the professor at the breakfast table-第8章

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

Adams　got　up　on　the　stage　at　Commencement；　out　at　Cambridge　there；

with　his　gown　on；　the　Governor　and　Council　looking　on　in　the　name　of

his　Majesty；　King　George　the　Second；　and　the　girls　looking　down　out

of　the　galleries；　and　taught　people　how　to　spell　a　word　that　was　n't

in　the　Colonial　dictionaries　！　　R…e；　re；　s…i…s；　sis；　t…a…n…c…e；

tance；　Resistance！　　That　was　in　'43；　and　it　was　a　good　many　years

before　the　Boston　boys　began　spelling　it　with　their　muskets；but

when　they　did　begin；　they　spelt　it　so　loud　that　the　old　bedridden

women　in　the　English　almshouses　heard　every　syllable！　　Yes；　yes；

yes；it　was　a　good　while　before　those　other　two　Boston　boys　got　the

class　so　far　along　that　it　could　spell　those　two　hard　words；

Independence　and　Union！　　I　tell　you　what；　Sir；　there　are　a　thousand

lives；　aye；　sometimes　a　million；　go　to　get　a　new　word　into　a　language

that　is　worth　speaking。　　We　know　what　language　means　too　well　here　in

Boston　to　play　tricks　with　it。　　We　never　make　a　new　word　til　we　have

made　a　new　thing　or　a　new　thought；　Sir！　then　we　shaped　the　new　mould

of　this　continent；　we　had　to　make　a　few。　　When；　by　God's　permission；

we　abrogated　the　primal　curse　of　maternity；　we　had　to　make　a　word　or

two。　　The　cutwater　of　this　great　Leviathan　clipper；　the　OCCIDENTAL；

this　thirty…wasted　wind…and…steam　wave…crusher；must　throw　a　little

spray　over　the　human　vocabulary　as　it　splits　the　waters　of　a　new

world's　destiny！



He　rose　as　he　spoke；　until　his　stature　seemed　to　swell　into　the　fair

human　proportions。　　His　feet　must　have　been　on　the　upper　round　of　his

high　chair；　that　was　the　only　way　I　could　account　for　it。



Puts　her　through　fast…rate；said　the　young　fellow　whom　the　boarders

call　John。



The　venerable　and　kind…looking　old　gentleman　who　sits　opposite　said

he　remembered　Sam　Adams　as　Governor。　　An　old　man　in　a　brown　coat。

Saw　him　take　the　Chair　on　Boston　Common。　　Was　a　boy　then；　and

remembers　sitting　on　the　fence　in　front　of　the　old　Hancock　house。

Recollects　he　had　a　glazed　'lectionbun；　and　sat　eating　it　and　looking

down　on　to　the　Common。　　Lalocks　flowered　late　that　year；　and　he　got　a

great　bunch　off　from　the　bushes　in　the　Hancock　front…yard。



Them　'lection…buns　are　no　go；said　the　young　man　John；　so　called。

I　know　the　trick。　　Give　a　fellah　a　fo'penny　bun　in　the　mornin'；　an'

he　downs　the　whole　of　it。　　In　about　an　hour　it　swells　up　in　his

stomach　as　big　as　a　football；　and　his　feedin'　's　spilt　for　that　day。

That's　the　way　to　stop　off　a　young　one　from　eatin'　up　all　the

'lection　dinner。



Salem！　　Salem！　not　Boston；shouted　the　little　man。



But　the　Koh…i…noor　laughed　a　great　rasping　laugh；　and　the　boy

Benjamin　Franklin　looked　sharp　at　his　mother；　as　if　he　remembered　the

bun…experiment　as　a　part　of　his　past　personal　history。



The　Little　Gentleman　was　holding　a　fork　in　his　left　hand。　　He　stabbed

a　boulder　of　home…made　bread　with　it；　mechanically；　and　looked　at　it

as　if　it　ought　to　shriek。　　It　did　not；but　he　sat　as　if　watching　it。



Language　is　a　solemn　thing；I　said。　It　grows　out　of　life；out

of　its　agonies　and　ecstasies；　its　wants　and　its　weariness。　　Every

language　is　a　temple；　in　which　the　soul　of　those　who　speak　it　is

enshrined。　　Because　time　softens　its　outlines　and　rounds　the　sharp

angles　of　its　cornices；　shall　a　fellow　take　a　pickaxe　to　help　time？

Let　me　tell　you　what　comes　of　meddling　with　things　that　can　take　care

of　themselves。　A　friend　of　mine　had　a　watch　given　him；　when　he　was

a　boy；a　〃bull's　eye；〃　with　a　loose　silver　case　that　came　off　like

an　oyster…shell　from　its　contents；　you　know　them；the　cases　that　you

hang　on　your　thumb；　while　the　core；　or　the　real　watch；　lies　in　your

hand　as　naked　as　a　peeled　apple。　　Well；　he　began　with　taking　off　the

case；　and　so　on　from　one　liberty　to　another；　until　he　got　it　fairly

open；　and　there　were　the　works；　as　good　as　if　they　were　alive；

crown…wheel；　balance…wheel；　and　all　the　rest。　　All　right　except　one

thing；there　was　a　confounded　little　hair　had　got　tangled　round　the

balance…wheel。　　So　my　young　Solomon　got　a　pair　of　tweezers；　and

caught　hold　of　the　hair　very　nicely；　and　pulled　it　right　out；　without

touching　any　of　the　wheels；when；buzzzZZZ！　　and　the　watch　had　done

up　twenty…four　hours　in　double　magnetic…telegraph　time！　The　English

language　was　wound　up　to　run　some　thousands　of　years；　I　trust；　but　if

everybody　is　to　be　pulling　at　everything　he　thinks　is　a　hair；　our

grandchildren　will　have　to　make　the　discovery　that　it　is　a　hair…

spring；　and　the　old　Anglo…Norman　soul's…timekeeper　will　run　down；　as

so　many　other　dialects　have　done　before　it。　　I　can't　stand　this

meddling　any　better　than　you；　Sir。　　But　we　have　a　great　deal　to　be

proud　of　in　the　lifelong　labors　of　that　old　lexicographer；　and　we

must　n't　be　ungrateful。　　Besides；　don't　let　us　deceive　ourselves；

the　war　of　the　dictionaries　is　only　a　disguised　rivalry　of　cities；

colleges；　and　especially　of　publishers。　　After　all；　it　is　likely　that

the　language　will　shape　itself　by　larger　forces　than　phonography　and

dictionary…making。　　You　may　spade　up　the　ocean　as　much　as　you　like；

and　harrow　it　afterwards；　if　you　can；but　the　moon　will　still　lead

the　tides；　and　the　winds　will　form　their　surface。



Do　you　know　Richardson's　Dictionary？I　said　to　my　neighbor　the

divinity…student。



Haow？said　the　divinity…student。　He　colored；　as　he　noticed　on　my

face　a　twitch　in　one　of　the　muscles　which　tuck　up　the　corner　of　the

mouth；　（zygomaticus　major；）　and　which　I　could　not　hold　back　from

making　a　little　movement　on　its　own　account。



It　was　too　late。　A　country…boy；　lassoed　when　he　was　a　half…grown

colt。　　Just　as　good　as　a　city…boy；　and　in　some　ways；　perhaps；

better；but　caught　a　little　too　old　not　to　carry　some　marks　of　his

earlier　ways　of　life。　　Foreigners；　who　have　talked　a　strange　tongue

half　their　lives；　return　to　the　language　of　their　childhood　in　their

dying　hours。　　Gentlemen　in　fine　linen；　and　scholars　in　large

libraries；　taken　by　surprise；　or　in　a　careless　moment；　will　sometimes

let　slip　a　word　they　knew　as　boys　in　homespun　and　have　not　spoken

since　that　time；but　it　lay　there　under　all　their　culture。　　That　is

one　way　you　may　know　the　country…boys　after　they　have　grown　rich　or

celebrated；　another　is　by　the　odd　old　family　names；　particularly

those　of　the　Hebrew　prophets；　which　the　good　old　people　have　saddled

them　with。



Boston　has　enough　of　England　about　it　to　make　a　good　English

dictionary；said　that　fresh…looking　youth　whom　I　have　mentioned　as

sitting　at　the　right　upper　corner　of　the　table。



I　turned　and　looked　him　full　in　the　face；for　the　pure；　manly

intonations　arrested　me。　　The　voice　was　youthful；　but　full　of

character。　I　suppose　some　persons　have　a　peculiar　susceptibility　in

the　matter　of　voice。　Hear　this。



Not　long　after　the　American　Revolution；　a　young　lady　was　sitting　in

her　father's　chaise　in　a　street　of　this　town　of　Boston。　　She

overheard　a　little　girl　talking　or　singing；　and　was　mightily　taken

with　the　tones　of　her　voice。　　Nothing　would　satisfy　her　but　she　must

have　that　little　girl　come　and　live　in　her　father's　house。　　So　the

child　came；　being　then　nine　years　old。　　Until　her　marriage　she

remained　under　the　same　roof　with　the　young　lady。　　Her　children

became　successively　inmates　of　the　lady's　dwelling；　and　now；　seventy

years；　or　thereabouts；　since　the　young　lady　heard　the　child　singing；

one　of　that　child's　children　and　one　of　her　grandchildren　are　with

her　in　that　home；　where　she；　no　longer　young；　except　in　heart；　passes

her　peaceful　days。　Three　generations　linked　together　by　so　light　a

breath　of　accident！



I　likedthe　sound　of　this　youth's　voice；　I　said；　and　his　look　when　I

came　to　observe　him　a　little　more　closely。　　His　complexion　had

something　better　than　；the　bloom　and　freshness　which　had　first

attracted　me；it　had　that　diffused　tone　which　is　a　sure　index　of

wholesome；　lusty　life。　　A　fine　liberal　style　of　nature　seemed　to　be：

hair　crisped；　moustache　springing　thick　and　dark；　head　firmly

planted；　lips　finished；　as　is　commonly　sees　them　in　gentlemen's

families；　a　pupil　well　contracted；　and　a　mouth　that　opened　frankly

with　a　white　flash　of　teeth　that　looked　as　if　they　could　serve　him　as

they　say　Ethan　Allen's　used　to　serve　their　owner；to　draw　nails

with。　　This　is　the　kind　of　fellow　to　walk　a　frigate's　deck　and　bowl

his　broadsides　into　the　〃Gadlant　Thudnder…bomb；〃　or　any　forty…port…

holed　adventurer　who　would　like　to　exchange　a　few　tons　of　iron

compliments。　I　don't　know　what　put　this　into　my　head；　for　it　was

not　till　some　time　afterward　I　learned　the　young　fellow　had　been　in

the　naval　school　at　Annapolis。　　Something　had　happened　to　change　his

plan　of　life；　and　he　was　now　studying　engineering　and　architecture　in

Boston。



When　the　youth　made　the　short　remark　which　drew　my　attention　to　him；

the　little　deformed　gentleman　turned　round　and　took　a　long　look　at

him。



Good　for　the　Boston　boy！　he　said。



I　am　not　a　Boston　boy；said　the　youth；　smiling；I　am　a　Marylander。



I　don't　care　where　you　come　from；we'll　make　a　Boston　man　of　you；

said　the　little　gentleman。　　Pray；　what　part　of　Maryland　did　you　come

from；　and　how　shall　I　call　you？



The　poor　youth　had　to　speak　pretty　loud；　as　he　was　at　the　right　upper

corner　of　the　table；　and　the　little　gentleman　next　the　lower　left…

hand　corner。　　His　face　flushed　a　little；　but　he　answered　pleasantly；

telling　who　he　was；　as　if　the　little　man's　infirmity　gave　him　a　right

to　ask　any　questions　he　wanted　to。



Here　is　the　place　for　you　to　sit；said　the　little　gentleman；

pointing　to　the　vacant　chair　next　his　own；　at　the　corner。



You're　go'n'　to　have　a　young　lady　next　you；　if　you　wait　till　to…

morrow；said　the　landlady　to　him。



He　did　not　reply；　but　I　had　a　fancy　that　he　changed　color。　　It　can't

be　that　he　has　susceptibilities　with　reference　to　a　contingent　young

lady！　　It　can't　be　that　he　has　had　experiences　which　make　him

sensitive！　　Nature　could　not　be　quite　so　cruel　as　to　set　a　heart

throbbing　in　that　poor　little　cage　of　ribs！　　There　is　no　use　in

wasting　notes　of　admiration。　　I　must　ask　the　landlady　about　him。



These　are　some　of　the　facts　she　furnished。　Has　not　been　long　with

her。　　Brought　a　sight　of　furniture；could　n't　hardly　get　some　of　it

upstairs。　　Has　n't　seemed　particularly　attentive　to　the　ladies。　　The

Bombazine　（whom　she　calls　Cousin　something　or　other）　has　tried　to

enter　into　conversation　with　him；　but　retired　with　the　impression

that　he　was　indifferent　to　ladies'　society。　　Paid　his　bill　the　other

day　without　saying　a　word　about　it。　　Paid　it　in　gold；had　a　great

heap　of　twenty…dollar　pieces。　　Hires　her　best　room。　　Thinks　he　is　a

very　nice　little　man；　but　lives　dreadful　lonely　up　in　his　chamber。

Wants　the　care　of　some　capable　nuss。　　Never　pitied　anybody　more　in

her　lifenever　see　a　more　interestin'　person。



My　intention