the professor at the breakfast table-第14章

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！



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　has　died　out；　where　wealth　and　social

influence　are　so　fairly　divided　between　the　stationary　and　the

progressive　classes！　　Show　me　any　other　place　where　every　other

drawing…room　is　not　a　chamber　of　the　Inquisition；　with　papas　and

mammas　for　inquisitors；and　the　cold　shoulder；　instead　of　the　〃dry

pan　and　the　gradual　fire；〃　the　punishment　of　〃heresy〃！



We　think　Baltimore　is　a　pretty　civilized　kind　of　a　village；said

the　young　Marylander；　good…naturedly。　But　I　suppose　you　can't

forgive　it　for　always　keeping　a　little　ahead　of　Boston　in　point　of

numbers；tell　the　truth　now。　　Are　we　not　the　centre　of　something？



Ah；　indeed；　to　be　sure　you　are。　　You　are　the　gastronomic　metropolis

of　the　Union。　　Why　don't　you　put　a　canvas…back…duck　on　the　top　of　the

Washington　column？　　Why　don't　you　get　that　lady　off　from　Battle

Monument　and　plant　a　terrapin　in　her　place？　　Why　will　you　ask　for

other　glories　when　you　have　soft　crabs？　　No；　Sir；you　live　too　well

to　think　as　hard　as　we　do　in　Boston。　　Logic　comes　to　us　with　the

salt…fish　of　Cape　Ann；　rhetoric　is　born　of　the　beans　of　Beverly；　but

youif　you　open　your　mouths　to　speak；　Nature　stops　them　with　a　fat

oyster；　or　offers　a　slice　of　the　breast　of　your　divine　bird；　and

silences　all　your　aspirations。



And　what　of　Philadelphia？said　the　Marylander。



Oh；　Philadelphia？Waterworks；killed　by　the　Croton　and　Cochituate；…

…Ben　Franklin；borrowed　from　Boston；David　Rittenhouse；made　an

orrery；Benjamin　Rush；made　a　medical　system；both　interesting　to

antiquarians；great　Red…river　raft　of　medical　students；spontaneous

generation　of　professors　to　match；more　widely　known　through　the

Moyamensing　hose…company；　and　the　Wistar　parties；…for　geological

section　of　social　strata；　go　to　The　Club。　Good　place　to　live　in；

first…rate　market；tip…top　peaches。　What　do　we　know　about

Philadelphia；　except　that　the　engine…companies　are　always　shooting

each　other？



And　what　do　you　say　to　New　York？asked　the　Koh…i…noor。



A　great　city；　Sir；replied　the　Little　Gentleman；a　very　opulent；

splendid　city。　　A　point　of　transit　of　much　that　is　remarkable；　and　of

permanence　for　much　that　is　respectable。　　A　great　money…centre。　　San

Francisco　with　the　mines　above…ground；and　some　of　'em　under　the

sidewalks。　　I　have　seen　next　to　nothing　grandiose；　out　of　New　York；

in　all　our　cities。　　It　makes　'em　all　look　paltry　and　petty。　　Has　many

elements　of　civilization。　　May　stop　where　Venice　did；　though；　for

aught　we　know。　The　order　of　its　development　is　just　this：Wealth；

architecture；　upholstery；　painting；　sculpture。　　Printing；　as　a

mechanical　art；just　as　Nicholas　Jepson　and　the　Aldi；　who　were

scholars　too；　made　Venice　renowned　for　it。　　Journalism；　which　is　the

accident　of　business　and　crowded　populations；　in　great　perfection。

Venice　got　as　far　as　Titian　and　Paul　Veronese　and　Tintoretto；great

colorists；　mark　you；　magnificent　on　the　flesh…and…blood　side　of　Art；…

…but　look　over　to　Florence　and　see　who　lie　in　Santa　Crocea；　and　ask

out　of　whose　loins　Dante　sprung！



Oh；　yes；　to　be　sure；　Venice　built　her　Ducal　Palace；　and　her　Church　of

St。　Mark；　and　her　Casa　d'　Or；　and　the　rest　of　her　golden　houses；　and

Venice　had　great　pictures　and　good　music；　and　Venice　had　a　Golden

Book；　in　which　all　the　large　tax…payers　had　their　names　written；but

all　that　did　not　make　Venice　the　brain　of　Italy。



I　tell　you　what；　Sir；with　all　these　magnificent　appliances　of

civilization；　it　is　time　we　began　to　hear　something　from　the　djinnis

donee　whose　names　are　on　the　Golden　Book　of　our　sumptuous；　splendid；

marble…placed　Venice；something　in　the　higher　walks　of　literature；

something　in　the　councils　of　the　nation。　　Plenty　of　Art；　I　grant　you；

Sir；　now；　then；　for　vast　libraries；　and　for　mighty　scholars　and

thinkers　and　statesmen；five　for　every　Boston　one；　as　the　population

is　to　ours；ten　to　one　more　properly；　in　virtue　of　centralizing

attraction　as　the　alleged　metropolis；　and　not　call　our　people

provincials