JOSEPHINE, THE SONGSTRESS
217
there on missions which are often not very clear-all Josephine
would have to do is assume an attitude with her head thrown back,
mouth half open, and eyes tumed upward, signifying that she was
about to sing. She can do this wherever she pleases, it does not
have to be a place that can be seen from a distance, any obscure
corner chosen on the moment's whim will do just as well. The
news that she is going to sing will spread immediately, and proces–
sions are soon on the way. But frequently there will be obstacles,
for Josephine likes to sing especially in times of disturbance
when multifarious cares and troubles will have driven us upon
many different paths, and try as we may, we cannot gather together
as quickly as Josephine would like; and she may have to stand
there in that solemn attitude of hers for quite a while without
enough listeners present. Then she flies into such a rage, then she
stamps her feet, swears in a very unlady-like way, and even goes
as far as to bite. But even this sort of behavior does no harm to
her prestige in our eyes; instead of trying to keep her exaggerated
demands somewhat
in
check, we exert ourselves to satisfy them:
messengers will be sent out to bring more listeners, this being kept
secret from her; then people will be seen stationed on all the paths
round about to wave to the on-comers to hurry; and this will all go
on until barely enough of us have at last been collected together.
What makes the people go to so much trouble about Joseph–
ine? Such a question is no easier to answer than the one about her
singing, with which it is connected. The first question might even
be
cancelled and identified completely with the second one, if it
were possible to maintain that the people have surrendered them–
selves to Josephine unconditionally because of her singing. This,
however, is not the case. Our people hardly know what uncondi–
tional surrender means; people such as these, who love slyness
more than anything else, inoffensive slyness, of course, and child–
ish
whispering, and idle yet innocent gossip that does nothing more
than exercise the tongue-under no circumstances can such people
surrender themselves unconditionally. Josephine no doubt senses
this, and it is against this that she struggles with every effort of
her weak voice.
But general opinions of this kind should by no means be
over-estimated, for the people do surrender themselves to Joseph–
ine, only not unconditionally. It is not easy, for instance, to laugh
