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their belief had long ceased to be so。 They had weights and measure；
stamped in an earlier time； a time surer of itself than ours； by which
they rated the merit of all comers； and rejected such as did not bear the
test。 These standards were their own； and they were satisfied with them；
most Americans have no standards of their own； but these are not
satisfied even with other people's； and so our society is in a state of
tolerant and tremulous misgiving。
Family counted in Cambridge； without doubt； as it counts in New England
everywhere； but family alone did not mean position； and the want of
family did not mean the want of it。 Money still less than family
commanded； one could be openly poor in Cambridge without open shame； or
shame at all； for no one was very rich there； and no one was proud of his
riches。
I do not wonder that Turguenieff thought the conditions ideal； as Boyesen
portrayed them to him； and I look back at my own life there with wonder
at my good fortune。 I was sensible； and I still am sensible this had its
alloys。 I was young and unknown and was making my way； and I had to
suffer some of the penalties of these disadvantages； but I do not believe
that anywhere else in this ill…contrived economy； where it is vainly
imagined that the material struggle forms a high incentive and
inspiration； would my penalties have been so light。 On the other hand；
the good that was done me I could never repay if I lived all over again
for others the life that I have so long lived for myself。 At times； when
I had experienced from those elect spirits with whom I was associated；
some act of friendship； as signal as it was delicate； I used to ask
myself； how I could ever do anything unhandsome or ungenerous towards any
one again； and I had a bad conscience the next time I did it。
The air of the Cambridge that I knew was sufficiently cool to be bracing；
but what was of good import in me flourished in it。 The life of the
place had its lateral limitations； sometimes its lights failed to detect
excellent things that lay beyond it； but upward it opened illimitably。
I speak of it frankly because that life as I witnessed it is now almost
wholly of the past。 Cambridge is still the home of much that is good and
fine in our literature： one realizes this if one names Colonel Thomas
Wentworth Higginson； Mr。 John Fiske； Mr。 William James； Mr。 Horace E。
Scudder； not to name any others； but the first had not yet come back to
live in his birthplace at the time I have been writing of； and the rest
had not yet their actual prominence。 One； in deed among so many absent；
is still present there； whom from time to time I have hitherto named
without offering him the recognition which I should have known an
infringement of his preferences。 But the literary Cambridge of thirty
years ago could not be clearly imagined or justly estimated without
taking into account the creative sympathy of a man whose contributions to
our literature only partially represent what he has constantly done for
the humanities。 I am sure that； after the easy heroes of the day are
long forgot； and the noisy fames of the strenuous life shall dwindle to
their essential insignificance before those of the gentle life； we shall
all see in Charles Eliot Norton the eminent scholar who left the quiet of
his books to become our chief citizen at the moment when he warned his
countrymen of the ignominy and disaster of doing wrong。
End