第32章招待你的灵魂（6）
AgainsttheprofessionalplayerIsaynothing;heisapublitertaiher，andbyhisskillinhisparticularsportheatleastfulfillsthefirstsocialdutyofman—thathimselfandhisfamilybyhisoweexertions。Butwhatistobesaidofthecrackamateur?Tomeheseemsoptibleofmankind。Heeardevoteshimselfforthemereselfishpleasureofthething，tosomegame，whichheplaysdayindayout;hebreaksdowarydistiheamateurandtheprofessiouallyhisskilldesertshim，andheleavesbehindhimnothingthatisofservicetohisfellowmen—notabrihed，en，notevenafamilysupportedaedbyhislabor。
Itistruethathehasprovidedeforaumberofpersons，buthehashepluithimselftothetestbywhichwedemaertainershouldjustifyhischoiceofag—thedemonstratiohatthepubliciswillingtopayhimforhise。And，whenhisdayisover，whatisleft，heworld，buttohimself?Nothingbutaisatotten，orisrememberedbystoutgentlemeninclubs。
Theplayiainly，isathingwhiwell。Butthatdoesisnatall，astheproverbwould，byimpli，persuadeus。Thereisnreeableandsalutarythanplayingagamewhielikes，aangitbadlyihepleasureofeeofahemanwhomihewinsissman—whichobservatioheruleitimpliesisseldomobserved，andparativelyfewpeoplereallyplaygamesforthesheereheplaying。Isthisheprevalendpopularityofhandicaps?Whyshouldweexpecttobegivenpoibethatiherthanourownskill?
“Ah!but，”myreadermaysay，“thelayerwantstoretsihemaygivethestroergame。”Really，Idohatisso。Possible，sometimes，astrongandvaingloriousplayermaywishtogivepoints，ihisviaybethemoreIdonotthihisisthetrueexplanation。That，Isuspect，wasgiveherdaybythesecretaryofalawour，inwhichIplayed。“Whyallthisnonsenseofhandicaps?Whyusbesquarelybeaten，a?”Iaskedhim。“Because，”hereplied，“ifwedidnotgivehandieofthelessgoodplayerswouldehatnotathatthemajorityofushavebothrealizedthetruevaluedoingatrivialthingbadly，foritsownsake，andmustneedshaveourmindsbuoyedaoafalsesenseofexce?
&isnotonlysusicallytrivialthingsasgamesthatarewbadly。Thisisatruthwhich，oddlyefreelyofsomethings—butnotofothers—andasathingwhichwearequitettodowillletmeiing。Ag，atitsbest，beagreatart，athingwsupremelywell，thoughitsworth，likethatofalliivearts，islessesevaworksimediumofhumanfleshandblood，ahattheactorcreate—forwhatretativeartistisreallyacreativeartistwinaperishablemedium—isanimpressionupoihtarousedin，themindsofanaudiendisincapableofrecord。
Ag，thee—thoughIhaveochedeversobrieflytheproofofmybelief—beagreatart。Butisaerredfromtakingpartiricalsbythesideratioaotabitofit!AlynisohingsaboutwhichIamwritihethingsthatarewbadly。
Ahingismusic;butheretheproverbialfallaexertsitspower，asitdoesnot，forsomeobsdunreasoningdisation，inag。Mostpeopleseemtothinkthatiftheyg，orplaythepiano，fiddle，orsackbut，admirablywell，theymustnotdoahingsatall。Thattheyshouldnotindisatelyforcetheirinferiorperformahepubliupontheiraces，Iadmit。Butthatthereishehome”forinferiormusianuntruththatIflatlydeny。
Howmanysonsanddaughtershavenot，withaverysmalltaleheirparehelessfondlyprejudicedearsoftheirfriepleasurewiththesingingofsimplesongs?Thehereestothesiofdissatisfaginglessoaken，and—ifthepupilisofmoderatetalentadisposition—limitationsarediscovered。Andthen，inoften，thesingingisdropped，likeahotpenny。Howmanyfathershavenotbanishedmusitheirhomesbyengtheirdaughterstotakesinginglessoahomemaybethefresherfthatwoulddeservebrickbatsataparishcert。
Imaypauseheretohecuriousexthatpeoplewhoanyatbepersuadedtosinginthedrawing-room，oreveh，willwithouthesitationuplifttheirtunelessviousmeetingsorinchurch。Thereisaperfectlygoodandhoionofthis，Ibelieve，butitbelongstotherealmofmetaphysidisbeyoscope。