the love affairs of a bibliomaniac-第3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！
tion the best and highest praise both of his own sex and of hers。
I thank God continually that it hath been my lot in life to found an empire in my heart no cramped and wizened borough wherein one jealous mistress hath exercised her petty tyranny； but an expansive and ever…widening continent divided and subdivided into dominions； jurisdictions； caliphates； chiefdoms； seneschalships； and prefectures； wherein tetrarchs； burgraves； maharajahs； palatines； seigniors； caziques； nabobs； emirs； nizams； and nawabs hold sway； each over his special and particular realm； and all bound together in harmonious cooperation by the conciliating spirit of polybibliophily！
Let me not be misunderstood； for I am not a woman…hater。 I do not regret the acquaintancesnay； the friendshipsI have formed with individuals of the other sex。 As a philosopher it has behooved me to study womankind； else I should not have appreciated the worth of these other better loves。 Moreover； I take pleasure in my age in associating this precious volume or that with one woman or another whose friendship came into my life at the time when I was reading and loved that book。
The other day I found my nephew William swinging in the hammock on the porch with his girl friend Celia； I saw that the young people were reading Ovid。 ‘‘My children；'' said I； ‘‘count this day a happy one。 In the years of after life neither of you will speak or think of Ovid and his tender verses without recalling at the same moment how of a gracious afternoon in distant time you sat side by side contemplating the ineffably precious promises of maturity and love。''
I am not sure that I do not approve that article in Judge Methuen's creed which insists that in this life of ours woman serves a probationary period for sins of omission or of commission in a previous existence； and that woman's next step upward toward the final eternity of bliss is a period of longer or of shorter duration； in which her soul enters into a book to be petted； fondled； beloved and cherished by some good manlike the Judge； or like myself； for that matter。
This theory is not an unpleasant one； I regard it as much more acceptable than those so…called scientific demonstrations which would make us suppose that we are descended from tree…climbing and bug…eating simians。 However； it is far from my purpose to enter upon any argument of these questions at this time； for Judge Methuen himself is going to write a book upon the subject； and the edition is to be limited to two numbered and signed copies upon Japanese vellum； of which I am to have one and the Judge the other。
The impression I made upon Uncle Cephas must have been favorable； for when my next birthday rolled around there came with it a book from Uncle Cephasmy third love； Grimm's ‘‘Household Stories。'' With the perusal of this monumental work was born that passion for fairy tales and folklore which increased rather than diminished with my maturer years。 Even at the present time I delight in a good fairy story； and I am grateful to Lang and to Jacobs for the benefit they have conferred upon me and the rest of English…reading humanity through the medium of the fairy books and the folk tales they have translated and compiled。 Baring…Gould and Lady Wilde have done noble work in the same realm； the writings of the former have interested me particularly； for together with profound learning in directions which are specially pleasing to me； Baring…Gould has a distinct literary touch which invests his work with a grace indefinable but delicious and persuasive。
I am so great a lover of and believer in fairy tales that I once organized a society for the dissemination of fairy literature； and at the first meeting of this society we resolved to demand of the board of education to drop mathematics from the curriculum in the public schools and to substitute therefor a four years' course in fairy literature； to be followed； if the pupil desired； by a post…graduate course in demonology and folk…lore。 We hired and fitted up large rooms； and the cause seemed to be flourishing until the second month's rent fell due。 It was then discovered that the treasury was empty； and with this discovery the society ended its existence； without having accomplished any tangible result other than the purchase of a number of sofas and chairs； for which Judge Methuen and I had to pay。
Still； I am of the opinion （and Judge Methuen indorses it） that we need in this country of ours just that influence which the fairy tale exerts。 We are becoming too practical； the lust for material gain is throttling every other consideration。 Our babes and sucklings are no longer regaled with the soothing tales of giants； ogres； witches； and fairies； their hungry； receptive minds are filled with stories about the pursuit and slaughter of unoffending animals； of war and of murder； and of those questionable practices whereby a hero is enriched and others are impoverished。 Before he is out of his swaddling… cloth the modern youngster is convinced that the one noble purpose in life is to get； get； get； and keep on getting of worldly material。 The fairy tale is tabooed because； as the sordid parent alleges； it makes youth unpractical。
One consequence of this deplorable condition is； as I have noticed （and as Judge Methuen has； too）； that the human eye is diminishing in size and fulness； and is losing its lustre。 By as much as you take the God…given grace of fancy from man； by so much do you impoverish his eyes。 The eye is so beautiful and serves so very many noble purposes； and is； too； so ready in the expression of tenderness； of pity； of love； of solicitude； of compassion； of dignity； of every gentle mood and noble inspiration； that in that metaphor which contemplates the eternal vigilance of the Almighty we recognize the best poetic expression of the highest human wisdom。
My nephew Timothy has three children； two boys and a girl。 The elder boy and the girl have small black eyes； they are as devoid of fancy as a napkin is of red corpuscles； they put their pennies into a tin bank； and they have won all the marbles and jack… stones in the neighborhood。 They do not believe in Santa Claus or in fairies or in witches； they know that two nickels make a dime； and their golden rule is to do others as others would do them。 The other boy （he has been christened Matthew； after me） has a pair of large； round； deep…blue eyes； expressive of all those emotions which a keen； active fancy begets。
Matthew can never get his fill of fairy tales； and how the dear little fellow loves Santa Claus！ He sees things at night； he will not go to bed in the dark； he hears and understands what the birds and crickets say； and what the night wind sings； and what the rustling leaves tell。 Wherever Matthew goes he sees beautiful pictures and hears sweet music； to his impressionable soul all nature speaks its wisdom and its poetry。 God！ how I love that boy！ And he shall never starve！ A goodly share of what I have shall go to him！ But this clause in my will； which the Judge recently drew for me； will； I warrant me； give the dear child the greatest happiness：
‘‘Item。 To my beloved grandnephew and namesake； Matthew； I do bequeath and give （in addition to the lands devised and the stocks； bonds and moneys willed to him； as hereinabove specified） the two mahogany bookcases numbered 11 and 13； and the contents thereof； being volumes of fairy and folk tales of all nations； and dictionaries and other treatises upon demonology； witchcraft； mythology； magic and kindred subjects； to be his； his heirs； and his assigns； forever。''
III
THE LUXURY OF READING IN BED
Last night； having written what you have just read about the benefits of fairy literature； I bethought me to renew my acquaintance with some of those tales which so often have delighted and solaced me。 So I piled at least twenty chosen volumes on the table at the head of my bed； and I daresay it was nigh daylight when I fell asleep。 I began my entertainment with several pages from Keightley's ‘‘Fairy Mythology；'' and followed it up with random bits from Crofton Croker's ‘‘Traditions of the South of Ireland；'' Mrs。 Carey's ‘‘Legends of the French Provinces；'' Andrew Lang's Green； Blue and Red fairy books； Laboulaye's ‘‘Last Fairy Tales；'' Hauff's ‘‘The Inn in the Spessart；'' Julia Goddard's ‘‘Golden Weathercock；'' Frere's ‘‘Eastern Fairy Legends；'' Asbjornsen's ‘‘Folk Tales；'' Susan Pindar's ‘‘Midsummer Fays；'' Nisbit Bain's ‘‘Cossack Fairy Tales；'' etc。； etc。
I fell asleep with a copy of Villamaria's fairy stories in my hands； and I had a delightful dream wherein； under the protection and guidance of my fairy godmother； I undertook the rescue of a beautiful princess who had been enchanted by a cruel witch and was kept in prison by the witch's son； a hideous ogre with seven heads； whose companions were four equally hideous dragons。
This undertaking in which I was engaged involved a period of five years； but time is of precious little consideration to one when he is dreaming of exploits achieved in behalf of a beautiful princess。 My fairy godmother （she wore a mob…cap and was hunchbacked） took good care of me； and conducted me safely through all my encounters with demons； giants； dragons； witches； serpents； hippogriffins； ogres； etc。； and I had just rescued the princess and broken the spell which bound her； and we were about to ‘‘live in peace to the end of our lives；'' when I awoke to find it was all a dream； and that the gas… light over my bed had been blazing away during the entire period of my five…year war for the delectable maiden。
This incident gives me an opportunity to say that observation has convinced me that all good and true book…lovers practise the pleasing and improving avocation of reading in bed。 Indeed； I fully believe with Judge Methuen that no book can be appreciated until it has been slept with and dreamed over。 You recall； perhaps； that eloquent passage in his noble defence of the poet Archias； wherein Cicero （not Kikero） refers to his own pursuit of literary studies： ‘‘Haec studia adolescentiam alunt； senectutem oblectant； secundas res ornant； adversis perfugium ac solatium praebent； delectant domi； non impediunt foris； PERNOCTANT nobiscum； peregrinantur； rusticantur！''
By the gods！ you spoke tally； friend Cicero； for it is indeed so； that these pursuits nourish our earlier and delight our later years； dignifying the minor details of life and affording a perennial refuge and solace； at home they please us and in no vocation elsewhere do they embarrass us； they are with us by night； they go with us upon our travels； and even upon our retirement into the country do they accompany us！
I have italicized pernoctant because it is that word which demonstrates beyond all possibility of doubt that Cicero made a practice of reading in bed。 Why； I can almost see him now； propped up in his couch； unrolling scroll after scroll of his favorite literature； and enjoying it mightily； too； which enjoyment is interrupted now and then by the occasion which the noble reader takes to mutter maledictions upon the slave who has let the lamp run low of oil or has neglected to trim the wick。
‘‘Peregrinantur？'' Indeed； they do share our per
