the love affairs of a bibliomaniac-第3部分

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ty…one　he　married　Samantha　Talbott；　and　that　was　another　　blow　to　grandmother；　who　always　declared　that　the　Talbotts　were　a　shiftless　lot。　　However；　I　was　agreeably　impressed　with　Uncle　Cephas　and　Aunt　'Manthy；　for　they　welcomed　me　very　cordially　and　turned　me　over　to　my　little　cousins；　Mary　and　Henry；　and　bade　us　three　make　merry　to　the　best　of　our　ability。　　These　first　favorable　impressions　of　my　uncle's　family　were　confirmed　when　I　discovered　that　for　supper　we　had　hot　biscuit　and　dried　beef　warmed　up　in　cream　gravy；　a　diet　which；　with　all　due　respect　to　grandmother；　I　considered　much　more　desirable　than　dry　bread　and　dried…　apple　sauce。

Aha；　old　Crusoe！　　I　see　thee　now　in　yonder　case　smiling　out　upon　me　as　cheerily　as　thou　didst　smile　those　many　years　ago　when　to　a　little　boy　thou　broughtest　the　message　of　Romance！　　And　I　do　love　thee　still；　and　I　shall　always　love　thee；　not　only　for　thy　benefaction　in　those　ancient　days；　but　also　for　the　light　and　the　cheer　which　thy　genius　brings　to　all　ages　and　conditions　of　humanity。

My　Uncle　Cephas's　library　was　stored　with　a　large　variety　of　pleasing　literature。　　I　did　　not　observe　a　glut　of　theological　publications；　and　I　will　admit　that　I　felt　somewhat　aggrieved　personally　when；　in　answer　to　my　inquiry；　I　was　told　that　there　was　no　‘‘New　England　Primer''　in　the　collection。　　But　this　feeling　was　soon　dissipated　by　the　absorbing　interest　I　took　in　De　Foe's　masterpiece；　a　work　unparalleled　in　the　realm　of　fiction。

I　shall　not　say　that　‘‘Robinson　Crusoe''　supplanted　the　Primer　in　my　affections；　this　would　not　be　true。　　I　prefer　to　say　what　is　the　truth；　it　was　my　second　love。　　Here　again　we　behold　another　advantage　which　the　lover　of　books　has　over　the　lover　of　women。　　If　he　be　a　genuine　lover　he　can　and　should　love　any　number　of　books；　and　this　polybibliophily　is　not　to　the　disparagement　of　any　one　of　that　number。　　But　it　is　held　by　the　expounders　of　our　civil　and　our　moral　laws　that　he　who　loveth　one　woman　to　the　exclusion　of　all　other　women　speaketh　by　that　action　the　best　and　highest　praise　both　of　his　own　sex　and　of　hers。

I　thank　God　continually　that　it　hath　been　my　lot　in　life　to　found　an　empire　in　my　heart　no　cramped　and　wizened　borough　wherein　　one　jealous　mistress　hath　exercised　her　petty　tyranny；　but　an　expansive　and　ever…widening　continent　divided　and　subdivided　into　dominions；　jurisdictions；　caliphates；　chiefdoms；　seneschalships；　and　prefectures；　wherein　tetrarchs；　burgraves；　maharajahs；　palatines；　seigniors；　caziques；　nabobs；　emirs；　nizams；　and　nawabs　hold　sway；　each　over　his　special　and　particular　realm；　and　all　bound　together　in　harmonious　cooperation　by　the　conciliating　spirit　of　polybibliophily！

Let　me　not　be　misunderstood；　for　I　am　not　a　woman…hater。　　I　do　not　regret　the　acquaintancesnay；　the　friendshipsI　have　formed　with　individuals　of　the　other　sex。　　As　a　philosopher　it　has　behooved　me　to　study　womankind；　else　I　should　not　have　appreciated　the　worth　of　these　other　better　loves。　　Moreover；　I　take　pleasure　in　my　age　in　associating　this　precious　volume　or　that　with　one　woman　or　another　whose　friendship　came　into　my　life　at　the　time　when　I　was　reading　and　loved　that　book。

The　other　day　I　found　my　nephew　William　swinging　in　the　hammock　on　the　porch　with　his　girl　friend　Celia；　I　saw　that　the　　young　people　were　reading　Ovid。　　‘‘My　children；''　said　I；　‘‘count　this　day　a　happy　one。　　In　the　years　of　after　life　neither　of　you　will　speak　or　think　of　Ovid　and　his　tender　verses　without　recalling　at　the　same　moment　how　of　a　gracious　afternoon　in　distant　time　you　sat　side　by　side　contemplating　the　ineffably　precious　promises　of　maturity　and　love。''

I　am　not　sure　that　I　do　not　approve　that　article　in　Judge　Methuen's　creed　which　insists　that　in　this　life　of　ours　woman　serves　a　probationary　period　for　sins　of　omission　or　of　commission　in　a　previous　existence；　and　that　woman's　next　step　upward　toward　the　final　eternity　of　bliss　is　a　period　of　longer　or　of　shorter　duration；　in　which　her　soul　enters　into　a　book　to　be　petted；　fondled；　beloved　and　cherished　by　some　good　manlike　the　Judge；　or　like　myself；　for　that　matter。

This　theory　is　not　an　unpleasant　one；　I　regard　it　as　much　more　acceptable　than　those　so…called　scientific　demonstrations　which　would　make　us　suppose　that　we　are　descended　from　tree…climbing　and　bug…eating　simians。　　However；　it　is　far　from　my　purpose　to　enter　upon　any　argument　of　these　questions　at　this　time；　for　Judge　Methuen　himself　is　going　to　write　a　book　upon　the　subject；　and　the　edition　is　to　be　limited　to　two　numbered　and　signed　copies　upon　Japanese　vellum；　of　which　I　am　to　have　one　and　the　Judge　the　other。

The　impression　I　made　upon　Uncle　Cephas　must　have　been　favorable；　for　when　my　next　birthday　rolled　around　there　came　with　it　a　book　from　Uncle　Cephasmy　third　love；　Grimm's　‘‘Household　Stories。''　　With　the　perusal　of　this　monumental　work　was　born　that　passion　for　fairy　tales　and　folklore　which　increased　rather　than　diminished　with　my　maturer　years。　　Even　at　the　present　time　I　delight　in　a　good　fairy　story；　and　I　am　grateful　to　Lang　and　to　Jacobs　for　the　benefit　they　have　conferred　upon　me　and　the　rest　of　English…reading　humanity　through　the　medium　of　the　fairy　books　and　the　folk　tales　they　have　translated　and　compiled。　　Baring…Gould　and　Lady　Wilde　have　done　noble　work　in　the　same　realm；　the　writings　of　the　former　have　interested　me　particularly；　for　together　with　profound　learning　in　directions　which　are　specially　pleasing　to　me；　Baring…Gould　has　a　distinct　literary　touch　which　invests　his　work　with　a　grace　indefinable　but　delicious　and　persuasive。

I　am　so　great　a　lover　of　and　believer　in　fairy　tales　that　I　once　organized　a　society　for　the　dissemination　of　fairy　literature；　and　at　the　first　meeting　of　this　society　we　resolved　to　demand　of　the　board　of　education　to　drop　mathematics　from　the　curriculum　in　the　public　schools　and　to　substitute　therefor　a　four　years'　course　in　fairy　literature；　to　be　followed；　if　the　pupil　desired；　by　a　post…graduate　course　in　demonology　and　folk…lore。　　We　hired　and　fitted　up　large　rooms；　and　the　cause　seemed　to　be　flourishing　until　the　second　month's　rent　fell　due。　　It　was　then　discovered　that　the　treasury　was　empty；　and　with　this　discovery　the　society　ended　its　existence；　without　having　accomplished　any　tangible　result　other　than　the　purchase　of　a　number　of　sofas　and　chairs；　for　which　Judge　Methuen　and　I　had　to　pay。

Still；　I　am　of　the　opinion　（and　Judge　Methuen　indorses　it）　that　we　need　in　this　country　of　ours　just　that　influence　which　the　　fairy　tale　exerts。　　We　are　becoming　too　practical；　the　lust　for　material　gain　is　throttling　every　other　consideration。　　Our　babes　and　sucklings　are　no　longer　regaled　with　the　soothing　tales　of　giants；　ogres；　witches；　and　fairies；　their　hungry；　receptive　minds　are　filled　with　stories　about　the　pursuit　and　slaughter　of　unoffending　animals；　of　war　and　of　murder；　and　of　those　questionable　practices　whereby　a　hero　is　enriched　and　others　are　impoverished。　　Before　he　is　out　of　his　swaddling…　cloth　the　modern　youngster　is　convinced　that　the　one　noble　purpose　in　life　is　to　get；　get；　get；　and　keep　on　getting　of　worldly　material。　　The　fairy　tale　is　tabooed　because；　as　the　sordid　parent　alleges；　it　makes　youth　unpractical。

One　consequence　of　this　deplorable　condition　is；　as　I　have　noticed　（and　as　Judge　Methuen　has；　too）；　that　the　human　eye　is　diminishing　in　size　and　fulness；　and　is　losing　its　lustre。　　By　as　much　as　you　take　the　God…given　grace　of　fancy　from　man；　by　so　much　do　you　impoverish　his　eyes。　　The　eye　is　so　beautiful　and　serves　so　very　many　noble　purposes；　and　is；　too；　so　ready　in　the　　expression　of　tenderness；　of　pity；　of　love；　of　solicitude；　of　compassion；　of　dignity；　of　every　gentle　mood　and　noble　inspiration；　that　in　that　metaphor　which　contemplates　the　eternal　vigilance　of　the　Almighty　we　recognize　the　best　poetic　expression　of　the　highest　human　wisdom。

My　nephew　Timothy　has　three　children；　two　boys　and　a　girl。　　The　elder　boy　and　the　girl　have　small　black　eyes；　they　are　as　devoid　of　fancy　as　a　napkin　is　of　red　corpuscles；　they　put　their　pennies　into　a　tin　bank；　and　they　have　won　all　the　marbles　and　jack…　stones　in　the　neighborhood。　　They　do　not　believe　in　Santa　Claus　or　in　fairies　or　in　witches；　they　know　that　two　nickels　make　a　dime；　and　their　golden　rule　is　to　do　others　as　others　would　do　them。　　The　other　boy　（he　has　been　christened　Matthew；　after　me）　has　a　pair　of　large；　round；　deep…blue　eyes；　expressive　of　all　those　emotions　which　a　keen；　active　fancy　begets。

Matthew　can　never　get　his　fill　of　fairy　tales；　and　how　the　dear　little　fellow　loves　Santa　Claus！　　He　sees　things　at　night；　he　will　not　go　to　bed　in　the　dark；　he　hears　and　understands　what　the　birds　and　crickets　say；　and　what　the　night　wind　sings；　and　what　the　rustling　leaves　tell。　　Wherever　Matthew　goes　he　sees　beautiful　pictures　and　hears　sweet　music；　to　his　impressionable　soul　all　nature　speaks　its　wisdom　and　its　poetry。　　God！　how　I　love　that　boy！　　And　he　shall　never　starve！　　A　goodly　share　of　what　I　have　shall　go　to　him！　　But　this　clause　in　my　will；　which　the　Judge　recently　drew　for　me；　will；　I　warrant　me；　give　the　dear　child　the　greatest　happiness：

‘‘Item。　　To　my　beloved　grandnephew　and　namesake；　Matthew；　I　do　bequeath　and　give　（in　addition　to　the　lands　devised　and　the　stocks；　bonds　and　moneys　willed　to　him；　as　hereinabove　specified）　the　two　mahogany　bookcases　numbered　11　and　13；　and　the　contents　thereof；　being　volumes　of　fairy　and　folk　tales　of　all　nations；　and　dictionaries　and　other　treatises　upon　demonology；　witchcraft；　mythology；　magic　and　kindred　subjects；　to　be　his；　his　heirs；　and　his　assigns；　forever。''　





III

THE　LUXURY　OF　READING　IN　BED

Last　night；　having　written　what　you　have　just　read　about　the　benefits　of　fairy　literature；　I　bethought　me　to　renew　my　acquaintance　with　some　of　those　tales　which　so　often　have　delighted　and　solaced　me。　　So　I　piled　at　least　twenty　chosen　volumes　on　the　table　at　the　head　of　my　bed；　and　I　daresay　it　was　nigh　daylight　when　I　fell　asleep。　　I　began　my　entertainment　with　several　pages　from　Keightley's　‘‘Fairy　Mythology；''　and　followed　it　up　with　random　bits　from　Crofton　Croker's　‘‘Traditions　of　the　South　of　Ireland；''　Mrs。　Carey's　‘‘Legends　of　the　French　Pr