登陆注册
5148700000019

第19章 CRABBED AGE AND YOUTH(4)

After the sun is down and the west faded, the heavens begin to fill with shining stars.So, as we grow old, a sort of equable jog-trot of feeling is substituted for the violent ups and downs of passion and disgust; the same influence that restrains our hopes, quiets our apprehensions; if the pleasures are less intense, the troubles are milder and more tolerable; and in a word, this period for which we are asked to hoard up everything as for a time of famine, is, in its own right, the richest, easiest, and happiest of life.Nay, by managing its own work and following its own happy inspiration, youth is doing the best it can to endow the leisure of age.Afull, busy youth is your only prelude to a self-contained and independent age; and the muff inevitably develops into the bore.There are not many Doctor Johnsons, to set forth upon their first romantic voyage at sixty-four.If we wish to scale Mont Blanc or visit a thieves' kitchen in the East End, to go down in a diving dress or up in a balloon, we must be about it while we are still young.It will not do to delay until we are clogged with prudence and limping with rheumatism, and people begin to ask us: "What does Gravity out of bed?" Youth is the time to go flashing from one end of the world to the other both in mind and body; to try the manners of different nations; to hear the chimes at midnight; to see sunrise in town and country; to be converted at a revival; to circumnavigate the metaphysics, write halting verses, run a mile to see a fire, and wait all day long in the theatre to applaud HERNANI.There is some meaning in the old theory about wild oats; and a man who has not had his green-sickness and got done with it for good, is as little to be depended on as an unvaccinated infant."It is extraordinary," says Lord Beaconsfield, one of the brightest and best preserved of youths up to the date of his last novel, (1) "it is extraordinary how hourly and how violently change the feelings of an inexperienced young man." And this mobility is a special talent entrusted to his care; a sort of indestructible virginity; a magic armour, with which he can pass unhurt through great dangers and come unbedaubed out of the miriest passages.Let him voyage, speculate, see all that he can, do all that he may; his soul has as many lives as a cat; he will live in all weathers, and never be a halfpenny the worse.

Those who go to the devil in youth, with anything like a fair chance, were probably little worth saving from the first; they must have been feeble fellows - creatures made of putty and pack-thread, without steel or fire, anger or true joyfulness, in their composition; we may sympathise with their parents, but there is not much cause to go into mourning for themselves; for to be quite honest, the weak brother is the worst of mankind.

(1) LOTHAIR.

When the old man waggles his head and says, "Ah, so Ithought when I was your age," he has proved the youth's case.

Doubtless, whether from growth of experience or decline of animal heat, he thinks so no longer; but he thought so while he was young; and all men have thought so while they were young, since there was dew in the morning or hawthorn in May;and here is another young man adding his vote to those of previous generations and rivetting another link to the chain of testimony.It is as natural and as right for a young man to be imprudent and exaggerated, to live in swoops and circles, and beat about his cage like any other wild thing newly captured, as it is for old men to turn gray, or mothers to love their offspring, or heroes to die for something worthier than their lives.

同类推荐
  • 绿珠传

    绿珠传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Crimson Fairy Book

    The Crimson Fairy Book

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 洞玄灵宝道学科仪

    洞玄灵宝道学科仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 济颠大师醉菩提全传

    济颠大师醉菩提全传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 龙门留别道友

    龙门留别道友

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 重生之恶魔女王

    重生之恶魔女王

    雪,最俗称的代号,幼年时她被拐入‘DEC’杀手协会,成为手染鲜血的绝世杀手,却因头目的疑心、妒忌,遭到毁灭,全员出击,同伴追杀,身躯炸毁,尸骨无存。再次睁开眼,她做梦都没想到,自己居然成为了,出尘脱俗,冰雪聪明,天资绝色的小白莲花。却因完美遭人妒忌,被灌下春药,颜面尽毁,四处逃窜,香消玉损。灵魂驻入,身躯变换,女王重生,不是偶然。身穿燕尾服的男子跪地,他说:“我是来自魔界七十二位恶魔的使者,更是女王的仆人。预言书中曾有女王的记载,嗜血、蔷薇、重生,这是女王唯一的印记。您,就是我们的女王大人。”暗黑色的黑宝石璀璨闪烁着光辉,那是的恶魔之戒,众恶魔梦寐以求的宝物,然而,它却安然的戴在她食指上。她是尊贵的恶魔女王,恶魔们的噩梦。**哥哥道:“我妹妹是萝莉,无论多任性,我都宠着她。”父母道:“我家女儿是天使,慈悲众生,连一只小蚂蚁都舍不杀。”老师道:“她品学兼优,乐于助人,德艺双馨,能成为她的老师,我很自豪。”**同学道:“嘘,千万别让罗同学听见,她可是惹不起的,黑道白道她如同走平道。上次内个某某某,都退学了,还有内个谁谁谁,都进医院了。”朋友道:“她呀!神秘死了,三天两头抓不到人影,我一有事准出现,等会,她给我来电话了,不说了。”手下道:“老大,哎呀,压榨呀,她就是罗扒皮呀!别别,老大别扣奖金。”敌人道:“罗蔷薇,你就是个恶魔,恶魔。”**女主道:“淡雅校园,血染黑道,商场风云,魔界之战,没错我就是妖娆,鬼魅,腹黑,淡雅,强大,高贵的恶魔女王罗蔷薇,重生女王我做主,我为自己代言。”男主:“盐在这。”女主一脚将其踹飞,男主幽怨的声音漂浮天际,道:“小暧昧,大温情,见家长,结婚婚,生宝宝,没小三……哎呀,还没说完呢。”语毕,飞远了……顶着锅盖小心翼翼的行言露头,道:“女主,嗜血,自恋,卖萌,装嫩。”女主一脚踹出天际,道:“让你拉人气,不是诽谤老娘,小心跑读者。”星球外的行言道:“才不会呢,爽文,女强,重生,恶魔,女王,复仇,商场,异能,应有尽有,务必跳坑。”同在星球外的男主,道:“凭什么你的话能传那么远?”行言道:“凭我是作者,最后一句,质量保证不后悔。”作者已飞远。
  • 明医指掌

    明医指掌

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 星空中的传奇

    星空中的传奇

    在战场上结束自己的一生——那该有多壮丽?当年幼的秦夏弦第一次窥见那种壮丽的人生之时,她就决定要去追寻……
  • 大金王朝:卷二·降龙的骑士

    大金王朝:卷二·降龙的骑士

    本书将金降辽伏宋的历史苍劲地铺展开来,描绘了雄霸北中国近200年的辽帝国如何步入末途,以及空想利国却无实力支撑的宋朝的悲剧之源。在三足鼎立这一平衡打破之后,从赵匡胤黄袍加身开始,崇尚重文轻武、奢靡享乐的宋帝国是崛起于铁血竞争的乱世之中,还是在“娱乐至死”中越陷越深,在“降龙的骑士”中可以窥其一斑。张觉叛变、阿骨打猝死、宋徽宗君臣之言而无信、李师师柔情侠骨、萧莫娜殉情、天祚帝被俘而辽灭,种种情节再现了国家生于忧患死于安乐这一哲理。书中每一行每一页都可以看到阳谋的风骨,奋发惕励的光明,也可以看到醉生梦死,信义缺失,腐化堕落的黑暗,光暗对比,大气磅礴、跌宕起伏,引人深思。
  • 叩拜沂蒙(下)

    叩拜沂蒙(下)

    几个英雄无一不是种地的农民,唐家诰虽然是靠山吃山的一个猎户,但本质上也是农民。如果不是日本人闯进他们的家乡,如果不是共产党给他们带来了新的理念,新的生活方式,也许他们依旧是一个面朝黄土背朝天的农民,甚至是一个亡了国的农民,八路军改变了他们,让他们攥惯了锄把的粗糙的大手,握起了枪把子,瞄向猎物的眼睛,盯紧了鬼子,他们从农田走向蒙山根据地,走向抗争,于是他们就选择了一条充满苦难的奉献之路。
  • 佛说大方等大云请雨经

    佛说大方等大云请雨经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 中国文学名著导读

    中国文学名著导读

    高岩、陆明、李松石、闫冰编著的《中国文学名著导读》是按照文学史的时间顺序架构的,体系比较严谨,选篇的版本也比较规范。在选篇上照顾到所选文章的思想性、经典性以及丰富性,考虑到教师在讲课时的拓展空间,备选课文也比较充分。赏析文章侧重编者原创,注意融入时代精神。在现当代文学的篇章里,所选篇章与赏析都比较独到。《中国文学名著导读》除做教材外,也适合一般文学爱好者自学阅读。
  • 影响你一生的情感故事(智慧背囊16本)

    影响你一生的情感故事(智慧背囊16本)

    人是感情的动物,亲情、友情、爱情,是人类生活中悠悠不老的主题。很多时候,美好的情感,真挚的回忆,会影响人的一生。它像一杯陈年佳酿,虽然历经岁月的洗礼,却愈久弥香。试问,你曾有过多少美好的回忆?试问,有多少真情实感曾深深地影响着你的现在、过去和未来?本书汇集了几百个令人难以释怀的情感故事,以心灵感悟来进行引导,使广大读者在读过故事后有所回味,有所感动……
  • 蛊祸人生

    蛊祸人生

    生活中,凡是太鲜亮或者太普通,没有主人的东西尽量少碰。别走大街上见什么捡什么。
  • 理论热点·2011

    理论热点·2011

    为深入回答当前干部群众普遍关注的热点、难点问题,我们在认真调研的基础上,梳理出了十二个问题,组织理论工作者撰写了《理论热点·2011》这本通俗理论读物。本书针对我国经济社会发展和我省在实施“十二五”规划过程中的重大理论和现实问题,力求从理论和政策层面进行分析、解读,作出有针对性和说服力的回答。该书通俗易懂、可读性强,是广大干部群众了解党的理论和方针政策,组织开展形势政策教育的重要辅助教材。