По эту сторону рая
Interlude
Evenfortyyearsagowehadgoodmeninpolitics,butwe,wearebroughtuptopileupamillionand"showwhatwearemadeof."SometimesIwishI’dbeenanEnglishman;Americanlifeissodamneddumbandstupidandhealthy.
SincepoorBeatricediedI’llprobablyhavealittlemoney,butverydarnlittle.Icanforgivemotheralmosteverythingexceptthefactthatinasuddenburstofreligiositytowardtheend,shelefthalfofwhatremainedtobespentinstained-glasswindowsandseminaryendowments.Mr.Barton,mylawyer,writesmethatmythousandsaremostlyinstreetrailwaysandthatthesaidStreetR.R.sarelosingmoneybecauseofthefive-centfares.Imagineasalarylistthatgives$350amonthtoamanthatcan’treadandwrite!—yetIbelieveinit,eventhoughI’veseenwhatwasonceasizablefortunemeltawaybetweenspeculation,extravagance,thedemocraticadministration,andtheincometax—modern,that’smeallover,Mabel.
Atanyratewe’llhavereallyknock-outrooms—youcangetajobonsomefashionmagazine,andAleccangointotheZincCompanyorwhateveritisthathispeopleown—he’slookingovermyshoulderandhesaysit’sabrasscompany,butIdon’tthinkitmattersmuch,doyou?There’sprobablyasmuchcorruptioninzinc-mademoneyasbrass-mademoney.Asforthewell-knownAmory,hewouldwriteimmortalliteratureifheweresureenoughaboutanythingtorisktellinganyoneelseaboutit.Thereisnomoredangerousgifttoposteritythanafewcleverlyturnedplatitudes.