第 18 节
作者:津鸿一瞥      更新:2021-03-08 19:41      字数:9322
  a hundred dollars for a pocket…handkerchief? That was not said with
  your usual good sense; my dear。 People must be MADE of money to
  pay out so much at one time。〃
  〃When may I tell Mrs。 Thoughtful; then; that you will send it to her?〃
  〃I am sure that is more than I can say。 Pa will be in no hurry to give me
  more money soon; and I want; at this moment; near a hundred dollars'
  worth of articles of dress to make a decent appearance。 The Society
  can be in no such hurry for its subscriptions; they must amount to a
  good deal。〃
  〃Not if never paid。 Shall I lend you the moneymy mother gave me ten
  dollars this morning; to make a few purchases; which I can very well do
  without until you can pay me。〃
  〃DO; dear girlyou are always one of the best creatures in the world。
  How much is it? three dollars I believe。〃
  〃Six; if you pay the past and present year。 I will pay Mrs。 Thoughtful
  before I go home。 But; dear Eudosia; I wish you had not bought that
  foolish pocket…handkerchief。〃
  〃Foolish! Do you call a handkerchief with such lace; and all this
  magnificent work on it; and which cost a HUNDRED DOLLARS;
  foolish? Is it foolish to have money; or to be thought rich?〃
  〃Certainly not the first; though it may be better not to be thought rich。 I
  wish to see you always dressed with propriety; for you do credit to
  your dress; but this handkerchief is out of place。〃
  〃Out of place! Now; hear me; Clara; though it is to be a great secret。
  What do you think Pa is worth?〃
  〃Bless me; these are things I never think of。 I do not even know how
  much my own father is worth。 Mother tells me how much I may spend;
  and I can want to learn no more。〃
  〃Well; Mr。 Murray dined with Pa last week; and they sat over their
  wine until near ten。 I overheard them talking; and got into this room to
  listen; for I thought I should get something new。 At first they said nothing
  but 'lotslotsup towndown towntwenty…five feet frontdollar;
  dollar; dollar。' La! child; you never heard such stuff in your life!〃
  〃One gets used to these things; notwithstanding;〃 observed Clara; drily。
  〃Yes; one DOES hear a great deal of it。 I shall be glad when the
  gentlemen learn to talk of something else。 But the best is to come。 At
  last; Pa asked Mr。 Murray if he had inventoried lately。〃
  〃Did he?〃
  〃Yes; he did。 Of course you know what that means?〃
  〃It meant to FILL; as they call it; does it not?〃
  〃So I thought at first; but it means no such thing。 It means to count up;
  and set down how much one is worth。 Mr。 Murray said he did THAT
  every month; and of course he knew very well what HE was worth。 I
  forget how much it was; for I didn't care; you know George Murray is
  not as old as I am; and so I listened to what Pa had inventoried。 Now;
  how much do you guess?〃
  〃Really; my dear; I haven't the least idea;〃 answered Clara; slightly
  gaping〃a thousand dollars; perhaps。〃
  〃A thousand dollars! What; for a gentleman who keeps his coachlives
  in Broadwaydresses his daughter as I dress; and gives her hundred…
  dollar handkerchiefs。 Two hundred million; my dear; two hundred
  million!〃
  Eudosia had interpolated the word 〃hundred;〃 quite innocently; for; as
  usually happens with those to whom money is new; her imagination ran
  ahead of her arithmetic。 〃Yes;〃 she added; 〃two hundred millions;
  besides sixty millions of odd money!〃
  〃That sounds like a great deal;〃 observed Clara quietly; for; besides
  caring very little for these millions; she had not a profound respect for
  her friend's accuracy on such subjects。
  〃It IS a great deal。 Ma says there are not ten richer men than Pa in the
  state。 Now; does not this alter the matter about the pocket…
  handkerchief? It would be mean in me not to have a hundred…dollar
  handkerchief; when I could get one。〃
  〃It may alter the matter as to the extravagance; but it does not alter it as
  to the fitness。 Of what USE is a pocket…handkerchief like this? A
  pocket…handkerchief is made for USE; my dear; not for show。〃
  〃You would not have a young lady use her pocket…handkerchief like a
  snuffy old nurse; Clara?〃
  〃I would have her use it like a young lady; and in no other way。 But it
  always strikes me as a proof of ignorance and a want of refinement
  when the uses of things are confounded。 A pocket…handkerchief; at the
  best; is but a menial appliance; and it is bad taste to make it an object of
  attraction。 FINE; it may be; for that conveys an idea of delicacy in its
  owner; but ornamented beyond reason; never。 Look what a tawdry and
  vulgar thing an embroidered slipper is on a woman's foot。〃
  〃Yes; I grant you that; but everybody cannot have hundred…dollar
  handkerchiefs; though they may have embroidered slippers。 I shall wear
  my purchase at Miss Trotter's ball to…night。〃
  To this Clara made no objection; though she still looked disapprobation
  of her purchase。 Now; the lovely Eudosia had not a bad heart; she had
  only received a bad education。 Her parents had given her a smattering
  of the usual accomplishments; but here her superior instruction ended。
  Unable to discriminate themselves; for the want of this very education;
  they had been obliged to trust their daughter to the care of mercenaries;
  who fancied their duties discharged when they had taught their pupil to
  repeat like a parrot。 All she acquired had been for effect; and not for
  the purpose of every…day use; in which her instruction and her pocket…
  handkerchief might be said to be of a piece。
  CHAPTER XI。
  And here I will digress a moment to make a single remark on a subject
  of which popular feeling; in America; under the influence of popular
  habits; is apt to take an exparte view。 Accomplishments are derided as
  useless; in comparison with what is considered household virtues。 The
  accomplishment of a cook is to make good dishes; of a seamstress to
  sew well; and of a lady to possess refined tastes; a cultivated mind; and
  agreeable and intellectual habits。 The real VIRTUES of all are the same;
  though subject to laws peculiar to their station; but it is a very different
  thing when we come to the mere accomplishments。 To deride all the
  refined attainments of human skill denotes ignorance of the means of
  human happiness; nor is it any evidence of acquaintance with the
  intricate machinery of social greatness and a lofty civilization。 These
  gradations in attainments are inseparable from civilized society; and if
  the skill of the ingenious and laborious is indispensable to a solid
  foundation; without the tastes and habits of the refined and cultivated; it
  never can be graceful or pleasing。
  {exparte = should be 〃ex parte〃one…sided (Latin)}
  Eudosia had some indistinct glimmerings of this fact; though it was not
  often that she came to sound and discriminating decisions even in
  matters less complicated。 In the present instance she saw this truth only
  by halves; and that; too; in its most commonplace aspect; as will appear
  by the remark she made on the occasion。
  〃Then; Clara; as to the PRICE I have paid for this handkerchief;〃 she
  said; 〃you ought to remember what the laws of political economy lay
  down on such subjects。 I suppose your Pa makes you study political
  economy; my dear?〃
  〃Indeed he does not。 I hardly know what it means。〃
  〃Well; that is singular; for Pa says; in this age of the world; it is the only
  way to be rich。 Now; it is by means of a trade in lots; and political
  economy; generally; that he has succeeded so wonderfully; for; to own
  the truth to you; Clara; Pa hasn't always been rich。〃
  〃No?〃 answered Clara; with a half…suppressed smile; she knowing the
  fact already perfectly well。
  〃Oh; nofar from itbut we don't speak of this publicly; it being a sort
  of disgrace in New York; you know; not to be thought worth at least
  half a million。 I dare say your Pa is worth as much as that?〃
  〃I have not the least idea he is worth a fourth of it; though I do not
  pretend to know。 To me half a million of dollars seems a great deal of
  money; and I know my father considers himself poorpoor; at least; for
  one of his station。 But what were you about to say of political
  economy? I am curious to hear how THAT can have any thing to do
  with your handkerchief。〃
  〃Why; my dear; in this manner。 You know a distribution of labor is the
  source of all civilizationthat trade is an exchange of equivalentsthat
  custom…houses fetter these equivalentsthat nothing which is fettered is
  free〃
  〃My dear Eudosia; what IS your tongue running on?〃
  〃You will not deny; Clara; that any thing which is fettered is not free?
  And that freedom is the greatest blessing of this happy country; and that
  trade ought to be as free as any thing else?〃
  All this was gibberish to Clara Caverly; who understood the phrases;
  notwithstanding; quite as well as the friend who was using them。 Political
  economy is especially a science of terms; and free trade; as a branch of
  it is called; is just the portion of it which is indebted to them the most。
  But Clara had not patience to hear any more of the unintelligible jargon
  which has got possession of the world to…day; much as Mr。 Pitt's
  celebrated sinking…fund scheme for paying off the national debt of Great
  Britain did; half a century since; and under very much the same
  i