my memories of eighty years-第54部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


It　is　not　too　great　a　stretch　of　imagination；　when　one　knows　how　traditional　interviews　and　conversations　between　European　rulers　affect　their　relations；　present　and　future；　to　find　in　that　entertainment　and　conference　that　the　seed　there　was　sown　for　the　entrance　of　Italy；　at　one　of　the　crises　of　the　Great　War；　on　the　side　of　the　Allies　and　against　Germany；　to　whom　she　was　bound　by　the　Triple　Alliance。

Mr。　Gladstone　said　to　me　at　one　time：　　〃I　have　recently　met　a　most　interesting　countryman　of　yours。　　He　is　one　of　the　best…informed　and　able　men　of　any　country　whom　I　have　had　the　pleasure　of　talking　with　for　a　long　time；　and　he　is　in　London　now。　　I　wish　you　would　tell　me　all　about　him。〃

Mr。　Gladstone　could　not　recall　his　name。　　As　there　were　a　number　of　American　congressmen　in　London；　I　asked：　　〃Was　he　a　congressman？〃

〃No；〃　he　answered；　〃he　had　a　more　important　office。〃

I　then　remembered　that　DeWitt　Clinton；　when　a　United　States　senator；　resigned　to　become　mayor　of　the　City　of　New　York。　　On　that　inspiration　I　asked：　　〃Mayor　of　the　City　of　New　York？〃

〃Yes；　that　is　it；〃　Mr。　Gladstone　answered。

I　then　told　him　that　it　was　Abram　S。　Hewitt；　and　gave　him　a　description　of　Mr。　Hewitt's　career。　　Mr。　Gladstone　was　most　enthusiastic　about　him。

It　was　my　fortune　to　know　Mr。　Hewitt　very　well　for　many　years。　He　richly　merited　Mr。　Gladstone's　encomium。　　He　was　one　of　the　most　versatile　and　able　Americans　in　public　or　private　life　during　his　time。　　His　father　was　an　English　tenant…farmer　who　moved　with　his　family　to　the　United　States。　　Mr。　Hewitt　received　a　liberal　education　and　became　a　great　success　both　in　business　and　public　life。　　He　was　much　more　than　a　business　man；　mayor　of　New　York；　or　a　congressmanhe　was　public…spirited　and　a　wise　reformer。

Mr。　Hewitt　told　me　two　interesting　incidents　in　his　career。　　When　he　visited　England　he　was　received　with　many　and　flattering　attentions。　　Among　his　invitations　was　a　week…end　to　the　home　of　the　nobleman　upon　whose　estates　his　father　had　been　a　tenant…farmer。　　When　Mr。　Hewitt　told　the　nobleman；　who　was　entertaining　him　as　a　distinguished　American；　about　his　father's　former　relations　as　one　of　his　tenants；　the　nobleman　said：　　〃Your　father　made　a　great　mistake　in　giving　up　his　farm　and　emigrating　to　the　United　States。　　He　should　have　remained　here。〃

Mr。　Hewitt　said：　　〃But；　my　lord；　so　far　as　I　am　concerned　I　do　not　think　so。〃

〃Why？〃　asked　his　lordship。

〃Because；〃　answered　Mr。　Hewitt；　〃then　I　could　never　have　been　a　guest　on　equal　terms　in　your　house。〃

Mr。　Hewitt　was　one　of　the　foremost　iron　founders　and　steel　manufacturers　of　the　country。　　At　the　time　of　our　Civil　War　our　government　was　very　short　of　guns；　and　we　were　unable　to　manufacture　them　because　we　did　not　know　the　secret　of　gun…metal。

The　government　sent　Mr。　Hewitt　abroad　to　purchase　guns。　　The　English　gunmakers　at　once　saw　the　trouble　he　was　in　and　took　advantage　of　it。　　They　demanded　prices　several　times　greater　than　they　were　asking　from　other　customers；　and　refused　to　give　him　any　information　about　the　manufacture　of　gun…metal。

After　he　had　made　the　contract；　with　all　its　exorbitant　conditions；　he　went　to　his　hotel　and　invited　the　foreman　of　each　department　of　the　factory　to　meet　him。　　They　all　came。　　Mr。　Hewitt　explained　to　them　his　mission；　and　found　that　they　were　sympathetic　with　Mr。　Lincoln　and　his　administration　and　the　Union　cause。　　Then　he　told　them　of　the　trouble　he　had　had　with　their　employers；　and　the　hard　terms　which　they　had　imposed。　　He　asked　them　then　all　about　the　manufacture　of　gun…metal。　　Each　one　of　the　foremen　was　very　clear　and　explicit　as　to　his　part；　and　so　when　they　had　all　spoken；　Mr。　Hewitt；　with　his　expert　knowledge　of　the　business；　knew　all　the　secrets　of　the　manufacture　of　gun…metaI；　which　he；　of　course；　gave　to　the　government　at　Washington　for　use　in　their　several　arsenals　and　shops。

〃Now；〃　he　said　to　his　guests；　〃you　have　done　me　a　great　favor。　I　will　return　it。　　Your　company　is　obliged　by　the　contract　to　deliver　this　immense　order　within　a　limited　time。　　They　are　going　to　make　an　enormous　amount　of　money　out　of　it。　　You　strike　and　demand　what　you　think　is　right；　and　you　will　get　it　immediately。〃

The　gun　company　made　a　huge　profit　but　had　to　share　some　of　it　with　their　workers。　　It　was　an　early　instance　of　the　introduction　of　profit…sharing；　which　has　now　become　common　all　over　the　world。

One　of　the　most　interesting　Englishmen；　whom　I　saw　much　of　both　in　London　and　in　the　United　States；　was　Sir　Henry　Irving。　　The　world　of　art；　drama；　and　history　owes　much　to　him　for　his　revival　of　Shakespeare。　　Irving　was　a　genius　in　his　profession；　and　in　private　life　perfectly　delightful。

He　gave　me　a　dinner　and　it　was；　like　everything　he　did；　original。　Instead　of　the　usual　formal　entertainment；　he　had　the　dinner　at　one　of　the　old　royal　castles　in　the　country；　which　had　become　a　very　exclusive　hotel。　　He　carried　us　out　there　in　coaches。

The　company　of　authors；　playwrights；　and　men　of　affairs　made　the　entertainment　late　and　the　evening　memorable。　　Returning　home　on　the　top　of　the　coach；　the　full　moon　would　appear　and　reappear；　but　was　generally　under　a　cloud。　　Irving　remarked：　　〃I　do　much　better　with　that　old　moon　in　my　theatre。　　I　make　it　shine　or　obscure　it　with　clouds；　as　the　occasion　requires。〃

I　received　a　note　from　him　at　the　time　of　his　last　visit　to　the　United　States；　in　which　he　said　that　a　friend　from　the　western　part　of　the　country　was　giving　him　a　dinner　at　Delmonico's　to　precede　his　sailing　in　the　early　morning　on　his　voyage　home。　　The　company　was　to　be　large　and　all　good　friends；　and　he　had　the　positive　assurance　that　there　would　be　no　speaking；　and　wished　I　would　come。

The　dinner　was　everything　that　could　be　desired。　　The　company　was　a　wonderful　one　of　distinguished　representatives　of　American　life。　The　hours　passed　along　rapidly　and　joyously；　as　many　of　these　original　men　contributed　story；　racy　adventure；　or　song。

Suddenly　the　host　arose　and　said：　　〃Gentlemen；　we　have　with　us　to…night〃　　Of　course；　that　meant　an　introductory　speech　about　Irving　and　a　reply　from　the　guest。　　Irving　turned　to　me；　and　in　his　deepest　and　most　tragic　Macbeth　voice　said：　　〃God　damn　his　soul　to　hell！〃　　However；　he　rose　to　the　occasion；　and　an　hour　or　so　afterwards；　when　everybody　else　had　spoken；　not　satisfied　with　his　first　effort；　he　arose　and　made　a　much　better　and　longer　speech。　　He　was　an　admirable　after…dinner　speaker　as　well　as　an　unusual　actor。　　His　wonderful　presentations；　not　only　of　Shakespeare's　but　of　other　dramas；　did　very　much　for　the　stage　both　in　his　own　country　and　in　ours。

Those　who　heard　him　only　in　his　last　year　had　no　conception　of　him　in　his　prime。　　In　his　later　years　he　fell　into　the　fault；　so　common　with　public　speakers　and　actors；　of　running　words　together　and　failing　to　articulate　clearly。　　I　have　known　a　fine　speech　and　a　superior　sermon　and　a　great　part　in　a　play　ruined　because　of　the　failure　to　articulate　clearly。　　The　audience　could　not　follow　the　speaker　and　so　lost　interest。

Sir　Henry　told　me　a　delightful　story　about　Disraeli。　　A　young　relative　of　Irving's　took　orders　and　became　a　clergyman　in　the　Established　Church。　　At　the　request　of　Irving；　Disraeli　appointed　this　young　man　one　of　the　curates　at　Windsor。

One　day　the　clergyman　came　to　Irving　in　great　distress　and　said：　〃The　unexpected　has　happened。　　Every　one　has　dropped　out；　and　I　have　been　ordered　to　preach　on　Sunday。〃

Irving　took　him　to　see　Disraeli　for　advice。　　The　prime　minister　said　to　the　young　clergyman：　　〃If　you　preach　thirty　minutes；　Her　Majesty　will　be　bored。　　If　you　preach　fifteen　minutes；　Her　Majesty　will　be　pleased。　　If　you　preach　ten　minutes；　Her　Majesty　will　be　delighted。〃

〃But；〃　said　the　young　clergyman；　〃my　lord；　what　can　a　preacher　possibly　say　in　only　ten　minutes？〃

〃That；〃　answered　the　statesman；　〃will　be　a　matter　of　indifference　to　Her　Majesty。〃



Sir　Frederick　Leighton；　the　eminent　English　artist；　and　at　one　time　president　of　the　Royal　Academy；　was　one　of　the　most　charming　men　of　his　time。　　His　reminiscences　were　delightful　and　told　with　rare　dramatic　effect。　　I　remember　a　vivid　description　which　he　gave　me　of　the　wedding　of　one　of　the　British　royalties　with　a　German　princess。　　Sir　Frederick　was　one　of　the　large　and　distinguished　delegation　which　accompanied　the　prince。

The　principality　of　the　bride's　father　had　been　shorn　of　territory；　power；　and　revenue　during　the　centuries。　　Nevertheless；　at　the　time　of　the　wedding　he　maintained　a　ministry；　the　same　as　in　the　Middle　Ages；　and　a　miniature　army。　　Palaces；　built　centuries　before；　housed　the　Cabinet。

The　minister　of　foreign　affairs　came　to　Sir　Frederick　and　unbosomed　himself　of　his　troubles。　　He　said：　　〃According　to　the　usual　procedure　I　ought　to　give　a　ball　in　honor　of　the　union　of　our　house　with　the　royal　family　of　England。　　My　palace　is　large　enough；　but　my　salary　is　only　eight　hundred　a　year；　and　the　expense　would　eat　up　the　whole　of　it。〃

Sir　Frederick　said：　　〃Your　Excellency　can　overcome　the　difficulty　in　an　original　way。　　The　state　band　can　furnish　the　music；　and　that　will　cost　nothing。　　When　the　time　comes　for　the　banquet；　usher　the　guests　with　due　ceremony　to　a　repast　of　beer　and　p