IsaidabovethattheattributesofAmericanlifewhichweshouldfinditnecessaryforourpurposetosignalizearesimplytheattributesofmodernlifeintheirmostexaggeratedphase。Istherenotacertainsenseinwhichallmodernhandiworkishastilyandimperfectlydone？Tobeginwithcommonhouseholdarts，doesnoteveryoneknowthatoldthingsaremoredurablethannewthings？Ourgrandfathersworebettershoesthanwewear，becausetherewasleisureenoughtocuretheleatherproperly。Inoldtimesachairwasmadeofseasonedwood，anditsjointscarefullyfitted；itsmakerhadleisuretoseethatitwaswellputtogether。Nowathousandareturnedoffatoncebymachinery，outofgreenwood，and，withtheirbacksgluedon，arehurriedofftotheirevilfate，——destinedtodropinpiecesiftheyhappentostandnearthefireplace，andliabletocollapseundertheweightofaheavyman。Someofusstillpreserve，asheirlooms，oldtablesandbedsteadsofCromwelliantimes:inthetwenty-firstcenturywhatwillhavebecomeofourmachine-madebedsteadsandtables？
Perhapsitmayseemoddtotalkabouttanningandjoineryinconnectionwithculture，butindeedthereisasubtlebondofunionholdingtogetherallthesethings。Anyphaseoflifecanbeunderstoodonlybyassociatingwithitsomedifferentphase。
Sokrateshimselfhastaughtushowthehomelythingsillustratethegrandthings。IfweturntotheartofmusicalcompositionandinquireintosomeofthedifferencesbetweenourrecentmusicandthatofHandel’stime，weshallalightupontheverycriticismwhichMr。Millsomewheremakesincomparingancientwithmodernliterature:thesubstancehasimproved，buttheformhasinsomerespectsdeteriorated。Themodernmusicexpressestheresultsofaricherandmorevariedemotionalexperience，andinwealthofharmonicresources，tosaynothingofincreasedskillinorchestration，itisnotablysuperiortotheoldmusic。Alongwiththisadvance，however，thereisaperceptiblefallingoffinsymmetryandcompletenessofdesign，andinwhatIwouldcallspontaneousnessofcomposition。Ibelievethatthisisbecausemoderncomposers，asarule，donotdrudgepatientlyenoughuponcounterpoint。TheydonotgetthatabsolutemasteryovertechnicaldifficultiesoffigurationwhichwasthegreatsecretoftheincrediblefacilityandspontaneityofcompositiondisplayedbyHandelandBach。AmongrecentmusiciansMendelssohnisthemostthoroughlydisciplinedintheelementsofcounterpoint；anditisthisperfectmasteryofthetechniqueofhisartwhichhasenabledhimtooutrankSchubertandSchumann，neitherofwhomwouldoneventuretopronounceinferiortohiminnativewealthofmusicalideas。MaywenotpartlyattributetorudimentarydeficiencyincounterpointtheirregularityofstructurewhichsooftendisfigurestheworksofthegreatWagnerandthelesserLiszt，andwhichthemoreardentadmirersofthesecomposersareinclinedtoregardasasymptomofprogress？
Iamtoldthatasimilarillustrationmightbedrawnfromthemodernhistoryofpainting；that，howevernobletheconceptionsofthegreatpaintersofthepresentcentury，therearenonewhohavegainedsuchacompletemasteryoverthetechnicalitiesofdrawingandthehandlingofthebrushaswasrequiredinthetimesofRaphael，Titian，andRubens。ButonthispointIcanonlyspeakfromhearsay，andamquitewillingtoendheremyseriesofillustrations，fearingthatImayalreadyhavebeenwronglysetdownasalavulatortemporisacti。Nottheidlepraisingoftimesgoneby，butthegettingalessonfromthemwhichmaybeofusetous，hasbeenmyobject。AndIbelieveenoughhasbeensaidtoshowthatthegreatcomplexityofmodernlife，withitsmultiplicityofdemandsuponourenergy，hasgotusintoastateofchronichurry，theresultsofwhichareeverywheretobeseenintheshapeoflessthoroughworkmanshipandlessroundedculture。
Foronemomentletmestoptonoteafurthersourceoftherelativeimperfectionofmodernculture，whichisbestillustratedinthecaseofliterature。Ialludetotheimmense，unorganizedmassofliteratureinalldepartments，representingtheaccumulatedacquisitionsofpastages，whichmustformthebasisofourownachievement，butwithwhichourpresentmethodsofeducationseeminadequatetodealproperly。Speakingroughly，modernliteraturemaybesaidtobegettingintothestatewhichRomanjurisprudencewasinbeforeitwasreformedbyJustinian。