roundabout papers-第59部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


t　the　Gate　of　David；　in　his　fathers'　once　imperial　city。　　The　man　I　mean　was　an　itinerant　vender　and　purchaser　of　wardrobeswhat　you　call　an　。　。　。　Enough！　　You　know　his　name。　On　his　left　shoulder　hung　his　bag；　and　he　held　in　that　hand　a　white　hat；　which　I　am　sure　he　had　just　purchased；　and　which　was　the　cause　of　the　grief　which　smote　his　noble　features。　　Of　course　I　cannot　particularize　the　sum；　but　he　had　given　too　much　for　that　hat。　　He　felt　he　might　have　got　the　thing　for　less　money。　　It　was　not　the　amount；　I　am　sure；　it　was　the　principle　involved。　　He　had　given　fourpence　（let　us　say）　for　that　which　threepence　would　have　purchased。　　He　had　been　done：　and　a　manly　shame　was　upon　him；　that　he；　whose　energy；　acuteness；　experience；　point　of　honor；　should　have　made　him　the　victor　in　any　mercantile　duel　in　which　he　should　engage；　had　been　overcome　by　a　porter's　wife；　who　very　likely　sold　him　the　old　hat；　or　by　a　student　who　was　tired　of　it。　　I　can　understand　his　grief。　　Do　I　seem　to　be　speaking　of　it　in　a　disrespectful　or　flippant　way？　　Then　you　mistake　me。　　He　had　been　outwitted。　　He　had　desired；　coaxed；　schemed；　haggled；　got　what　he　wanted；　and　now　found　he　had　paid　too　much　for　his　bargain。　　You　don't　suppose　I　would　ask　you　to　laugh　at　that　man's　grief？　　It　is　you；　clumsy　cynic；　who　are　disposed　to　sneer；　whilst　it　may　be　tears　of　genuine　sympathy　are　trickling　down　this　nose　of　mine。　　What　do　you　mean　by　laughing？　　If　you　saw　a　wounded　soldier　on　the　field　of　battle；　would　you　laugh？　　If　you　saw　a　ewe　robbed　of　her　lamb；　would　you　laugh；　you　brute？　　It　is　you　who　are　the　cynic；　and　have　no　feeling：　and　you　sneer　because　that　grief　is　unintelligible　to　you　which　touches　my　finer　sensibility。　　The　OLD…CLOTHES'…MAN　had　been　defeated　in　one　of　the　daily　battles　of　his　most　interesting；　chequered；　adventurous　life。　Have　you　ever　figured　to　yourself　what　such　a　life　must　be？　　The　pursuit　and　conquest　of　twopence　must　be　the　most　eager　and　fascinating　of　occupations。　　We　might　all　engage　in　that　business　if　we　would。　　Do　not　whist…players；　for　example；　toil；　and　think；　and　lose　their　temper　over　sixpenny　points？　　They　bring　study；　natural　genius；　long　forethought；　memory；　and　careful　historical　experience　to　bear　upon　their　favorite　labor。　　Don't　tell　me　that　it　is　the　sixpenny　points；　and　five　shillings　the　rub；　which　keeps　them　for　hours　over　their　painted　pasteboard。　　It　is　the　desire　to　conquer。　Hours　pass　by。　　Night　glooms。　　Dawn；　it　may　be；　rises　unheeded；　and　they　sit　calling　for　fresh　cards　at　the　〃Portland；〃　or　the　〃Union；〃　while　waning　candles　splutter　in　the　sockets；　and　languid　waiters　snooze　in　the　ante…room。　　Sol　rises。　　Jones　has　lost　four　pounds：　Brown　has　won　two；　Robinson　lurks　away　to　his　family　house　and　（mayhap　indignant）　Mrs。　R。　　Hours　of　evening；　night；　morning；　have　passed　away　whilst　they　have　been　waging　this　sixpenny　battle。　　What　is　the　loss　of　four　pounds　to　Jones；　the　gain　of　two　to　Brown？　　B。　is；　perhaps；　so　rich　that　two　pounds　more　or　less　are　as　naught　to　him；　J。　is　so　hopelessly　involved　that　to　win　four　pounds　cannot　benefit　his　creditors；　or　alter　his　condition；　but　they　play　for　that　stake：　they　put　forward　their　best　energies：　they　ruff；　finesse　（what　are　the　technical　words；　and　how　do　I　know？）　　It　is　but　a　sixpenny　game　if　you　like；　but　they　want　to　win　it。　　So　as　regards　my　friend　yonder　with　the　hat。　　He　stakes　his　money：　he　wishes　to　win　the　game；　not　the　hat　merely。　　I　am　not　prepared　to　say　that　he　is　not　inspired　by　a　noble　ambition。　　Caesar　wished　to　be　first　in　a　village。　　If　first　of　a　hundred　yokels；　why　not　first　of　two？　　And　my　friend　the　old…clothes'…man　wishes　to　win　his　game；　as　well　as　to　turn　his　little　sixpence。　Suppose　in　the　game　of　lifeand　it　is　but　a　twopenny　game　after　allyou　are　equally　eager　of　winning。　　Shall　you　be　ashamed　of　your　ambition；　or　glory　in　it？　　There　are　games；　too；　which　are　becoming　to　particular　periods　of　life。　　I　remember　in　the　days　of　our　youth；　when　my　friend　Arthur　Bowler　was　an　eminent　cricketer。　　Slim；　swift；　strong；　well…built；　he　presented　a　goodly　appearance　on　the　ground　in　his　flannel　uniform。　　Militasti　non　sine　gloria；　Bowler　my　boy！　Hush！　　We　tell　no　tales。　　Mum　is　the　word。　　Yonder　comes　Chancy　his　son。　　Now　Chancy　his　son　has　taken　the　field　and　is　famous　among　the　eleven　of　his　school。　　Bowler　senior；　with　his　capacious　waistcoat；　&c。；　waddling　after　a　ball；　would　present　an　absurd　object；　whereas　it　does　the　eyes　good　to　see　Bowler　junior　scouring　the　plaina　young　exemplar　of　joyful　health；　vigor；　activity。　　The　old　boy　wisely　contents　himself　with　amusements　more　becoming　his　age　and　waist；　takes　his　sober　ride；　visits　his　farm　soberlybusies　himself　about　his　pigs；　his　ploughing；　his　peaches；　or　what　not！　　Very　small　routinier　amusements　interest　him；　and　（thank　goodness！）　nature　provides　very　kindly　for　kindly…disposed　fogies。　　We　relish　those　things　which　we　scorned　in　our　lusty　youth。　　I　see　the　young　folks　of　an　evening　kindling　and　glowing　over　their　delicious　novels。　　I　look　up　and　watch　the　eager　eye　flashing　down　the　page；　being；　for　my　part；　perfectly　contented　with　my　twaddling　old　volume　of　〃Howel's　Letters；〃　or　the　Gentleman's　Magazine。　　I　am　actually　arrived　at　such　a　calm　frame　of　mind　that　I　like　batter…pudding。　　I　never　should　have　believed　it　possible；　but　it　is　so。　　Yet　a　little　while；　and　I　may　relish　water…gruel。　　It　will　be　the　age　of　mon　lait　de　poule　et　mon　bonnet　de　nuit。　　And　thenthe　cotton　extinguisher　is　pulled　over　the　old　noddle；　and　the　little　flame　of　life　is　popped　out。　Don't　you　know　elderly　people　who　make　learned　notes　in　Army　Lists；　Peerages；　and　the　like？　　This　is　the　batter…pudding；　water…gruel　of　old　age。　　The　worn…out　old　digestion　does　not　care　for　stronger　food。　　Formerly　it　could　swallow　twelve…hours'　tough　reading；　and　digest　an　encyclopaedia。　If　I　had　children　to　educate；　I　would；　at　ten　or　twelve　years　of　age；　have　a　professor；　or　professoress；　of　whist　for　them；　and　cause　them　to　be　well　grounded　in　that　great　and　useful　game。　　You　cannot　learn　it　well　when　you　are　old；　any　more　than　you　can　learn　dancing　or　billiards。　　In　our　house　at　home　we　youngsters　did　not　play　whist　because　we　were　dear　obedient　children；　and　the　elders　said　playing　at　cards　was　〃a　waste　of　time。〃　　A　waste　of　time；　my　good　people！　Allons！　　What　do　elderly　home…keeping　people　do　of　a　night　after　dinner？　　Darby　gets　his　newspaper；　my　dear　Joan　her　Missionary　Magazine　or　her　volume　of　Cumming's　Sermonsand　don't　you　know　what　ensues？　　Over　the　arm　of　Darby's　arm…chair　the　paper　flutters　to　the　ground　unheeded；　and　he　performs　the　trumpet　obligato　que　vous　savez　on　his　old　nose。　　My　dear　old　Joan's　head　nods　over　her　sermon　（awakening　though　the　doctrine　may　be）。　　Ding；　ding；　ding：　can　that　be　ten　o'clock？　　It　is　time　to　send　the　servants　to　bed；　my　dear　and　to　bed　master　and　mistress　go　too。　　But　they　have　not　wasted　their　time　playing　at　cards。　　Oh；　no！　　I　belong　to　a　Club　where　there　is　whist　of　a　night；　and　not　a　little　amusing　is　it　to　hear　Brown　speak　of　Thompson's　play；　and　vice　versa。　　But　there　is　one　manGreatorex　let　us　call　himwho　is　the　acknowledged　captain　and　primus　of　all　the　whist…players。　　We　all　secretly　admire　him。　　I；　for　my　part；　watch　him　in　private　life；　hearken　to　what　he　says；　note　what　he　orders　for　dinner；　and　have　that　feeling　of　awe　for　him　that　I　used　to　have　as　a　boy　for　the　cock　of　the　school。　　Not　play　at　whist？　　〃Quelle　triste　vieillesse　vous　vous　preparez！〃　were　the　words　of　the　great　and　good　Bishop　of　Autun。　　I　can't。　　It　is　too　late　now。　　Too　late！　too　late！　　Ah！　humiliating　confession！　　That　joy　might　have　been　clutched；　but　the　life…stream　has　swept　us　by　itthe　swift　life…stream　rushing　to　the　nearing　sea。　　Too　late！　too　late！　　Twentystone　my　boy！　when　you　read　in　the　papers　〃Valse　a　deux　temps；〃　and　all　the　fashionable　dances　taught　to　adults　by　〃Miss　Lightfoots；〃　don't　you　feel　that　you　would　like　to　go　in　and　learn？　Ah；　it　is　too　late！　　You　have　passed　the　choreas；　Master　Twentystone；　and　the　young　people　are　dancing　without　you。　I　don't　believe　much　of　what　my　Lord　Byron　the　poet　says；　but　when　he　wrote；　〃So　for　a　good　old　gentlemanly　vice；　I　think　I　shall　put　up　with　avarice；〃　I　think　his　lordship　meant　what　he　wrote；　and　if　he　practised　what　he　preached；　shall　not　quarrel　with　him。　　As　an　occupation　in　declining　years；　I　declare　I　think　saving　is　useful；　amusing；　and　not　unbecoming。　　It　must　be　a　perpetual　amusement。　　It　is　a　game　that　can　be　played　by　day；　by　night；　at　home　and　abroad；　and　at　which　you　must　win　in　the　long　run。　　I　am　tired　and　want　a　cab。　　The　fare　to　my　house；　say；　is　two　shillings。　　The　cabman　will　naturally　want　half　a　crown。　　I　pull　out　my　book。　　I　show　him　the　distance　is　exactly　three　miles　and　fifteen　hundred　and　ninety　yards。　　I　offer　him　my　cardmy　winning　card。　　As　he　retires　with　the　two　shillings；　blaspheming　inwardly；　every　curse　is　a　compliment　to　my　skill。　　I　have　played　him　and　beat　him；　and　a　sixpence　is　my　spoil　and　just　reward。　　This　is　a　game；　by　the　way；　which　women　play　far　more　cleverly　than　we　do。　　But　what　an　interest　it　imparts　to　life！　　During　the　whole　drive　home　I　know　I　shall　have　my　game　at　the　journey's　end；　am　sure　of　my　hand；　and　shall　beat　my　adversary。　Or　I　can　play　in　another　way。　　I　won't　have　a　cab　at　all；　I　will　wait　for　the　omnibus：　I　will　be　one　of　the　damp　fourteen　in　that　steaming　vehicle。　　I　will　wait　about　in　the　rain　for　an　hour；　and　'bus　after　'bus　shall　pass；　but　I　will　not　be　beat。　　I　WILL　have　a　place；　and　get　it　at　length；　with　my　boots　wet　through；　and　an　umbrella　dripping　between　my　legs。　　I　have　a　rheumatism；　a　cold；　a　sore　throat；　a　sulky　evening；a　doctor's　bill　to…morrow　perhaps？　Yes；　but　I　have　won　my　game；　and　am　gainer　of　a　shilling　on　this　rubber。　If　you　play　this　game　all　through　life　it　is　wonderful　what　daily　interest　it　has；　and　amusing　occupation。　　For　instance；　my　wife　goes　to　sleep　after　dinner　over　her　volume　of　sermons。　　As　soon　as　the　dear　soul　is　sound　asleep；　I　advance　softly　and　puff　out　her　candle。　Her　pure　dreams　will　be　all　the　happier　without　that　light；　and；　say　she　sleeps　an　hour；　there　is　a　penny　gained。　As　for　clothes；　parbleu！　there　is　not　much　money　to　be　saved　in　clothes；　for　the　fact　i