north america-1-第58章

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。　　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　of　a　girls'　school　in　New　York　so　soon　after　my　little　picture　of　New　York　women；　as　they　behave　themselves　in　the　streets　and　street　cars。　　It　will；　of　course；　be　said　that　those　women　of　whom　I　have　spoken；　by　no　means　in　terms　of　admiration；　are　the　very　girls　whose　education　has　been　so　excellent。　　This　of　course　is　so；　but　I　beg　to　remark　that　I　have　by　no　means　said　that　an　excellent　school　education　will　produce　all　female　excellencies。　The　fact；　I　take　it；　is　this：　that　seeing　how　high　in　the　scale　these　girls　have　been　raised；　one　is　anxious　that　they　should　be　raised　higher。　　One　is　surprised　at　their　pert　vulgarity　and　hideous　airs；　not　because　they　are　so　low　in　our　general　estimation；　but　because　they　are　so　high。　　Women　of　the　same　class　in　London　are　humble　enough；　and　therefore　rarely　offend　us　who　are　squeamish。　　They　show　by　their　gestures　that　they　hardly　think　themselves　good　enough　to　sit　by　us；　they　apologize　for　their　presence；　they　conceive　it　to　be　their　duty　to　be　lowly　in　their　gesture。　　The　question　is　which　is　best；　the　crouching　and　crawling；　or　the　impudent；　unattractive　self…composure。　　Not；　my　reader；　which　action　on　her　part　may　the　better　conduce　to　my　comfort　or　to　yours。　　That　is　by　no　means　the　question。　　Which　is　the　better　for　the　woman　herself？　　That；　I　take　it；　is　the　point　to　be　decided。　　That　there　is　something　better　than　either；　we　shall　all　agreebut　to　my　thinking　the　crouching　and　crawling　is　the　lowest　type　of　all。　At　that　school　I　saw　some　five　or　six　hundred　girls　collected　in　one　room；　and　heard　them　sing。　　The　singing　was　very　pretty；　and　it　was　all　very　nice；　but　I　own　that　I　was　rather　startled；　and　to　tell　the　truth　somewhat　abashed；　when　I　was　invited　to　〃say　a　few　words　to　them。〃　　No　idea　of　such　a　suggestion　had　dawned　upon　me；　and　I　felt　myself　quite　at　a　loss。　　To　be　called　up　before　five　hundred　men　is　bad　enough；　but　how　much　worse　before　that　number　of　girls！　　What　could　I　say　but　that　they　were　all　very　pretty？　　As　far　as　I　can　remember；　I　did　say　that　and　nothing　else。　　Very　pretty　they　were；　and　neatly　dressed；　and　attractive；　but　among　them　all　there　was　not　a　pair　of　rosy　cheeks。　　How　should　there　be；　when　every　room　in　the　building　was　heated　up　to　the　condition　of　an　oven　by　those　damnable　hot…air　pipes。　In　England　a　taste　for　very　large　shops　has　come　up　during　the　last　twenty　years。　　A　firm　is　not　doing　a　good　business；　or　at　any　rate　a　distinguished　business；　unless　he　can　assert　in　his　trade　card　that　he　occupies　at　least　half　a　dozen　housesNos。　105；　106；　107；　108；　109　and　110。　　The　old　way　of　paying　for　what　you　want　over　the　counter　is　gone；　and　when　you　buy　a　yard　of　tape　or　a　new　carriage　for　either　of　which　articles　you　will　probably　visit　the　same　establishmentyou　go　through　about　the　same　amount　of　ceremony　as　when　you　sell　a　thousand　pounds　out　of　the　stocks　in　propria　persona。　　But　all　this　is　still　further　exaggerated　in　New　York。　Mr。　Stewart's　store　there　is　perhaps　the　handsomest　institution　in　the　city；　and　his　hall　of　audience　for　new　carpets　is　a　magnificent　saloon。　　〃You　have　nothing　like　that　in　England；〃　my　friend　said　to　me　as　he　walked　me　through　it　in　triumph。　　〃I　wish　we　had　nothing　approaching　to　it；〃　I　answered。　　For　I　confess　to　a　liking　for　the　old…fashioned　private　shops。　　Harper's　establishment　for　the　manufacture　and　sale　of　books　is　also　very　wonderful。　　Everything　is　done　on　the　premises；　down　to　the　very　coloring　of　the　paper　which　lines　the　covers；　and　places　the　gilding　on　their　backs。　　The　firm　prints；　engraves；　electroplates；　sews；　binds；　publishes；　and　sells　wholesale　and　retail。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　the　authors　have　rooms　in　the　attics　where　the　other　slight　initiatory　step　is　taken　toward　the　production　of　literature。　New　York　is　built　upon　an　island；　which　is　I　believe　about　ten　miles　long；　counting　from　the　southern　point　at　the　Battery　up　to　Carmansville；　to　which　place　the　city　is　presumed　to　extend　northward。　　This　island　is　called　Manhattan；　a　name　which　I　have　always　thought　would　have　been　more　gracef