the ways of men-第22节

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Some　years　ago　I　happened　to　be　standing　in　the　vestibule　of　　the　Hotel　Bristol　as　the　Princess　of　Wales　and　her　daughters　　were　leaving。　　Mr。　Morlock；　the　proprietor；　was　at　the　foot　of　　the　stairs　to　take　leave　of　those　ladies；　who　shook　hands　with　　and　thanked　him　for　his　attention　during　their　stay；　and　for　　the　flowers　he　had　sent。　　Nothing　could　have　been　more　　gracious　and　freer　from　condescension　than　their　manner；　and　　it　undoubtedly　produced　the　best　impression。　　The　waiter　who　　served　me　at　that　time　was　also　under　their　charm；　and　　remarked　several　times　that　〃there　had　never　been　ladies　so　　easy　to　please　or　so　considerate　of　the　servants。〃

My　neighbor　at　dinner　the　other　evening　confided　to　me　that　　she　was　〃worn　out　being　fitted。〃　　〃I　had　such　an　unpleasant　　experience　this　morning；〃　she　added。　　〃The　JUPIERE　could　not　　get　one　of　my　skirts　to　hang　properly。　　After　a　dozen　attempts　　I　told　her　to　send　for　the　forewoman；　when；　to　my　horror；　the　　girl　burst　out　crying；　and　said　she　should　lose　her　place　if　I　　did。　　I　was　very　sorry　for　her；　but　what　else　could　I　do？〃　　It　　does　not　seem　as　if　that　lady　could　be　very　popular　with　　inferiors；　does　it？

That　it　needs　a　lighter　hand　and　more　tact　to　deal　with　　tradespeople　than　with　equals　is　certain；　and　we　are　sure　to　　be　the　losers　when　we　fail。　　The　last　time　I　was　in　the　East　a　　friend　took　me　into　the　bazaars　to　see　a　carpet　he　was　anxious　　to　buy。　　The　price　asked　was　out　of　all　proportion　to　its　　value；　but　we　were　gravely　invited　by　the　merchant　to　be　　seated　and　coffee　was　served；　that　bargaining　（which　is　the　　backbone　of　Oriental　trade）　might　be　carried　on　at　leisure。　　　My　friend；　nervous　and　impatient；　like　all　our　race；　turned　to　　me　and　said；　〃What's　all　this　tomfoolery？　　Tell　him　I'll　give　　so　much　for　his　carpet；　he　can　take　it　or　leave　it。〃　　When　　this　was　interpreted　to　the　bearded　tradesman；　he　smiled　and　　came　down　a　few　dollars　in　his　price；　and　ordered　more　coffee。　　　By　this　time　we　were　outside　his　shop；　and　left　without　the　　carpet　simply　because　my　friend　could　not　conform　to　the　　customs　of　the　country　he　was　visiting。　　The　sale　of　his　　carpet　was　a　big　affair　for　the　Oriental；　he　intended　to　carry　　it　through　with　all　the　ceremony　the　occasion　required；　and　　would　sooner　not　make　a　sale　than　be　hustled　out　of　his　　stately　routine。

It　is　not　only　in　intercourse　with　inferiors　that　tact　is　　required。　　The　treatment　of　children　and　young　people　in　a　　family　calls　for　delicate　handling。　　The　habit　of　taking　　liberties　with　young　relations　is　a　common　form　of　a　relaxed　　social　code　and　the　besetting　sin　of　elderly　people；　who；　　having　little　to　interest　them　in　their　own　lives；　imagine　　that　their　mission　is　to　reform　the　ways　and　manners　of　their　　family。　　Ensconced　behind　the　respect　which　the　young　are　　supposed　to　pay　them；　they　give　free　vent　to　inclination；　and　　carp；　cavil；　and　correct。　　The　victims　may　have　reached　　maturity　or　even　middle　age；　but　remain　always　children　to　　these　social　policemen；　to　be　reproved　and　instructed　in　and　　out　of　season。　　〃I　am　doing　this　for　your　own　good；〃　is　an　　excuse　that　apparently　frees　the　veterans　from　the　necessity　　of　respecting　the　prejudices　and　feelings　of　their　pupils；　and　　lends　a　gloss　of　unselfishness　to　actions　which　are　simply　　impertinent。　　Oddly　enough；　amateur　〃schoolmarms〃　who　fall　　into　this　unpleasant　habit　are　generally　oversensitive；　and　　resent　as　a　personal　affront　any　restlessness　under　criticism　　on　the　part　of　their　victims。　　It　is　easy；　once　the　habit　is　　acquired；　to　carry　the　suavity　and　consideration　of　general　　society　into　the　home　circle；　yet　how　often　is　it　done？　　I　　should　like　to　see　the　principle　that　ordered　presentation　of　　arms　to　the　infant　princess　applied　to　our　intimate　relations；　　and　the　rights　of　the　young　and　dependent　scrupulously　　respected。

In　the　third　act　of　CASTE；　when　old　Eccles　steals　the　〃coral〃　　from　his　grandson's　neck；　he　excuses　the　theft　by　a　　grandiloquent　soliloquy；　and　persuades　himself　that　he　is　　protecting　〃the　weak　and　the　humble〃　（pointing　to　himself）　　〃against　the　powerful　and　the　strong〃　（pointing　to　the　baby）。　　　Alas；　too　many　of　us　take　liberties　with　those　whom　we　do　not　　fear；　and　excuse　our　little　acts　of　cowardice　with　arguments　　as　fallacious　as　those　of　drunken　old　Eccles。




Chapter　18　…　What　is　〃Art〃？


IN　former　years；　we　inquiring　youngsters　in　foreign　studios　　were　much　bewildered　by　the　repetition　of　a　certain　phrase。　　　Discussion　of　almost　any　picture　or　statue　was　（after　other　　forms　of　criticism　had　been　exhausted）　pretty　sure　to　conclude　　with；　〃It's　all　very　well　in　its　way；　but　it's　not　Art。〃　　Not　　only　foolish　youths　but　the　〃masters〃　themselves　constantly　　advanced　this　opinion　to　crush　a　rival　or　belittle　a　friend。　　　To　ardent　minds　seeking　for　the　light　and　catching　at　every　　thread　that　might　serve　as　a　guide　out　of　perplexity；　this　　vague　assertion　was　confusing。　　According　to　one　master；　the　　eighteenth…century　〃school〃　did　not　exist。　　What　had　been　　produced　at　that　time　was　pleasing　enough　to　the　eye；　but　〃was　　not　Art！〃　　In　the　opinion　of　another；　Italian　music　might　　amuse　or　cheer　the　ignorant；　but　could　not　be　recognized　by　　serious　musicians。

As　most　of　us　were　living　far　from　home　and　friends　for　the　　purpose　of　acquiring　the　rudiments　of　art；　this　continual　　sweeping　away　of　our　foundations　was　discouraging。　　What　was　　the　use；　we　sometimes　asked　ourselves；　of　toiling；　if　our　work　　was　to　be　cast　contemptuously　aside　by　the　next　〃school〃　as　a　　pleasing　trifle；　not　for　a　moment　to　be　taken　seriously？　　How　　was　one　to　find　out　the　truth？　　Who　was　to　decide　when　doctors　　disagreed？　　Where　was　the　rock　on　which　an　earnest　student　　might　lay　his　cornerstone　without　the　misgiving　that　the　next　　wave　in　public　opinion　would　sap　its　base　and　cast　him　and　his　　ideals　out　again　at　sea？

The　eighteenth…century　artists　and　the　Italian　composers　had　　been　sincere　and　convinced　that　they　were　producing　works　of　　art。　　In　our　own　day　the　idol　of　one　moment　becomes　the　jest　　of　the　next。　　Was　there；　then；　no　fixed　law？

The　short　period；　for　instance；　between　1875　and　the　present　　time　has　been　long　enough　for　the　talent　of　one　painter　　（Bastien…Lepage）　to　be　discovered；　discussed；　lauded；　　acclaimed；　then　gradually　forgotten　and　decried。　　During　the　　years　when　we　were　studying　in　Paris；　that　young　painter's　　works　were　pronounced　by　the　critics　and　their　following　to　be　　the　last　development　of　Art。　　Museums　and　amateurs　vied　with　　each　other　in　acquiring　his　canvases。　　Yet；　only　this　spring；　　while　dining　with　two　or　three　art　critics　in　the　French　　capital；　I　heard　Lepage's　name　mentioned　and　his　works　　recalled　with　the　smile　that　is　accorded　to　those　who　have　　hoodwinked　the　public　and　passed　off　spurious　material　as　the　　real　thing。

If　any　one　doubts　the　fleeting　nature　of　a　reputation；　let　him　　go　to　a　sale　of　modern　pictures　and　note　the　prices　brought　by　　the　favorites　of　twenty　years　ago。　　The　paintings　of　that　　arch…priest；　Meissonier；　no　longer　command　the　sums　that　eager　　collectors　paid　for　them　a　score　of　years　back。　　When　a　great　　European　critic　dares　assert；　as　one　has　recently；　of　the　　master's　〃1815；〃　that　〃everything　in　the　picture　appears　　metallic；　except　the　cannon　and　the　men's　helmets；〃　the　mighty　　are　indeed　fallen！　　It　is　much　the　same　thing　with　the　old　　masters。　　There　have　been　fashions　in　them　as　in　other　forms　　of　art。　　Fifty　years　ago　Rembrandt's　work　brought　but　small　　prices；　and　until　Henri　Rochefort　（during　his　exile）　began　to　　write　up　the　English　school；　Romneys；　Lawrences；　and　　Gainsboroughs　had　little　market　value。

The　result　is　that　most　of　us　are　as　far　away　from　the　　solution　of　that　vexed　question　〃What　is　Art？〃　at　forty　as　we　　were　when　boys。　　The　majority　have　arranged　a　compromise　with　　their　consciences。　　We　have　found　out　what　we　like　（in　itself　　no　mean　achievement）；　and　beyond　such　personal　preference；　are　　shy　of　asserting　（as　we　were　fond　of　doing　formerly）　that　such　　and　such　works　are　〃Art；〃　and　such　others；　while　pleasing　and　　popular；　lack　the　requisite　qualities。

To　enquiring　minds；　sure　that　an　answer　to　this　question　　exists；　but　uncertain　where　to　look　for　it；　the　fact　that　one　　of　the　thinkers　of　the　century　has；　in　a　recent　〃Evangel；〃　　given　to　the　world　a　definition　of　〃Art；〃　the　result　of　many　　years'　meditation；　will　be　received　with　joy。　　〃Art；〃　says　　Tolstoi；　〃is　simply　a　condition　of　life。　　It　is　any　form　of　　expression　that　a　human　being　employs　to　communicate　an　　emotion　he　has　experienced　to　a　fellow…mortal。〃

An　author　who；　in　telling　his　hopes　and　sorrows；　amuses　or　　saddens　a　reader；　has　in　just　so　much　produced　a　work　of　art。　　　A　lover　who；　by　the　sincerity　of　his　accent；　communicates　the　　flame　that　is　consuming　him　to　the　object　of　his　adoration；　　the　shopkeeper　who　inspires　a　purchaser　with　his　own　　admiration　for　an　object　on　sale；　the　baby　that　makes　its　joy　　known　to　a　parent　…　artists！　artists！　　Brown；　Jones；　or　　Robinson；　the　moment　he　has　consciously　produced　on　a　　neighbor's　ear　or　eye　the　sensation　that　a　sound　or　a　　combination　of　colors　has　effected　on　his　own　organs；　is　an　　artist！

Of　cour