Vagabond I have ever met, he knows what he is about. There is not

one of his quiet days which is dull. You will find in them a love-



story not made up, the COUP-DE-FOUDRE, the lightning-stroke of

Spanish love; and you will marvel how a spell so sudden and



vehement can be at the same time so tragically delicate. You will

find there landladies devoured with jealousy, astute housekeepers,



delightful boys, wise peasants, touchy shopkeepers, all the COSAS

DE ESPANA--and, in addition, the pale girl Rosario. I recommend



that pathetic and silent victim of fate to your benevolent

compassion. You will find in his pages the humours of starving



workers of the soil, the vision among the mountains of an exulting

mad spirit in a mighty body, and many other visions worthy of



attention. And they are exact visions, for this idealist is no

visionary. He is in sympathy with suffering mankind, and has a



grasp on real human affairs. I mean the great and pitiful affairs

concerned with bread, love, and the obscure, unexpressed needs



which drive great crowds to prayer in the holy places of the earth.

But I like his conception of what a "quiet" life is like! His



quiet days require no fewer than forty-two of the forty-nine

provinces of Spain to take their ease in. For his unquiet days, I



presume, the seven--or is it nine?--crystal spheres of Alexandrian

cosmogony would afford, but a wretchedly straitened space. A most



unconventional thing is his notion of quietness. One would take it

as a joke; only that, perchance, to the author of QUIET DAYS IN



SPAIN all days may seem quiet, because, a courageousconvert, he is

now at peace with himself.



How better can we take leave of this interesting Vagabond than with

the road salutation of passing wayfarers: "And on you be peace! .



. . You have chosen your ideal, and it is a good choice. There's

nothing like giving up one's life to an unselfish passion. Let the



rich and the powerful of this globe preach their sound gospel of

palpable progress. The part of the ideal you embrace is the better



one, if only in its illusions. No great passion can be barren.

May a world of gracious and poignant images attend the lofty



solitude of your renunciation!"

THE LIFE BEYOND--1910



You have no doubt noticed that certain books produce a sort of

physical effect on one--mostly an audible effect. I am not



alluding here to Blue books or to books of statistics. The effect

of these is simply exasperating and no more. No! the books I have



in mind are just the common books of commerce you and I read when

we have five minutes to spare, the usual hired books published by



ordinary publishers, printed by ordinary printers, and censored

(when they happen to be novels) by the usual circulating libraries,



the guardians of our firesides, whose names are household words

within the four seas.



To see the fair and the brave of this free country surrendering

themselves with unbounded trust to the direction of the circulating



libraries is very touching. It is even, in a sense, a beautiful

spectacle, because, as you know, humility is a rare and fragrant



virtue; and what can be more humble than to surrender your morals

and your intellect to the judgment of one of your tradesmen? I



suppose that there are some very perfect people who allow the Army

and Navy Stores to censor their diet. So much merit, however, I

• anxiety [æŋ´zaiəti] n.挂念；渴望；焦虑的事 (初中英语单词)


• conscience [´kɔnʃəns] n.良心；道德心 (初中英语单词)


• affection [ə´fekʃən] n.友爱；慈爱 (初中英语单词)


• personality [,pə:sə´næliti] n.人；个性；人品；人物 (初中英语单词)


• writer [´raitə] n.作者；作家 (初中英语单词)


• fascinating [´fæsineitiŋ] a.迷人，使神魂颠倒的 (初中英语单词)


• companion [kəm´pæniən] n.同伴；同事；伴侣 (初中英语单词)


• humanity [hju:´mæniti] n.人类；人性；仁慈 (初中英语单词)


• pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)


• suspect [´sʌspekt, sə´spekt] v.怀疑；觉得 n.嫌疑犯 (初中英语单词)


• weakness [´wi:knis] n.虚弱；弱点，缺点 (初中英语单词)


• genius [´dʒi:niəs] n.天才(人物)；天赋 (初中英语单词)


• volume [´vɔlju:m, ´vɑljəm] n.卷；书籍；体积；容量 (初中英语单词)


• breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)


• distinct [di´stiŋkt] a.清楚的；独特的 (初中英语单词)


• enthusiasm [in´θju:ziæzəm] n.热心；狂热；爱好 (初中英语单词)


• faculty [´fækəlti] n.才干；天赋；院，系 (初中英语单词)


• sympathy [´simpəθi] n.同情，怜悯 (初中英语单词)


• player [´pleiə] n.游戏的人；选手 (初中英语单词)


• universal [,ju:ni´və:səl] a.宇宙的；普遍的 (初中英语单词)


• fearful [´fiəfəl] a.可怕的；担心的 (初中英语单词)


• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)


• beaten [´bi:tn] beat 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• perceive [pə´si:v] vt.察觉；看出；领悟 (初中英语单词)


• convert [kən´və:t, ´kɔnvə:t] v.转变 n.改变信仰者 (初中英语单词)


• capable [´keipəbəl] a.有能力；能干的 (初中英语单词)


• mostly [´məustli] ad.主要地；多半；通常 (初中英语单词)


• attain [ə´tein] v.取得；到达；成为 (初中英语单词)


• immortal [i´mɔ:təl] a.不死的n.不朽的人物 (初中英语单词)


• squire [skwaiə] n.护卫，侍从；乡绅 (初中英语单词)


• wooden [´wudn] a.木制的；呆板的 (初中英语单词)


• barber [´bɑ:bə] n.理发师 (初中英语单词)


• priest [pri:st] n.教士；牧师；神父 (初中英语单词)


• contrary [´kɔntrəri] a.相反的 n.相反 (初中英语单词)


• wisdom [´wizdəm] n.智慧，聪明，才智 (初中英语单词)


• mission [´miʃən] n.代表团；使馆vt.派遣 (初中英语单词)


• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)


• criminal [´kriminəl] a.犯罪的 n.罪犯 (初中英语单词)


• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)


• disgrace [dis´greis] n.耻辱 vt.玷辱；贬黜 (初中英语单词)


• relief [ri´li:f] n.救济；援救；减轻 (初中英语单词)


• desperate [´despərit] a.拼死的；绝望的 (初中英语单词)


• character [´kæriktə] n.特性；性质；人物；字 (初中英语单词)


• altogether [,ɔ:ltə´geðə] ad.完全；总而言之 (初中英语单词)


• charming [´tʃɑ:miŋ] a.可爱的；极好的 (初中英语单词)


• swallow [swɔləu] n.燕子 v.吞，咽；淹没 (初中英语单词)


• coarse [kɔ:s] a.粗(糙)的；粗鲁的 (初中英语单词)


• sufficiently [sə´fiʃəntli] ad.充分地，足够地 (初中英语单词)


• marvel [´mɑ:vəl] n.令人惊异的事；奇迹 (初中英语单词)


• delicate [´delikət] a.精美的；微妙的 (初中英语单词)


• addition [ə´diʃən] n.加；加法；附加物 (初中英语单词)


• victim [´viktim] n.牺牲者；受害者 (初中英语单词)


• vision [´viʒən] n.视觉；想象力；幻影 (初中英语单词)


• worthy [´wə:ði] a.有价值的；值得的 (初中英语单词)


• suffering [´sʌfəriŋ] n.痛苦；灾害 (初中英语单词)


• passion [´pæʃən] n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词)


• preach [pri:tʃ] v.宣扬；鼓吹 n.训诫 (初中英语单词)


• embrace [im´breis] vt.&n.拥抱；采纳；信奉 (初中英语单词)


• gracious [´greiʃəs] a.和蔼可亲的；任慈的 (初中英语单词)


• commerce [´kɔmə:s] n.商业；社交；交流 (初中英语单词)


• humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)


• surrender [sə´rendə] vt.&n.交出；引渡；放弃 (初中英语单词)


• lasting [´lɑ:stiŋ] a.持久的；永远的 (高中英语单词)


• greatness [´greitnis] n.巨大；高尚；卓越 (高中英语单词)


• needless [´ni:dləs] a.不必要的；无用的 (高中英语单词)


• jungle [´dʒʌŋgəl] n.丛林；杂乱的东西 (高中英语单词)


• dealing [´di:liŋ] n.交易；来往 (高中英语单词)


• preface [´prefis] n.序 v.开始；导致 (高中英语单词)


• simplicity [sim´plisiti] n.简单；朴素 (高中英语单词)


• artistic [ɑ:´tistik] a.艺术的；有美感的 (高中英语单词)


• related [ri´leitid] a.叙述的；有联系的 (高中英语单词)


• tragic [´trædʒik] a.悲剧的；悲惨的 (高中英语单词)


• pacific [pə´sifik] a.和平的；温和的 (高中英语单词)


• schooner [´sku:nə] n.纵帆船 (高中英语单词)


• variation [,veəri´eiʃən] n.变化；变动 (高中英语单词)


• appreciation [ə,pri:ʃi´eiʃən] n.评价；感激 (高中英语单词)


• resident [´rezidənt] a.居住的 n.居民 (高中英语单词)


• consciousness [´kɔnʃəsnis] n.意识；觉悟；知觉 (高中英语单词)


• gladly [´glædli] ad.愉快地，高兴地 (高中英语单词)


• illusion [i´lu:ʒən] n.幻觉；幻影；错觉 (高中英语单词)


• illustrious [i´lʌstriəs] a.杰出的，显赫的 (高中英语单词)


• chivalry [´ʃivəlri] n.侠义；骑士团 (高中英语单词)


• genuine [´dʒenjuin] a.真正的；真诚的 (高中英语单词)


• knight [nait] n.骑士；爵士 (高中英语单词)


• forthwith [fɔ:θ´wið] ad.立刻 (高中英语单词)


• serene [si´ri:n] n.&a.清澈的；宁静的 (高中英语单词)


• universe [´ju:nivə:s] n.天地；全人类；银河系 (高中英语单词)


• successor [sək´sesə] n.继承人，接班人 (高中英语单词)


• distinguished [di´stiŋgwiʃt] a.卓越的，著名的 (高中英语单词)


• respectable [ri´spektəbəl] a.可敬的；有身价的 (高中英语单词)


• loving [´lʌviŋ] a.爱的，有爱情的 (高中英语单词)


• gospel [´gɔspəl] n.福音；信条；真理 (高中英语单词)


• strain [strein] vt.拉紧 vi.拖 n.张力 (高中英语单词)


• jealousy [´dʒeləsi] n.妒忌；猜忌 (高中英语单词)


• mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)


• pitiful [´pitifəl] a.可怜的；慈悲的 (高中英语单词)


• conception [kən´sepʃən] n.构思；概念；怀孕 (高中英语单词)


• sincerity [sin´seriti] n.真诚；诚意 (英语四级单词)


• convincing [kən´vinsiŋ] a.有说服力的；有力的 (英语四级单词)


• insignificant [,insig´nifikənt] a.无意义的；无价值的 (英语四级单词)


• eastward [´i:stwəd] a.&ad.向东(的) (英语四级单词)


• cutter [´kʌtə] n.裁剪师；刀具；快艇 (英语四级单词)


• sinister [´sinistə] a.阴险的；不吉的 (英语四级单词)


• futile [´fju:tail] a.无用的，无益的 (英语四级单词)


• devoted [di´vəutid] a.献身…的，忠实的 (英语四级单词)


• readiness [´redinis] n.准备就绪；愿意 (英语四级单词)


• immortality [,imɔ:´tæliti] n.不死，不朽，永生，来生 (英语四级单词)


• imperative [im´perətiv] a.紧急的 n.命令式 (英语四级单词)


• justly [´dʒʌstli] ad.公正地，正当地 (英语四级单词)


• richly [´ritʃli] ad.富裕地；浓厚地 (英语四级单词)


• vagabond [´vægəbɔnd] n.流浪者 a.流浪的 (英语四级单词)


• strenuous [´strenjuəs] a.费力的；奋发的 (英语四级单词)


• vulgar [´vʌlgə] a.粗俗的；大众的 (英语四级单词)


• refined [ri´faind] a.精制的；文雅的 (英语四级单词)


• amiable [´eimiəbəl] a.亲切的，温和的 (英语四级单词)


• precise [pri´sais] a.精确的；清楚的 (英语四级单词)


• pathetic [pə´θetik] a.可怜的；悲哀的 (英语四级单词)


• perchance [pə´tʃɑ:ns] ad.偶然；可能 (英语四级单词)


• courageous [kə´reidʒəs] a.勇敢的；无畏的 (英语四级单词)


• audible [´ɔ:dibəl] a.听得见的 (英语四级单词)


• statistics [stə´tistiks] n.统计学；统计 (英语四级单词)


• touching [´tʌtʃiŋ] a.动人的 prep.提到 (英语四级单词)


• humility [hju:´militi] n.谦逊，谦让 (英语四级单词)


• intellect [´intilekt] n.智力；有才智的人 (英语四级单词)


• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)


• discreet [di´skri:t] a.谨慎的，考虑周到的 (英语六级单词)


• humane [hju:´mein] a.有人情的，高尚的 (英语六级单词)


• secular [´sekjulə] a.世俗的；现世的 (英语六级单词)


• excommunicate [,ekskə´mju:nikeit] vt.开除教藉 (英语六级单词)


• incomparable [in´kɔmpərəbəl] a.无可比拟的 (英语六级单词)


• extended [iks´tendid] a.伸长的；广大的 (英语六级单词)


• fireside [´faiəsaid] n.炉边；家；家庭生活 (英语六级单词)


• salutation [,sælju´teiʃ(ə)n] n.招呼，致意；行礼 (英语六级单词)