large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb_83
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
English
7245
"And there was your neighbor over the way, who passes for a woman who has failed in her career, because she is an old maid. People wag solemn heads of pity, and say that she made so great a mistake in not marrying the brilliant and famous man who was for long years her suitor. AND THERE WAS YOUR NEIGHBOR OVER THE WAY WHO PASSES FOR A WOMAN WHO HAS FAILED IN HER CAREER BECAUSE SHE IS AN OLD MAID PEOPLE WAG SOLEMN HEADS OF PITY AND SAY THAT SHE MADE SO GREAT A MISTAKE IN NOT MARRYING THE BRILLIANT AND FAMOUS MAN WHO WAS FOR LONG YEARS HER SUITOR
 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? "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. But I looked at him through the spectacles and saw a satisfaction in concentrated energies, and a tenacity arising from devotion to a noble dream which was not apparent in the youths who pitied him in the aimless effeminacy of clubs, nor in the clever gentlemen who cracked their thin jokes upon him over a gossiping dinner. ND 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 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 BUT I LOOKED AT HIM THROUGH THE SPECTACLES AND SAW A SATISFACTION IN CONCENTRATED ENERGIES AND A TENACITY ARISING FROM DEVOTION TO A NOBLE DREAM WHICH WAS NOT APPARENT IN THE YOUTHS WHO PITIED HIM IN THE AIMLESS EFFEMINACY OF CLUBS NOR IN THE CLEVER GENTLEMEN WHO CRACKED THEIR THIN JOKES UPON HIM OVER A GOSSIPING DINNER
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