large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb_121
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
English
7245
"Ah! me, it was terrible, but they had not the love to give. The face was so polished and smooth, because there was no sorrow in the heart,  and drearily, often, no heart to be touched. I could not wonder that the noble heart of devotion was broken, for it had dashed itself against a stone. AH ME IT WAS TERRIBLE BUT THEY HAD NOT THE LOVE TO GIVE THE FACE WAS SO POLISHED AND SMOOTH BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SORROW IN THE HEART AND DRULY OFTEN NO HEART TO BE TOUCHED I COULD NOT WONDER THAT THE NOBLE HEART OF DEVOTION WAS BROKEN FOR IT HAD DASHED ITSELF AGAINST A STONE
 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. "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. I saw many a gallant heart, which seemed to me brave and loyal as the crusaders, pursuing, through days and nights, and a long life of devotion, the hope of lighting at least a smile in the cold eyes, if not a fire in the icy heart. I watched the earnest, enthusiastic sacrifice. I saw the pure resolve, the generous faith, the fine scorn of doubt, the impatience of suspicion. I watched the grace, the ardor, the glory of devotion. Through those strange spectacles how often I saw the noblest heart renouncing all other hope, all other ambition, all other life, than the possible love of some one of those statues. N 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 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 I SAW MANY A GALLANT HEART WHICH SEEMED TO ME BRAVE AND LOYAL AS THE CRUSADERS PURSUING THROUGH DAYS AND NIGHTS AND A LONG LIFE OF DEVOTION THE HOPE OF LIGHTING AT LEAST A SMILE IN THE COLD EYES IF NOT A FIRE IN THE ICY HEART I WATCHED THE EARNEST ENTHUSIASTIC SACRIFICE I SAW THE PURE RESOLVE THE GENEROUS FAITH THE FINE SCORN OF DOUBT THE IMPATIENCE OF SUSPICION I WATCHED THE GRACE THE ARDOR THE GLORY OF DEVOTION THROUGH THOSE STRANGE SPECTACLES HOW OFTEN I SAW THE NOBLEST HEART RENOUNCING ALL OTHER HOPE ALL OTHER AMBITION ALL OTHER LIFE THAN THE POSSIBLE LOVE OF SOME ONE OF THOSE STATUES
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