the professor at the breakfast table-第24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！



disease；　friends　looking　on；　sympathetic；　but　secretly　chuckling　over

their　own　stomachs　of　iron　and　lungs　of　caoutchouc；　nurses　attentive；

but　calculating　their　crop；　and　thinking　how　soon　it　will　be　ripe；　so

that　they　can　go　to　your　neighbor；　who　is　good　for　a　year　or　so

longer；　doctors　assiduous；　but　giving　themselves　a　mental　shake；　as

they　go　out　of　your　door；　which　throws　off　your　particular　grief　as　a

duck　sheds　a　raindrop　from　his　oily　feathers；　undertakers　solemn；　but

happy；　then　the　great　subsoil　cultivator；　who　plants；　but　never　looks

for　fruit　in　his　garden；　then　the　stone…cutter；　who　puts　your　name　on

the　slab　which　has　been　waiting　for　you　ever　since　the　birds　or

beasts　made　their　tracks　on　the　new　red　sandstone；　then　the　grass　and

the　dandelions　and　the　buttercups；Earth　saying　to　the　mortal

body；　with　her　sweet　symbolism；　〃You　have　scarred　my　bosom；　but　you

are　forgiven〃；　then　a　glimpse　of　the　soul　as　a　floating　consciousness

without　very　definite　form　or　place；　but　dimly　conceived　of　as　an

upright　column　of　vapor　or　mist　several　times　larger　than　life…size；

so　far　as　it　could　be　said　to　have　any　size　at　all；　wandering　about

and　living　a　thin　and　half…awake　life　for　want　of　good　old…fashioned

solid　matter　to　come　down　upon　with　foot　and　fist；in　fact；　having

neither　foot　nor　fist；　nor　conveniences　for　taking　the　sitting

posture。



And　yet　the　divinity…student　was　a　good　Christian；　and　those　heathen

images　which　remind　one　of　the　childlike　fancies　of　the　dying　Adrian

were　only　the　efforts　of　his　imagination　to　give　shape　to　the

formless　and　position　to　the　placeless。　　Neither　did　his　thoughts

spread　themselves　out　and　link　themselves　as　I　have　displayed　them。

They　came　confusedly　into　his　mind　like　a　heap　of　broken　mosaics；

sometimes　a　part　of　the　picture　complete　in　itself；　sometimes

connected　fragments；　and　sometimes　only　single　severed　stones。



They　did　not　diffuse　a　light　of　celestial　joy　over　his　countenance。

On　the　contrary；　the　Poor　Relation's　remark　turned　him　pale；　as　I

have　said；　and　when　the　terrible　wrinkled　and　jaundiced　looking…glass

turned　him　green　in　addition；　and　he　saw　himself　in　it；　it　seemed　to

him　as　if　it　were　all　settled；　and　his　book　of　life　were　to　be　shut

not　yet　half…read；　and　go　back　to　the　dust　of　the　under…ground

archives。　　He　coughed　a　mild　short　cough；　as　if　to　point　the

direction　in　which　his　downward　path　was　tending。　　It　was　an　honest

little　cough　enough；　so　far　as　appearances　went。　　But　coughs　are

ungrateful　things。　　You　find　one　out　in　the　cold；　take　it　up　and

nurse　it　and　make　everything　of　it；　dress　it　up　warm；　give　it　all

sorts　of　balsams　and　other　food　it　likes；　and　carry　it　round　in　your

bosom　as　if　it　were　a　miniature　lapdog。　　And　by…and…by　its　little

bark　grows　sharp　and　savage；　andconfound　the　thing！　you　find　it

is　a　wolf's　whelp　that　you　have　got　there；　and　he　is　gnawing　in　the

breast　where　he　has　been　nestling　so　long。　The　Poor　Relation　said

that　somebody's　surrup　was　good　for　folks　that　were　gettin'　into　a

bad　way。　The　landlady　had　heard　of　desperate　cases　cured　by　cherry…

pictorial。



Whiskey's　the　fellah；said　the　young　man　John。　Make　it　into　punch；

cold　at　dinner…time　'n'　hot　at　bed…time。　　I'll　come　up　'n'　show　you

how　to　mix　it。　　Have　n't　any　of　you　seen　the　wonderful　fat　man

exhibitin'　down　in　Hanover　Street？



Master　Benjamin　Franklin　rushed　into　the　dialogue　with　a　breezy

exclamation；　that　he　had　seen　a　great　picter　outside　of　the　place

where　the　fat　man　was　exhibitin'。　　Tried　to　get　in　at　half…price；　but

the　man　at　the　door　looked　at　his　teeth　and　said　he　was　more'n　ten

year　old。



It　is　n't　two　years；said　the　young　man　John；　since　that　fat　fellah

was　exhibitin'　here　as　the　Livin'　Skeleton。　　Whiskeythat's　what　did

it；real　Burbon's　the　stuff。　　Hot　water；　sugar；　'n'　jest　a　little

shavin'　of　lemon…skin　in　it；skin；　mind　you；　none　o'　your　juice；

take　it　off　thin；shape　of　one　of　them　flat　curls　the　factory…girls

wear　on　the　sides　of　their　foreheads。



But　I　am　a　teetotaller；said　the　divinity…student　in　a　subdued

tone；not　noticing　the　enormous　length　of　the　bow…string　the　young

fellow　had　just　drawn。



He　took　up　his　hat　and　went　out。



I　think　you　have　worried　that　young　man　more　than　you　meant；I　said。

I　don't　believe　he　will　jump　off　one　of　the　bridges；　for　he　has　too

much　principle；　but　I　mean　to　follow　him　and　see　where　he　goes；　for

he　looks　as　if　his　mind　were　made　up　to　something。



I　followed　him　at　a　reasonable　distance。　　He　walked　doggedly　along；

looking　neither　to　the　right　nor　the　left；　turned　into　State　Street；

and　made　for　a　well…known　Life…Insurance　Office。　　Luckily；　the　doctor

was　there　and　overhauled　him　on　the　spot。　　There　was　nothing　the

matter　with　him；　he　said；　and　he　could　have　his　life　insured　as　a

sound　one。　　He　came　out　in　good　spirits；　and　told　me　this　soon　after。



This　led　me　to　make　some　remarks　the　next　morning　on　the　manners　of

well…bred　and　ill…bred　people。



I　began；The　whole　essence　of　true　gentle…breeding　（one　does　not

like　to　say　gentility）　lies　in　the　wish　and　the　art　to　be　agreeable。

Good…breeding　is　surface…Christianity。　　Every　look；　movement；　tone；

expression；　subject　of　discourse；　that　may　give　pain　to　another　is

habitually　excluded　from　conversational　intercourse。　　This　is　the

reason　why　rich　people　are　apt　to　be　so　much　more　agreeable　than

others。



I　thought　you　were　a　great　champion　of　equality；said　the　discreet

and　severe　lady　who　had　accompanied　our　young　friend；　the　Latin

Tutor's　daughter。



I　go　politically　for　equality；I　said；and　socially　for　the

quality。



Who　are　the　〃quality；〃said　the　Model；　etc。；　in　a　community　like

ours？



I　confess　I　find　this　question　a　little　difficult　to　answer；I　said。

Nothing　is　better　known　than　the　distinction　of　social　ranks　which

exists　in　every　community；　and　nothing　is　harder　to　define。　　The

great　gentlemen　and　ladies　of　a　place　are　its　real　lords　and　masters

and　mistresses；　they　are　the　quality；　whether　in　a　monarchy　or　a

republic；　mayors　and　governors　and　generals　and　senators　and　ex…

presidents　are　nothing　to　them。　　How　well　we　know　this；　and　how

seldom　it　finds　a　distinct　expression！　　Now　I　tell　you　truly；　I

believe　in　man　as　man；　and　I　disbelieve　in　all　distinctions　except

such　as　follow　the　natural　lines　of　cleavage　in　a　society　which　has

crystallized　according　to　its　own　true　laws。　　But　the　essence　of

equality　is　to　be　able　to　say　the　truth；　and　there　is　nothing　more

curious　than　these　truths　relating　to　the　stratification　of　society。



Of　all　the　facts　in　this　world　that　do　not　take　hold　of　immortality；

there　is　not　one　so　intensely　real；　permanent；　and　engrossing　as　this

of　social　position；as　you　see　by　the　circumstances　that　the　core　of

all　the　great　social　orders　the　world　has　seen　has　been；　and　is

still；　for　the　most　part；　a　privileged　class　of　gentlemen　and　ladies

arranged　in　a　regular　scale　of　precedence　among　themselves；　but

superior　as　a　body　to　all　else。



Nothing　but　an　ideal　Christian　equality；　which　we　have　been　getting

farther　away　from　since　the　days　of　the　Primitive　Church；　can　prevent

this　subdivision　of　society　into　classes　from　taking　place

everywhere；in　the　great　centres　of　our　republic　as　much　as　in　old

European　monarchies。　　Only　there　position　is　more　absolutely

hereditary；here　it　is　more　completely　elective。



Where　is　the　election　held？　and　what　are　the　qualifications？　and

who　are　the　electors？said　the　Model。



Nobody　ever　sees　when　the　vote　is　taken；　there　never　is　a　formal

vote。　　The　women　settle　it　mostly；　and　they　know　wonderfully　well

what　is　presentable；　and　what　can't　stand　the　blaze　of　the

chandeliers　and　the　critical　eye　and　ear　of　people　trained　to　know　a

staring　shade　in　a　ribbon；　a　false　light　in　a　jewel；　an　ill…bred

tone；　an　angular　movement；　everything　that　betrays　a　coarse　fibre　and

cheap　training。　　As　a　general　thing；　you　do　not　get　elegance　short　of

two　or　three　removes　from　the　soil；　out　of　which　our　best　blood

doubtless　comes；quite　as　good；　no　doubt；　as　if　it　came　from　those

old　prize…fighters　with　iron　pots　on　their　heads；　to　whom　some　great

people　are　so　fond　of　tracing　their　descent　through　a　line　of　small

artisans　and　petty　shopkeepers　whose　veins　have　held　〃base〃　fluid

enough　to　fill　the　Cloaca　Maxima！



Does　not　money　go　everywhere？said　the　Model。



Almost。　　And　with　good　reason。　　For　though　there　are　numerous

exceptions；　rich　people　are；　as　I　said；　commonly　altogether　the　most

agreeable　companions。　　The　influence　of　a　fine　house；　graceful

furniture；　good　libraries；　well…ordered　tables；　trim　servants；　and；

above　all；　a　position　so　secure　that　one　becomes　unconscious　of　it；

gives　a　harmony　and　refinement　to　the　character　and　manners　which　we

feel；　if　we　cannot　explain　their　charm。　　Yet　we　can　get　at　the　reason

of　it　by　thinking　a　little。



All　these　appliances　are　to　shield　the　sensibility　from　disagreeable

contacts；　and　to　soothe　it　by　varied　natural　and　artificial

influences。　　In　this　way　the　mind；　the　taste；　the　feelings；　grow

delicate；　just　as　the　hands　grow　white　and　soft　when　saved　from　toil

and　incased　in　soft　gloves。　　The　whole　nature　becomes　subdued　into

suavity。　　I　confess　I　like　the　quality　ladies　better　than　the　common

kind　even　of　literary　ones。　　They　have　n't　read　the　last　book；

perhaps；　but　they　attend　better　to　you　when　you　are　talking　to　them。

If　they　are　never　learned；　they　make　up　for　it　in　tact　and　elegance。

Besides；　I　think；　on　the　whole；　there　is　less　self…assertion　in

diamonds　than　in　dogmas。　　I　don't　know　where　you　will　find　a　sweeter

portrait　of　humility　than　in　Esther；　the　poor　play…girl　of　King

Ahasuerus；　yet　Esther　put　on　her　royal　apparel　when　she　went　before

her　lord。　　I　have　no　doubt　she　was　a　more　gracious　and　agreeable

person　than　Deborah；　who　judged　the　people　and　wrote　the　story　of

Sisera。　　The　wisest