the ways of men-第23节

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n　that　a　sound　or　a　　combination　of　colors　has　effected　on　his　own　organs；　is　an　　artist！

Of　course　much　of　this　has　been　recognized　through　all　time。　　　The　formula　in　which　Tolstoi　has　presented　his　meditations　to　　the　world　is；　however；　so　fresh　that　it　comes　like　a　　revelation；　with　the　additional　merit　of　being　understood；　　with　little　or　no　mental　effort；　by　either　the　casual　reader；　　who；　with　half…attention　attracted　by　a　headline；　says　to　　himself；　〃‘What　is　art？'　　That　looks　interesting！〃　and　skims　　lightly　down　the　lines；　or　the　thinker　who；　after　perusing　　Tolstoi's　lucid　words；　lays　down　the　volume　with　a　sigh；　and　　murmurs　in　his　humiliation；　〃Why　have　I　been　all　these　years　　seeking　in　the　clouds　for　what　was　lying　ready　at　my　hand？〃

The　wide…reaching　definition　of　the　Russian　writer　has　the　　effect　of　a　vigorous　blow　from　a　pickaxe　at　the　foundations　of　　a　shaky　and　too　elaborate　edifice。　　The　wordy　superstructure　　of　aphorisms　and　paradox　falls　to　the　ground；　disclosing　fair　　〃Truth；〃　so　long　a　captive　within　the　temple　erected　in　her　　honor。　　As；　however；　the　newly　freed　goddess　smiles　on　the　　ignorant　and　the　pedants　alike；　the　result　is　that　with　one　　accord　the　aesthetes　raise　a　howl！　　〃And　the　‘beautiful；'〃　　they　say；　〃the　beautiful？　　Can　there　be　any　‘Art'　without　the　　‘Beautiful'？　　What！　the　little　greengrocer　at　the　corner　is　an　　artist　because；　forsooth；　he　has　arranged　some　lettuce　and　　tomatoes　into　a　tempting　pile！　　Anathema！　　Art　is　a　secret　　known　only　to　the　initiated　few；　the　vulgar　can　neither　　understand　nor　appreciate　it！　　We　are　the　elect！　　Our　mission　　is　to　explain　what　Art　is　and　point　out　her　beauty　to　a　coarse　　and　heedless　world。　　Only　those　with　a　sense　of　the　　‘beautiful'　should　be　allowed　to　enter　into　her　sacred　　presence。〃

Here　the　expounders　of　〃Art〃　plunge　into　a　sea　of　words；　　offering　a　dozen　definitions　each　more　obscure　than　its　　predecessor；　all　of　which　have　served　in　turn　as　watchwords　of　　different　〃schools。〃　　Tolstoi's　sweeping　truth　is　too　far…　reaching　to　please　these　gentry。　　Like　the　priests　of　past　　religions；　they　would　have　preferred　to　keep　such　knowledge　as　　they　had　to　themselves　and　expound　it；　little　at　a　time；　to　　the　ignorant。　　The　great　Russian　has　kicked　away　their　altar　　and　routed　the　false　gods；　whose　acolytes　will　never　forgive　　him。

Those　of　my　readers　who　have　been　intimate　with　painters；　　actors；　or　musicians；　will　recall　with　amusement　how　lightly　　the　performances　of　an　associate　are　condemned　by　the　　brotherhood　as　falling　short　of　the　high　standard　which　　according　to　these　wiseacres；　〃Art〃　exacts；　and　how　sure　each　　speaker　is　of　understanding　just　where　a　brother　carries　his　　〃mote。〃

Voltaire　once　avoided　giving　a　definition　of　the　beautiful　by　　saying；　〃Ask　a　toad　what　his　ideas　of　beauty　are。　　He　will　　indicate　the　particular　female　toad　he　happens　to　admire　and　　praise　her　goggle…eyes　and　yellow　belly　as　the　perfection　of　　beauty！〃　　A　negro　from　Guiana　will　make　much　the　same　　unsatisfactory　answer；　so　the　old　philosopher　recommends　us　　not　to　be　didactic　on　subjects　where　judgments　are　relative；　　and　at　the　same　time　without　appeal。

Tolstoi　denies　that　an　idea　as　subtle　as　a　definition　of　Art　　can　be　classified　by　pedants；　and　proceeds　to　formulate　the　　following　delightful　axiom：　〃A　principle　upon　which　no　two　　people　can　agree　does　not　exist。〃　　A　truth　is　proved　by　its　　evidence　to　all。　　Discussion　outside　of　that　is　simply　beating　　the　air。　　Each　succeeding　〃school〃　has　sounded　its　death…knell　　by　asserting　that　certain　combinations　alone　produced　beauty　…　　the　weakness　of　to…day　being　an　inclination　to　see　art　only　in　　the　obscure　and　the　recondite。　　As　a　result　we　drift　each　hour　　further　from　the　truth。　　Modern　intellectuality　has　formed　　itself　into　a　scornful　aristocracy　whose　members；　esteeming　　themselves　the　elite；　withdraw　from　the　vulgar　public；　and　　live　in　a　world　of　their　own；　looking　（like　the　Lady　of　　Shalott）　into　a　mirror　at　distorted　images　of　nature　and　　declaring　that　what　they　see　is　art！

In　literature　that　which　is　difficult　to　understand　is　much　　admired　by　the　simple…minded；　who　also　decry　pictures　that　　tell　their　own　story！　　A　certain　class　of　minds　enjoy　being　　mystified；　and　in　consequence　writers；　painters；　and　musicians　　have　appeared　who　are　willing　to　juggle　for　their　amusement。　　　The　simple　definition　given　to　us　by　the　Russian　writer　comes　　like　a　breath　of　wholesome　air　to　those　suffocating　in　an　　atmosphere　of　perfumes　and　artificial　heat。　　Art　is　our　common　　inheritance；　not　the　property　of　a　favored　few。　　The　wide　　world　we　love　is　full　of　it；　and　each　of　us　in　his　humble　way　　is　an　artist　when　with　a　full　heart　he　communicates　his　　delight　and　his　joy　to　another。　　Tolstoi　has　given　us　back　our　　birthright；　so　long　withheld；　and　crowned　with　his　aged　hands　　the　true　artist。




Chapter　19　…　The　Genealogical　Craze


THERE　undoubtedly　is　something　in　the　American　temperament　　that　prevents　our　doing　anything　in　moderation。　　If　we　take　up　　an　idea；　it　is　immediately　run　to　exaggeration　and　then　　abandoned；　that　the　nation　may　fly　at　a　tangent　after　some　new　　fad。　　Does　this　come　from　our　climate；　or　（as　I　am　inclined　to　　think）　from　the　curiously　unclassified　state　of　society　in　our　　country；　where　so　few　established　standards　exist　and　so　few　　are　sure　of　their　own　or　their　neighbors'　standing？　　In　　consequence；　if　Mrs。　Brown　starts　anything；　Mrs。　Jones；　for　　fear　of　being　left　behind；　immediately　〃goes　her　one　better〃　　to　be　in　turn　〃raised〃　by　Mrs。　Robinson。

In　other　lands　a　reasonable　pride　of　birth　has　always　been　one　　of　the　bonds　holding　communities　together；　and　is　estimated　at　　its　just　value。　　We；　after　having　practically　ignored　the　　subject　for　half　a　century；　suddenly　rush　to　the　other　　extreme；　and　develop　an　entire　forest　of　genealogical　trees　at　　a　growth。

Chagrined；　probably；　at　the　small　amount　of　consideration　that　　their　superior　birth　commanded；　a　number　of　aristocratically　　minded　matrons　united　a　few　years　ago　as　〃Daughters　of　the　　Revolution；〃　restricting　membership　to　women　descended　from　　officers　of　Washington's　army。　　There　may　have　been　a　reason　　for　the　formation　of　this　society。　　I　say　〃may〃　because　it　　does　not　seem　quite　clear　what　its　aim　was。　　The　originators　　doubtless　imagined　they　were　founding　an　exclusive　circle；　but　　the　numbers　who　clamored　for　admittance　quickly　dispelled　this　　illusion。　　So　a　small　group　of　the　elect　withdrew　in　disgust　　and　banded　together　under　the　cognomen　of　〃Colonial　Dames。〃

The　only　result　of　these　two　movements　was　to　awaken　envy；　　hatred；　and　malice　in　the　hearts　of　those　excluded　from　the　　mysterious　rites；　which　to　outsiders　seemed　to　consist　in　　blackballing　as　many　aspirants　as　possible。　　Some　victims　of　　this　bad　treatment；　thirsting　for　revenge；　struck　on　the　happy　　thought　of　inaugurating　an　〃Aztec〃　society。　　As　that　title　　conveyed　absolutely　no　idea　to　any　one；　its　members　were　　forced　to　explain　that　only　descendants　of　officers　who　fought　　in　the　Mexican　War　were　eligible。　　What　the　elect　did　when　　they　got　into　the　circle　was　not　specified。

The　〃Social　Order　of　Foreign　Wars〃　was　the　next　creation；　its　　authors　evidently　considering　the　Mexican　campaign　as　a　　domestic　article；　a　sort　of　family　squabble。　　Then　the　　〃Children　of　1812〃　attracted　attention；　both　groups　having　　immediate　success。　　Indeed；　the　vogue　of　these　enterprises　has　　been　in　inverse　ratio　to　their　usefulness　or　RAISON　D'ETRE；　　people　apparently　being　ready　to　join　anything　rather　than　get　　left　out　in　the　cold。

Jealous　probably　of　seeing　women　enjoying　all　the　fun；　their　　husbands　and　brothers　next　banded　together　as　〃Sons　of　the　　Revolution。〃　　The　wives　retaliated　by　instituting　the　　〃Granddaughters　of　the　Revolution〃　and　〃The　Mayflower　Order；〃　　the　〃price　of　admission〃　to　the　latter　being　descent　from　some　　one　who　crossed　in　that　celebrated　ship　…　whether　as　one　of　　the　crew　or　as　passenger　is　not　clear。

It　was　not；　however；　in　the　American　temperament　to　rest　　content　with　modest　beginnings；　the　national　motto　being；　〃The　　best　is　good　enough　for　me。〃　　So　wind　was　quickly　taken　out　of　　the　Mayflower's　sails　by　〃The　Royal　Order　of　the　Crown；〃　to　　which　none　need　apply　who　were　not　prepared　to　prove　descent　　from　one　or　more　royal　ancestors。　　It　was　not　stated　in　the　　prospectus　whether　Irish　sovereigns　and　Fiji　Island　kings　　counted；　but　I　have　been　told　that　bar　sinisters　form　a　class　　apart；　and　are　deprived　of　the　right　to　vote　or　hold　office。

Descent　from　any　old　king　was；　however；　not　sufficient　for　the　　high…toned　people　of　our　republic。　　When　you　come　to　think　of　　it；　such　a　circle　might　be　〃mixed。〃　One　really　must　draw　the　　line　somewhere　（as　the　Boston　parvenu　replied　when　asked　why　　he　had　not　invited　his　brother　to　a　ball）。　　So　the　founders　of　　the　〃Circle　of　Holland　Dames　of　the　New　Netherlands〃　drew　the　　line　at　descent　from　a　sovereign　of　the　Low　Countries。　　It　　does　not　seem　as　if　this　could　be　a　large　society；　although　　those　old　Dutch　pashas　had　an　unconscionable　number　of　　children。

The　promoters　of　this　enterprise　seem　nevertheless　to　have　　been　fairly　successful；　for　they　gave　a　fete　recent