ponkapog papers-第12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！


　of　it　could　not　be　awkward　if　he　tried；　and　I　will　do　Delorme　the　justice　to　say　that　he　put　his　dress　to　some　severe　tests。　　But　he　was　graceful　all　the　while；　and　made　me　wish　that　my　country…　men　would　throw　aside　their　present　hideous　habiliments　and　hasten　to　the　measuring…room　of　Delorme's　tailor。　　　　　　In　looking　over　the　plates　of　an　old　book　of　fashions　we　smile　at　the　monstrous　attire　in　which　our　worthy　great…grandsires　saw　fit　to　deck　themselves。　　Presently　it　will　be　the　turn　of　posterity　to　smile　at　us；　for　in　our　own　way　we　are　no　less　ridiculous　than　were　our　ances…　tors　in　their　knee…breeches；　pig…tail　and　chapeau　de　bras。　　In　fact　we　are　really　more　absurd。　　If　a　fashionably　dressed　man　of　to…day　could　catch　a　single　glimpse　of　himself　through　the　eyes　of　his　descendants　four　or　five　generations　re…　moved；　he　would　have　a　strong　impression　of　being　something　that　had　escaped　from　some…　where。　　　　　　Whatever　strides　we　may　have　made　in　arts　and　sciences；　we　have　made　no　advance　in　the　matter　of　costume。　　That　Americans　do　not　tattoo　themselves；　and　do　go　fully　cladI　am　speaking　exclusively　of　my　own　sexis　about　all　that　can　be　said　in　favor　of　our　present　fashions。　　I　wish　I　had　the　vocabulary　of　Herr　Teufelsdrockh　with　which　to　inveigh　against　the　dress…coat　of　our　evening　parties；　the　angu…　lar　swallow…tailed　coat　that　makes　a　man　look　like　a　poor　species　of　bird　and　gets　him　mis…　taken　for　the　waiter。　　〃As　long　as　a　man　wears　the　modern　coat；〃　says　Leigh　Hunt；　〃he　has　no　right　to　despise　any　dress。　　What　snips　at　the　collar　and　lapels！　　What　a　mechanical　and　ridic…　ulous　cut　about　the　flaps！　　What　buttons　in　front　that　are　never　meant　to　button；　and　yet　are　no　ornament！　　And　what　an　exquisitely　absurd　pair　of　buttons　at　the　back！　gravely　regarded；　never…　theless；　and　thought　as　indispensably　necessary　to　every　well…conditioned　coat；　as　other　bits　of　metal　or　bone　are　to　the　bodies　of　savages　whom　we　laugh　at。　　There　is　absolutely　not　one　iota　of　sense；　grace；　or　even　economy　in　the　modern　coat。〃　　　　　　Still　more　deplorable　is　the　ceremonial　hat　of　the　period。　　That　a　Christian　can　go　about　un…　abashed　with　a　shiny　black　cylinder　on　his　head　shows　what　civilization　has　done　for　us　in　the　way　of　taste　in　personal　decoration。　　The　scalp…　lock　of　an　Apache　brave　has　more　style。　　When　an　Indian　squaw　comes　into　a　frontier　settle…　ment　the　first　〃marked…down〃　article　she　pur…　chases　is　a　section　of　stove…pipe。　　Her　instinct　as　to　the　eternal　fitness　of　things　tells　her　that　its　proper　place　is　on　the　skull　of　a　barbarian。　　　　　　It　was　while　revolving　these　pleasing　reflec…　tions　in　my　mind；　that　our　friend　Delorme　walked　across　the　stage　in　the　fourth　act；　and　though　there　was　nothing　in　the　situation　nor　in　the　text　of　the　play　to　warrant　it；　I　broke　into　tremendous　applause；　from　which　I　desisted　only　at　the　scowl　of　an　usheran　object　in　a　celluloid　collar　and　a　claw…hammer　coat。　　My　solitary　ovation　to　Master　Delorme　was　an　in…　voluntary　and；　I　think；　pardonable　protest　against　the　male　costume　of　our　own　time。


ON　A　CERTAIN　AFFECTATION

EXCEPTING　on　the　ground　that　youth　is　the　age　of　vain　fantasy；　there　is　no　ac…　counting　for　the　fact　that　young　men　and　young　women　of　poetical　temperament　should　so　fre…　quently　assume　to　look　upon　an　early　demise　for　themselves　as　the　most　desirable　thing　in　the　world。　　Though　one　may　incidentally　be　tempted　to　agree　with　them　in　the　abstract；　one　cannot　help　wondering。　　That　persons　who　are　exceptionally　fortunate　in　their　environment；　and　in　private　do　not　pretend　to　be　otherwise；　should　openly　announce　their　intention　of　retiring　at　once　into　the　family　tomb；　is　a　problem　not　easily　solved。　　The　public　has　so　long　listened　to　these　funereal　solos　that　if　a　few　of　the　poets　thus　impatient　to　be　gone　were　to　go；　their　de…　parture　would　perhaps　be　attended　by　that　re…　signed　speeding　which　the　proverb　invokes　on　behalf　of　the　parting　guest。　　　　　　The　existence　of　at　least　one　magazine　editor　would；　I　know；　have　a　shadow　lifted　from　it。　At　this　writing；　in　a　small　mortuary　basket　under　his　desk　are　seven　or　eight　poems　of　so　gloomy　a　nature　that　he　would　not　be　able　to　remain　in　the　same　room　with　them　if　he　did　not　suspect　the　integrity　of　their　pessimism。　The　ring　of　a　false　coin　is　not　more　recognizable　than　that　of　a　rhyme　setting　forth　a　simulated　sorrow。　　　　　　The　Miss　Gladys　who　sends　a　poem　entitled　〃Forsaken；〃　in　which　she　addresses　death　as　her　only　friend；　makes　pictures　in　the　editor's　eyes。　He　sees；　among　other　dissolving　views；　a　little　hoyden　in　magnificent　spirits；　perhaps　one　of　this　season's　social　buds；　with　half　a　score　of　lovers　ready　to　pluck　her　from　the　family　stem　a　rose　whose　countless　petals　are　coupons。　　A　caramel　has　disagreed　with　her；　or　she　would　not　have　written　in　this　despondent　vein。　　The　young　man　who　seeks　to　inform　the　world　in　eleven　anaemic　stanzas　of　terze　rime　that　the　cup　of　happiness　has　been　forever　dashed　from　his　lip　（he　appears　to　have　but　one）　and　darkly　intimates　that　the　end　is　〃nigh〃　（rhyming　af…　fably　with　〃sigh〃）；　will　probably　be　engaged　a　quarter　of　a　century　from　now　in　making　simi…　lar　declarations。　　He　is　simply　echoing　some　dysthymic　poet　of　the　pastreaching　out　with　some　other　man's　hat　for　the　stray　nickel　of　your　sympathy。　　　　　　This　morbidness　seldom　accompanies　gen…　uine　poetic　gifts。　　The　case　of　David　Gray；　the　young　Scottish　poet　who　died　in　1861；　is　an　in…　stance　to　the　contrary。　　His　lot　was　exceedingly　sad；　and　the　failure　of　health　just　as　he　was　on　the　verge　of　achieving　something　like　success　justified　his　profound　melancholy；　but　that　he　tuned　this　melancholy　and　played　upon　it；　as　if　it　were　a　musical　instrument；　is　plainly　seen　in　one　of　his　sonnets。　　　　　　In　Monckton　Milnes's　（Lord　Houghton's）　〃Life　and　Letters　of　John　Keats〃　it　is　related　that　Keats；　one　day；　on　finding　a　stain　of　blood　upon　his　lips　after　coughing；　said　to　his　friend　Charles　Brown：　〃I　know　the　color　of　that　blood；　it　is　arterial　blood；　I　cannot　be　deceived。　　That　drop　is　my　death…warrant。　　I　must　die。〃　　Who　that　ever　read　the　passage　could　forget　it？　　David　Gray　did　not；　for　he　versified　the　incident　as　happening　to　himself　and　appropriated；　as　his　own；　Keats's　comment：

　　　　　Last　night；　on　coughing　slightly　with　sharp　pain；　　　　　　There　came　arterial　blood；　and　with　a　sigh　　　　　　Of　absolute　grief　I　cried　in　bitter　vein；　　　　　　That　drop　is　my　death…warrant；　I　must　die。

　　　　　The　incident　was　likely　enough　a　personal　experience；　but　the　comment　should　have　been　placed　in　quotation　marks。　　I　know　of　few　stranger　things　in　literature　than　this　poet's　dramatization　of　another　man's　pathos。　　Even　Keats's　epitaphHere　lies　one　whose　name　was　writ　in　waterfinds　an　echo　in　David　Gray's　Below　lies　one　whose　name　was　traced　in　sand。　Poor　Gray　was　at　least　the　better　prophet。


WISHMAKERS'　TOWN

A　LIMITED　edition　of　this　little　volume　of　verse；　which　seems　to　me　in　many　re…　spects　unique；　was　issued　in　1885；　and　has　long　been　out　of　print。　　The　reissue　of　the　book　is　in　response　to　the　desire　off　certain　readers　who　have　not　forgotten　the　charm　which　William　Young's　poem　exercised　upon　them　years　ago；　and；　finding　the　charm　still　potent；　would　have　others　share　it。　　　　　　The　scheme　of　the　poem；　for　it　is　a　poem　and　not　simply　a　series　of　unrelated　lyrics；　is　in…　genious　and　original；　and　unfolds　itself　in　mea…　sures　at　once　strong　and　delicate。　　The　mood　of　the　poet　and　the　method　of　the　playwright　are　obvious　throughout。　　Wishmakers'　Towna　little　town　situated　in　the　no…man's…land　of　〃The　Tempest〃　and　〃A　Midsummer　Night's　Dream〃　is　shown　to　us　as　it　awakens；　touched　by　the　dawn。　　The　clangor　of　bells　far　and　near　calls　the　townfolk　to　their　various　avocations；　the　toiler　to　his　toil；　the　idler　to　his　idleness；　the　miser　to　his　gold。　　In　swift　and　picturesque　se…　quence　the　personages　of　the　Masque　pass　be…　fore　us。　　Merchants；　hucksters；　players；　lovers；　gossips；　soldiers；　vagabonds；　and　princes　crowd　the　scene；　and　have　in　turn　their　word　of　poign…　ant　speech。　　We　mingle　with　the　throng　in　the　streets；　we　hear　the　whir　of　looms　and　the　din　of　foundries；　the　blare　of　trumpets；　the　whisper　of　lovers；　the　scandals　of　the　market…place；　and；　in　brief；　are　let　into　all　the　secrets　of　the　busy　microcosm。　　A　contracted　stage；　indeed；　yet　large　enough　for　the　play　of　many　passions；　as　the　narrowest　hearthstone　may　be。　　With　the　sounding　of　the　curfew；　the　town　is　hushed　to　sleep　again；　and　the　curtain　falls　on　this　mimic　drama　of　life。　　　　　　The　charm　of　it　all　is　not　easily　to　be　defined。　Perhaps　if　one　could　name　it；　the　spell　were　broken。　　Above　the　changing　rhythms　hangs　an　atmosphere　too　evasive　for　measurementan　atmosphere　that　stipulates　an　imaginative　mood　on　the　part　of　the　reader。　　The　quality　which　pleases　in　certain　of　the　lyrical　episodes　is　less　intangible。　　One　readily　explains　one's　liking　for　so　gracious　a　lyric　as　The　Flower…Seller；　to　select　an　example　at　random。　　Next　to　the　plea…　sure　that　lies　in　the　writing　of　such　exquisite　verse　is　the　pleasure　of　quoting　it。　　I　copy　the　stanzas　partly　for　my　own　gratification；　and　partly　to　win　the　reader　to　〃Wishmakers'　Town；〃　not　knowing　better　how　to　do　it。