Мхи старої садиби
The Artist of the Beautiful
ButwemustreturntoOwenWarland’sshop,andspendmoremeditationuponhishistoryandcharacterthaneitherPeterHovenden,orprobablyhisdaughterAnnie,orOwen’soldschool-fellow,RobertDanforth,wouldhavethoughtduetososlightasubject.Fromthetimethathislittlefingerscouldgraspapenknife,Owenhadbeenremarkableforadelicateingenuity,whichsometimesproducedprettyshapesinwood,principallyfiguresofflowersandbirds,andsometimesseemedtoaimatthehiddenmysteriesofmechanism.Butitwasalwaysforpurposesofgrace,andneverwithanymockeryoftheuseful.Hedidnot,likethecrowdofschool-boyartisans,constructlittlewindmillsontheangleofabarnorwatermillsacrosstheneighboringbrook.Thosewhodiscoveredsuchpeculiarityintheboyastothinkitworththeirwhiletoobservehimclosely,sometimessawreasontosupposethathewasattemptingtoimitatethebeautifulmovementsofNatureasexemplifiedintheflightofbirdsortheactivityoflittleanimals.Itseemed,infact,anewdevelopmentoftheloveofthebeautiful,suchasmighthavemadehimapoet,apainter,orasculptor,andwhichwasascompletelyrefinedfromallutilitariancoarsenessasitcouldhavebeenineitherofthefinearts.Helookedwithsingulardistasteatthestiffandregularprocessesofordinarymachinery.Beingoncecarriedtoseeasteam-engine,intheexpectationthathisintuitivecomprehensionofmechanicalprincipleswouldbegratified,heturnedpaleandgrewsick,asifsomethingmonstrousandunnaturalhadbeenpresentedtohim.
