the haunted bookshop(闹鬼的书店)-第22节
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and mother of most that is worth while cherishing in our hearts。 To spread
good books about； to sow them on fertile minds； to propagate
understanding and a carefulness of life and beauty； isn't that high enough
mission for a man？ The bookseller is the real Mr。 Valiant…For…Truth。
〃Here's my War…alcove；〃 he went on。 〃I've stacked up here most of
the really good books the War has brought out。 If humanity has sense
enough to take these books to heart； it will never get itself into this mess
again。 Printer's ink has been running a race against gunpowder these
many； many years。 Ink is handicapped； in a way； because you can blow
up a man with gunpowder in half a second； while it may take twenty years
to blow him up with a book。 But the gunpowder destroys itself along with
its victim； while a book can keep on exploding for centuries。 There's
Hardy's Dynasts for example。 When you read that book you can feel it
blowing up your mind。 It leaves you gasping； ill； nauseatedoh； it's not
pleasant to feel some really pure intellect filtered into one's brain！ It hurts！
There's enough T。 N。 T。 in that book to blast war from the face of the globe。
But there's a slow fuse attached to it。 It hasn't really exploded yet。
Maybe it won't for another fifty years。
〃In regard to the War； think what books have accomplished。 What was
the first thing all the governments started to do publish books！ Blue
Books； Yellow Books； White Books； Red Books everything but Black
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Books； which would have been appropriate in Berlin。 They knew that guns
and troops were helpless unless they could get the books on their side； too。
Books did as much as anything else to bring America into the war。 Some
German books helped to wipe the Kaiser off his throne_I_ Accuse； and
Dr。 Muehlon's magnificent outburst The Vandal of Europe； and
Lichnowsky's private memorandum； that shook Germany to her
foundations； simply because he told the truth。 Here's that book Men in War；
written I believe by a Hungarian officer； with its noble dedication 〃To
Friend and Foe。〃 Here are some of the French booksbooks in which the
clear； passionate intellect of that race； with its savage irony； burns like a
flame。 Romain Rolland's Au…Dessus de la Melee； written in exile in
Switzerland； Barbusse's terrible Le Feu； Duhamel's bitter Civilization；
Bourget's strangely fascinating novel The Meaning of Death。 And the
noble books that have come out of England： A Student in Arms； The
Tree of Heaven； Why Men Fight； by Bertrand RussellI'm hoping he'll
write one on Why Men Are Imprisoned： you know he was locked up for
his sentiments！ And here's one of the most moving of all The Letters of
Arthur Heath； a gentle； sensitive young Oxford tutor who was killed on the
Western front。 You ought to read that book。 It shows the entire lack of
hatred on the part of the English。 Heath and his friends； the night before
they enlisted； sat up singing the German music they had loved； as a kind of
farewell to the old； friendly joyous life。 Yes； that's the kind of thing War
does wipes out spirits like Arthur Heath。 Please read it。 Then you'll
have to read Philip Gibbs； and Lowes Dickinson and all the young poets。
Of course you've read Wells already。 Everybody has。〃
〃How about the Americans？〃 said Titania。 〃Haven't they written
anything about the war that's worth while？〃
〃Here's One that I found a lot of meat in； streaked with philosophical
gristle；〃 said Roger； relighting his pipe。 He pulled out a copy of Professor
Latimer's Progress。 〃There was one passage that I remember markinglet's
see now； what was it？Yes； here！
〃It is true that； if you made a poll of newspaper editors； you might
find a great many who think that war is evil。 But if you were to take a
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census among pastors of fashionable metropolitan churches〃
〃That's a bullseye hit！ The church has done for itself with most
thinking men。 。 。 There's another good passage in Professor Latimer；
where he points out the philosophical value of dishwashing。 Some of
Latimer's talk is so much in common with my ideas that I've been rather
hoping he'd drop in here some day。 I'd like to meet him。 As for American
poets； get wise to Edwin Robinson〃
There is no knowing how long the bookseller's monologue might have
continued； but at this moment Helen appeared from the kitchen。
〃Good gracious； Roger！〃 she exclaimed； 〃I've heard your voice piping
away for I don't know how long。 What are you doing； giving the poor
child a Chautauqua lecture？ You must want to frighten her out of the
book business。〃
Roger looked a little sheepish。 〃My dear；〃 he said； 〃I was only laying
down a few of the principles underlying the art of bookselling〃
〃It was very interesting； honestly it was；〃 said Titania brightly。 Mrs。
Mifflin； in a blue check apron and with plump arms floury to the elbow；
gave her a winkor as near a wink as a woman ever achieves （ask the man
who owns one）。
〃Whenever Mr。 Mifflin feels very low in his mind about the business；〃
she said； 〃he falls back on those highly idealized sentiments。 He knows
that next to being a parson； he's got into the worst line there is； and he tries
bravely to conceal it from himself。〃
〃I think it's too bad to give me away before Miss Titania；〃 said Roger；
smiling； so Titania saw this was merely a family joke。
〃Really truly；〃 she protested； 〃I'm having a lovely time。 I've been
learning all about Professor Latimer who wrote The Handle of Europe；
and all sorts of things。 I've been afraid every minute that some customer
would come in and interrupt us。〃
〃No fear of that；〃 said Helen。 〃They're scarce in the early morning。〃
She went back to her kitchen。
〃Well； Miss Titania；〃 resumed Roger。 〃You see what I'm driving at。 I
want to give people an entirely new idea about bookshops。 The grain of
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glory that I hope will cure both my fever and my lethargicness is my
conception of the bookstore as a power…house； a radiating place for truth
and beauty。 I insist books are not absolutely dead things： they are as
lively as those fabulous dragons' teeth； and being sown up and down； may
chance to spring up armed men。 How about Bernhardi？ Some of my
Corn Cob friends tell me books are just merchandise。 Pshaw！〃
〃I haven't read much of Bernard Shaw〃 said Titania。
〃Did you ever notice how books track you down and hunt you out？
They follow you like the hound in Francis Thompson's poem。 They know
their quarry！ Look at that book The Education of Henry Adams！ Just
watch the way it's hounding out thinking people this winter。 And The Four
Horsemenyou can see it racing in the veins of the reading people。 It's
one of the uncanniest things I know to watch a real book on its careerit
follows you and follows you and drives you into a corner and MAKES
you read it。 There's a queer old book that's been chasing me for years： The
Life and Opinions of John Buncle； Esq。； it's called。 I've tried to escape it；
but every now and then it sticks up its head somewhere。 It'll get me
some day； and I'll be compelled to read it。 Ten Thousand a Year trailed
me the same way until I surrendered。 Words can't describe the cunning
of some books。 You'll think you've shaken them off your trail； and then
one day some innocent…looking customer will pop in and begin to talk； and
you'll know he's an unconscious agent of book…destiny。 There's an old sea…
captain who drops in here now and then。 He's simpl
