north america-1-第74章

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　institootions；　sir；〃　always　provokes　the　ridicule　of　an　Englishman。　　The　words　have　become　ridiculous；　and　it　would；　I　think；　be　well　for　the　nation　if　the　term　〃Institution〃　could　be　excluded　from　its　vocabulary。　　But；　in　truth；　they　are　glorious。　　The　country　in　this　respect　boasts；　but　it　has　done　that　which　justifies　a　boast。　　The　arrangements　for　supplying　New　York　with　water　are　magnificent。　　The　drainage　of　the　new　part　of　the　city　is　excellent。　　The　hospitals　are　almost　alluring。　　The　lunatic　asylum　which　I　saw　was　perfectthough　I　did　not　feel　obliged　to　the　resident　physician　for　introducing　me　to　all　the　worst　patients　as　countrymen　of　my　own。　　〃An　English　lady；　Mr。　Trollope。　　I'll　introduce　you。　　Quite　a　hopeless　case。　　Two　old　women。　　They've　been　here　fifty　years。　　They're　English。　　Another　gentleman　from　England；　Mr。　Trollope。　　A　very　interesting　case！　　Confirmed　inebriety。〃　And　as　to　the　schools；　it　is　almost　impossible　to　mention　them　with　too　high　a　praise。　　I　am　speaking　here　specially　of　New　York；　though　I　might　say　the　same　of　Boston；　or　of　all　New　England。　　I　do　not　know　any　contrast　that　would　be　more　surprising　to　an　Englishman；　up　to　that　moment　ignorant　of　the　matter；　than　that　which　he　would　find　by　visiting　first　of　all　a　free　school　in　London；　and　then　a　free　school　in　New　York。　　If　he　would　also　learn　the　number　of　children　that　are　educated　gratuitously　in　each　of　the　two　cities；　and　also　the　number　in　each　which　altogether　lack　education；　he　would；　if　susceptible　of　statistics；　be　surprised　also　at　that。　　But　seeing　and　hearing　are　always　more　effective　than　mere　figures。　　The　female　pupil　at　a　free　school　in　London　is；　as　a　rule；　either　a　ragged　pauper　or　a　charity　girl；　if　not　degraded；　at　least　stigmatized　by　the　badges　and　dress　of　the　charity。　　We　Englishmen　know　well　the　type　of　each；　and　have　a　fairly　correct　idea　of　the　amount　of　education　which　is　imparted　to　them。　　We　see　the　result　afterward　when　the　same　girls　become　our　servants；　and　the　wives　of　our　grooms　and　porters。　　The　female　pupil　at　a　free　school　in　New　York　is　neither　a　pauper　nor　a　charity　girl。　　She　is　dressed　with　the　utmost　decency。　　She　is　perfectly　cleanly。　　In　speaking　to　her；　you　cannot　in　any　degree　guess　whether　her　father　has　a　dollar　a　day；　or　three　thousand　dollars　a　year。　　Nor　will　you　be　enabled　to　guess　by　the　manner　in　which　her　associates　treat　her。　　As　regards　her　own　manner　to　you；　it　is　always　the　same　as　though　her　father　were　in　all　respects　your　equal。　　As　to　the　amount　of　her　knowledge；　I　fairly　confess　that　it　is　terrific。　　When　in　the　first　room　which　I　visited；　a　slight；　slim　creature　was　had　up　before　me　to　explain　to　me　the　properties　of　the　hypothenuse；　I　fairly　confess　that；　as　regards　education；　I　backed　down；　and　that　I　resolved　to　confine　my　criticisms　to　manner；　dress；　and　general　behavior。　　In　the　next　room　I　was　more　at　my　ease；　finding　that　ancient　Roman　history　was　on　the　tapis。　　〃Why　did　the　Romans　run　away　with　the　Sabine　women　asked　the　mistress；　herself　a　young　woman　of　about　three　and　twenty。　　〃Because　they　were　pretty；〃　simpered　out　a　little　girl　with　a　cherry　mouth。　　The　answer　did　not　give　complete　satisfaction；　and　then　followed　a　somewhat　abstruse　explanation　on　the　subject　of　population。　　It　was　all　done　with　good　faith　and　a　serious　intent；　and　showed　what　it　was　intended　to　showthat　the　girls　there　educated　had　in　truth　reached　the　consideration　of　important　subjects；　and　that　they　were　leagues　beyond　that　terrible　repetition　of　A　B　C；　to　which；　I　fear；　that　most　of　our　free　metropolitan　schools　are　still　necessarily　confined。　　You　and　I；　reader；　were　we　called　on　to　superintend　the　education　of　girls　of　sixteen；　might　not　select；　as　favorite　points　either　the　hypothenuse　or　the　ancient　methods　of　populating　young　colonies。　There　may　be；　and　to　us　on　the　European　side　of　the　Atlantic　there　will　be；　a　certain　amount　of　absurdity　in　the　Transatlantic　idea　that　all　knowledge　is　knowledge；　and　that　it　should　be　imparted　if　it　be　not　knowledge　of　evil。　　But　as　to　the　general　result；　no　fair…minded　man　or　woman　can　have　a　doubt。　　That　the　lads　and　girls　in　these　schools　are　excellently　educated；　comes　home　as　a　fact　to　the　mind　of　any　one　who　will　look　into　the　subject。　　That　girl　could　not　have　got　as　fair　at　the　hypothenuse　without　a　competent　and　abiding　knowledge　of　much　that　is　very　far　beyond　the　outside　limits　of　what　such　girls　know　with　us。　　It　was　at　least　manifest　in　the　other　examination　that　the　girls　knew　as　well　as　I　did　who　were　the　Romans；　and　who　were　the　Sabine　women。　　That　all　this　is　of　use；　was　shown　in　the　very　gestures　and　bearings　of　the　girl。　Emollit　mores；　as　Colonel　Newcombe　used　to　say。　　That　young　woman　whom　I　had　watched　while　she　cooked　her　husband's　dinner　upon　the　banks　of　the　Mississippi　had　doubtless　learned　all　about　the　Sabine　women；　and　I　feel　assured　that　she　cooked　her　husband's　dinner　all　the　better　for　that　knowledgeand　faced　the　hardships　of　the　world　with　a　better　front　than　she　would　have　done　had　she　been　ignorant　on　the　subject。　In　order　to　make　a　comparison　between　the　schools　of　London　and　those　of　New　York；　I　have　called　them　both　free　schools。　　They　are；　in　fact；　more　free　in　New　York　than　they　are　in　London；　because　in　New　York　every　boy　and　girl；　let　his　parentage　be　what　it　may；　can　attend　these　schools　without　any　payment。　　Thus　an　education　as　good　as　the　American　mind　can　compass；　prepared　with　every　care；　carried　on　by　highly…paid　tutors；　under　ample　surveillance；　provided　with　all　that　is　most　excellent　in　the　way　of　rooms；　desks；　books；　charts；　maps；　and　implements；　is　brought　actually　within　the　reach　of　everybody。　　I　need　not　point　out　to　Englishmen　how　different　is　the　nature　of　schools　in　London。　　It　must　not；　however；　be　supposed　that　these　are　charity　schools。　　Such　is　not　their　nature。　　Let　us　say　what　we　may　as　to　the　beauty　of　charity　as　a　virtue；　the　recipient　of　charity　in　its　customary　sense　among　us　is　ever　more　or　less　degraded　by　the　position。　　In　the　States　that　has　been　fully　understood；　and　the　schools　to　which　I　allude　are　carefully　preserved　from　any　such　taint。　　Throughout　the　States　a　separate　tax　is　levied　for　the　maintenance　of　these　schools；　and　as　the　taxpayer　supports　them；　he　is；　of　course；　entitled　to　the　advantage　which　they　confer。　　The　child　of　the　non…taxpayer　is　also　entitled；　and　to　him　the　boon；　if　strictly　analyzed；　will　come　in　the　shape　of　a　charity。　　But　under　the　system　as　it　is　arranged；　this　is　not　analyzed。　　It　is　understood　that　the　school　is　open　to　all　in　the　ward　to　which　it　belongs；　and　no　inquiry　is　made　whether　the　pupil's　parent　has　or　has　not　paid　anything　toward　the　school's　support。　　I　found　this　theory　carried　out　so　far　that　at　the　deaf　and　dumb　school；　where　some　of　the　poorer　children　are　wholly　provided　by　the　institution；　care　is　taken　to　clothe　them　in　dresses　of　different　colors　and　different　make；　in　order　that　nothing　may　attach　to　them　which　has　the　appearance　of　a　badge。　Political　economists　will　see　something　of　evil　in　this。　　But　philanthropists　will　see　very　much　that　is　good。　It　is　not　without　a　purpose　that　I　have　given　this　somewhat　glowing　account　o