Эпоха невинности

           Inspiteofoddwaystheyweresaidtobe,forthemostpart,quiterespectable;buttheypreferredtokeeptothemselves.MedoraManson,inherprosperousdays,hadinaugurateda"literarysalon";butithadsoondiedoutowingtothereluctanceoftheliterarytofrequentit.Othershadmadethesameattempt,andtherewasahouseholdofBlenkers—anintenseandvolublemother,andthreeblowsydaughterswhoimitatedher—whereonemetEdwinBoothandPattiandWilliamWinter,andthenewShakespearianactorGeorgeRignold,andsomeofthemagazineeditorsandmusicalandliterarycritics.Mrs.Archerandhergroupfeltacertaintimidityconcerningthesepersons.Theywereodd,theywereuncertain,theyhadthingsonedidn’tknowaboutinthebackgroundoftheirlivesandminds.LiteratureandartweredeeplyrespectedintheArcherset,andMrs.ArcherwasalwaysatpainstotellherchildrenhowmuchmoreagreeableandcultivatedsocietyhadbeenwhenitincludedsuchfiguresasWashingtonIrving,Fitz-GreeneHalleckandthepoetof"TheCulpritFay."Themostcelebratedauthorsofthatgenerationhadbeen"gentlemen";perhapstheunknownpersonswhosucceededthemhadgentlemanlysentiments,buttheirorigin,theirappearance,theirhair,theirintimacywiththestageandtheOpera,madeanyoldNewYorkcriterioninapplicabletothem."WhenIwasagirl,"Mrs.Archerusedtosay,"wekneweverybodybetweentheBatteryandCanalStreet;andonlythepeopleoneknewhadcarriages.Itwasperfectlyeasytoplaceanyonethen;nowonecan’ttell,andIprefernottotry.