New-York tribune., 1922-04-02


owe on. another apologies for
existing. AS units OF social
~ group we are dependent upon
.,,sr,. our desires conflict; our pur-
se,e. ere at variance, and we live by
r;y,ss Of tolerance and respect we
.r,.a to entertain, theoretically AT
,s.os toward one another. That is why
:. hold the suob and the pickpocket
:, disesteem; neither is conscious Of
II. obligation to the rest OF us. The
,...o, we do not hang the pickpocket
..> .se snob is because our obligations
~. sometimes irksome and We ara in
sI;ned to let of lightly those otfenses
"A which we ourselves might. under
SOM. circumstances. be tempted to in
dulge.
This biological arrangement hampers.
~ course, our free functioning as in
diyiduals When YOU make me TOO
CONSCIOUS OF my debt TO you you limit
my activities and disturb my COM
nosure: you reprcss my feelings and
frastrate my designs. But. should
.sirk my obligation to you, should.
nv that very fact, make my will an
;rposition and an inconvenience to you.
I. is tickly business, this living.
ana confess that ! have at times, in
an excess or morbid vanity, wished
that were the one and only living
.xpcrent Of the human race Such an
inflated fancy has come to me when I
was nordinstely weary Of doing what
is expected Of me, OF being what others
want me 70 be, OF doing that which
| have no stomach for. of nodding as
sent to opinions do not share, OF see
inr things which offend me, and Of
making all the eternal compromises
cne must make in order to live.
But | reflect that such desire has
probably come 10 every other human
being, and that not few arc weary Of
my gabbe, sick Of my ways and resent
ful Of the very fact OF my existence. IF
this were not moral universe have
not the slightest doubt that thcr. have
been at least fifty times when | should
have been murdered with zeal and dis
patch, The instinct to murder is by
no means so uncommon as many are
likely to suppose. l think c1aggerate
very slightly when I say that il is uni
vcrssl. Only he who is civilized TO q
point Of extreme apathy is without it.
an happy TO state that am far from
having reached that point of devclop-
mcut
CRITICISM, indeed all writing, is a
form Of murder. IF self-cxprcs-
zion IS successful it kills som cthng in
you that conflicts with the writer, Il.
may be your beliefs, your impressions,
your faith, your illusions, the total YOU
obtain by putting two and two together.
Some will tell YOU that this is more
prope'!y called teaching. entertaining
exercising bcnehccnt influence, or. Il
they object TO the expression, an im-
pertlnencs. Pay no attention to them
tl' murder; nothing else. 1t may be
impertinent, we'll intentioned or benef-
cont murder, but it is murder no less.
have been murdered in this fashion
ever since | was knee high to gos-
ing. Rave been murdered oy parents,
'y teachers, by friends, by experience,
oY music, by painting and by books.
Above all my books. Of all murderers
'ne writers OF books are the most in
sieious, the most numerous, the most
dangerous to the simple, natural proc
eSs Of birth, growth and decay. One
might very we'll 80 through life with
Out reading and escape being murdered.
Hut once let him commit the folly Of
Hrplhg into the pages Of book and
ne rs done for His old SELF is killed:
ne becomes some one else. Mr.. F. T. A.
stated the case very clearly when ne
'old US IN effect that, in spite Of him
sell. ne became D'Artagnan when he
read Dumas, Jurgen when he read
NSoeA, st. Augustine when he read she
CONCESSIONS, and PolIyanna when he
read Mrs Porter.
Inc writers OF books not only saw
'he world is my idea but they seek
10 impose that idea upon the rest of
me world. Before this is possible thew
must hrst murder you, destroy your
'osa' which IS yourself. [ have been
murdered so often, my idea has been
'Is'n with such frequency, that I have
,oihe 10 enjoy ii. It is habit. | should
re very much distressed if ] could no
''"sef look forward to being murdered
occasionally. | should know that no
'o"gef amounted TO much, that | waa
oio ana out OF the running. And that
Nou!d by no means be pleasurable
discovery.
MEANWHILE, in these page. shall
not desist from committing some
murders myself. They may be small.
''''4e murders of no special importance,
"eyer helnous or undeserved. But I
slose my eyes and ears to that. They
snail ever be Of the utmost Importance
W ne cannot admit, until after it
= oohe' that anything do is wholly
N"important; least of all, my murders,
nat Is weakness share with my
fellows,