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she tried to keep quiet； but it was too plain that she enjoyed my
diatribe。
It must be remembered that I and the other Teacups； in common with
the rest of our fellow…citizens； have had our sensibilities greatly
worked upon； our patriotism chilled； our local pride outraged； by the
monstrosities which have been allowed to deform our beautiful public
grounds。 We have to be very careful in conducting a visitor； say
from his marble…fronted hotel to the City Hall。 Keep pretty
straight along after entering the Garden；you will not care to
inspect the little figure of the military gentleman to your right。
Yes； the Cochituate water is drinkable； but I think I would not turn
aside to visit that small fabric which makes believe it is a temple；
and is a weak…eyed fountain feebly weeping over its own
insignificance。 About that other stone misfortune； cruelly reminding
us of the 〃Boston Massacre；〃 we will not discourse； it is not
imposing； and is rarely spoken of。
What a mortification to the inhabitants of a city with some
hereditary and contemporary claims to cultivation； which has noble
edifices； grand libraries； educational institutions of the highest
grade； an art…gallery filled with the finest models and rich in
paintings and statuary；a stately city that stretches both arms
across the Charles to clasp the hands of Harvard； her twin…sister；
each lending lustre to the other like double stars；what a pity that
she should be so disfigured by crude attempts to adorn her and
commemorate her past that her most loving children blush for her
artificial deformities amidst the wealth of her natural beauties！
One hardly knows which to groan over most sadly；the tearing down of
old monuments； the shelling of the Parthenon； the overthrow of the
pillared temples of Rome； and in a humbler way the destruction of the
old Hancock house； or the erection of monuments which are to be a
perpetual eyesore to ourselves and our descendants。
We got talking on the subject of realism； of which so much has been
said of late。
It seems to me； I said； that the great additions which have been made
by realism to the territory of literature consist largely in swampy；
malarious； ill…smelling patches of soil which had previously been
left to reptiles and vermin。 It is perfectly easy to be original by
violating the laws of decency and the canons of good taste。 The
general consent of civilized people was supposed to have banished
certain subjects from the conversation of well…bred people and the
pages of respectable literature。 There is no subject； or hardly any；
which may not be treated of at the proper time； in the proper place；
by the fitting person； for the right kind of listener or reader。 But
when the poet or the story…teller invades the province of the man of
science； he is on dangerous ground。 I need say nothing of the
blunders he is pretty sure to make。 The imaginative writer is after
effects。 The scientific man is after truth。 Science is decent；
modest； does not try to startle； but to instruct。 The same scenes
and objects which outrage every sense of delicacy in the story
teller's highly colored paragraphs can be read without giving offence
in the chaste language of the physiologist or the physician。
There is a very celebrated novel； 〃Madame Bovary；〃 the work of M。
Flaubert； which is noted for having been the subject of prosecution
as an immoral work。 That it has a serious lesson there is no doubt；
if one will drink down to the bottom of the cup。 But the honey of
sensuous description is spread so deeply over the surface of the
goblet that a large proportion of its readers never think of its
holding anything else。 All the phases of unhallowed passion are
described in full detail。 That is what the book is bought and read
for； by the great majority of its purchasers； as all but simpletons
very well know。 That is what makes it sell and brought it into the
courts of justice。 This book is famous for its realism； in fact； it
is recognized as one of the earliest and most brilliant examples of
that modern style of novel which； beginning where Balzac left off；
attempted to do for literature what the photograph has done for art。
For those who take the trouble to drink out of the cup below the rim
of honey； there is a scene where realism is carried to its extreme；
surpassed in horror by no writer； unless it be the one whose name
must be looked for at the bottom of the alphabet； as if its natural
place were as low down in the dregs of realism as it could find
itself。 This is the death…bed scene； where Madame Bovary expires in
convulsions。 The author must have visited the hospitals for the
purpose of watching the terrible agonies he was to depict； tramping
from one bed to another until he reached the one where the cries and
contortions were the most frightful。 Such a scene he has reproduced。
No hospital physician would have pictured the straggle in such
colors。 In the same way； that other realist； M。 Zola； has painted a
patient suffering from delirium tremens； the disease known to common
speech as 〃the horrors。〃 In describing this case he does all that
language can do to make it more horrible than the reality。 He gives
us； not realism； but super…realism； if such a term does not
contradict itself。
In this matter of the literal reproduction of sights and scenes which
our natural instinct and our better informed taste and judgment teach
us to avoid； art has been far in advance of literature。 It is three
hundred years since Joseph Ribera； more commonly known as
Spagnoletto； was born in the province Valencia； in Spain。 We had the
misfortune of seeing a painting of his in a collection belonging to
one of the French princes； and exhibited at the Art Museum。 It was
that of a man performing upon himself the operation known to the
Japanese as hararkiri。 Many persons who looked upon this revolting
picture will never get rid of its remembrance； and will regret the
day when their eyes fell upon it。 I should share the offence of the
painter if I ventured to describe it。 Ribera was fond of depicting
just such odious and frightful subjects。 〃Saint Lawrence writhing on
his gridiron； Saint Sebastian full of arrows； were equally a source
of delight to him。 Even in subjects which had no such elements of
horror he finds the materials for the delectation of his ferocious
pencil； he makes up for the defect by rendering with a brutal realism
deformity and ugliness。〃
The first great mistake made by the ultra…realists； like Flaubert and
Zola； is； as I have said； their ignoring the line of distinction
between imaginative art and science。 We can find realism enough in
books of anatomy； surgery； and medicine。 In studying the human
figure； we want to see it clothed with its natural integuments。 It
is well for the artist to study the ecorche in the dissecting…room；
but we do not want the Apollo or the Venus to leave their skins
behind th