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river　streams　from　sources　even　as　yet　but　imperfectly　explored。



I　have　thought　a　good　deal　about　Egypt；　lately；　with　reference　to　our

historical　monuments。　　How　did　the　great　unknown　mastery　who　fixed

the　two　leading　forms　of　their　monumental　records　arrive　at　those

admirable　and　eternal　types；　the　pyramid　and　the　obelisk？　　How　did

they　get　their　model　of　the　pyramid？



Here　is　an　hour…glass；　not　inappropriately　filled　with　sand　from　the

great　Egyptian　desert。　　I　turn　it；　and　watch　the　sand　as　it

accumulates　in　the　lower　half　of　the　glass。　　How　symmetrically；　how

beautifully；　how　inevitably；　the　little　particles　pile　up　the　cone；

which　is　ever　building　and　unbuilding　itself；　always　aiming　at　the

stability　which　is　found　only　at　a　certain　fixed　angle！　　The　Egyptian

children　playing　in　the　sand　must　have　noticed　this　as　they　let　the

grains　fall　from　their　hands；　and　the　sloping　sides　of　the　miniature

pyramid　must　have　been　among　the　familiar　sights　to　the　little　boys

and　girls　for　whom　the　sand　furnished　their　earliest　playthings。

Nature　taught　her　children　through　the　working　of　the　laws　of

gravitation　how　to　build　so　that　her　forces　should　act　in　harmony

with　art；　to　preserve　the　integrity　of　a　structure　meant　to　reach

a　far…off　posterity。　　The　pyramid　is　only　the　cone　in　which　Nature

arranges　her　heaped　and　sliding　fragments；　the　cone　with　flattened

Surfaces；　as　it　is　prefigured　in　certain　well…known　crystalline

forms。　　The　obelisk　is　from　another　of　Nature's　patterns；　it　is　only

a　gigantic　acicular　crystal。



The　Egyptians　knew　what　a　monument　should　be；　simple；　noble；　durable。

It　seems　to　me　that　we　Americans　might　take　a　lesson　from　those　early

architects。　　Our　cemeteries　are　crowded　with　monuments　which　are　very

far　from　simple；　anything　but　noble；　and　stand　a　small　chance　of

being　permanent。　　The　pyramid　is　rarely　seen；　perhaps　because　it

takes　up　so　much　room；　and　when　built　on　a　small　scale　seems

insignificant　as　we　think　of　it；　dwarfed　by　the　vast　structures　of

antiquity。　　The　obelisk　is　very　common；　and　when　in　just　proportions

and　of　respectable　dimensions　is　unobjectionable。



But　the　gigantic　obelisks　like　that　on　Bunker　Hill；　and　especially

the　Washington　monument　at　the　national　capital；　are　open　to　critical

animadversion。　　Let　us　contrast　the　last　mentioned　of　these　great

piles　with　the　obelisk　as　the　Egyptian　conceived　and　executed　it。

The　new　Pharaoh　ordered　a　memorial　of　some　important　personage　or

event。　　In　the　first　place；　a　mighty　stone　was　dislodged　from　its

connections；　and　lifted；　unbroken；　from　the　quarry。　　This　was　a　feat

from　which　our　modern　stone…workers　shrink　dismayed。　　The　Egyptians

appear　to　have　handled　these　huge　monoliths　as　our　artisans　handle

hearthstones　and　doorsteps；　for　the　land　actually　bristled　with　such

giant　columns。　　They　were　shaped　and　finished　as　nicely　as　if　they

were　breastpins　for　the　Titans　to　wear；　and　on　their　polished

surfaces　were　engraved　in　imperishable　characters　the　records　they

were　erected　to　preserve。



Europe　and　America　borrow　these　noble　productions　of　African　art　and

power；　and　find　them　hard　enough　to　handle　after　they　have　succeeded

in　transporting　them　to　Rome；　or　London；　or　New　York。　　Their

simplicity；　grandeur；　imperishability；　speaking　symbolism；　shame　all

the　pretentious　and　fragile　works　of　human　art　around　them。　　The

obelisk　has　no　joints　for　the　destructive　agencies　of　nature　to

attack；　the　pyramid　has　no　masses　hanging　in　unstable　equilibrium；

and　threatening　to　fall　by　their　own　weight　in　the　course　of　a

thousand　or　two　years。



America　says　the　Father　of　his　Country　must　have　a　monument　worthy　of

his　exalted　place　in　history。　　What　shall　it　be？　　A　temple　such　as

Athens　might　have　been　proud　to　rear　upon　her　Acropolis？　　An　obelisk

such　as　Thebes　might　have　pointed　out　with　pride　to　the　strangers　who

found　admission　through　her　hundred　gates？　　After　long　meditation　and

the　rejection　of　the　hybrid　monstrosities　with　which　the　nation　was

menaced；　an　obelisk　is　at　last　decided　upon。　　How　can　it　be　made

grand　and　dignified　enough　to　be　equal　to　the　office　assigned　it？　　We

dare　not　attempt　to　carve　a　single　stone　from　the　living　rock；all

our　modern　appliances　fail　to　make　the　task　as　easy　to　us　as　it　seems

to　have　been　to　the　early　Egyptians。　　No　artistic　skill　is　required

in　giving　a　four…square　tapering　figure　to　a　stone　column。　　If　we

cannot　shape　a　solid　obelisk　of　the　proper　dimensions；　we　can　build

one　of　separate　blocks。　　How　can　we　give　it　the　distinction　we　demand

for　it？　　The　nation　which　can　brag　that　it　has　〃the　biggest　show　on

earth〃　cannot　boast　a　great　deal　in　the　way　of　architecture；　but　it

can　do　one　thing；it　can　build　an　obelisk　that　shall　be　taller　than

any　structure　now　standing　which　the　hand　of　man　has　raised。　　Build

an　obelisk！　　How　different　the　idea　of　such　a　structure　from　that　of

the　unbroken；　unjointed　prismatic　shaft；　one　perfect　whole；　as

complete　in　itself；　as　fitly　shaped　and　consolidated　to　defy　the

elements；　as　the　towering　palm　or　the　tapering　pine！　　Well；　we　had

the　satisfaction　for　a　time　of　claiming　the　tallest　structure　in　the

world；　and　now　that　the　new　Tower　of　Babel　which　has　sprung　up　in

Paris　has　killed　that　pretention；　I　think　we　shall　feel　and　speak

more　modestly　about　our　stone　hyperbole；　our　materialization　of　the

American　love　of　the　superlative。　　We　have　the　higher　civilization

among　us；　and　we　must　try　to　keep　down　the　forth…putting　instincts　of

the　lower。　　We　do　not　want　to　see　our　national　monument　placarded　as

〃the　greatest　show　on　earth；〃　perhaps　it　is　well　that　it　is　taken

down　from　that　bad　eminence。



I　do　not　think　that　this　speech　of　mine　was　very　well　received。　　It

appeared　to　jar　somewhat　on　the　nerves　of　the　American　Annex。　　There

was　a　smile　on　the　lips　of　the　other　Annex；the　English　girl；which

she　tried　to　keep　quiet；　but　it　was　too　plain　that　she　enjoyed　my

diatribe。



It　must　be　remembered　that　I　and　the　other　Teacups；　in　common　with

the　rest　of　our　fellow…citizens；　have　had　our　sensibilities　greatly

worked　upon；　our　patriotism　chilled；　our　local　pride　outraged；　by　the

monstrosities　which　have　been　allowed　to　deform　our　beautiful　public

grounds。　　We　have　to　be　very　careful　in　conducting　a　visitor；　say

from　his　marble…fronted　hotel　to　the　City　Hall。　Keep　pretty

straight　along　after　entering　the　Garden；you　will　not　care　to

inspect　the　little　figure　of　the　military　gentleman　to　your　right。　

Yes；　the　Cochituate　water　is　drinkable；　but　I　think　I　would　not　turn

aside　to　visit　that　small　fabric　which　makes　believe　it　is　a　temple；

and　is　a　weak…eyed　fountain　feebly　weeping　over　its　own

insignificance。　　About　that　other　stone　misfortune；　cruelly　reminding

us　of　the　〃Boston　Massacre；〃　we　will　not　discourse；　it　is　not

imposing；　and　is　rarely　spoken　of。



What　a　mortification　to　the　inhabitants　of　a　city　with　some

hereditary　and　contemporary　claims　to　cultivation；　which　has　noble

edifices；　grand　libraries；　educational　institutions　of　the　highest

grade；　an　art…gallery　filled　with　the　finest　models　and　rich　in

paintings　and　statuary；a　stately　city　that　stretches　both　arms

across　the　Charles　to　clasp　the　hands　of　Harvard；　her　twin…sister；

each　lending　lustre　to　the　other　like　double　stars；what　a　pity　that

she　should　be　so　disfigured　by　crude　attempts　to　adorn　her　and

commemorate　her　past　that　her　most　loving　children　blush　for　her

artificial　deformities　amidst　the　wealth　of　her　natural　beauties！

One　hardly　knows　which　to　groan　over　most　sadly；the　tearing　down　of

old　monuments；　the　shelling　of　the　Parthenon；　the　overthrow　of　the

pillared　temples　of　Rome；　and　in　a　humbler　way　the　destruction　of　the

old　Hancock　house；　or　the　erection　of　monuments　which　are　to　be　a

perpetual　eyesore　to　ourselves　and　our　descendants。



We　got　talking　on　the　subject　of　realism；　of　which　so　much　has　been

said　of　late。



It　seems　to　me；　I　said；　that　the　great　additions　which　have　been　made

by　realism　to　the　territory　of　literature　consist　largely　in　swampy；

malarious；　ill…smelling　patches　of　soil　which　had　previously　been

left　to　reptiles　and　vermin。　　It　is　perfectly　easy　to　be　original　by

violating　the　laws　of　decency　and　the　canons　of　good　taste。　　The

general　consent　of　civilized　people　was　supposed　to　have　banished

certain　subjects　from　the　conversation　of　well…bred　people　and　the

pages　of　respectable　literature。　　There　is　no　subject；　or　hardly　any；

which　may　not　be　treated　of　at　the　proper　time；　in　the　proper　place；

by　the　fitting　person；　for　the　right　kind　of　listener　or　reader。　　But

when　the　poet　or　the　story…teller　invades　the　province　of　the　man　of

science；　he　is　on　dangerous　ground。　　I　need　say　nothing　of　the

blunders　he　is　pretty　sure　to　make。　　The　imaginative　writer　is　after

effects。　　The　scientific　man　is　after　truth。　　Science　is　decent；

modest；　does　not　try　to　startle；　but　to　instruct。　　The　sam