Theyhadlearnedthathisagentwasemployedinshowingthephonographinadistanthallontheboulevardstoanaudiencewhopaidanadmissionfee;but，althoughtheyhadtriedtwoorthreetimestohavehisapparatusshownthem，theyhadbeenunsuccessful，untilatlast，fromafeelingofwhatwasduetheirownself—respect，theypassedthematteroverentirely。Ofcoursemydutywastodowhatwaspossibleinrectifyingthisomission，andinasgoodFrenchasIcouldmusterImadeaspeechinEdison’sbehalf，describinghiscareer，outlininghiswork，andsayingthatIshouldreallybeashamedtoreturntoAmericawithoutsomerecognitionofhimandofhisinventions。Thiswaslistenedtomostcourteously，butmysuccesswasinsuredbyaremarkofalessseriouscharacter，whichwasthatifEdisonhadnotyetmadeasufficientnumberofinventionstoentitlehimtoagrandprize，hewouldcertainly，attheratehewasgoingon，havedonesobeforethecloseoftheexposition。Atthistherewasalaugh，andmyamendmentwasunanimouslycarried。
Manyfeaturesinmyworkinterestedme，butonehadamelancholytinge。Oneafternoon，havingbeensummonedtopassuponcertaincompetingworksinsculpture，wefinallystoodbeforethegreatbronzeentrance—
doorsoftheCathedralofStrasburg，which，havingbeendesignedbeforetheFranco—PrussianWar，hadbutjustbeenfinished。Theywereverybeautiful;butIcouldseethatmyFrenchassociatesfeltdeeplythechangedsituationofaffairswhichthisexhibitbroughttotheirminds。
Inordertopromotethesocialrelationswhichgoforsomuchatsuchtimes，IhadtakenthelargeapartmenttemporarilyrelinquishedbyourAmericanminister，GovernorNoyesofOhio，intheAvenueJosephine;andthere，atmyowntable，broughttogetherfromtimetotimeaconsiderablenumberofnotedmenfromvariouspartsofEurope。PerhapsthemostamusingoccurrenceduringtheseriesofdinnersIthengavewasthemeetingbetweenStory，theAmericansculptoratRome，andJudgeBradyofNewYork。Foryearseachhadbeentakenfortheother，invariouspartsoftheworld，buttheyhadnevermet。
Infact，socommonwasitforpeopletomistakeonefortheotherthatbothhad，asarule，ceasedtoexplainthemistake。IwasmyselfpresentwithStoryononeoccasionwhenagentlemancameuptohim，salutedhimasJudgeBrady，andaskedhimabouttheirfriendsinNewYork:
Storytooknotroubletoundeceivehisinterlocutor，butremarkedthat，sofarasheknew，theywereallwell，andendedtheinterviewwithcommonplaces。
ThesetwoDromiosevidentlyenjoyedmeeting，andnothingcouldbemoreamusingthantheiraccountsofvariousinstancesinwhicheachhadbeenmistakenfortheother。Eachhadarichveinofhumor，andbothpresentedthedetailsoftheseoccurrenceswithespecialzest。
AnotherAmerican，offoreignbirth，wasnotquitesocharming。Hewasamanofvalueinhisprofession;buthisdesireforpromotionoutranhisdiscretion。HavingservedasjurorattheViennaExposition，hehadnowbeenappointedtoasimilarplaceinParis;andafteroneofmydinnershecameuptoagroupinwhichthereweretwoorthreemembersoftheFrenchcabinet，andsaid:
``Mr。Vite，IvishyouvouldjoostdelldesezhentlemenvatIamdoingvorVrance。IvasondedastinggommitteeforvinesundpeersatVien，andit’mostkilledme;andnowIamheredoingdesameduty，andmystomachhasnearlygonepackonme。TelldesezhentlemendatdeFrenchGovernmentzurelyoughttogonferubonmedeLegionofHonor。’’Thiswasspokenwiththeutmostseriousness，andwasembarrassing，since，ofallsubjects，thatwhichaFrenchministerleastwishestodiscusspubliclyistheconferringoftheredribbon。
EmbarrassingalsowasthejubilationofsomeofourAmericanexhibitorsatourcelebrationoftheFourthofJulyintheBoisdeBoulogne。Doubtlesstheywereexcellentcitizens，butneverwasthereabetterexemplificationofDr。Arnold’ssayingthat``atravellerisaself—constitutedoutlaw。’’Agenerousbuffethadbeenprovided，aftertheFrenchfashion，withasufficiencyofviandsandwhateverwinewasneeded。Tomyamazement，thesemen，whoathomeweremostofthem，probably，steady—going``temperancemen，’’weresoovercomewiththeideathatchampagnewastobeservedadlibitum，thatthewholethingcameneardegeneratingintoanorgy。A
Europeanofthesamerank，accustomedtodrinkingwinemoderatelywithhisdinner，wouldhavesimplytakenaglassortwoandthoughtnomoreofit;butthesegentlemenseemedtoseeinittheoccasionoftheirlives。Bottleswereseizedandemptied，glassafterglass，downthethroatsofmyimpulsivefellow—citizens:inmanycasesabottleandmoretoaman。Thencametheworstofit。
IthadbeenarrangedthatspeechesshouldbemadeunderaneighboringtentbyleadingmembersoftheFrenchcabinetwhohadacceptedinvitationstoaddressus。Butwhentheyproceededtodothisdifficultiesarose。Anumberofourcompatriots，undulyexhilarated，andunderstandinglittlethatwassaid，firstapplaudedongeneralprinciples，butatthewrongplaces，andfinallybrokeoutintoapostrophessuchas``SpeakEnglish，oldboy！’’
``TalkYankeefashion！’’``RememberthegloriousFourth！’’``GiveittotheBritish！’’``Maketheeaglescream！’’andthelike。Theresultwasthatwewereobligedtomakemostearnestappealstothesegentlemen，beggingthemnottodisgraceourcountry;and，finally，theproceedingswerecutshort。
Norwasthistheend。AsIcamedowntheChampslysesafterward，Imetseveralgroupsofthesepatriots，whoshowedbytheirwalkandconversationthattheyweredecidedlytheworsefortheircelebrationoftheday;andthewholethingledmetoreflectseriouslyonthedrinkproblem，andtoaskwhetherourAmericansolutionofitisthebest。Ihavebeenpresentatmanylargefestiveassemblages，invariouspartsofEurope，wherewinewasofferedfreelyasamatterofcourse;butneverhaveIseenanythingtoapproachthisperformanceofmycountrymen。IhavebeenoneoffourthousandpeopleattheHteldeVilleinParisontheoccasionofagreatball，atotherentertainmentsalmostaslargeinotherContinentalcountries，andatdinnerpartiesinnumerableineveryEuropeancountry;butnever，saveinoneinstance，werethefestivitiesdisturbedbyanymanonaccountofdrink。
ThemosteminentofAmericantemperanceadvocatesduringmyyoungmanhood，Mr。Delavan，insistedthathefoundItaly，whereallpeople，men，women，andchildren，drinkwinewiththeirmeals，iftheycangetit，themosttemperatecountryhehadeverseen;and，havingmademorethantwelvedifferentsojournsinItaly，Icanconfirmthatopinion。
So，too，againandagain，whentravelingintheolddaysonthetopofadiligencethroughvillageaftervillageinFrance，wherethepeoplewerecommemoratingthepatronsaintoftheirdistrict，Ihavepassedthroughcrowdsofmen，women，andchildrenseatedbytheroadsidedrinkingwine，cider，andbeer，and，sofarasonecouldsee，therewasnodrunkenness;certainlynoneofthesqualid，brutal，swinishsort。Itmayindeedbesaidthat，inspiteoflightstimulants，drunkennesshasoflateyearsincreasedinFrance，especiallyamongartisansanddaylaborers。Ifthisbeso，itcomestostrengthenmyview。Forthemainreasonwilldoubtlessbefoundintheincreasedpricesoflightwines，duetovinediseasesandthelike，whichhavedriventhepoorerclassestoseekfarmorenoxiousbeverages。
So，too，inGermany。Likeeveryresidentinthatcountry，Ihaveseengreatcrowdsdrinkingmuchbeer，and，thoughIgreatlydislikethatsortofguzzling，Ineversawanythingofthebeastly，crazy，drunkenexhibitionswhicharesocommononIndependenceDayandcounty—
fairdayinmanyAmericantownswheretotalabstinenceisloudlypreachedandostensiblypractised。LeastofalldoIadmirethebeer—swillingpropensitiesoftheGermanstudents，andstillImustconfessthatIhaveneverseenanythingsowild，wicked，outrageous，anddestructivetosoulandbodyasthedrinkingofdistilledliquorsatbarswhich，inmystudentdays，IsawamongAmericanstudents。
ButImakehastetosaythatwithinthelasttwentyorthirtyyearsAmericanstudentshaveimprovedimmenselyinthisrespect。Athleticsandgreaterinterestinstudy，causedbythesubstitutionofthestudents’ownaimsandtastesfortheoldcast—ironcurriculum，aredoubtlessthemainreasonsforthisimprovement。[12]
[12]FurtherreasonsforthisimprovementIhaveendeavoredtogivemoreindetailelsewhere。
Yet，inspiteofthisredeemingthing，thefactremainsthatoneofthegreatestcursesofAmericanlifeisthedram—drinkingofdistilledliquorsatbars;andonekeyofthewholemiseryistheAmericanhabitof``treating，’’——ahabitunknowninothercountries。Forexample，inAmerica，ifTom，Dick，andHarryhappentomeetatahotel，orinthestreet，todiscusspoliticsorbusiness，TominvitesDickandHarrytodrinkwithhim，which，inaccordancewiththecodeexistingamonglargeclassesofourfellow—citizens，DickandHarryfeelboundtodo。
AfteralittlemoretalkDickinvitesHarryandTomtodrink;theyfeelobligedtoaccept;andfinallyHarryinvitesTomandDick，withlikeresult;sothatthesethreemenhavepoureddowntheirthroatsseveralglassesofburningstimulants，perhapsinthemorning，perhapsjustbeforethemiddaymeal，oratsomeotherespeciallyunsuitabletime，withresultsmoreorlessinjurioustoeachofthem，physicallyandmorally。
TheEuropean，moresensible，takeswithhisdinner，asarule，aglassortwoofwineorbeer，andislittle，ifatall，theworseforit。Ifheevertakesanydistilledliquor，hesipsaverysmallglassofitafterhisdinner，toaiddigestion。
Itismyearnestconviction，baseduponwideobservationinmyowncountryaswellasinmanyothersduringabouthalfacentury，thattheAmericantheoryandpracticeasregardsthedrinkquestionaregenerallymoreperniciousthanthoseofanyothercivilizednation。I
amnotnowspeakingofTOTALABSTINENCE——ofthat，morepresently。ButthebestTEMPERANCEworkersamongusthatIknowarethemenwhobrewlight，purebeer，andthevine—growersinCaliforniawhoraiseandsellataverylowpricewinespleasantandsalutary，ifanywinescanbeso。
Astothosewhohavenoself—restraint，beerandwine，likemanyotherthings，promotethe``survivalofthefittest，’’andare，likemanyotherthings，``fool—killers，’’
aidingtofreethenextgenerationfrommenofviciouspropensitiesandweakwill。
Irepeatit，thecurseofAmericansociallife，amongaveryconsiderableclassofourpeople，is``perpendiculardrinking’’——thatis，thepouringdownofglassafterglassofdistilledspirits，mostlyadulterated，atallsortsofinopportunetimes，andlargelyunderthesystemof``treating。’’
Thebestcureforthis，inmyjudgment，w...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：