north america-1-第70章

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　fare　of　the　omnibus　is　six　cents；　or　three　pence。　　That　of　the　street　car　five　cents；　or　two　pence　halfpenny。　They　run　along　the　different　avenues；　taking　the　length　of　the　city。　　In　the　upper　or　new　part　of　the　town　their　course　is　simple　enough；　but　as　they　descend　to　the　Bowery；　Peck　Slip；　and　Pearl　Street；　nothing　can　be　conceived　more　difficult　or　devious　than　their　courses。　　The　Broadway　omnibus；　on　the　other　hand；　is　a　straightforward；　honest　vehicle　in　the　lower　part　of　the　town；　becoming；　however；　dangerous　and　miscellaneous　when　it　ascends　to　Union　Square　and　the　vicinities　of　fashionable　life。　The　street　cars　are　manned　with　conductors；　and；　therefore；　are　free　from　many　of　the　perils　of　the　omnibus；　but　they　have　perils　of　their　own。　　They　are　always　quite　full。　　By　that　I　mean　that　every　seat　is　crowded；　that　there　is　a　double　row　of　men　and　women　standing　down　the　center；　and　that　the　driver's　platform　in　front　is　full；　and　also　the　conductor's　platform　behind。　　That　is　the　normal　condition　of　a　street　car　in　the　Third　Avenue。　　You；　as　a　stranger　in　the　middle　of　the　car；　wish　to　be　put　down　at；　let　us　say；　89th　Street。　　In　the　map　of　New　York　now　before　me；　the　cross　streets　running　from　east　to　west　are　numbered　up　northward　as　far　as　154th　Street。　　It　is　quite　useless　for　you　to　give　the　number　as　you　enter。　　Even　an　American　conductor；　with　brains　all　over　him；　and　an　anxious　desire　to　accommodate；　as　is　the　case　with　all　these　men；　cannot　remember。　　You　are　left　therefore　in　misery　to　calculate　the　number　of　the　street　as　you　move　along；　vainly　endeavoring　through　the　misty　glass　to　decipher　the　small　numbers　which　after　a　day　or　two　you　perceive　to　be　written　on　the　lamp　posts。　But　I　soon　gave　up　all　attempts　at　keeping　a　seat　in　one　of　these　cars。　　It　became　my　practice　to　sit　down　on　the　outside　iron　rail　behind；　and　as　the　conductor　generally　sat　in　my　lap　I　was　in　a　measure　protected。　　As　for　the　inside　of　these　vehicles　the　women　of　New　York　were；　I　must　confess；　too　much　for　me。　　I　would　no　sooner　place　myself　on　a　seat；　than　I　would　be　called　on　by　a　mute；　unexpressive；　but　still　impressive　stare　into　my　face；　to　surrender　my　place。　　From　cowardice　if　not　from　gallantry　I　would　always　obey；　and　as　this　led　to　discomfort　and　an　irritated　spirit；　I　preferred　nursing　the　conductor　on　the　hard　bar　in　the　rear。　And　here　if　I　seem　to　say　a　word　against　women　in　America；　I　beg　that　it　may　be　understood　that　I　say　that　word　only　against　a　certain　class；　and　even　as　to　that　class　I　admit　that　they　are　respectable；　intelligent；　and；　as　I　believe；　industrious。　　Their　manners；　however；　are　to　me　more　odious　than　those　of　any　other　human　beings　that　I　ever　met　elsewhere。　　Nor　can　I　go　on　with　that　which　I　have　to　say　without　carrying　my　apology　further；　lest；　perchance；　I　should　be　misunderstood　by　some　American　women　whom　I　would　not　only　exclude　from　my　censure；　but　would　include　in　the　very　warmest　eulogium　which　words　of　mine　could　express　as　to　those　of　the　female　sex　whom　I　love　and　admire　the　most。　　I　have　known；　do　know；　and　mean　to　continue　to　know　as　far　as　in　me　may　lie；　American　ladies　as　bright；　as　beautiful；　as　graceful；　as　sweet；　as　mortal　limits　for　brightness；　beauty；　grace；　and　sweetness　will　permit。　　They　belong　to　the　aristocracy　of　the　land；　by　whatever　means　they　may　have　become　aristocrats。　　In　America　one　does　not　inquire　as　to　their　birth；　their　training；　or　their　old　names。　　The　fact　of　their　aristocratic　power　comes　out　in　every　word　and　look。　It　is　not　only　so　with　those　who　have　traveled　or　with　those　who　are　rich。　　I　have　found　female　aristocrats　with　families　and　slender　means；　who　have　as　yet　made　no　grand　tour　across　the　ocean。　These　women　are　charming　beyond　expression。　　It　is　not　only　their　beauty。　　Had　he　been　speaking　of　such；　Wendell　Phillips　would　have　been　right　in　saying　that　they　have　brains　all　over　them。　　So　much　for　those　who　are　bright　and　beautiful；　who　are　graceful　and　sweet！　And　now　a　word　as　to　those　who　to　me　are　neither　bright　nor　beautiful；　and　who　can　be　to　none　either　graceful　or　sweet。　It　is　a　hard　task；　that　of　speaking　ill　of　any　woman；　but　it　seems　to　me　that　he　who　takes　upon　himself　to　praise　incurs　the　duty　of　dispraising　also　where　dispraise　is；　or　to　him　seems　to　be；　deserved。　　The　trade　of　a　novelist　is　very　much　that　of　describing　the　softness；　sweetness；　and　loving　dispositions　of　women；　and　this　he　does；　copying　as　best　he　can　from　nature。　　But　if　he　only　sings　of　that　which　is　sweet；　whereas　that　which　is　not　sweet　too　frequently　presents　itself；　his　song　will　in　the　end　be　untrue　and　ridiculous。　　Women　are　entitled　to　much　observance　from　men；　but　they　are　entitled　to　no　observance　which　is　incompatible　with　truth。　　Women；　by　the　conventional　laws　of　society；　are　allowed　to　exact　much　from　men；　but　they　are　allowed　to　exact　nothing　for　which　they　should　not　make　some　adequate　return。　　It　is　well　that　a　man　should　kneel　in　spirit　before　the　grace　and　weakness　of　a　woman；　but　it　is　not　well　that　he　should　kneel　either　in　spirit　or　body　if　there　be　neither　grace　nor　weakness。　　A　man　should　yield　everything　to　a　woman　for　a　word；　for　a　smileto　one　look　of　entreaty。　　But　if　there　be　no　look　of　entreaty；　no　word；　no　smile；　I　do　not　see　that　he　is　called　upon　to　yield　much。　The　happy　privileges　with　which　women　are　at　present　blessed　have　come　to　them　from　the　spirit　of　chivalry。　　That　spirit　has　taught　man　to　endure　in　order　that　women　may　be　at　their　ease；　and　has　generally　taught　women　to　accept　the　ease　bestowed　on　them　with　grace　and　thankfulness。　　But　in　America　the　spirit　of　chivalry　has　sunk　deeper　among　men　than　it　has　among　women。　　It　must　be　borne　in　mind　that　in　that　country　material　well…being　and　education　are　more　extended　than　with　us；　and　that；　therefore；　men　there　have　learned　to　be　chivalrous　who　with　us　have　hardly　progressed　so　far。　The　conduct　of　men　to　women　throughout　the　States　is　always　gracious。　　They　have　learned　the　lesson。　　But　it　seems　to　me　that　the　women　have　not　advanced　as　far　as　the　men　have　done。　　They　have　acquired　a　sufficient　perception　of　the　privileges　which　chivalry　gives　them；　but　no　perception　of　that　return　which　chivalry　demands　from　them。　　Women　of　the　class　to　which　I　allude　are　always　talking　of　their　rights；　but　seem　to　have　a　most　indifferent　idea　of　their　duties。　　They　have　no　scruple　at　demanding　from　men　everything　that　a　man　can　be　called　on　to　relinquish　in　a　woman's　behalf；　but　they　do　so　without　any　of　that　grace　which　turns　the　demand　made　into　a　favor　conferred。　I　have　seen　much　of　this　in　various　cities　of　America；　but　much　more　of　it　in　New　York　than　elsewhere。　　I　have　heard　young　Americans　complain　of　it；　swearing　that　they　must　change　the　whole　tenor　of　their　habits　toward　women。　　I　have　heard　American　ladies　speak　of　it　with　loathing　and　disgust。　　For　myself；　I　have　entertained　on　sundry　occasions　that　sort　of　feeling　for　an　American　woman　which　the　close　vicinity　of　an　unclean　animal　produces。　　I　have　spoken　of　this　with　reference　to　street　cars；　because　in　no　position　of　life　does　an　unfortunate　man　become　more　liable　to　these　anti…feminine　atrocities　than　in　the　center　of　one　of　these　v