Walking-Stick Papers

Papers, by Robert Cortes
Holliday

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Title: Walking-Stick Papers
Author: Robert Cortes Holliday
Release Date: October 11, 2004 [EBook #13708]
Language: English
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WALKING-STICK PAPERS ***

Produced by Al Haines

WALKING-STICK PAPERS
BY
ROBERT CORTES HOLLIDAY

1918

AS A CAT MAY LOOK AT A KING
SO I DEDICATE THIS LITTLE DOINGS TO
THREE FINE MEN:
W. C. BROWNELL
HILAIRE BELLOC
ROYAL CORTISSOZ

BECAUSE THEY REPRESENT TO MY MIND
THE BEST THINGS GOING:
THE PURE MILK OF THE WORD

FOREWORD
These little records of some excursions made by what Mr. James called
"a visiting mind" first saw the light of public countenance in the pages
of various publications. "On Going to Art Exhibitions" has been much
expanded since its appearance in Vanity Fair. In The Unpopular
Review the original title of "That Reviewer 'Cuss'" was brought into
harmony with the dignity of its setting by being changed to "The Hack
Reviewer." "A Clerk May Look at a Celebrity" was printed in the New
York Times under the head "Glimpses of Celebrities." This paper has
been included in this collection at the request of several distinguished
gentlemen who have been so unfortunate as to lose their newspaper
clippings of the article. That several of the personages figuring in this

and one or two other of these papers have passed away since these
papers were written seems to be thought an additional reason for
reprinting these essays here. The Bellman fell for "Caun't Speak the
Language"; the New York Tribune, "Humours of the Bookshop"; The
Independent, "Reading After Thirty," "You Are an American" appeared
in the New York Sun; where the head "An American Reviewer in
London" was substituted for the title of "Literary Levities in London."
The following papers were contributed to the New York Evening Post:
"The Fish Reporter," "On Going a Journey," "A Roundabout Paper,"
"Henry James, Himself," "Memories of a Manuscript," "Why Men
Can't Read Novels by Women," "The Dessert of Life," "Hunting
Lodgings," "My Friend, the Policeman," "Help Wanted," "Human
Municipal Documents," "As to People," "A Town Constitutional," and
"On Wearing a Hat." "On Carrying a Cane" appeared in The Bookman.
I thank the editors of the publications named for permission to reprint
these papers here. R. C. H.
New York, 1918.

CONTENTS
PROLOGUE: ON CARRYING A CANE
I THE FISH REPORTER II ON GOING A JOURNEY III GOING TO
ART EXHIBITIONS IV A ROUNDABOUT PAPER V THAT
REVIEWER "CUSS" VI LITERARY LEVITIES IN LONDON VII
HENRY JAMES, HIMSELF VIII MEMORIES OF A MANUSCRIPT
IX "YOU ARE AN AMERICAN" X WHY MEN CAN'T READ
NOVELS BY WOMEN XI THE DESSERT OF LIFE XII A CLERK
MAY LOOK AT A CELEBRITY XIII CAUN'T SPEAK THE
LANGUAGE XIV HUNTING LODGINGS XV MY FRIEND, THE
POLICEMAN XVI HELP WANTED--MALE, FEMALE XVII
HUMAN MUNICIPAL DOCUMENTS XVIII AS TO PEOPLE XIX
HUMOURS OF THE BOOK SHOP XX THE DECEASED XXI A
TOWN CONSTITUTIONAL XXII READING AFTER THIRTY

EPILOGUE: ON WEARING A HAT

WALKING-STICK PAPERS
PROLOGUE
ON CARRYING A CANE
Some people, without doubt, are born with a deep instinct for carrying
a cane; some consciously acquire the habit of carrying a cane; and
some find themselves in a position where the matter of carrying a cane
is thrust upon them.
Canes are carried in all parts of the world, and have been carried--or
that which was the forefather of them has been carried--since human
history began. Indeed, a very fair account of mankind might be made
by writing the story, of its canes. And nothing that would readily occur
to mind would more eloquently express a civilisation than its evident
attitude toward canes. Perhaps nothing can more subtly convey the
psychology of a man than his feeling about a cane.
The prehistoric ape, we are justified in assuming, struggled upright
upon a cane. The cane, so to speak, with which primitive man wooed
his bride, defended his life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, and
brought down his food, was (like all canes which are in good taste)
admirably chosen for the occasion. The spear, the stave, the pilgrim's
staff, the sword, the sceptre--always has the cane-carrying animal borne
something in his hand. And, down the long vista of the past, the cane,
in its various manifestations, has ever been the mark of strength, and so
of dignity. Thus as a man originally became a gentleman, or a king, by
force of valour, the cane in its evolution