贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > over the teacups >

第29章

over the teacups-第29章

小说: over the teacups 字数: 每页4000字

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!




finding no place for its energies; or feeling its incapacity to reach

the ideal towards which it was striving!  What longings of

disappointed; defeated fellow…mortals; trying to find a new home for

themselves in the heart of one whom they have amiably idealized!  And

oh; what hopeless efforts of mediocrities and inferiorities;

believing in themselves as superiorities; and stumbling on through

limping disappointments to prostrate failure!  Poverty comes

pleading; not for charity; for the most part; but imploring us to

find a purchaser for its unmarketable wares。  The unreadable author

particularly requests us to make a critical examination of his book;

and report to him whatever may be our verdict;as if he wanted

anything but our praise; and that very often to be used in his

publisher's advertisements。



But what does not one have to submit to who has become the martyr

the Saint Sebastianof a literary correspondence!  I will not dwell

on the possible impression produced on a sensitive nature by reading

one's own premature obituary; as I have told you has been my recent

experience。  I will not stop to think whether the urgent request for

an autograph by return post; in view of the possible contingencies

which might render it the last one was ever to write; is pleasing or

not。  At threescore and twenty one must expect such hints of what is

like to happen before long。  I suppose; if some near friend were to

watch one who was looking over such a pressing letter; he might

possibly see a slight shadow flit over the reader's features; and

some such dialogue might follow as that between Othello and Iago;

after 〃this honest creature〃 has been giving breath to his suspicions

about Desdemona :



    〃I see this hath a little dash'd your spirits。

     Not a jot; not a jot。

          。。。。。。。。。。。。。

     〃My lord; I see you're moved。〃



And a little later the reader might; like Othello; complain;



    〃I have a pain upon my forehead here。〃



Nothing more likely。  But; for myself; I have grown callous to all

such allusions。  The repetition of the Scriptural phrase for the

natural term of life is so frequent that it wears out one's

sensibilities。



But how many charming and refreshing letters I have received!  How

often I have felt their encouragement in moments of doubt and

depression; such as the happiest temperaments must sometimes

experience!



If the time comes when to answer all my kind unknown friends; even by

dictation; is impossible; or more than I feel equal to; I wish to

refer any of those who may feel disappointed at not receiving an

answer to the following general acknowledgments:





I。  I am always grateful for any attention which shows me that I am

kindly remembered。 II。  Your pleasant message has been read to me;

and has been thankfully listened to。 III。  Your book (your essay)

(your poem) has reached me safely; and has received all the

respectful attention to which it seemed entitled。  It would take more

than all the time I have at my disposal to read all the printed

matter and all the manuscripts which are sent to me; and you would

not ask me to attempt the impossible。  You will not; therefore;

expect me to express a critical opinion of your work。  IV。  I am

deeply sensible to your expressions of personal attachment to me as

the author of certain writings which have brought me very near to

you; in virtue of some affinity in our ways of thought and moods of

feeling。  Although I cannot keep up correspondences with many of my

readers who seem to be thoroughly congenial with myself; let them be

assured that their letters have been read or heard with peculiar

gratification; and are preserved as precious treasures。





I trust that after this notice no correspondent will be surprised to

find his or her letter thus answered by anticipation; and that if one

of the above formulae is the only answer he receives; the unknown

friend will remember that he or she is one of a great many whose

incessant demands have entirely outrun my power of answering them as

fully as the applicants might wish and perhaps expect。



I could make a very interesting volume of the letters I have received

from correspondents unknown to the world of authorship; but writing

from an instinctive impulse; which many of them say they have long

felt and resisted。  One must not allow himself to be flattered into

an overestimate of his powers because he gets many letters expressing

a peculiar attraction towards his books; and a preference of them to

those with which he would not have dared to compare his own。  Still;

if the homo unius librithe man of one bookchoose to select one of

our own writing as his favorite volume; it means something;not

much; perhaps; but if one has unlocked the door to the secret

entrance of one heart; it is not unlikely that his key may fit the

locks of others。  What if nature has lent him a master key?  He has

found the wards and slid back the bolt of one lock; perhaps he may

have learned the secret of others。  One success is an encouragement

to try again。  Let the writer of a truly loving letter; such as

greets one from time to time; remember that; though he never hears a

word from it; it may prove one of the best rewards of an anxious and

laborious past; and the stimulus of a still aspiring future。



Among the letters I have recently received; none is more interesting

than the following。  The story of Helen Keller; who wrote it; is told

in the well…known illustrated magazine called 〃The Wide Awake;〃 in

the number for July; 1888。  For the account of this little girl; now

between nine and ten years old; and other letters of her writing; I

must refer to the article I have mentioned。  It is enough to say that

she is deaf and dumb and totally blind。  She was seven years old when

her teacher; Miss Sullivan; under the direction of Mr。 Anagnos; at

the Blind Asylum at South Boston; began her education。  A child

fuller of life and happiness it would be hard to find。  It seems as

if her soul was flooded with light and filled with music that had

found entrance to it through avenues closed to other mortals。  It is

hard to understand how she has learned to deal with abstract ideas;

and so far to supplement the blanks left by the senses of sight and

hearing that one would hardly think of her as wanting in any human

faculty。  Remember Milton's pathetic picture of himself; suffering

from only one of poor little Helen's deprivations:



                         〃Not to me returns

     Day; or the sweet approach of even or morn;

     Or sight of vernal bloom; or summer's rose;

     Or flocks; or herds; or human face divine;

     But cloud instead; and ever…during dark

     Surrounds me; from the cheerful ways of men

     Cut off; and for the book of knowledge fair

     Presented with a universal blank

     Of Nature's works; to me expunged and rased;

     And wisdom at one entrance quite shut out。〃



Surely for this loving and lovely child does



                    〃the celestial Light

          Shine inward。〃



Anthropologist; metaphysician; most of all theologian; here is a

lesson which can teach you much that you will not find in your

primers and catechisms。  Why should I call her 〃poor little Helen〃?

Where can you find a happier child?





SOUTH BOSTON; MASS。; March 1; 1890。



DEAR KIND POET;I have thought of you many times since that bright

Sunday when I bade you goodbye; and I am going to write you a letter

because I love you。  I am sorry that you have no little children to

play with sometimes; but I think you are very happy with your books;

and your many; many friends。  On Washington's Birthday a great many

people came here to see the little blind children; and I read for

them from your poems; and showed them some beautiful shells which

came from a little island near Palos。  I am reading a very sad story

called 〃Little Jakey。〃  Jakey was the 

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的