essays on paul bourget-第2部分

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　　　　　　　　　　and　every　document　is　good；　from　the　hall　of　a　casino　to　the
　　　　　　　　　　church；　from　the　foibles　of　a　fashionable　woman　to　the
　　　　　　　　　　suggestions　of　a　revolutionary　leader。　　I　am　therefore　quite
　　　　　　　　　　sure　that　this　'American　soul'；　the　principal　interest　and　the
　　　　　　　　　　great　object　of　my　voyage；　appears　behind　the　records　of
　　　　　　　　　　Newport　for　those　who　choose　to　see　it。〃M。　Paul　Bourget。

＇The　italics　（''）　are　mine。　　It　is　a　large　contract　which　he　has
undertaken。　　〃Records〃　is　a　pretty　poor　word　there；　but　I　think　the　use
of　it　is　due　to　hasty　translation。　　In　the　original　the　word　is　'fastes'。
I　think　M。　Bourget　meant　to　suggest　that　he　expected　to　find　the　great
〃American　soul〃　secreted　behind　the　ostentatious　of　Newport；　and　that　he
was　going　to　get　it　out　and　examine　it；　and　generalize　it；　and
psychologize　it；　and　make　it　reveal　to　him　its　hidden　vast　mystery：　〃the
nature　of　the　people〃　of　the　United　States　of　America。　　We　have　been
accused　of　being　a　nation　addicted　to　inventing　wild　schemes。　　I　trust
that　we　shall　be　allowed　to　retire　to　second　place　now。

There　isn't　a　single　human　characteristic　that　can　be　safely　labeled
〃American。〃　　There　isn't　a　single　human　ambition；　or　religious　trend；
or　drift　of　thought；　or　peculiarity　of　education；　or　code　of　principles；
or　breed　of　folly；　or　style　of　conversation；　or　preference　for　a
particular　subject　for　discussion；　or　form　of　legs　or　trunk　or　head　or
face　or　expression　or　complexion；　or　gait；　or　dress；　or　manners；　or
disposition；　or　any　other　human　detail；　inside　or　outside；　that　can
rationally　be　generalized　as　〃American。〃

Whenever　you　have　found　what　seems　to　be　an　〃American〃　peculiarity；　you
have　only　to　cross　a　frontier　or　two；　or　go　down　or　up　in　the　social
scale；　and　you　perceive　that　it　has　disappeared。　　And　you　can　cross　the
Atlantic　and　find　it　again。　　There　may　be　a　Newport　religious　drift；　or
sporting　drift；　or　conversational　style　or　complexion；　or　cut　of　face；
but　there　are　entire　empires　in　America；　north；　south；　east；　and　west；
where　you　could　not　find　your　duplicates。　　It　is　the　same　with　everything
else　which　one　might　propose　to　call　〃American。〃　　M。　Bourget　thinks　he
has　found　the　American　Coquette。　　If　he　had　really　found　her　he　would
also　have　found；　I　am　sure；　that　she　was　not　new；　that　she　exists　in
other　lands　in　the　same　forms；　and　with　the　same　frivolous　heart　and　the
same　ways　and　impulses。　　I　think　this　because　I　have　seen　our　coquette；
I　have　seen　her　in　life；　better　still；　I　have　seen　her　in　our　novels；
and　seen　her　twin　in　foreign　novels。　　I　wish　M。　Bourget　had　seen　ours。
He　thought　he　saw　her。　　And　so　he　applied　his　System　to　her。　　She　was　a
Species。　　So　he　gathered　a　number　of　samples　of　what　seemed　to　be　her；
and　put　them　under　his　glass；　and　divided　them　into　groups　which　he　calls
〃types；〃　and　labeled　them　in　his　usual　scientific　way　with　〃formulas〃
brief　sharp　descriptive　flashes　that　make　a　person　blink；　sometimes；　they
are　so　sudden　and　vivid。　　As　a　rule　they　are　pretty　far…fetched；　but　that
is　not　an　important　matter；　they　surprise；　they　compel　admiration；　and　I
notice　by　some　of　the　comments　which　his　efforts　have　called　forth　that
they　deceive　the　unwary。　　Here　are　a　few　of　the　coquette　variants　which
he　has　grouped　and　labeled：

　　　　　THE　COLLECTOR。
　　　　　THE　EQUILIBREE。
　　　　　THE　PROFESSIONAL　BEAUTY。
　　　　　THE　BLUFFER。
　　　　　THE　GIRL…BOY。

If　he　had　stopped　with　describing　these　characters　we　should　have　been
obliged　to　believe　that　they　exist；　that　they　exist；　and　that　he　has　seen
them　and　spoken　with　them。　　But　he　did　not　stop　there；　he　went　further
and　furnished　to　us　light…throwing　samples　of　their　behavior；　and　also
light…throwing　samples　of　their　speeches。　　He　entered　those　things　in　his
note…book　without　suspicion；　he　takes　them　out　and　delivers　them　to　the
world　with　a　candor　and　simplicity　which　show　that　he　believed　them
genuine。　　They　throw　altogether　too　much　light。　　They　reveal　to　the
native　the　origin　of　his　find。　　I　suppose　he　knows　how　he　came　to　make
that　novel　and　captivating　discovery；　by　this　time。　　If　he　does　not；　any
American　can　tell　himany　American　to　whom　he　will　show　his　anecdotes。
It　was　〃put　up〃　on　him；　as　we　say。　　It　was　a　jestto　be　plain；　it　was　a
series　of　frauds。　　To　my　mind　it　was　a　poor　sort　of　jest；　witless　and
contemptible。　　The　players　of　it　have　their　reward；　such　as　it　is；　they
have　exhibited　the　fact　that　whatever　they　may　be　they　are　not　ladies。
M。　Bourget　did　not　discover　a　type　of　coquette；　he　merely　discovered　a
type　of　practical　joker。　　One　may　say　the　type　of　practical　joker；　for
these　people　are　exactly　alike　all　over　the　world。　　Their　equipment　is
always　the　same：　a　vulgar　mind；　a　puerile　wit；　a　cruel　disposition　as　a
rule；　and　always　the　spirit　of　treachery。

In　his　Chapter　IV。　　M。　Bourget　has　two　or　three　columns　gravely　devoted
to　the　collating　and　examining　and　psychologizing　of　these　sorry　little
frauds。　　One　is　not　moved　to　laugh。　　There　is　nothing　funny　in　the
situation；　it　is　only　pathetic。　　The　stranger　gave　those　people　his
confidence；　and　they　dishonorably　treated　him　in　return。

But　one　must　be　allowed　to　suspect　that　M。　Bourget　was　a　little　to　blame
himself。　　Even　a　practical　joker　has　some　little　judgment。　　He　has　to
exercise　some　degree　of　sagacity　in　selecting　his　prey　if　he　would　save
himself　from　getting　into　trouble。　　In　my　time　I　have　seldom　seen　such
daring　things　marketed　at　any　price　as　these　conscienceless　folk　have
worked　off　at　par　on　this　confiding　observer。　　It　compels　the　conviction
that　there　was　something　about　him　that　bred　in　those　speculators　a　quite
unusual　sense　of　safety；　and　encouraged　them　to　strain　their　powers　in
his　behalf。　　They　seem　to　have　satisfied　themselves　that　all　he　wanted
was　〃significant〃　facts；　and　that　he　was　not　accustomed　to　examine　the
source　whence　they　proceeded。　　It　is　plain　that　there　was　a　sort　of
conspiracy　against　him　almost　from　the　starta　conspiracy　to　freight　him
up　with　all　the　strange　extravagances　those　people's　decayed　brains　could
invent。

The　lengths　to　which　they　went　are　next　to　incredible。　　They　told　him
things　which　surely　would　have　excited　any　one　else's　suspicion；　but　they
did　not　excite　his。　　Consider　this：

　　　　　　　　　　〃There　is　not　in　all　the　United　States　an　entirely　nude
　　　　　　　　　　statue。〃

If　an　angel　should　come　down　and　say　such　a　thing　about　heaven；　a
reasonably　cautious　observer　would　take　that　angel's　number　and　inquire　a
little　further　before　he　added　it　to　his　catch。　　What　does　the　present
observer　do？　　Adds　it。　　Adds　it　at　once。　　Adds　it；　and　labels　it　with
this　innocent　comment：

　　　　　　　　　　〃This　small　fact　is　strangely　significant。〃

It　does　seem　to　me　that　this　kind　of　observing　is　defective。

Here　is　another　curiosity　which　some　liberal　person　made　him　a　present
of。　　I　should　think　it　ought　to　have　disturbed　the　deep　slumber　of　his
suspicion　a　little；　but　it　didn't。　　It　was　a　note　from　a　fog…horn　for
strenuousness；　it　seems　to　me；　but　the　doomed　voyager　did　not　catch　it。
If　he　had　but　caught　it；　it　would　have　saved　him　from　several　disasters：

　　　　　　　　　　〃If　the　American　knows　that　you　are　traveling　to　take　notes；　he
　　　　　　　　　　is　interested　in　it；　and　at　the　same　time　rejoices　in　it；　as　in
　　　　　　　　　　a　tribute。〃

Again；　this　is　defective　observation。　　It　is　human　to　like　to　be　praised；
one　can　even　notice　it　in　the　French。　　But　it　is　not　human　to　like　to　be
ridiculed；　even　when　it　comes　in　the　form　of　a　〃tribute。〃　　I　think　a
little　psychologizing　ought　to　have　come　in　there。　　Something　like　this：
A　dog　does　not　like　to　be　ridiculed；　a　redskin　does　not　like　to　be
ridiculed；　a　negro　does　not　like　to　be　ridiculed；　a　Chinaman　does　not
like　to　be　ridiculed；　let　us　deduce　from　these　significant　facts　this
formula：　the　American's　grade　being　higher　than　these；　and　the　chain…of
argument　stretching　unbroken　all　the　way　up　to　him；　there　is　room　for
suspicion　that　the　person　who　said　the　American　likes　to　be　ridiculed；
and　regards　it　as　a　tribute；　is　not　a　capable　observer。

I　feel　persuaded　that　in　the　matter　of　psychologizing；　a　professional　is
too　apt　to　yield　to　the　fascinations　of　the　loftier　regions　of　that　great
art；　to　the　neglect　of　its　lowlier　walks。　　Every　now　and　then；　at　half…
hour　intervals；　M。　　Bourget　collects　a　hatful　of　airy　inaccuracies　and
dissolves　them　in　a　panful　of　assorted　abstractions；　and　runs　the　charge
into　a　mould　and　turns　you　out　a　compact　principle　which　will　explain　an
American　girl；　or　an　American　woman；　or　why　new　people　yearn　for　old
things；　or　any　other　impossible　riddle　which　a　person　wants　answered。

It　seems　to　be　conceded　that　there　are　a　few　human　peculiarities　that　can
be　generalized　and　located　here　and　there　in　the　world　and　named　by　the
name　of　the　nation　where　they　are　found。　　I　wonder　what　they　are。
Perhaps　one　of　them　is　temperament。　　One　speaks　of　French　vivacity　and
German　gravity　and　English　stubbornness。　　There　is　no　American
temperament。　　The　nearest　that　one　can　come　at　it　is　to　say　there　are　two
the　composed　Northern　and　the　impetuous　Southern；　and　both　are　found　in
other　countries。　　Morals？　　Purity　of　women　may　fairly　be　called　universal
with　us；　but　that　is　the　case　in　some　other　countries。　　We　have　no
monopoly　of　it；　it　cannot　be　named　American。　　I　think　that　there　is　but　a
single　specialty　with　us；　only　one　thing　that　can　be　called　by　the　wide
name　〃American。〃　　That　is　the　national　devotion　to　ice…water。　　All
Germans　drink　beer；　but　the　British　nation　drinks　beer；　too；　so　neither
of　those　peoples　is　the　beer…drinking　nation。　　I　suppose　we　do　stand
alone　in　having　a　drink　that　nobody　likes　but　ourselves。　　When　we　have
been　a　month　in　Europe　we　lose　our　craving　for　it；　and　we　finally　tell
the　hotel　folk　that　they　needn't　provide　it　any　more。　　Yet　we　hardly
touch　our　native　shore　again；　winter　or　summer；　before　we　are　eager　for
it。　　The　reasons　for　this　state　of　things　have　not　been　psychologized
yet。　　I　drop　the　hint　and　say　no　more。

It　is　my　belief　that　there　are　some　〃national〃　traits　and　things
scattered　about　the　world　that　are　mere　superstitions；　frauds　that　have
lived