Titbottom's Spectacles by George William Curtis
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was of very light draft, she came close to_the shelving shore .a long plank was put out from her side, and_the debarkation commenced . my grandfather Titbottom stood looking on to_see the passengers descend . there were but a few of_them, and mostly traders from_the neighboring island . but suddenly the face of a young girl appeared over the side of_the vessel, and she stepped upon_the plank to descend . my grandfather Titbottom instantly advanced, and moving briskly reached the top of_the plank at_the same moment, and with_the old tassel of_his cap flashing in_the sun, and one hand in_the pocket of_his dressing gown, with_the other he handed the young lady carefully down the plank . that young lady was afterwards my grandmother Titbottom .

" and so, over the gleaming sea which he had watched so_long, and which seemed thus to reward his patient gaze, came his bride that sunny morning .

"' of_course we_are happy,' he used to_say: ' for you_are the gift of_the sun I_have loved so_long and so_well .' and my grandfather Titbottom would lay his hand so tenderly upon_the golden hair of_his young bride, that you_could fancy him adevout Parsee caressing sunbeams .

" there were endless festivities upon occasion of_the marriage; and my grandfather did_not go to one_of_them in_his dressing- gown . the gentle sweetness of_his wife melted every heart into love and sympathy . he_was much older than she, without doubt . but age, as he used to_say with a smile of immortal youth, is a matter of feeling, not of years . and if, sometimes, as she sat by his side upon_the piazza, her fancy looked through her eyes upon that summer sea and saw a younger lover, perhaps some one of_those graceful and glowing heroes who occupy the foreground of all young maidens' visions by_the sea, yet she_could_not find one more generous and gracious, nor fancy one more worthy and loving than my grandfather Titbottom . and if in_the moonlit midnight, while he lay calmly sleeping, she leaned out_of_the window and sank into vague reveries of sweet possibility, and watched the gleaming path of_the moonlight upon_the water, until the dawn glided over it-- it_was only that mood of nameless regret and longing, which underlies all human happiness,-- or it was_the vision of_that life of society, which she had never seen, but of_which she had often read, and which looked very fair and alluring across the sea to a girlish imagination which knew that_it should never know that reality .

" these west Indian years were the great days of_the family," said Titbottom, with an air of majestic and regal regret, pausing and musing in_our little parlor, like a late Stuart in exile, remembering England .Prue raised her eyes from her work, and looked at him with a subdued admiration; for I_have observed that, like the rest of her sex, she has a singular sympathy with_the representative of a reduced family . perhaps it_is their finer perception which leads these tender-hearted women to recognize the divine right of social superiority so_much more readily than we; and yet, much as Titbottom was enhanced in my wife's admiration by_the discovery that his dusky sadness of nature and expression was, as it were, the expiring gleam and late twilight of ancestral splendors, I_doubt if Mr Bourne would_have preferred him for bookkeeper a moment sooner upon that account . in truth, I_have observed, down town, that_the fact of your ancestors doing nothing is_not considered good proof that you_can do anything . but Prue and her sex regard sentiment more than action, and I understand easily enough why she_is never tired of hearing me read of prince Charlie . if Titbottom had_been only a little younger, a little handsomer, a little more gallantly dressed-- in_fact, a little more of_the prince Charlie, I_am_sure her eyes would_not have fallen again upon her work so tranquilly, as he resumed his story .

" I_can remember my grandfather Titbottom, although i_was a very young child, and he_was a very old man . my young mother and my young grandmother are very distinct figures in my memory, ministering to_the old gentleman, wrapped in_his dressing- gown, and seated upon_the piazza .I remember his white hair and_his calm smile, and how, not long before he died, he_called me to him, and laying his hand upon my head, said to_me:

" my child, the world is_not this great sunny piazza, nor life the fairy stories which the women tell you here as_you sit in their laps . I_shall soon be gone, but i_want to leave with_you some memento of_my love for_you, and I_know nothing more valuable than these spectacles, which your grandmother brought from her native island, when she arrived here one fine summer morning, long_ago . I_cannot quite tell whether, when_you grow older, you_will regard it as a gift of_the greatest value or as something that you had_been happier never to_have possessed .'

"' but grandpapa, I_am not short- sighted .'

"' my son, are_you not human ? ' said the old gentleman; and how shall I ever forget the thoughtful sadness with_which, at_the same time he handed me the spectacles .

" instinctively I put them on, and looked at my grandfather . but I_saw no grandfather, no piazza, no flowered dressing- gown: I_saw only a luxuriant palm- tree, waving broadly over a tranquil landscape . pleasant homes clustered around it .Gardens teeming with fruit and flowers; flocks quietly feeding; birds Wheeling and chirping .I heard children's voices, and_the low lullaby of happy mothers . the sound of cheerful singing came wafted from distant fields upon_the light breeze . golden harvests glistened out of sight, and I caught their rustling whisper of prosperity .a warm, mellow atmosphere bathed the whole . I_have_seen copies of_the landscapes of_the Italian painter Claude which seemed to_me faint reminiscences of_that calm and happy vision . but all this peace and prosperity seemed to flow from_the spreading palm as from a fountain .

" I_do_not know how long I looked, but I had, apparently, no power, as I had no will, to remove the spectacles . what a wonderful island must Nevis be, thought I, if people carry such pictures in their pockets, only by buying a pair of spectacles ! what wonder that my dear grandmother Titbottom has lived such a placid life, and has blessed us all with her sunny temper, when she has lived surrounded by such images of peace .

" my grandfather died . but still, in_the warm morning sunshine upon_the piazza, I_felt his placid presence, and as I crawled into his great chair, and drifted on in reverie through_the still, tropical day, it_was as_if his soft, dreamy eye had passed into my soul . my grandmother cherished his memory with tender regret .a violent passion of grief for_his loss was no more possible than for_the pensive decay of_the year . we_have no portrait of him, but I_see always, when I remember him, that peaceful and luxuriant palm . and i_think that to_have known one good old man-- one man who, through_the chances and rubs of a long life, has carried his heart in_his hand, like a palm branch, waving all discords into peace, helps our faith in god, in ourselves, and in each_other, more than many sermons .I hardly know whether to_be grateful to my grandfather for_the spectacles; and yet when I remember that_it_is to_them I owe the pleasant image of him which I cherish, I seem to myself sadly ungrateful .

" madam," said Titbottom to Prue, solemnly, " my memory is a long and gloomy gallery, and only remotely, at its further end, do I_see the glimmer of soft sunshine, and only there_are the pleasant pictures hung . they seem to_me very happy along whose gallery the sunlight streams to_their very feet, striking all the pictured walls into unfading splendor ."

Prue had laid her work in her lap, and as Titbottom paused a moment, and I turned towards her, I_found her mild eyes fastened upon my face, and glistening with happy tears .

"Misfortunes of many kinds came heavily upon_the family after_the head was gone . the great house was relinquished . my parents were both dead, and my grandmother had entire charge of me . but from_the moment that I received the gift of_the spectacles, I_could_not resist their fascination, and I withdrew into myself, and became a solitary boy . there were_not many companions for_me of_my own age, and_they gradually left me, or, at_least, had_not a hearty sympathy with me; for if_they teased me I pulled out my spectacles and surveyed them so seriously that_they acquired a kind of awe of me, and evidently regarded my grandfather's gift as a concealed magical weapon which might_be dangerously drawn upon them at any moment . whenever, in_our games, there were quarrels and high words, and I began to_feel about_my dress and to wear a grave look, they all took the alarm, and shouted, ' look out for Titbottom's spectacles,' and scattered like a flock of scared sheep .

" nor could I wonder at it . for, at first, before_they took the alarm, I_saw strange sights when I looked at them through_the glasses . if two were quarrelling about a marble or a ball, I had only to_go behind a tree where i_was concealed and look at them leisurely . then the scene changed, and no longer a green meadow with boys playing, but a spot which I_did_not recognize, and forms that made me shudder or smile . it_was not a big boy bullying a little one, but a young wolf with glistening teeth and alamb cowering before him; or, it_was a dog faithful and famishing-- or a star going slowly into eclipse-- or a rainbow fading-- or a flower blooming-- or a sun rising-- or awaning moon . the revelations of_the spectacles determined my feeling for_the boys, and for all whom I_saw through them . no shyness, nor awkwardness, nor silence, could separate me from those who looked lovely as lilies to my illuminated eyes . if I_felt myself warmly drawn to any_one I struggled with_the fierce desire of seeing him through_the spectacles .I longed to enjoy the luxury of ignorant feeling, to love without knowing, to float like a leaf upon_the eddies of life, drifted now to a sunny point, now to a solemn shade-- now over glittering ripples, now over gleaming calms,-- and not to determined ports, atrim vessel with an inexorable rudder .

" but, sometimes, mastered after long struggles, I seized my spectacles and sauntered into_the little town .Putting them to my eyes I peered into_the houses and at_the people who passed me . here sat a family at breakfast, and I stood at_the window looking in .O motley meal ! fantastic vision ! the good mother saw her lord sitting opposite, a grave, respectable being, eating muffins . but I_saw only a bank- bill, more or less crumpled and tattered, marked with a larger or lesser figure . if a sharp wind blew suddenly, I_saw it tremble and flutter; it_was thin, flat, impalpable .I removed my glasses, and looked with my eyes at_the wife . I_could_have smiled to_see the humid tenderness with_which she regarded her strange vis-a-vis . is life only a game of blind- man's- buff ? of droll cross-purposes ?

" or I put them on again, and looked at_the wife . how_many stout trees I_saw,-- how_many tender flowers,-- how_many placid pools; yes, and how_many little streams winding out of sight, shrinking before_the large, hard, round eyes opposite, and slipping off into solitude and shade, with a low, inner song for their own solace . and in many houses i_thought to_see angels, nymphs, or at_least, women, and could only find broomsticks, mops, or kettles, hurrying about, rattling, tinkling, in a state of shrill activity . I_made calls upon elegant ladies, and after I had enjoyed the gloss of silk and_the delicacy of lace, and_the flash of jewels, I slipped on my spectacles, and saw a peacock's feather, flounced and furbelowed and fluttering; or an iron rod, thin, sharp, and hard; nor could I possibly mistake the movement of_the drapery for any flexibility of_the thing draped,-- or, mysteriously chilled, I_saw a statue of perfect form, or flowing movement, it might_be alabaster, or bronze, or marble,-- but sadly often it_was ice; and I_knew that after it had shone a little, and frozen a few eyes with its despairing perfection, it could_not_be put away in_the niches of palaces for ornament and proud family tradition, like the alabaster, or bronze, or marble statues, but would melt, and shrink, and fall coldly away in colorless and useless water, be absorbed in_the earth and utterly forgotten .

" but the true sadness was rather in seeing those who, not having the spectacles, thought that_the iron rod was flexible, and_the ice statue warm . I_saw many a gallant heart, which seemed to_me brave and loyal as_the crusaders sent by genuine and noble faith to Syria and_the sepulchre, pursuing, through days and nights, and a long life of devotion, the hope of lighting at_least a smile in_the cold eyes, if_not a fire in_the icy heart .I watched the earnest, enthusiastic sacrifice . I_saw the pure resolve, the generous faith, the fine scorn of doubt, the impatience of suspicion .I watched the grace, the ardor, the glory of devotion . through those strange spectacles how often I_saw the noblest heart renouncing all other hope, all other ambition, all other life, than_the possible love of some one of_those statues .Ah ! me, it_was terrible, but they had_not the love to_give

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