the professor at the breakfast table-第39章

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transmitted　through　a　human　soul　as　an　image　through　clouded　glass？



Talent　is　a　very　common　family…trait；　genius　belongs　rather　to

individuals；just　as　you　find　one　giant　or　one　dwarf　in　a　family；

but　rarely　a　whole　brood　of　either。　　Talent　is　often　to　be　envied；

and　genius　very　commonly　to　be　pitied。　　It　stands　twice　the　chance

of　the　other　of　dying　in　hospital；　in　jail；　in　debt；　in　bad　repute。

It　is　a　perpetual　insult　to　mediocrity；　its　every　word　is　a　trespass

against　somebody's　vested　ideas；blasphemy　against　somebody's　O'm；

or　intangible　private　truth。



What　is　the　use　of　my　weighing　out　antitheses　in　this　way；　like　a

rhetorical　grocer？You　know　twenty　men　of　talent；　who　are　making

their　way　in　the　world；　you　may；　perhaps；　know　one　man　of　genius；

and　very　likely　do　not　want　to　know　any　more。　　For　a　divine

instinct；　such　as　drives　the　goose　southward　and　the　poet

heavenward；　is　a　hard　thing　to　manage；　and　proves　too　strong　for

many　whom　it　possesses。　　It　must　have　been　a　terrible　thing　to　have

a　friend　like　Chatterton　or　Burns。　　And　here　is　a　being　who

certainly　has　more　than　talent；　at　once　poet　and　artist　in　tendency；

if　not　yet　fairly　developed；a　woman；　too；and　genius　grafted　on

womanhood　is　like　to　overgrow　it　and　break　its　stem；　as　you　may　see

a　grafted　fruit…tree　spreading　over　the　stock　which　cannot　keep　pace

with　its　evolution。



I　think　now　you　know　something　of　this　young　person。　　She　wants

nothing　but　an　atmosphere　to　expand　in。　　Now　and　then　one　meets　with

a　nature　for　which　our　hard；　practical　New　England　life　is　obviously

utterly　incompetent。　　It　comes　up；　as　a　Southern　seed；　dropped　by

accident　in　one　of　our　gardens；　finds　itself　trying　to　grow　and　blow

into　flower　among　the　homely　roots　and　the　hardy　shrubs　that

surround　it。　　There　is　no　question　that　certain　persons　who　are　born

among　us　find　themselves　many　degrees　too　far　north。　　Tropical　by

organization；　they　cannot　fight　for　life　with　our　eastern　and

northwestern　breezes　without　losing　the　color　and　fragrance　into

which　their　lives　would　have　blossomed　in　the　latitude　of　myrtles

and　oranges。　　Strange　effects　are　produced　by　suffering　any　living

thing　to　be　developed　under　conditions　such　as　Nature　had　not

intended　for　it。　　A　French　physiologist　confined　some　tadpoles　under

water　in　the　dark。　　Removed　from　the　natural　stimulus　of　light；　they

did　not　develop　legs　and　arms　at　the　proper　period　of　their　growth；

and　so　become　frogs；　they　swelled　and　spread　into　gigantic　tadpoles。

I　have　seen　a　hundred　colossal　human　tadpoles；　overgrown　Zarvce　or

embryos；　nay；　I　am　afraid　we　Protestants　should　look　on　a

considerable　proportion　of　the　Holy　Father's　one　hundred　and　thirty…

nine　millions　as　spiritual　larvae；　sculling　about　in　the　dark　by　the

aid　of　their　caudal　extremities；　instead　of　standing　on　their　legs；

and　breathing　by　gills；　instead　of　taking　the　free　air　of　heaven

into　the　lungs　made　to　receive　it。　　Of　course　we　never　try　to　keep

young　souls　in　the　tadpole　state；　for　fear　they　should　get　a　pair　or

two　of　legs　by…and…by　and　jump　out　of　the　pool　where　they　have　been

bred　and　fed！　　Never！　　Never。　　Never？



Now　to　go　back　to　our　plant。　　You　may　know；　that；　for　the　earlier

stages　of　development　of　almost　any　vegetable；　you　only　want　air；

water；　light；　and　warmth。　　But　by…and…by；　if　it　is　to　have　special

complex　principles　as　a　part　of　its　organization；　they　must　be

supplied　by　the　soil；your　pears　will　crack；　if　the　root　of　the

tree　gets　no　iron；your　asparagus…bed　wants　salt　as　much　as　you　do。

Just　at　the　period　of　adolescence；　the　mind　often　suddenly　begins　to

come　into　flower　and　to　set　its　fruit。　　Then　it　is　that　many　young

natures；　having　exhausted　the　spiritual　soil　round　them　of　all　it

contains　of　the　elements　they　demand；　wither　away；　undeveloped　and

uncolored；　unless　they　are　transplanted。



Pray　for　these　dear　young　souls！　　This　is　the　second　natural　birth；…

for　I　do　not　speak　of　those　peculiar　religious　experiences　which

form　the　point　of　transition　in　many　lives　between　the　consciousness

of　a　general　relation　to　the　Divine　nature　and　a　special　personal

relation。　　The　litany　should　count　a　prayer　for　them　in　the　list　of

its　supplications；　masses　should　be　said　for　them　as　for　souls　in

purgatory；　all　good　Christians　should　remember　them　as　they　remember

those　in　peril　through　travel　or　sickness　or　in　warfare。



I　would　transport　this　child　to　Rome　at　once；　if　I　had　my　will。　　She

should　ripen　under　an　Italian　sun。　　She　should　walk　under　the

frescoed　vaults　of　palaces；　until　her　colors　deepened　to　those　of

Venetian　beauties；　and　her　forms　were　perfected　into　rivalry　with

the　Greek　marbles；　and　the　east　wind　was　out　of　her　soil。　　Has　she

not　exhausted　this　lean　soil　of　the　elements　her　growing　nature

requires？



I　do　not　know。　　The　magnolia　grows　and　comes　into　full　flower　on

Cape　Ann；　many　degrees　out　of　its　proper　region。　　I　was　riding　once

along　that　delicious　road　between　the　hills　and　the　sea；　when　we

passed　a　thicket　where　there　seemed　to　be　a　chance　of　finding　it。

In　five　minutes　I　had　fallen　on　the　trees　in　full　blossom；　and

filled　my　arms　with　the　sweet；　resplendent　flowers。　　I　could　not

believe　I　was　in　our　cold；　northern　Essex；　which；　in　the　dreary

season　when　I　pass　its　slate…colored；　unpainted　farm…houses；　and

huge；　square；　windy；　'squire…built　〃mansions；〃　looks　as　brown　and

unvegetating　as　an　old　rug　with　its　patterns　all　trodden　out　and　the

colored　fringe　worn　from　all　its　border。



If　the　magnolia　can　bloom　in　northern　New　England；　why　should　not　a

poet　or　a　painter　come　to　his　full　growth　here　just　as　well？　　Yes；

but　if　the　gorgeous　tree…flower　is　rare；　and　only　as　if　by　a　freak

of　Nature　springs　up　in　a　single　spot　among　the　beeches　and　alders；

is　there　not　as　much　reason　to　think　the　perfumed　flower　of

imaginative　genius　will　find　it　hard　to　be　born　and　harder　to　spread

its　leaves　in　the　clear；　cold　atmosphere　of　our　ultra…temperate　zone

of　humanity？



Take　the　poet。　　On　the　one　hand；　I　believe　that　a　person　with　the

poetical　faculty　finds　material　everywhere。　　The　grandest　objects　of

sense　and　thought　are　common　to　all　climates　and　civilizations。　　The

sky；　the　woods；　the　waters；　the　storms；　life；　death　love；　the　hope

and　vision　of　eternity；these　are　images　that　write　themselves　in

poetry　in　every　soul　which　has　anything　of　the　divine　gift。



On　the　other　hand；　there　is　such　a　thing　as　a　lean；　impoverished

life；　in　distinction　from　a　rich　and　suggestive　one。　　Which　our

common　New　England　life　might　be　considered；　I　will　not　decide。　　But

there　are　some　things　I　think　the　poet　misses　in　our　western　Eden。

I　trust　it　is　not　unpatriotic　to　mention　them　in　this　point　of　view

as　they　come　before　us　in　so　many　other　aspects。



There　is　no　sufficient　flavor　of　humanity　in　the　soil　out　of　which

we　grow。　　At　Cantabridge；　near　the　sea；　I　have　once　or　twice　picked

up　an　Indian　arrowhead　in　a　fresh　furrow。　　At　Canoe　Meadow；　in　the

Berkshire　Mountains；　I　have　found　Indian　arrowheads。　　So　everywhere

Indian　arrowheads。　　Whether　a　hundred　or　a　thousand　years　old；　who

knows？　who　cares？　　There　is　no　history　to　the　red　race；there　is

hardly　an　individual　in　it；a　few　instincts　on　legs　and　holding　a

tomahawkthere　is　the　Indian　of　all　time。　　The　story　of　one　red　ant

is　the　story　of　all　red　ants。　　So；　the　poet；　in　trying　to　wing　his

way　back　through　the　life　that　has　kindled；　flitted；　and　faded　along

our　watercourses　and　on　our　southern　hillsides　for　unknown

generations；　finds　nothing　to　breathe　or　fly　in；　he　meets



　　　　〃A　vast　vacuity！　　all　unawares；

　　　　　Fluttering　his　pennons　vain；　plumb　down　he　drops

　　　　　Ten　thousand　fathom　deep。〃



But　think　of　the　Old　World；that　part　of　it　which　is　the　seat　of

ancient　civilization！　　The　stakes　of　the　Britons'　stockades　are

still　standing　in　the　bed　of　the　Thames。　　The　ploughman　turns　up　an

old　Saxon's　bones；　and　beneath　them　is　a　tessellated　pavement　of　the

time　of　the　Caesars。　　In　Italy；　the　works　of　mediaeval　Art　seem　to

be　of　yesterday；Rome；　under　her　kings；　is　but　an　intruding

newcomer；　as　we　contemplate　her　in　the　shadow　of　the　Cyclopean　walls

of　Fiesole　or　Volterra。　　It　makes　a　man　human　to　live　on　these　old

humanized　soils。　　He　cannot　help　marching　in　step　with　his　kind　in

the　rear　of　such　a　procession。　　They　say　a　dead　man's　hand　cures

swellings；　if　laid　on　them。　　There　is　nothing　like　the　dead　cold

hand　of　the　Past　to　take　down　our　tumid　egotism　and　lead　us　into　the

solemn　flow　of　the　life　of　our　race。　　Rousseau　came　out　of　one　of

his　sad　self…torturing　fits；　as　he　cast　his　eye　on　the　arches　of　the

old　Roman　aqueduct；　the　Pont　du　Gard。



I　am　far　from　denying　that　there　is　an　attraction　in　a　thriving

railroad　village。　　The　new　〃depot；〃　the　smartly…painted　pine　houses；

the　spacious　brick　hotel；　the　white　meeting…house；　and　the　row　of

youthful　and　leggy　trees　before　it；　are　exhilarating。　　They　speak　of

progress；　and　the　time　when　there　shall　be　a　city；　with　a　His　Honor

the　Mayor；　in　the　place　of　their　trim　but　transient　architectural

growths。　　Pardon　me；　if　I　prefer　the　pyramids。　　They　seem　to　me

crystals　formed　from　a　stronger　solution　of　humanity　than　the

steeple　of　the　new　meeting…house。　　I　may　be　wrong；　but　the　Tiber　has

a　voice　for　me；　as　it　whispers　to　the　piers　of　the　Pons　Alius；　even

more　full　of　meaning　than　my　well…beloved　Charles　eddying　round　the

piles　of　West　Boston　Bridge。



Then；　again；　we　Yankees　are　a　kind　of　gypsies；a　mechanical　and

migratory　race。　　A　poet　wants　a　home。　　He　can　dispense　with　an

apple…parer　and　a　reaping…machine。　　I　feel　this　more　for　others　than

for　myself；　for　the　home　of　my　birth　and　childhood　has　been　as　yet

exempted　from　the　change　which　has　invaded　almost　everything　around

it。



Pardon　me　a　short　digression。　　To　what　small　things　our　memory　and

our　affections　attach　themselves！　　I　remember；　when　I　was　a　child；

that　one　of　the　girls　planted　some　Star…of…Bethlehem　bulbs　in　the

southwest　gorner　of　our　front…yard。　　Well；　I　left　the　paternal　roof

and　wandered　in　other　lands；　and　learned　to　think　in　the　words　of

strange　people。　　But　after　many　years；　as　I　looked　on　the　little

front…yard　again；　it　occurred　to　me　that　there　used　to　be　some　Star…

of…Bethlehems　in　the　southwest　corner。　　The　grass　was　tall　there；

and　the　blade　of　the　plant　is　very　much　like　grass；　only　thicker　and

glossier。　　Even　as　Tully　parted　the　briers　and　brambles　when　he

hunted　for　the　sphere…containing　cylinder　that　marked　the　grave　of

Archimedes；　so　did　I　comb　the　grass　with　my　fingers　for　my

monumental　memorial…flower。　　Nature　had　stored　my　keepsake　tenderly

in　her　bosom；　the　glossy；　faintly　streaked　blades　were　there；　they

are　there　still；　though　they　never　flower；　darkened　as　they　are　by

the　shade　of　the　elms　and　rooted　in　the　matted　turf。



Our　hearts　are　held　down　to　our　homes　by　innumera