ponkapog papers-第4部分

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AT　the　next　table；　taking　his　opal　drops　of　　absinthe；　was　a　French　gentleman　with　the　blase　aspect　of　an　empty　champagne…bottle；　which　always　has　the　air　of　saying：　〃I　have　lived！〃

WE　often　read　of　wonderful　manifestations　of　　memory；　but　they　are　always　instances　of　the　faculty　working　in　some　special　direction。　　It　is　memory　playing；　like　Paganini；　on　one　string。　No　doubt　the　persons　performing　the　phenome…　nal　feats　ascribed　to　them　have　forgotten　more　than　they　remember。　　To　be　able　to　repeat　a　hundred　lines　of　verse　after　a　single　reading　is　no　proof　of　a　retentive　mind；　excepting　so　far　as　the　hundred　lines　go。　　A　man　might　easily　fail　under　such　a　test；　and　yet　have　a　good　memory；　by　which　I　mean　a　catholic　one；　and　that　I　imagine　to　be　nearly　the　rarest　of　gifts。　　I　have　never　met　more　than　four　or　five　persons　pos…　sessing　it。　　The　small　boy　who　defined　memory　as　〃the　thing　you　forget　with〃　described　the　faculty　as　it　exists　and　works　in　the　majority　of　men　and　women。

THE　survival　in　publishers　of　the　imitative　in…　stinct　is　a　strong　argument　in　support　of　Mr。　Darwin's　theory　of　the　descent　of　man。　　One　publisher　no　sooner　brings　out　a　new　style　of　book…cover　than　half　a　dozen　other　publishers　fall　to　duplicating　it。

THE　cavalry　sabre　hung　over　the　chimney…place　with　a　knot　of　violets　tied　to　the　dinted　guard；　there　being　no　known　grave　to　decorate。　　For　many　a　year；　on　each　Decoration　Day；　a　sorrow…　ful　woman　had　come　and　fastened　these　flowers　there。　　The　first　time　she　brought　her　offering　she　was　a　slender　girl；　as　fresh　as　her　own　vio…　lets。　　It　is　a　slender　figure　still；　but　there　are　threads　of　silver　in　the　black　hair。

FORTUNATE　was　Marcus　Aurelius　Antoninus；　who　in　early　youth　was　taught　〃to　abstain　from　rhetoric；　and　poetry；　and　fine　writing〃espe…　cially　the　fine　writing。　　Simplicity　is　art's　last　word。

The　man　is　clearly　an　adventurer。　　In　the　seven…　teenth　century　he　would　have　worn　huge　flint…　lock　pistols　stuck　into　a　wide　leather　belt；　and　been　something　in　the　seafaring　line。　　The　fel…　low　is　always　smartly　dressed；　but　where　he　lives　and　how　he　lives　are　as　unknown　as　〃what　song　the　Sirens　sang；　or　what　name　Achilles　assumed　when　he　hid　himself　among　women。〃　　He　is　a　man　who　apparently　has　no　appointment　with　his　breakfast　and　whose　din…　ner　is　a　chance　acquaintance。　　His　probable　banker　is　the　next　person。　　A　great　city　like　this　is　the　only　geography　for　such　a　character。　He　would　be　impossible　in　a　small　country　town；　where　everybody　knows　everybody　and　what　everybody　has　for　lunch。

I　HAVE　been　seeking；　thus　far　in　vain；　for　the　proprietor　of　the　saying　that　〃Economy　is　sec…　ond　or　third　cousin　to　Avarice。〃　　I　went　rather　confidently　to　Rochefoucauld；　but　it　is　not　among　that　gentleman's　light　luggage　of　cynical　maxims。

THERE　is　a　popular　vague　impression　that　butch…　ers　are　not　allowed　to　serve　as　jurors　on　mur…　der　trials。　　This　is　not　really　the　case；　but　it　logically　might　be。　　To　a　man　daily　familiar　with　the　lurid　incidents　of　the　abattoir；　the　summary　extinction　of　a　fellow　creature　（whe…　ther　the　victim　or　the　criminal）　can　scarcely　seem　a　circumstance　of　so　serious　moment　as　to　another　man　engaged　in　less　strenuous　pursuits。　WE　do　not；　and　cannot；　read　many　of　the　novels　that　most　delighted　our　ancestors。　　Some　of　our　popular　fiction　is　doubtless　as　poor；　but　poor　with　a　difference。　　There　is　always　a　heavy　de…　mand　for　fresh　mediocrity。　　In　every　generation　the　least　cultivated　taste　has　the　largest　appetite。　There　is　ragtime　literature　as　well　as　ragtime　music　for　the　many。

G…　is　a　man　who　had　rather　fail　in　a　great　purpose　than　not　accomplish　it　in　precisely　his　own　way。　　He　has　the　courage　of　his　conviction　and　the　intolerance　of　his　courage。　　He　is　op…　posed　to　the　death　penalty　for　murder；　but　he　would　willingly　have　any　one　electrocuted　who　disagreed　with　him　on　the　subject。


I　HAVE　thought　of　an　essay　to　be　called　〃On　the　Art　of　Short…Story　Writing；〃　but　have　given　it　up　as　smacking　too　much　of　the　shop。　　It　would　be　too　intime；　since　I　should　have　to　deal　chiefly　with　my　own　ways；　and　so　give　myself　the　false　air　of　seeming　to　consider　them　of　im…　portance。　　It　would　interest　nobody　to　know　that　I　always　write　the　last　paragraph　first；　and　then　work　directly　up　to　that；　avoiding　all　di…　gressions　and　side　issues。　　Then　who　on　earth　would　care　to　be　told　about　the　trouble　my　characters　cause　me　by　talking　too　much？　They　will　talk；　and　I　have　to　let　them；　but　when　the　story　is　finished；　I　go　over　the　dia…　logue　and　strike　out　four　fifths　of　the　long　speeches。　　I　fancy　that　makes　my　characters　pretty　mad。

THIS　is　the　golden　age　of　the　inventor。　　He　is　no　longer　looked　upon　as　a　madman　or　a　wiz…　ard；　incontinently　to　be　made　away　with。　　Two　or　three　centuries　ago　Marconi　would　not　have　escaped　a　ropeless　end　with　his　wireless　telegra…　phy。　　Even　so　late　as　1800；　the　friends　of　one　Robert　Fulton　seriously　entertained　the　lumi…　nous　idea　of　hustling　the　poor　man　into　an　asy…　lum　for　the　unsound　before　he　had　a　chance　to　fire　up　the　boiler　of　his　tiny　steamboat　on　the　Hudson　river。　　In　olden　times　the　pillory　and　the　whipping…post　were　among　the　gentler　forms　of　encouragement　awaiting　the　inventor。　　If　a　man　devised　an　especially　practical　apple…peeler　he　was　in　imminent　danger　of　being　peeled　with　it　by　an　incensed　populace。　　To…day　we　hail　with　enthusiasm　a　scientific　or　a　mechanical　discovery；　and　stand　ready　to　make　a　stock　company　of　it。

A　MAN　is　known　by　the　company　his　mind　keeps。　　To　live　continually　with　noble　books；　with　〃high…erected　thoughts　seated　in　the　heart　of　courtesy；〃　teaches　the　soul　good　manners。

THE　unconventional　has　ever　a　morbid　attrac…　tion　for　a　certain　class　of　mind。　　There　is　always　a　small　coterie　of　highly　intellectual　men　and　women　eager　to　give　welcome　to　whatever　is　eccentric；　obscure；　or　chaotic。　　Worshipers　at　the　shrine　of　the　Unpopular；　they　tingle　with　a　sense　of　tolerant　superiority　when　they　say：　〃Of　course　this　is　not　the　kind　of　thing　you　would　like。〃　　Sometimes　these　impressionable　souls　almost　seem　to　make　a　sort　of　reputation　for　their　fetish。

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　ab