the home book of verse-4-第5部分
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That lives in the babbling air so long！
There were tones in the voice that whispered then
You may hear to…day in a hundred men。
O lady and lover； how faint and far
Your images hover； … and here we are
Solid and stirring in flesh and bone； …
Edward's and Dorothy's … all their own； …
A goodly record for Time to show
Of a syllable spoken so long ago！ …
Shall I bless you； Dorothy； or forgive
For the tender whisper that bade me live？
It shall be a blessing； my little maid！
I will heal the stab of the Red…Coat's blade；
And freshen the gold of the tarnished frame；
And gild with a rhyme your household name；
So you shall smile on us brave and bright
As first you greeted the morning's light；
And live untroubled by woes and fears
Through a second youth of a hundred years。
Oliver Wendell Holmes ＇1809…1894＇
MY AUNT
My aunt！ my dear unmarried aunt！
Long years have o'er her flown；
Yet still she strains the aching clasp
That binds her virgin zone；
I know it hurts her； … though she looks
As cheerful as she can；
Her waist is ampler than her life；
For life is but a span。
My aunt！ my poor deluded aunt！
Her hair is almost gray；
Why will she train that winter curl
In such a spring…like way？
How can she lay her glasses down；
And say she reads as well；
When； through a double convex lens；
She just makes out to spell？
Her father； … grandpapa！ forgive
This erring lip its smiles； …
Vowed she should make the finest girl
Within a hundred miles；
He sent her to a stylish school；
'Twas in her thirteenth June；
And with her； as the rules required；
〃Two towels and a spoon。〃
They braced my aunt against a board；
To make her straight and tall；
They laced her up； they starved her down；
To make her light and small；
They pinched her feet； they singed her hair；
They screwed it up with pins； …
Oh； never mortal suffered more
In penance for her sins。
So； when my precious aunt was done；
My grandsire brought her back；
（By daylight； lest some rabid youth
Might follow on the track；）
〃Ah！〃 said my grandsire； as be shook
Some powder in his pan；
〃What could this lovely creature do
Against a desperate man！〃
Alas！ nor chariot； nor barouche；
Nor bandit cavalcade；
Tore from the trembling father's arms
His all…accomplished maid。
For her how happy had it been！
And Heaven had spared to me
To see one sad； ungathered rose
On my ancestral tree。
Oliver Wendell Holmes ＇1809…1894＇
THE LAST LEAF
I saw him once before；
As he passed by the door；
And again
The pavement stones resound；
As he totters o'er the ground
With his cane。
They say that in his prime；
Ere the pruning…knife of Time
Cut him down；
Not a better man was found
By the Crier on his round
Through the town。
But now he walks the streets；
And he looks at all he meets
Sad and wan；
And he shakes his feeble head；
That it seems as if he said；
〃They are gone。〃
The mossy marbles rest
On the lips that he has pressed
In their bloom；
And the names he loved to hear
Have been carved for many a year
On the tomb。
My grandmamma has said； …
Poor old lady； she is dead
Long ago； …
That he had a Roman nose；
And his cheek was like a rose
In the snow：
But now his nose is thin；
And it rests upon his chin
Like a staff；
And a crook is in his back；
And a melancholy crack
In his laugh。
I know it is a sin
For me to sit and grin
At him here；
But the old three…cornered hat；
And the breeches； and all that；
Are so queer！
And if I should live to be
The last leaf upon the tree
In the spring；
Let them smile； as I do now；
At the old forsaken bough
Where I cling。
Oliver Wendell Holmes ＇1809…1894＇
CONTENTMENT
〃Man wants but little here below〃
Little I ask； my wants are few；
I only wish a hut of stone；
（A very plain brown stone will do；）
That I may call my own； …
And close at hand is such a one；
In yonder street that fronts the sun。
Plain food is quite enough for me；
Three courses are as good as ten； …
If Nature can subsist on three；
Thank Heaven for three。 Amen！
I always thought cold victual nice； …
My choice would be vanilla…ice。
I care not much for gold or land； …
Give me a mortgage here and there； …
Some good bank…stock； some note of hand；
Or trifling railroad share； …
I only ask that Fortune send
A little more than I shall spend。
Honors are silly toys； I know；
And titles are but empty names；
I would； perhaps； be Plenipo； …
But only near St。 James；
I'm very sure I should not care
To fill our Gubernator's chair。
Jewels are baubles； 'tis a sin
To care for such unfruitful things； …
One good…sized diamond in a pin； …
Some； not so large； in rings； …
A ruby； and a pearl； or so；
Will do for me； … I laugh at show。
My dame should dress in cheap attire；
（Good heavy silks are never dear；） …
I own perhaps I might desire
Some shawls of true Cashmere； …
Some marrowy crapes of China silk；
Like wrinkled skins on scalded milk。
I would not have the horse I drive
So fast that folks must stop and stare；
An easy gait … two forty…five …
Suits me； I do not care； …
Perhaps； far just a single spurt；
Some seconds less would do no hurt。
Of pictures； I should like to own
Titians and Raphaels three or four； …
I love so much their style and tone； …
One Turner； and no more；
（A landscape； … foreground golden dirt； …
The sunshine painted with a squirt。）
Of books but few； … some fifty score
For daily use； and bound for wear；
The rest upon an upper floor； …
Some little luxury there
Of red morocco's gilded gleam；
And vellum rich as country cream。
Busts； cameos； gems； … such things as these；
Which others often show for pride；
I value for their power to please；
And selfish churls deride； …
One Stradivarius； I confess；
Two meerschaums； I would fain possess。
Wealth's wasteful tricks I will not learn；
Nor ape the glittering upstart fool； …
Shall not carved tables serve my turn；
But all must be of buhl？
Give grasping pomp its double share； …
I ask but one recumbent chair。
Thus humble let me live and die；
Nor long for Midas' golden touch；
If Heaven more generous gifts deny；
I shall not miss them much； …
Too grateful for the blessing lent
Of simple tastes and mind content！
Oliver Wendell Holmes ＇1809…1894＇
THE BOYS
Has there any old fellow got mixed with the boys？
If there has； take him out； without making a noise。
Hang the Almanac's cheat and the Catalogue's spite！
Old Time is a liar！ We're twenty to…night！
We're twenty！ We're twenty！ Who； says we are more？
He's tipsy； … young jackanapes！ … show him the door！
〃Gray temples at twenty？〃 … Yes！ white if we please！
Where the snow…flakes fall thickest there's nothing can freeze！
Was it snowing I spoke of？ Excuse the mistake！
Look close； … you will not see a sign of a flake！
We want some new garlands for those we have shed； …
And these are white roses in place of the red。
We've a trick； we young fellows； you may have been told；
Of talking （in public） as if we were old： …
That boy we call 〃Doctor；〃 and this we call 〃Judge；〃
It's a neat little fiction； … of course it's all fudge。
That fellow's the 〃Speaker；〃 … the one on the right；
〃Mr。 Mayor；〃 my young one； how are you to…night？
That's our 〃Member of Congress；〃 we say when we chaff；
There's the 〃Reverend〃 What's his name？ … don't make me laugh。
That boy with the grave mathematical look
Made believe he had written a wonderful book；
And the ROYAL SOCIETY thought it was true！
So they chose him right in； a good joke it was； too！
There's a boy； we pretend； with a three…decker brain；
That could harness a team with a logical chain；
When he spoke for our manhood in syllabled fire；
We called him 〃The Justice；〃 but now he's 〃The Squire。〃
And there's a nice youngster of excellent pith； …
Fate tried to conceal him by naming him Smith；
But he shouted a song for the brave and the free； …
Just read on his medal； 〃My country；〃 〃of thee！〃
You hear that boy laughing？ … You think he's all fun；
But the angels laugh； too； at the good he has done；
The children laugh loud as they troop to his call；
And the poor man that knows him laughs loudest of all！
Yes； we're boys； … always playing with tongue or with pen； …
And I sometimes have asked； … Shall we ever be men？
Shall we always be youthful； and laughing； and gay；
Till the last dear companion drops smiling away？
Then here's to our boyhood； its gold and its gray！
The stars of its winter； the dews of its May！
And when we have done with our life…lasting toys；
Dear Father； take care of thy children； The Boys！
Oliver Wendell Holmes ＇1809…1894＇
THE JOLLY OLD PEDAGOGUE
'Twas a jolly old pedagogue； long ago；
Tall and slender； and sallow and dry；
His form was bent； and his gait was slow；
His long； thin hair was as white as snow；
But a wonderful twinkle shone in his eye；
And he sang every night as he went to bed；
〃Let us be happy down here below：
The living should live； though the dead be dead；〃
Said the jolly old pedagogue； long ago。
He taught his scholars the rule of three；
Writing； and reading； and history； too；
He took the little ones up on his knee；
For a kind old heart in his breast had he；
And the wants of the littlest child he knew：
〃Learn while you're young；〃 he often said；
〃There is much to enjoy； down here below；
Life for the living； and rest for the dead！〃
Said the jolly old pedagogue； long ago。
With the stupidest boys he was kind and cool；
Speaking only in gentlest tones；
The rod was hardly known in his school 。 。 。
Whipping； to him； was a barbarous rule；
And too hard work for his poor old bon
