north america-1-第86章

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y　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　commodious。　I　found　the　spirit　for　the　war　quite　as　hot　at　Boston　now　（in　November）　if　not　hotter　than　it　was　when　I　was　there　ten　weeks　earlier；　and　I　found　also；　to　my　grief；　that　the　feeling　against　England　was　as　strong。　　I　can　easily　understand　how　difficult　it　must　have　been；　and　still　must　be；　to　Englishmen　at　home　to　understand　this；　and　see　how　it　has　come　to　pass。　　It　has　not　arisen；　as　I　think；　from　the　old　jealousy　of　England。　　It　has　not　sprung　from　that　source　which　for　years　has　induced　certain　newspapers；　especially　the　New　York　Herald；　to　vilify　England。　　I　do　not　think　that　the　men　of　New　England　have　ever　been；　as　regards　this　matter；　in　the　same　boat　with　the　New　York　Herald。　　But　when　this　war　between　the　North　and　South　first　broke　out；　even　before　there　was　as　yet　a　war；　the　Northern　men　had　taught　themselves　to　expect　what　they　called　British　sympathy；　meaning　British　encouragement。　　They　regarded；　and　properly　regarded；　the　action　of　the　South　as　a　rebellion；　and　said　among　themselves　that　so　staid　and　conservative　a　nation　as　Great　Britain　would　surely　countenance　them　in　quelling　rebels。　　If　not；　should　it　come　to　pass　that　Great　Britain　should　show　no　such　countenance　and　sympathy　for　Northern　law；　if　Great　Britain　did　not　respond　to　her　friend　as　she　was　expected　to　respond；　then　it　would　appear　that　cotton　was　king；　at　least　in　British　eyes。　　The　war　did　come；　and　Great　Britain　regarded　the　two　parties　as　belligerents；　standing；　as　far　as　she　was　concerned；　on　equal　grounds。　　This　it　was　that　first　gave　rise　to　that　fretful　anger　against　England　which　has　gone　so　far　toward　ruining　the　Northern　cause。　　We　know　how　such　passions　are　swelled　by　being　ventilated；　and　how　they　are　communicated　from　mind　to　mind　till　they　become　national。　　PoliticiansAmerican　politicians　I　here　meanhave　their　own　future　careers　ever　before　their　eyes；　and　are　driven　to　make　capital　where　they　can。　　Hence　it　is　that　such　men　as　Mr。　Seward　in　the　cabinet；　and　Mr。　Everett　out　of　it；　can　reconcile　it　to　thems