Concerning Letters.docx

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