on, so that we shall
please even in the intervals of active pleasing, and may never
discredit speech with uncouth manners or become unconsciously our own
burlesques. But of all unfortunates there is one creature (for I will
not call him man) conspicuous in misfortune. This is he who has
forfeited his birthright of expression, who has cultivated artful
intonations, who has taught his face tricks, like a pet monkey, and on
every side perverted or cut off his means of communication with his
fellow-men. The body is a house of many windows: there we all sit,
showing ourselves and crying on the passers-by to come and love us.
But this fellow has filled his windows with opaque glass, elegantly
coloured. His house may be admired for its design, the crowd may pause
before the stained windows, but meanwhile the poor proprietor must lie
languishing within, uncomforted, unchangeably alone.

Truth of intercourse is something more difficult than to refrain from
open lies. It is possible to avoid falsehood and yet not tell the
truth. It is not enough to answer formal questions. To reach the
truth by yea and nay communications implies a questioner with a share
of inspiration such as is often found in mutual love. _Yea_ and _nay_
mean nothing; the meaning must have been related in the question. Many
words are often necessary to convey a very simple statement; for in
this sort of exercise we never hit the gold; the most that we can hope
is by many arrows, more or less far off on different sides, to
indicate, in the course of time, for what target we are aiming, and
after an hour's talk, back and forward, to convey the purport of a
single principle or a single thought. And yet while the curt, pithy
speaker misses the point entirely, a wordy, prolegomenous babbler will
often add three new offences in the process of excusing one. It is
really a most delicate affair. The world was made before the English
language, and seemingly upon a different design. Suppose we held our
converse, not in words, but in music; those who have a bad ear would
find themselves cut off from all near commerce, and no better than
foreigners in this big world. But we do not consider how many have "a
bad ear" for words, nor how often the most eloquent find nothing to
reply. I hate questioners and questions; there are so few that can be
spoken to without a lie. "_Do you forgive me?_" Madam and sweetheart,
so far as I have gone in life I have never yet