Introduction of Mr.docx
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IntroductionofMr
IntroductionofMr.StephenLeacock
GivenbySirOwenSeaman
ontheOccasionofHisFirst
LectureinLondon
LADIESANDGENTLEMEN:
Itisusualontheseoccasionsforthechairmantobeginsomethinglikethis:
"Thelecturer,Iamsure,needsnointroductionfromme."Andindeed,whenIhavebeenthelecturerandsomebodyelsehasbeenthechairman,Ihavemorethanoncesuspectedmyselfofbeingthebettermanofthetwo.OfcourseIhopeIshouldalwayshavethegoodmanners--IamsureMr.Leacockhas--todisguisethatsuspicion.However,onehastogothroughtheseformalities,andIwillthereforeintroducethelecturertoyou.
Ladiesandgentlemen,thisisMr.StephenLeacock.Mr.Leacock,thisistheflowerofLondonintelligence--orperhapsIshouldsayoneoftheflowers;therestarecomingtoyourotherlectures.
Inordinarysociallifeonestopsatanintroductionanddoesnotproceedtopersonaldetails.Butbehaviourontheplatform,asonthestage,isseldomordinary.IwillthereforetellyouathingortwoaboutMr.Leacock.Inthefirstplace,byvocationheisaProfessorofPoliticalEconomy,andhepractiseshumour--frenziedfictioninsteadoffrenziedfinance--bywayofrecreation.Therehediffersagooddealfromme,whohavetostudytheproductsofhumourformyliving,andbywayofrecreationreadMr.Leacockonpoliticaleconomy.
Further,Mr.Leacockisall-British,beingEnglishbybirthandCanadianbyresidence,Imentionthisfortworeasons:
firstly,becauseEnglandandtheEmpireareveryproudtoclaimhimfortheirown,and,secondly,becauseIdonotwishhisnationalitytobeconfusedwiththatofhisneighboursontheotherside.ForEnglishandAmericanhumouristshavenotalwaysseeneyetoeye.Whenwefailtoappreciatetheirhumourtheysaywearetoodullandeffetetounderstandit:
andwhentheydonotappreciateourstheysaywehaven'tgotany.
NowMr.Leacock'shumourisBritishbyheredity;buthehascaughtsomethingofthespiritofAmericanhumourbyforceofassociation.ThisputshiminasimilarpositiontothatinwhichIfoundmyselfoncewhenItookthelibertyofswimmingacrossaratherlargelochinScotland.AfterclimbingintotheboatIwasintheactofdryingmyselfwhenIwasaccostedbytheproprietorofthehoteladjacenttotheshore."Youhavenobusinesstobebathinghere,"heshouted."I'mnot,"Isaid;"I'mbathingontheotherside."Inthesameway,ifanyoneoneithersideofthewaterisunintelligentenoughtocriticiseMr.Leacock'shumour,hecanalwayssayitcomesfromtheotherside.Butthetruthisthathishumourcontainsallthatisbestinthehumourofbothhemispheres.
Havingfulfilledmydutyaschairman,inthatIhavetoldyounothingthatyoudidnotknowbefore--except,perhaps,myswimmingfeat,whichnevergotintothePressbecauseIhaveaverybadpublicityagent--Iwillnotdetainyoulongerfromwhatyouarereallywantingtogetat;butaskMr.Leacocktoproceedatoncewithhislectureon"FrenziedFiction."
FORsomeyearspastarisingtideoflecturersandliterarymenfromEnglandhaswashedupontheshoresofourNorthAmericancontinent.ThepurposeofeachoneofthemistomakeanewdiscoveryofAmerica.Theycomeovertoustravellingingreatsimplicity,andtheyreturnintheducalsuiteoftheAquitania.TheycarryawaywiththemtheirimpressionsofAmerica,andwhentheyreachEnglandtheysellthem.Thisexportofimpressionshasnowbeengoingonsolongthatthebalanceoftradeinimpressionsisalldisturbed.ThereisnodoubtthattheAmericansandCanadianshavebeentoogenerousinthismatterofgivingawayimpressions.Weemitthemwiththecarelesseaseofaglowworm,andliketheglow-wormaskfornothinginreturn.
Butthisirregularandone-sidedtraffichasnowassumedsuchgreatproportionsthatwearecompelledtoaskwhetheritisrighttoallowthesepeopletocarryawayfromusimpressionsoftheveryhighestcommercialvaluewithoutgivingusanypecuniarycompensationwhatever.BritishlecturershavebeenknowntolandinNewYork,passthecustoms,driveuptowninaclosedtaxi,andthenforwardtoEnglandfromtheclosedtaxiitselftendollars'worthofimpressionsofAmericannationalcharacter.IhavemyselfseenanEnglishliteraryman,--thebiggest,Ibelieve:
hehadatleasttheappearanceofit;sitinthecorridorofafashionableNewYorkhotelandlookgloomilyintohishat,andthenfromhisveryhatproduceanestimateofthegeniusofAmericaattwentycentsaword.Thenicequestionastowhosetwentycentsthatwasneverseemstohaveoccurredtohim.
Iamnotwritinginthefaintestspiritofjealousy.Iquiteadmittheextraordinaryabilitythatisinvolvedinthispeculiarsusceptibilitytoimpressions.IhaveestimatedthatsomeoftheseEnglishvisitorshavebeenabletoreceiveimpressionsattherateoffourtothesecond;infact,theyseemtogetthemeverytimetheyseetwentycents.Butwithoutjealousyorcomplaint,Idofeelthatsomehowtheseimpressionsareinadequateandfailtodepictusaswereallyare.
LetmeillustratewhatImean.HerearesomeoftheimpressionsofNewYork,gatheredfromvisitors'discoveriesofAmerica,andreproducednotperhapswordforwordbutascloselyasIcanrememberthem."NewYork",writesone,"nestlingatthefootoftheHudson,gavemeanimpressionofcosiness,oftinygraciousness:
inshort,ofweeness."Butcomparethis--"NewYork,"accordingtoanotherdiscovererofAmerica,"gavemeanimpressionofsize,ofvastness;thereseemedtobeabignessaboutitnotfoundinsmallerplaces."Athirdvisitorwrites,"NewYorkstruckmeashard,cruel,almostinhuman."This,Ithink,wasbecausehistaxidriverhadchargedhimthreedollars."ThefirstthingthatstruckmeinNewYork,"writesanother,"wastheStatueofLiberty."But,afterall,thatwasonlynatural:
itwasthefirstthingthatcouldreachhim.
Norisitonlytheimpressionsofthemetropolisthatseemtofallshortofreality.Letmequoteafewotherstakenatrandomhereandthereoverthecontinent.
"ItookfromPittsburg,"saysanEnglishvisitor,"animpressionofsomethingthatIcouldhardlydefine--anatmosphereratherthananidea."
Allverywell,But,afterall,hadhetherighttotakeit?
GrantedthatPittsburghasanatmosphereratherthananidea,theattempttocarryawaythisatmospheresurelybordersonrapacity.
"NewOrleans,"writesanothervisitor,"openedherarmstomeandbestoweduponmethesoftandlanguorouskissoftheCaribbean."Thisstatementmayormaynotbetrue;butinanycaseithardlyseemsthefairthingtomentionit.
"Chicago,"accordingtoanotherbookofdiscovery,"struckmeasalargecity.Situatedasitisandwhereitis,itseemsdestinedtobeaplaceofimportance."
Orhere,again,isaformof"impression"thatrecursagainandagain-"AtClevelandIfeltadistinctnoteofoptimismintheair."
ThissamenoteofoptimismisfoundalsoatToledo,atToronto--inshort,Ibelieveitindicatesnothingmorethanthatsomeonegavethevisitoracigar.IndeeditgenerallyoccursduringthefamiliarsceneinwhichthevisitordescribeshiscordialreceptioninanunsuspectingAmericantown:
thus:
"Iwasmetatthestation(calledinAmericathedepot)byamemberoftheMunicipalCouncildrivinghisownmotorcar.Aftergivingmeanexcellentcigar,heproceededtodrivemeaboutthetown,tovariouspointsofinterest,includingthemunicipalabattoir,wherehegavemeanotherexcellentcigar,theCarnegiepubliclibrary,theFirstNationalBank(thecourteousmanagerofwhichgavemeanexcellentcigar)andtheSecondCongregationalChurchwhereIhadthepleasureofmeetingthepastor.Thepastor,whoappearedamanofbreadthandculture,gavemeanothercigar.Intheeveningadinner,admirablycookedandexcellentlyserved,wastenderedtomeataleadinghotel."Andofcoursehetookit.Afterwhichhisstatementthathecarriedawayfromthetownafeelingofoptimismexplainsitself:
hehadfourcigars,thedinner,andhalfapageofimpressionsattwentycentsaword.
NorisitonlybythetheftofimpressionsthatwesufferatthehandsoftheseEnglishdiscoverersofAmerica.Itisapartofthesystemalsothatwehavetosubmittobeinglecturedtobyourtalentedvisitors.ItisnowquiteunderstoodthatassoonasanEnglishliterarymanfinishesabookheisrushedacrosstoAmericatotellthepeopleoftheUnitedStatesandCanadaallaboutit,andhowhecametowriteit.Athome,inhisowncountry,theydon'tcarehowhecametowriteit.He'swrittenitandthat'senough.ButinAmericaitisdifferent.Onemonthafterthedistinguishedauthor'sbookonTheBoyhoodofBotticellihasappearedinLondon,heisseentolandinNewYorkveryquietlyoutofoneofthebackportholesoftheOlympic.ThatsameafternoonyouwillfindhiminanarmchairinoneofthebighotelsgivingoffimpressionsofAmericatoagroupofreporters.AfterwhichnoticesappearinallthepaperstotheeffectthathewilllectureinCarnegieHallon"BotticellitheBoy".Theaudienceisassuredbeforehand.ItconsistsofallthepeoplewhofeelthattheyhavetogobecausetheyknowallaboutBotticelliandallthepeoplewhofeelthattheyhavetogobecausetheydon'tknowanythingaboutBotticelli.BythismeansthelecturerisabletorakethewholecountryfromMontrealtoSanFranciscowith"BotticellitheBoy".Thenheturnsround,labelshislecture"BotticellitheMan",andrakesitallbackagain.Allthewayacrossthecontinentandbackheemitsimpressions,estimatesofnationalcharacter,andsurveysofAmericangenius.HesailsfromNewYorkinablazeofpublicity,withhiscordonofreportersroundhim,andamonthlaterpublis