XVII. The Artist as a Child
WITHOUT any further delay, the Artist shall now address you.—Please take the platform, sir!
“My friends! We are gathered here today to consider how to implant in the youthful and innocent minds which are entrusted to our care the beneficent and holy influences of that transcendent miracle which we know as Art. Sacred and mysterious subject that it is, we approach it with bated—”
Wait! wait! There is some mistake here, I am sure. Just a moment!—
“We approach with bated breath these austere and sacred—”
Stop, I say!
“Austere and sacred regions—”
Usher, will you please throw this fellow out! He is not the man we were listening to this morning—he is a rank impostor, who has disguised himself as an artist in order to befuddle our deliberations with mystagogical cant. If you will pull off that false beard, I think you will find that he is a well-known Chautauqua lecturer.... Aha, I thought so!—Shame on you! And now get out of here as quickly as you can!—Ah, there comes the real Artist—late, as usual. What have you to say for yourself?