over the teacups-第20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！



unfathomable　mysteries；　of　music。　　I　can　no　more　conceive　of　the

working　conditions　of　the　great　composer；



　　　　　　　　　'Untwisting　all　the　chains　that　tie

　　　　　　　　　　The　hidden　soul　of　harmony；'



than　a　child　of　three　years　can　follow　the　reasonings　of　Newton's

'Principia。'　　I　do　not　even　pretend　that　I　can　appreciate　the　work　of

a　great　master　as　a　born　and　trained　musician　does。　　Still；　I　do　love

a　great　crash　of　harmonies；　and　the　oftener　I　listen　to　these　musical

tempests　the　higher　my　soul　seems　to　ride　upon　them；　as　the　wild　fowl

I　see　through　my　window　soar　more　freely　and　fearlessly　the　fiercer

the　storm　with　which　they　battle。〃



〃That's　all　very　well；〃　said　Number　Seven；　〃but　I　wish　we　could　get

the　old…time　music　back　again。　　You　ought　to　have　heard；no；　I　won't

mention　her；　dead；　poor　girl；dead　and　singing　with　the　saints　in

heaven；but　the　S_____　girls。　　If　you　could　have　heard　them　as　I　did

when　I　was　a　boy；　you　would　have　cried；　as　we　all　used　to。　　Do　you

cry　at　those　great　musical　smashes？　　How　can　you　cry　when　you　don't

know　what　it　is　all　about？　　We　used　to　think　the　words　meant

something；we　fancied　that　Burns　and　Moore　said　some　things　very

prettily。　　I　suppose　you've　outgrown　all　that。〃



No　one　can　handle　Number　Seven　in　one　of　his　tantrums　half　so　well　as

Number　Five　can　do　it。　　She　can　pick　out　what　threads　of　sense　may　be

wound　off　from　the　tangle　of　his　ideas　when　they　are　crowded　and

confused；　as　they　are　apt　to　be　at　times。　　She　can　soften　the

occasional　expression　of　half…concealed　ridicule　with　which　the　poor

old　fellow's　sallies　are　liable　to　be　welcomedor　unwelcomed。　　She

knows　that　the　edge　of　a　broken　teacup　may　be　sharper；　very　possibly；

than　that　of　a　philosopher's　jackknife。　　A　mind　a　little　off　its

balance；　one　which　has　a　slightly　squinting　brain　as　its　organ；　will

often　prove　fertile　in　suggestions。　　Vulgar；　cynical；　contemptuous

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　littl