ContentsOntheartofmakingupone’smind。
Onthedisadvantageofnotgettingwhatonewants。
Ontheexceptionalmeritattachingtothethingswemeanttodo。
Onthepreparationandemploymentoflovephiltres。
Onthedelightsandbenefitsofslavery。
Onthecareandmanagementofwomen。
Onthemindingofotherpeople’sbusiness。
Onthetimewastedinlookingbeforeoneleaps。
Onthenobilityofourselves。
Onthemotherlinessofman。
Ontheinadvisabilityoffollowingadvice。
Ontheplayingofmarchesatthefuneralsofmarionettes。
ONTHEARTOFMAKINGUPONE’SMIND
\"Now,whichwouldyouadvise,dear?Yousee,withtheredIshan’tbeabletowearmymagentahat。\"
\"Wellthen,whynothavethegrey?\"
\"Yes——yes,IthinkthegreywillbeMOREuseful。\"
\"It’sagoodmaterial。\"
\"Yes,andit’saPRETTYgrey。YouknowwhatImean,dear;notaCOMMONgrey。OfcoursegreyisalwaysanUNINTERESTINGcolour。\"
\"Itsquiet。\"
\"Andthenagain,whatIfeelabouttheredisthatitissowarm-looking。RedmakesyouFEELwarmevenwhenyou’reNOTwarm。
YouknowwhatImean,dear!\"
\"Wellthen,whynothavethered?Itsuitsyou——red。\"
\"No;doyoureallythinkso?\"
\"Well,whenyou’vegotacolour,Imean,ofcourse!\"
\"Yes,thatisthedrawbacktored。No,Ithink,onthewhole,thegreyisSAFER。\"
\"Thenyouwilltakethegrey,madam?\"
\"Yes,IthinkI’dbetter;don’tyou,dear?\"
\"Ilikeitmyselfverymuch。\"
\"Anditisgoodwearingstuff。Ishallhaveittrimmedwith——Oh!
youhaven’tcutitoff,haveyou?\"
\"Iwasjustaboutto,madam。\"
\"Well,don’tforamoment。Justletmehaveanotherlookatthered。Yousee,dear,ithasjustoccurredtome——thatchinchillawouldlooksowellonthered!\"
\"Soitwould,dear!\"
\"And,yousee,I’vegotthechinchilla。\"
\"Thenhavethered。Whynot?\"
\"Well,thereisthehatI’mthinkingof。\"
\"Youhaven’tanythingelseyoucouldwearwiththat?\"
\"Nothingatall,anditwouldgosoBEAUTIFULLYwiththegrey。——Yes,IthinkI’llhavethegrey。It’salwaysasafecolour——grey。\"
\"FourteenyardsIthinkyousaid,madam?\"
\"Yes,fourteenyardswillbeenough;becauseIshallmixitwith——
Oneminute。Yousee,dear,ifItakethegreyIshallhavenothingtowearwithmyblackjacket。\"
\"Won’titgowithgrey?\"
\"Notwell——notsowellaswithred。\"
\"Ishouldhavetheredthen。Youevidentlyfancyityourself。\"
\"No,personallyIpreferthegrey。ButthenonemustthinkofEVERYTHING,and——Goodgracious!that’ssurelynottherighttime?\"
\"No,madam,it’stenminutesslow。Wealwayskeepourclocksalittleslow!\"
\"AndweweretoohavebeenatMadameJannaway’sataquarterpasttwelve。HowlongshoppingdoestakeI——Why,whatevertimedidwestart?\"
\"Abouteleven,wasn’tit?\"
\"Half-pastten。Iremembernow;because,youknow,wesaidwe’dstartathalf-pastnine。We’vebeentwohoursalready!\"
\"Andwedon’tseemtohavedonemuch,dowe?\"
\"Doneliterallynothing,andImeanttohavedonesomuch。ImustgotoMadameJannaway’s。Haveyougotmypurse,dear?Oh,it’sallright,I’vegotit。\"
\"Well,nowyouhaven’tdecidedwhetheryou’regoingtohavethegreyorthered。\"
\"I’msureIdon’tknowwhatIdowantnow。Ihadmadeupmymindaminuteago,andnowit’sallgoneagain——ohyes,Iremember,thered。Yes,I’llhavethered。No,Idon’tmeanthered,Imeanthegrey。\"
\"Youweretalkingabouttheredlasttime,ifyouremember,dear。\"
\"Oh,soIwas,you’requiteright。That’stheworstofshopping。
DoyouknowIgetquiteconfusedsometimes。\"
\"Thenyouwilldecideonthered,madam?\"
\"Yes——yes,Ishan’tdoanybetter,shallI,dear?Whatdoyouthink?Youhaven’tgotanyothershadesofred,haveyou?Thisissuchanuglyred。\"
Theshopmanremindsherthatshehasseenalltheotherreds,andthatthisistheparticularshadesheselectedandadmired。
\"Oh,verywell,\"shereplies,withtheairofonefromwhomallearthlycaresarefalling,\"Imusttakethatthen,Isuppose。I
can’tbeworriedaboutitanylonger。I’vewastedhalfthemorningalready。\"
Outsidesherecollectsthreeinsuperableobjectionstothered,andfourunanswerableargumentswhysheshouldhaveselectedthegrey。
Shewonderswouldtheychangeit,ifshewentbackandaskedtoseetheshopwalker?Herfriend,whowantsherlunch,thinksnot。
\"ThatiswhatIhateaboutshopping,\"shesays。\"OneneverhastimetoreallyTHINK。\"
Shesayssheshan’tgotothatshopagain。
Welaughather,butarewesoverymuchbetter?Come,mysuperiormalefriend,haveyouneverstood,amidyourwardrobe,undecidedwhether,inhereyes,youwouldappearmoreimposing,cladintheroughtweedsuitthatsoadmirablydisplaysyourbroadshoulders;orintheorthodoxblackfrock,that,afterall,isperhapsmoresuitabletothefigureofamanapproaching——letussay,thenine-and-twenties?Or,betterstill,whynotridingcostume?DidwenothearhersayhowwellJoneslookedinhistop-bootsandbreeches,and,\"hangitall,\"wehaveabetterlegthanJones。Whatapityriding-breechesaremadesobaggynowadays。Whyisitthatmalefashionstendmoreandmoretohidethemaleleg?Aswomenhavebecomelessandlessashamedoftheirs,wehavebecomemoreandmorereticentofours。Whyarethesilkenhose,thetight-fittingpantaloons,theneatkneebreechesofourforefathersimpossibleto-day?Arewegrownmoremodest——orhastherecomeaboutafallingoff,renderingconcealmentadvisable?
Icanneverunderstand,myself,whywomenloveus。Itmustbeourhonestworth,oursterlingmerit,thatattractsthem——certainlynotourappearance,inapairoftweed\"dittos,\"blackangoracoatandvest,stand-upcollar,andchimney-pothat!No,itmustbeoursheerforceofcharacterthatcompelstheiradmiration。
Whatagoodtimeourancestorsmusthavehadwasborneinuponmewhen,ononeoccasion,Iappearedincharacteratafancydressball。WhatIrepresentedIamunabletosay,andIdon’tparticularlycare。Ionlyknowitwassomethingmilitary。Ialsorememberthatthecostumewastwosizestoosmallformeinthechest,andthereabouts;andthreesizestoolargeformeinthehat。
Ipaddedthehat,anddinedinthemiddleofthedayoffachopandhalfaglassofsoda-water。Ihavegainedprizesasaboyformathematics,alsoforscripturehistory——notoften,butIhavedoneit。Aliterarycritic,nowdead,oncepraisedabookofmine。I
knowtherehavebeenoccasionswhenmyconducthaswontheapprobationofgoodmen;butnever——neverinmywholelife,haveI
feltmoreproud,moresatisfiedwithmyselfthanonthateveningwhen,thelasthookfastened,Igazedatmyfull-lengthSelfinthechevalglass。Iwasadream。Isayitwhoshouldnot;butIamnottheonlyonewhosaidit。Iwasaglitteringdream。Thegroundworkwasred,trimmedwithgoldbraidwherevertherewasroomforgoldbraid;andwheretherewasnomorepossibleroomforgoldbraidtherehunggoldcords,andtassels,andstraps。Goldbuttonsandbucklesfastenedme,goldembroideredbeltsandsashescaressedme,whitehorse-hairplumeswavedo’erme。Iamnotsurethateverythingwasinitsproperplace,butImanagedtogeteverythingonsomehow,andIlookedwell。Itsuitedme。Mysuccesswasarevelationtomeoffemalehumannature。Girlswhohadhithertobeencoldanddistantgatheredroundme,timidlysolicitousofnotice。GirlsonwhomIsmiledlosttheirheadsandgavethemselvesairs。Girlswhowerenotintroducedtomesulkedandwererudetogirlsthathadbeen。Foronepoorchild,withwhomIsatouttwodances(atleastshesat,whileIstoodgracefullybesideher——Ihadbeenadvised,bythecostumier,NOTtosit),Iwassorry。Hewasaworthyyoungfellow,thesonofacottonbroker,andhewouldhavemadeheragoodhusband,Ifeelsure。Buthewasfoolishtocomeasabeer-bottle。
Perhaps,afterall,itisaswellthoseoldfashionshavegoneout。
Aweekinthatsuitmighthaveimpairedmynaturalmodesty。
Onewondersthatfancydressballsarenotmorepopularinthisgreyageofours。Thechildishinstinctto\"dressup,\"to\"makebelieve,\"iswithusall。Wegrowsotiredofbeingalwaysourselves。Atea-tablediscussion,atwhichIonceassisted,fellintothis:-Wouldanyoneofus,whenitcametothepoint,changewithanybodyelse,thepoormanwiththemillionaire,thegovernesswiththeprincess——changenotonlyoutwardcircumstancesandsurroundings,buthealthandtemperament,heart,brain,andsoul;sothatnotonementalorphysicalparticleofone’soriginalselfonewouldretain,saveonlymemory?Thegeneralopinionwasthatwewouldnot,butoneladymaintainedtheaffirmative。
\"Ohno,youwouldn’treally,dear,\"arguedafriend;\"youTHINKyouwould。\"
\"Yes,Iwould,\"persistedthefirstlady;\"Iamtiredofmyself。
I’devenbeyou,forachange。\"
Inmyyouth,thequestionchieflyimportanttomewas——WhatsortofmanshallIdecidetobe?Atnineteenoneasksoneselfthisquestion;atthirty-ninewesay,\"IwishFatehadn’tmademethissortofman。\"
InthosedaysIwasareaderofmuchwell-meantadvicetoyoungmen,andIgatheredthat,whetherIshouldbecomeaSirLancelot,aHerrTeufelsdrockh,oranIagowasamatterformyownindividualchoice。
WhetherIshouldgothroughlifegailyorgravelywasaquestiontheprosandconsofwhichIcarefullyconsidered。ForpatternsI
turnedtobooks。Byronwasthenstillpopular,andmanyofusmadeupourmindstobegloomy,saturnineyoungmen,wearywiththeworld,andpronetosoliloquy。Ideterminedtojointhem。
ForamonthIrarelysmiled,or,whenIdid,itwaswithaweary,bittersmile,concealingabrokenheart——atleastthatwastheintention。Shallow-mindedobserversmisunderstood。
\"Iknowexactlyhowitfeels,\"theywouldsay,lookingatmesympathetically,\"Ioftenhaveitmyself。It’sthesuddenchangeintheweather,Ithink;\"andtheywouldpressneatbrandyuponme,andsuggestginger。
Again,itisdistressingtotheyoungman,busyburyinghissecretsorrowunderamoundofsilence,tobeslappedonthebackbycommonplacepeopleandasked——\"Well,how’s’thehump’thismorning?\"
andtohearhismoodofdignifiedmelancholyreferredto,bythosewhoshouldknowbetter,as\"thesulks。\"
TherearepracticaldifficultiesalsointhewayofhimwhowouldplaytheByronicyounggentleman。Hemustbesupernaturallywicked——orrathermusthavebeen;only,alas!intheunliterarygrammaroflife,wherethefuturetensestandsfirst,andthepastisformed,notfromtheindefinite,butfromthepresentindicative,\"tohavebeen\"is\"tobe\";andtobewickedonasmallincomeisimpossible。Theruinofeventhesimplestofmaidenscostsmoney。
IntheCourtsofLoveonecannotsueinformapauperis;norwoulditbetheByronicmethod。
\"Todrownremembranceinthecup\"soundswell,butthenthe\"cup,\"
tobefitting,shouldbeofsomeexpensivebrand。TodrinkdeepofoldTokayorAstiispoetical;butwhenone’spursenecessitatesthatthedraught,ifitistobedeepenoughtodrownanything,shouldbeofthinbeeratfive-and-ninethefourandahalfgalloncask,orsomethingsimilarinprice,sinisrobbedofitsflavour。
Possiblyalso——letmethinkit——theconvictionmayhavebeenwithinmethatVice,evenatitsdaintiest,isbutanugly,sordidthing,repulsiveinthesunlight;thatthough——asragsanddirttoart——itmayaffordpicturesquematerialtoLiterature,itisanevil-smellinggarmenttothewearer;onethatagoodman,byreasonofpovertyofwill,maycomedownto,butonetobeavoidedwithallone’seffort,discardedwithreturningmentalprosperity。
Bethisasitmay,Igrewwearyoftrainingforasaturnineyoungman;and,inthemidstofmydoubt,Ichanceduponabooktheheroofwhichwasadebonnaireyoungbuck,owncousintoTomandJerry。
Heattendedfights,bothofcocksandmen,flirtedwithactresses,wrenchedoffdoor-knockers,extinguishedstreetlamps,playedmanyamerryjestuponmanyanunappreciativenightwatch-man。Forallthewhichhewasmuchbelovedbythewomenofthebook。WhyshouldnotIflirtwithactresses,putoutstreetlamps,playpranksonpolicemen,andbebeloved?Londonlifewaschangedsincethedaysofmyhero,butmuchremained,andtheheartofwomaniseternal。
Ifnolongerprizefightingwastobehad,atleasttherewereboxingcompetitions,socalled,indingybackparloursoutWhitechapelway。
Thoughcockfightingwasalostsport,weretherenotdampcellarsneartheriverwherefortwopenceagentlemanmightbackmongrelterrierstokillratsagainsttime,andfeelhimselfindeedasportsman?True,theatmosphereofrecklessgaiety,alwayssurroundingmyhero,Imissedmyselffromthesescenes,findinginitsplaceanatmospheremoresuggestiveofgin,staletobacco,andnervousapprehensionofthepolice;buttheessentialsmusthavebeenthesame,andthenextmorningIcouldexclaimintheverywordsofmyprototype——\"Oddscrickets,butIfeelasthoughthedevilhimselfwereinmyhead。Pestetakemeforafool。\"
Butinthisdirectionlikewisemyfatallackofmeansopposedme。
(Itaffordsmuchfoodtothephilosophicmind,thisinfluenceofincomeuponcharacter。)Evenfifth-rate\"boxingcompetitions,\"
organizedby\"friendlyleads,\"andrattingcontestsinRotherhitheslums,becomeexpensive,whenyouhappentobetheonlygentlemanpresentpossessedofacollar,andareexpectedtodothehonoursofyourclassindog’s-nose。True,climbinglamp-postsandputtingoutthegasisfairlycheap,providingalwaysyouarenotcaughtintheact,butasarecreationitlacksvariety。NoristhemodernLondonlamp-postadaptedtosport。Anythingmoredifficulttogrip——anythingwithless\"give\"init——Ihaverarelyclasped。Thedisgracefulamountofdirtallowedtoaccumulateuponitisanotherdrawbackfromtheclimber’spointofview。Bythetimeyouhaveswarmedupyourthirdpostapositivedistastefor\"gaiety\"stealsoveryou。Yourdesireistowardsarnicaandabath。
Norinjokesattheexpenseofpolicemenisthefunentirelyonyourside。MaybeIdidnotproceedwithjudgment。Itoccurstomenow,lookingback,thattheneighbourhoodsofCoventGardenandGreatMarlboroughStreetwereill-chosenforsportofthisnature。Tobonnetafatpolicemanisexcellentfooling。Whileheisstrugglingwithhishelmetyoucanaskhimcomicquestions,andbythetimehehasgothisheadfreeyouareoutofsight。Butthegameshouldbeplayedinadistrictwherethereisnotanaverageofthreeconstablestoeverydozensquareyards。Whentwootherpolicemen,whohavehadtheireyeonyouforthepasttenminutes,arewatchingtheproceedingsfromjustroundthenextcorner,youhavelittleornoleisurefordueenjoymentofthesituation。BythetimeyouhaverunthewholelengthofGreatTitchfieldStreetandtwiceroundOxfordMarket,youareofopinionthatajokeshouldneverbeprolongedbeyondthepointatwhichthereisdangerofitsbecomingwearisome;andthatthetimehasnowarrivedforhomeandfriends。
The\"Law,\"ontheotherhand,nowraisedbyreinforcementstoastrengthofsixorsevenmen,isjustbeginningtoenjoythechase。
Youpicturetoyourself,whiledoingHanoverSquare,thesceneinCourtthenextmorning。Youwillbeaccusedofbeingdrunkanddisorderly。Itwillbeidleforyoutoexplaintothemagistrate(ortoyourrelationsafterwards)thatyouwereonlytryingtoliveuptoamanwhodidthissortofthinginabookandwasadmiredforit。Youwillbefinedtheusualfortyshillings;andonthenextoccasionofyourcallingattheMayfields’thegirlswillbeout,andMrs。Mayfield,anexcellentlady,whohasalwaystakenamotherlyinterestinyou,willtalkseriouslytoyouandurgeyoutosignthepledge。
ThankstoyouryouthandconstitutionyoushakeoffthepursuitatNottingHill;and,toavoidanychanceofunpleasantcontretempsonthereturnjourney,walkhometoBloomsburybywayofCamdenTownandIslington。
IabandonedsportivetendenciesastheresultofavowmadebymyselftoProvidence,duringtheearlyhoursofacertainSundaymorning,whileclingingtothewaterspoutofanunpretentioushousesituateinasidestreetoffSoho。IputittoProvidenceasmantoman。\"Letmeonlygetoutofthis,\"IthinkwerethemutteredwordsIused,\"andnomore’sport’forme。\"Providenceclosedontheoffer,anddidletmegetoutofit。True,itwasacomplicated\"getout,\"involvingabrokenskylightandthreegasglobes,twohoursinacoalcellar,andasovereigntoapotmanfortheloanofanulster;andwhenatlast,secureinmychamber,Itookstockofmyself——whatwasleftofme,——IcouldnotbutreflectthatProvidencemighthavedonethejobneater。YetIexperiencednodesiretoescapethetermsofthecovenant;myincliningforthefuturewastowardsalifeofsimplicity。
Accordingly,Icastaboutforanewcharacter,andfoundonetosuitme。TheGermanprofessorwasbecomingpopularasaheroaboutthisperiod。Heworehishairlongandwasotherwiseuntidy,buthehad\"aheartofsteel,\"occasionallyofgold。Themajorityoffolksinthebook,judginghimfromhisexteriortogetherwithhisconversation——inbrokenEnglish,dealingchieflywithhisdeadmotherandhislittlesisterLisa,——dubbedhimuninteresting,butthentheydidnotknowabouttheheart。Hischiefpossessionwasalamedogwhichhehadrescuedfromabrutalmob;andwhenhewasnottalkingbrokenEnglishhewasnursingthisdog。
Buthisspecialitywasstoppingrunawayhorses,therebysavingtheheroine’slife。This,combinedwiththebrokenEnglishandthedog,renderedhimirresistible。
Heseemedapeaceful,amiablesortofcreature,andIdecidedtotryhim。IcouldnotofcoursebeaGermanprofessor,butIcould,anddid,wearmyhairlonginspiteofmuchpublicadvicetothecontrary,voicedchieflybysmallboys。Iendeavouredtoobtainpossessionofalamedog,butfailed。Aone-eyeddealerinSevenDials,towhom,asalastresource,Iapplied,offeredtolameoneformeforanextrafiveshillings,butthissuggestionIdeclined。
Icameacrossanuncanny-lookingmongrellateonenight。Hewasnotlame,butheseemedprettysick;and,feelingIwasnotrobbinganybodyofanythingveryvaluable,Iluredhimhomeandnursedhim。
IfancyImusthaveover-nursedhim。Hegotsohealthyintheend,therewasnodoinganythingwithhim。Hewasanill-conditionedcur,andhewastoooldtobetaught。Hebecamethecurseoftheneighbourhood。Hisideaofsportwaskillingchickensandsneakingrabbitsfromoutsidepoulterers’shops。Forrecreationhekilledcatsandfrightenedsmallchildrenbyyelpingroundtheirlegs。
ThereweretimeswhenIcouldhavelamedhimmyself,ifonlyIcouldhavegotholdofhim。Imadenothingbyrunningthatdog——nothingwhatever。People,insteadofadmiringmefornursinghimbacktolife,calledmeafool,andsaidthatifIdidn’tdrownthebrutetheywould。Hespoiltmycharacterutterly——Imeanmycharacteratthisperiod。Itisdifficulttoposeasayoungmanwithaheartofgold,whendiscoveredinthemiddleoftheroadthrowingstonesatyourowndog。Andstonesweretheonlythingsthatwouldreachandinfluencehim。
Iwasalsohamperedbyascarcityinrunawayhorses。Thehorseofoursuburbwasnotthattypeofhorse。Onceandonlyoncedidanopportunityofferitselfforpractice。Itwasagoodopportunity,inasmuchashewasnotrunningawayverygreatly。Indeed,Idoubtifheknewhimselfthathewasrunningaway。Ittranspiredafterwardsthatitwasahabitofhis,afterwaitingforhisdriveroutsidetheRoseandCrownforwhatheconsideredtobeareasonableperiod,totrothomeonhisownaccount。Hepassedmegoingaboutsevenmilesanhour,withthereinsdraggingconvenientlybesidehim。Hewastheverythingforabeginner,andIpreparedmyself。
Atthecriticalmoment,however,acoupleofofficiouspolicemenpushedmeasideanddiditthemselves。
Therewasnothingformetoregret,asthematterturnedout。I
shouldonlyhaverescuedabald-headedcommercialtraveller,verydrunk,whosworehorribly,andpeltedthecrowdwithemptycollar-boxes。
FromthewindowofaveryhighflatIoncewatchedthreemen,resolvedtostoparunawayhorse。Eachmanmarcheddeliberatelyintothemiddleoftheroadandtookuphisstand。Mywindowwastoofarawayformetoseetheirfaces,buttheirattitudesuggestedheroismuntodeath。Thefirstman,asthehorsecamechargingtowardshim,faceditwithhisarmsspreadout。Heneverflincheduntilthehorsewaswithinabouttwentyyardsofhim。Then,astheanimalwasevidentlydeterminedtocontinueitswildcareer,therewasnothingleftforhimtodobuttoretireagaintothekerb,wherehestoodlookingafteritwithevidentsorrow,asthoughsayingtohimself——\"Oh,well,ifyouaregoingtobeheadstrongI
havedonewithyou。\"
Thesecondman,onthecatastrophebeingthusleftclearforhim,withoutamoment’shesitation,walkedupabyestreetanddisappeared。Thethirdmanstoodhisground,and,asthehorsepassedhim,yelledatit。Icouldnothearwhathesaid。Ihavenottheslightestdoubtitwasexcellentadvice,buttheanimalwasapparentlytooexcitedeventolisten。Thefirstandthethirdmanmetafterwards,anddiscussedthemattersympathetically。Ijudgedtheywereregrettingthepig-headednessofrunawayhorsesingeneral,andhopingthatnobodyhadbeenhurt。
IforgettheothercharactersIassumedaboutthisperiod。One,I
know,thatgotmeintoagooddealoftroublewasthatofadownright,honest,hearty,outspokenyoungmanwhoalwayssaidwhathemeant。
Ineverknewbutonemanwhomadearealsuccessofspeakinghismind。Ihaveheardhimslapthetablewithhisopenhandandexclaim——
\"Youwantmetoflatteryou——tostuffyouupwithapackoflies。
That’snotme,that’snotJimCompton。Butifyoucareformyhonestopinion,allIcansayis,thatchildisthemostmarvellousperformeronthepianoI’veeverheard。Idon’tsaysheisagenius,butIhaveheardLisztandMetzlerandallthecrackplayers,andIpreferHER。That’smyopinion。Ispeakmymind,andIcan’thelpitifyou’reoffended。\"
\"Howrefreshing,\"theparentswouldsay,\"tocomeacrossamanwhoisnotafraidtosaywhathereallythinks。Whyarewenotalloutspoken?\"
ThelastcharacterIattemptedIthoughtwouldbeeasytoassume。
Itwasthatofamuchadmiredandbelovedyoungman,whosegreatcharmlayinthefactthathewasalwaysjust——himself。Otherpeopleposedandacted。Henevermadeanyefforttobeanythingbuthisownnatural,simpleself。
IthoughtIalsowouldbemyownnatural,simpleself。Butthenthequestionarose——Whatwasmyownnatural,simpleself?
ThatwasthepreliminaryproblemIhadtosolve;Ihavenotsolvedittothisday。WhatamI?Iamagreatgentleman,walkingthroughtheworldwithdauntlessheartandheaderect,scornfulofallmeanness,impatientofalllittleness。Iamamean-thinking,little-daringman——thetypeofmanthatIofthedauntlessheartandtheerectheaddespisegreatly——crawlingtoapoorendbydeviousways,cringingtothestrong,timidofallpain。I——but,dearreader,IwillnotsaddenyoursensitiveearswithdetailsIcouldgiveyou,showinghowcontemptibleacreaturethiswretchedI
happenstobe。Norwouldyouunderstandme。Youwouldonlybeastonished,discoveringthatsuchdisreputablespecimensofhumanitycontrivetoexistinthisage。Itisbest,mydearsir,ormadam,youshouldremainignorantoftheseevilpersons。Letmenottroubleyouwithknowledge。
Iamaphilosopher,greetingalikethethunderandthesunshinewithfrolicwelcome。Onlynowandthen,whenallthingsdonotfallexactlyasIwishthem,whenfoolish,wickedpeoplewillpersistindoingfoolish,wickedacts,affectingmycomfortandhappiness,I
rageandfretagoodishdeal。
AsHeinesaidofhimself,Iamknight,too,oftheHolyGrail,valiantfortheTruth,reverentofallwomen,honouringallmen,eagertoyieldlifetotheserviceofmygreatCaptain。
Andnextmoment,Ifindmyselfintheenemy’slines,fightingundertheblackbanner。(ItmustbeconfusingtotheseopposingGenerals,alltheirsoldiersbeingdesertersfrombotharmies。)Whatarewomenbutmen’splaythings!Shalltherebenomorecakesandaleformebecausethouartvirtuous!Whataremenbuthungrydogs,contendingeachagainsteachforalimitedsupplyofbones!Dootherslestthoubedone。WhatistheTruthbutanunexplodedlie!
Iamaloverofalllivingthings。You,mypoorsister,strugglingwithyourheavyburdenonyourlonelyway,Iwouldkissthetearsfromyourworncheeks,lightenwithmylovethedarknessaroundyourfeet。You,mypatientbrother,breathinghardasroundandroundyoutrampthetroddenpath,likesomepoorhalf-blindgin-horse,stripesyouronlyencouragement,scantystoreofdrychaffinyourmanger!Iwouldjogbesideyou,takingthestrainalittlefromyourachingshoulders;andwewouldwalknodding,ourheadssidebyside,andyou,remembering,shouldtellmeofthefieldswherelongagoyouplayed,ofthegallantracesthatyouranandwon。Andyou,littlepinchedbrats,withwonderingeyes,lookingfromdirt-encrustedfaces,Iwouldtakeyouinmyarmsandtellyoufairystories。Intothesweetlandofmake-believewewouldwander,leavingthesadoldworldbehindusforatime,andyoushouldbePrincesandPrincesses,andknowLove。
Butagain,aselfish,greedymancomesoften,andsitsinmyclothes。Amanwhofretsawayhislife,planninghowtogetmoremoney——morefood,moreclothes,morepleasuresforhimself;amansobusythinkingofthemanythingsheneedshehasnotimetodwellupontheneedsofothers。Hedeemshimselfthecentreoftheuniverse。Youwouldimagine,hearinghimgrumbling,thattheworldhadbeencreatedandgotreadyagainstthetimewhenheshouldcometotakehispleasureinit。Hewouldpushandtrample,heedless,reachingtowardsthesemanydesiresofhis;andwhen,grabbing,hemisses,hecursesHeavenforitsinjustice,andmenandwomenforgettinginhispath。Heisnotaniceman,inanyway。Iwish,asIsay,hewouldnotcomesooftenandsitinmyclothes。HepersiststhatheisI,andthatIamonlyasentimentalfool,spoilinghischances。Sometimes,forawhile,Igetridofhim,buthealwayscomesback;andthenhegetsridofmeandIbecomehim。
Itisveryconfusing。SometimesIwonderifIreallyammyself。
ONTHEDISADVANTAGEOFNOTGETTINGWHATONEWANTS
Long,longago,whenyouandI,dearReader,wereyoung,whenthefairiesdweltintheheartsoftheroses,whenthemoonbeamsbenteachnightbeneaththeweightofangels’feet,therelivedagood,wiseman。Orrather,Ishouldsay,therehadlived,foratthetimeofwhichIspeakthepooroldgentlemanlaydying。Waitingeachmomentthedreadsummons,hefella-musingonthelifethatstretchedfarbackbehindhim。Howfullitseemedtohimatthatmomentoffolliesandmistakes,bringingbittertearsnottohimselfalonebuttoothersalso。Howmuchbrighteraroadmightithavebeen,hadhebeenwiser,hadheknown!
\"Ah,me!\"saidthegoodoldgentleman,\"ifonlyIcouldlivemylifeagaininthelightofexperience。\"
NowashespokethesewordshefeltthedrawingneartohimofaPresence,andthinkingitwastheOnewhomheexpected,raisinghimselfalittlefromhisbed,hefeeblycried,\"Iamready。\"
Butahandforcedhimgentlyback,avoicesaying,\"Notyet;Ibringlife,notdeath。Yourwishshallbegranted。Youshallliveyourlifeagain,andtheknowledgeofthepastshallbewithyoutoguideyou。Seeyouuseit。Iwillcomeagain。\"
Thenasleepfelluponthegoodman,andwhenheawoke,hewasagainalittlechild,lyinginhismother’sarms;but,lockedwithinhisbrainwastheknowledgeofthelifethathehadlivedalready。
Sooncemorehelivedandlovedandlaboured。Soasecondtimehelayanold,wornmanwithlifebehindhim。Andtheangelstoodagainbesidehisbed;andthevoicesaid,\"Well,areyoucontentnow?\"
\"Iamwellcontent,\"saidtheoldgentleman。\"LetDeathcome。\"
\"Andhaveyouunderstood?\"askedtheangel。
\"Ithinkso,\"wastheanswer;\"thatexperienceisbutasofthememoryofthepathwayshehastrodtoatravellerjourneyingeveronwardintoanunknownland。Ihavebeenwiseonlytoreaptherewardoffolly。Knowledgehasofttimeskeptmefrommygood。I
haveavoidedmyoldmistakesonlytofallintoothersthatIknewnotof。Ihavereachedtheolderrorsbynewroads。WhereIhaveescapedsorrowIhavelostjoy。WhereIhavegraspedhappinessI
havepluckedpainalso。NowletmegowithDeaththatImaylearn……\"
Whichwassoliketheangelofthatperiod,thegivingofagift,bringingtoamanonlymoretrouble。MaybeIamoverratingmycoolnessofjudgmentundersomewhatstartlingcircumstances,butI
aminclinedtothinkthat,hadIlivedinthosedays,andhadafairyoranangelcometome,wantingtogivemesomething——mysoul’sdesire,orthesumofmyambition,oranytrifleofthatkindIshouldhavebeenshortwithhim。
\"Youpackupthatpreciousbagoftricksofyours,\"Ishouldhavesaidtohim(itwouldhavebeenrude,butthatishowIshouldhavefelt),\"andgetoutsidewithit。I’mnottakinganythinginyourlineto-day。Idon’trequireanysupernaturalaidtogetmeintotrouble。AlltheworryIwantIcangetdownhere,soit’snogoodyourcalling。Youtakethatlittlejokeofyours,——Idon’tknowwhatitis,butIknowenoughnottowanttoknow,——andrunitoffonsomeotheridiot。I’mnotpriggish。Ihavenoobjectiontoaninnocentgameof’catch-questions’intheordinaryway,andwhenI
getaturnmyself。ButifI’vegottopayeverytime,andthestakesaretobemyearthlyhappinessplusmyfutureexistence——why,Idon’tplay。TherewasthecaseofMidas;anice,shabbytrickyoufellowsplayedoffuponhim!makingpretenceyoudidnotunderstandhim,twistingroundthepooroldfellow’swords,justforalltheworldasthoughyouwereapackofOldBaileylawyers,tryingtotripupawitness;I’mashamedofthelotofyou,andItellyouso——
comingdownhere,foolingpoorunsuspectingmortalswithyournonsense,asthoughwehadnotenoughtoharryusasitwas。Thentherewasthatothercaseofthepooroldpeasantcoupletowhomyoupromisedthreewishes,thewholethingendinginablackpudding。
Andtheynevergoteventhat。Youthoughtthatfunny,Isuppose。
Thatwasyourfairyhumour!Apity,Isay,youhavenot,allofyou,somethingbettertodowithyourtime。AsIsaidbefore,youtakethatcelestial’JoeMiller’ofyoursandworkitoffonsomebodyelse。Ihavereadmyfairylore,andIhavereadmymythology,andIdon’twantanyofyourblessings。Andwhat’smore,I’mnotgoingtohavethem。WhenIwantblessingsIwillputupwiththeusualsortweareaccustomedtodownhere。YouknowtheonesImean,thedisguisedbrand——theblessingsthatnohumanbeingwouldthinkwereblessings,ifhewerenottold;theblessingsthatdon’tlooklikeblessings,thatdon’tfeellikeblessings;that,asamatteroffact,arenotblessings,practicallyspeaking;theblessingsthatotherpeoplethinkareblessingsforusandthatwedon’t。They’vegottheirdrawbacks,buttheyarebetterthanyours,atanyrate,andtheyaresoonerover。Idon’twantyourblessingsatanyprice。IfyouleaveonehereIshallsimplythrowitoutafteryou。\"
IfeelconfidentIshouldhaveansweredinthatstrain,andIfeelitwouldhavedonegood。Somebodyoughttohavespokenplainly,becausewithfairiesandangelsofthatsortfoolingabout,noonewaseversafeforamoment。Childrencouldhardlyhavebeenallowedoutsidethedoor。Onenevercouldhavetoldwhatsillytricksomewould-befunnyfairymightbewaitingtoplayoffonthem。Thepoorchildwouldnotknow,andwouldthinkitwasgettingsomethingworthhaving。Thewondertomeisthatsomeofthoseangelsdidn’tgettarredandfeathered。
IamdoubtfulwhetherevenCinderella’sluckwasquiteassatisfyingasweareledtobelieve。Afterthecarpetlesskitchenandtheblackbeetles,howbeautifulthepalacemusthaveseemed——forthefirstyear,perhapsforthefirsttwo。AndthePrince!howloving,howgallant,howtender——forthefirstyear,perhapsforthefirsttwo。Andafter?YouseehewasaPrince,broughtupinaCourt,theatmosphereofwhichisnotconducivetothedevelopmentofthedomesticvirtues;andshe——wasCinderella。Andthenthemarriagealtogetherwasratherahurriedaffair。Ohyes,sheisagood,lovinglittlewoman;butperhapsourRoyalHighness-shipdidacttoomuchontheimpulseofthemoment。Itwasherdear,daintyfeetthatdancedtheirwayintoourheart。Howtheyflashedandtwinkled,easedinthosefairyslippers。Howlikealilyamongtulipsshemovedthatnightamidtheover-gorgeousCourtdames。Shewassosweet,sofresh,sodifferenttoalltheotherswhomweknewsowell。Howhappyshelookedassheputhertremblinglittlehandinours。Whatpossibilitiesmightliebehindthosedroopinglashes。
Andwewereinamorousmoodthatnight,themusicinourfeet,theflashandglitterinoureyes。Andthen,topiqueusfurther,shedisappearedassuddenlyandstrangelyasshehadcome。Whowasshe?
Whencecameshe?Whatwasthemysterysurroundingher?Wassheonlyadeliciousdream,ahauntingphantasythatweshouldneverlookuponagain,neverclaspagainwithinourlongingarms?Wasourhearttobeforeverhungry,hauntedbythememoryof——No,byheavens,sheisreal,andawoman。Hereisherdearslipper,madesurelytobekissed。Ofasizetoothatamanmaywellwearwithinthebreastofhisdoublet。Hadanywoman——nay,fairy,angel,suchdearfeet!Searchthewholekingdomthrough,butfindher,findher。Thegodshaveheardourprayers,andgivenusthisclue。
\"Supposeshebenotallsheseemed。Supposeshebenotofbirthfittomatewithournoblehouse!\"Outuponthee,foranearth-bound,blindcurmudgeonofaLordHighChancellor。Howcouldawoman,whomsuchslipperfitted,bebutofthenoblestandthebest,asfaraboveus,merePrinceletthatweare,asthestarsinheavenarebrighterthanthydulloldeyes!Go,searchthekingdom,wetellthee,fromeasttowest,fromnorthtosouth,andseetoitthatthoufindesther,oritshallgohardwiththee。ByVenus,besheaswineherd’sdaughter,sheshallbeourQueen——anshedeigntoacceptofus,andofourkingdom。
Ahwell,ofcourse,itwasnotawisepieceofbusiness,thatgoeswithoutsaying;butwewereyoung,andPrincesareonlyhuman。Poorchild,shecouldnothelphereducation,orratherherlackofit。
Dearlittlething,thewonderisthatshehascontrivedtobenomoreignorantthansheis,draggedupasshewas,neglectedandoverworked。Nordoeslifeinakitchen,amidthecompanionshipofpeasantsandmenials,tendtofostertheintellect。Whocanblameherforbeingshyandsomewhatdullofthought?notwe,generous-
minded,kind-heartedPrincethatweare。Andsheisveryaffectionate。Thefamilyaretrying,certainly;father-in-lawnotabadsort,thoughalittleprosywhenuponthesubjectofhisdomestictroubles,andalittletoofondofhisglass;mamma-in-law,andthosetwougly,ill-manneredsisters,decidedlyanuisanceaboutthepalace。Yetwhatcanwedo?theyareourrelationsnow,andtheydonotforgettoletusknowit。Well,well,wehadtoexpectthat,andthingsmighthavebeenworse。Anyhowsheisnotjealous——
thankgoodness。
SothedaycomeswhenpoorlittleCinderellasitsaloneofanightinthebeautifulpalace。Thecourtiershavegonehomeintheircarriages。TheLordHighChancellorhasbowedhimselfoutbackwards。TheGold-Stick-in-WaitingandtheGroomsoftheChamberhavegonetotheirbeds。TheMaidsofHonourhavesaid\"Good-
night,\"anddriftedoutofthedoor,laughingandwhisperingamongthemselves。Theclockstrikestwelve——one——two,andstillnofootstepcreaksuponthestair。Onceitfollowedswiftlyuponthe\"good-night\"ofthemaids,whodidnotlaughorwhisperthen。
Atlastthedooropens,andthePrinceenters,nonetoopleasedatfindingCinderellastillawake。\"SosorryI’mlate,mylove——
detainedonaffairsofstate。Foreignpolicyverycomplicated,dear。HaveonlyjustthismomentlefttheCouncilChamber。\"
AndlittleCinderella,whilethePrincesleeps,liessobbingoutherpoorsadheartintothebeautifulroyalpillow,embroideredwiththeroyalarmsandedgedwiththeroyalmonograminlace。\"Whydidheevermarryme?Ishouldhavebeenhappierintheoldkitchen。Theblackbeetlesdidfrightenmealittle,buttherewasalwaysthedearoldcat;andsometimes,whenmotherandthegirlswereout,papawouldcallsoftlydownthekitchenstairsformetocomeup,andwewouldhavesuchamerryeveningtogether,andsupoffsausages:dearolddad,Ihardlyeverseehimnow。Andthen,whenmyworkwasdone,howpleasantitwastositinfrontofthefire,anddreamofthewonderfulthingsthatwouldcometomesomeday。I
wasalwaysgoingtobeaPrincess,eveninmydreams,andliveinapalace,butitwassodifferenttothis。Oh,howIhateit,thisbeastlypalacewhereeverybodysneersatme——Iknowtheydo,thoughtheybowandscrape,andpretendtobesopolite。AndI’mnotcleverandsmartastheyare。Ihatethem。Ihatethesebold-facedwomenwhoarealwayshere。Thatistheworstofapalace,everybodycancomein。Oh,Ihateeverybodyandeverything。Oh,god-mamma,god-mamma,comeandtakemeaway。Takemebacktomyoldkitchen。
Givemebackmyoldpoorfrock。Letmedanceagainwiththefire-
tongsforapartner,andbehappy,dreaming。\"
PoorlittleCinderella,perhapsitwouldhavebeenbetterhadgod-
mammabeenlessambitiousforyou,dear;hadyoumarriedsomegood,honestyeoman,whowouldneverhaveknownthatyouwerenotbrilliant,whowouldhavelovedyoubecauseyouwerejustamiableandpretty;hadyourkingdombeenonlyafarmhouse,whereyourknowledgeofdomesticeconomy,gainedsohardly,wouldhavebeenuseful;whereyouwouldhaveshoneinsteadofbeingovershadowed;
wherePapawouldhavedroppedinofaneveningtosmokehispipeandescapefromhisdomesticwrangles;whereyouwouldhavebeenREAL
Queen。
Butthenyouknow,dear,youwouldnothavebeencontent。Ahyes,withyourpresentexperience——nowyouknowthatQueensaswellaslittledrudgeshavetheirtroubles;butWITHOUTthatexperience?
Youwouldhavelookedintheglasswhenyouwerealone;youwouldhavelookedatyourshapelyhandsandfeet,andtheshadowswouldhavecrossedyourprettyface。\"Yes,\"youwouldhavesaidtoyourself——\"Johnisadear,kindfellow,andIlovehimverymuch,andallthat,but——\"andtheolddreams,dreamtintheoldlow-
ceilingedkitchenbeforethedyingfire,wouldhavecomebacktoyou,andyouwouldhavebeendiscontentedthenasnow,onlyinadifferentway。Ohyes,youwould,Cinderella,thoughyougravelyshakeyourgold-crownedhead。Andletmetellyouwhy。Itisbecauseyouareawoman,andthefateofallus,menandwomenalike,istobeforeverwantingwhatwehavenot,andtobefinding,whenwehaveit,thatitisnotwhatwewanted。Thatisthelawoflife,dear。Doyouthinkasyoulieuponthefloorwithyourheaduponyourarms,thatyouaretheonlywomanwhosetearsaresoakingintothehearthrugatthatmoment?MydearPrincess,ifyoucouldcreepunseenaboutyourCity,peepingatwillthroughthecurtain-shieldedwindows,youwouldcometothinkthatalltheworldwaslittleelsethanabignurseryfullofcryingchildrenwithnonetocomfortthem。Thedollisbroken:nolongeritsweetlysqueaksinanswertoourpressure,\"Iloveyou,kissme。\"Thedrumliessilentwiththedrumstickinside;nolongerdowemakeabravenoiseinthenursery。Theboxoftea-thingswehaveclumsilyputourfootupon;therewillbenomoremerrypartiesaroundthethree-leggedstool。Thetintrumpetwillnotplaythenotewewanttosound;thewoodenbrickskeepfallingdown;thetoycannonhasexplodedandburntourfingers。Nevermind,littleman,littlewoman,wewilltryandmendthingstomorrow。
Andafterall,Cinderelladear,youdoliveinafinepalace,andyouhavejewelsandgranddressesand——No,no,donotbeindignantwithME。DidnotyoudreamofthesethingsASWELLASoflove?
Comenow,behonest。Itwasalwaysaprince,wasitnot,or,attheleast,anexceedinglywell-to-doparty,thathandsomeyounggentlemanwhobowedtoyousogallantlyfromtheredembers?Hewasneveravirtuousyoungcommercialtraveller,orculturedclerk,earningasalaryofthreepoundsaweek,washe,Cinderella?Yettherearemanycharmingcommercialtravellers,manydelightfulclerkswithlimitedincomes,quitesufficient,however,toasensiblemanandwomandesiringbuteachother’slove。Whywasitalwaysaprince,Cinderella?Hadthepalaceandtheliveriedservants,andthecarriagesandhorses,andthejewelsandthedresses,NOTHINGtodowiththedream?