a psychological counter-current in recent fiction-第4章
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！
street fight in the little town of Saar。。。。 In the middle of the
square stands a high pillar of the Virgin。 The mother of God
holds her child in one arm； and stretches the other out in
blessing。。。。 Here the fight was prolonged； man to man。 They
were hacking at me； I laying about me on all sides。。。。 A
Prussian dragoon； strong as Goliath； tore one of our officers （a
pretty； dandified lieutenanthow many girls are； perhaps； mad
after him？） out of his saddle and split his skull at the feet of
the Virgin's pillar。 The gentle saint looked on unmoved。
Another of the enemy's dragoonsa Goliath； tooseized； just
before me almost； my right…hand man； and bent him backwards in
his saddle so powerfully that he broke his backI myself heard
it crack。 To this the Madonna gave her blessing also。〃
VIII。
It can be said that these incidents of battle are imagined； like
the facts of Vereschagin's pictures； but like these they are
imagined rather below than above the real horror of war； and
represent them inadequately。 The incidents of another book； the
last on my list； are of the warfare which goes on in times of
peace； and which will go on as long as there are human passions；
and mankind are divided into men and women； and saints and
sinners。 Of all the books on my list； 〃Let Not Man Put Asunder〃
is； narrowing the word to the recognition of the author's
intellectual alertness and vividness； the cleverest。 The story
is of people who constantly talk so wonderfully well beyond the
wont even of society people that the utmost skill of the author；
who cannot subdue their brilliancy； is needed to make us feel
their reality。 But he does make us feel this in most cases； the
important cases； and in the other cases his power of interesting
us is so great that we do not stop to examine the grounds of our
sensation； or to question the validity of our emotions。 The
action； which is positively of to…day； or yesterday at the
furthest； passes in Boston and England； among people of such
great fortune and high rank and transcendent fashion that the
proudest reader cannot complain of their social quality。 As to
their moral quality； one might have thought the less said the
better； if the author had not said so much that is pertinent and
impressive。 It is from first to last a book with a conscience in
it； and its highest appeal is to the conscience。 It is so very
nearly a great book； so very nearly a true book； that it is with
a kind of grief one recognizes its limitations； a kind of
surprise at its shortcomings； which； nevertheless； are not
shortcomings that impair its supreme effect。 This； I take it； is
the intimation of a mystical authority in marriage against which
divorce sins in vain； which no recreancy can subvert； and by
virtue of which it claims eternally its own the lovers united in
it； though they seem to become haters； it cannot release them to
happiness in a new union through any human law。
If the author had done dramatically （and his doing is mainly
dramatic） no more than this； he would have established his right
to be taken seriously； but he has done very much more； and has
made us acquainted with types and characters which we do not
readily forget； and with characters much more real than their
ambient。 For instance； the Old Cambridge in which the Vassalls
live is not the Old Cambridge of fact； but the Vassalls are the
Vassalls of fact； though the ancestral halls in which they dwell
are of a baroniality difficult of verification。 Their honor；
their righteousness； their purity are veracious； though their
social state is magnified beyond any post…revolutionary
experience。 The social Boston of the novel is more like； its
difference from an older Boston is sensitively felt； and finely
suggested； especially on the side of that greater lawlessness in
which it is not the greater Boston。 Petrina Faneuil； the
heroine； is derivatively of the older Boston which has passed
away； and actually of the newer Boston which will not be so much
regretted when it passes； the fast Boston； the almost rowdy
Boston； the decadent Boston。 It is； of course； a Boston much
worse in the report than in the fact； but it is not unimaginably
bad to the student who notes that the lapse from any high ideals
is to a level lower than that of people who have never had them。
As for Petrina herself； who was in Boston more than of it； she is
so admirably analyzed in the chapter devoted to the task that I
am tempted to instance it as the best piece of work in the book；
though it does not make one hold one's breath like some of the
dramatic episodes： 〃Whatever religious instinct had been in the
family had spent itself at least two generations before her time。
She was a pagana tolerant； indifferent； slightly scornful
pagan。。。。 But she was none the less a Puritan。 Certain of her
ways of thought and habits of life； had survived the beliefs
which had given them birth； as an effect will often outlive its
cause。 If she was a pagan； she was a serious one； a pagan with a
New England conscience。〃
This is mighty well said； and the like things that are said of
Petrina's sister…in…law； who has married an English title； are
mighty well； too。 〃She had inherited a countenance whose
expression was like the light which lingers in the sky long after
sunsetthe light of some ancestral fire gone out。 If in her
face there were prayers； they had been said by Pepperells and
Vassalls now sleeping in Massachusetts churchyards。 If in her
voice there were tears； they had been shed by those who would
weep no more。 She mirrored the emotions she had never felt； and
all that was left of joys and sorrows and spiritual aspirations
which had once thrilled human hearts was in that plaintive echo
they had given to this woman's tone； and the light of petition
they had left burning in her eyes。〃
No one who reads such passages can deny that the author of 〃Let
Not Man Put Asunder〃 can think subtly as well as say clearly； and
the book abounds in proofs of his ability to portray human nature
in its lighter aspects。 Lady de Bohun； with her pathetic face；
is a most amusing creature； with all her tragedy； and she is on
the whole the most perfectly characterized personality in the
story。 The author gives you a real sense of her beauty； her
grace； her being always charmingly in a hurry and always late。
The greatest scene is hers： the scene in which she meets her
divorced husband with his second wife。 One may suspect some of
the other scenes； but one must accept that scene as one of
genuine dramatic worth。 Too much of the drama in the book is
theatre rather than drama； and yet the author's gift is
essentially dramatic。 He knows how to tell a story on his stage
that holds you to the fall of the curtain； and makes you almost
patient of the muted violins and the limelight of the closing
scene。 Such things； you say； do not happen in Brookline； Mass。；
whatever happens in London or in English country houses； and yet
the people have at one time or other convinced you of their
verity。 Of the things that are not natural； you feel like saying
that they are supernatural rather than unnatural； and you own
that at its worst the book is worth while in a time when most
novels are not worth while。
Footnotes
〃The Right of Way。〃 A Novel。 By Gilbert Parker。 Harper & Brothers。
〃The Ruling Passion。 Tales of nature and human nature。〃 By Henry
Van Dyke。 Charles Scribner's Sons。
〃Spoils and Stratagems Stories of love and politics。〃 By Wm。
Allen White。 Charles Scribner's Sons。
〃Foma Gordyeeff。〃 By Maxim Gorky。 Translated from the Russian by
Isabel F。 Hapgood。 Charles Scribner's Sons。
〃Circumstances。〃 By S。 Weir Mitchell； M。D。 The Century Company。
〃A Japanese Nightingale。〃 By Onoto Watana。 Harper & Brothers。
〃The Marrow of Tradition。〃 By Charles W。 Chesnutt。 Houghton；
Mifflin & Co。
〃Lay Down Your Arms。 The autobiography of Martha von Tilling。〃
By Bertha von Suttner。 Authorized Translation。 By T。 Holmes。
Longmans； Green & Co。
〃Let Not Man Put Asunder。〃 By Basil King。 Harper & Brothers。
End
