Мхи старой усадьбы
The Celestial Railroad
Theseingeniousmethodsconstituteasortofmachinery,bywhichthoughtandstudyaredonetoeveryperson’shandwithouthisputtinghimselftotheslightestinconvenienceinthematter.Thereisanotherspeciesofmachineforthewholesalemanufactureofindividualmorality.Thisexcellentresultiseffectedbysocietiesforallmannerofvirtuouspurposes,withwhichamanhasmerelytoconnecthimself,throwing,asitwere,hisquotaofvirtueintothecommonstock,andthepresidentanddirectorswilltakecarethattheaggregateamountbewellapplied.Allthese,andotherwonderfulimprovementsinethics,religion,andliterature,beingmadeplaintomycomprehensionbytheingeniousMr.Smooth-it-away,inspiredmewithavastadmirationofVanityFair.
Itwouldfillavolume,inanageofpamphlets,wereItorecordallmyobservationsinthisgreatcapitalofhumanbusinessandpleasure.Therewasanunlimitedrangeofsociety—thepowerful,thewise,thewitty,andthefamousineverywalkoflife;princes,presidents,poets,generals,artists,actors,andphilanthropists,—allmakingtheirownmarketatthefair,anddeemingnopricetooexorbitantforsuchcommoditiesashittheirfancy.Itwaswellworthone’swhile,evenifhehadnoideaofbuyingorselling,toloiterthroughthebazaarsandobservethevarioussortsoftrafficthatweregoingforward.
Someofthepurchasers,Ithought,madeveryfoolishbargains.
