The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-01

impute these Refinement of pondera-
ton almost any behavior had seemed
good enough on the part of SO good
natured, 80 inCorriglbly good natured,
u people? one thought of tests, the
sudden swarming. the unparalleled,
those with which the air fairly dark
ened, till it struck one that after all
n had done little else during the
long years hat represented experience
but apply ones own most intimate Of
tests. There was the genius, in other
words the III Cthe good nature,
and the incorrigible aga!n,) of the
people. and If one wasn't possessed of
1t, IL one didn't know what to think
of 1t, after living with 1t on such
terms. where could the fault he but In
ones " infirmity of wit?
Vaguely required in this connection
the old anecdote of the member of the
comite de lecture of the Theatre Fran
Gals and his reply to the author of a
disapprovcd play who had remarked
to him that as he was asleep while
the thing was read he had no right to
an opinion. My dear sir. what was
my sleep but an opinion?" were the
classic words in c~onscnance with
which | asked what n relation SO es-
tablishcd could he but an affection,
and what an affection so successfully
tried but an estimate. And yet 1t was
the collective mind withal that teN-
aCtly as in the case of the other bell
l~iGcrentsD was to he supremely on
exhibition. with the fierce light of his
tory beating IN II 10 the ~unspeakable
pitch. II helped little to call that re-
ource the English genius unless one
could express to one private salts
faction ones resultant measure of the
same. What did the article suprcmely
consis, of. what had one found 1t in
long converse to consis, more OF on
the whole than of anything else?
The British intellcct-how extraor-
dinarily one had passed from the face
tious To the earnest use of that prior
term,-had done in its out in the
world way all the splendid things w
knew. which We're there. piled up he.
hind. and yet the tradition of which
didn't in familiar intercourse testify
so directly. SO intensely. so measurahlN
or SO showily. one might almost say
as ones previous, ana, indeed, ones
constant, profit Of the general achieve
ment would have led n to expect
There was | in presence Of the curl
Gus fact that while the actual acut,
demand for display had bounced OF
the nations understanding. had chal
lenEed its mentality" Clamor!ng fol
attestations. the great note of one;
observational experience might really
he described as that of the completes
incapacity for show. for the cuiren
and casual play Of the imagination
to the impressive or attractive end
that had perhaps ever been seen oi
earth.
Hadn't II been much Ike a presenta,
ition of the mind. e the intellect, fror
bchird, 50 TO speak, and with It's face
turned precisely the other way from
the way Al present required? Hadn'
the impression been as Of an averte
or mufi'ed or even reluctant eXerc!S
OF the faculty. exercise Of free energy
free fancy. free curiosity. free Wi
however one might name the bios
thlnC-the hlest thing that had at III,
same time been 50 tremendously re
corded. and that vas more or less con
tinuing 20 be. in the documentary ovI
denCe of libraries and curtis? HOY
Cou q ono have lived in tho society ,
so many such matters. in the presenC
verify Of all of them, with those const
quenCcs of interest and affection, tho,
visions Of illumination and educator
II. in spite of the fact hat one had :
almost ,nNe,eratclv to walk for sati,
faction + curiosity, for extraction ,
value. round from the presented faC
to the quarter of the avertcd, the tot,