Shapes of Clay

by Ambrose Bierce

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Front Matter

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[Illustration: Ambrose Bierce.]

SHAPES OF CLAY

BY

AMBROSE BIERCE

AUTHOR OF "IN THE MIDST OF LIFE," "CAN SUCH THINGS BE?" "BLACK BEETLES
IN AMBER," AND "FANTASTIC FABLES"

1903

DEDICATION.

WITH PRIDE IN THEIR WORK, FAITH IN THEIR FUTURE AND AFFECTION FOR
THEMSELVES, AN OLD WRITER DEDICATES THIS BOOK TO HIS YOUNG FRIENDS AND
PUPILS, GEORGE STERLING AND HERMAN SCHEFFAUER. A.B.

PREFACE.

Some small part of this book being personally censorious, and in that
part the names of real persons being used without their assent, it seems
fit that a few words be said of the matter in sober prose. What it seems
well to say I have already said with sufficient clarity in the preface
of another book, somewhat allied to this by that feature of its
character. I quote from "Black Beetles in Amber:"

"Many of the verses in this book are republished, with considerable
alterations, from various newspapers. Of my motives in writing and in
now republishing I do not care to make either defence or explanation,
except with reference to those who since my first censure of them have
passed away. To one having only a reader's interest in the matter it may
easily seem that the verses relating to those might properly have been
omitted from this collection. But if these pieces, or indeed, if any
considerable part of my work in literature, have the intrinsic worth
which by this attempt to preserve some of it I have assumed, their
permanent suppression is impossible, and it is only a question of when
and by whom they will be republished. Some one will surely search them
out and put them in circulation.

"I conceive it the right of an author to have his fugitive work
collected in his lifetime; and this seems to me especially true of one
whose work, necessarily engendering animosities, is peculiarly exposed
to challenge as unjust. That is a charge that can best be examined
before time has effaced the evidence. For the death of a man of whom
I have written what I may venture to think worthy to live I am no way
responsible; and however sincerely I may regret it, I can hardly consent
that it shall affect my literary fortunes. If the satirist who does not
accept the remarkable doctrine that, while condemning the sin he should
spare the sinner, were bound to let the life of his work be coterminous
with that of his subject his were a lot of peculiar hardship.

"Persuaded of the validity of all this I have not hesitated to reprint
even certain 'epitaphs' which, once of the living, are now of the dead,
as all the others must eventually be. The objection inheres in all forms
of applied satire--my understanding of whose laws and liberties is at
least derived from reverent study of the masters. That in respect of
matters herein mentioned I have but followed their practice can be shown
by abundant instance and example."

In arranging these verses for publication I have thought it needless
to classify them according to character, as "Serious," "Comic,"
"Sentimental," "Satirical," and so forth. I do the reader the honor to
think that he will readily discern the nature of what he is reading;
and I entertain the hope that his mood will accommodate itself without
disappointment to that of his author.

AMBROSE BIERCE.

CONTENTS.

THE PASSING SHOW

ELIXIR VITAE

CONVALESCENT

AT THE CLOSE OF THE CANVASS

NOVUM ORGANUM

GEOTHEOS

YORICK

A VISION OF DOOM

POLITICS

POESY

IN DEFENSE

AN INVOCATION

RELIGION

A MORNING FANCY

VISIONS OF SIN

THE TOWN OF DAE

AN ANARCHIST

AN OFFER OF MARRIAGE

ARMA VIRUMQUE

ON A PROPOSED CREMATORY

A DEMAND

THE WEATHER WIGHT

T.A.H.

MY MONUMENT

MAD

HOSPITALITY

FOR A CERTAIN CRITIC

RELIGIOUS PROGRESS

MAGNANIMITY

TO HER

TO A SUMMER POET

ARTHUR MCEWEN

CHARLES AND PETER

CONTEMPLATION

CREATION

BUSINESS

A POSSIBILITY

TO A CENSOR

THE HESITATING VETERAN

A YEAR'S CASUALTIES

INSPIRATION

TO-DAY

AN ALIBI

REBUKE

J.F.B.

THE DYING STATESMAN

THE DEATH OF GRANT

THE FOUNTAIN REFILLED

LAUS LUCIS

NANINE

TECHNOLOGY

A REPLY TO A LETTER

TO OSCAR WILDE

PRAYER

A "BORN LEADER OF MEN"

TO THE BARTHOLDI STATUE

AN UNMERRY CHRISTMAS

BY A DEFEATED LITIGANT

AN EPITAPH

THE POLITICIAN

AN INSCRIPTION

FROM VIRGINIA TO PARIS

A "MUTE INGLORIOUS MILTON"

THE FREE TRADER'S LAMENT

SUBTERRANEAN PHANTASIES

IN MEMORIAM

THE STATESMEN

THE BROTHERS

THE CYNIC'S BEQUEST

CORRECTED NEWS

AN EXPLANATION

JUSTICE

MR. FINK'S DEBATING DONKEY

TO MY LAUNDRESS

FAME

OMNES VANITAS

ASPIRATION

DEMOCRACY

THE NEW "ULALUME"

CONSOLATION

FATE

PHILOSOPHER BIMM

REMINDED

SALVINI IN AMERICA

ANOTHER WAY

ART

AN ENEMY TO LAW AND ORDER

TO ONE ACROSS THE WAY

THE DEBTOR ABROAD

FORESIGHT

A FAIR DIVISION

GENESIS

LIBERTY

THE PASSING OF "BOSS" SHEPHERD

TO MAUDE

THE BIRTH OF VIRTUE

STONEMAN IN HEAVEN

THE SCURRIL PRESS

STANLEY

ONE OF THE UNFAIR SEX

THE LORD'S PRAYER ON A COIN

A LACKING FACTOR

THE ROYAL JESTER

A CAREER IN LETTERS

THE FOLLOWING PAIR

POLITICAL ECONOMY

VANISHED AT COCK-CROW

THE UNPARDONABLE SIN

INDUSTRIAL DISCONTENT

TEMPORA MUTANTUR

CONTENTMENT

THE NEW ENOCH

DISAVOWAL

AN AVERAGE

WOMAN

INCURABLE

THE PUN

A PARTISAN'S PROTEST

TO NANINE

VICE VERSA

A BLACK-LIST

A BEQUEST TO MUSIC

AUTHORITY

THE PSORIAD

ONEIROMANCY

PEACE

THANKSGIVING

L'AUDACE

THE GOD'S VIEW-POINT

THE AESTHETES

JULY FOURTH

WITH MINE OWN PETARD

CONSTANCY

SIRES AND SONS

A CHALLENGE

TWO SHOWS

A POET'S HOPE

THE WOMAN AND THE DEVIL

TWO ROGUES

BEECHER

NOT GUILTY

PRESENTIMENT

A STUDY IN GRAY

A PARADOX

FOR MERIT

A BIT OF SCIENCE

THE TABLES TURNED

TO A DEJECTED POET

A FOOL

THE HUMORIST

MONTEFIORE

A WARNING

DISCRETION

AN EXILE

THE DIVISION SUPERINTENDENT

PSYCHOGRAPHS

TO A PROFESSIONAL EULOGIST

FOR WOUNDS

ELECTION DAY

THE MILITIAMAN

A LITERARY METHOD

A WELCOME

A SERENADE

THE WISE AND GOOD

THE LOST COLONEL

FOR TAT

A DILEMMA

METEMPSYCHOSIS

THE SAINT AND THE MONK

THE OPPOSING SEX

A WHIPPER-IN

JUDGMENT

THE FALL OF MISS LARKIN

IN HIGH LIFE

A BUBBLE

A RENDEZVOUS

FRANCINE

AN EXAMPLE

REVENGE

THE GENESIS OF EMBARRASSMENT

IN CONTUMACIAM

RE-EDIFIED

A BULLETIN

FROM THE MINUTES

WOMAN IN POLITICS

TO AN ASPIRANT

A BALLAD OF PIKEVILLE

A BUILDER

AN AUGURY

LUSUS POLITICUS

BEREAVEMENT

AN INSCRIPTION

A PICKBRAIN

CONVALESCENT

THE NAVAL CONSTRUCTOR

DETECTED

BIMETALISM

THE RICH TESTATOR

TWO METHODS

FOUNDATIONS OF THE STATE

IN IMPOSTER

UNEXPOUNDED

FRANCE

THE EASTERN QUESTION

A GUEST

A FALSE PROPHECY

TWO TYPES

SOME ANTE-MORTEM EPITAPHS

A HYMN OF THE MANY

ONE MORNING

AN ERROR

AT THE "NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT"

THE KING OF BORES

HISTORY

THE HERMIT

TO A CRITIC OF TENNYSON

THE YEARLY LIE

CO-OPERATION

AN APOLOGUE

DIAGNOSIS

FALLEN

DIES IRAE

THE DAY OF WRATH

ONE MOOD'S EXPRESSION

SOMETHING IN THE PAPERS

IN THE BINNACLE

HUMILITY

ONE PRESIDENT

THE BRIDE

STRAINED RELATIONS

THE MAN BORN BLIND

A NIGHTMARE

A WET SEASON

THE CONFEDERATE FLAGS

HAEC FARULA DOCET

EXONERATION

AZRAEL

AGAIN

HOMO PODUNKENSIS

A SOCIAL CALL

SHAPES OF CLAY