Concerning Letters.docx
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ConcerningLetters
StudiesandEssays:
ConcerningLettersbyJohnGalsworthy"Jevousdiraiquel'excesesttoujoursunmal."
-ANATOLEFRANCE
CONCERNINGLETTERS
TABLEOFCONTENTS:
ANOVELIST'SALLEGORY
SOMEPLATITUDESCONCERNINGDRAMA
MEDITATIONONFINALITY
WANTED--SCHOOLING
ONOURDISLIKEOFTHINGSASTHEYARE
THEWINDLESTRAW
ANOVELIST'SALLEGORY
OnceuponatimethePrinceofFelicitashadoccasiontosetforthonajourney.Itwasalateautumneveningwithfewpalestarsandamoonnolargerthantheparingofafinger-nail.Andasherodethroughthepurlieusofhiscity,thewhitemaneofhisamber-
colouredsteedwasallthathecouldclearlyseeintheduskofthehighstreets.Hiswayledthroughaquarterbutlittleknowntohim,andhewassurprisedtofindthathishorse,insteadofamblingforwardwithhiscustomarygentlevigour,steppedcarefullyfromsidetoside,stoppingnowandthentocurvehisneckandprickhisears-
asthoughatsomethingoffearunseeninthedarkness;whileoneitherhandcreaturescouldbeheardrustlingandscuttling,andlittlecolddraughtsasofwingsfannedtherider'scheeks.
ThePrinceatlastturnedinhissaddle,butsogreatwasthedarknessthathecouldnotevenseehisescort.
"Whatisthenameofthisstreet?
"hesaid.
"Sire,itiscalledtheVitaPublica."
"Itisverydark."Evenashespokehishorsestaggered,but,recoveringitsfootholdwithaneffort,stoodtremblingviolently.
Norcouldalltheincitementsofitsmasterinducethebeastagaintomoveforward.
"Istherenoonewithalanthorninthisstreet?
"askedthePrince.
Hisattendantsbeganforthwithtocalloutloudlyforanyonewhohadalanthorn.Now,itchancedthatanoldmansleepinginahovelonapalletofstrawwas,awakenedbythesecries.WhenheheardthatitwasthePrinceofFelicitashimself,hecamehastily,carryinghislanthorn,andstoodtremblingbesidethePrince'shorse.ItwassodarkthatthePrincecouldnotseehim.
"Lightyourlanthorn,oldman,"hesaid.
Theoldmanlaboriouslylithislanthorn.Itspaleraysfledoutoneitherhand;beautifulbutgrimwasthevisiontheydisclosed.Tallhouses,faircourt-yards,andapalmgrowngarden;infrontofthePrince'shorseadeepcesspool,onwhosejaggededgesthegoodbeast'shoofswereplanted;and,asfarastheglimmerofthelanthornstretched,bothwaysdowntheruttedstreet,pavingstonesdisplaced,andsmoothtesselatedmarble;poolsofmud,thehangingfruitofanorangetree,anddark,scurryingshapesofmonstrousratsboltingacrossfromhousetohouse.Theoldmanheldthelanthornhigher;andinstantlybatsflyingagainstitwouldhavebeatenoutthelightbutforthethinprotectionofitshornsides.
ThePrincesatstilluponhishorse,lookingfirstattheruttedspacethathehadtraversedandthenattheruttedspacebeforehim.
"Withoutalight,"hesaid,"thisthoroughfareisdangerous.Whatisyourname,oldman?
"
"MynameisCethru,"repliedtheagedchurl.
"Cethru!
"saidthePrince."Letitbeyourdutyhenceforthtowalkwithyourlanthornupanddownthisstreetallnightandeverynight,"--andhelookedatCethru:
"Doyouunderstand,oldman,whatitisyouhavetodo?
"
Theoldmanansweredinavoicethattrembledlikearustyflute:
"Aye,aye!
--towalkupanddownandholdmylanthornsothatfolkcanseewheretheybegoing."
ThePrincegathereduphisreins;buttheoldman,lurchingforward,touchedhisstirrup.
"HowlongbeItogoonwi'thiccyjob?
"
"Untilyoudie!
"
Cethruhelduphislanthorn,andtheycouldseehislong,thinface,likeasandwichofdriedleather,jerkandquiver,andhisthingreyhairsflutterinthedraughtofthebats'wingscirclingroundthelight.
"'Twillbemainhard!
"hegroaned;"an'mylanthorn'snowtbutapoorthing."
Withahighlook,thePrinceofFelicitasbentandtouchedtheoldman'sforehead.
"Untilyoudie,oldman,"herepeated;andbiddinghisfollowerstolighttorchesfromCethru'slanthorn,herodeondownthetwistingstreet.Theclatterofthehorses'hoofsdiedoutinthenight,andthescuttlingandtherustlingoftheratsandthewhispersofthebats'wingswereheardagain.
Cethru,leftaloneinthedarkthoroughfare,sighedheavily;then,spittingonhishands,hetightenedtheoldgirdleroundhisloins,andslingingthelanthornonhisstaff,heldituptothelevelofhiswaist,andbegantomakehiswayalongthestreet.Hisprogresswasbutslow,forhehadmanytimestostopandrekindletheflamewithinhislanthorn,whichthebats'wings,hisownstumbles,andthejostlingsoffootpadsorofrevellersreturninghome,wereforeverextinguishing.Intraversingthatlongstreethespenthalfthenight,andhalfthenightintraversingitbackagain.Thesaffronswanofdawn,slowswimmingupthesky-riverbetweenthehighroof-
banks,bentherneckdownthroughthedarkair-watertolookathimstaggeringbelowher,withhisstillsmokingwick.NosoonerdidCethruseethatsunlitbird,thanwithagreatsighofjoyhesathimdown,andatoncefellasleep.
NowwhenthedwellersinthehousesoftheVitaPublicafirstgainedknowledgethatthisoldmanpassedeverynightwithhislanthornupanddowntheirstreet,andwhentheymarkedthosepallidgleamsglidingoverthemotleyprospectofcesspoolsandgardengates,overthesightlesshovelsandtherich-carvedfrontagesoftheirpalaces;
orsawthemstaytheirjourneyandremainsuspendedlikeahandfulofdaffodilsheldupagainsttheblackstuffsofsecrecy--theysaid:
"Itisgoodthattheoldmanshouldpasslikethis--weshallseebetterwherewe'regoing;andiftheWatchhaveanyjobonhand,orwanttoputthepavementsinorder,hislanthornwillservetheirpurposewellenough."Andtheywouldcalloutoftheirdoorsandwindowstohimpassing:
"Hola!
oldmanCethru!
All'swellwithourhouse,andwiththestreetbeforeit?
"
But,foranswer,theoldmanonlyheldhislanthornup,sothatintheringofitspalelighttheysawsomesightorotherinthestreet.Andhissilencetroubledthem,onebyone,foreachhadexpectedthathewouldreply:
"Aye,aye!
All'swellwithyourhouse,Sirs,andwiththestreetbeforeit!
"
Thustheygrewirritatedwiththisoldmanwhodidnotseemabletodoanythingbutjustholdhislanthornup.Andgraduallytheybegantodislikehispassingbytheirdoorswithhispalelight,bywhichtheycouldnotfailtosee,notonlytherich-carvedfrontagesandscrolledgatesofcourtyardsandfairgardens,butthingsthatwerenotpleasingtotheeye.Andtheymurmuredamongstthemselves:
"Whatisthegoodofthisoldmanandhissillylanthorn?
Wecanseeallwewanttoseewithouthim;infact,wegotonverywellbeforehecame."
So,ashepassed,richfolkwhoweresuppingwouldpelthimwithorange-peelandemptythedregsoftheirwineoverhishead;andpoorfolk,sleepingintheirhutches,turnedover,astheraysofthelanthornfellonthem,andcursedhimforthatdisturbance.Nordidrevellersorfootpadstreattheoldman,civilly,buttiedhimtothewall,wherehewasconstrainedtostaytillakindpasserbyreleasedhim.Andeverthebatsdarkenedhislanthornwiththeirwingsandtriedtobeattheflameout.Andtheoldmanthought:
"Thisbeaterriblehardjob;Idon'tseemtopleasenobody."ButbecausethePrinceofFelicitashadsocommandedhim,hecontinuednightlytopasswithhislanthornupanddownthestreet;andeverymorningasthesaffronswancameswimmingoverhead,tofallasleep.Buthissleepdidnotlastlong,forhewascompelledtopassmanyhourseachdayingatheringrushesandmeltingdowntallowforhislanthorn;sothathisleanfacegrewmorethaneverlikeasandwichofdriedleather.
NowitcametopassthattheTownWatchhavinghadcertaincomplaintsmadetothemthatpersonshadbeenbittenintheVitaPublicabyrats,doubtedoftheirdutytodestroytheseferociouscreatures;andtheyheldinvestigation,summoningthepersonsbittenandinquiringofthemhowitwasthatinsodarkastreettheycouldtellthattheanimalswhichhadbittenthemwereindeedrats.Howbeitforsometimenoonecouldbefoundwhocouldsaymorethanwhathehadbeentold,andsincethiswasnotevidence,theTownWatchhadgoodhopesthattheywouldnotafterallbeforcedtoundertakethistediousenterprise.Butpresentlytherecamebeforethemonewhosaidthathehadhimselfseentheratwhichhadbittenhim,bythelightofanoldman'slanthorn.WhentheTownWatchheardthistheywerevexed,fortheyknewthatifthisweretruetheywouldnowbeforcedtoprosecutethearduousundertaking,andtheysaid:
"Bringinthisoldman!
"
Cethruwasbroughtbeforethemtrembling.
"Whatisthiswehear,oldman,aboutyourlanthornandtherat?
Andinthefirstplace,whatwereyoudoingintheVitaPublicaatthattimeofnight?
"
Cethruanswered:
"Iwerejustpassin'withmylanthorn!
"
"Tellus--didyouseetherat?
"
Cethrushookhishead:
"Mylanthornseedtherat,maybe!
"hemuttered.
"Oldowl!
"saidtheCaptainoftheWatch:
"Becarefulwhatyousay!
Ifyousawtherat,whydidyouthennotaidthisunhappycitizenwhowasbittenbyit--first,toavoidthatrodent,andsubsequentlytoslayit,therebyrelievingthepublicofapestilentialdanger?
"
Cethrulookedathim,andforsomesecondsdidnotreply;thenhesaidslowly:
"Iwerejustpassin'withmylanthorn."
"Thatyouhavealreadytoldus,"saidtheCaptainoftheWatch;"itisnoanswer."
Cethru'sleatherncheeksbecamewine-coloured,sodesirouswashetospeak,andsounable.AndtheWatchsneeredandlaughed,saying:
"Thisisafinewitness."
ButofasuddenCethruspoke:
"WhatwouldIbeduin'--killin'rats;tiddenmybusinesstokillrats."
TheCaptainoftheWatchcaressedhisbe