over the teacups-第21章

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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　imperishable　characters　the　records　they

were　erected　to　preserve。



Europe　and　America　borrow　these　noble　productions　of　African　art　and

power；　and　find　them　hard　enough　to　handle　after　they　have　succeeded

in　transporting　them　to　Rome；　or　London；　or　New　York。　　Their

simplicity；　grandeur；　imperishability；　speaking　symbolism；　shame　all

the　pretentious　and　fragile　works　of　human　art　around　them。　　The

obelisk　has　no　joints　for　the　destructive　agencies　of　nature　to

attack；　the　pyramid　has　no　masses　hanging　in　unstable　equilibrium；

and　threatening　to　fall　by　their　own　weight　in　the　course　of　a

thousand　or　two　years。



America　says　the　Father　of　his　Country　must　have　a　monument　worthy　of

his　exalted　place　in　history。　　What　shall　it　be？　　A　temple　such　as

Athens　might　have　been　proud　to　rear　upon　her　Acropolis？　　An　obelisk

such　as　Thebes　might　have　pointed　out　with　pride　to　the　strangers　who

found　admission　through　her　hundred　gates？　　After　long　meditation　and

the　rejection　of　the　hybrid　monstrosities　with　which　the　nation　was

menaced；　an　obelisk　is　at　last　decided　upon。　　How　can　it　be　made

grand　and　dignified　enough　to　be　equal　to　the　office　assigned　it？　　We

dare　not　attempt　to　carve　a　single　stone　from　the　living　rock；all

our　modern　appliances　fail　to　make　the　task　as　easy　to　us　as　it　seems

to　have　been　to　the　early　Egyptians。　　No　artistic　skill　is　required

in　giving　a　four…square　tapering　figure　to　a　stone　column。　　If　we

cannot　shape　a　solid　obelisk　of　the　proper　dimensions；　we　can　build

one　of　separate　blocks。　　How　can　we　give　it　the　distinction　we　demand

for　it？　　The　nation　which　can　brag　that　it　has　〃the　biggest　show　on

earth〃　cannot　boast　a　great　deal　in　the　way　of　architecture；　but　it

can　do　one　thing；it　can　build　an　obelisk　that　shall　be　taller　than

any　structure　now　standing　which　the　hand　of　man　has　raised。　　Build

an　obelisk！　　How　different　the　idea　of　such　a　structure　from　that　of

the　unbroken；　unjointed　prismatic　shaft；　one　perfect　whole；　as

complete　in　itself；　as　fitly　shaped　and　consolidated　to　defy　the

elements；　as　the　towering　palm　or　the　tapering　pine！　　Well；　we　had

the　satisfaction　for　a　time　of　claiming　the　tallest　structure　in　the

world；　and　now　that　the　new　Tower　of　Babel　which　has　sprung　up　in

Paris　has　killed　that　pretention；　I　think　we　shall　feel　and　speak

more　modestly　about　our　stone　hyperbole；　our　materialization　of　the

American　love　of　the　superlative。　　We　have　the　higher　civilization

among　us；　and　we　must　try　to　keep　down　the　forth…putting　instincts　of

the　lower。　　We　do　not　want　to　see　our　national　monument　placarded　as

〃the　greatest　show　on　earth；〃　perhaps　it　is　well　that　it　is　taken

down　from　that　bad　eminence。



I　do　not　think　that　this　speech　of　mine　was　very　well　received。　　It

appeared　to　jar　somewhat　on　the　nerves　of　the　American　Annex。　　There

was　a　smile　on　the　lips　of　the　other　Annex；the　English　girl；which

she　tried　to　keep　quiet；　but　it　was　too　plain　that　she　enjoyed　my

diatribe。



It　must　be