short stories and essays-第29节

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belongings。

Save　in　some　signal　exception；　a　thing　taken　out　of　storage　cannot　be
established　in　its　former　function　without　a　sense　of　its　comparative
inadequacy。　　It　stands　in　the　old　place；　it　serves　the　old　use；　and　yet
a　new　thing　would　be　better；　it　would　even　in　some　subtle　wise　be　more
appropriate；　if　I　may　indulge　so　audacious　a　paradox；　for　the　time　is
new；　and　so　will　be　all　the　subconscious　keeping　in　which　our　lives　are
mainly　passed。　　We　are　supposed　to　have　associations　with　the　old　things
which　render　them　precious；　but　do　not　the　associations　rather　render
them　painful？　　If　that　is　true　of　the　inanimate　things；　how　much　truer　it
is　of　those　personalities　which　once　environed　and　furnished　our　lives！
Take　the　article　of　old　friends；　for　instance：　has　it　ever　happened　to
the　reader　to　witness　the　encounter　of　old　friends　after　the　lapse　of
years？　　Such　a　meeting　is　conventionally　imagined　to　be　full　of　tender
joy；　a　rapture　that　vents　itself　in　manly　tears；　perhaps；　and　certainly
in　womanly　tears。　　But　really　is　it　any　such　emotion？　　Honestly　is　not　it
a　cruel　embarrassment；　which　all　the　hypocritical　pretences　cannot　hide？
The　old　friends　smile　and　laugh；　and　babble　incoherently　at　one　another；
but　are　they　genuinely　glad？　　Is　not　each　wishing　the　other　at　that　end
of　the　earth　from　which　he　came？　　Have　they　any　use　for　each　other　such
as　people　of　unbroken　associations　have？

I　have　lately　been　privy　to　the　reunion　of　two　old　comrades　who　are　bound
together　more　closely　than　most　men　in　a　community　of　interests；
occupations；　and　ideals。　　During　a　long　separation　they　had　kept　account
of　each　other's　opinions　as　well　as　experiences；　they　had　exchanged
letters；　from　time　to　time；　in　which　they　opened　their　minds　fully　to
each　other；　and　found　themselves　constantly　in　accord。　　When　they　met
they　made　a　great　shouting；　and　each　pretended　that　he　found　the　other
just　what　he　used　to　be。　　They　talked　a　long；　long　time；　fighting　the
invisible　enemy　which　they　felt　between　them。　　The　enemy　was　habit；　the
habit　of　other　minds　and　hearts；　the　daily　use　of　persons　and　things
which　in　their　separation　they　had　not　had　in　common。　　When　the　old
friends　parted　they　promised　to　meet　every　day；　and　now；　since　their
lines　had　been　cast　in　the　same　places　again；　to　repair　the　ravage　of　the
envious　years；　and　become　again　to　each　other　all　that　they　had　ever
been。　　But　though　they　live　in　the　same　town；　and　often　dine　at　the　same
table；　and　belong　to　the　same　club；　yet　they　have　not　grown　together
again。　　They　have　grown　more　and　more　apart；　and　are　uneasy　in　each
other's　presence；　tacitly　self…reproachful　for　the　same　effect　which
neither　of　them　could　avert　or　repair。　　They　had　been　respectively　in
storage；　and　each；　in　taking　the　other　out；　has　experienced　in　him　the
unfitness　which　grows　upon　the　things　put　away　for　a　time　and　reinstated
in　a　former　function。




III。

I　have　not　touched　upon　these　facts　of　life；　without　the　purpose　of
finding　some　way　out　of　the　coil。　　There　seems　none　better　than　the
counsel　of　keeping　one's　face　set　well　forward；　and　one's　eyes　fixed
steadfastly　upon　the　future。　　This　is　the　hint　we　will　get　from　nature　if
we　will　heed　her；　and　note　how　she　never　recurs；　never　stores　or　takes
out　of　storage。　　Fancy　rehabilitating　one's　first　love：　how　nature　would
mock　at　that！　　We　cannot　go　back　and　be　the　men　and　women　we　were；　any
more　than　we　can　go　back　and　be　children。　　As　we　grow　older；　each　year's
change　in　us　is　more　chasmal　and　complete。　　There　is　no　elixir　whose
magic　will　recover　us　to　ourselves　as　we　were　last　year；　but　perhaps　we
shall　return　to　ourselves　more　and　more　in　the　times；　or　the　eternity；　to
come。　　Some　instinct　or　inspiration　implies　the　promise　of　this；　but　only
on　condition　that　we　shall　not　cling　to　the　life　that　has　been　ours；　and
hoard　its　mummified　image　in　our　hearts。　　We　must　not　seek　to　store
ourselves；　but　must　part　with　what　we　were　for　the　use　and　behoof　of
others；　as　the　poor　part　with　their　worldly　gear　when　they　move　from　one
place　to　another。　　It　is　a　curious　and　significant　property　of　our
outworn　characteristics　that；　like　our　old　furniture；　they　will　serve
admirably　in　the　life　of　some　other；　and　that　this　other　can　profitably
make　them　his　when　we　can　no　longer　keep　them　ours；　or　ever　hope　to
resume　them。　　They　not　only　go　down　to　successive　generations；　but　they
spread　beyond　our　lineages；　and　serve　the　turn　of　those　whom　we　never
knew　to　be　within　the　circle　of　our　influence。

Civilization　imparts　itself　by　some　such　means；　and　the　lower　classes　are
clothed　in　the　cast　conduct　of　the　upper；　which　if　it　had　been　stored
would　have　left　the　inferiors　rude　and　barbarous。　　We　have　only　to　think
how　socially　naked　most　of　us　would　be　if　we　had　not　had　the　beautiful
manners　of　our　exclusive　society　to　put　on　at　each　change　of　fashion　when
it　dropped　them。

All　earthly　and　material　things　should　be　worn　out　with　use；　and　not
preserved　against　decay　by　any　unnatural　artifice。　　Even　when　broken　and
disabled　from　overuse　they　have　a　kind　of　respectability　which　must
commend　itself　to　the　observer；　and　which　partakes　of　the　pensive　grace
of　ruin。　　An　old　table　with　one　leg　gone；　and　slowly　lapsing　to　decay　in
the　woodshed；　is　the　emblem　of　a　fitter　order　than　the　same　table；　with
all　its　legs　intact；　stored　with　the　rest　of　the　furniture　from　a　broken
home。　　Spinning…wheels　gathering　dust　in　the　garret　of　a　house　that　is
itself　falling　to　pieces　have　a　dignity　that　deserts　them　when　they　are
dragged　from　their　refuge；　and　furbished　up　with　ribbons　and　a　tuft　of
fresh　tow；　and　made　to　serve　the　hollow　occasions　of　bric…a…brac；　as　they
were　a　few　years　ago。　　A　pitcher　broken　at　the　fountain；　or　a　battered
kettle　on　a　rubbish　heap；　is　a　venerable　object；　but　not　crockery　and
copper…ware　stored　in　the　possibility　of　future　need。　　However　carefully
handed　down　from　one　generation　to　another；　the　old　objects　have　a
forlorn　incongruity　in　their　successive　surroundings　which　appeals　to　the
compassion　rather　than　the　veneration　of　the　witness。

It　was　from　a　truth　deeply　mystical　that　Hawthorne　declared　against　any
sort　of　permanence　in　the　dwellings　of　men；　and　held　that　each　generation
should　newly　house　itself。　　He　preferred　the　perishability　of　the　wooden
American　house　to　the　durability　of　the　piles　of　brick　or　stone　which　in
Europe　affected　him　as　with　some　moral　miasm　from　the　succession　of　sires
and　sons　and　grandsons　that　had　died　out　of　them。　　But　even　of　such
structures　as　these　it　is　impressive　how　little　the　earth　makes　with　the
passage　of　time。　　Where　once　a　great　city　of　them　stood；　you　shall　find　a
few　tottering　walls；　scarcely　more　mindful　of　the　past　than　〃the　cellar
and　the　well〃　which　Holmes　marked　as　the　ultimate　monuments；　the　last
witnesses；　to　the　existence　of　our　more　transitory　habitations。　　It　is
the　law　of　the　patient　sun　that　everything　under　it　shall　decay；　and　if
by　reason　of　some　swift　calamity；　some　fiery　cataclysm；　the　perishable
shall　be　overtaken　by　a　fate　that　fixes　it　in　unwasting　arrest；　it　cannot
be　felt　that　the　law　has　been　set　aside　in　the　interest　of　men's
happiness　or　cheerfulness。　　Neither　Pompeii　nor　Herculaneum　invites　the
gayety　of　the　spectator；　who　as　he　walks　their　disinterred　thoroughfares
has　the　weird　sense　of　taking　a　former　civilization　out　of　storage；　and
the　ache　of　finding　it　wholly　unadapted　to　the　actual　world。　　As　far　as
his　comfort　is　concerned；　it　had　been　far　better　that　those　cities　had
not　been　stored；　but　had　fallen　to　the　ruin　that　has　overtaken　all　their
contemporaries。




IV

No；　good　friend；　sir　or　madam；　as　the　case　may　be；　but　most　likely　madam：
if　you　are　about　to　break　up　your　household　for　any　indefinite　period；
and　are　not　so　poor　that　you　need　sell　your　things；　be　warned　against
putting　them　in　storage；　unless　of　the　most　briskly　combustible　type。
Better；　far　better；　give　them　away；　and　disperse　them　by　that　means　to　a
continuous　use　that　shall　end　in　using　them　up；　or　if　no　one　will　take
them；　then　hire　a　vacant　lot；　somewhere；　and　devote　them　to　the　flames。
By　that　means　you　shall　bear　witness　against　a　custom　that　insults　the
order　of　nature；　and　crowds　the　cities　with　the　cemeteries　of　dead　homes；
where　there　is　scarcely　space　for　the　living　homes。　　Do　not　vainly　fancy
that　you　shall　take　your　stuff　out　of　storage　and　find　it　adapted　to　the
ends　that　it　served　before　it　was　put　in。　　You　will　not　be　the　same；　or
have　the　same　needs　or　desire；　when　you　take　it　out；　and　the　new　place
which　you　shall　hope　to　equip　with　it　will　receive　it　with　cold
reluctance；　or　openly　refuse　it；　insisting　upon　forms　and　dimensions　that
render　it　ridiculous　or　impossible。　　The　law　is　that　nothing　taken　out　of
storage　is　the　same　as　it　was　when　put　in；　and　this　law；　hieroglyphed　in
those　rude　'graffiti'　apparently　inscribed　by　accident　in　the　process　of
removal；　has　only　such　exceptions　as　prove　the　rule。

The　world　to　which　it　has　returned　is　not　the　same；　and　that　makes　all
the　difference。　　Yet；　truth　and　beauty　do　not　change；　however　the　moods
and　fashions　change。　　The　ideals　re