ponkapog papers-第5部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


I　HEAR　that　B…　directed　to　have　himself　buried　on　the　edge　of　the　pond　where　his　duck…　stand　was　located；　in　order　that　flocks　of　migrat…　ing　birds　might　fly　over　his　grave　every　autumn。　He　did　not　have　to　die；　to　become　a　dead　shot。　A　comrade　once　said　of　him：　〃Yes；　B…　is　a　great　sportsman。　　He　has　peppered　every…　thing　from　grouse　in　North　Dakota　to　his　best　friend　in　the　Maine　woods。〃

WHEN　the　novelist　introduces　a　bore　into　his　novel　he　must　not　let　him　bore　the　reader。　　The　fellow　must　be　made　amusing；　which　he　would　not　be　in　real　life。　　In　nine　cases　out　of　ten　an　exact　reproduction　of　real　life　would　prove　tedious。　　Facts　are　not　necessarily　valuable；　and　frequently　they　add　nothing　to　fiction。　　The　art　of　the　realistic　novelist　sometimes　seems　akin　to　that　of　the　Chinese　tailor　who　perpetuated　the　old　patch　on　the　new　trousers。　　True　art　selects　and　paraphrases；　but　seldom　gives　a　verbatim　translation。

THE　last　meeting　I　had　with　Lowell　was　in　the　north　room　of　his　house　at　Elmwood；　the　sleep…　ing…room　I　had　occupied　during　a　two　years'　tenancy　of　the　place　in　his　absence　abroad。　　He　was　lying　half　propped　up　in　bed；　convales…　cing　from　one　of　the　severe　attacks　that　were　ultimately　to　prove　fatal。　　Near　the　bed　was　a　chair　on　which　stood　a　marine　picture　in　aqua…　rellea　stretch　of　calm　sea；　a　bit　of　rocky　shore　in　the　foreground；　if　I　remember；　and　a　vessel　at　anchor。　　The　afternoon　sunlight；　falling　through　the　window；　cast　a　bloom　over　the　pic…　ture；　which　was　turned　toward　Lowell。　　From　time　to　time；　as　he　spoke；　his　eyes　rested　thoughtfully　on　the　water…color。　　A　friend；　he　said；　had　just　sent　it　to　him。　　It　seemed　to　me　then；　and　the　fancy　has　often　haunted　me　since；　that　that　ship；　in　the　golden　haze；　with　top…　sails　loosened；　was　waiting　to　bear　his　spirit　away。

CIVILIZATION　is　the　lamb's　skin　in　which　bar…　barism　masquerades。　　If　somebody　has　already　said　that；　I　forgive　him　the　mortification　he　causes　me。　　At　the　beginning　of　the　twentieth　century　barbarism　can　throw　off　its　gentle　dis…　guise；　and　burn　a　man　at　the　stake　as　compla…　cently　as　in　the　Middle　Ages。

WHAT　is　slang　in　one　age　sometimes　goes　into　the　vocabulary　of　the　purist　in　the　next。　　On　the　other　hand；　expressions　that　once　were　not　considered　inelegant　are　looked　at　askance　in　the　period　following。　　The　word　〃brass〃　was　formerly　an　accepted　synonym　for　money；　but　at　present；　when　it　takes　on　that　significance；　it　is　not　admitted　into　genteel　circles　of　language。　It　may　be　said　to　have　seen　better　days；　like　another　word　I　have　in　minda　word　that　has　become　slang；　employed　in　the　sense　which　once　did　not　exclude　it　from　very　good　society。　A　friend　lately　informed　me　that　he　had　〃fired〃　his　housekeeperthat　is；　dismissed　her。　　He　little　dreamed　that　he　was　speaking　excellent　Elizabethan。

THE　〃Journal　des　Goncourt〃　is　crowded　with　beautiful　and　hideous　things；　like　a　Japanese　Museum。

〃AND　she　shuddered　as　she　sat；　still　silent；　on　her　seat；　and　he　saw　that　she　shuddered。〃　　This　is　from　Anthony　Trollope's　novel；　〃Can　You　Forgive　Her？〃　　Can　you　forgive　him？　is　the　next　question。

A　LITTLE　thing　may　be　perfect；　but　perfection　is　not　a　little　thing。　　Possessing　this　quality；　a　trifle　〃no　bigger　than　an　agate…stone　on　the　forefinger　of　an　alderman〃　shall　outlast　the　Pyramids。　　The　world　will　have　forgotten　all　the　great　masterpieces　of　literature　when　it　for…　gets　Lovelace's　three　verses　to　Lucasta　on　his　going　to　the　wars。　　More　durable　than　marble　or　bronze　are　the　words；　〃I　could　not　love　thee；　deare；　so　much；　loved　I　not　honor　more。〃

I　CALLED　on　the　dear　old　doctor　this　afternoon　to　say　good…by。　　I　shall　probably　not　find　him　here　when　I　come　back　from　the　long　voyage　which　I　have　in　front　of　me。　　He　is　very　fragile；　and　looks　as　though　a　puff　of　wind　would　blow　him　away。　　He　said　himself；　with　his　old…time　cheerfulness；　that　he　was　attached　to　this　earth　by　only　a　little　piece　of　twine。　　He　has　percep…　tibly　failed　since　I　saw　him　a　month　ago；　but　he　was　full　of　the　wise　and　radiant　talk　to　which　all　the　world　has　listened；　and　will　miss。　　I　found　him　absorbed　in　a　newly　made　card…cata…　logue　of　his　library。　　〃It　was　absurd　of　me　to　have　it　done；〃　he　remarked。　　〃What　I　really　require　is　a　little　bookcase　holding　only　two　volumes；　then　I　could　go　from　one　to　the　other　in　alternation　and　always　find　each　book　as　fresh　as　if　I　never　had　read　it。〃　　This　arraignment　of　his　memory　was　in　pure　jest；　for　the　doctor's　mind　was　to　the　end　like　an　unclouded　crystal。　It　was　interesting　to　note　how　he　studied　him…　self；　taking　his　own　pulse；　as　it　were；　and　diag…　nosing　his　own　case　in　a　sort　of　scientific；　impersonal　way；　as　if　it　were　somebody　else's　case　and　he　were　the　consulting　specialist。　　I　intended　to　spend　a　quarter　of　an　hour　with　him；　and　he　kept　me　three　hours。　　I　went　there　rather　depressed；　but　I　returned　home　leavened　with　his　good　spirits；　which；　I　think；　will　never　desert　him；　here　or　hereafter。　　To　keep　the　heart　unwrinkled；　to　be　hopeful；　kindly；　cheerful；　reverentthat　is　to　triumph　over　old　age。

THE　thing　one　reads　and　likes；　and　then　forgets；　is　of　no　account。　　The　thing　that　stays；　and　haunts　one；　and　refuses　to　be　forgotten；　that　is　the　sincere　thing。　　I　am　describing　the　impres…　sion　left　upon　me　by　Mr。　Howells's　blank…verse　sketch　called　〃Father　and　Mother：　A　Mystery〃　a　strangely　touching　and　imaginative　piece　of　work；　not　unlike　in　effect　to　some　of　Mae…　terlinck's　psychical　dramas。　　As　I　read　on；　I　seemed　to　be　standing　in　a　shadow　cast　by　some　half…remembered　experience　of　my　own　in　a　previous　state　of　existence。　　When　I　went　to　bed　that　night　I　had　to　lie　awake　and　think　it　over　as　an　event　that　had　actually　befallen　me。　I　should　call　the　effect　weird；　if　the　word　had　not　lately　been　worked　to　death。　　The　gloom　of　Poe　and　the　spirituality　of　Hawthorne　touch　cold　finger…tips　in　those　three　or　four　pages。

FOR　a　character…studya　man　made　up　en…　tirely　of　limitations。　　His　conservatism　and　neg…　ative　qualities　to　be　represented　as　causing　him　to　attain　success　where　men　of　conviction　and　real　ability　fail　of　it。

A　DARK；　saturnine　man　sat　opposite　me　at　table　on　board　the　steamer。　　During　the　entire　run　from　Sandy　Hook　to　Fastnet　Light　he　addressed　no　one　at　meal…times　excepting　his　table　steward。　Seated　next　to　him；　on　the　right；　was　a　viva…　cious　gentleman；　who；　like　Gratiano　in　the　play；　spoke　〃an　infinite　deal　of　nothing。〃　　He　made　persistent　and　pathetic　attempts　to　lure　his　silent　neighbor　（we　had　christened　him　〃William　the　Silent〃）　into　conversation；　but　a　monosyllable　was　always　the　poor　resultuntil　one　day。　　It　was　the　last　day　of　the　voyage。　　We　had　stopped　at　the　entrance　to　Queenstown　harbor　to　deliver　the　mails；　and　some　fish　had　been　brought　aboard。　　The　vivacious　gentleman　was　in　a　high　state　of　excitement　that　morning　at　table。　〃Fresh　fish！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃actually　fresh！　They　seem　quite　different　from　ours。　　Irish　fish；　of　course。　　Can　you　tell　me；　sir；〃　he　inquired；　turning　to　his　gloomy　shipmate；　〃what　kind　of　fish　these　are？〃　　〃Cork　soles；〃　said　the　saturn…　ine　man；　in　a　deep　voice；　and　then　went　on　with　his　breakfast。

LOWELL　used　to　find　food　for　great　mirth　in　General　George　P。　Morris's　line；

　　　　　Her　heart　and　morning　broke　together。

Lowell's　well…beloved　Dr。　Donne；　however；　had　an　attack　of　the　same　platitude；　and　pos…　sibly　inoculated　poor　Morris。　　Even　literature　seems　to　have　its　mischief…making　bacilli。　　The　late　〃incomparable　and　ingenious　Dean　of　St。　Paul's〃　says；

　　　　　The　day　breaks　not；　it　is　my　heart。

I　think　Dr。　Donne's　case　rather　worse　than　Morris's。　　Chaucer　had　the　malady　in　a　milder　form　when　he　wrote：

　　　　　Up　roos　the　sonne；　and　up　roos　Emelye。　

The　charming　naivete　of　it！

SITTING　in　Ellen　Terry's　dressing…room　at　the　Lyceum　Theatre　one　evening　during　that　lady's　temporary　absence　on　the　stage；　Sarah　Bern…　hardt　picked　up　a　crayon　and　wrote　this　pretty　word　on　the　mirrorDearling；　mistaking　it　for　the　word　darling。　　The　French　actress　lighted　by　chance　upon　a　Spenserianism　now　become　obsolete　without　good　reason。　　It　is　a　more　charming　adjective　than　the　one　that　has　re…　placed　it。

A　DEAD　author　appears　to　be　bereft　of　all　earthly　rights。　　He　is　scarcely　buried　before　old　maga…　zines　and　newspapers　are　ransacked　in　search　of　matters　which；　for　reasons　sufficient　to　him；　he　had　carefully　excluded　from　the　definitive　edition　of　his　collected　writings。

　　　　　He　gave　the　people　of　his　best；　　　　　　His　worst　he　kept；　his　best　he　gave。

One　can　imagine　a　poet　tempted　to　address　some　such　appeal　as　this　to　any　possible　future　publisher　of　his　poems：

　　　　　Take　what　thou　wilt；　a　lyric　or　a　line；　　　　　　Take　all；　take　nothingand　God　send　thee　cheer！　　　　　　But　my　anathema　on　thee　and　thine　　　　　　If　thou　add'st　aught　to　what　is　printed　here。


THE　claim　of　this　country　to　call　itself　〃The　Land　of　the　Free〃　must　be　held　in　abeyance　until　every　man　in　it；　whether　he　belongs　or　does　not　belong　to　a　labor　organization；　shall　have　the　right　to　work　for　his　daily　bread。

THERE　is　a　strain　of　primitive　poetry　running　through　the　entire　Irish　race；　a　fleeting　lyrical　emotion　which　expresses　itself　in　a　flash；　usually　in　connection　with　love