第2部分(第4/7 頁)

n。　Mark　Twain's　hand　is　full　of　whimsies　and　the　drollest　humours；

and　while　you　hold　it　the　drollery　changes　to　sympathy　and　championship。

＇Illustration：　Copyright；　1907；　by　the　Whitman　Studio

The　Medallion

The　bas…relief　on　the　wall　is　a　portrait　of　the　Queen　Dowager　of　Spain；

which　Her　Majesty　had　made　for　Miss　Keller

To　face　page　22＇

I　am　told　that　the　words　I　have　just　written　do　not　〃describe〃　the　hands

of　my　friends；　but　merely　endow　them　with　the　kindly　human　qualities

which　I　know　they　possess；　and　which　language　conveys　in　abstract　words。

The　criticism　implies　that　I　am　not　giving　the　primary　truth　of　what　I

feel；　but　how　otherwise　do　descriptions　in　books　I　read；　written　by　men

who　can　see；　render　the　visible　look　of　a　face？　I　read　that　a　face　is

strong；　gentle；　that　it　is　full　of　patience；　of　intellect；　that　it　is

fine；　sweet；　noble；　beautiful。　Have　I　not　the　same　right　to　use　these

words　in　describing　what　I　feel　as　you　have　in　describing　what　you　see？

They　express　truly　what　I　feel　in　the　hand。　I　am　seldom　conscious　of

physical　qualities；　and　I　do　not　remember　whether　the　fingers　of　a　hand

are　short　or　long；　or　the　skin　is　moist　or　dry。　No　more　can　you；　without

conscious　effort；　recall　the　details　of　a　face；　even　when　you　have　seen

it　many　times。　If　you　do　recall　the　features；　and　say　that　an　eye　is

blue；　a　chin　sharp；　a　nose　short；　or　a　cheek　sunken；　I　fancy　that　you　do

not　succeed　well　in　giving　the　impression　of　the　person；……not　so　well

as　when　you　interpret　at　once　to　the　heart　the　essential　moral　qualities

of　the　face……its　humour；　gravity；　sadness；　spirituality。　If　I　should

tell