Ididnotstatethisonthetitle-page,sinceitseemedonlydue,totheartistofallthese(tomymind)wonderfulpictures,thathisnameshouldstandtherealone.
Thedescriptions,atpp.386,387,ofSundayasspentbychildrenofthelastgeneration,arequotedverbatimfromaspeechmadetomebyachild-friendandaletterwrittentomebyalady-friend.
TheChapters,headed‘FairySylvie’and‘Bruno’sRevenge,’areareprint,withafewalterations,ofalittlefairy-talewhichIwroteintheyear1867,attherequestofthelateMrs.Gatty,for‘AuntJudy’sMagazine,’whichshewasthenediting.
Astheyearswenton,Ijotteddown,atoddmoments,allsortsofoddideas,andfragmentsofdialogue,thatoccurredtome—whoknowshow?
—withatransitorysuddennessthatleftmenochoicebuteithertorecordthemthenandthere,ortoabandonthemtooblivion.
Sometimesonecouldtracetotheirsourcetheserandomflashesofthought—asbeingsuggestedbythebookonewasreading,orstruckoutfromthe‘flint’ofone’sownmindbythe‘steel’ofafriend’schanceremarkbuttheyhadalsoawayoftheirown,ofoccurring,aproposofnothing—specimensofthathopelesslyillogicalphenomenon,‘aneffectwithoutacause.’
Such,forexample,wasthelastlineof‘TheHuntingoftheSnark,’whichcameintomyhead(asIhavealreadyrelatedin‘TheTheatre’forApril,1887)quitesuddenly,duringasolitarywalk:andsuch,again,havebeenpassageswhichoccurredindreams,andwhichIcannottracetoanyantecedentcausewhatever.
Thereareatleasttwoinstancesofsuchdream-suggestionsinthisbook—one,myLady’sremark,‘itoftenrunsinfamilies,justasaloveforpastrydoes’,atp.88;theother,EricLindon’sbadinageabouthavingbeenindomesticservice,atp.332.
AndthusitcametopassthatIfoundmyselfatlastinpossessionofahugeunwieldymassofliterature—ifthereaderwillkindlyexcusethespelling—whichonlyneededstringingtogether,uponthethreadofaconsecutivestory,toconstitutethebookIhopedtowrite.Only!
Thetask,atfirst,seemedabsolutelyhopeless,andgavemeafarcleareridea,thanIeverhadbefore,ofthemeaningoftheword‘chaos’:andIthinkitmusthavebeentenyears,ormore,beforeIhadsucceededinclassifyingtheseodds-and-endssufficientlytoseewhatsortofastorytheyindicated:forthestoryhadtogrowoutoftheincidents,nottheincidentsoutofthestory.
Iamtellingallthis,innospiritofegoism,butbecauseIreallybelievethatsomeofmyreaderswillbeinterestedinthesedetailsofthe‘genesis’ofabook,whichlookssosimpleandstraight-forwardamatter,whencompleted,thattheymightsupposeittohavebeenwrittenstraightoff,pagebypage,asonewouldwritealetter,beginningatthebeginning;andendingattheend.
Itis,nodoubt,possibletowriteastoryinthatway:and,ifitbenotvanitytosayso,IbelievethatIcould,myself,—ifIwereintheunfortunateposition(forIdoholdittobearealmisfortune)ofbeingobligedtoproduceagivenamountoffictioninagiventime,—thatIcould‘fulfilmytask,’andproducemy‘taleofbricks,’asotherslaveshavedone.
Onething,atanyrate,Icouldguaranteeastothestorysoproduced—thatitshouldbeutterlycommonplace,shouldcontainnonewideaswhatever,andshouldbeveryverywearyreading!
Thisspeciesofliteraturehasreceivedtheveryappropriatenameof‘padding’whichmightfitlybedefinedas‘thatwhichallcanwriteandnonecanread.’
ThatthepresentvolumecontainsnosuchwritingIdarenotavow:sometimes,inordertobringapictureintoitsproperplace,ithasbeennecessarytoekeoutapagewithtwoorthreeextralines:butIcanhonestlysayIhaveputinnomorethanIwasabsolutelycompelledtodo.
Myreadersmayperhapsliketoamusethemselvesbytryingtodetect,inagivenpassage,theonepieceof‘padding’itcontains.
Whilearrangingthe‘slips’intopages,Ifoundthatthepassage,whichnowextendsfromthetopofp.35tothemiddleofp.38,was3linestooshort.
Aharderpuzzleifaharderbedesiredwouldbetodetermine,astotheGardener’sSong,inwhichcases(ifany)thestanzawasadaptedtothesurroundingtext,andinwhich(ifany)thetextwasadaptedtothestanza.
Perhapsthehardestthinginallliterature—atleastIhavefounditso:bynovoluntaryeffortcanIaccomplishit:Ihavetotakeitasitcome’s,istowriteanythingoriginal.
Andperhapstheeasiestis,whenonceanoriginallinehasbeenstruckout,tofollowitup,andtowriteanyamountmoretothesametune.
Idonotknowif‘AliceinWonderland’wasanoriginalstory—Iwas,atleast,noconsciousimitatorinwritingit—butIdoknowthat,sinceitcameout,somethinglikeadozenstory-bookshaveappeared,onidenticallythesamepattern.
ThepathItimidlyexploredbelievingmyselftobe‘thefirstthateverburstintothatsilentsea’—isnowabeatenhigh-road:alltheway-sideflowershavelongagobeentrampledintothedust:anditwouldbecourtingdisasterformetoattemptthatstyleagain.
Henceitisthat,in‘SylvieandBruno,’IhavestrivenwithIknownotwhatsuccesstostrikeoutyetanothernewpath:beitbadorgood,itisthebestIcando.
Itiswritten,notformoney,andnotforfame,butinthehopeofsupplying,forthechildrenwhomIlove,somethoughtsthatmaysuitthosehoursofinnocentmerrimentwhicharetheverylifeofChildhood;andalsointhehopeofsuggesting,tothemandtoothers,somethoughtsthatmayprove,Iwouldfainhope,notwhollyoutofharmonywiththegravercadencesofLife.
IfIhavenotalreadyexhaustedthepatienceofmyreaders,Iwouldliketoseizethisopportunity,perhapsthelastIshallhaveofaddressingsomanyfriendsatonce,ofputtingonrecordsomeideasthathaveoccurredtome,astobooksdesirabletobewritten—whichIshouldmuchliketoattempt,butmaynoteverhavethetimeorpowertocarrythrough—inthehopethat,ifIshouldfail(andtheyearsareglidingawayveryfast)tofinishthetaskIhavesetmyself,otherhandsmaytakeitup.
First,aChild’sBible.Theonlyrealessentialsofthiswouldbe,carefullyselectedpassages,suitableforachild’sreadingandpictures.
Oneprincipleofselection,whichIwouldadopt,wouldbethatReligionshouldbeputbeforeachildasarevelationoflovenoneedtopainandpuzzletheyoungmindwiththehistoryofcrimeandpunishment.
Thesupplyingofthepictureswouldinvolvenogreatdifficulty:nonewoneswouldbeneeded:hundredsofexcellentpicturesalreadyexist,thecopyrightofwhichhaslongagoexpired,andwhichsimplyneedphoto-zincography,orsomesimilarprocess,fortheirsuccessfulreproduction.
Thebookshouldbehandyinsizewithaprettyattractivelookingcover—inaclearlegibletype—and,aboveall,withabundanceofpictures,pictures,pictures!
Secondly,abookofpiecesselectedfromtheBible—notsingletexts,butpassagesoffrom10to20verseseach—tobecommittedtomemory.
Suchpassageswouldbefounduseful,torepeattoone’sselfandtoponderover,onmanyoccasionswhenreadingisdifficult,ifnotimpossible:forinstance,whenlyingawakeatnight—onarailway-journey—whentakingasolitarywalk-inoldage,wheneye-sightisfailingorwhollylost—and,bestofall,whenillness,whileincapacitatingusforreadingoranyotheroccupation,condemnsustolieawakethroughmanywearysilenthours:atsuchatimehowkeenlyonemayrealisethetruthofDavid’srapturouscry‘Ohowsweetarethywordsuntomythroat:yea,sweeterthanhoneyuntomymouth!’
Ihavesaid‘passages,’ratherthansingletexts,becausewehavenomeansofrecallingsingletexts:memoryneedslinks,andherearenone:onemayhaveahundredtextsstoredinthememory,andnotbeabletorecall,atwill,morethanhalf-a-dozen—andthosebymerechance:whereas,oncegetholdofanyportionofachapterthathasbeencommittedtomemory,andthewholecanberecovered:allhangstogether.
Thereisnotperhapsmuch,inwhatiscalled‘un-inspired’literature(amisnomer,Ihold:ifShakespearewasnotinspired,onemaywelldoubtifanymaneverwas),thatwillbeartheprocessofbeingponderedover,ahundredtimes:stilltherearesuchpassages—enough,Ithink,tomakeagoodlystoreforthememory.
Thesetwobooksofsacred,andsecular,passagesformemory—willserveothergoodpurposesbesidesmerelyoccupyingvacanthours:theywillhelptokeepatbaymanyanxiousthoughts,worryingthoughts,uncharitablethoughts,unholythoughts.
Letmesaythis,inbetterwordsthanmyown,bycopyingapassagefromthatmostinterestingbook,Robertson’sLecturesontheEpistlestotheCorinthians,Lecture49.
“Ifamanfindshimselfhauntedbyevildesiresandunholyimages,whichwillgenerallybeatperiodicalhours,lethimcommittomemorypassagesofScripture,orpassagesfromthebestwritersinverseorprose.
Lethimstorehismindwiththese,assafeguardstorepeatwhenheliesawakeinsomerestlessnight,orwhendespairingimaginations,orgloomy,suicidalthoughts,besethim.
Letthesebetohimthesword,turningeverywheretokeepthewayoftheGardenofLifefromtheintrusionofprofanerfootsteps.”
Fourthly,a“Shakespeare”forgirls:thatis,aneditioninwhicheverything,notsuitablefortheperusalofgirlsof(say)from10to17,shouldbeomitted.
Fewchildrenunder10wouldbelikelytounderstandorenjoythegreatestofpoets:andthose,whohavepassedoutofgirlhood,maysafelybelefttoreadShakespeare,inanyedition,‘expurgated’ornot,thattheymayprefer:butitseemsapitythatsomanychildren,intheintermediatestage,shouldbedebarredfromagreatpleasureforwantofaneditionsuitabletothem.
NeitherBowdler’s,Chambers’s,Brandram’s,norCundell’s‘Boudoir’Shakespeare,seemstometomeetthewant:theyarenotsufficiently‘expurgated.’
Bowdler’sisthemostextraordinaryofall:lookingthroughit,Iamfilledwithadeepsenseofwonder,consideringwhathehasleftin,thatheshouldhavecutanythingout!
Besidesrelentlesslyerasingallthatisunsuitableonthescoreofreverenceordecency,Ishouldbeinclinedtoomitalsoallthatseemstoodifficult,ornotlikelytointerestyoungreaders.
Theresultingbookmightbeslightlyfragmentary:butitwouldbearealtreasuretoallBritishmaidenswhohaveanytasteforpoetry.
IfitbeneedfultoapologizetoanyoneforthenewdepartureIhavetakeninthisstory—byintroducing,alongwithwhatwill,Ihope,provetobeacceptablenonsenseforchildren,someofthegraverthoughtsofhumanlife—itmustbetoonewhohaslearnedtheartofkeepingsuchthoughtswhollyatadistanceinhoursofmirthandcarelessease.
AndthatsuchanartexistsIdonotdispute:withyouth,goodhealth,andsufficientmoney,itseemsquitepossibletolead,foryearstogether,alifeofunmixedgaiety—withtheexceptionofonesolemnfact,withwhichweareliabletobeconfrontedatanymoment,eveninthemidstofthemostbrilliantcompanyorthemostsparklingentertainment.
Amanmayfixhisowntimesforadmittingseriousthought,forattendingpublicworship,forprayer,forreadingtheBible:allsuchmattershecandefertothat‘convenientseason’,whichissoaptnevertooccuratall:buthecannotdefer,foronesinglemoment,thenecessityofattendingtoamessage,whichmaycomebeforehehasfinishedreadingthispage,’thisnightshaltthysoulberequiredofthee.’
Fewmoreinterestingsubjectsofenquirycouldbefound,byastudentofhistory,thanthevariousweaponsthathavebeenusedagainstthisshadowyfoe.
Saddestofallmusthavebeenthethoughtsofthosewhosawindeedanexistencebeyondthegrave,butanexistencefarmoreterriblethanannihilation—anexistenceasfilmy,impalpable,allbutinvisiblespectres,driftingabout,throughendlessages,inaworldofshadows,withnothingtodo,nothingtohopefor,nothingtolove!
Inthemidstofthegayversesofthatgenial‘bonvivant’Horace,therestandsonedrearywordwhoseuttersadnessgoestoone’sheart.
Yes,tohimthispresentlife—spiteofallitswearinessandallitssorrow—wastheonlylifeworthhaving:allelsewas‘exile’!
Andmanyinthisday,Ifear,eventhoughbelievinginanexistencebeyondthegravefarmorerealthanHoraceeverdreamedof,yetregarditasasortof‘exile’fromallthejoysoflife,andsoadoptHorace’stheory,andsay‘letuseatanddrink,forto-morrowwedie.’
Wegotoentertainments,suchasthetheatre—Isay‘we’,forIalsogototheplay,wheneverIgetachanceofseeingareallygoodoneandkeepatarm’slength,ifpossible,thethoughtthatwemaynotreturnalive.
Yethowdoyouknow—dearfriend,whosepatiencehascarriedyouthroughthisgarrulousprefacethatitmaynotbeyourlot,whenmirthisfastestandmostfurious,tofeelthesharppang,orthedeadlyfaintness,whichheraldsthefinalcrisis—tosee,withvaguewonder,anxiousfriendsbendingoveryoutoheartheirtroubledwhispersperhapsyourselftoshapethequestion,withtremblinglips,“Isitserious?”
Anddareyou,knowingthis,saytoyourself“Well,perhapsitisanimmoralplay:perhapsthesituationsarealittletoo‘risky’,thedialoguealittletoostrong,the‘business’alittletoosuggestive.
Idon’tsaythatconscienceisquiteeasy:butthepieceissoclever,Imustseeitthisonce!I’llbeginastricterlifeto-morrow.”
LetmepauseforamomenttosaythatIbelievethisthought,ofthepossibilityofdeath—ifcalmlyrealised,andsteadilyfacedwouldbeoneofthebestpossibletestsastoourgoingtoanysceneofamusementbeingrightorwrong.
Ifthethoughtofsuddendeathacquires,foryou,aspecialhorrorwhenimaginedashappeninginatheatre,thenbeverysurethetheatreisharmfulforyou,howeverharmlessitmaybeforothers;andthatyouareincurringadeadlyperilingoing.
But,oncerealisewhatthetrueobjectisinlife—thatitisnotpleasure,notknowledge,notevenfameitself,‘thatlastinfirmityofnobleminds’—butthatitisthedevelopmentofcharacter,therisingtoahigher,nobler,purerstandard,thebuilding-upoftheperfectMan—andthen,solongaswefeelthatthisisgoingon,andwill(wetrust)goonforevermore,deathhasforusnoterror;itisnotashadow,butalight;notanend,butabeginning!
Oneothermattermayperhapsseemtocallforapology—thatIshouldhavetreatedwithsuchentirewantofsympathytheBritishpassionfor‘Sport’,whichnodoubthasbeeninby-gonedays,andisstill,insomeformsofit,anexcellentschoolforhardihoodandforcoolnessinmomentsofdanger.
ButIamnotentirelywithoutsympathyforgenuine‘Sport’:Icanheartilyadmirethecourageofthemanwho,withseverebodilytoil,andattheriskofhislife,huntsdownsome‘man-eating’tiger:andIcanheartilysympathizewithhimwhenheexultsinthegloriousexcitementofthechaseandthehand-to-handstrugglewiththemonsterbroughttobay.
ButIcanbutlookwithdeepwonderandsorrowonthehunterwho,athiseaseandinsafety,canfindpleasureinwhatinvolves,forsomedefencelesscreature,wildterrorandadeathofagony:deeper,ifthehunterbeonewhohaspledgedhimselftopreachtomentheReligionofuniversalLove:deepestofall,ifitbeoneofthose‘tenderanddelicate’beings,whoseverynameservesasasymbolofLove—’thylovetomewaswonderful,passingtheloveofwomen’—whosemissionhereissurelytohelpandcomfortallthatareinpainorsorrow!
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