the professor at the breakfast table-第51部分

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great　sun　himself；　when　he　pours　his　noonday　beams　upon　some　vast

hyaline　boulder；　rent　from　the　eternal　ice…quarries；　and　floating

toward　the　tropics；　never　warms　it　a　fraction　above　the　thirty…two

degrees　of　Fahrenheit　that　marked　the　moment　when　the　first　drop

trickled　down　its　side。



How　we　all　like　the　spirting　up　of　a　fountain；　seemingly　against　the

law　that　makes　water　everywhere　slide；　roll；　leap；　tumble　headlong；

to　get　as　low　as　the　earth　will　let　it！　　That　is　genius。　　But　what

is　this　transient　upward　movement；　which　gives　us　the　glitter　and

the　rainbow；　to　that　unsleeping；　all…present　force　of　gravity；　the

same　yesterday；　to…day；　and　forever；　（if　the　universe　be　eternal；）

the　great　outspread　hand　of　God　himself；　forcing　all　things　down

into　their　places；　and　keeping　them　there？　　Such；　in　smaller

proportion；　is　the　force　of　character　to　the　fitful　movements　of

genius；　as　they　are　or　have　been　linked　to　each　other　in　many　a

household；　where　one　name　was　historic；　and　the　other；　let　me　say

the　nobler；　unknown；　save　by　some　faint　reflected　ray；　borrowed　from

its　lustrous　companion。



Oftentimes；　as　I　have　lain　swinging　on　the　water；　in　the　swell　of

the　Chelsea　ferry…boats；　in　that　long；　sharp…pointed；　black　cradle

in　which　I　love　to　let　the　great　mother　rock　me；　I　have　seen　a　tall

ship　glide　by　against　the　tide；　as　if　drawn　by　some　invisible

towline；　with　a　hundred　strong　arms　pulling　it。　　Her　sails　hung

unfilled；　her　streamers　were　drooping；　she　had　neither　side…wheel

nor　stern…wheel；　still　she　moved　on；　stately；　in　serene　triumph；　as

if　with　her　own　life。　　But　I　knew　that　on　the　other　side　of　the

ship；　hidden　beneath　the　great　hulk　that　swam　so　majestically；　there

was　a　little　toiling　steam…tug；　with　heart　of　fire　and　arms　of　iron；

that　was　hugging　it　close　and　dragging　it　bravely　on；　and　I　knew；

that；　if　the　little　steam…tug　untwined　her　arms　and　left　the　tall

ship；　it　would　wallow　and　roll　about；　and　drift　hither　and　thither；

and　go　off　with　the　refluent　tide；　no　man　knows　whither。　　And　so　I

have　known　more　than　one　genius；　high…decked；　full…freighted；　wide…

sailed；　gay…pennoned；　that；　but　for　the　bare　toiling　arms；　and

brave；　warm；　beating　heart　of　the　faithful　little　wife；　that　nestled

close　in　his　shadow；　and　clung　to　him；　so　that　no　wind　or　wave　could

part　them；　and　dragged　him　on　against　all　the　tide　of　circumstance；

would　soon　have　gone　down　the　stream　and　been　heard　of　no　more。

No；　I　am　too　much　a　lover　of　genius；　I　sometimes　think；　and　too

often　get　impatient　with　dull　people；　so　that；　in　their　weak　talk；

where　nothing　is　taken　for　granted；　I　look　forward　to　some　future

possible　state　of　development；　when　a　gesture　passing　between　a

beatified　human　soul　and　an　archangel　shall　signify　as　much　as　the

complete　history　of　a　planet；　from　the　time　when　it　curdled　to　the

time　when　its　sun　was　burned　out。　　And　yet；　when　a　strong　brain　is

weighed　with　a　true　heart；　it　seems　to　me　like　balancing　a　bubble

against　a　wedge　of　gold。



It　takes　a　very　true　man　to　be　a　fitting　companion　for　a　woman　of

genius；　but　not　a　very　great　one。　　I　am　not　sure　that　she　will　not

embroider　her　ideal　better　on　a　plain　ground　than　on　one　with　a

brilliant　pattern　already　worked　in　its　texture。　　But　as　the　very

essence　of　genius　is　truthfulness；　contact　with　realities；　（which

are　always　ideas　behind　shows　of　form　or　language；）　nothing　is　so

contemptible　as　falsehood　and　pretence　in　its　eyes。　　Now　it　is　not

easy　to　find　a　perfectly　true　woman；　and　it　is　very　hard　to　find　a

perfectly　true　man。　　And　a　woman　of　genius；　who　has　the　sagacity　to

choose　such　a　one　as　her　companion；　shows　more　of　the　divine　gift　in

so　doing　than　in　her　finest　talk　or　her　most　brilliant　work　of

letters　or　of　art。



I　have　been　a　good　while　coming　at　a　secret；　for　which　I　wished　to

prepare　you　before　telling　it。　　I　think　there　is　a　kindly　feeling

growing　up　between　Iris　and　our　young　Marylander。　　Not　that　I

suppose　there　is　any　distinct　understanding　between　them；　but　that

the　affinity　which　has　drawn　him　from　the　remote　corner　where　he　sat

to　the　side　of　the　young　girl　is　quietly　bringing　their　two　natures

together。　　Just　now　she　is　all　given　up　to　another；　but　when　he　no

longer　calls　upon　her　daily　thoughts　and　cares；　I　warn　you　not　to　be

surprised；　if　this　bud　of　friendship　open　like　the　evening　primrose；

with　a　sound　as　of　a　sudden　stolen　kiss；　and　lo！　the　flower　of　full…

blown　love　lies　unfolded　before　you。



And　now　the　days　had　come　for　our　little　friend；　whose　whims　and

weaknesses　had　interested　us；　perhaps；　as　much　as　his　better　traits；

to　make　ready　for　that　long　journey　which　is　easier　to　the　cripple

than　to　the　strong　man；　and　on　which　none　enters　so　willingly　as　he

who　has　borne　the　life…long　load　of　infirmity　during　his　earthly

pilgrimage。　　At　this　point；　under　most　circumstances；　I　would　close

the　doors　and　draw　the　veil　of　privacy　before　the　chamber　where　the

birth　which　we　call　death；　out　of　life　into　the　unknown　world；　is

working　its　mystery。　　But　this　friend　of　ours　stood　alone　in　the

world；　and；　as　the　last　act　of　his　life　was　mainly　in　harmony　with

the　rest　of　its　drama；　I　do　not　here　feel　the　force　of　the　objection

commonly　lying　against　that　death…bed　literature　which　forms　the

staple　of　a　certain　portion　of　the　press。　　Let　me　explain　what　I

mean；　so　that　my　readers　may　think　for　themselves　a　little；　before

they　accuse　me　of　hasty　expressions。



The　Roman　Catholic　Church　has　certain　formulas　for　its　dying

children；　to　which　almost　all　of　them　attach　the　greatest

importance。　　There　is　hardly　a　criminal　so　abandoned　that　he　is　not

anxious　to　receive　the　〃consolations　of　religion〃　in　his　last　hours。

Even　if　he　be　senseless；　but　still　living；　I　think　that　the　form　is

gone　through　with；　just　as　baptism　is　administered　to　the

unconscious　new…born　child。　　Now　we　do　not　quarrel　with　these　forms。

We　look　with　reverence　and　affection　upon　all　symbols　which　give

peace　and　comfort　to　our　fellow…creatures。　　But　the　value　of　the

new…born　child's　passive　consent　to　the　ceremony　is　null；　as

testimony　to　the　truth　of　a　doctrine。　　The　automatic　closing　of　a

dying　man's　lips　on　the　consecrated　wafer　proves　nothing　in　favor　of

the　Real　Presence；　or　any　other　dogma。　　And；　speaking　generally；　the

evidence　of　dying　men　in　favor　of　any　belief　is　to　be　received　with

great　caution。



They　commonly　tell　the　truth　about　their　present　feelings；　no　doubt。

A　dying　man's　deposition　about　anything　he　knows　is　good　evidence。

But　it　is　of　much　less　consequence　what　a　man　thinks　and　says　when

he　is　changed　by　pain；　weakness；　apprehension；　than　what　he　thinks

when　he　is　truly　and　wholly　himself。　　Most　murderers　die　in　a　very

pious　frame　of　mind；　expecting　to　go　to　glory　at　once；　yet　no　man

believes　he　shall　meet　a　larger　average　of　pirates　and　cut…throats

in　the　streets　of　the　New　Jerusalem　than　of　honest　folks　that　died

in　their　beds。



Unfortunately；　there　has　been　a　very　great　tendency　to　make　capital

of　various　kinds　out　of　dying　men's　speeches。　　The　lies　that　have

been　put　into　their　mouths　for　this　purpose　are　endless。　　The　prime

minister；　whose　last　breath　was　spent　in　scolding　his　nurse；　dies

with　a　magnificent　apothegm　on　his　lips；　manufactured　by　a　reporter。

Addison　gets　up　a　tableau　and　utters　an　admirable　sentiment；or

somebody　makes　the　posthumous　dying　epigram　for　him。　　The　incoherent

babble　of　green　fields　is　translated　into　the　language　of　stately

sentiment。　　One　would　think；　all　that　dying　men　had　to　do　was　to　say

the　prettiest　thing　they　could；to　make　their　rhetorical　point；

and　then　bow　themselves　politely　out　of　the　world。



Worse　than　this　is　the　torturing　of　dying　people　to　get　their

evidence　in　favor　of　this　or　that　favorite　belief。　　The　camp…

followers　of　proselyting　sects　have　come　in　at　the　close　of　every

life　where　they　could　get　in；　to　strip　the　languishing　soul　of　its

thoughts；　and　carry　them　off　as　spoils。　　The　Roman　Catholic　or　other

priest　who　insists　on　the　reception　of　his　formula　means　kindly；　we

trust；　and　very　commonly　succeeds　in　getting　the　acquiescence　of　the

subject　of　his　spiritual　surgery；　but　do　not　let　us　take　the

testimony　of　people　who　are　in　the　worst　condition　to　form　opinions

as　evidence　of　the　truth　or　falsehood　of　that　which　they　accept。　　A

lame　man's　opinion　of　dancing　is　not　good　for　much。　　A　poor　fellow

who　can　neither　eat　nor　drink；　who　is　sleepless　and　full　of　pains；

whose　flesh　has　wasted　from　him；　whose　blood　is　like　water；　who　is

gasping　for　breath；　is　not　in　a　condition　to　judge　fairly　of　human

life；　which　in　all　its　main　adjustments　is　intended　for　men　in　a

normal；　healthy　condition。　　It　is　a　remark　I　have　heard　from　the

wise　Patriarch　of　the　Medical　Profession　among　us；　that　the　moral

condition　of　patients　with　disease　above　the　great　breathing…muscle；

the　diaphragm；　is　much　more　hopeful　than　that　of　patients　with

disease　below　it；　in　the　digestive　organs。　　Many　an　honest　ignorant

man　has　given　us　pathology　when　he　thought　he　was　giving　us

psychology。　　With　this　preliminary　caution　I　shall　proceed　to　the

story　of　the　Little　Gentleman's　leaving　us。



When　the　divinity…student　found　that　our　fellow…boarder　was　not

likely　to　remain　long　with　us；　he；　being　a　young　man　of　tender

conscience　and　kindly　nature；　was　not　a　little　exercised　on　his

behalf。　　It　was　undeniable　that　on　several　occasions　the　Little

Gentleman　had　expressed　himself　with　a　good　deal　of　freedom　on　a

class　of　subjects　which；　according　to　the　divinity…student；　he　had

no　right　to　form　an　opinion　upon。　　He　therefore　considered　his

future　welfare　in　jeopardy。



The　Muggletonian　sect　have　a　very　odd　way　of　dealing　with　people。

If　I；　the　Professor；　will　only　give　in　to　the　Muggletonian　doctrine；

there　shall　be　no　question　through　all　that　persuasion　that　I　am

competent　to　judge　of　that　doctrine；　nay；