the rhythm of life-第7部分

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real　or　spiritual　emotion。　　There　is　no　knowing　to　what　distance　the

removal　of　the　'appropriate　sentiment'　from　the　central　soul　might

have　attained　but　for　the　change　and　renewal　in　language；　which　came

when　it　was　needed。　　Addison　had　assuredly　removed　eternity　far　from

the　apprehension　of　the　soul　when　his　Cato　hailed　the　'pleasing

hope；'　the　'fond　desire；'　and　the　touch　of　war　was　distant　from　him

who　conceived　his　'repulsed　battalions'　and　his　'doubtful　battle。'

What　came　afterwards；　when　simplicity　and　nearness　were　restored

once　more；　was　doubtless　journeyman's　work　at　times。　　Men　were　too

eager　to　go　into　the　workshop　of　language。　　There　were　unreasonable

raptures　over　the　mere　making　of　common　words。　　'A　hand…shoe！　a

finger…hat！　a　foreword！　　Beautiful！'　they　cried；　and　for　the　love　of

German　the　youngest　daughter　of　Chrysale　herself　might　have

consented　to　be　kissed　by　a　grammarian。　　It　seemed　to　be　forgotten

that　a　language　with　all　its　construction　visible　is　a　language

little　fitted　for　the　more　advanced　mental　processes；　that　its

images　are　material；　and　that；　on　the　other　hand；　a　certain

spiritualising　and　subtilising　effect　of　alien　derivations　is　a

privilege　and　an　advantage　incalculablethat　to　possess　that　half

of　the　language　within　which　Latin　heredities　lurk　and　Romanesque

allusions　are　at　play　is　to　possess　the　state　and　security　of　a　dead

tongue；　without　the　death。



But　now　I　spoke　of　words　encountering　as　gay　strangers；　various　in

origin；　divided　in　race；　within　a　master's　phrase。　　The　most

beautiful　and　the　most　sudden　of　such　meetings　are　of　course　in

Shakespeare。　　'Superfluous　kings；'　'A　lass　unparalleled；'

'Multitudinous　seas：'　we　needed　not　to　wait　for　the　eighteenth

century　or　for　the　nineteenth　to　learn　the　splendour　of　such

encounters；　of　such　differences；　of　such　nuptial　unlikeness　and

union。　　But　it　is　well　that　we　should　learn　them　afresh。　　And　it　is

well；　too；　that　we　should　not　resist　the　rhythmic　reaction　bearing

us　now　somewhat　to　the　side　of　the　Latin。　　Such　a　reaction　is　in

some　sort　an　ethical　need　for　our　day。　　We　want　to　quell　the

exaggerated　decision　of　monosyllables。　　We　want　the　poise　and　the

pause　that　imply　vitality　at　times　better　than　headstrong　movement

expresses　it。　　And　not　the　phrase　only　but　the　form　of　verse　might

render　us　timely　service。　　The　controlling　couplet　might　stay　with　a

touch　a　modern　grief；　as　it　ranged　in　order　the　sorrows　of　Canning

for　his　son。　　But　it　should　not　be　attempted　without　a　distinct

intention　of　submission　on　the　part　of　the　writer。　　The　couplet

transgressed　against；　trespassed　upon；　shaken　off；　is　like　a　law

outstripped；　defiedto　the　dignity　neither　of　the　rebel　nor　of　the

rule。　　To　Letters　do　we　look　now　for　the　guidance　and　direction

which　the　very　closeness　of　the　emotion　taking　us　by　the　heart　makes

necessary。　　Shall　not　the　Thing　more　and　more；　as　we　compose

ourselves　to　literature；　assume　the　honour；　the　hesitation；　the

leisure；　the　reconciliation　of　the　Word？







DR。　OLIVER　WENDELL　HOLMES







It　is　good　to　go；　now　and　againlet　the　American　phrase　be

permitted'back　of'　some　of　our　contemporaries。　　We　never　desired

them　as　coevals。　　We　never　wished　to　share　an　age　with　them；　we

share　nothing　else　with　them。　　And　we　deliver　ourselves　from　them　by

passing；　in　literature；　into　the　company　of　an　author　who　wrote

before　their　time；　and　yet　is　familiarly　modern。　　To　read　Dr。　Oliver

Wendell　Holmes；　then；　is　to　go　behind　the　New　Humoristinto　a　time

before　he　was；　or　his　Humour。　　Obviously　we　go　in　like　manner　behind

many　another；　but　the　funny　writer　of　the　magazines　is　suggested

because　in　reference　to　him　our　act　has　a　special　significance。　　We

connect　him　with　Dr。　Holmes　by　a　reluctant　ancestry；　by　an

impertinent　descent。　　It　may　be　objected　that　such　a　connection　is

but　a　trivial　thing　to　attribute；　as　a　conspicuous　incident；　to　a

man　of　letters。　　So　it　is。　　But　the　triviality　has　wide　allusions。

It　is　often　a　question　which　of　several　significant　trivialities　a

critic　shall　choose　in　his　communication　with　a　reader　who　does　not

insist　that　all　the　grave　things　shall　be　told　him。　　And；　by　the

way；　are　we　ever　sufficiently　grateful　for　that　reader；　whom　the

last　few　years　have　given　to　us；　or　to　whom　we　have　been　given　by

the　last　few　years？　　A　trivial　connexion　has　remote　and　negative

issues。　　To　go　to　Dr。　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes's　period　is　to　get　rid

of　many　things；　to　go　to　himself　is　especially　to　get　rid　of　the　New

Humour；　yet　to　stand　at　its　unprophetic　source。　　And　we　love　such

authors　as　Dickens　and　this　American　for　their　own　sake；　refusing　to

be　aware　of　their　corrupt　following。　　We　would　make　haste　to　ignore

their　posterity；　and　to　assure　them　that　we　absolve　them　from　any

fault　of　theirs　in　the　bastardy。



Humour　is　the　most　conspicuous　thing　in　the　world；　which　must

explain　why　the　little　humour　in　Elsie　Venner　and　the　Breakfast

Table　series　is　not　only　the　first　thing　the　critic　touches　but　the

thing　whereby　he　relates　this　author　to　his　following　and　to　the

world。　　The　young　man　John；　Colonel　Sprowle　with　his　'social

entertainment；'　the　Landlady　and　her　daughter；　and　the　Poor

Relation；　almost　make　up　the　sum　of　the　comic　personages；　and　fifty

per　cent。　of　the　things　they　sayno　moreare　good　enough　to　remain

after　the　bloom　of　their　vulgarity　has　worn　off。　　But　that　half　is

excellent；　keen；　jolly；　temperate；　and　because　of　that　temperance

the　most　stimulating　and　fecundating　of　qualitiesthe　humour　of　it

has　set　the　literature　of　a　hemisphere　to　the　tune　of　mirth。　　Like

Mr。　Lowell's　it　was　humour　in　dialectnot　Irish　dialect　nor　negro；

but　American；　and　it　made　New　England　aware　of　her　comedy。　　Until

then　she　had　felt　within　herself　that　there　was　nothing　to　laugh　at。

'Nature　is　in　earnest　when　she　makes　a　woman；'　says　Dr。　Oliver

Wendell　Holmes。　　Rather；　she　takes　herself　seriously　when　she　makes

the　average　spiritual　woman：　　as　seriously　as　that　woman　takes

herself　when　she　makes　a　novel。　　And　in　a　like　mood　Nature　made　New

England　and　endowed　her　with　purpose；　with　mortuary　frivolities；

with　long　views；　with　energetic　provincialism。



If　we　remember　best　The　Wonderful　One…Hoss　Shay；　we　do　so　in　spite

of　the　religious　and　pathetic　motive　of　the　greater　part　of　Dr。

Holmes's　work；　and　of　his　fancy；　which　should　be　at　least　as

conspicuous　as　his　humour。　　It　is　fancy　rather　than　imagination；　but

it　is　more　perfect；　more　definite；　more　fit；　than　the　larger　art　of

imagery；　which　is　apt　to　be　vague；　because　it　is　intellectual　and

adult。　　No　grown　man　makes　quite　so　definite　mental　images　as　does　a

child；　when　the　mind　ages　it　thinks　stronger　thoughts　in　vaguer

pictures。　　The　young　mind　of　Dr。　Holmes　has　less　intellectual

imagination　than　intelligent　fancy。　　For　example：　　'If　you　ever　saw

a　crow　with　a　king…bird　after　him；　you　will　get　an　image　of　a　dull

speaker　and　a　lively　listener。　　The　bird　in　sable　plumage　flaps

heavily　along　his　straightforward　course；　while　the　other　sails

round　him；　over　him；　under　him；　leaves　him；　comes　back　again；　tweaks

out　a　black　feather；　shoots　away　once　more；　never　losing　sight　of

him；　and　finally　reaches　the　crow's　perch　at　the　same　time　the　crow

does；'　but　the　comparison　goes　on　after　this　at　needless　length；

with　explanations。　　Again：　　'That　blessed　clairvoyance　which　sees

into　things　without　opening　them：　　that　glorious　licence　which；

having　shut　the　door　and　driven　the　reporter　from　the　keyhole；　calls

upon　Truth；　majestic　Virgin！　to　get　off　from　her　pedestal　and　drop

her　academic　POSES。'　　And　this；　of　the　Landlady：　　'She　told　me　her

story　once；　it　was　as　if　a　grain　that　had　been　ground　and　bolted　had

tried　to　individualise　itself　by　a　special　narrative。'　　'The　riotous

tumult　of　a　laugh；　which；　I　take　it；　is　the　mob…law　of　the

features。'　　'Think　of　the　Old　Worldthat　part　of　it　which　is　the

seat　of　ancient　civilisation！　。　。　。　A　man　cannot　help　marching　in

step　with　his　kind　in　the　rear　of　such　a　procession。'　　'Young　folk

look　on　a　face　as　a　unit；　children　who　go　to　school　with　any　given

little　John　Smith　see　in　his　name　a　distinctive　appellation。'　　And

that　exquisitely　sensitive　passage　on　the　nervous　outward　movement

and　the　inward　tranquillity　of　the　woods。　　Such　things　are　the　best

this　good　author　gives　us；　whether　they　go　gay　with　metaphor；　or　be

bare　thoughts　shapely　with　their　own　truth。



Part　of　the　charm　of　Dr。　Holmes's　comment　on　life；　and　of　the　phrase

wherein　he　secures　it；　arises　from　his　singular　vigilance。　　He　has

unpreoccupied　and　alert　eyes。　　Strangely　enough；　by　the　way；　this

watchfulness　is　for　once　as　much　at　fault　as　would　be　the　slovenly

observation　of　an　ordinary　man；　in　the　description　of　a　horse's

gallop；　'skimming　along　within　a　yard　of　the　ground。'　　Who　shall

trust　a　man's　nimble　eyes　after　this；　when　habit　and　credulity　have

taught　him？　　Not　an　inch　nearer　the　ground　goes　the　horse　of　fact　at

a　gallop　than　at　a　walk。　　But　Dr。　Holmes's　vigilance　helps　him　to

somewhat　squalid　purpose　in　his　studies　of　New　England　inland　life。

Much　careful　literature　besides　has　been　spent；　after　the　example　of

Elsie　Venner　and　the　Autocrat；　upon　the　cottage　worldliness；　the

routine　of　abundant　and　common　comforts　achieved　by　a　distressing

household　industry；　the　shrillness；　the　unrest；　the　best…parlour

emulation；　the　ungraceful　vanity；　of　Americans　of　the　country…side

and　the　country…town；　upon　their　affections　made　vulgar　by

undemonstrativeness；　and　their　consciences　made　vulgar　by

demonstrativenesstheir　kindness　by　reticence；　and　their　religion

by　candour。



As　for　the　question　of　heredity　and　of　individual　responsibility

which　Dr。　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes　proposes　in　Elsie　Venner；　it　is

strange　that　a　man　whom　it　had　sincerely　disquieted　should　present

itnot　in　its　own　insolubility　butin　caricature。　　As　though　the

secrets　of　the　inh