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pas seul。 Consider under what a disadvantage your thinking powers
are laboring when you are handicapped by the inexorable demands of
our scanty English rhyming vocabulary！ You want to say something
about the heavenly bodies； and you have a beautiful line ending with
the word stars。 Were you writing in prose； your imagination； your
fancy； your rhetoric； your musical ear for the harmonies of language；
would all have full play。 But there is your rhyme fastening you by
the leg； and you must either reject the line which pleases you； or
you must whip your hobbling fancy and all your limping thoughts into
the traces which are hitched to one of three or four or half a dozen
serviceable words。 You cannot make any use of cars； I will suppose；
you have no occasion to talk about scars； 〃the red planet Mars〃 has
been used already； Dibdin has said enough about the gallant tars；
what is there left for you but bars？ So you give up your trains of
thought； capitulate to necessity； and manage to lug in some kind of
allusion； in place or out of place； which will allow you to make use
of bars。 Can there be imagined a more certain process for breaking
up all continuity of thought； for taking out all the vigor； all the
virility； which belongs to natural prose as the vehicle of strong；
graceful； spontaneous thought； than this miserable subjugation of
intellect to the…clink of well or ill matched syllables？ I think you
will smile if I tell you of an idea I have had about teaching the art
of writing 〃poems〃 to the half…witted children at the Idiot Asylum。
The trick of rhyming cannot be more usefully employed than in
furnishing a pleasant amusement to the poor feeble…minded children。
I should feel that I was well employed in getting up a Primer for the
pupils of the Asylum； and other young persons who are incapable of
serious thought and connected expression。 I would start in the
simplest way； thus：
When darkness veils the evening。。。。
I love to close my weary。。。。
The pupil begins by supplying the missing words； which most children
who are able to keep out of fire and water can accomplish after a
certain number of trials。 When the poet that is to be has got so as
to perform this task easily； a skeleton verse； in which two or three
words of each line are omitted； is given the child to fill up。 By
and by the more difficult forms of metre are outlined； until at
length a feebleminded child can make out a sonnet； completely
equipped with its four pairs of rhymes in the first section and its
three pairs in the second part。
Number Seven interrupted my discourse somewhat abruptly； as is his
wont； for we grant him a license； in virtue of his eccentricity；
which we should hardly expect to be claimed by a perfectly sound
Teacup。
〃That's the way；that 's the way！〃 exclaimed he。 〃It's just the
same thing as my plan for teaching drawing。〃
Some curiosity was shown among The Teacups to know what the queer
creature had got into his mind； and Number Five asked him； in her
irresistible tones； if he wouldn't oblige us by telling us all about
it。
He looked at her a moment without speaking。 I suppose he has often
been made fun of；slighted in conversation； taken as a butt for
people who thought themselves witty； made to feel as we may suppose a
cracked piece of china…ware feels when it is clinked in the company
of sound bits of porcelain。 I never saw him when he was carelessly
dealt with in conversation； for it would sometimes happen； even at
our table； without recalling some lines of Emerson which always
struck me as of wonderful force and almost terrible truthfulness：
〃Alas！ that one is born in blight；
Victim of perpetual slight
When thou lookest in his face
Thy heart saith； 'Brother； go thy ways
None shall ask thee what thou doest；
Or care a rush for what thou knowest；
Or listen when thou repliest；
Or remember where thou liest；
Or how thy supper is sodden；'
And another is born
To make the sun forgotten。〃
Poor fellow！ Number Seven has to bear a good deal in the way of
neglect and ridicule； I do not doubt。 Happily； he is protected by an
amount of belief in himself which shields him from many assailants
who would torture a more sensitive nature。 But the sweet voice of
Number Five and her sincere way of addressing him seemed to touch his
feelings。 That was the meaning of his momentary silence； in which I
saw that his eyes glistened and a faint flush rose on his cheeks。 In
a moment； however； as soon as he was on his hobby； he was all right；
and explained his new and ingenious system as follows：
〃A man at a certain distance appears as a dark spot；nothing more。
Good。 Anybody； man； woman； or child； can make a dot； say a period；
such as we use in writing。 Lesson No。 1。 Make a dot； that is； draw
your man； a mile off； if that is far enough。 Now make him come a
little nearer； a few rods； say。 The dot is an oblong figure now。
Good。 Let your scholar draw the oblong figure。 It is as easy as it
is to make a note of admiration。 Your man comes nearer； and now some
hint of a bulbous enlargement at one end； and perhaps of lateral
appendages and a bifurcation； begins to show itself。 The pupil sets
down with his pencil just what he sees；no more。 So by degrees the
man who serves as model approaches。 A bright pupil will learn to get
the outline of a human figure in ten lessons； the model coming five
hundred feet nearer each time。 A dull one may require fifty； the
model beginning a mile off； or more； and coming a hundred feet nearer
at each move。〃
The company were amused by all this； but could not help seeing that
there was a certain practical possibility about the scheme。 Our two
Annexes； as we call then； appeared to be interested in the project；
or fancy； or whim； or whatever the older heads might consider it。
〃I guess I'll try it；〃 said the American Annex。 〃Quite so；〃 answered
the English Annex。 Why the first girl 〃guessed〃 about her own
intentions it is hard to say。 What 〃quite so〃 referred to it would
not be easy to determine。 But these two expressions would decide the
nationality of our two young ladies if we met them on the top of the
great Pyramid。
I was very glad that Number Seven had interrupted me。 In fact； it is
a good thing once in a while to break in upon the monotony of a
steady talker at a dinner…table； tea…table； or any other place of
social converse。 The best talker is liable to become the most
formidable of bores。 It is a peculiarity of the bore that he is the
last person to find himself out。 Many a terebrant I have known who；
in that capacity； to borrow a line from Coleridge；
〃Was great； nor knew how great he was。〃
A line； by the way； which； as I have remarked； has in it a germ like
that famous 〃He builded better than he knew〃 of Emerson。
There was a slight lull in the conversation。 The Mistress； who keeps
an eye on the course of things； and feared that one of those panic
silences was impending； in which everybody wants to say something and
does not know just what to say； begged me to go on with my remarks
about the 〃manufacture〃 of 〃poetry。〃
You use the right term； madam； I said。 The manufacture of that
article has become an extensive and therefore an important branch of
industry。 One must be an editor； which I am not； or a literary
confidant of a wide circle of correspondents； which I am； to have any
idea of the enormous output of verse which is characteristic of our
time。 There are many curious facts connected with this phenomenon。
Educated peopleyes； and many who are not educatedhave discovered
that rhymes are not the private property of a few noted writers who；
having squatted on that part of the literary domain some twenty or
forty or sixty years ago； have； as it were； fenced it in with their
touchy； barbed…wire reputations； and have come to regard it and cause
it to be regarded as their private property。 The discovery having
been made that rhyme is not a paddock for this or that race…horse；
but a common； where every colt； pony； and donkey can range at will；
a vast irruption into that once…privileged inclosure has taken place。
The study of the great invasion is interesting。
Poetry is commonly thought to he the language of emotion。 On the
contrary； most of what is so called proves the absence of all
passionate excitement。 It is a cold…blooded； haggard； anxious；
worrying hunt after rhymes which can be made serviceable； after
images which will be effective； after phrases which are sonorous； all
this under limitations which restrict the natural movements of fancy
and imagination。 There is a secondary excitement in overcoming the
difficulties of rhythm and rhyme； no doubt； but this is not the
emotional heat excited by th