idle ideas in 1905-第15节

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abused；　he　has　drawn　in　true　colours。　　I　know　you　well；　with　your　big
heart；　your　quick　temper；　your　homely；　human　ways　of　thought。　　You
yourself　will　never　guess　your　worthhow　much　the　world　is　better
for　such　as　you！　　You　think　of　yourself　as　of　a　commonplace　person；
useful　only　for　the　making　of　pastry；　the　darning　of　stockings；　and
if　a　mannot　a　young　man；　with　only　dim　half…opened　eyes；　but　a　man
whom　life　had　made　keen　to　see　the　beauty　that　lies　hidden　beneath
plain　faceswere　to　kneel　and　kiss　your　red；　coarse　hand；　you　would
be　much　astonished。　　But　he　would　be　a　wise　man；　Peggotty；　knowing
what　things　a　man　should　take　carelessly；　and　for　what　things　he
should　thank　God；　who　has　fashioned　fairness　in　many　forms。

Mr。　Wilkins　Micawber；　and　you；　most　excellent　of　faithful　wives；　Mrs。
Emma　Micawber；　to　you　I　also　raise　my　hat。　　How　often　has　the　example
of　your　philosophy　saved　me；　when　I；　likewise；　have　suffered　under
the　temporary　pressure　of　pecuniary　liabilities；　when　the　sun　of　my
prosperity；　too；　has　sunk　beneath　the　dark　horizon　of　the　worldin
short；　when　I；　also；　have　found　myself　in　a　tight　corner。　　I　have
asked　myself　what　would　the　Micawbers　have　done　in　my　place。　　And　I
have　answered　myself。　　They　would　have　sat　down　to　a　dish　of　lamb's
fry；　cooked　and　breaded　by　the　deft　hands　of　Emma；　followed　by　a　brew
of　punch；　concocted　by　the　beaming　Wilkins；　and　have　forgotten　all
their　troubles；　for　the　time　being。　　Whereupon；　seeing　first　that
sufficient　small　change　was　in　my　pocket；　I　have　entered　the　nearest
restaurant；　and　have　treated　myself　to　a　repast　of　such　sumptuousness
as　the　aforesaid　small　change　would　command；　emerging　from　that
restaurant　stronger　and　more　fit　for　battle。　　And　lo！　the　sun　of　my
prosperity　has　peeped　at　me　from　over　the　clouds　with　a　sly　wink；　as
if　to　say　〃Cheer　up；　I　am　only　round　the　corner。〃

Cheery；　elastic　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Micawber；　how　would　half　the　world　face
their　fate　but　by　the　help　of　a　kindly；　shallow　nature　such　as　yours？
I　love　to　think　that　your　sorrows　can　be　drowned　in　nothing　more
harmful　than　a　bowl　of　punch。　　Here's　to　you；　Emma；　and　to　you；
Wilkins；　and　to　the　twins！

May　you　and　such　childlike　folk　trip　lightly　over　the　stones　upon
your　path！　　May　something　ever　turn　up　for　you；　my　dears！　　May　the
rain　of　life　ever　fall　as　April　showers　upon　your　simple　bald　head；
Micawber！

And　you；　sweet　Dora；　let　me　confess　I　love　you；　though　sensible
friends　deem　you　foolish。　　Ah；　silly　Dora；　fashioned　by　wise　Mother
Nature　who　knows　that　weakness　and　helplessness　are　as　a　talisman
calling　forth　strength　and　tenderness　in　man；　trouble　yourself　not
unduly　about　the　oysters　and　the　underdone　mutton；　little　woman。
Good　plain　cooks　at　twenty　pounds　a　year　will　see　to　these　things　for
us。　　Your　work　is　to　teach　us　gentleness　and　kindness。　　Lay　your
foolish　curls　just　here；　child。　　It　is　from　such　as　you　we　learn
wisdom。　　Foolish　wise　folk　sneer　at　you。　　Foolish　wise　folk　would
pull　up　the　laughing　lilies；　the　needless　roses　from　the　garden；
would　plant　in　their　places　only　useful；　wholesome　cabbage。　　But　the
gardener；　knowing　better；　plants　the　silly；　short…lived　flowers；
foolish　wise　folk　asking　for　what　purpose。

Gallant　Traddles；　of　the　strong　heart　and　the　unruly　hair；　Sophy；
dearest　of　girls；　Betsy　Trotwood；　with　your　gentlemanly　manners　and
your　woman's　heart；　you　have　come　to　me　in　shabby　rooms；　making　the
dismal　place　seem　bright。　　In　dark　hours　your　kindly　faces　have
looked　out　at　me　from　the　shadows；　your　kindly　voices　have　cheered
me。

Little　Em'ly　and　Agnes；　it　may　be　my　bad　taste；　but　I　cannot　share　my
friend　Dickens'　enthusiasm　for　them。　　Dickens'　good　women　are　all　too
good　for　human　nature's　daily　food。　　Esther　Summerson；　Florence
Dombey；　Little　Nellyou　have　no　faults　to　love　you　by。

Scott's　women　were　likewise　mere　illuminated　texts。　　Scott　only　drew
one　live　heroineCatherine　Seton。　　His　other　women　were　merely　the
prizes　the　hero　had　to　win　in　the　end；　like　the　sucking　pig　or　the
leg　of　mutton　for　which　the　yokel　climbs　the　greasy　pole。　　That
Dickens　could　draw　a　woman　to　some　likeness　he　proved　by　Bella
Wilfer；　and　Estella　in　〃Great　Expectations。〃　　But　real　women　have
never　been　popular　in　fiction。　　Men　readers　prefer　the　false；　and
women　readers　object　to　the　truth。

From　an　artistic　point　of　view；　〃David　Copperfield〃　is　undoubtedly
Dickens'　best　work。　　Its　humour　is　less　boisterous；　its　pathos　less
highly　coloured。

One　of　Leech's　pictures　represents　a　cab…man　calmly　sleeping　in　the
gutter。

〃Oh；　poor　dear；　he's　ill；〃　says　a　tender…hearted　lady　in　the　crowd。
〃Ill！〃　retorts　a　male　bystander　indignantly；　〃Ill！　'E's　'ad　too　much
of　what　I　ain't　'ad　enough　of。〃

Dickens　suffered　from　too　little　of　what　some　of　us　have　too　much　of…
…criticism。　　His　work　met　with　too　little　resistance　to　call　forth
his　powers。　　Too　often　his　pathos　sinks　to　bathos；　and　this　not　from
want　of　skill；　but　from　want　of　care。　　It　is　difficult　to　believe
that　the　popular　writer　who　allowed　his　sentimentalityor　rather　the
public's　sentimentalityto　run　away　with　him　in　such　scenes　as　the
death　of　Paul　Dombey　and　Little　Nell　was　the　artist　who　painted　the
death　of　Sidney　Carton　and　of　Barkis；　the　willing。　　The　death　of
Barkis；　next　to　the　passing　of　Colonel　Newcome；　is；　to　my　thinking；
one　of　the　most　perfect　pieces　of　pathos　in　English　literature。　　No
very　deep　emotion　is　concerned。　　He　is　a　commonplace　old　man；
clinging　foolishly　to　a　commonplace　box。　　His　simple　wife　and　the　old
boatmen　stand　by；　waiting　calmly　for　the　end。　　There　is　no　straining
after　effect。　　One　feels　death　enter；　dignifying　all　things；　and
touched　by　that　hand；　foolish　old　Barkis　grows　great。

In　Uriah　Heap　and　Mrs。　Gummidge；　Dickens　draws　types　rather　than
characters。　　Pecksniff；　Podsnap；　Dolly　Varden；　Mr。　Bumble；　Mrs。　Gamp；
Mark　Tapley；　Turveydrop；　Mrs。　Jellybythese　are　not　characters；　they
are　human　characteristics　personified。

We　have　to　go　back　to　Shakespeare　to　find　a　writer　who；　through
fiction；　has　so　enriched　the　thought　of　the　people。　　Admit　all
Dickens'　faults　twice　over；　we　still　have　one　of　the　greatest　writers
of　modern　times。　　Such　people　as　these　creations　of　Dickens　never
lived；　says　your　little　critic。　　Nor　was　Prometheus；　type　of　the
spirit　of　man；　nor　was　Niobe；　mother　of　all　mothers；　a　truthful
picture　of　the　citizen　one　was　likely　to　meet　often　during　a
morning's　stroll　through　Athens。　　Nor　grew　there　ever　a　wood　like　to
the　Forest　of　Arden；　though　every　Rosalind　and　Orlando　knows　the　path
to　glades　having　much　resemblance　thereto。

Steerforth；　upon　whom　Dickens　evidently　prided　himself；　I　must
confess；　never　laid　hold　of　me。　　He　is　a　melodramatic　young　man。　　The
worst　I　could　have　wished　him　would　have　been　that　he　should　marry
Rose　Dartle　and　live　with　his　mother。　　It　would　have　served　him　right
for　being　so　attractive。　　Old　Peggotty　and　Ham　are；　of　course；
impossible。　　One　must　accept　them　also　as　types。　　These　Brothers
Cheeryble；　these　Kits；　Joe　Gargeries；　Boffins；　Garlands；　John
Peerybingles；　we　will　accept　as　types　of　the　goodness　that　is　in　men…
…though　in　real　life　the　amount　of　virtue　that　Dickens　often　wastes
upon　a　single　individual　would　by　more　economically　minded　nature；　be
made　to　serve　for　fifty。

To　sum　up；　〃David　Copperfield〃　is　a　plain　tale；　simply　told；　and　such
are　all　books　that　live。　　Eccentricities　of　style；　artistic　trickery；
may　please　the　critic　of　a　day；　but　literature　is　a　story　that
interests　us；　boys　and　girls；　men　and　women。　　It　is　a　sad　book；　and
that；　again；　gives　it　an　added　charm　in　these　sad　later　days。
Humanity　is　nearing　its　old　age；　and　we　have　come　to　love　sadness；　as
the　friend　who　has　been　longest　with　us。　　In　the　young　days　of　our
vigour　we　were　merry。　　With　Ulysses'　boatmen；　we　took　alike　the
sunshine　and　the　thunder　with　frolic　welcome。　　The　red　blood　flowed
in　our　veins；　and　we　laughed；　and　our　tales　were　of　strength　and
hope。　　Now　we　sit　like　old　men；　watching　faces　in　the　fire；　and　the
stories　that　we　love　are　sad　storieslike　the　stories　we　ourselves
have　lived。



CREATURES　THAT　ONE　DAY　SHALL　BE　MEN。



I　ought　to　like　Russia　better　than　I　do；　if　only　for　the　sake　of　the
many　good　friends　I　am　proud　to　possess　amongst　the　Russians。　　A
large　square　photograph　I　keep　always　on　my　mantel…piece；　it　helps　me
to　maintain　my　head　at　that　degree　of　distention　necessary　for　the
performance　of　all　literary　work。　　It　presents　in　the　centre　a
neatly…written　address　in　excellent　English　that　I　frankly　confess　I
am　never　tired　of　reading；　around　which　are　ranged　some　hundreds　of
names　I　am　quite　unable　to　read；　but　which；　in　spite　of　their　strange
lettering；　I　know　to　be　the　names　of　good　Russian　men　and　women　to
whom；　a　year　or　two　ago；　occurred　the　kindly　idea　of　sending　me　as　a
Christmas　card　this　message　of　encouragement。　　The　individual　Russian
is　one　of　the　most　charming　creatures　living。　　If　he　like　you　he　does
not　hesitate　to　let　you　know　it；　not　only　by　every　action　possible；
but；　by　what　perhaps　is　just　as　useful　in　this　grey　old　world；　by
generous；　impulsive　speech。

We　Anglo…Saxons　are　apt　to　pride　o