Prev | Current Page 169 | Next

London, Jack, 1876-1916

"Revolution, and Other Essays"

The inside was hollow. This hollow in some places
was filled with clay and loose gravel. In other places it was filled
with air and emptiness, with here and there a piece of kindling-wood
or dry-goods box, to aid in the making of the shell. The walls were
lies. They were beautiful, but they were not useful. Construction
and decoration had been divorced. The walls were all decoration.
They hadn't any construction in them. "As God lets Satan live," I
let that lying man live, but--I have built new walls from the
foundation up.
And now to my own house beautiful, which I shall build some seven or
ten years from now. I have a few general ideas about it. It must be
honest in construction, material, and appearance. If any feature of
it, despite my efforts, shall tell lies, I shall remove that feature.
Utility and beauty must be indissolubly wedded. Construction and
decoration must be one. If the particular details keep true to these
general ideas, all will be well.
I have not thought of many details.


Pages:
157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181