the angel and the author-第4节

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


appeals　to　Jones？　　Then　again；　take　Tomlinson：　　he　lives；　as　you　are　
well　aware；　at　Forest　Gate　which　is　Epping　way；　and　entertains　you　on　
Kakemonos　whenever　you　call　upon　him。　　You　know　what　I　mean；　of　
course。　　I　think　'Kakemono'　is　right。　　They　are　long　things；　they　
look　like　coloured　hieroglyphics　printed　on　brown　paper。　　He　gets　
behind　them　and　holds　them　up　above　his　head　on　the　end　of　a　stick　so　
that　you　can　see　the　whole　of　them　at　once；　and　he　tells　you　the　name　
of　the　Japanese　artist　who　painted　them　in　the　year　1500　B。C。；　and　
what　it　is　all　about。　　He　shows　them　to　you　by　the　hour　and　forgets　
to　give　you　dinner。　　There　isn't　an　easy　chair　in　the　house。　　To　put　
it　vulgarly；　what　is　wrong　with　Tomlinson　from　a　high　art　point　of　
view？

〃There's　a　man　I　know　who　lives　in　Birmingham：　　you　must　have　heard　
of　him。　　He　is　the　great　collector　of　Eighteenth　Century　caricatures；　
the　Rowlandson　and　Gilray　school　of　things。　　I　don't　call　them　
artistic　myself；　they　make　me　ill　to　look　at　them；　but　people　who　
understand　Art　rave　about　them。　　Why　can't　a　man　be　artistic　who　has　
got　a　cottage　in　the　country？〃

〃You　don't　understand　me；〃　retorted　my　critical　friend；　a　little　
irritably；　as　I　thought。

〃I　admit　it；〃　I　returned。　　〃It　is　what　I　am　trying　to　do。〃

〃Of　course　artistic　people　live　in　the　suburbs；〃　he　admitted。　　〃But　
they　are　not　of　the　suburbs。〃

〃Though　they　may　dwell　in　Wimbledon　or　Hornsey；〃　I　suggested；　〃they　
sing　with　the　Scotch　bard：　　'My　heart　is　in　the　South…West　postal　
district。　　My　heart　is　not　here。'〃

〃You　can　put　it　that　way　if　you　like；〃　he　growled。

〃I　will；　if　you　have　no　objection；〃　I　agreed。　　〃It　makes　life　easier　
for　those　of　us　with　limited　incomes。〃

The　modern　novel　takes　care；　however；　to　avoid　all　doubt　upon　the　
subject。　　Its　personages；　one　and　all；　reside　within　the　half…mile　
square　lying　between　Bond　Street　and　the　Parka　neighbourhood　that　
would　appear　to　be　somewhat　densely　populated。　　True；　a　year　or　two　
ago　there　appeared　a　fairly　successful　novel　the　heroine　of　which　
resided　in　Onslow　Gardens。　　An　eminent　critic　observed　of　it　that：　　
〃It　fell　short　only　by　a　little　way　of　being　a　serious　contribution　
to　English　literature。〃　　Consultation　with　the　keeper　of　the　cabman's　
shelter　at　Hyde　Park　Corner　suggested　to　me　that　the　〃little　way〃　the　
critic　had　in　mind　measures　exactly　eleven　hundred　yards。　　When　the　
nobility　and　gentry　of　the　modern　novel　do　leave　London　they　do　not　
go　into　the　provinces：　　to　do　that　would　be　vulgar。　　They　make　
straight　for　〃Barchester　Towers；〃　or　what　the　Duke　calls　〃his　little　
place　up　north〃localities；　one　presumes；　suspended　somewhere　in　
mid…air。

In　every　social　circle　exist　great　souls　with　yearnings　towards　
higher　things。　　Even　among　the　labouring　classes　one　meets　with　
naturally　refined　natures；　gentlemanly　persons　to　whom　the　loom　and　
the　plough　will　always　appear　low；　whose　natural　desire　is　towards　
the　dignities　and　graces　of　the　servants'　hall。　　So　in　Grub　Street　we　
can　always　reckon　upon　the　superior　writer　whose　temperament　will　
prompt　him　to　make　respectful　study　of　his　betters。　　A　reasonable　
supply　of　high…class　novels　might　always　have　been　depended　upon；　the　
trouble　is　that　the　public　now　demands　that　all　stories　must　be　of　
the　upper　ten　thousand。　　Auld　Robin　Grey　must　be　Sir　Robert　Grey；　
South　African　millionaire；　and　Jamie；　the　youngest　son　of　the　old　
Earl；　otherwise　a　cultured　public　can　take　no　interest　in　the　ballad。　　
A　modern　nursery　rhymester　to　succeed　would　have　to　write　of　Little　
Lord　Jack　and　Lady　Jill　ascending　one　of　the　many　beautiful　eminences　
belonging　to　the　ancestral　estates　of　their　parents；　bearing　between　
them；　on　a　silver　rod；　an　exquisitely　painted　Sevres　vase　filled　with　
ottar　of　roses。

I　take　up　my　fourpenny…halfpenny　magazine。　　The　heroine　is　a　youthful　
Duchess；　her　husband　gambles　with　thousand…pound　notes；　with　the　
result　that　they　are　reduced　to　living　on　the　first　floor　of　the　
Carlton　Hotel。　　The　villain　is　a　Russian　Prince。　　The　Baronet　of　a　
simpler　age　has　been　unable；　poor　fellow；　to　keep　pace　with　the　
times。　　What　self…respecting　heroine　would　abandon　her　husband　and　
children　for　sin　and　a　paltry　five　thousand　a　year？　　To　the　heroine　
of　the　pastto　the　clergyman's　daughter　or　the　lady　artisthe　was　
dangerous。　　The　modern　heroine　misbehaves　herself　with　nothing　below　
Cabinet　rank。

I　turn　to　something　less　pretentious；　a　weekly　periodical　that　my　
wife　tells　me　is　the　best　authority　she　has　come　across　on　blouses。　　
I　find　in　it　what　once　upon　a　time　would　have　been　called　a　farce。　　
It　is　now　a　〃drawing…room　comedietta。　　All　rights　reserved。〃　　The　
dramatis　personae　consist　of　the　Earl　of　Danbury；　the　Marquis　of　
Rottenborough　（with　a　past）；　and　an　American　heiressa　character　
that　nowadays　takes　with　lovers　of　the　simple　the　place　formerly　
occupied　by　〃Rose；　the　miller's　daughter。〃

I　sometimes　wonder；　is　it　such　teaching　as　that　of　Carlyle　and　
Tennyson　that　is　responsible　for　this　present　tendency　of　literature？　　
Carlyle　impressed　upon　us　that　the　only　history　worth　consideration　
was　the　life　of　great　men　and　women；　and　Tennyson　that　we　〃needs　must　
love　the　highest。〃　　So　literature；　striving　ever　upward；　ignores　
plain　Romola　for　the　Lady　Ponsonby　de　Tompkins；　the　provincialisms　of　
a　Charlotte　Bronte　for　what　a　certain　critic；　born　before　his　time；　
would　have　called　the　〃doin's　of　the　hupper　succles。〃

The　British　Drama　has　advanced　by　even　greater　bounds。　　It　takes　
place　now　exclusively　within　castle　walls；　andwhat　Messrs。　Lumley　&　
Co。's　circular　would　describe　as〃desirable　town　mansions；　suitable　
for　gentlemen　of　means。〃　　A　living　dramatist；　who　should　know；　tells　
us　that　drama　does　not　occur　in　the　back　parlour。　　Dramatists　have；　
it　has　been　argued；　occasionally　found　it　there；　but　such　may　have　
been　dramatists　with　eyes　capable　of　seeing　through　clothes。

I　once　wrote　a　play　which　I　read　to　a　distinguished　Manager。　　He　said　
it　was　a　most　interesting　play：　　they　always　say　that。　　I　waited；　
wondering　to　what　other　manager　he　would　recommend　me　to　take　it。　　To　
my　surprise　he　told　me　he　would　like　it　for　himselfbut　with　
alterations。

〃The　whole　thing　wants　lifting　up；〃　was　his　opinion。　　〃Your　hero　is　a　
barrister：　　my　public　take　no　interest　in　plain　barristers。　　Make　him　
the　Solicitor　General。〃

〃But　he's　got　to　be　amusing；〃　I　argued。　　〃A　Solicitor　General　is　
never　amusing。〃

My　Manager　pondered　for　a　moment。　　〃Let　him　be　Solicitor　General　for　
Ireland；〃　he　suggested。

I　made　a　note　of　it。

〃Your　heroine；〃　he　continued；　〃is　the　daughter　of　a　seaside　lodging…
house　keeper。　　My　public　do　not　recognize　seaside　lodgings。　　Why　not　
the　daughter　of　an　hotel　proprietor？　　Even　that　will　be　risky；　but　we　
might　venture　it。〃　　An　inspiration　came　to　him。　　〃Or　better　still；　
let　the　old　man　be　the　Managing　Director　of　an　hotel　Trust：　　that　
would　account　for　her　clothes。〃

Unfortunately　I　put　the　thing　aside　for　a　few　months；　and　when　I　was　
ready　again　the　public　taste　had　still　further　advanced。　　The　doors　
of　the　British　Drama　were　closed　for　the　time　being　on　all　but　
members　of　the　aristocracy；　and　I　did　not　see　my　comic　old　man　as　a　
Marquis；　which　was　the　lowest　title　that　just　then　one　dared　to　offer　
to　a　low　comedian。

Now　how　are　we　middle…class　novelists　and　dramatists　to　continue　to　
live？　　I　am　aware　of　the　obvious　retort；　but　to　us　it　absolutely　is　
necessary。　　We　know　only　parlours：　　we　call　them　drawing…rooms。　　At　
the　bottom　of　our　middle…class　hearts　we　regard　them　fondly：　　the　
folding…doors　thrown　back；　they　make　rather　a　fine　apartment。　　The　
only　drama　that　we　know　takes　place　in　such　rooms：　　the　hero　sitting　
in　the　gentleman's　easy　chair；　of　green　repp：　　the　heroine　in　the　
lady's　ditto；　without　armsthe　chair；　I　mean。　　The　scornful　glances；　
the　bitter　words　of　our　middle…class　world　are　hurled　across　these　
three…legged　loo…tables；　the　wedding…cake　ornament　under　its　glass　
case　playing　the　part　of　white　ghost。

In　these　days；　when　〃Imperial　cement〃　is　at　a　premium；　who　would　dare　
suggest　that　the　emotions　of　a　parlour　can　by　any　possibility　be　the　
same　as　those　exhibited　in　a　salon　furnished　in　the　style　of　Louis　
Quatorze；　that　the　tears　of　Bayswater　can　possibly　be　compared　for　
saltness　with　the　lachrymal　fluid　distilled　from　South　Audley　Street　
glands；　that　the　laughter　of　Clapham　can　be　as　catching　as　the　
cultured　cackle　of　Curzon　Street？　　But　we；　whose　best　clothes　are　
exhibited　only　in　parlours；　what　are　we　to　do？　　How　can　we　lay　bare　
the　souls　of　Duchesses；　explain　the　heart…throbs　of　peers　of　the　
realm？　　Some　of　my　friends　who；　being　Conservative；　attend　Primrose　
〃tourneys〃　（or　is　it　〃Courts　of　love〃？　　I　speak　as　an　outsider。　　
Something　mediaeval；　I　know　it　is）　do；　it　is　true；　occasionally　
converse　with　titled　ladies。　　But　the　period　for　conversation　is　
always　limited　owing　to　the　impatience　of　the　man　behind；　and　I　doubt　
if　the　interview　is　ever　of　much　practical　use　to　them；　as　conveying　
knowledge　of　the　workings　of　the　aristocratic　mind。　　Those　of　us