第8章快乐不必认真TheImportangThingsBadly（3）
thoughitsworth，likethatofalliivearts，islessesevaworksimediumofhumanfleshandblood，ahattheactorcreate—forwhatretativeartistisreallyacreativeartistwinaperishablemedium—isanimpressionupoihtarousedin，themindsofanaudiendisincapable，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—limitationsaredisdthen，inoften，thesingingisdropped，likeahotpenny。Howmanyfathershavenotbanishedmusitheirhomesbyengtheirdaughterstotakesiahomemaybethefresherfthatwoulddeservebrickbatsataparishcert。
Imaypauseheretohecuriousexthatpeoplewhoanyatbepersuadedtosinginthedrawing-room，oreveh，willwithouthesitationuplifttheirtunelessviousmeetingsorinchurch。Thereisaperfectlygoodandhoionofthis，Ibelieve，butitbelongstotherealmofmetaphysidisbeyoscope。Thiscursedbelief，thatifathingiswatall，itiswwell，isthecauseofagreatimpoverishmentinourprivatelife，andalso，tosomeextent，ofthelofstandardsinourpubliclife。Forthisteofproverbialfaithhastwoeffealltalents:Itleadsmodestpersonshematall，apersoodosotoomudtoforcethemselvesuponthepublic。Itleadstothedecayandofthekeepingofdiaries，aleadstothepublioirsashouldremaihewriters’desks。ItleadsMr。Blanknottowriteversesatall—whichhemightverywelldo，forthesakeofhisoiness，andfortheamusementofhisfriends—anditleadsMissDashtopestertheoverworkededitorsofvariousjournalswithherunsuccessfulimitationsofMr。delaMare，Mr。Yeats，andDr。Bridges。
&isthatournationalartistiowsuffersfromtwogreatneeds:Aracticeofthearts，andahigher，moreexclusive，professionalstandard。Untiltheseareachievedweshallhebestoutofoursouls。Thetruthis，Iceive，thatthereisformostofusohing—beyond，ofcourse，ourdutiesofshipandourpersonaldutiesassons，orhusbands，hters，orwives，ormothers—thatiswwell—thatistosay，withally。Thatohiing，oritmaybemakingsteam-engines，bricks。Butafterthattherearehuhingsthatarewbadly，withonlyparty，forthesakeoftherelaxatius，aswhichtheygiveuswithourminds。Andtheslahis，asohehappier，themoreted，themracious，willourlahereareeven，Imaintain，thingsthatareierdohanwell。siderfishing，whereone’swholepleasureisoftenspoiledbyhavingtokillafish。Now，ifonetrivealwaystotrytocatchafish，aodoso，o—Butthatisaory。