　pleasant
System；　but　subject　to　error。

The　Observer　of　Peoples　has　to　be　a　Classifier；　a　Grouper；　a　Deducer；　a
Generalizer；　a　Psychologizer；　and；　first　and　last；　a　Thinker。　　He　has　to
be　all　these；　and　when　he　is　at　home；　observing　his　own　folk；　he　is　often
able　to　prove　competency。　　But　history　has　shown　that　when　he　is　abroad
observing　unfamiliar　peoples　the　chances　are　heavily　against　him。　　He　is
then　a　naturalist　observing　a　bug；　with　no　more　than　a　naturalist's
chance　of　being　able　to　tell　the　bug　anything　new　about　itself；　and　no
more　than　a　naturalist's　chance　of　being　able　to　teach　it　any　new　ways
which　it　will　prefer　to　its　own。

To　return　to　that　first　question。　　M。　Bourget；　as　teacher；　would　simply
be　France　teaching　America。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　the　outlook　was　dark
almost　Egyptian；　in　fact。　　What　would　the　new　teacher；　representing
France；　teach　us？　　Railroading？　　No。　　France　knows　nothing　valuable　about
railroading。　　Steamshipping？　　No。　　France　has　no　superiorities　over　us　in
that　matter。　　Steamboating？　　No。　　French　steamboating　is　still　of
Fulton's　date1809。　　Postal　service？　　No。　　France　is　a　back　number
there。　　Telegraphy？　　No；　we　taught　her　that　ourselves。　　Journalism？　　No。
Magazining？　　No；　that　is　our　own　specialty。　　Government？　　No；　Liberty；
Equality；　Fraternity；　Nobility；　Democracy；　Adultery　the　system　is　too
variegated　for　our　climate。　　Religion？　　No；　not　variegated　enough　for　our
climate。　　Morals？　　No；　we　cannot　rob　the　poor　to　enrich　ourselves。
Novel…writing？　　No。　　M。　Bourget　and　the　others　know　only　one　plan；　and
when　that　is　expurgated　there　is　nothing　left　of　the　book。

I　wish　I　could　think　what　he　is　going　to　teach　us。　　Can　it　be　Deportment？
But　he　experimented　in　that　at　Newport　and　failed　to　give　satisfaction；
except　to　a　few。　　Those　few　are　pleased。　　They　are　enjoying　their　joy　as
well　as　they　can。　　They　confess　their　happiness　to　the　interviewer。　　They
feel　pretty　striped；　but　they　remember　with　reverent　recognition　that
they　had　sugar　between　the　cuts。　　True；　sugar　with　sand　in　it；　but　sugar。
And　true；　they　had　some　trouble　to　tell　which　was　sugar　and　which　was
sand；　because　the　sugar　itself　looked　just　like　the　sand；　and　also　had　a
gravelly　taste；　still；　they　knew　that　the　sugar　was　there；　and　would　have
been　very　good　sugar　indeed　if　it　had　been　screened。　　Yes；　they　are
pleased；　not　noisily　so；　but　pleased；　invaded；　or　streaked；　as　one　may
say；　with　little　recurrent　shivers　of　joysubdued　joy；　so　to　speak；　not
the　overdone　kind。　　And　they　commune　together；　these；　and　massage　each
other　with　comforting　sayings；　in　a　sweet　spirit　of　resignation　and
thankfulness；　mixing　these　elements　in　the　same　proportions　as　the　sugar
and　the　sand；　as　a　memorial；　and　saying；　the　one　to　the　other；　and　to　the
interviewer：　〃It　was　severeyes；　it　was　bitterly　severe；　but　oh；　how
true　it　was；　and　it　will　do　us　so　much　good！〃

If　it　isn't　Deportment；　what　is　left？　　It　was　at　this　point　that　I　seemed
to　get　on　the　right　track　at　last。　　M。　Bourget　would　teach　us　to　know
ourselves；　that　was　it：　he　would　reveal　us　to　ourselves。　　That　would　be
an　education。　　He　would　explain　us　to　ourselves。　　Then　we　should
understand　ourselves；　and　after　that　be　able　to　go　on　more　intelligently。

It　seemed　a　doubtful　scheme。　　He　could　explain　us　to　himselfthat　would
be　easy。　　That　would　be　the　same　as　the　naturalist　explaining　the　bug　to
himself。　　But　to　explain　the　bug　to　the　bugthat　is　quite　a　different
matter。　　The　bug　may　not　know　himself　perfectly；　but　he　knows　himself
better　than　the　naturalist　can　know　him；　at　any　rate。

A　foreigner　can　photograph　the　exteriors　of　a　nation；　but　I　think　that
that　is　as　far　as　he　can　get。　　I　think　that　no　foreigner　can　report　its
interiorits　soul；　its　life；　its　speech；　its　thought。　　I　think　that　a
knowledge　of　these　things　is　acquirable　in　only　one　way；　not　two　or　four
or　sixabsorption；　years　and　years　of　unconscious　absorption；　years　and
years　of　intercourse　with　the　life　concerned；　of　living　it；　indeed；
sharing　personally　in　its　shames　and　prides；　its　joys　and　griefs；　its
loves　and　hates；　its　prosperities　and　reverses；　its　shows　and
shabbinesses；　its　deep　patriotisms；　its　whirlwinds　of　political　passion；
its　adorationsof　flag；　and　heroic　dead；　and　the　glory　of　the　national
name。　　Observation？　　Of　what　real　value　is　it？　　One　learns　peoples
through　the　heart；　not　the　eyes　or　the　intellect。

There　is　only　one　expert　who　is　qualified　to　examine　the　souls　and　the
life　of　a　people　and　make　a　valuable　reportthe　native　novelist。　　This
expert　is　so　rare　that　the　most　populous　country　can　never　have　fifteen
conspicuously　and　confessedly　competent　ones　in　stock　at　one　time。　　This
native　specialist　is　not　qualified　to　begin　work　until　he　has　been
absorbing　during　twenty…five　years。　　How　much　of　his　competency　is
derived　from　conscious　〃observation〃？　　The　amount　is　so　slight　that　it
counts　for　next　to　nothing　in　the　equipment。　　Almost　the　whole　capital　of
the　novelist　is　the　slow　accumulation　of　unconscious　observation
absorption。　　The　native　expert's　intentional　observation　of　manners；
speech；　character；　and　ways　of　life　can　have　value；　for　the　native　knows
what　they　mean　without　having　to　cipher　out　the　meaning。　　But　I　should　be
astonished　to　see　a　foreigner　get　at　the　right　meanings；　catch　the
elusive　shades　of　these　subtle　things。　　Even　the　native　novelist　becomes
a　foreigner；　with　a　foreigner's　limitations；　when　he　steps　from　the　State
whose　life　is　familiar　to　him　into　a　State　whose　life　he　has　not　lived。
Bret　Harte　got　his　California　and　his　Californians　by　unconscious
absorption；　and　put　both　of　them　into　his　tales　alive。　　But　when　he　came
from　the　Pacific　to　the　Atlantic　and　tried　to　do　Newport　life　from　study…
conscious　observationhis　failure　was　absolutely　monumental。　　Newport　is
a　disastrous　place　for　the　unacclimated　observer；　evidently。

To　return　to　novel…building。　　Does　the　native　novelist　try　to　generalize
the　nation？　　No；　he　lays　plainly　before　you　the　ways　and　speech　and　life
of　a　few　people　grouped　in　a　certain　placehis　own　placeand　that　is
one　book。　　In　time　he　and　his　brethren　will　report　to　you　the　life　and
the　people　of　the　whole　nationthe　life　of　a　group　in　a　New　England
village；　in　a　New　York　village；　in　a　Texan　village；　in　an　Oregon　village；
in　villages　in　fifty　States　and　Territories；　then　the　farm…life　in　fifty
States　and　Territories；　a　hundred　patches　of　life　and　groups　of　people　in
a　dozen　widely　separated　cities。　　And　the　Indians　will　be　attended　to；
and　the　cowboys；　and　the　gold　and　silver　miners；　and　the　negroes；　and　the
Idiots　and　Congressmen；　and　the　Irish；　the　Germans；　the　Italians；　the
Swedes；　the　French；　the　Chinamen；　the　Greasers；　and　the　Catholics；　the
Methodists；　the　Presbyterians；　the　Congregationalists；　the　Baptists；　the
Spiritualists；　the　Mormons；　the　Shakers；　the　Quakers；　the　Jews；　the
Campbellites；　the　infidels；　the　Christian　Scientists；　the　Mind…Curists；
the　Faith…Curists；　the　train…robbers；　the　White　Caps；　the　Moonshiners。
And　when　a　thousand　able　novels　have　been　written；　there　you　have　the
soul　of　the　people；　the　life　of　the　people；　the　speech　of　the　people；　and
not　anywhere　else　can　these　be　had。　　And　the　shadings　of　character；
manners；　feelings；　ambitions；　will　be　infinite。

　　　　　　　　　　〃'The　nature　of　a　people'　is　always　of　a　similar　shade　in　its
　　　　　　　　　　vices　and　its　virtues；　in　its　frivolities　and　in　its　labor。
　　　　　　　　　　'It　is　this　physiognomy　which　it　is　necessary　to　discover'；
　　　　　　　　　　and　every　document　is　good；　from　the　hall　of　a　casino　to　the