north america-1-第53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！


Yorkers。　　We　all　know　what　a　wretchedly　wicked　thing　money　ishow　it　stands　between　us　and　heavenhow　it　hardens　our　hearts　and　makes　vulgar　our　thoughts！　　Dives　has　ever　gone　to　the　devil；　while　Lazarus　has　been　laid　up　in　heavenly　lavender。　　The　hand　that　employs　itself　in　compelling　gold　to　enter　the　service　of　man　has　always　been　stigmatized　as　the　ravisher　of　things　sacred。　　The　world　is　agreed　about　that；　and　therefore　the　New　Yorker　is　in　a　bad　way。　　There　are　very　few　citizens　in　any　town　known　to　me　which　under　this　dispensation　are　in　a　good　way；　but　the　New　Yorker　is　in　about　the　worst　way　of　all。　　Other　men；　the　world　over；　worship　regularly　at　the　shrine　with　matins　and　vespers；　nones　and　complines；　and　whatever　other　daily　services　may　be　known　to　the　religious　houses；　but　the　New　Yorker　is　always　on　his　knees。　That　is　the　amount　of　the　charge　which　I　bring　against　New　York；　and　now；　having　laid　on　my　paint　thickly；　I　shall　proceed；　like　an　unskillful　artist；　to　scrape　a　great　deal　of　it　off　again。　　New　York　has　been　a　leading　commercial　city　in　the　world　for　not　more　than　fifty　or　sixty　years。　　As　far　as　I　can　learn；　its　population　at　the　close　of　the　last　century　did　not　exceed　60；000；　and　ten　years　later　it　had　not　reached　100；000。　　In　1860　it　had　reached　nearly　800；000　in　the　City　of　New　York　itself。　　To　this　number　must　be　added　the　numbers　of　Brooklyn；　Williamsburg；　and　Jersey　City；　in　order　that　a　true　conception　may　be　had　of　the　population　of　this　American　metropolis；　seeing　that　those　places　are　as　much　a　part　of　New　York　as　Southwark　is　of　London。　　By　this　the　total　will　be　swelled　to　considerably　above　a　million。　　It　will　no　doubt　be　admitted　that　this　growth　has　been　very　fast；　and　that　New　York　may　well　be　proud　of　it。　　Increase　of　population　is；　I　take　it；　the　only　trustworthy　sign　of　a　nation's　success　or　of　a　city's　success。　We　boast　that　London　has　beaten　the　other　cities　of　the　world；　and　think　that　that　boast　is　enough　to　cover　all　the　social　sins　for　which　London　has　to　confess　her　guilt。　　New　York；　beginning　with　60；000　sixty　years　since；　has　now　a　million　soulsa　million　mouths；　all　of　which　eat　a　sufficiency　of　bread；　all　of　which　speak　ore　rotundo；　and　almost　all　of　which　can　read。　　And　this　has　come　of　its　love　of　dollars。　For　myself　I　do　not　believe　that　Dives　is　so　black　as　he　is　painted　or　that　his　peril　is　so　imminent。　　To　reconcile　such　an　opinion　with　holy　writ　might　place　me　in　some　difficulty　were　I　a　clergyman。　　Clergymen；　in　these　days；　are　surrounded　by　difficulties　of　this　naturefinding　it　necessary　to　explain　away　many　old…established　teachings　which　narrowed　the　Christian　Church；　and　to　open　the　door　wide　enough　to　satisfy　the　aspirations　and　natural　hopes　of　instructed　men。　　The　brethren　of　Dives　are　now　so　many　and　so　intelligent　that　they　will　no　longer　consent　to　be　damned　without　looking　closely　into　the　matter　themselves。　　I　will　leave　them　to　settle　the　matter　with　the　Church；　merely　assuring　them　of　my　sympathy　in　their　little　difficulties　in　any　case　in　which　mere　money　causes　the　hitch。　To　eat　his　bread　in　the　sweat　of　his　brow　was　man's　curse　in　Adam's　day；　but　is　certainly　man's　blessing　in　our　day。　　And　what　is　eating　one's　bread　in　the　sweat　of　one's　brow　but　making　money？　　I　will　believe　no　man　who　tells　me　that　he　would　not　sooner　earn　two　loaves　than　oneand　if　two；　then　two　hundred。　　I　will　believe　no　man　who　tells　me　that　he　would　sooner　earn　one　dollar　a　day　than　twoand　if　two；　then　two　hundred。　　That　is；　in　the　very　nature　of　the　argument；　caeteris　paribus。　　When　a　man　tells　me　that　he　would　prefer　one　honest　loaf　to　two　that　are　dishonest；　I　will；　in　all　possible　cases；　believe　him。　　So　also　a　man　may　prefer　one　quiet　loaf　to　two　that　are　unquiet。　　But　under　circumstances　that　are　the　same；　and　to　a　man　who　is　sane；　a　whole　loaf　is　better　than　half；　and　two　loaves　are　better　than　one。　　The　preachers　have　preached　well；　but　on　this　matter　they　have　preached　in　vain。　　Dives　has　never　believed　that　he　will　be　damned　because　he　is　Dives。　　He　has　never　even　believed　that　the　temptations　incident　to　his　position　have　been　more　than　a　fair　counterpoise；　or　even　so　much　as　a　fair　counterpoise；　to　his　opportunities　for　doing　good。　　All　men　who　work　desire　to　prosper　by　their　work；　and　they　so　desire　by　the　nature　given　to　them　from　God。　　Wealth　and　progress　must　go　on　hand　in　hand　together；　let　the　accidents　which　occasionally　divide　them　for　a　time　happen　as　often　as　they　may。　　The　progress　of　the　Americans　has　been　caused　by　their　aptitude　for　money…making；　and　that　continual　kneeling　at　the　shrine　of　the　coined　goddess　has　carried　them　across　from　New　York　to　San　Francisco。　　Men　who　kneel　at　that　shrine　are　called　on　to　have　ready　wits　and　quick　hands；　and　not　a　little　aptitude　for　self…denial。　　The　New　Yorker　has　been　true　to　his　dollar　because　his　dollar　has　been　true　to　him。　But　not　on　this　account　can　I；　nor　on　this　account　will　any　Englishman；　reconcile　himself　to　the　savor　of　dollars　which　pervades　the　atmosphere　of　New　York。　　The　ars　celare　artem　is　wanting。　　The　making　of　money　is　the　work　of　man；　but　he　need　not　take　his　work　to　bed　with　him；　and　have　it　ever　by　his　side　at　table；　amid　his　family；　in　church；　while　he　disports　himself；　as　he　declares　his　passion　to　the　girl　of　his　heart；　in　the　moments　of　his　softest　bliss；　and　at　the　periods　of　his　most　solemn　ceremonies。　　That　many　do　so　elsewhere　than　in　New　Yorkin　London；　for　instance；　in　Paris；　among　the　mountains　of　Switzerland；　and　the　steppes　of　RussiaI　do　not　doubt。　　But　there　is　generally　a　vail　thrown　over　the　object　of　the　worshiper's　idolatry。　　In　New　York　one's　ear　is　constantly　filled　with　the　fanatic's　voice　as　he　prays；　one's　eyes　are　always　on　the　familiar　altar。　　The　frankincense　from　the　temple　is　ever　in　one's　nostrils。　　I　have　never　walked　down　Fifth　Avenue　alone　without　thinking　of　money。　　I　have　never　walked　there　with　a　companion　without　talking　of　it。　　I　fancy　that　every　man　there；　in　order　to　maintain　the　spirit　of　the　place；　should　bear　on　his　forehead　a　label　stating　how　many　dollars　he　is　worth；　and　that　every　label　should　be　expected　to　assert　a　falsehood。　I　do　not　think　that　New　York　has　been　less　generous　in　the　use　of　its　money　than　other　cities；　or　that　the　men　of　New　York　generally　are　so。　　Perhaps　I　might　go　farther　and　say　that　in　no　city　has　more　been　achieved　for　humanity　by　the　munificence　of　its　richest　citizens　than　in　New　York。　　Its　hospitals；　asylums；　and　institutions　for　the　relief　of　all　ailments　to　which　flesh　is　heir；　are　very　numerous；　and　beyond　praise　in　the　excellence　of　their　arrangements。　　And　this　has　been　achieved　in　a　great　degree　by　private　liberality。　　Men　in　America　are　not　as　a　rule　anxious　to　leave　large　fortunes　to　their　children。　　The　millionaire　when　making　his　will　very　generally　gives　back　a　considerable　portion　of　the　wealth　which　he　has　made　to　the　city　in　which　he　made　it。　　The　rich　citizen　is　always　anxious　that　the　poor　citizen　shall　be　relieved。　　It　is　a　point　of　honor　with　him　to　raise　the　character　of　his　municipality；　and　to　provide　that　the　deaf　and　dumb；　the　blind；　the　mad；　the　idiots；　the　old；　and　the　incurable　shall　have　such　alleviation　in　their　misfortune　as　skill　and　kindness　can　afford。　Nor　is　the　New　Yorker　a　hugger…mugger　with　his　money。　　He　does　not　hide　up　his　dollars　in　old　stockings　and　keep　rolls　of　gold　in　hidden　pots。　　He　does　not　even　invest　it　where　it　will　not　grow　but　only　produce　small　though　sure　fruit。　　He　builds　houses；　he　speculates　largely；　he　spreads　himself　in　trade　to　the　extent　of　his　wingsand　not　seldom　somewhat　farther。　　He　scatters　his　wealth　broadcast　over　strange　fields；　trusting　that　it　may　grow　with　an　increase　of　a　hundredfold；　but　bold　to　bear　the　loss　should　the　strange　field　prove　itself　barren。　　His　regret　at　losing　his　money　is　by　no　means　commensurate　with　his　desire　to　make　it。　　In　this　there　is　a　living　spirit　which　to　me　divests　the　dollar…worshiping　idolatry　of　something　of　its　ugliness。　　The　hand　when　closed　on　the　gold　is　instantly　reopened。　　The　idolator　is　anxious　to　get；　but　he　is　anxious　also　to　spend。　　He　is　energetic　to　the　last；　and　has　no　comfort　with　his　stock　unless　it　breeds　with　Transatlantic　rapidity　of　procreation。　So　much　I　say；　being　anxious　to　scrape　off　some　of　that　daub　of　black　paint　with　which　I　have　smeared　the　face　of　my　New　Yorker；　but　not　desiring　to　scrape　it　all　off。　　For　myself；　I　do　not　love　to　live　amid　the　clink　of　gold；　and　never　have　〃a　good　time；〃　as　the　Americans　say；　when　the　price　of　shares　and　percentages　come　up　in　conversation。　　That　state　of　men's　minds　here　which　I　have　endeavored　to　explain　tends；　I　think；　to　make　New　York　disagreeable。　　A　stranger　there　who　has　no　great　interest　in　percentages　soon　finds　himself　anxious　to　escape。　　By　degrees　he　perceives　that　he　is　out　of　his　element；　and　had　better　go　away。　He　calls　at　the　bank；　and　when　he　shows　himself　ignorant　as　to　the　price　at　which　his　sovereigns　should　be　done；　he　is　conscious　that　he　is　ridiculous。　　He　is　like　a　man　who　goes　out　hunting　for　the　first　time　at　forty　years　of　age。　　He　feels　himself　to　be　in　the　wrong　place；　and　is　anxious　to　get　out　of　it。　　Such　was　my　experience　of　New　Yor