questions　when　it　was　discovered　that　I　knew　them。　　A　certain　young
  lady；　at　that　time　a　belle　in　New　York；　was　currently　called　SALLY；
  and　a　well…known　sportsman　FRED；　by　thousands　of　people　who　had
  never　seen　either　of　them。　　It　seems　impossible；　does　it　not？　　Let
  us　look　a　little　closer　into　the　reason　of　this　interest；　and　we
  shall　find　how　simple　is　the　apparent　paradox。
  Perhaps　in　no　country；　in　all　the　world；　do　the　immense　middle
  classes　lead　such　uninteresting　lives；　and　have　such　limited
  resources　at　their　disposal　for　amusement　or　the　passing　of　leisure
  hours。
  Abroad　the　military　bands　play　constantly　in　the　public　parks；　the
  museums　and　palaces　are　always　open　wherein　to　pass　rainy　Sunday
  afternoons；　every　village　has　its　religious　FETES　and　local　fair；
  attended　with　dancing　and　games。　　All　these　mental　relaxations　are
  lacking　in　our　newer　civilization；　life　is　stripped　of　everything
  that　is　not　distinctly　practical；　the　dull　round　of　weekly　toil　is
  only　broken　by　the　duller　idleness　of　an　American　Sunday。
  Naturally；　these　people　long　for　something　outside　of　themselves
  and　their　narrow　sphere。
  Suddenly　there　arises　a　class　whose　wealth　permits　them　to　break
  through　the　iron　circle　of　work　and　boredom；　who　do　picturesque　and
  delightful　things；　which　appeal　directly　to　the　imagination；　they
  build　a　summer　residence　complete；　in　six　weeks；　with　furniture　and
  bric…a…brac；　on　the　top　of　a　roadless　mountain；　they　sail　in
  fairylike　yachts　to　summer　seas；　and　marry　their　daughters　to　the
  heirs　of　ducal　houses；　they　float　up　the　Nile　in　dahabeeyah；　or
  pass　the　〃month　of　flowers〃　in　far　Japan。
  It　is　but　human　nature　to　delight　in　reading　of　these　things。　　Here
  the　great　mass　of　the　people　find　（and　eagerly　seize　on）；　the
  element　of　romance　lacking　in　their　lives；　infinitely　more
  enthralling　than　the　doings　of　any　novel's　heroine。　　It　is　real！
  It　is　taking　place！　and　…　still　deeper　reason　…　in　every　ambitious
  American　heart　lingers　the　secret　hope　that　with　luck　and　good
  management　they　too　may　do　those　very　things；　or　at　least　that
  their　children　will　enjoy　the　fortunes　they　have　gained；　in　just
  those　ways。　　The　gloom　of　the　monotonous　present　is　brightened；　the
  patient　toiler　returns　to　his　desk　with　something　definite　before
  him　…　an　objective　point　…　towards　which　he　can　struggle；　he　knows
  that　this　is　no　impossible　dream。　　Dozens　have　succeeded　and　prove
  to　him　what　energy　and　enterprise　can　accomplish。
  Do　not　laugh　at　this　suggestion；　it　is　far　truer　than　you　imagine。
  Many　a　weary　woman　has　turned　from　such　reading　to　her　narrow
  duties；　feeling　that　life　is　not　all　work；　and　with　renewed　hope　in
  the　possibilities　of　the　future。
  Doubtless　a　certain　amount　of　purely　idle　curiosity　is　mingled　with
  the　other　feelings。　　I　remember　quite　well　showing　our　city　sights
  to　a　bored　party　of　Western　friends；　and　failing　entirely　to　amuse
  them；　when；　happening　to　mention　as　we　drove　up　town；　〃there　goes
  Mr。　Blank；〃　（naming　a　prominent　leader　of　cotillions）；　my　guests
  nearly　fell　over　each　other　and　out　of　the　carriage　in　their
  eagerness　to　see　the　gentleman　of　whom　they　had　read　so　much；　and
  who　was；　in　those　days；　a　power　in　his　way；　and　several　times　after
  they　expressed　the　greatest　satisfaction　at　having　seen　him。
  I　have　found；　with　rare　exceptions；　and　the　experience　has　been
  rather　widely　gathered　all　over　the　country；　that　this　interest　…
  or　call　it　what　you　will　…　has　been　entirely　without　spite　or
  bitterness；　rather　the　delight　of　a　child　in　a　fairy　story。　　For
  people　are　rarely　envious　of　things　far　removed　from　their　grasp。
  You　will　find　that　a　woman　who　is　bitter　because　her　neighbor　has　a
  girl　〃help〃　or　a　more　comfortable　cottage；　rarely　feels　envy
  towards　the　owners　of　opera…boxes　or　yachts。　　Such　heart…burnings
  （let　us　hope　they　are　few）　are　among　a　class　born　in　the　shadow　of
  great　wealth；　and　bred　up　with　tastes　that　they　can　neither
  relinquish　nor　satisfy。　　The　large　majority　of　people　show　only　a
  good…natured　inclination　to　chaff；　none　of　the　〃class　feeling〃
  which　certain　papers　and　certain　politicians　try　to　excite。
  Outside　of　the　large　cities　with　their　foreign…bred；　semi…
  anarchistic　populations；　the　tone　is　perfectly　friendly；　for　the
  simple　reason　that　it　never　entered　into　the　head　of　any　American
  to　imagine　that　there　WAS　any　class　difference。　　To　him　his　rich
  neighbors　are　simply　his　lucky　neighbors；　almost　his　relations；
  who；　starting　from　a　common　stock；　have　been　able　to　〃get　there〃
  sooner　than　he　has　done。　　So　he　wishes　them　luck　on　the　voyage　in
  which　he　expects　to　join　them　as　soon　as　he　has　had　time　to　make　a
  fortune。
  So　long　as　the　world　exists；　or　at　least　until　we　have　reformed　it
  and　adopted　Mr。　Bellamy's　delightful　scheme　of　existence　as
  described　in　〃Looking　Backward；〃　great　fortunes　will　be　made；　and
  painful　contrasts　be　seen；　especially　in　cities；　and　it　would　seem
  to　be　the　duty　of　the　press　to　soften　…　certainly　not　to　sharpen　…
  the　edge　of　discontent。　　As　long　as　human　nature　is　human　nature；
  and　the　poor　care　to　read　of　the　doings　of　the　more　fortunate；　by
  all　means　give　them　the　reading　they　enjoy　and　demand；　but　let　it
  be　written　in　a　kindly　spirit　so　that　it　may　be　a　cultivation　as
  well　as　a　recreation。　　Treat　this　perfectly　natural　and　honest
  taste　honestly　and　naturally；　for；　after　all；　it　is
  The　desire　of　the　moth　for　the　star；
  Of　the　night　for　the　morrow。
  The　devotion　to　something　afar
  From　the　sphere　of　our　sorrow。
  CHAPTER　3　…　Contrasted　Travelling
  WHEN　our　parents　went　to　Europe　fifty　years　ago；　it　was　the　event
  of　a　lifetime　…　a　tour　lovingly　mapped　out　in　advance　with　advice
  from　travelled　friends。　　Passports　were　procured；　books　read；　wills
  made；　and　finally；　prayers　were　offered　up　in　church　and　solemn
  leave…taking　performed。　　Once　on　the　other　side；　descriptive
  letters　were　conscientiously　written；　and　eagerly　read　by　friends
  at　home；　…　in　spite　of　these　epistles　being　on　the　thinnest　of
  paper　and　with　crossing　carried　to　a　fine　art；　for　postage　was　high
  in　the　forties。　　Above　all；　a　journal　was　kept。
  Such　a　journal　lies　before　me　as　I　write。　　Four　little　volumes　in
  worn　morocco　covers　and　faded　〃Italian〃　writing；　more　precious　than
  all　my　other　books　combined；　their　sight　recalls　that　lost　time　…
  my　youth　…　when；　as　a　reward；　they　were　unlocked　that　I　might　look
  at　the　drawings；　and　the　sweetest　voice　in　the　world　would　read　to
  me　from　them！　　Happy；　vanished　days；　that　are　so　far　away　they　seem
  to　have　been　in　another　existence！
  The　first　volume　opens　with　the　voyage　across　the　Atlantic；　made　in
  an　American　clipper　（a　model　unsurpassed　the　world　over）；　which　was
  accomplished　in　thirteen　days；　a　feat　rarely　equalled　now；　by　sail。
  Genial　Captain　Nye　was　in　command。　　The　same　who　later；　when　a
  steam　propelled　vessel　was　offered　him；　refused；　as　unworthy　of　a
  seaman；　〃to　boil　a　kettle　across　the　ocean。〃
  Life　friendships　were　made　in　those　little　cabins；　under　the
  swinging　lamp　the　travellers　re…read　last　volumes　so　as　to　be
  prepared　to　appreciate　everything　on　landing。　　Ireland；　England　and
  Scotland　were　visited　with　an　enthusiasm　born　of　Scott；　the　tedium
  of　long　coaching　journeys　being　beguiled　by　the　first　〃numbers〃　of
  〃Pickwick；〃　over　which　the　men　of　the　party　roared；　but　which　the
  ladies　did　not　care　for；　thinking　it　vulgar；　and　not　to　be　compared
  to　〃Waverley；〃　〃Thaddeus　of　Warsaw；〃　or　〃The　Mysteries　of　Udolpho。〃
  A　circular　letter　to　our　diplomatic　agents　abroad　was　presented　in
  each　city；　a　rite　invariably　followed　by　an　invitation　to　dine；　for
  which　occasions　a　black　satin　frock　with　a　low　body　and　a　few
  simple　ornaments；　including　（supreme　elegance）　a　diamond　cross；
  were　carried　in　the　trunks。　　In　London　a　travelling　carriage　was
  bought　and　stocked；　the　indispensable　courier　engaged；　half　guide；
  half　servant；　who　was　expected　to　explore　a　city；　or　wait　at　table；
  as　occasion　required。　　Four　days　were　passed　between　Havre　and
  Paris；　and　the　slow　progress　across　Europe　was　accomplished；　Murray
  in　one　hand　and　Byron　in　the　other。
  One　page　used　particularly　to　attract　my　boyish　attention。　　It　was
  headed　by　a　naive　little　drawing　of　the　carriage　at　an　Italian　inn
  door；　and　described　how；　after　the　dangers　and　discomforts　of　an
  Alpine　pass；　they　descended　by　sunny　slopes　into　Lombardy。　　Oh！　the
  rapture　that　breathes　from　those　simple　pages！　　The　vintage　scenes；
  the　mid…day　halt　for　luncheon　eaten　in　the　open　air；　the　afternoon
  start；　the　front　seat　of　the　carriage　heaped　with　purple　grapes；
  used　to　fire　my　youthful　imagination　and　now　recalls　Madame　de
  Stael's　line　on　perfect　happiness：　〃To　be　young！　to　be　in　love！　to
  be　in　Italy！〃
  Do　people　enjoy　Europe　as