over the teacups-第15章

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listeners　fly　at　all　its　weaknesses；　and　please　themselves　with

making　light　of　its　often　futile　ingenuities；　when　a　wiser　audience

would　gladly　accept　a　hint　which　perhaps　could　be　developed　in　some

profitable　direction；　or　so　interpret　an　erratic　thought　that　it

should　prove　good　sense　in　disguise。　　That　is　the　way　Number　Five　was

in　the　habit　of　dealing　with　the　explosions　of　Number　Seven。　　Do　you

think　she　did　not　see　the　ridiculous　element　in　a　silly　speech；　or

the　absurdity　of　an　outrageously　extravagant　assertion？　　Then　you

never　heard　her　laugh　when　she　could　give　way　to　her　sense　of　the

ludicrous　without　wounding　the　feelings　of　any　other　person。　　But　her

kind　heart　never　would　forget　itself；　and　so　Number　Seven　had　a

champion　who　was　always　ready　to　see　that　his　flashes　of

intelligence；　fitful　as　they　were；　and　liable　to　be　streaked　with

half…crazy　fancies；　always　found　one　willing　recipient　of　what　light

there　was　in　them。



Number　Five；　I　have　found；　is　a　true　lover　of　music；　and　has　a　right

to　claim　a　real　knowledge　of　its　higher　and　deeper　mysteries。　　But

she　accepted　very　cordially　what　our　light…headed　companion　said

about　the　songs　he　used　to　listen　to。



〃There　is　no　doubt；〃　she　remarked；〃　that　the　tears　which　used　to　be

shed　over　'Oft　in　the　sully　night；'　or　'Auld　Robin　Gray；'　or　'A　place

in　thy　memory；　dearest；'　were　honest　tears；　coming　from　the　true

sources　of　emotion。　　There　was　no　affectation　about　them；　those　songs

came　home　to　the　sensibilities　of　young　people；of　all　who　had　any

sensibilities　to　be　acted　upon。　　And　on　the　other　hand；　there　is　a

great　amount　of　affectation　in　the　apparent　enthusiasm　of　many

persons　in　admiring　and　applauding　music　of　which　they　have　not　the

least　real　appreciation。　　They　do　not　know　whether　it　is　good　or　bad；

the　work　of　a　first…rate　or　a　fifth…rate　composer；　whether　there　are

coherent　elements　in　it；　or　whether　it　is　nothing　more　than　'a

concourse　of　sweet　sounds'　with　no　organic　connections。　　One　must　be

educated；　no　doubt；　to　understand　the　more　complex　and　difficult

kinds　of　musical　composition。　　Go　to　the　great　concerts　where　you

know　that　the　music　is　good；　and　that　you　ought　to　like　it　whether

you　do　or　not。　　Take　a　music…bath　once　or　twice　a　week　for　a　few

seasons；　and　you　will　find　that　it　is　to　the　soul　what　the　water…bath

is　to　the　body。　　I　wouldn't　trouble　myself　about　the　affectations　of

people　who　go　to　this　or　that　series　of　concerts　chiefly　because　it

is　fashionable。　　Some　of　these　people　whom　we　think　so　silly　and　hold

so　cheap　will　perhaps　find；　sooner　or　later；　that　they　have　a　dormant

faculty　which　is　at　last　waking　up；and　that　they　who　came　because

others　came；　and　began　by　staring　at　the　audience；　are　listening　with

a　newly　found　delight。　　Every　one　of　us　has　a　harp　under　bodice　or

waistcoat；　and　if　it　can　only　once　get　properly　strung　and　tuned　it

will　respond　to　all　outside　harmonies。〃



The　Professor　has　some　ideas　about　music；　which　I　believe　he　has

given　to　the　world　in　one　form　or　another；　but　the　world　is　growing

old　and　forgetful；　and　needs　to　be　reminded　now　and　then　of　what　one

has　formerly　told　it。



〃I　have　had　glimpses；〃　the　Professor　said；　〃of　the　conditions　into

which　music　is　capable　of　bringing　a　sensitive　nature。　　Glimpses；　I

say；　because　I　cannot　pretend　that　I　am　capable　of　sounding　all　the

depths　or　reaching　all　the　heights　to　which　music　may　transport　our

mortal　consciousness。　　Let　me　remind　you　of　a　curious　fact　with

reference　to　the　seat　of　the　musical　sense。　　Far　down　below　the　great

masses　of　thinking　marrow　and　its　secondary　agents；　just　as　the　brain

is　about　to　merge　in　the　spinal　cord；　the　roots　of　the　nerve　of

hearing　spread　their　white　filaments　out　into　the　sentient　matter；

where　they　report　what　the　external　organs　of　hearing　tell　them。

This　sentient　matter　is　in　remote　connection　only　with　the　mental

organs；　far　more　remote　than　the　centres　of　the　sense　of　vision　and

that　of　smell。　　In　a　word；　the　musical　faculty　might　be　said　to　have

a　little　brain　of　its　own。　　It　has　a　special　world　and　a　private

language　all　to　itself。　　How　can　one　explain　its　significance　to

those　whose　musical　faculties　are　in　a　rudimentary　state　of

development；　or　who　have　never　had　them　trained？　　Can　you　describe　in

intelligible　language　the　smell　of　a　rose　as　compared　with　that　of　a

violet？　　No；　　music　can　be　translated　only　by　music。　　Just　so　far

as　it　suggests　worded　thought；　it　falls　short　of　its　highest　office。

Pure　emotional　movements　of　the　spiritual　nature；that　is　what　I　ask

of　music。　　Music　will　be　the　universal　language；the　Volapuk　of

spiritual　being。〃



〃Angels　sit　down　with　their　harps　and　play　at　each　other；　I　suppose；〃

said　Number　Seven。　　〃Must　have　an　atmosphere　up　there　if　they　have

harps；　or　they　wouldn't　get　any　music。　　Wonder　if　angels　breathe　like

mortals？　　If　they　do；　they　must　have　lungs　and　air　passages；　of

course。　　Think　of　an　angel　with　the　influenza；　and　nothing　but　a

cloud　for　a　handkerchief！〃



This　is　a　good　instance　of　the　way　in　which　Number　Seven's

squinting　brain　works。　　You　will　now　and　then　meet　just　such　brains

in　heads　you　know　very　well。　　Their　owners　are　much　given　to　asking

unanswerable　questions。　　A　physicist　may　settle　it　for　us　whether

there　is　an　atmosphere　about　a　planet　or　not；　but　it　takes　a　brain

with　an　extra　fissure　in　it　to　ask　these　unexpected　questions；

questions　which　the　natural　philosopher　cannot　answer；　and　which　the

theologian　never　thinks　of　asking。



The　company　at　our　table　do　not　keep　always　in　the　same　places。　　The

first　thing　I　noticed；　the　other　evening；　was　that　the　Tutor　was

sitting　between　the　two　Annexes；　and　the　Counsellor　was　next　to

Number　Five。　　Something　ought　to　come　of　this　arrangement。　　One　of

those　two　young　ladies　must　certainly　captivate　and　perhaps　capture

the　Tutor。　　They　are　just　the　age　to　be　falling　in　love　and　to　be

fallen　in　love　with。　　The　Tutor　is　good　looking；　intellectual；

suspected　of　writing　poetry；　but　a　little　shy；　it　appears　to　me。

I　am　glad　to　see　him　between　the　two　girls。　　If　there　were　only　one；

she　might　be　shy　too；　and　then　there　would　be　less　chance　for　a

romance　such　as　I　am　on　the　lookout　for；　but　these　young　persons　lend

courage　to　each　other；　and　between　them；　if　he　does　not　wake　up　like

Cymon　at　the　sight　of　Iphigenia；　I　shall　be　disappointed。　　As　for　the

Counsellor　and　Number　Five；　they　will　soon　find　each　other　out。　　Yes；

it　is　all　pretty　clear　in　my　mind；except　that　there　is　always　an　x

in　a　problem　where　sentiments　are　involved。　　No；　not　so　clear　about

the　Tutor。　　Predestined；　I　venture　my　guess；　to　one　or　the　other；　but

to　which？　　I　will　suspend　my　opinion　for　the　present。



I　have　found　out　that　the　Counsellor　is　a　childless　widower。　　I　am

told　that　the　Tutor　is　unmarried；　and　so　far　as　known　not　engaged。

There　is　no　use　in　denying　it；a　company　without　the　possibility　of

a　love…match　between　two　of　its　circle　is　like　a　champagne　bottle

with　the　cork　out　for　some　hours　as　compared　to　one　with　its　pop　yet

in　reserve。　　However；　if　there　should　be　any　love…making；　it　need　not

break　up　our　conversations。　　Most　of　it　will　be　carried　on　away　from

our　tea…table。



Some　of　us　have　been　attending　certain　lectures　on　Egypt　and　its

antiquities。　　I　have　never　been　on　the　Nile。　　If　in　any　future　state

there　shall　be　vacations　in　which　we　may　have　liberty　to　revisit　our

old　home；　equipped　with　a　complete　brand…new　set　of　mortal　senses　as

our　travelling　outfit；　I　think　one　of　the　first　places　I　should　go

to；　after　my　birthplace；　the　old　gambrel…roofed　house；the　place

where　it　stood；　rather；　　would　be　that　mighty；　awe…inspiring　river。

I　do　not　suppose　we　shall　ever　know　half　of　what　we　owe　to　the　wise

and　wonderful　people　who　confront　us　with　the　overpowering　monuments

of　a　past　which　flows　out　of　the　unfathomable　darkness　as　the　great

river　streams　from　sources　even　as　yet　but　imperfectly　explored。



I　have　thought　a　good　deal　about　Egypt；　lately；　with　reference　to　our

historical　monuments。　　How　did　the　great　unknown　mastery　who　fixed

the　two　leading　forms　of　their　monumental　records　arrive　at　those

admirable　and　eternal　types；　the　pyramid　and　the　obelisk？　　How　did

they　get　their　model　of　the　pyramid？



Here　is　an　hour…glass；　not　inappropriately　filled　with　sand　from　the

great　Egyptian　desert。　　I　turn　it；　and　watch　the　sand　as　it

accumulates　in　the　lower　half　of　the　glass。　　How　symmetrically；　how

beautifully；　how　inevitably；　the　little　particles　pile　up　the　cone；

which　is　ever　building　and　unbuilding　itself；　always　aiming　at　the

stability　which　is　found　only　at　a　certain　fixed　angle！　　The　Egyptian

children　playing　in　the　sand　must　have　noticed　this　as　they　let　the

grains　fall　from　their　hands；　and　the　sloping　sides　of　the　miniature

pyramid　must　have　been　among　the　familiar　sights　to　the　little　boys

and　girls　for　whom　the　sand　furnished　their　earliest　playthings。

Nature　taught　her　children　through　the　working　of　the　laws　of

gravitation　how　to　build　so　that　her　forces　should　act　in　harmony

with　art；　to　preserve　the　integrity　of　a　structure　meant　to　reach

a　far…off　posterity。　　The　pyramid　is　only　the　cone　in　which　Nature

arranges　her　heaped　and　sliding　fragments；　the　cone　with　flattened

Surfaces；　as　it　is　prefigured　in　certain　well…known　crystalline

forms。　　The　obelisk　is　from　another　of　Nature's　patterns；　it　is　only

a　gigantic　acicular　crystal。



The　Egyptians　knew　what　a　monument　should　be；　simple；　noble；　durable。

It　seems　to　me　that　we　Americans　might　take　a　lesson　from　those　early

architects。　　Our　cemeteries　are　crowded　with　monuments　which　are　very

far　from　simple；　anything　but　noble；　and　stand　a　small　chance　of

being　permanent。　　The　pyramid　is　rarely　seen；　perhaps　because　it

takes　up　so　much　room；　and　when　built　on　a　small　scale　seems

insignificant　as　we　think　of　it；　dwarfed　by　the　vast　structures　of

antiquity。　　The　obelisk　is　very　common；　and　when　in　just　proportions

and　of　respectable　dimensions　is　unobjectionable。



But　the　gigantic　obelisks　like　that　on　Bunker　Hill；　and　especially

the　Washington　monument　at　the　national　capital；　are　open　to　critical

animadversion。　　Let　us　contrast　the　last　mentioned　of　these　great

piles　with　the　obelisk　as　the　Egyptian　conceived　and　executed　it。

The　new　Pharaoh　ordered　a　memorial　of　some　important　personage　or

event。　　In　the　first　place；　a　mighty　stone　was　dislodged　from　its

connections；　and　lifted；　unbroken；　from　the　quarry。　　This　was　a　feat

from　which　our　modern　stone…workers　shrink　dismayed。　　The　Egyptians

appear　to　have　handled　these　huge　monoliths　as　our　artisans　handle

hearthstones　and　doorsteps；　for　the　land　actually　bristled　with　such

giant　columns。　　They　were　shaped　and　finished　as　nicely　as　if　they

were　breastpins　for　the　Titans　to　wear；　and　on　their　polished

surfaces　were　engraved　in　imperishab