north america-1-第82章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ition　with　this　war　must　be　the　work　of　a　man　too　ignorant　to　understand　the　real　subject　of　the　war；　or　too　false　to　his　country　to　regard　it。　　Throughout　the　whole　lecture　I　was　waiting　for　Mr。　Emerson's　abolition　doctrine；　but　no　abolition　doctrine　came。　　The　words　abolition　and　compensation　were　mentioned；　and　then　there　was　an　end　of　the　subject。　　If　Mr。　Emerson　be　an　abolitionist；　he　expressed　his　views　very　mildly　on　that　occasion。　　On　the　whole；　the　lecture　was　excellent；　and　that　little　advice　about　the　peacock　was　in　itself　worth　an　hour's　attention。　That　practice　of　lecturing　is　〃quite　an　institution〃　in　the　States。　So　it　is　in　England；　my　readers　will　say。　　But　in　England　it　is　done　in　a　different　way；　with　a　different　object；　and　with　much　less　of　result。　　With　us；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　lectures　are　mostly　given　gratuitously　by　the　lecturer。　　They　are　got　up　here　and　there　with　some　philanthropical　object；　and　in　the　hope　that　an　hour　at　the　disposal　of　young　men　and　women　may　be　rescued　from　idleness。　The　subjects　chosen　are　social；　literary；　philanthropic；　romantic；　geographical；　scientific；　religiousanything　rather　than　political。　　The　lecture…rooms　are　not　usually　filled　to　overflowing；　and　there　is　often　a　question　whether　the　real　good　achieved　is　worth　the　trouble　taken。　　The　most　popular　lectures　are　given　by　big　people；　whose　presence　is　likely　to　be　attractive；　and　the　whole　thing；　I　fear　we　must　confess；　is　not　pre…eminently　successful。　　In　the　Northern　States　of　America　the　matter　stands　on　a　very　different　footing。　　Lectures　there　are　more　popular　than　either　theaters　or　concerts。　　Enormous　halls　are　built　for　them。　Tickets　for　long　courses　are　taken　with　avidity。　　Very　large　sums　are　paid　to　popular　lecturers；　so　that　the　profession　is　lucrative　more　so；　I　am　given　to　understand；　than　is　the　cognate　profession　of　literature。　　The　whole　thing　is　done　in　great　style。　　Music　is　introduced。　　The　lecturer　stands　on　a　large　raised　platform；　on　which　sit　around　him　the　bald　and　hoary…headed　and　superlatively　wise。　　Ladies　come　in　large　numbers；　especially　those　who　aspire　to　soar　above　the　frivolities　of　the　world。　　Politics　is　the　subject　most　popular；　and　most　general。　　The　men　and　women　of　Boston　could　no　more　do　without　their　lectures　than　those　of　Paris　could　without　their　theaters。　　It　is　the　decorous　diversion　of　the　best　ordered　of　her　citizens。　　The　fast　young　men　go　to　clubs；　and　the　fast　young　women　to　dances；　as　fast　young　men　and　women　do　in　other　places　that　are　wicked；　but　lecturing　is　the　favorite　diversion　of　the　steady…minded　Bostonian。　　After　all；　I　do　not　know　that　the　result　is　very　good。　　It　does　not　seem　that　much　will　be　gained　by　such　lectures　on　either　side　of　the　Atlanticexcept　that　respectable　killing　of　an　evening　which　might　otherwise　be　killed　less　respectably。　　It　is　but　an　industrious　idleness；　an　attempt　at　a　royal　road　to　information；　that　habit　of　attending　lectures。　　Let　any　man　or　woman　say　what　he　has　brought　away　from　any　such　attendance。　　It　is　attractive；　that　idea　of　being　studious　without　any　of　the　labor　of　study；　but　I　fear　it　is　illusive。　　If　an　evening　can　be　so　passed　without　ennui；　I　believe　that　that　may　be　regarded　as　the　best　result　to　be　gained。　　But　then　it　so　often　happens　that　the　evening　is　not　passed　without　ennui！　　Of　course　in　saying　this；　I　am　not　alluding　to　lectures　given　in　special　places　as　a　course　of　special　study。　　Medical　lectures　are；　or　may　be；　a　necessary　part　of　medical　education。　　As　many　as　two　or　three　thousand　often　attend　these　popular　lectures　in　Boston；　but　I　do　not　know　whether　on　that　account　the　popular　subjects　are　much　better　understood。　　Nevertheless　I　resolved　to　hear　more；　hoping　that　I　might　in　that　way　teach　myself　to　understand　what　were　the　popular　politics　in　New　England。　　Whether　or　no　I　may　have　learned　this　in　any　other　way；　I　do　not　perhaps　know；　but　at　any　rate　I　did　not　learn　it　in　this　way。　The　next　lecture　which　I　attended　was　also　given　in　the　Tremont　Hall；　and　on　this　occasion　also　the　subject　of　the　war　was　to　be　treated。　　The　special　treachery　of　the　rebels　was；　I　think；　the　matter　to　be　taken　in　hand。　　On　this　occasion　also　the　room　was　full；　and　my　hopes　of　a　pleasant　hour　ran　high。　　For　some　fifteen　minutes　I　listened；　and　I　am　bound　to　say　that　the　gentleman　discoursed　in　excellent　English。　　He　was　master　of　that　wonderful　fluency　which　is　peculiarly　the　gift　of　an　American。　　He　went　on　from　one　sentence　to　another　with　rhythmic　tones　and　unerring　pronunciation。　　He　never　faltered；　never　repeated　his　words；　never　fell　into　those　vile　half…muttered　hems　and　haws　by　which　an　Englishman　in　such　a　position　so　generally　betrays　his　timidity。　But　during　the　whole　time　of　my　remaining　in　the　room　he　did　not　give　expression　to　a　single　thought。　　He　went　on　from　one　soft　platitude　to　another；　and　uttered　words　from　which　I　would　defy　any　one　of　his　audience　to　carry　away　with　them　anything。　　And　yet　it　seemed　to　me　that　his　audience　was　satisfied。　　I　was　not　satisfied；　and　managed　to　escape　out　of　the　room。　The　next　lecturer　to　whom　I　listened　was　Mr。　Everett。　　Mr。　Everett's　reputation　as　an　orator　is　very　great；　and　I　was　especially　anxious　to　hear　him。　　I　had　long　since　known　that　his　power　of　delivery　was　very　marvelous；　that　his　tones；　elocution；　and　action　were　all　great；　and　that　he　was　able　to　command　the　minds　and　sympathies　of　his　audience　in　a　remarkable　manner。　　His　subject　also　was　the　waror　rather　the　causes　of　the　war　and　its　qualification。　　Had　the　North　given　to　the　South　cause　of　provocation？　　Had　the　South　been　fair　and　honest　in　its　dealings　to　the　North？　　Had　any　compromise　been　possible　by　which　the　war　might　have　been　avoided；　and　the　rights　and　dignity　of　the　North　preserved？　　Seeing　that　Mr。　Everett　is　a　Northern　man　and　was　lecturing　to　a　Boston　audience；　one　knew　well　how　these　questions　would　be　answered；　but　the　manner　of　the　answering　would　be　everything。　　This　lecture　was　given　at　Roxbury；　one　of　the　suburbs　of　Boston。　　So　I　went　out　to　Roxbury　with　a　party；　and　found　myself　honored　by　being　placed　on　the　platform　among　the　bald…headed　ones　and　the　superlatively　wise。　　This　privilege　is　naturally　gratifying；　but　it　entails　on　him　who　is　so　gratified　the　inconvenience　of　sitting　at　the　lecturer's　back；　whereas　it　is；　perhaps；　better　for　the　listener　to　be　before　his　face。　I　could　not　but　be　amused　by　one　little　scenic　incident。　　When　we　all　went　upon　the　platform；　some　one　proposed　that　the　clergymen　should　lead　the　way　out　of　the　little　waiting…room　in　which　we　bald…headed　ones　and　superlatively　wise　were　assembled。　　But　to　this　the　manager　of　the　affair　demurred。　　He　wanted　the　clergymen　for　a　purpose；　he　said。　　And　so　the　profane　ones　led　the　way；　and　the　clergymen；　of　whom　there　might　be　some　six　or　seven；　clustered　in　around　the　lecturer　at　last。　　Early　in　his　discourse；　Mr。　Everett　told　us　what　it　was　that　the　country　needed　at　this　period　of　her　trial。　　Patriotism；　courage；　the　bravery　of　the　men；　the　good　wishes　of　the　women；　the　self…denial　of　all〃and；〃　continued　the　lecturer；　turning　to　his　immediate　neighbors；　〃the　prayers　of　these　holy　men　whom　I　see　around　me。〃　　It　had　n