登陆注册
5219000000096

第96章 Behind the Times(1)

It was my lot to attend but one of the weddings which Hortense precipitated (or at least determined)by her plunge into the water;and,truth to say,the honor of my presence at the other was not requested;therefore I am unable to describe the nuptials of Hortense and Charley.

But the papers were full of them;what the female guests wore,what the male guests were worth,and what both ate and drank,were set forth in many columns of printed matter;and if you did not happen to see this,just read the account of the next wedding that occurs among the New York yellow rich,and you will know how Charley and Hortense were married;for it's always the same thing.The point of mark in this particular ceremony of union lay in Charley's speech;Charley found a happy thought at the breakfast.The bridal party (so the papers had it)sat on a dais,and was composed exclusively of Oil,Sugar,Beef,Steel,and Union Pacific;merely at this one table five hundred million dollars were sitting (so the papers computed),and it helped the bridegroom to his idea,when,by the importunate vociferations of the company,he was forced to get on his unwilling legs.

"Poets and people of that sort say"(Charley concluded,after thanking them)"that happiness cannot be bought with money.Well,I guess a poet never does learn how to make a dollar do a dollar's work.But I am no poet;and I have learned it is as well to have a few dollars around.And I guess that my friends and I,right here at this table,could organize a corner in happiness any day we chose.And if we do,we will let you all in on it."I am told that the bride looked superb,both in church and at the reception which took place in the house of Kitty;and that General Rieppe,in spite of his shattered health,maintained a noble appearance through the whole ordeal of parting with his daughter.I noticed that Beverly Rodgers and Gazza figured prominently among the invited guests:

Bohm did not have to be invited,for some time before the wedding he had become the husband of the successfully divorced Kitty.So much for the nuptials of Hortense and Charley;they were,as one paper pronounced them,"up to date and distingue."The paper omitted the accent in the French word,which makes it,I think,fit this wedding even more happily.

"So Hortense,"I said to myself as I read the paper,"has squared herself with Charley after all."And I sat wondering if she would be happy.But she was not constructed for happiness.You cannot be constructed for all the different sorts of experiences which this world offers:each of our natures has its specialty.Hortense was constructed for pleasure;and Ihave no doubt she got it,if not through Charley,then by other means.

The marriage of Eliza La Heu and John Mayrant was of a different quality;no paper pronounced it "up to date,"or bestowed any other adjectival comments upon it;for,being solemnized in Kings Port,where such purely personal happenings are still held (by the St.Michael family,at any rate)to be no business of any one's save those immediately concerned,the event escaped the famishment of publicity.Yes,this marriage was solemnized,a word that I used above without forethought,and now repeat with intention;for certainly no respecter of language would write it of the yellow rich and their blatant unions.If you're a Bohm or a Charley,you may trivialize or vulgarize or bestialize your wedding,but solemnize it you don't,for that is not "up to date."And to the marriage of Eliza and John I went;for not only was the honor of my presence requested,but John wrote me,in both their names,a personal note,which came to me far away in the mountains,whither I had gone from Kings Port.This was the body of the note:--"To the formal invitation which you will receive,Miss La Heu joins her wish with mine that you will not be absent on that day.We should both really miss you.Miss La Heu begs me to add that if this is not sufficient inducement,you shall have a slice of Lady Baltimore."Not a long note!But you will imagine how genuinely I was touched by their joint message.I was not an old acquaintance,and I had done little to help them in their troubles,but I came into the troubles;with their memory of those days I formed a part,and it was a part which it warmed me to know they did not dislike to recall.I had actually been present at their first meeting,that day when John visited the Exchange to order his wedding-cake,and Eliza had rushed after him,because in his embarrassment he had forgotten to tell her the date for which he wanted it.

同类推荐
  • 飛跎全傳

    飛跎全傳

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 记事珠

    记事珠

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 残唐五代史演义传

    残唐五代史演义传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Love-Songs of Childhood

    Love-Songs of Childhood

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 反三国志演义

    反三国志演义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 心灵故事

    心灵故事

    无数事实、经验和理性已经证明:好故事可以影响人的一生。而以我们之见,所谓好故事,在内容上讲述的应是做人与处世的道理,在形式上也应听得进、记得住、讲得出、传得开,而且不会因时代的变迁而失去她的本质特征和艺术光彩。为了让更多的读者走进好故事,阅读好故事,欣赏好故事,珍藏好故事,传播好故事,我们特编选了一套“故事会5元精品系列”以飨之。其选择标准主要有以下三点:一、在《故事会》杂志上发表的作品。二、有过目不忘的艺术感染力。三、有恒久的趣味,对今天的读者仍有启迪作用。愿好故事伴随你的一生!
  • 进入电影

    进入电影

    仰躺于黑湖畔,风吹起霍格沃兹的柳树;漫步纽约街头,复仇者与机械军团争锋;东胜神州之巅,紫霞仙子绽放无邪微笑;——————————————————通俗版本:你想看一场电影,还是进入电影?新书超神黑客已发,各位书友鼎力支持——————————————————已完成:《黑客》、《神匠职业领主》、《超级灵泉》、《危机》
  • 理想透视

    理想透视

    歌德说:“名言集和格言集是社会上最大的财宝——只要懂得在适当的场合把前者带进会话里,在适当的时间唤起对后者的记忆。我们人类社会那些出类拔萃的名家巨人,在推动人类社会向前不断发展的同时,也给我们留下了宝贵的物质财富。他们通过自身的体验和观察研究,还给我们留下了许多有益的经验和感悟,他们将其付诸语言表达出来,被称之为名言或格言,其中蕴含并闪耀着智慧的光芒,成为世人宝贵的精神财富。人们将之作为座右铭,产生着无限的灵感、启发、智慧和力量,从而成为人生的航灯。作为人生的追求者,茫茫人海,关键在于找到属于自己的名家导师,关键在于找到鼓舞自己的名言警句,当然,最关键的是在这些金玉良言的指导下付诸切实的行动。
  • 傲世邪妻:财迷宝宝要休爹

    傲世邪妻:财迷宝宝要休爹

    一袭红衣烈如火,一身白衣冷如冰!姬氏有女双姝劫,傲娇王爷娶邪妻。原本是冷血杀手的她莫名其妙的怀孕了,可生活一点也不眷顾她,因为在得知她怀孕后,孩子的父亲逼迫她在自己病危的母亲跟自己的孩子之间选择一个,她还没有来得及选择生命就已经被终结。当她再次睁开双眼,自己已经到了一个陌生的世界,在这个世界里,她摇身一变成了姬府最废材的二小姐,姐姐欺负她,未婚夫背叛她,连街边的乞丐都嘲笑她…可一次意外的坠落悬崖让她变成了另一个人,随着她额头上如火苗一般浮现出来的红色印记,外界从此对她有了新的传言……
  • Danny's Own Story

    Danny's Own Story

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 青葱岁月莫负TA

    青葱岁月莫负TA

    她,是平平无奇的一枚骨灰粉。他,是娱乐圈的青年优质偶像。一个十几岁的女孩,是怎么在众多粉丝中脱颖而出?那年夏天,粉丝和偶像的相遇,会擦出怎样的火花? 我的天!偶像拉了我的手! 我的天!我去了偶像的家! 我的天!偶像还是我的男朋友!? 难道我就是传说中平平无奇的恋爱小天才?本文纯属虚构,作者初中学生党,不喜勿喷。希望大家多提建议,感谢支持,感谢陪伴!这里忆仟诺,喜欢作者文笔的欢迎加群,诺诺读者群:639364688(QQ群)
  • 总裁大人,恋爱吗

    总裁大人,恋爱吗

    酒吧门口。余温把三年前抛弃他的女人塞上车。“女人,还敢出现在我面前?”“余温,你想做什么?”“总算记起我的名字了?”记起?她哪里需要记,在这几年最灰暗的时光,都是靠着叨念他的名字,她才熬了过来,即使他已经和别的女人结婚三年,她从来没有忘记过他……
  • 藏地密码7

    藏地密码7

    一部关于西藏的百科全书式小说!了解西藏,就读《藏地密码》!十年经典,强势回归!火爆热销10周年!数千万粉丝的真爱之选!揭开藏传佛教谜团:香格里拉到底在哪里?这是一个西藏已经开放为全世界的旅游胜地却依旧守口如瓶的秘密——公元838年,吐蕃末代赞普朗达玛登位,随即宣布禁佛。在禁佛运动中,僧侣们提前将宝物埋藏,随后将其秘密转移,他们修建了一座神庙,称为帕巴拉神庙。随着时光流失,战火不断,那座隐藏着无尽佛家珍宝的神庙彻底消失于历史尘埃之中……1938年和1943年,希特勒曾派助手希姆莱两次带队深入西藏;上世纪65年代,斯大林曾派苏联专家团前后五次考察西藏,他们的秘密行动意味深远,没有人知道他们的真实目的。多年之后,藏獒专家卓木强巴突然收到一封信,里面是两张远古神兽的照片……不久后,一支由特种兵、考古学家、密修高手等各色人物组成的神秘科考队,悄悄出发,开始了一场穿越生死禁地的探险之旅,他们要追寻藏传佛教千年隐秘历史的真相……西藏,到底向我们隐瞒了什么?
  • 巴尔扎克短篇选

    巴尔扎克短篇选

    《巴尔扎克短篇选》本书分为《萨哈西妠》、《认不出的杰作》、《巴黎的一条街道和它的居民》等短文。
  • 狠人石铁

    狠人石铁

    石铁,人狠话不多,冷静如屠夫,一步步缔造无敌传奇!