north america-1-第100章

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；　〃Harper's　Magazine；〃　published　at　New　York；　and　a　cheap　series　of　novels　published　at　Philadelphia。　　As　he　walks　along　he　flings　one　at　every　passenger。　An　Englishman；　when　he　is　first　introduced　to　this　manner　of　trade；　becomes　much　astonished。　　He　is　probably　reading；　and　on　a　sudden　he　finds　a　fat；　fluffy　magazine；　very　unattractive　in　its　exterior；　dropped　on　to　the　page　he　is　perusing。　　I　thought　at　first　that　it　was　a　present　from　some　crazed　philanthropist；　who　was　thus　endeavoring　to　disseminate　literature。　　But　I　was　soon　undeceived。　The　bookseller；　having　gone　down　the　whole　car　and　the　next；　returned；　and　beginning　again　where　he　had　begun　before；　picked　up　either　his　magazine　or　else　the　price　of　it。　　Then；　in　some　half　hour；　he　came　again；　with　an　armful　or　basket　of　books；　and　distributed　them　in　the　same　way。　　They　were　generally　novels；　but　not　always。　　I　do　not　think　that　any　endeavor　is　made　to　assimilate　the　book　to　the　expected　customer。　　The　object　is　to　bring　the　book　and　the　man　together；　and　in　this　way　a　very　large　sale　is　effected。　　The　same　thing　is　done　with　illustrated　newspapers。　　The　sale　of　political　newspapers　goes　on　so　quickly　in　these　cars　that　no　such　enforced　distribution　is　necessary。　　I　should　say　that　the　average　consumption　of　newspapers　by　an　American　must　amount　to　about　three　a　day。　　At　Washington　I　begged　the　keeper　of　my　lodgings　to　let　me　have　a　paper　regularlyone　American　newspaper　being　much　the　same　to　me　as　anotherand　my　host　supplied　me　daily　with　four。　But　the　numbers　of　the　popular　books　of　the　day；　printed　and　sold；　afford　the　most　conclusive　proof　of　the　extent　to　which　education　is　carried　in　the　States。　　The　readers　of　Tennyson；　Mackay；　Dickens；　Bulwer；　Collins；　Hughes；　and　Martin　Tupper　are　to　be　counted　by　tens　of　thousands　in　the　States；　to　the　thousands　by　which　they　may　be　counted　in　our　own　islands。　　I　do　not　doubt　that　I　had　fully　fifteen　copies　of　the　〃Silver　Cord〃　thrown　at　my　head　in　different　railway　cars　on　the　continent　of　America。　　Nor　is　the　taste　by　any　means　confined　to　the　literature　of　England。　Longfellow；　Curtis；　Holmes；　Hawthorne；　Lowell；　Emerson；　and　Mrs。　Stowe　are　almost　as　popular　as　their　English　rivals。　　I　do　not　say　whether　or　no　the　literature　is　well　chosen；　but　there　it　is。　　It　is　printed；　sold；　and　read。　　The　disposal　of　ten　thousand　copies　of　a　work　is　no　large　sale　in　America　of　a　book　published　at　a　dollar；　but　in　England　it　is　a　very　large　sale　of　a　book　brought　out　at　five　shillings。　I　do　not　remember　that　I　ever　examined　the　rooms　of　an　American　without　finding　books　or　magazines　in　them。　　I　do　not　speak　here　of　the　houses　of　my　friends；　as　of　course　the　same　remark　would　apply　as　strongly　in　England；　but　of　the　houses　of　persons　presumed　to　earn　their　bread　by　the　labor　of　their　hands。　　The　opportunity　for　such　examination　does　not　come　daily；　but　when　it　has　been　in　my　power　I　have　made　it；　and　have　always　found　signs　of　education。　Men　and　women　of　the　classes　to　which　I　allude　talk　of　reading　and　writing　as　of　arts　belonging　to　them　as　a　matter　of　course；　quite　as　much　as　are　the　arts　of　eating　and　drinking。　　A　porter　or　a　farmer's　servant　in　the　States　is　not　proud　of　reading　and　writing。　It　is　to　him　quite　a　matter　of　course。　　The　coachmen　on　their　boxes　and　the　boots　as　they　set　in　the　halls　of　the　hotels　have　newspapers　constantly　in　their　hands。　　The　young　women　have　them　also；　and　the　children。　　The　fact　comes　home　to　one　at　every　turn；　and　at　every　hour；　that　the　people　are　an　educated　people。　　The　whole　of　this　question　between　North　and　South　is　as　well　understood　by　the　servants　as　by　their　masters；　is　discussed　as　vehemently　by　the　private　soldiers　as　by　the　officers。　　The　politics　of　the　country　and　the　nature　of　its　Constitution　are　familiar　to　every　laborer。　　The　very　wording　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence　is　in　the　memory　of　every　lad　of　sixteen。　　Boys　and　girls　of　a　younger　age　than　that　know　why　Slidell　and　Mason　were　arrested；　and　will　tell　you　why　they　should　have　been　given　up；　or　why　they　should　have　been　held　in　durance。　　The　question　of　the　war　with　England　is　debated　by　every　native　pavior　and　hodman　of　New　York。　I　know　what　Englishmen　will　say　in　answer　to　this。　　They　will　declare　that　they　do　not　want　their　paviors　and　hodmen　to　talk　politics；　that　they　are　as　well　pleased　that　their　coachmen　and　cooks　should　not　always　have　a　newspaper　in　their　hands；　that　private　soldiers　will　fight　as　well；　and　obey　better；　if　they　are　not　trained　to　discuss　the　causes　which　have　brought　them　into　the　field。　　An　English　gentleman　will　think　that　his　gardener　will　be　a　better　gardener　without　than　with　any　excessive　political　ardor；　and　the　English　lady　will　prefer　that　her　housemaid　shall　not　have　a　very　pronounced　opinion　of　her　own　as　to　the　capabilities　of　the　cabinet　ministers。　　But　I　would　submit　to　all　Englishmen　and　English　women　who　may　look　at　these　pages　whether　such　an　opinion　or　feeling　on　their　part　bears　much；　or　even　at　all；　upon　the　subject。　　I　am　not　saying　that　the　man　who　is　driven　in　the　coach　is　better　off　because　his　coachman　reads　the　paper；　but　that　the　coachman　himself　who　reads　the　paper　is　better　off　than　the　coachman　who　does　not　and　cannot。　　I　think　that　we　are　too　apt；　in　considering　the　ways　and　habits　of　any　people；　to　judge　of　them　by　the　effect　of　those　ways　and　habits　on　us；　rather　than　by　their　effects　on　the　owners　of　them。　　When　we　go　among　garlic　eaters；　we　condemn　them　because　they　are　offensive　to　us；　but　to　judge　of　them　properly　we　should　ascertain　whether　or　no　the　garlic　be　offensive　to　them。　　If　we　could　imagine　a　nation　of　vegetarians　hearing　for　the　first　time　of　our　habits　as　flesh　eaters；　we　should　feel　sure　that　they　would　be　struck　with　horror　at　our　blood…stained　banquets；　but　when　they　came　to　argue　with　us；　we　should　bid　them　inquire　whether　we　flesh　eaters　did　not　live　longer　and　do　more　than　the　vegetarians。　　When　we　express　a　dislike　to　the　shoeboy　reading　his　newspaper；　I　apprehend　we　do　so　because　we　fear　that　the　shoeboy　is　coming　near　our　own　heels。　　I　know　there　is　among　us　a　strong　feeling　that　the　lower　classes　are　better　without　politics；　as　there　is　also　that　they　are　better　without　crinoline　and　artificial　flowers；　but　if　politics；　and　crinoline；　and　artificial　flowers　are　good　at　all；　they　are　good　for　all　who　can　honestly　come　by　them　and　honestly　use　them。　　The　political　coachman　is　perhaps　less　valuable　to　his　master　as　a　coachman　than　he　would　be　without　his　politics；　but　he　with　his　politics　is　more　valuable　to　himself。　　For　myself；　I　do　not　like　the　Americans　of　the　lower　orders。　　I　am　not　comfortable　among　them。　　They　tread　on　my　corns　and　offend　me。　　They　make　my　daily　life　unpleasant。　　But　I　do　respect　them。　　I　acknowledge　their　intelligence　and　personal　dignity。　　I　know　that　they　are　men　and　women　worthy　to　be　so　called；　I　see　that　they　are　living　as　human　beings　in　possession　of　reasoning　faculties；　and　I　perceive　that　they　owe　this　to　the　progress　that　education　has　made　among　them。　After　all；　what　is　wanted　in　this　world？　　Is　it　not　that　men　should　eat　and　drink；　and　read　and　write；　and　say　their　prayers？　　Does　not　that　include　everyth