large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb_206
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
English
7245
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. 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
d sitting opposite, a grave, respectable being, eating muffins. But I saw only a bank-bill, more or less crumbled and tattered, marked with a larger or lesser figure. If a sharp wind blew suddenly, I saw it tremble and flutter; it was thin, flat, impalpable. I removed my glasses, and looked with my eyes at the wife. I could have smiled to see the humid tenderness with which she regarded her strange _vis-à-vis_. Is life only a game of blindman's-buff? of droll cross-purposes? "Or I put them on again, and then looked at the wives. How many stout trees I saw,--how many tender flowers,--how many placid pools; yes, and how many little streams winding out of sight, shrinking before the large, hard, round eyes opposite, and slipping off into solitude and shade, with a low, inner song for their own solace. "In many houses I thought to see angels, nymphs, or, at least, women, and could only find broomsticks, mops, or kettles, hurrying about, rattling and tinkling, in a state of shrill activity. EY MEAL FANTASTIC VISION THE GOOD MOTHER SAW HER LORD SITTING OPPOSITE A GRAVE RESPECTABLE BEING EATING MUFFINS BUT I SAW ONLY A BANK BILL MORE OR LESS CRUMBLED AND TATTERED MARKED WITH A LARGER OR LESSER FIGURE IF A SHARP WIND BLEW SUDDENLY I SAW IT TREMBLE AND FLUTTER IT WAS THIN FLAT IMPALPABLE I REMOVED MY GLASSES AND LOOKED WITH MY EYES AT THE WIFE I COULD HAVE SMILED TO SEE THE HUMID TENDERNESS WITH WHICH SHE REGARDED HER STRANGE VIZIVIE IS LIFE ONLY A GAME OF BLIND MAN'S BLUFF OF DROLL CROSS PURPOSES OR I PUT THEM ON AGAIN AND LOOKED AT THE WIVES HOW MANY STOUT TREES I SAW HOW MANY TENDER FLOWERS HOW MANY PLACID POOLS YES AND HOW MANY LITTLE STREAMS WINDING OUT OF SIGHT SHRINKING BEFORE THE LARGE HARD ROUND EYES OPPOSITE AND SLIPPING OFF INTO SOLITUDE AND SHADE WITH A LOW INNER SONG FOR THEIR OWN SOLACE IN MANY HOUSES I THOUGHT TO SEE ANGELS NYMPHS OR AT LEAST WOMEN AND COULD ONLY FIND BROOMSTICKS MOPS OR KETTLES HURRYING ABOUT RATTLING AND TINKLING IN A STATE OF SHRILL ACTIVITY
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