ReadingHenryHenry'snovels,thereisalwaysarelaxedbutcannotwaittofeel,iseasy,becausehisstoryisnotheavy,andthatcannotwait,butalsobecauseIalwayseagertoknowthetruth,Lookatthisseemstobenotlogical,unexpected,butreasonable,intriguingend.
Amongthem,themostfamous,is"Maggie'sgift."Inthebeginning,theauthorfocusesonthegoldenwatchofJamesDillinghamYoungandhiswife,andthehairofDraco.Hewrote:"IftheQueenofShebalivedintheapartmentoppositethecourtyard,onedayDelawillbethehairloosedown,exposingthewindowtodry,sothattheQueen'spearlbabyeclipsed;ifthebasementfilledwithAndwhenhepassedby,hewouldworkoutagoldwatch,sothatKingSolomonmightbejealouswithhisbeardedeyes."Thecouplelivedinpoverty,butfellinlovewithoneanother,TheotheraChristmasgift,Jimsoldthetable,buyacomb,andhiswifehassoldhishair,boughtabracelet.Atthebeginningofthisperiod,Ireallyforthecouplegrievances,strenuousthoughtforeachothertobuyagift,butbecameagreatirony.Therichcanspendasmuchmoney,butthepoorhavetousetheirmostvaluablethingtoexchange.ButasIread,Iwrote,"Asyouknow,MaggieisawisemanandawisemanwhobringspresentstoJesuswhowasborninthemanger,Sincetheyaresmartpeople,thereisnodoubtthattheirgiftsarealsosmartgifts,ifyourunintotwothingsexactlythesame,mayalsohavetherighttoexchangehere,IhavebeenawkwardtointroduceyoutotheItwasnotsurprisingthatthetwosillychildrenintheapartmentsuitewerenotsurprisedbytheplainstory,andtheysacrificedthemostpreciousthingintheirhouseforthesakeoftheother,butletussaythelastwordtothepresentwiseman,Thetwoofthemarethecleverest,thesmartestofallthosewhogiveandreceivegifts,likethetwoofthem.Wherevertheyare,theyarethesmartestpeople.Maggie."
Yes,onthefaceofit,theyaremostunwisetosacrificethemostpreciousthingsoftheirhometoeachother.Buttheirloveforeachotheristhepriceofmoney,moneycannotbeexchangedforthetruth,theChristmasgiftisjustasymbol,buttherallyofloveisindeedabovethecrowd.TheycanbecalledMaggie-thespreadoflovefortheworldsenttheGospelofthesaints.Theysymbolizethisvaluablequality,intheauthor'sview,thisistheworld'smostintelligentthings.
Theendofthisparagraph,istheEuropean-Henrylittleendofthecomments,butenoughtoseetheauthor'spraiseoftruelove,Ibelievetheworldhasthetruth,thehopeofabetterworld.
Inthisbook,Imostlike,thereare"nobleliar"series,JiePuPetersandAnDaithesetwoliars,inthe"precisemarriage","charitymathematicslecture","Artconscientiousness"and"tigertoothextraction",throughvariousexoticmethodsofdeception,andsometimesatthebeginningorend,youalwaysthoughtthatthetwowilldosomethinggoodwhilecheating,suchastwothousanddollarstoMrs.TrotterTogetmarried,ortodotheschool,butintheend,themoneyortotheirhands,itisironic.Butinanycase,forthesetwoliars,buthowIhateit.Ithinkthereasonliesinthefollowingpassage:"Yougotochurchinyourhometown,doworship,andbehavelikeadecentcitizen,butyoucometoChicagoandwanttodepriveothersofmoney."Thosepeoplearethesamekindofvillainsasyouwanttobetoday.Youknow,thepeoplewhosellcounterfeitmoneyisalsoasmallold,relyonhisbreadwinner.Itispreciselybecauseyouthesehypocriticalcitizensspecificallywanttogetsomethingfornothing,onlytocontributetotheIfyoudonothavethem,youhavenothingtodo.You'regoingtorobthemansellingcounterfeitmoney,anditmaytakeyearstostudytheindustry.Ifhegetsthemoney,youcangotothepolice,andyougethismoney,hehadnochoicebuttoutterasilent,pawnhiscoatwillbereplacedforachangeofcourse,hewilltakethemoney,"ThisisMr.Tucker'srole,anditistheinnerwordsofJeppePeters.Humannatureisgood,nooneisborntobebad,butitispreciselybecausethesewanttogetsomethingforthehypocrites,capitalists,onlytomakethepoorpeoplearehelpless,theyareforcedbylife,forcedtocheat.Thepeopletheycheated,butalsotakemostoftheill-gottengains,thetwouseofgreed,goodandvanity,indolentmind,withtheirfreedom,moneyandevenlifeasabargainingchip,tomakealiving,forthem,Whatreallyhatefulplace?TheauthorofthedarkcorruptAmericansociety,isthebiggestliar,isthesourceofevil.
Inaddition,thereare"flashy","carwaitingtime,"thetwoarticlessidebyside,aencounter,therealupperclasstohidetheiridentity,thepoorhavetheirownillusoryintotherich,whichcanbeseenatthetimetheUnitedStatesThesocialatmosphere-moneyfirst.Thistrendisstillprevalentinmanyplaces,islamentable.ThisistheinnercontradictionofEuropeHenry,ontheonehand,hebelievedandpraisedthetrueloveofmankind,suchas"Maggie'sGift","LoveDedication","BearJohnTom'sAncestralPhenomenon",Hesatirizedtheworldofthingsunpredictable,hypocriticalcunningside,suchas"withfurniturerentalroom""twoThanksgivinggentleman."Inhispen,thebadguyshavegoodside,andtheso-calledgentleman,powerfulpeople,istherealforcesofdarkness.Suchas"re-life"inJimmy,"thetiger'smouthextraction"inthehardwaregiant.Thisisobviouslynotconsistentwiththelogicofordinarypeoplecanbereaddown,lookatthecommunity,thisisthetruth.PerhapspeoplemarvelattheingeniouswritingofHenryHenry,butmoreofashocktothedarksideofsocietyinwhichweareloomingbutnoonedarestofaceit.