Fancies Versus FadsChesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith)
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Fancies Versus Fads
Chesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith)
English essays -- 20th century
What happens is something like this. The line of least resistance is
found between the two by a more subtle analysis of their real respective
aims. The intuitive eye of friendship detects a fine shade in the
feelings of the Hatter. The desire of his heart, when delicately
apprehended, is not necessarily that people should wear his hats, but
rather that they should buy them. On the other hand, even his
fanatically consistent colleague has no particular objection to a human
being purchasing a hat, so long as he does not wreck his health, blast
his prospects and generally blow his brains out, by the one suicidal act
of putting it on. Between them they construct a law called the Habitual
Hat-Pegs Act, which lays it down that every householder shall have not
less than twenty-three hat-pegs and that, lest these should accumulate
unwholesome dust, each must be covered by a hat in uninterrupted
occupation. Or the thing might be managed some other way; as by
arranging that a great modern nobleman should wear an accumulation of
hats, one on top of the other, in pleasing memory of what has often been
the itinerant occupation of his youth. Broadly, it would be enacted that
hats might be used in various ways; to take rabbits out of, as in the
case of conjurers, or put pennies into, as in the case of beggars, or
smash on the heads of scarecrows, or stick on the tops of poles; if only
it were guaranteed that as many citizens as possible should be forced to
go bareheaded. Thus, the two most powerful elements in the governing
class are satisfied; of which the first is finance and the second
fidgets. The Capitalist has made money; and he only wanted to make
money. The Social Reformer has done something; and he only wanted
something to do.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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