TheDictatorDiscourses。
IhavebeenreadingBalzac\'sPeaudeChagrin。Youhaveallreadthestory,Ihope,foritisthefirstofhiswonderfulromanceswhichfixedtheeyesofthereadingworlduponhim,andisamostfascinatingifsomewhatfantastictale。Ayoungmanbecomesthepossessorofacertainmagicskin,thepeculiarityofwhichisthat,whileitgratifieseverywishformedbyitspossessor,itshrinksinallitsdimensionseachtimethatawishisgratified。Theyoungmanmakeseveryefforttoascertainthecauseofitsshrinking;invokestheaidofthephysicist,thechemist,thestudentofnaturalhistory,butallinvain。Hedrawsaredlinearoundit。Thatsamedayheindulgesalongingforacertainobject。Thenextmorningthereisalittleintervalbetweentheredlineandtheskin,closetowhichitwastraced。Soalways,soinevitably。Asheliveson,satisfyingonedesire,onepassion,afteranother,theprocessofshrinkingcontinues。Amortaldiseasesetsin,whichkeepspacewiththeshrinkingskin,andhislifeandhistalismancometoanendtogether。
Onewouldsaythatsuchapieceofintegumentwashardlyadesirablepossession。Andyet,howmanyofushaveatthisverymomentapeaudechagrinofourown,diminishingwitheverycostlywishindulged,andincapable,likethemagicaloneofthestory,ofbeingarrestedinitsprogressNeedIsaythatIrefertothosecouponbonds,issuedinthedaysofeightandtenpercentinterest,andgraduallynarrowingastheydroptheirsemiannualslipsofpaper,whichrepresentwishestoberealized,astherosesletfalltheirleavesinJuly,astheiciclesmeltawayinthethawofJanuary？
Howbeautifulwasthecouponbond,arrayedinitsgoldenraimentofpromisestopayatcertainstatedintervals,foragoodlynumberofcomingyears！Whatannualthehorticulturistcanshowwillbearcomparisonwiththisproductofauriculturalindustry,whichhasfloweredinmidsummerandmidwinterfortwentysuccessiveseasons？
Andnowthelastofitsblossomsistobeplucked,andthebarestem,strippedofitsevermaturingandalwayswelcomeappendages,isreducedtothenarrowestconditionsofreproductiveexistence。Suchisthefateofthefinancialpeaudechagrin。Pitythepoorfractionalcapitalist,whohasjustmanagedtoliveontheeightpercentofhiscouponbonds。TheshearsofAtroposwerenotmorefataltohumanlifethanthelongscissorswhichcutthelastcoupontotheleanproprietor,whosesliceofdrytoastitservedtoflatterwitholeomargarine。Doyouwonderthatmythoughtstookthepoeticalform,inthecontemplationofthesechangesandtheirmelancholyconsequences？Iftheentirepoem,ofseveralhundredlines,was\"declinedwiththanks\"byanunfeelingeditor,thatisnoreasonwhyyoushouldnothearaverseortwoofit。