ponkapog papers-第4节

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and　made　gay　with　devices　of　tinted　tissue　paper；　dolphins；　devils；　dragons；　and　mythical　winged　creatures　which　at　night　amia…　bly　turned　themselves　into　lanterns。　　Garlands　of　these；　arranged　close　together；　were　stretched　across　the　streets　from　ridgepoles　to　ridgepole；　and　your　jinrikisha　whisked　you　through　inter…　minable　arbors　of　soft　illumination。　　The　spec…　tacle　gave　one　an　idea　of　fairyland；　but　then　all　Japan　does　that。

A　land　not　like　ours；　that　land　of　strange　flowers；　Of　daemons　and　spooks　with　mysterious　powers　　　　　　Of　gods　who　breathe　ice；　who　cause　peach…blooms　and　rice　　And　manage　the　moonshine　and　turn　on　the　showers。

Each　day　has　its　fair　or　its　festival　there；　And　life　seems　immune　to　all　trouble　and　care　　　　　　Perhaps　only　seems；　in　that　island　of　dreams；　Sea…girdled　and　basking　in　magical　air。

They've　streets　of　bazaars　filled　with　lacquers　and　jars；　And　silk　stuffs；　and　sword…blades　that　tell　of　old　wars；　　　　　　They've　Fuji's　white　cone　looming　up；　bleak　and　lone；　As　if　it　were　trying　to　reach　to　the　stars。

They've　temples　and　gongs；　and　grim　Buddhas　in　throngs；　And　pearl…powdered　geisha　with　dances　and　songs：　　　　　　Each　girl　at　her　back　has　an　imp；　brown　or　black；　And　dresses　her　hair　in　remarkable　prongs。

On　roadside　and　street　toddling　images　meet；　And　smirk　and　kotow　in　a　way　that　is　sweet；　　　　　　Their　obis　are　tied　with　particular　pride；　Their　silken　kimonos　hang　scant　to　the　feet。

With　purrs　like　a　cat　they　all　giggle　and　chat；　Now　spreading　their　fans；　and　now　holding　them　flat；　　　　　　A　fan　by　its　play　whispers；　〃Go　now！〃　or　〃Stay！〃　〃I　hate　you！　　〃I　love　you！〃a　fan　can　say　that！　Beneath　a　dwarf　tree；　here　and　there；　two　or　three　Squat　coolies　are　sipping　small　cups　of　green　tea；　　　　　　They　sputter；　and　leer；　and　cry　out；　and　appear　Like　bad　little　chessmen　gone　off　on　a　spree。

At　nightah；　at　night　the　long　streets　are　a　sight；　With　garlands　of　soft…colored　lanterns　alight　　　　　　Blue；　yellow；　and　red　twinkling　high　overhead；　Like　thousands　of　butterflies　taking　their　flight。

Somewhere　in　the　gloom　that　no　lanterns　illume　Stand　groups　of　slim　lilies　and　jonquils　in　bloom；　　　　　　On　tiptoe；　unseen　'mid　a　tangle　of　green；　They　offer　the　midnight　their　cups　of　perfume。

At　times；　sweet　and　clear　from　some　tea…garden　near；　A　ripple　of　laughter　steals　out　to　your　ear；　　　　　　Anon　the　wind　brings　from　a　samisen's　strings　The　pathos　that's　born　of　a　smile　and　a　tear。

THE　difference　between　an　English　audience　and　a　French　audience　at　the　theatre　is　marked。　The　Frenchman　brings　down　a　witticism　on　the　wing。　　The　Briton　pauses　for　it　to　alight　and　give　him　reasonable　time　for　deliberate　aim。　　In　English　playhouses　an　appreciable　number　of　seconds　usually　precede　the　smile　or　the　ripple　of　laughter　that　follows　a　facetious　turn　of　the　least　fineness。　　I　disclaim　all　responsibility　for　this　statement　of　my　personal　observation；　since　it　has　recently　been　indorsed　by　one　of　London's　most　eminent　actors。

AT　the　next　table；　taking　his　opal　drops　of　　absinthe；　was　a　French　gentleman　with　the　blase　aspect　of　an　empty　champagne…bottle；　which　always　has　the　air　of　saying：　〃I　have　lived！〃

WE　often　read　of　wonderful　manifestations　of　　memory；　but　they　are　always　instances　of　the　faculty　working　in　some　special　direction。　　It　is　memory　playing；　like　Paganini；　on　one　string。　No　doubt　the　persons　performing　the　phenome…　nal　feats　ascribed　to　them　have　forgotten　more　than　they　remember。　　To　be　able　to　repeat　a　hundred　lines　of　verse　after　a　single　reading　is　no　proof　of　a　retentive　mind；　excepting　so　far　as　the　hundred　lines　go。　　A　man　might　easily　fail　under　such　a　test；　and　yet　have　a　good　memory；　by　which　I　mean　a　catholic　one；　and　that　I　imagine　to　be　nearly　the　rarest　of　gifts。　　I　have　never　met　more　than　four　or　five　persons　pos…　sessing　it。　　The　small　boy　who　defined　memory　as　〃the　thing　you　forget　with〃　described　the　faculty　as　it　exists　and　works　in　the　majority　of　men　and　women。

THE　survival　in　publishers　of　the　imitative　in…　stinct　is　a　strong　argument　in　support　of　Mr。　Darwin's　theory　of　the　descent　of　man。　　One　publisher　no　sooner　brings　out　a　new　style　of　book…cover　than　half　a　dozen　other　publishers　fall　to　duplicating　it。

THE　cavalry　sabre　hung　over　the　chimney…place　with　a　knot　of　violets　tied　to　the　dinted　guard；　there　being　no　known　grave　to　decorate。　　For　many　a　year；　on　each　Decoration　Day；　a　sorrow…　ful　woman　had　come　and　fastened　these　flowers　there。　　The　first　time　she　brought　her　offering　she　was　a　slender　girl；　as　fresh　as　her　own　vio…　lets。　　It　is　a　slender　figure　still；　but　there　are　threads　of　silver　in　the　black　hair。

FORTUNATE　was　Marcus　Aurelius　Antoninus；　who　in　early　youth　was　taught　〃to　abstain　from　rhetoric；　and　poetry；　and　fine　writing〃espe…　cially　the　fine　writing。　　Simplicity　is　art's　last　word。

The　man　is　clearly　an　adventurer。　　In　the　seven…　teenth　century　he　would　have　worn　huge　flint…　lock　pistols　stuck　into　a　wide　leather　belt；　and　been　something　in　the　seafaring　line。　　The　fel…　low　is　always　smartly　dressed；　but　where　he　lives　and　how　he　lives　are　as　unknown　as　〃what　song　the　Sirens　sang；　or　what　name　Achilles　assumed　when　he　hid　himself　among　women。〃　　He　is　a　man　who　apparently　has　no　appointment　with　his　breakfast　and　whose　din…　ner　is　a　chance　acquaintance。　　His　probable　banker　is　the　next　person。　　A　great　city　like　this　is　the　only　geography　for　such　a　character。　He　would　be　impossible　in　a　small　country　town；　where　everybody　knows　everybody　and　what　everybody　has　for　lunch。

I　HAVE　been　seeking；　thus　far　in　vain；　for　the　proprietor　of　the　saying　that　〃Economy　is　sec…　ond　or　third　cousin　to　Avarice。〃　　I　went　rather　confidently　to　Rochefoucauld；　but　it　is　not　among　that　gentleman's　light　luggage　of　cynical　maxims。

THERE　is　a　popular　vague　impression　that　butch…　ers　are　not　allowed　to　serve　as　jurors　on　mur…　der　trials。　　This　is　not　really　the　case；　but　it　logically　might　be。　　To　a　man　daily　familiar　with　the　lurid　incidents　of　the　abattoir；　the　summary　extinction　of　a　fellow　creature　（whe…　ther　the　victim　or　the　criminal）　can　scarcely　seem　a　circumstance　of　so　serious　moment　as　to　another　man　engaged　in　less　strenuous　pursuits。　WE　do　not；　and　cannot；　read　many　of　the　novels　that　most　delighted　our　ancestors。　　Some　of　our　popular　fiction　is　doubtless　as　poor；　but　poor　with　a　difference。　　There　is　always　a　heavy　de…　mand　for　fresh　mediocrity。　　In　every　generation　the　least　cultivated　taste　has　the　largest　appetite。　There　is　ragtime　literature　as　well　as　ragtime　music　for　the　many。

G…　is　a　man　who　had　rather　fail　in　a　great　purpose　than　not　accomplish　it　in　precisely　his　own　way。　　He　has　the　courage　of　his　conviction　and　the　intolerance　of　his　courage。　　He　is　op…　posed　to　the　death　penalty　for　murder；　but　he　would　willingly　have　any　one　electrocuted　who　disagreed　with　him　on　the　subject。


I　HAVE　thought　of　an　essay　to　be　called　〃On　the　Art　of　Short…Story　Writing；〃　but　have　given　it　up　as　smacking　too　much　of　the　shop。　　It　would　be　too　intime；　since　I　should　have　to　deal　chiefly　with　my　own　ways；　and　so　give　myself　the　false　air　of　seeming　to　consider　them　of　im…　portance。　　It　would　interest　nobody　to　know　that　I　always　write　the　last　paragraph　first；　and　then　work　directly　up　to　that；　avoiding　all　di…　gressions　and　side　issues。　　Then　who　on　earth　would　care　to　be　told　about　the　trouble　my　characters　cause　me　by　talking　too　much？　They　will　talk；　and　I　have　to　let　them；　but　when　the　story　is　finished；　I　go　over　the　dia…　logue　and　strike　out　four　fifths　of　the　long　speeches。　　I　fancy　that　makes　my　characters　pretty　mad。

THIS　is　the　golden　age　of　the　inventor。　　He　is　no　longer　looked　upon　as　a　madman　or　a　wiz…　ard；　incontinently　to　be　made　away　with。　　Two　or　three　centuries　ago　Marconi　would　not　have　escaped　a　ropeless　end　with　his　wireless　telegra…　phy。　　Even　so　late　as　1800；　the　friends　of　one　Robert　Fulton　seriously　entertained　the　lumi…　nous　idea　of　hustling　the　poor　man　into　an　asy…　lum　for　the　unsound　before　he　had　a　chance　to　fire　up　the　boiler　of　his　tiny　steamboat　on　the　Hudson　river。　　In　olden　times　the　pillory　and　the　whipping…post　were　among　the　gentler　forms　of　encouragement　awaiting　the　inventor。　　If　a　man　devised　an　especially　practical　apple…peeler　he　was　in　imminent　danger　of　being　peeled　with　it　by　an　incensed　populace。　　To…day　we　hail　with　enthusiasm　a　scientific　or　a　mechanical　discovery；　and　stand　ready　to　make　a　stock　company　of　it。

A　MAN　is　known　by　the　company　his　mind　keeps。　　To　live　continually　with　noble　books；　with　〃high…erected　thoughts　seated　in　the　heart　of　courtesy；〃　teaches　the　soul　good　manners。

THE　unconventional　has　ever　a　morbid　attrac…　tion　for　a　certain　class　of　mind。　　There　is　always　a　small　coterie　of　highly　intellectual　men　and　women　eager　to　give　welcome　to　whatever　is　eccentric；　obscure；　or　chaotic。　　Worshipers　at　the　shrine　of　the　Unpopular；　they　tingle　with　a　sense　of　tolerant　superiority　when　they　say：　〃Of　course　this　is　not　the　kind　of　thing　you　would　like。〃　　Sometimes　these　impressionable　souls　almost　seem　to　make　a　sort　of　reputation　for　their　fetish。

I　HEAR　that　B…　directed　to　have　himself　buried　on　the　edge　of　the　pond　where　his　duck…　stand　was　located；　in　order