The Glebe 1914/04 (Vol. 2, No. 1): CollectsTraubel, Horace
General
The Glebe 1914/04 (Vol. 2, No. 1): Collects
Traubel, Horace
American essays -- 20th century; Literature, Modern -- 20th century -- Periodicals
To leave no door unopened. Do you know what that means? It means to
leave no heart unopened. To leave no income unopened. To leave no book
or picture or song unopened. It is a challenge. You are to trust
yourself to love not to a lock. You are to trust yourself to people not
to yourself. You are to trust yourself to the whole not to a part. You
will no longer trust yourself to your dollars. You will no longer fasten
yourself in. You will no longer worry to-night wondering about to-morrow
morning or worry to-morrow morning wondering about sundown. You have
great evidences. The vast properties. The cities and the farms. The
railroads and the telegraphs. The sure and the counterfeit. They are
immense. They cant be counted up. But there are better evidences. You
dont quote them. You sneer at them or you pass them by. The people. They
are better evidences. The love of the people. The idealism of the
people. The revolt of the people. They are better evidences. After all
your buildings are set on the ground. Your riches are hidden dead in
vaults. But the people are vital and flowing. People make houses. But
have houses ever made people? I have seen houses so large they became
aware of their littleness. I have seen people so modest they became
aware of their immeasurability. We have made our towns ruthless. They
are not fit to live in. We expect people to live in them without love.
We can live nowhere without love. It may be necessary to sweep half our
world away in the interest of the other half. It may be necessary to
stampede all values. To abrogate all treaties. To repeal all laws. To
annul all respectabilities. All in the interest of life. We have to open
all doors. No plea can resist this purpose. As sure as the sun comes up
this will come up. You have planned your world. But you have left love
out. You want everything protected. Especially property. Property. I say
take all your protectives off property. I say put all your protectives
on people. If no one owns no one will steal. If all own all will be fed.
Every time you write a deed a door is closed. Every time you repudiate
possession a door is opened. If you take down your shutters you will
find it is day. Matters have gone on farther than you suppose. Farther
towards love. Give them a show. Forget that you are a proprietor and
remember that you are a man. Forget that you own anything and remember
that you are something. I dont advise you to destroy your properties. I
only say: Take your name off them. How much better it looks not to be a
boss or a superior. How much more like opening doors. How much more like
fraternity. We cant have a world of brothers as long as any door is
closed any where against any body. Nor while any piece of land or goods
or any power of man's arms or brains is closed against any body. This
has got to be made a wide open world. I dont care where profits go. Nor
where privileges. Nor what becomes of the elect. Nor whether anyone ever
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