ponkapog papers-第13章

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　　Touching　this　question　of　mere　technique　Mr。　Ruskin　has　a　word　to　say　（it　appears　that　he　said　it　〃in　his　earlier　and　better　days〃）；　and　Mr。　Higginson　quotes　it：　〃No　weight；　nor　mass；　nor　beauty　of　execution　can　outweigh　one　grain　or　fragment　of　thought。〃　　This　is　a　pro…　position　to　which　one　would　cordially　subscribe　if　it　were　not　so　intemperately　stated。　　A　sug…　gestive　commentary　on　Mr。　Ruskin's　impressive　dictum　is　furnished　by　his　own　volume　of　verse。　The　substance　of　it　is　weighty　enough；　but　the　workmanship　lacks　just　that　touch　which　dis…　tinguishes　the　artist　from　the　bunglerthe　touch　which　Mr。　Ruskin；　except　when　writing　prose；　appears　not　much　to　have　regarded　either　in　his　later　or　〃in　his　earlier　and　better　days。〃　　　　　　Miss　Dickinson's　stanzas；　with　their　impos…　sible　rhyme；　their　involved　significance；　their　interrupted　flute…note　of　birds　that　have　no　con…　tinuous　music；　seem　to　have　caught　the　ear　of　a　group　of　eager　listeners。　　A　shy　New　England　bluebird；　shifting　its　light　load　of　song；　has　for　the　moment　been　mistaken　for　a　stray　nightingale。



THE　MALE　COSTUME　OF　THE　PERIOD

I　WENT　to　see　a　play　the　other　night；　one　of　those　good　old…fashioned　English　comedies　that　are　in　five　acts　and　seem　to　be　in　fifteen。　The　piece　with　its　wrinkled　conventionality；　its　archaic　stiffness；　and　obsolete　code　of　morals；　was　devoid　of　interest　excepting　as　a　collection　of　dramatic　curios。　　Still　I　managed　to　sit　it　through。　　The　one　thing　in　it　that　held　me　a　pleased　spectator　was　the　graceful　costume　of　a　certain　player　who　looked　like　a　fine　old　por…　traitby　Vandyke　or　Velasquez；　let　us　say　that　had　come　to　life　and　kicked　off　its　tar…　nished　frame。　　　　　　I　do　not　know　at　what　epoch　of　the　world's　history　the　scene　of　the　play　was　laid；　possibly　the　author　originally　knew；　but　it　was　evident　that　the　actors　did　not；　for　their　make…ups　re…　presented　quite　antagonistic　periods。　　This　cir…　cumstance；　however；　detracted　only　slightly　from　the　special　pleasure　I　took　in　the　young　person　called　Delorme。　　He　was　not　in　himself　inter…　esting；　he　was　like　that　Major　Waters　in　〃Pepys's　Diary〃〃a　most　amorous　melan…　choly　gentleman　who　is　under　a　despayr　in　love；　which　makes　him　bad　company；〃　it　was　en…　tirely　Delorme's　dress。

　　　　　I　never　saw　mortal　man　in　a　dress　more　sen…　sible　and　becoming。　　The　material　was　accord…　ing　to　Polonius's　dictum；　rich　but　not　gaudy；　of　some　dark　cherry…colored　stuff　with　trimmings　of　a　deeper　shade。　　My　idea　of　a　doublet　is　so　misty　that　I　shall　not　venture　to　affirm　that　the　gentleman　wore　a　doublet。　　It　was　a　loose　coat　of　some　description　hanging　negligently　from　the　shoulders　and　looped　at　the　throat；　showing　a　tasteful　arrangement　of　lacework　below　and　at　the　wrists。　　Full　trousers　reaching　to　the　tops　of　buckskin　boots；　and　a　low…crowned　soft　hat　not　a　Puritan's　sugar…loaf；　but　a　picturesque　shapeless　head…gear；　one　side　jauntily　fastened　up　with　a　jewelcompleted　the　essential　por…　tions　of　our　friend's　attire。　　It　was　a　costume　to　walk　in；　to　ride　in；　to　sit　in。　　The　wearer　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。