the professor at the breakfast table-第27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！



other…way。　　The　nice；　calm；　cold　thought；　which　in　women　shapes

itself　so　rapidly　that　they　hardly　know　it　as　thought；　should　always

travel　to　the　lips　via　the　heart。　　It　does　so　in　those　women　whom

all　love　and　admire。　　It　travels　the　wrong　way　in　the　Model。　　That

is　the　reason　why　the　Little　Gentleman　said　〃I　hate　her；　I　hate

her。〃　　That　is　the　reason　why　the　young　man　John　called　her　the　〃old

fellah；〃　and　banished　her　to　the　company　of　the　great　Unpresentable。

That　is　the　reason　why　I；　the　Professor；　am　picking　her　to　pieces

with　scalpel　and　forceps。　　That　is　the　reason　why　the　young　girl

whom　she　has　befriended　repays　her　kindness　with　gratitude　and

respect；　rather　than　with　the　devotion　and　passionate　fondness　which

lie　sleeping　beneath　the　calmness　of　her　amber　eyes。　　I　can　see　her；

as　she　sits　between　this　estimable　and　most　correct　of　personages

and　the　misshapen；　crotchety；　often　violent　and　explosive　little　man

on　the　other　side　of　her；　leaning　and　swaying　towards　him　as　she

speaks；　and　looking　into　his　sad　eyes　as　if　she　found　some　fountain

in　them　at　which　her　soul　could　quiet　its　thirst。



Women　like　the　Model　are　a　natural　product　of　a　chilly　climate　and

high　culture。　　It　is　not



　　　　〃The　frolic　wind　that　breathes　the　spring；

　　　　　Zephyr　with　Aurora　playing；〃



when　the　two　meet



　　　　〃…on　beds　of　violets　blue；

　　　　　And　fresh…blown　roses　washed　in　dew；〃



that　claim　such　women　as　their　offspring。　　It　is　rather　the　east

wind；　as　it　blows　out　of　the　fogs　of　Newfoundland；　and　clasps　a

clear…eyed　wintry　noon　on　the　chill　bridal　couch　of　a　New　England

ice…quarry。　Don't　throw　up　your　cap　now；　and　hurrah　as　if　this

were　giving　up　everything；　and　turning　against　the　best　growth　of

our　latitudes；the　daughters　of　the　soil。　　The　brain…women　never

interest　us　like　the　heart　women；　white　roses　please　less　than　red。

But　our　Northern　seasons　have　a　narrow　green　streak　of　spring；　as

well　as　a　broad　white　zone　of　winter；they　have　a　glowing　band　of

summer　and　a　golden　stripe　of　autumn　in　their　many…colored　wardrobe；

and　women　are　born　to　us　that　wear　all　these　hues　of　earth　and

heaven　in　their　souls。　　Our　ice…eyed　brain…women　are　really

admirable；　if　we　only　ask　of　them　just　what　they　can　give；　and　no

more。　　Only　compare　them；　talking　or　writing；　with　one　of　those

babbling；　chattering　dolls；　of　warmer　latitudes；　who　do　not　know

enough　even　to　keep　out　of　print；　and　who　are　interesting　to　us　only

as　specimens　of　arrest　of　development　for　our　psychological

cabinets。



Good…bye；　Model　of　all　the　Virtues！　　We　can　spare　you　now。　　A　little

clear　perfection；　undiluted　with　human　weakness；　goes　a　great　way。

Go！　be　useful；　be　honorable　and　honored；　be　just；　be　charitable；

talk　pure　reason；　and　help　to　disenchant　the　world　by　the　light　of

an　achromatic　understanding。　　Goodbye！　　Where　is　my　Beranger？　　I

must　read　a　verse　or　two　of　〃Fretillon。〃



Fair　play　for　all。　　But　don't　claim　incompatible　qualities　for

anybody。　　Justice　is　a　very　rare　virtue　in　our　community。

Everything　that　public　sentiment　cares　about　is　put　into　a　Papin's

digester；　and　boiled　under　high　pressure　till　all　is　turned　into　one

homogeneous　pulp；　and　the　very　bones　give　up　their　jelly。　　What　are

all　the　strongest　epithets　of　our　dictionary　to　us　now？　　The　critics

and　politicians；　and　especially　the　philanthropists；　have　chewed

them；　till　they　are　mere　wads　of　syllable…fibre；　without　a

suggestion　of　their　old　pungency　and　power。



Justice！　　A　good　man　respects　the　rights　even　of　brute　matter　and

arbitrary　symbols。　　If　he　writes　the　same　word　twice　in　succession；

by　accident；　he　always　erases　the　one　that　stands　second；　has　not

the　first…comer　the　prior　right？　　This　act　of　abstract　justice；

which　I　trust　many　of　my　readers；　like　myself；　have　often　performed；

is　a　curious　anti…illustration；　by　the　way；　of　the　absolute

wickedness　of　human　dispositions。　　Why　doesn't　a　man　always　strike

out　the　first　of　the　two　words；　to　gratify　his　diabolical　love　of

injustice？



So；　I　say；　we　owe　a　genuine；　substantial　tribute　of　respect　to　these

filtered　intellects　which　have　left　their　womanhood　on　the　strainer。

They　are　so　clear　that　it　is　a　pleasure　at　times　to　look　at　the

world　of　thought　through　them。　　But　the　rose　and　purple　tints　of

richer　natures　they　cannot　give　us；　and　it　is　not　just　to　them　to

ask　it。



Fashionable　society　gets　at　these　rich　natures　very　often　in　a　way

one　would　hardly　at　first　think　of。　　It　loves　vitality　above　all

things；　sometimes　disguised　by　affected　languor；　always　well　kept

under　by　the　laws　of　good…breeding；but　still　it　loves　abundant

life；　opulent　and　showy　organizations；the　spherical　rather　than

the　plane　trigonometry　of　female　architecture；plenty　of　red　blood；

flashing　eyes；　tropical　voices；　and　forms　that　bear　the　splendors　of

dress　without　growing　pale　beneath　their　lustre。　　Among　these　you

will　find　the　most　delicious　women　you　will　ever　meet；women　whom

dress　and　flattery　and　the　round　of　city　gayeties　cannot　spoil；

talking　with　whom；　you　forget　their　diamonds　and　laces；and　around

whom　all　the　nice　details　of　elegance；　which　the　cold…blooded　beauty

next　them　is　scanning　so　nicely；　blend　in　one　harmonious　whole；　too

perfect　to　be　disturbed　by　the　petulant　sparkle　of　a　jewel；　or　the

yellow　glare　of　a　bangle；　or　the　gay　toss　of　a　feather。



There　are　many　things　that　I；　personally；　love　better　than　fashion

or　wealth。　　Not　to　speak　of　those　highest　objects　of　our　love　and

loyalty；　I　think　I　love　ease　and　independence　better　than　the　golden

slavery　of　perpetual　matinees　and　soirees；　or　the　pleasures　of

accumulation。



But　fashion　and　wealth　are　two　very　solemn　realities；　which　the

frivolous　class　of　moralists　have　talked　a　great　deal　of　silly　stuff

about。　　Fashion　is　only　the　attempt　to　realize　Art　in　living　forms

and　social　intercourse。　　What　business　has　a　man　who　knows　nothing

about　the　beautiful；　and　cannot　pronounce　the　word　view；　to　talk

about　fashion　to　a　set　of　people　who；　if　one　of　the　quality　left　a

card　at　their　doors；　would　contrive　to　keep　it　on　the　very　top　of

their　heap　of　the　names　of　their　two…story　acquaintances；　till　it

was　as　yellow　as　the　Codex　Vaticanus？



Wealth；　too；what　an　endless　repetition　of　the　same　foolish

trivialities　about　it！　　Take　the　single　fact　of　its　alleged

uncertain　tenure　and　transitory　character。　　In　old　times；　when　men

were　all　the　time　fighting　and　robbing　each　other；in　those

tropical　countries　where　the　Sabeans　and　the　Chaldeans　stole　all　a

man's　cattle　and　camels；　and　there　were　frightful　tornadoes　and

rains　of　fire　from　heaven；　it　was　true　enough　that　riches　took　wings

to　themselves　not　unfrequently　in　a　very　unexpected　way。　　But；　with

common　prudence　in　investments；　it　is　not　so　now。　　In　fact；　there　is

nothing　earthly　that　lasts　so　well；　on　the　whole；　as　money。　　A　man's

learning　dies　with　him；　even　his　virtues　fade　out　of　remembrance；

but　the　dividends　on　the　stocks　he　bequeaths　to　his　children　live

and　keep　his　memory　green。



I　do　not　think　there　is　much　courage　or　originality　in　giving

utterance　to　truths　that　everybody　knows；　but　which　get　overlaid　by

conventional　trumpery。　　The　only　distinction　which　it　is　necessary

to　point　out　to　feeble…minded　folk　is　this：　that；　in　asserting　the

breadth　and　depth　of　that　significance　which　gives　to　fashion　and

fortune　their　tremendous　power；　we　do　not　indorse　the　extravagances

which　often　disgrace　the　one；　nor　the　meanness　which　often　degrades

the　other。



A　remark　which　seems　to　contradict　a　universally　current　opinion　is

not　generally　to　be　taken　〃neat；〃　but　watered　with　the　ideas　of

common…sense　and　commonplace　people。　　So；　if　any　of　my　young　friends

should　be　tempted　to　waste　their　substance　on　white　kids　and　〃all…

rounds；〃　or　to　insist　on　becoming　millionaires　at　once；　by　anything

I　have　said；　I　will　give　them　references　to　some　of　the　class

referred　to；　well　known　to　the　public　as　providers　of　literary

diluents；　who　will　weaken　any　truth　so　that　there　is　not　an　old

woman　in　the　land　who　cannot　take　it　with　perfect　impunity。



I　am　afraid　some　of　the　blessed　saints　in　diamonds　will　think　I　mean

to　flatter　them。　　I　hope　not；if　I　do；　set　it　down　as　a　weakness。

But　there　is　so　much　foolish　talk　about　wealth　and　fashion；　（which；

of　course；　draw　a　good　many　heartless　and　essentially　vulgar　people

into　the　glare　of　their　candelabra；　but　which　have　a　real

respectability　and　meaning；　if　we　will　only　look　at　them

stereoscopically；　with　both　eyes　instead　of　one；）　that　I　thought　it

a　duty　to　speak　a　few　words　for　them。　　Why　can't　somebody　give　us　a

list　of　things　that　everybody　thinks　and　nobody　says；　and　another

list　of　things　that　everybody　says　and　nobody　thinks？



Lest　my　parish　should　suppose　we　have　forgotten　graver　matters　in

these　lesser　topics；　I　beg　them　to　drop　these　trifles　and　read　the

following　lesson　for　the　day。



　　　　　THE　TWO　STREAMS。



Behold　the　rocky　wall

That　down　its　sloping　sides

Pours　the　swift　rain…drops；　blending；　as　they　fall；

In　rushing　river…tides！



Yon　stream；　whose　sources　run

Turned　by　a　pebble's　edge；

Is　Athabasca；　rolling　toward　the　sun

Through　the　cleft　mountain…ledge。



The　slender　rill　had　strayed；

But　for　the　slanting　stone；

To　evening's　ocean；　with　the　tangled　braid

Of　foam…flecked　Oregon。



So　from　the　heights　of　Will

Life's　parting　stream　descends；

And；　as　a　moment　turns　its　slender　rill；

Each　widening　torrent　bends；



》From　the　same　cradle's　side；

》From　the　same　mother's　knee；

One　to　long　darkness　and　the　frozen　tide；

One　to　the　Peaceful　Sea！









VII



Our　landlady's　daughter　is　a　young　lady　of　some　pretensions　to

gentility。　　She　wears　her　bonnet　well　back　on　her　head；　which　is

known　by　all　to　be　a　mark　of　high　breeding。　　She　wears　her　trains

very　long；　as　the　great　ladies　do　in　Europe。　　T