short stories and essays-第16章

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the　profit。　　But　it　was　very　good　variety；　and　it　was　very　cheap。　　I
understand　that　this　is　the　kind　of　thing　you　want　the　two…dollar　theatre
to　come　down　to；　or　up　to。〃

〃Not　exactly；　or　not　quite；〃　I　returned；　thoughtfully；　〃though　I　must　say
I　think　your　time　was　as　well　spent　as　it　would　have　been　at　most　of　the
plays　I　have　seen　this　winter。〃

My　friend　left　the　point；　and　said；　with　a　dreamy　air：　〃It　was　all　very
pathetic；　in　a　way。　　Three　out　of　those　five　people　were　really　clever；
and　certainly　artists。　　That　colored　brother　was　almost　a　genius；　a　very
common　variety　of　genius；　but　still　a　genius；　with　a　gift　for　his　calling
that　couldn't　be　disputed。　　He　was　a　genuine　humorist；　and　I　sorrowed
over　himafter　I　got　safely　away　from　his　intimacyas　I　should　over
some　author　who　was　struggling　along　without　winning　his　public。　　Why
not？　　One　is　as　much　in　the　show　business　as　the　other。　　There　is　a
difference　of　quality　rather　than　of　kind。　　Perhaps　by…and…by　my　colored
humorist　will　make　a　strike　with　his　branch　of　the　public；　as　you　are
always　hoping　to　do　with　yours。〃

〃You　don't　think　you're　making　yourself　rather　offensive？〃　　I　suggested。

〃Not　intentionally。　　Aren't　the　arts　one？　　How　can　you　say　that　any　art
is　higher　than　the　others？　　Why　is　it　nobler　to　contort　the　mind　than　to
contort　the　body？〃

〃I　am　always　saying　that　it　is　not　at　all　noble　to　contort　the　mind；〃
I　returned；　〃and　I　feel　that　to　aim　at　nothing　higher　than　the　amusement
of　your　readers　is　to　bring　yourself　most　distinctly　to　the　level　of　the
show　business。〃

〃Yes；　I　know　that　is　your　pose；〃　said　my　friend。　　〃And　I　dare　say　you
really　think　that　you　make　a　distinction　in　facts　when　you　make　a
distinction　in　terms。　　If　you　don't　amuse　your　readers；　you　don't　keep
them；　practically；　you　cease　to　exist。　　You　may　call　it　interesting　them；
if　you　like；　but；　really；　what　is　the　difference？　　You　do　your　little
act；　and　because　the　stage　is　large　and　the　house　is　fine；　you　fancy　you
are　not　of　that　sad　brotherhood　which　aims　to　please　in　humbler　places；
with　perhaps　cruder　means〃

〃I　don't　know　whether　I　like　your　saws　less　than　your　instances；　or　your
instances　less　than　your　saws；〃　I　broke　in。　　〃Have　you　been　at　the　circus
yet？〃




II。

〃Yet？〃　　demanded　my　friend。　　〃I　went　the　first　night；　and　I　have　been　a
good　deal　interested　in　the　examination　of　my　emotions　ever　since。
I　can't　find　out　just　why　I　have　so　much　pleasure　in　the　trapeze。
Half　the　time　I　want　to　shut　my　eyes；　and　a　good　part　of　the　time　I　do
look　away；　but　I　wouldn't　spare　any　actor　the　most　dangerous　feat。
One　of　the　poor　girls；　that　night；　dropped　awkwardly　into　the　net　after
her　performance；　and　limped　off　to　the　dressing…room　with　a　sprained
ankle。　　It　made　me　rather　sad　to　think　that　now　she　must　perhaps　give　up
her　perilous　work　for　a　while；　and　pay　a　doctor；　and　lose　her　salary；　but
it　didn't　take　away　my　interest　in　the　other　trapezists　flying　through
the　air　above　another　net。

〃If　I　had　honestly　complained　of　anything　it　would　have　been　of　the
superfluity　which　glutted　rather　than　fed　me。　　How　can　you　watch　three
sets　of　trapezists　at　once？　　You　really　see　neither　well。　　It's　the　same
with　the　three　rings。　　There　should　be　one　ring；　and　each　act　should　have
a　fair　chance　with　the　spectator；　if　it　took　six　hours；　I　would　willingly
give　the　time。　　Fancy　three　stages　at　the　theatre；　with　three　plays　going
on　at　once！〃

〃No；　don't　fancy　that！〃　I　entreated。　　〃One　play　is　bad　enough。〃

〃Or　fancy　reading　three　novels　simultaneously；　and　listening　at　the　same
time　to　a　lecture　and　a　sermon；　which　could　represent　the　two　platforms
between　the　rings；〃　my　friend　calmly　persisted。　　〃The　three　rings　are　an
abuse　and　an　outrage；　but　I　don't　know　but　I　object　still　more　to　the
silencing　of　the　clowns。　　They　have　a　great　many　clowns　now；　but　they　are
all　dumb；　and　you　only　get　half　the　good　you　used　to　get　out　of　the
single　clown　of　the　old　one…ring　circus。　　Why；　it's　as　if　the　literary
humorist　were　to　lead　up　to　a　charming　conceit　or　a　subtle　jest；　and　then
put　asterisks　where　the　humor　ought　to　come　in。〃

〃Don't　you　think　you　are　going　from　bad　to　worse？〃　　I　asked。

My　friend　went　on：　〃I'm　afraid　the　circus　is　spoiled　for　me。　　It　has
become　too　much　of　a　good　thing；　for　it　is　a　good　thing；　almost　the　best
thing　in　the　way　of　an　entertainment　that　there　is。　　I'm　still　very　fond
of　it；　but　I　come　away　defeated　and　defrauded　because　I　have　been
embarrassed　with　riches；　and　have　been　given　more　than　I　was　able　to
grasp。　　My　greed　has　been　overfed。　　I　think　I　must　keep　to　those
entertainments　where　you　can　come　at　ten　in　the　morning　and　stay　till　ten
at　night；　with　a　perpetual　change　of　bill；　only　one　stage；　and　no　fall　of
the　curtain。　　I　suppose　you　would　object　to　them　because　they're　getting
rather　dear；　at　the　best　of　them　now　they　ask　you　a　dollar　for　the　first
seats。〃

I　said　that　I　did　not　think　this　too　much　for　twelve　hours；　if　the
intellectual　character　of　the　entertainment　was　correspondingly　high。

〃It's　as　high　as　that　of　some　magazines；〃　said　my　friend；　〃though　I　could
sometimes　wish　it　were　higher。　　It's　like　the　matter　in　the　Sunday
papersabout　that　average。　　Some　of　it's　good；　and　most　of　it　isn't。
Some　of　it　could　hardly　be　worse。　　But　there　is　a　great　deal　of　it；　and
you　get　it　consecutively　and　not　simultaneously。　　That　constitutes　its
advantage　over　the　circus。〃

My　friend　stopped；　with　a　vague　smile；　and　I　asked：

〃Then；　do　I　understand　that　you　would　advise　me　to　recommend　the　dime
museums；　the　circus；　and　the　perpetual…motion　varieties　in　the　place　of
the　theatres？〃

〃You　have　recommended　books　instead；　and　that　notion　doesn't　seem　to　have
met　with　much　favor；　though　you　urged　their　comparative　cheapness。　　Now；
why　not　suggest　something　that　is　really　level　with　the　popular　taste？〃






AMERICAN　LITERATURE　IN　EXILE

A　recently　lecturing　Englishman　is　reported　to　have　noted　the　unenviable
primacy　of　the　United　States　among　countries　where　the　struggle　for
material　prosperity　has　been　disastrous　to　the　pursuit　of　literature。
He　said；　or　is　said　to　have　said　（one　cannot　be　too　careful　in
attributing　to　a　public　man　the　thoughts　that　may　be　really　due　to　an
imaginative　frame　in　the　reporter）；　that　among　us；　〃the　old　race　of
writers　of　distinction；　such　as　Longfellow；　Bryant；　Holmes；　and
Washington　Irving；　have　（sic）　died　out；　and　the　Americans　who　are　most
prominent　in　cultivated　European　opinion　in　art　or　literature；　like
Sargent；　Henry　James；　or　Marion　Crawford；　live　habitually　out　of　America；
and　draw　their　inspiration　from　England；　France；　and　Italy。〃




I。

If　this　were　true；　I　confess　that　I　am　so　indifferent　to　what　many
Americans　glory　in　that　it　would　not　distress　me；　or　wound　me　in　the　sort
of　self…love　which　calls　itself　patriotism。　　If　it　would　at　all　help　to
put　an　end　to　that　struggle　for　material　prosperity　which　has　eventuated
with　us　in　so　many　millionaires　and　so　many　tramps；　I　should　be　glad　to
believe　that　it　was　driving　our　literary　men　out　of　the　country。　　This
would　be　a　tremendous　object…lesson；　and　might　be　a　warning　to　the
millionaires　and　the　tramps。　　But　I　am　afraid　it　would　not　have　this
effect；　for　neither　our　very　rich　nor　our　very　poor　care　at　all　for　the
state　of　polite　learning　among　us；　though　for　the　matter　of　that；　I
believe　that　economic　conditions　have　little　to　do　with　it；　and　that　if　a
general　mediocrity　of　fortune　prevailed　and　there　were　no　haste　to　be
rich　and　to　get　poor；　the　state　of　polite　learning　would　not　be
considerably　affected。　　As　matters　stand；　I　think　we　may　reasonably　ask
whether　the　Americans　〃most　prominent　in　cultivated　European　opinion；〃
the　Americans　who　〃live　habitually　out　of　America；〃　are　not　less　exiles
than　advance　agents　of　the　expansion　now　advertising　itself　to　the　world。
They　may　be　the　vanguard　of　the　great　army　of　adventurers　destined　to
overrun　the　earth　from　these　shores；　and　exploit　all　foreign　countries　to
our　advantage。　　They　probably　themselves　do　not　know　it；　but　in　the　act
of　〃drawing　their　inspiration〃　from　alien　scenes；　or　taking　their　own
w