large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb_193
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
English
7245
"I could not grow misanthropical when I saw in the eyes of so many who were called old, the gushing fountains of eternal youth, and the light of an immortal dawn, or when I saw those who were esteemed unsuccessful and aimless, ruling a fair realm of peace and plenty, either in their own hearts, or in another's  a realm and princely possession for which they had well renounced a hopeless search and a belated triumph. "I knew one man who had been for years a byword for having sought the philosopher's stone. I COULD NOT GROW MISANTHROPICAL WHEN I SAW IN THE EYES OF SO MANY WHO WERE CALLED OLD THE GUSHING FOUNTAINS OF ETERNAL YOUTH AND THE LIGHT OF AN IMMORTAL DAWN OR WHEN I SAW THOSE WHO WERE ESTEEMED UNSUCCESSFUL AND AIMLESS RULING A FAIR REALM OF PEACE AND PLENTY EITHER IN THEIR OWN HEARTS OR IN ANOTHER'S A REALM AND PRINCELY POSSESSION FOR WHICH THEY HAD WELL RENOUNCED A HOPELESS SEARCH AND A BELATED TRIUMPH I KNEW ONE MAN WHO HAD BEEN FOR YEARS A BYWORD FOR HAVING SOUGHT THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
 the boxes, so consummately cunning, that others did not know they were acting, and they did not suspect it themselves. "Perhaps you wonder it did not make me misanthropical. My dear friends, do not forget that I had seen myself. That made me compassionate not cynical. "Of course, I could not value highly the ordinary standards of success and excellence. When I went to church and saw a thin, blue, artificial flower, or a great sleepy cushion expounding the beauty of holiness to pews full of eagles, half-eagles, and three-pences, however adroitly concealed they might be in broadcloth and boots: or saw an onion in an Easter bonnet weeping over the sins of Magdalen, I did not feel as they felt who saw in all this, not only propriety but piety. "Or when at public meetings an eel stood up on end, and wriggled and squirmed lithely in every direction, and declared that, for his part, he went in for rainbows and hot water--how could I help seeing that he was still black and loved a slimy pool?  STAGE I WENT TO SEE ACTORS IN THE BOXES SO CONSUMMATELY CUNNING THAT OTHERS DID NOT KNOW THEY WERE ACTING AND THEY DID NOT SUSPECT IT THEMSELVES PERHAPS YOU WONDER IT DID NOT MAKE ME MISANTHROPICAL MY DEAR FRIENDS DO NOT FORGET THAT I HAD SEEN MYSELF THAT MADE ME COMPASSIONATE NOT CYNICAL OF COURSE I COULD NOT VALUE HIGHLY THE ORDINARY STANDARDS OF SUCCESS AND EXCELLENCE WHEN I WENT TO CHURCH AND SAW A THIN BLUE ARTIFICIAL FLOWER OR A GREAT SLEEPY CUSHION EXPOUNDING THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS TO PEWS FULL OF EAGLES HALF EAGLES AND THREEPENCES HOWEVER ADROITLY CONCEALED THEY MIGHT BE IN BROADCLOTH AND BOOTS OR SAW AN ONION IN AN EASTER BONNET WEEPING OVER THE SINS OF MAGDALEN I DID NOT FEEL AS THEY FELT WHO SAW IN ALL THIS NOT ONLY PROPRIETY BUT PIETY OR WHEN AT PUBLIC MEETINGS AN EEL STOOD UP ON END AND WRIGGLED AND SQUIRMED LITHELY IN EVERY DIRECTION AND DECLARED THAT FOR HIS PART HE WENT IN FOR RAINBOWS AND HOT WATER HOW COULD I HELP SEEING THAT HE WAS STILL BLACK AND LOVED A SLIMY POOL
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb.flac