large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb_82
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
English
7245
"But the true sadness was rather in seeing those who, not having the spectacles, thought that the iron rod was flexible, and the ice statue warm. BUT THE TRUE SADNESS WAS RATHER IN SEEING THOSE WHO NOT HAVING THE SPECTACLES THOUGHT THAT THE IRON ROD WAS FLEXIBLE AND THE ICE STATUE WARM
 only find broomsticks, mops, or kettles, hurrying about, rattling and tinkling, in a state of shrill activity. I made calls upon elegant ladies, and after I had enjoyed the gloss of silk, and the delicacy of lace, and the glitter of jewels, I slipped on my spectacles, and saw a peacock's feather, flounced, and furbelowed, and fluttering; or an iron rod, thin, sharp, and hard; nor could I possibly mistake the movement of the drapery for any flexibility of the thing draped. "Or, mysteriously chilled, I saw a statue of perfect form, or flowing movement, it might be alabaster, or bronze, or marble,--but sadly often it was ice; and I knew that after it had shone a little, and frozen a few eyes with its despairing perfection, it could not be put away in the niches of palaces for ornament and proud family tradition, like the alabaster, or bronze, or marble statues, but would melt, and shrink, and fall coldly away in colorless and useless water, be absorbed in the earth and utterly forgotten. NGELS NYMPHS OR AT LEAST WOMEN AND COULD ONLY FIND BROOMSTICKS MOPS OR KETTLES HURRYING ABOUT RATTLING AND TINKLING IN A STATE OF SHRILL ACTIVITY I MADE CALLS UPON ELEGANT LADIES AND AFTER I HAD ENJOYED THE GLOSS OF SILK AND THE DELICACY OF LACE AND THE GLITTER OF JEWELS I SLIPPED ON MY SPECTACLES AND SAW A PEACOCK'S FEATHER FLOUNCED AND FURBELOWED AND FLUTTERING OR AN IRON ROD THIN SHARP AND HARD NOR COULD I POSSIBLY MISTAKE THE MOVEMENT OF THE DRAPERY FOR ANY FLEXIBILITY OF THE THING DRAPED OR MYSTERIOUSLY CHILLED I SAW A STATUE OF PERFECT FORM OR FLOWING MOVEMENT IT MIGHT BE ALABASTER OR BRONZE OR MARBLE BUT SADLY OFTEN IT WAS ICE AND I KNEW THAT AFTER IT HAD SHONE A LITTLE AND FROZEN A FEW EYES WITH ITS DESPAIRING PERFECTION IT COULD NOT BE PUT AWAY IN THE NICHES OF PALACES FOR ORNAMENT AND PROUD FAMILY TRADITION LIKE THE ALABASTER OR BRONZE OR MARBLE STATUES BUT WOULD MELT AND SHRINK AND FALL COLDLY AWAY IN COLORLESS AND USELESS WATER BE ABSORBED IN THE EARTH AND UTTERLY FORGOTTEN
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