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with　all　our　energy；　while　yet　we　have　it；　and　to　be　grateful　for　

forever。











CHAPTER　XI。　TALK　AND　TALKERS　（6）





II





IN　the　last　paper　there　was　perhaps　too　much　about　mere　debate；　and　

there　was　nothing　said　at　all　about　that　kind　of　talk　which　is　

merely　luminous　and　restful；　a　higher　power　of　silence；　the　quiet　

of　the　evening　shared　by　ruminating　friends。　　There　is　something；　

aside　from　personal　preference；　to　be　alleged　in　support　of　this　

omission。　　Those　who　are　no　chimney…cornerers；　who　rejoice　in　the　

social　thunderstorm；　have　a　ground　in　reason　for　their　choice。　　

They　get　little　rest　indeed；　but　restfulness　is　a　quality　for　

cattle；　the　virtues　are　all　active；　life　is　alert；　and　it　is　in　

repose　that　men　prepare　themselves　for　evil。　　On　the　other　hand；　

they　are　bruised　into　a　knowledge　of　themselves　and　others；　they　

have　in　a　high　degree　the　fencer's　pleasure　in　dexterity　displayed　

and　proved；　what　they　get　they　get　upon　life's　terms；　paying　for　it　

as　they　go；　and　once　the　talk　is　launched；　they　are　assured　of　

honest　dealing　from　an　adversary　eager　like　themselves。　　The　

aboriginal　man　within　us；　the　cave…dweller；　still　lusty　as　when　he　

fought　tooth　and　nail　for　roots　and　berries；　scents　this　kind　of　

equal　battle　from　afar；　it　is　like　his　old　primaeval　days　upon　the　

crags；　a　return　to　the　sincerity　of　savage　life　from　the　

comfortable　fictions　of　the　civilised。　　And　if　it　be　delightful　to　

the　Old　Man；　it　is　none　the　less　profitable　to　his　younger　brother；　

the　conscientious　gentleman　I　feel　never　quite　sure　of　your　urbane　

and　smiling　coteries；　I　fear　they　indulge　a　man's　vanities　in　

silence；　suffer　him　to　encroach；　encourage　him　on　to　be　an　ass；　and　

send　him　forth　again；　not　merely　contemned　for　the　moment；　but　

radically　more　contemptible　than　when　he　entered。　　But　if　I　have　a　

flushed；　blustering　fellow　for　my　opposite；　bent　on　carrying　a　

point；　my　vanity　is　sure　to　have　its　ears　rubbed；　once　at　least；　in　

the　course　of　the　debate。　　He　will　not　spare　me　when　we　differ；　he　

will　not　fear　to　demonstrate　my　folly　to　my　face。



For　many　natures　there　is　not　much　charm　in　the　still；　chambered　

society；　the　circle　of　bland　countenances；　the　digestive　silence；　

the　admired　remark；　the　flutter　of　affectionate　approval。　　They　

demand　more　atmosphere　and　exercise；　〃a　gale　upon　their　spirits；〃　

as　our　pious　ancestors　would　phrase　it；　to　have　their　wits　well　

breathed　in　an　uproarious　Valhalla。　　And　I　suspect　that　the　choice；　

given　their　character　and　faults；　is　one　to　be　defended。　　The　

purely　wise　are　silenced　by　facts；　they　talk　in　a　clear　atmosphere；　

problems　lying　around　them　like　a　view　in　nature；　if　they　can　be　

shown　to　be　somewhat　in　the　wrong；　they　digest　the　reproof　like　a　

thrashing；　and　make　better　intellectual　blood。　　They　stand　

corrected　by　a　whisper；　a　word　or　a　glance　reminds　them　of　the　

great　eternal　law。　　But　it　is　not　so　with　all。　　Others　in　

conversation　seek　rather　contact　with　their　fellow…men　than　

increase　of　knowledge　or　clarity　of　thought。　　The　drama；　not　the　

philosophy；　of　life　is　the　sphere　of　their　intellectual　activity。　　

Even　when　they　pursue　truth；　they　desire　as　much　as　possible　of　

what　we　may　call　human　scenery　along　the　road　they　follow。　　They　

dwell　in　the　heart　of　life；　the　blood　sounding　in　their　ears；　their　

eyes　laying　hold　of　what　delights　them　with　a　brutal　avidity　that　

makes　them　blind　to　all　besides；　their　interest　riveted　on　people；　

living；　loving；　talking；　tangible　people。　　To　a　man　of　this　

description；　the　sphere　of　argument　seems　very　pale　and　ghostly。　　

By　a　strong　expression；　a　perturbed　countenance；　floods　of　tears；　

an　insult　which　his　conscience　obliges　him　to　swallow；　he　is　

brought　round　to　knowledge　which　no　syllogism　would　have　conveyed　

to　him。　　His　own　experience　is　so　vivid；　he　is　so　superlatively　

conscious　of　himself；　that　if；　day　after　day；　he　is　allowed　to　

hector　and　hear　nothing　but　approving　echoes；　he　will　lose　his　hold　

on　the　soberness　of　things　and　take　himself　in　earnest　for　a　god。　　

Talk　might　be　to　such　an　one　the　very　way　of　moral　ruin；　the　school　

where　he　might　learn　to　be　at　once　intolerable　and　ridiculous。



This　character　is　perhaps　commoner　than　philosophers　suppose。　　And　

for　persons　of　that　stamp　to　learn　much　by　conversation；　they　must　

speak　with　their　superiors；　not　in　intellect；　for　that　is　a　

superiority　that　must　be　proved；　but　in　station。　　If　they　cannot　

find　a　friend　to　bully　them　for　their　good；　they　must　find　either　

an　old　man；　a　woman；　or　some　one　so　far　below　them　in　the　

artificial　order　of　society；　that　courtesy　may　he　particularly　

exercised。



The　best　teachers　are　the　aged。　　To　the　old　our　mouths　are　always　

partly　closed；　we　must　swallow　our　obvious　retorts　and　listen。　　

They　sit　above　our　heads；　on　life's　raised　dais；　and　appeal　at　once　

to　our　respect　and　pity。　　A　flavour　of　the　old　school；　a　touch　of　

something　different　in　their　manner　…　which　is　freer　and　rounder；　

if　they　come　of　what　is　called　a　good　family；　and　often　more　timid　

and　precise　if　they　are　of　the　middle　class　…　serves；　in　these　

days；　to　accentuate　the　difference　of　age　and　add　a　distinction　to　

gray　hairs。　　But　their　superiority　is　founded　more　deeply　than　by　

outward　marks　or　gestures。　　They　are　before　us　in　the　march　of　man；　

they　have　more　or　less　solved　the　irking　problem；　they　have　battled　

through　the　equinox　of　life；　in　good　and　evil　they　have　held　their　

course；　and　now；　without　open　shame；　they　near　the　crown　and　

harbour。　　It　may　be　we　have　been　struck　with　one　of　fortune's　

darts；　we　can　scarce　be　civil；　so　cruelly　is　our　spirit　tossed。　　

Yet　long　before　we　were　so　much　as　thought　upon；　the　like　calamity　

befell　the　old　man　or　woman　that　now；　with　pleasant　humour；　rallies　

us　upon　our　inattention；　sitting　composed　in　the　holy　evening　of　

man's　life；　in　the　clear　shining　after　rain。　　We　grow　ashamed　of　

our　distresses；　new　and　hot　and　coarse；　like　villainous　roadside　

brandy；　we　see　life　in　aerial　perspective；　under　the　heavens　of　

faith；　and　out　of　the　worst；　in　the　mere　presence　of　contented　

elders；　look　forward　and　take　patience。　　Fear　shrinks　before　them　

〃like　a　thing　reproved；〃　not　the　flitting　and　ineffectual　fear　of　

death；　but　the　instant；　dwelling　terror　of　the　responsibilities　and　

revenges　of　life。　　Their　speech；　indeed；　is　timid；　they　report　

lions　in　the　path；　they　counsel　a　meticulous　footing；　but　their　

serene；　marred　faces　are　more　eloquent　and　tell　another　story。　　

Where　they　have　gone；　we　will　go　also；　not　very　greatly　fearing；　

what　they　have　endured　unbroken；　we　also；　God　helping　us；　will　make　

a　shift　to　bear。



Not　only　is　the　presence　of　the　aged　in　itself　remedial；　but　their　

minds　are　stored　with　antidotes；　wisdom's　simples；　plain　

considerations　overlooked　by　youth。　　They　have　matter　to　

communicate；　be　they　never　so　stupid。　　Their　talk　is　not　merely　

literature；　it　is　great　literature；　classic　in　virtue　of　the　

speaker's　detachment；　studded；　like　a　book　of　travel；　with　things　

we　should　not　otherwise　have　learnt。　　In　virtue；　I　have　said；　of　

the　speaker's　detachment；　…　and　this　is　why；　of　two　old　men；　the　

one　who　is　not　your　father　speaks　to　you　with　the　more　sensible　

authority；　for　in　the　paternal　relation　the　oldest　have　lively　

interests　and　remain　still　young。　　Thus　I　have　known　two　young　men　

great　friends；　each　swore　by　the　other's　father；　the　father　of　each　

swore　by　the　other　lad；　and　yet　each　pair　of　parent　and　child　were　

perpetually　by　the　ears。　　This　is　typical：　it　reads　like　the　germ　

of　some　kindly　comedy。



The　old　appear　in　conversation　in　two　characters：　the　critically　

silent　and　the　garrulous　anecdotic。　　The　last　is　perhaps　what　we　

look　for；　it　is　perhaps　the　more　instructive。　　An　old　gentleman；　

well　on　in　years；　sits　handsomely　and　naturally　in　the　bow…window　

of　his　age；　scanning　experience　with　reverted　eye；　and　chirping　and　

smiling；　communicates　the　accidents　and　reads　the　lesson　of　his　

long　career。　　Opinions　are　strengthened；　indeed；　but　they　are　also　

weeded　out　in　the　course　of　years。　　What　remains　steadily　present　

to　the　eye　of　the　retired　veteran　in　his　hermitage；　what　still　

ministers　to　his　content；　what　still　quickens　his　old　honest　heart　

…　these　are　〃the　real　long…lived　things〃　that　Whitman　tells　us　to　

prefer。　　Where　youth　agrees　with　age；　not　where　they　differ；　wisdom　

lies；　and　it　is　when　the　young　disciple　finds　his　heart　to　beat　in　

tune　with　his　gray…bearded　teacher's　that　a　lesson　may　be　learned。　　

I　have　known　one　old　gentleman；　whom　I　may　name；　for　he　in　now　

gathered　to　his　stock　…　Robert　Hunter；　Sheriff　of　Dumbarton；　and　

author　of　an　excellent　law…book　still　re…edited　and　republished。　　

Whether　he　was　originally　big　or　little　is　more　than　I　can　guess。　　

When　I　knew　him　he　was　all　fallen　away　and　fallen　i