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Narcissus Off Duty
SomehowAmory’sdissatisfactionwithhislackofenthusiasmculminatedinanattempttoputtheblameforthewholewarontheancestorsofhisgeneration...allthepeoplewhocheeredforGermanyin1870....Allthematerialistsrampant,alltheidolizersofGermanscienceandefficiency.SohesatonedayinanEnglishlectureandheard"LocksleyHall"quotedandfellintoabrownstudywithcontemptforTennysonandallhestoodfor—forhetookhimasarepresentativeoftheVictorians.
Victorians,Victorians,whoneverlearnedtoweep
Whosowedthebitterharvestthatyourchildrengotoreap—
scribbledAmoryinhisnote-book.ThelecturerwassayingsomethingaboutTennyson’ssolidityandfiftyheadswerebenttotakenotes.Amoryturnedovertoafreshpageandbeganscrawlingagain.
"TheyshudderedwhentheyfoundwhatMr.Darwinwasabout,
TheyshudderedwhenthewaltzcameinandNewmanhurriedout—"
Butthewaltzcameinmuchearlier;hecrossedthatout.
"AndentitledASongintheTimeofOrder,"cametheprofessor’svoice,droningfaraway."TimeofOrder"—GoodLord!EverythingcrammedintheboxandtheVictorianssittingonthelidsmilingserenely....WithBrowninginhisItalianvillacryingbravely:"All’sforthebest."Amoryscribbledagain.
"Youkneltupinthetempleandhebenttohearyoupray,
Youthankedhimforyour’gloriousgains’—reproachedhimfor
’Cathay.