the professor at the breakfast table-第7章

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　　　　　Think　not　too　meanly　of　thy　low　estate；

　　　　　Thou　hast　a　choice；　to　choose　is　to　create！



If　he　will　look　a　little　closely；　he　will　see　that　the　profile　and

the　full…face　views　of　the　will　are　both　true　and　perfectly

consistent！



Now　let　us　come　back；　after　this　long　digression；　to　the　conversation

with　the　intelligent　Englishman。　　We　begin　skirmishing　with　a　few

light　ideas；testing　for　thoughts；as　our　electro…chemical　friend；

De　Sauty；　if　there　were　such　a　person；　would　test　for　his　current；

trying　a　little　litmus…paper　for　acids；　and　then　a　slip　of　turmeric…

paper　for　alkalies；　as　chemists　do　with　unknown　compounds；　flinging

the　lead；　and　looking　at　the　shells　and　sands　it　brings　up　to　find

out　whether　we　are　like　to　keep　in　shallow　water；　or　shall　have　to

drop　the　deep…sea　line；in　short；　seeing　what　we　have　to　deal　with。

If　the　Englishman　gets　his　H's　pretty　well　placed；　he　comes　from　one

of　the　higher　grades　of　the　British　social　order；　and　we　shall　find

him　a　good　companion。



But；　after　all；　here　is　a　great　fact　between　us。　　We　belong　to　two

different　civilizations；　and；　until　we　recognize　what　separates　us；

we　are　talking　like　Pyramus　and　Thisbe；　without　any　hole　in　the　wall

to　talk　through。　　Therefore；　on　the　whole；　if　he　were　a　superior

fellow；　incapable　of　mistaking　it　for　personal　conceit；　I　think　I

would　let　out　the　fact　of　the　real　American　feeling　about　Old…World

folks。　　They　are　children　to　us　in　certain　points　of　view。　　They　are

playing　with　toys　we　have　done　with　for　whole…generations。





FOOTNOTE：



The　more　I　have　observed　and　reflected；　the　more　limited　seems　to　me

the　field　of　action　of　the　human　will。　Every　act　of　choice　involves　a

special　relation　between　the　ego　and　the　conditions　before　it。　　But

no　man　knows　what　forces　are　at　work　in　the　determination　of　his　ego。

The　bias　which　decides　his　choice　between　two　or　more　motives　may

come　from　some　unsuspected　ancestral　source；　of　which　he　knows

nothing　at　all。　　He　is　automatic　in　virtue　of　that　hidden　spring　of

reflex　action；　all　the　time　having　the　feeling　that　he　is　self…

determining。　　The　Story　of　Elsie　Yenner；　written…soon　after　this　book

was　published；　illustrates　the　direction　in　which　my　thought　was

moving。　　'The　imaginary　subject　of　the　story　obeyed　her　will；　but　her

will　Obeyed　the　mysterious　antenatal　poisoning　influence。





That　silly　little　drum　they　are　always　beating　on；　and　the　trumpet

and　the　feather　they　make　so　much　noise　and　cut　such　a　figure　with；

we　have　not　quite　outgrown；　but　play　with　much　less　seriously　and

constantly　than　they　do。　　Then　there　is　a　whole　museum　of　wigs；　and

masks；　and　lace…coats；　and　gold…sticks；　and　grimaces；　and　phrases；

which　we　laugh　at　honestly；　without　affectation；　that　are　still　used

in　the　Old…World　puppet…shows。　　I　don't　think　we　on　our　part　ever

understand　the　Englishman's　concentrated　loyalty　and　specialized

reverence。　　But　then　we　do　think　more　of　a　man；　as　such；　（barring

some　little　difficulties　about　race　and　complexion　which　the

Englishman　will　touch　us　on　presently；）　than　any　people　that　ever

lived　did　think　of　him。　　Our　reverence　is　a　great　deal　wider；　if　it

is　less　intense。　　We　have　caste　among　us；　to　some　extent；　it　is　true；

but　there　is　never　a　collar　on　the　American　wolf…dog　such　as　you

often　see　on　the　English　mastiff；　notwithstanding　his　robust；　hearty

individuality。



This　confronting　of　two　civilizations　is　always　a　grand　sensation　to

me；　it　is　like　cutting　through　the　isthmus　and　letting　the　two　oceans

swim　into　each　other's　laps。　　The　trouble　is；　it　is　so　difficult　to

let　out　the　whole　American　nature　without　its　self…assertion　seeming

to　take　a　personal　character。　　But　I　never　enjoy　the　Englishman　so

much　as　when　he　talks　of　church　and　king　like　Manco　Capac　among　the

Peruvians。　　Then　you　get　the　real　British　flavor；　which　the

cosmopolite　Englishman　loses。



How　much　better　this　thorough　interpenetration　of　ideas　than　a　barren

interchange　of　courtesies；　or　a　bush…fighting　argument；　in　which　each

man　tries　to　cover　as　much　of　himself　and　expose　as　much　of　his

opponent　as　the　tangled　thicket　of　the　disputed　ground　will　let　him！



…My　thoughts　flow　in　layers　or　strata；　at　least　three　deep。　　I

follow　a　slow　person's　talk；　and　keep　a　perfectly　clear　under…current

of　my　own　beneath　it。　　Under　both　runs　obscurely　a　consciousness

belonging　to　a　third　train　of　reflections；　independent　of　the　two

others。　　I　will　try　to　write　out　a　Mental　movement　in　three　parts。



A。　…First　voice；　or　Mental　Soprano；thought　follows　a　woman

talking。



B。　Second　voice；　or　Mental　Barytone；my　running　accompaniment。



C。　Third　voice；　or　Mental　Basso；low　grumble　of　importunate　self…

repeating　idea。



A。　White　lace；　three　skirts；　looped　with　flowers；　wreath　of　apple…

blossoms；　gold　bracelets；　diamond　pin　and　ear…rings；　the　most

delicious　berthe　you　ever　saw；　white　satin　slippers…



B。　Deuse　take　her！　　What　a　fool　she　is！　　Hear　her　chatter！　　（Look

out　of　window　just　here。　Two　pages　and　a　half　of　description；　if　it

were　all　written　out；　in　one　tenth　of　a　second。）Go　ahead；　old　lady！

（Eye　catches　picture　over　fireplace。）　There's　that　infernal　family

nose！　　Came　over　in　the　〃Mayflower〃　on　the　first　old　fool's　face。

Why　don't　they　wear　a　ring　in　it？



C。　You　'll　be　late　at　lecture；late　at　lecture；late；late…



I　observe　that　a　deep　layer　of　thought　sometimes　makes　itself　felt

through　the　superincumbent　strata；　thus：The　usual　single　or　double

currents　shall　flow　on；　but　there　shall　be　an　influence　blending　with

them；　disturbing　them　in　an　obscure　way；　until　all　at　once　I　say；

Oh；　there！　　I　knew　there　was　something　troubling　me；and　the　thought

which　had　been　working　through　comes　up　to　the　surface　clear；

definite；　and　articulates　itself；a　disagreeable　duty；　perhaps；　or

an　unpleasant　recollection。



The　inner　world　of　thought　and　the　outer　world　of　events　are　alike　in

this；　that　they　are　both　brimful。　　There　is　no　space　between

consecutive　thoughts；　or　between　the　never…ending　series　of　actions。

All　pack　tight；　and　mould　their　surfaces　against　each　other；　so　that

in　the　long　run　there　is　a　wonderful　average　uniformity　in　the　forms

of　both　thoughts　and　actions；　just　as　you　find　that　cylinders　crowded

all　become　hexagonal　prisms；　and　spheres　pressed　together　are　formed

into　regular　polyhedra。



Every　event　that　a　man　would　master　must　be　mounted　on　the　run；　and

no　man　ever　caught　the　reins　of　a　thought　except　as　it　galloped　by

him。　　So；　to　carry　out；　with　another　comparison；　my　remark　about　the

layers　of　thought；　we　may　consider　the　mind　as　it　moves　among

thoughts　or　events；　like　a　circus…rider　whirling　round　with　a　great

troop　of　horses。　　He　can　mount　a　fact　or　an　idea；　and　guide　it　more

or　less　completely；　but　he　cannot　stop　it。　　So；　as　I　said　in　another

way　at　the　beginning；　he　can　stride　two　or　three　thoughts　at　once；

but　not　break　their　steady　walk；　trot；　or　gallop。　　He　can　only　take

his　foot　from　the　saddle　of　one　thought　and　put　it　on　that　of

another。



What　is　the　saddle　of　a　thought？　　Why；　a　word；　of　course。　Twenty

years　after　you　have　dismissed　a　thought；　it　suddenly　wedges　up　to

you　through　the　press；　as　if　it　had　been　steadily　galloping　round　and

round　all　that　time　without　a　rider。



The　will　does　not　act　in　the　interspaces　of　thought；　for　there　are　no

such　interspaces；　but　simply　steps　from　the　back　of　one　moving

thought　upon　that　of　another。



I　should　like　to　ask；said　the　divinity…student；since　we　are

getting　into　metaphysics；　how　you　can　admit　space；　if　all　things　are

in　contact；　and　how　you　can　admit　time；　if　it　is　always　now　to

something？



I　thought　it　best　not　to　hear　this　question。



I　wonder　if　you　know　this　class　of　philosophers　in　books　or

elsewhere。　　One　of　them　makes　his　bow　to　the　public；　and　exhibits　an

unfortunate　truth　bandaged　up　so　that　it　cannot　stir　hand　or　foot；

as　helpless；　apparently；　and　unable　to　take　care　of　itself；　as　an

Egyptian　mummy。　　He　then　proceeds；　with　the　air　and　method　of　a

master；　to　take　off　the　bandages。　　Nothing　can　be　neater　than　the　way

in　which　he　does　it。　　But　as　he　takes　off　layer　after　layer；　the

truth　seems　to　grow　smaller　and　smaller；　and　some　of　its　outlines

begin　to　look　like　something　we　have　seen　before。　　At　last；　when　he

has　got　them　all　off；　and　the　truth　struts　out　naked；　we　recognize　it

as　a　diminutive　and　familiar　acquaintance　whom　we　have　known　in　the

streets　all　our　lives。　　The　fact　is；　the　philosopher　has　coaxed　the

truth　into　his　study　and　put　all　those　bandages　on；　or　course　it　is

not　very　hard　for　him　to　take　them　off。　　Still；　a　great　many　people

like　to　watch　the　process；he　does　it　so　neatly！



Dear！　　dear！　　I　am　ashamed　to　write　and　talk；　sometimes；　when　I　see

how　those　functions　of　the　large…brained；　thumb…opposing　plantigrade

are　abused　by　my　fellow…vertebrates；perhaps　by　myself。　　How　they

spar　for　wind；　instead　of　hitting　from　the　shoulder！



The　young　fellow　called　John　arose　and　placed　himself　in　a　neat

fighting　attitude。　Fetch　on　the　fellah　that　makes　them　long　words！

he　said；and　planted　a　straight　hit　with　the　right　fist　in　the

concave　palm　of　the　left　hand　with　a　click　like　a　cup　and　ball。　You

small　boy　there；　hurry　up　that　〃Webster's　Unabridged！〃



The　little　gentleman　with　the　malformation；　before　described；　shocked

the　propriety　of　the　breakfast…table　by　a　loud　utterance　of　three

words；　of　which　the　two　last　were　〃Webster's　Unabridged；〃　and　the

first　was　an　emphatic　monosyllable。　Beg　pardon；he　added；forgot

myself。　　But　let　us　have　an　English　dictionary；　if　we　are　to　have

any。　　I　don't　believe　in　clipping　the　coin　of　the　realm；　Sir！　　If　I

put　a　weathercock　on　my　house；　Sir；　I　want　it　to　tell　which　way　the

wind　blows　up　aloft；off　from　the　prairies　to　the　ocean；　or　off　from

the　ocean　to　the　prairies；　or　any　way　it　wants　to　blow！　　I　don't　want

a　weathercock　with　a　winch　in　an　old　gentleman's　study　that　he　can

take　hold　of　and　turn；　so　that　the　vane　shall　point　west　when　the

great　wind　overhead　is　blowing　east　with　all　its　might；　Sir！　　Wait

till　we　give　you　a　dictionary；　Sir！　　It　takes　Boston　to　do　that

thing；　Sir！



Some　folks　think　water　can't　run　down…hill　anywhere　out　of　Boston；

remarked　the　Koh…i…noor。



I　don't　know　what　some　folks　think　so　well　as　I　know　what　some　fools

say；rejoined　the　Little　Gentleman。　If　importing　most　dry　goods

made　the　best　scholars；　I　dare　say　you　would　know　where　to　look　for

'em。　Mr。　Webster　could　n't　spell；　Sir；　or　would　n't　spell；　Sir；at

any　rate；　he　did　n't　spell；　and　the　end　of　it　was　a　fight　between　the

owners　of　some　copyrights　and　the　dignity　of　this　noble　language

which　we　have　inherited　from　our　English　fathers。　　Language！　the

blood　of　the　soul；　Sir！　into　which　our　thoughts　run　and　out　of　which

they　grow！　　We　know　what　a　word　is　worth　here　in　Boston。