按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
… Page 73…
THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
denied everything I had ever lived for。 Oh； I can't tell you how I felt
about it。 I can't even express it to myself。 Sometimes I used to feel as I
think that truly noble simpleton Henry Ford may have felt when he
organized his peace voyage that I would do anything； however stupid； to
stop it all。 In a world where everyone was so wise and cynical and cruel； it
was admirable to find a man so utterly simple and hopeful as Henry。 A
boob； they called him。 Well； I say bravo for boobs！ I daresay most of the
apostles were boobsor maybe they called them bolsheviks。〃
Titania had only the vaguest notion about bolsheviks； but she had seen
a good many newspaper cartoons。
〃I guess Judas was a bolshevik；〃 she said innocently。
〃Yes； and probably George the Third called Ben Franklin a bolshevik；〃
retorted Roger。 〃The trouble is； truth and falsehood don't come laid out
in black and whiteTruth and Huntruth； as the wartime joke had it。
Sometimes I thought Truth had vanished from the earth；〃 he cried bitterly。
〃Like everything else； it was rationed by the governments。 I taught myself
to disbelieve half of what I read in the papers。 I saw the world clawing
itself to shreds in blind rage。 I saw hardly any one brave enough to face
the brutalizing absurdity as it really was； and describe it。 I saw the
glutton； the idler； and the fool applauding； while brave and simple men
walked in the horrors of hell。 The stay…at…home poets turned it to pretty
lyrics of glory and sacrifice。 Perhaps half a dozen of them have told the
truth。 Have you read Sassoon？ Or Latzko's Men in War； which was so
damned true that the government suppressed it？ Humph！ Putting Truth
on rations！〃
He knocked out his pipe against his heel； and his blue eyes shone with
a kind of desperate earnestness。
〃But I tell you； the world is going to have the truth about War。 We're
going to put an end to this madness。 It's not going to be easy。 Just now；
in the intoxication of the German collapse； we're all rejoicing in our new
happiness。 I tell you； the real Peace will be a long time coming。 When
you tear up all the fibres of civilization it's a slow job to knit things
together again。 You see those children going down the street to school？
73
… Page 74…
THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
Peace lies in their hands。 When they are taught in school that War is the
most loathsome scourge humanity is subject to； that it smirches and fouls
every lovely occupation of the mortal spirit； then there may be some hope
for the future。 But I'd like to bet they are having it drilled into them that
war is a glorious and noble sacrifice。
〃The people who write poems about the divine frenzy of going over
the top are usually those who dipped their pens a long； long way from the
slimy duckboards of the trenches。 It's funny how we hate to face realities。
I knew a commuter once who rode in town every day on the 8。13。 But he
used to call it the 7。73。 He said it made him feel more virtuous。〃
There was a pause； while Roger watched some belated urchins
hurrying toward school。
〃I think any man would be a traitor to humanity who didn't pledge
every effort of his waking life to an attempt to make war impossible in
future。〃
〃Surely no one would deny that；〃 said Titania。 〃But I do think the
war was very glorious as well as very terrible。 I've known lots of men
who went over； knowing well what they were to face； and yet went gladly
and humbly in the thought they were going for a true cause。〃
〃A cause which is so true shouldn't need the sacrifice of millions of
fine lives；〃 said Roger gravely。 〃Don't imagine I don't see the dreadful
nobility of it。 But poor humanity shouldn't be asked to be noble at such a
cost。 That's the most pitiful tragedy of it all。 Don't you suppose the
Germans thought they too were marching off for a noble cause when they
began it and forced this misery on the world？ They had been educated to
believe so； for a generation。 That's the terrible hypnotism of war； the brute
mass…impulse； the pride and national spirit； the instinctive simplicity of
men that makes them worship what is their own above everything else。
I've thrilled and shouted with patriotic pride； like everyone。 Music and
flags and men marching in step have bewitched me； as they do all of us。
And then I've gone home and sworn to root this evil instinct out of my
soul。 God help us let's love the world； love humanitynot just our own
country！ That's why I'm so keen about the part we're going to play at the
74
… Page 75…
THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
Peace Conference。 Our motto over there will be America Last！ Hurrah
for us； I say； for we shall be the only nation over there with absolutely no
axe to grind。 Nothing but a pax to grind！〃
It argued well for Titania's breadth of mind that she was not dismayed
nor alarmed at the poor bookseller's anguished harangue。 She surmised
sagely that he was cleansing his bosom of much perilous stuff。 In some
mysterious way she had learned the greatest and rarest of the spirit's gifts
toleration。
〃You can't help loving your country；〃 she said。
〃Let's go indoors；〃 he answered。 〃You'll catch cold out here。 I want
to show you my alcove of books on the war。〃
〃Of course one can't help loving one's country；〃 he added。 〃I love mine
so much that I want to see her take the lead in making a new era possible。
She has sacrificed least for war； she should be ready to sacrifice most for
peace。 As for me；〃 he said； smiling； 〃I'd be willing to sacrifice the whole
Republican party！〃
〃I don't see why you call the war an absurdity；〃 said Titania。 〃We HAD
to beat Germany； or where would civilization have been？〃
〃We had to beat Germany； yes； but the absurdity lies in the fact that we
had to beat ourselves in doing it。 The first thing you'll find； when the
Peace Conference gets to work； will be that we shall have to help
Germany onto her feet again so that she can be punished in an orderly way。
We shall have to feed her and admit her to commerce so that she can pay
her indemnitieswe shall have to police her cities to prevent revolution
from burning her upand the upshot of it all will be that men will have
fought the most terrible war in history； and endured nameless horrors； for
the privilege of nursing their enemy back to health。 If that isn't an
absurdity； what is？ That's what happens when a great nation like Germany
goes insane。
〃Well； we're up against some terribly complicated problems。 My only
consolation is that I think the bookseller can play as useful a part as any
man in rebuilding the world's sanity。 When I was fretting over what I
could do to help things along； I came across two lines in my favourite poet
75
… Page 76…
THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
that encouraged me。 Good old George Herbert says：
〃A grain of glory mixed with humblenesse Cures both a fever
and lethargicknesse。
〃Certainly running a second…hand bookstore is a pretty humble
calling； but I've mixed a grain of glory with it； in my own imagination at
any rate。 You see； books contain the thoughts and dreams of men； their
hopes and strivings and all their immortal parts。 It's in books that most of
us learn how splendidly worth…while life is。 I never realized the greatness
of the human spirit； the indomitable grandeur of man's mind； until I read
Milton's Areopagitica。 To read that great outburst of splendid anger
ennobles the meanest of us simply because we belong to the same species
of animal as Milton。 Books are the immortality of the race； the father
and mother of most that is worth while cherishing in our heart