north america-1-第85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！


e；　however；　they　were　attacked；　and　the　first　blood　of　that　war　was　shed。　　They　shot　three　or　four　of　therebels；　I　suppose　I　should　in　strict　language　call　them；　and　then　proceeded　on　to　Concord。　　But　at　Concord　they　were　stopped　and　repulsed；　and　along　the　road　back　from　Concord　to　Lexington　they　were　driven　with　slaughter　and　dismay。　　And　thus　the　rebellion　was　commenced　which　led　to　the　establishment　of　a　people　which；　let　us　Englishmen　say　and　think　what　we　may　of　them　at　this　present　moment；　has　made　itself　one　of　the　five　great　nations　of　the　earth；　and　has　enabled　us　to　boast　that　the　two　out　of　the　five　who　enjoy　the　greatest　liberty　and　the　widest　prosperity　speak　the　English　language　and　are　known　by　English　names。　　For　all　that　has　come　and　is　like　to　come；　I　say　again；　long　may　that　honor　remain。　　I　could　not　but　feel　that　that　road　from　Boston　to　Concord　deserves　a　name　in　the　world's　history　greater；　perhaps；　than　has　yet　been　given　to　it。　Concord　is　at　present　to　be　noted　as　the　residence　of　Mr。　Emerson　and　of　Mr。　Hawthorne；　two　of　those　many　men　of　letters　of　whose　presence　Boston　and　its　neighborhood　have　reason　to　be　proud。　　Of　Mr。　Emerson　I　have　already　spoken。　　The　author　of　the　〃Scarlet　Letter〃　I　regard　as　certainly　the　first　of　American　novelists。　　I　know　what　men　will　say　of　Mr。　Cooper；and　I　also　am　an　admirer　of　Cooper's　novels。　　But　I　cannot　think　that　Mr。　Cooper's　powers　were　equal　to　those　of　Mr。　Hawthorne；　though　his　mode　of　thought　may　have　been　more　genial；　and　his　choice　of　subjects　more　attractive　in　their　day。　　In　point　of　imagination；　which；　after　all；　is　the　novelist's　greatest　gift；　I　hardly　know　any　living　author　who　can　he　accounted　superior　to　Mr。　Hawthorne。　Very　much　has；　undoubtedly；　been　done　in　Boston　to　carry　out　that　theory　of　Colonel　Newcome'sEmollit　mores；　by　which　the　Colonel　meant　to　signify　his　opinion　that　a　competent　knowledge　of　reading；　writing；　and　arithmetic；　with　a　taste　for　enjoying　those　accomplishments；　goes　very　far　toward　the　making　of　a　man；　and　will　by　no　means　mar　a　gentleman。　　In　Boston　nearly　every　man；　woman；　and　child　has　had　his　or　her　manners　so　far　softened；　and　though　they　may　still　occasionally　be　somewhat　rough　to　the　outer　touch；　the　inward　effect　is　plainly　visible。　　With　us；　especially　among　our　agricultural　population；　the　absence　of　that　inner　softening　is　as　visible。　I　went　to　see　a　public　library　in　the　city；　which；　if　not　founded　by　Mr。　Bates；　whose　name　is　so　well　known　in　London　as　connected　with　the　house　of　Messrs。　Baring；　has　been　greatly　enriched　by　him。　It　is　by　his　money　that　it　has　been　enabled　to　do　its　work。　　In　this　library　there　is　a　certain　number　of　thousands　of　volumesa　great　many　volumes；　as　there　are　in　most　public　libraries。　　There　are　books　of　all　classes；　from　ponderous　unreadable　folios；　of　which　learned　men　know　the　title…pages；　down　to　the　lightest　literature。　　Novels　are　by　no　means　eschewed；are　rather；　if　I　understood　aright；　considered　as　one　of　the　staples　of　the　library。　From　this　library　any　book；　excepting　such　rare　volumes　as　in　all　libraries　are　considered　holy；　is　given　out　to　any　inhabitant　of　Boston；　without　any　payment；　on　presentation　of　a　simple　request　on　a　prepared　form。　　In　point　of　fact；　it　is　a　gratuitous　circulating　library　open　to　all　Boston；　rich　or　poor；　young　or　old。　　The　books　seemed　in　general　to　be　confided　to　young　children；　who　came　as　messengers　from　their　fathers　and　mothers；　or　brothers　and　sisters。　No　question　whatever　is　asked；　if　the　applicant　is　known　or　the　place　of　his　residence　undoubted。　　If　there　be　no　such　knowledge；　or　there　be　any　doubt　as　to　the　residence；　the　applicant　is　questioned；　the　object　being　to　confine　the　use　of　the　library　to　the　bona　fide　inhabitants　of　the　city。　　Practically　the　books　are　given　to　those　who　ask　for　them；　whoever　they　may　be。　　Boston　contains　over　200；000　inhabitants；　and　all　those　200；000　are　entitled　to　them。　　Some　twenty　men　and　women　are　kept　employed　from　morning　till　night　in　carrying　on　this　circulating　library；　and　there　is；　moreover；　attached　to　the　establishment　a　large　reading…　room　supplied　with　papers　and　magazines；　open　to　the　public　of　Boston　on　the　same　terms。　Of　course　I　asked　whether　a　great　many　of　the　books　were　not　lost；　stolen；　and　destroyed；　and　of　course　I　was　told　that　there　were　no　losses；　no　thefts；　and　no　destruction。　　As　to　thefts；　the　librarian　did　not　seem　to　think　that　any　instance　of　such　an　occurrence　could　be　found。　　Among　the　poorer　classes；　a　book　might　sometimes　be　lost　when　they　were　changing　their　lodgings；　but　anything　so　lost　was　more　than　replaced　by　the　fines。　　A　book　is　taken　out　for　a　week；　and　if　not　brought　back　at　the　end　of　that　weekwhen　the　loan　can　be　renewed　if　the　reader　wishesa　fine；　I　think　of　two　cents；　is　incurred。　　The　children；　when　too　late　with　the　books；　bring　in　the　two　cents　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　the　sum　so　collected　fully　replaces　all　losses。　　It　was　all　couleur　de　rose；　the　librarianesses　looked　very　pretty　and　learned；　and；　if　I　remember　aright；　mostly　wore　spectacles；　the　head　librarian　was　enthusiastic；　the　nice；　instructive　books　were　properly　dogs…eared；　my　own　productions　were　in　enormous　demand；　the　call　for　books　over　the　counter　was　brisk；　and　the　reading…room　was　full　of　readers。　It　has；　I　dare　say；　occurred　to　other　travelers　to　remark　that　the　proceedings　at　such　institutions；　when　visited　by　them　on　their　travels；　are　always　rose　colored。　　It　is　natural　that　the　bright　side　should　be　shown　to　the　visitor。　　It　may　be　that　many　books　are　called　for　and　returned　unread；　that　many　of　those　taken　out　are　so　taken　by　persons　who　ought　to　pay　for　their　novels　at　circulating　libraries；　that　the　librarian　and　librarianesses　get　very　tired　of　their　long　hours　of　attendance；　for　I　found　that　they　were　very　long；　and　that　many　idlers　warm　themselves　in　that　reading…room。　Nevertheless　the　fact　remainsthe　library　is　public　to　all　the　men　and　women　in　Boston；　and　books　are　given　out　without　payment　to　all　who　may　choose　to　ask　for　them。　　Why　should　not　the　great　Mr。　Mudie　emulate　Mr。　Bates；　and　open　a　library　in　London　on　the　same　system？　The　librarian　took　me　into　one　special　room；　of　which　he　himself　kept　the　key；　to　show　me　a　present　which　the　library　had　received　from　the　English　government。　　The　room　was　filled　with　volumes　of　two　sizes；　all　bound　alike；　containing　descriptions　and　drawings　of　all　the　patents　taken　out　in　England。　　According　to　this　librarian；　such　a　work　would　be　invaluable　as　to　American　patents；　but　he　conceived　that　the　subject　had　become　too　confused　to　render　any　such　an　undertaking　possible。　　〃I　never　allow　a　single　volume　to　be　used　for　a　moment　without　the　presence　of　myself　or　one　of　my　assistants；〃　said　the　librarian；　and　then　he　explained　to　me；　when　I　asked　him　why　he　was　so　particular；　that　the　drawings　would；　as　a　matter　of　course；　be　cut　out　and　stolen　if　he　omitted　his　care。　〃But　they　may　be　copied；〃　I　said。　　〃Yes；　but　if　Jones　merely　copies　one；　Smith　may　come　after　him　and　copy　it　also。　　Jones　will　probably　desire　to　hinder　Smith　from　having　any　evidence　of　such　a　patent。〃　　As　to　the　ordinary　borrowing　and　returning　of　books；　the　poorest　labo