a bundle of letters-第8部分

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unfounded。　　No　one　seems　to　know　or　to　care　what　my　nationality　is；

and　I　am　treated；　on　the　contrary；　with　the　civility　which　is　the

portion　of　every　traveller　who　pays　the　bill　without　scanning　the

items　too　narrowly。　　This；　I　confess；　has　been　something　of　a

surprise　to　me；　and　I　have　not　yet　made　up　my　mind　as　to　the

fundamental　cause　of　the　anomaly。　　My　determination　to　take　up　my

abode　in　a　French　interior　was　largely　dictated　by　the　supposition

that　I　should　be　substantially　disagreeable　to　its　inmates。　　I　wished

to　observe　the　different　forms　taken　by　the　irritation　that　I　should

naturally　produce；　for　it　is　under　the　influence　of　irritation　that

the　French　character　most　completely　expresses　itself。　　My　presence；

however；　does　not　appear　to　operate　as　a　stimulus；　and　in　this

respect　I　am　materially　disappointed。　　They　treat　me　as　they　treat

every　one　else；　whereas；　in　order　to　be　treated　differently；　I　was

resigned　in　advance　to　be　treated　worse。　　I　have　not；　as　I　say；　fully

explained　to　myself　this　logical　contradiction；　but　this　is　the

explanation　to　which　I　tend。　　The　French　are　so　exclusively　occupied

with　the　idea　of　themselves；　that　in　spite　of　the　very　definite　image

the　German　personality　presented　to　them　by　the　war　of　1870；　they

have　at　present　no　distinct　apprehension　of　its　existence。　　They　are

not　very　sure　that　there　are　any　Germans；　they　have　already　forgotten

the　convincing　proofs　of　the　fact　that　were　presented　to　them　nine

years　ago。　　A　German　was　something　disagreeable；　which　they

determined　to　keep　out　of　their　conception　of　things。　　I　therefore

think　that　we　are　wrong　to　govern　ourselves　upon　the　hypothesis　of

the　revanche；　the　French　nature　is　too　shallow　for　that　large　and

powerful　plant　to　bloom　in　it。



The　English…speaking　specimens；　too；　I　have　not　been　willing　to

neglect　the　opportunity　to　examine；　and　among　these　I　have　paid

special　attention　to　the　American　varieties；　of　which　I　find　here

several　singular　examples。　　The　two　most　remarkable　are　a　young　man

who　presents　all　the　characteristics　of　a　period　of　national

decadence；　reminding　me　strongly　of　some　diminutive　Hellenised　Roman

of　the　third　century。　　He　is　an　illustration　of　the　period　of　culture

in　which　the　faculty　of　appreciation　has　obtained　such　a

preponderance　over　that　of　production　that　the　latter　sinks　into　a

kind　of　rank　sterility；　and　the　mental　condition　becomes　analogous　to

that　of　a　malarious　bog。　　I　learn　from　him　that　there　is　an　immense

number　of　Americans　exactly　resembling　him；　and　that　the　city　of

Boston；　indeed；　is　almost　exclusively　composed　of　them。　　（He

communicated　this　fact　very　proudly；　as　if　it　were　greatly　to　the

credit　of　his　native　country；　little　perceiving　the　truly　sinister

impression　it　made　upon　me。）



What　strikes　one　in　it　is　that　it　is　a　phenomenon　to　the　best　of　my

knowledgeand　you　know　what　my　knowledge　isunprecedented　and

unique　in　the　history　of　mankind；　the　arrival　of　a　nation　at　an

ultimate　stage　of　evolution　without　having　passed　through　the　mediate

one；　the　passage　of　the　fruit；　in　other　words；　from　crudity　to

rottenness；　without　the　interposition　of　a　period　of　useful　（and

ornamental）　ripeness。　　With　the　Americans；　indeed；　the　crudity　and

the　rottenness　are　identical　and　simultaneous；　it　is　impossible　to

say；　as　in　the　conversation　of　this　deplorable　young　man；　which　is

one　and　which　is　the　other；　they　are　inextricably　mingled。　　I　prefer

the　talk　of　the　French　homunculus；　it　is　at　least　more　amusing。



It　is　interesting　in　this　manner　to　perceive；　so　largely　developed；

the　germs　of　extinction　in　the　so…called　powerful　Anglo…Saxon　family。

I　find　them　in　almost　as　recognisable　a　form　in　a　young　woman　from

the　State　of　Maine；　in　the　province　of　New　England；　with　whom　I　have

had　a　good　deal　of　conversation。　　She　differs　somewhat　from　the　young

man　I　just　mentioned；　in　that　the　faculty　of　production；　of　action；

is；　in　her；　less　inanimate；　she　has　more　of　the　freshness　and　vigour

that　we　suppose　to　belong　to　a　young　civilisation。　　But　unfortunately

she　produces　nothing　but　evil；　and　her　tastes　and　habits　are

similarly　those　of　a　Roman　lady　of　the　lower　Empire。　　She　makes　no

secret　of　them；　and　has；　in　fact；　elaborated　a　complete　system　of

licentious　behaviour。　　As　the　opportunities　she　finds　in　her　own

country　do　not　satisfy　her；　she　has　come　to　Europe　〃to　try；〃　as　she

says；　〃for　herself。〃　　It　is　the　doctrine　of　universal　experience

professed　with　a　cynicism　that　is　really　most　extraordinary；　and

which；　presenting　itself　in　a　young　woman　of　considerable　education；

appears　to　me　to　be　the　judgment　of　a　society。



Another　observation　which　pushes　me　to　the　same　inductionthat　of

the　premature　vitiation　of　the　American　populationis　the　attitude

of　the　Americans　whom　I　have　before　me　with　regard　to　each　other。

There　is　another　young　lady　here；　who　is　less　abnormally　developed

than　the　one　I　have　just　described；　but　who　yet　bears　the　stamp　of

this　peculiar　combination　of　incompleteness　and　effeteness。　　These

three　persons　look　with　the　greatest　mistrust　and　aversion　upon　each

other；　and　each　has　repeatedly　taken　me　apart　and　assured　me；

secretly；　that　he　or　she　only　is　the　real；　the　genuine；　the　typical

American。　　A　type　that　has　lost　itself　before　it　has　been　fixedwhat

can　you　look　for　from　this？



Add　to　this　that　there　are　two　young　Englanders　in　the　house；　who

hate　all　the　Americans　in　a　lump；　making　between　them　none　of　the

distinctions　and　favourable　comparisons　which　they　insist　upon；　and

you　will；　I　think；　hold　me　warranted　in　believing　that；　between

precipitate　decay　and　internecine　enmities；　the　English…speaking

family　is　destined　to　consume　itself；　and　that　with　its　decline　the

prospect　of　general　pervasiveness；　to　which　I　alluded　above；　will

brighten　for　the　deep…lunged　children　of　the　Fatherland！







CHAPTER　IX







MIRANDA　HOPE　TO　HER　MOTHER。



October　22d



Dear　MotherI　am　off　in　a　day　or　two　to　visit　some　new　country；　I

haven't　yet　decided　which。　　I　have　satisfied　myself　with　regard　to

France；　and　obtained　a　good　knowledge　of　the　language。　　I　have

enjoyed　my　visit　to　Madame　de　Maisonrouge　deeply；　and　feel　as　if　I

were　leaving　a　circle　of　real　friends。　　Everything　has　gone　on

beautifully　up　to　the　end；　and　every　one　has　been　as　kind　and

attentive　as　if　I　were　their　own　sister；　especially　Mr。　Verdier；　the

French　gentleman；　from　whom　I　have　gained　more　than　I　ever　expected

（in　six　weeks）；　and　with　whom　I　have　promised　to　correspond。　　So　you

can　imagine　me　dashing　off　the　most　correct　French　letters；　and；　if

you　don't　believe　it；　I　will　keep　the　rough　draft　to　show　you　when　I

go　back。



The　German　gentleman　is　also　more　interesting；　the　more　you　know　him；

it　seems　sometimes　as　if　I　could　fairly　drink　in　his　ideas。　　I　have

found　out　why　the　young　lady　from　New　York　doesn't　like　me！　　It　is

because　I　said　one　day　at　dinner　that　I　admired　to　go　to　the　Louvre。

Well；　when　I　first　came；　it　seemed　as　if　I　DID　admire　everything！



Tell　William　Platt　his　letter　has　come。　　I　knew　he　would　have　to

write；　and　I　was　bound　I　would　make　him！　　I　haven't　decided　what

country　I　will　visit　yet；　it　seems　as　if　there　were　so　many　to　choose

from。　　But　I　shall　take　care　to　pick　out　a　good　one；　and　to　meet

plenty　of　fresh　experiences。



Dearest　mother；　my　money　holds　out；　and　it　IS　most　interesting！









End