the professor at the breakfast table-第15部分

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which　proclaims；　first　of　all；　peace　and　good…will　to　men；　and；　next

to　that；　the　absolute；　unconditional　spiritual　liberty　of　each

individual　immortal　soul！　　The　three…hilled　city　against　the　seven…

hilled　city！　　That　is　it；　Sir；nothing　less　than　that；　and　if　you

know　what　that　means；　I　don't　think　you'll　ask　for　anything　more。　　I

swear　to　you；　Sir；　I　believe　that　these　two　centres　of　civilization

are　just　exactly　the　two　points　that　close　the　circuit　in　the　battery

of　our　planetary　intelligence！　　And　I　believe　there　are　spiritual

eyes　looking　out　from　Uranus　and　unseen　Neptune；ay；　Sir；　from　the

systems　of　Sirius　and　Arcturus　and　Aldebaran；　and　as　far　as　that

faint　stain　of　sprinkled　worlds　confluent　in　the　distance　that　we

call　the　nebula　of　Orion；looking　on；　Sir；　with　what　organs　I　know

not；　to　see　which　are　going　to　melt　in　that　fiery　fusion；　the

accidents　and　hindrances　of　humanity　or　man　himself；　Sir；the

stupendous　abortion；　the　illustrious　failure　that　he　is；　if　the

three…hilled　city　does　not　ride　down　and　trample　out　the　seven…hilled

city！



Steam　's　up！said　the　young　man　John；　so　called；　in　a　low　tone。

Three　hundred　and　sixty…five　tons　to　the　square　inch。　　Let　him　blow

her　off；　or　he'll　bu'st　his　b'iler。



The　divinity…student　took　it　calmly；　only　whispering　that　he　thought

there　was　a　little　confusion　of　images　between　a　galvanic　battery　and

a　charge　of　cavalry。



But　the　Koh…i…noorthe　gentleman；　you　remember；　with　a　very　large

diamond　in　his　shirt…front　laughed　his　scornful　laugh；　and　made　as　if

to　speak。



Sail　in；　Metropolis！said　that　same　young　man　John；　by　name。　　And

then；　in　a　lower　lane；　not　meaning　to　be　heard；Now；　then；　Ma'am

Allen！



But　he　was　heard；and　the　Koh…i…noor's　face　turned　so　white　with

rage；　that　his　blue…black　moustache　and　beard　looked　fearful；　seen

against　it。　　He　grinned　with　wrath；　and　caught　at　a　tumbler；　as　if　he

would　have　thrown　it　or　its　contents　at　the　speaker。　　The　young

Marylander　fixed　his　clear；　steady　eye　upon　him；　and　laid　his　hand　on

his　arm；　carelessly　almost；　but　the　Jewel　found　it　was　held　so　that

he　could　not　move　it。　　It　was　of　no　use。　　The　youth　was　his　master　in

muscle；　and　in　that　deadly　Indian　hug　in　which　men　wrestle　with　their

eyes；over　in　five　seconds；　but　breaks　one　of　their　two　backs；　and

is　good　for　threescore　years　and　ten；one　trial　enough；settles　the

whole　matter；just　as　when　two　feathered　songsters　of　the　barnyard；

game　and　dunghill；　come　together；…after　a　jump　or　two　at　each　other；

and　a　few　sharp　kicks；　there　is　the　end　of　it；　and　it　is；　Apres　vous；

Monsieur；　with　the　beaten　party　in　all　the　social　relations　for　all

the　rest　of　his　days。



I　cannot　philosophically　account　for　the　Koh…i…noor's　wrath。　　For

though　a　cosmetic　is　sold；　bearing　the　name　of　the　lady　to　whom

reference　was　made　by　the　young　person　John；　yet；　as　it　is　publicly

asserted　in　respectable　prints　that　this　cosmetic　is　not　a　dye；　I　see

no　reason　why　he　should　have　felt　offended　by　any　suggestion　that　he

was　indebted　to　it　or　its　authoress。



I　have　no　doubt　that　there　are　certain　exceptional　complexions　to

which　the　purple　tinge；　above　alluded　to；　is　natural。　　Nature　is

fertile　in　variety。　　I　saw　an　albiness　in　London　once；　for　sixpence；

（including　the　inspection　of　a　stuffed　boa…constrictor；）　who　looked

as　if　she　had　been　boiled　in　milk。　　A　young　Hottentot　of　my

acquaintance　had　his　hair　all　in　little　pellets　of　the　size　of

marrow…fat　peas。　　One　of　my　own　classmates　has　undergone　a　singular

change　of　late　years；his　hair　losing　its　original　tint；　and　getting

a　remarkable　discolored　look；　and　another　has　ceased　to　cultivate　any

hair　at　all　over　the　vertex　or　crown　of　the　head。　　So　I　am　perfectly

willing　to　believe　that　the　purple…black　of　the　Koh…i…noor's

moustache　and　whiskers　is　constitutional　and　not　pigmentary。　　But　I

can't　think　why　he　got　so　angry。



The　intelligent　reader　will　understand　that　all　this　pantomime　of　the

threatened　onslaught　and　its　suppression　passed　so　quickly　that　it

was　all　over　by　the　time　the　other　end　of　the　table　found　out　there

was　a　disturbance；　just　as　a　man　chopping　wood　half　a　mile　off　may　be

seen　resting　on　his　axe　at　the　instant　you　hear　the　last　blow　he

struck。　　So　you　will　please　to　observe　that　the　Little　Gentleman　was

not；　interrupted　during　the　time　implied　by　these　ex…post…facto

remarks　of　mine；　but　for　some　ten　or　fifteen　seconds　only。



He　did　not　seem　to　mind　the　interruption　at　all；　for　he　started

again。　　The　〃Sir〃　of　his　harangue　was　no　doubt　addressed　to　myself

more　than　anybody　else；　but　he　often　uses　it　in　discourse　as　if　he

were　talking　with　some　imaginary　opponent。



America；　Sir；he　exclaimed；is　the　only　place　where　man　is　full…

grown！



He　straightened　himself　up；　as　he　spoke；　standing　on　the　top　round　of

his　high　chair；　I　suppose；　and　so　presented　the　larger　part　of　his

little　figure　to　the　view　of　the　boarders。



It　was　next　to　impossible　to　keep　from　laughing。　　The　commentary　was

so　strange　an　illustration　of　the　text！　　I　thought　it　was　time　to　put

in　a　word；　for　I　have　lived　in　foreign　parts；　and　am　more　or　less

cosmopolitan。



I　doubt　if　we　have　more　practical　freedom　in　America　than　they　have

in　England；…I　said。　An　Englishman　thinks　as　he　likes　in　religion

and　politics。　　Mr。　Martineau　speculates　as　freely　as　ever　Dr。

Channing　did；　and　Mr。　Bright　is　as　independent　as　Mr。　Seward。



Sir；said　he；it　is　n't　what　a　man　thinks　or　says；　but　when　and

where　and　to　whom　he　thinks　and　says　it。　　A　man　with　a　flint　and

steel　striking　sparks　over　a　wet　blanket　is　one　thing；　and　striking

them　over　a　tinder…box　is　another。　　The　free　Englishman　is　born　under

protest；　he　lives　and　dies　under　protest；a　tolerated；　but　not　a

welcome　fact。　　Is　not　freethinker　a　term　of　reproach　in　England？　　The

same　idea　in　the　soul　of　an　Englishman　who　struggled　up　to　it　and

still　holds　it　antagonistically；　and　in　the　soul　of　an　American　to

whom　it　is　congenital　and　spontaneous；　and　often　unrecognized；　except

as　an　element　blended　with　all　his　thoughts；　a　natural　movement；　like

the　drawing　of　his　breath　or　the　beating　of　his　heart；　is　a　very

different　thing。　　You　may　teach　a　quadruped　to　walk　on　his　hind　legs；

but　he　is　always　wanting　to　be　on　all　fours。　　Nothing　that　can　be

taught　a　growing　youth　is　like　the　atmospheric　knowledge　he　breathes

from　his　infancy　upwards。　　The　American　baby　sucks　in　freedom　with

the　milk　of　the　breast　at　which　he　hangs。



That's　a　good　joke；said　the　young　fellow　John；considerin'　it

commonly　belongs　to　a　female　Paddy。



I　thoughtI　will　not　be　certainthat　the　Little　Gentleman　winked；

as　if　he　had　been　hit　somewhereas　I　have　no　doubt　Dr。　Darwin　did

when　the　wooden…spoon　suggestion　upset　his　theory　about　why；　etc。　　If

he　winked；　however；　he　did　not　dodge。



A　lively　comment！he　said。　But　Rome；　in　her　great　founder；　sucked

the　blood　of　empire　out　of　the　dugs　of　a　brute；　Sir！　　The　Milesian

wet…nurse　is　only　a　convenient　vessel　through　which　the　American

infant　gets　the　life…blood　of　this　virgin　soil；　Sir；　that　is　making

man　over　again；　on　the　sunset　pattern！　　You　don't　think　what　we　are

doing　and　going　to　do　here。　　Why；　Sir；　while　commentators　are

bothering　themselves　with　interpretation　of　prophecies；　we　have　got

the　new　heavens　and　the　new　earth　over　us　and　under　us！　　Was　there

ever　anything　in　Italy；　I　should　like　to　know；　like　a　Boston　sunset？



This　time　there　was　a　laugh；　and　the　little　man　himself　almost

smiled。



Yes；Boston　sunsets；perhaps　they're　as　good　in　some　other　places；

but　I　know　'em　best　here。　　Anyhow；　the　American　skies　are　different

from　anything　they　see　in　the　Old　World。　　Yes；　and　the　rocks　are

different；　and　the　soil　is　different；　and　everything　that　comes　out

of　the　soil；　from　grass　up　to　Indians；　is　different。　　And　now　that

the　provisional　races　are　dying　out…



What　do　you　mean　by　the　provisional　races；　Sir？said　the　divinity…

student；　interrupting　him。



Why；　the　aboriginal　bipeds；　to　be　sure；he　answered；the　red…crayon

sketch　of　humanity　laid　on　the　canvas　before　the　colors　for　the　real

manhood　were　ready。



I　hope　they　will　come　to　something　yet；said　the　divinity…student。



Irreclaimable；　Sir；irreclaimable！said　the　Little　Gentleman。

Cheaper　to　breed　white　men　than　domesticate　a　nation　of　red　ones。

When　you　can　get　the　bitter　out　of　the　partridge's　thigh；　you　can

make　an　enlightened　commonwealth　of　Indians。　　A　provisional　race；

Sir；nothing　more。　　Exhaled　carbonic　acid　for　the　use　of　vegetation；

kept　down　the　bears　and　catamounts；　enjoyed　themselves　in　scalping

and　being　scalped；　and　then　passed　away　or　are　passing　away；

according　to　the　programme。



Well；　Sir；　these　races　dying　out；　the　white　man　has　to　acclimate

himself。　　It　takes　him　a　good　while；　but　he　will　come　all　right　by…

and…by；　Sir；as　sound　as　a　woodchuck；as　sound　as　a　musquash！



A　new　nursery；　Sir；　with　Lake　Superior　and　Huron　and　all　the　rest　of

'em　for　wash…basins！　　A　new　race；　and　a　whole　new　world　for　the　new…

born　human　soul　to　work　in！　　And　Boston　is　the　brain　of　it；　and　has

been　any　time　these　hundred　years！　　That's　all　I　claim　for　Boston；

that　it　is　the　thinking　centre　of　the　continent；　and　therefore　of　the

planet。



And　the　grand　emporium　of　modesty；said　the　divinity…student；　a

little　mischievously。



Oh；　don't　talk　to　me　of　modesty！answered　the　Little　Gentleman；I

'm　past　that！　　There　is　n't　a　thing　that　was　ever　said　or　done　in

Boston；　from　pitching　the　tea　overboard　to　the　last　ecclesiastical

lie　it　tore　into　tatters　and　flung　into　the　dock；　that　was　n't

thought　very　indelicate　by　some　fool　or　tyrant　or　bigot；　and　all　the

entrails　of　commercial　and　spiritual　conservatism　are　twisted　into

colics　as　often　as　this　revolutionary　brain　of　ours　has　a　fit　of

thinking　come　over　it。　No；　Sir；show　me　any　other　place　that　is；

or　was　since　the　megalosaurus　h