over the teacups-第4章

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have　to　put　up　with；　as　much　as　the　fruit　and　provisions　in　the

market…stalls。　　I　had　rather　be　criticised；　however；　than　criticise；

that　is；　express　my　opinions　in　the　public　prints　of　other　writers'

work；　if　they　are　living；　and　can　suffer；　as　I　should　often　have　to

make　them。　　There　are　enough；　thank　Heaven；　without　me。　　We　are

literary　cannibals；　and　our　writers　live　on　each　other　and　each

other's　productions　to　a　fearful　extent。　　What　the　mulberry　leaf　is

to　the　silk…worm；　the　author's　book；　treatise；　essay；　poem；　is　to　the

critical　larva；　that　feed　upon　it。　　It　furnishes　them　with　food　and

clothing。　　The　process　may　not　be　agreeable　to　the　mulberry　leaf　or

to　the　printed　page；　but　without　it　the　leaf　would　not　have　become

the　silk　that　covers　the　empress's　shoulders；　and　but　for　the　critic

the　author's　book　might　never　have　reached　the　scholar's　table。

Scribblers　will　feed　on　each　other；　and　if　we　insist　on　being

scribblers　we　must　consent　to　be　fed　on。　　We　must　try　to　endure

philosophically　what　we　cannot　help；　and　ought　not；　I　suppose；　to

wish　to　help。



It　is　the　custom　at　our　table　to　vary　the　usual　talk；　by　the　reading

of　short　papers；　in　prose　or　verse；　by　one　or　more　of　The　Teacups；　as

we　are　in　the　habit　of　calling　those　who　make　up　our　company。　　Thirty

years　ago；　one　of　our　present　circle…　〃Teacup　Number　Two；〃　The

Professor；read　a　paper　on　Old　Age；　at　a　certain　Breakfast…table；

where　he　was　in　the　habit　of　appearing。　　That　paper　was　published　at

the　time；　and　has　since　seen　the　light　in　other　forms。　　He　did　not

know　so　much　about　old　age　then　as　he　does　now；　and　would　doubtless

write　somewhat　differently　if　he　took　the　subject　up　again。　　But　I

found　that　it　was　the　general　wish　that　another　of　our　company　should

let　us　hear　what　he　had　to　say　about　it。　　I　received　a　polite　note；

requesting　me　to　discourse　about　old　age；　inasmuch　as　I　was

particularly　well　qualified　by　my　experience　to　write　in　an

authoritative　way　concerning　it。　　The　fact　is　that　I；for　it　is

myself　who　am　speaking；have　recently　arrived　at　the　age　of

threescore　years　and　twenty；fourscore　years　we　may　otherwise　call

it。　　In　the　arrangement　of　our　table；　I　am　Teacup　Number　One；　and　I

may　as　well　say　that　I　am　often　spoken　of　as　The　Dictator。　　There　is

nothing　invidious　in　this；　as　I　am　the　oldest　of　the　company；　and　no

claim　is　less　likely　to　excite　jealousy　than　that　of　priority　of

birth。



I　received　congratulations　on　reaching　my　eightieth　birthday；　not

only　from　our　circle　of　Teacups；　but　from　friends；　near　and　distant；

in　large　numbers。　　I　tried　to　acknowledge　these　kindly　missives　with

the　aid　of　a　most　intelligent　secretary　；　but　I　fear　that　there　were

gifts　not　thanked　for；　and　tokens　of　good…will　not　recognized。　　Let

any　neglected　correspondent　be　assured　that　it　was　not　intentionally

that　he　or　she　was　slighted。　　I　was　grateful　for　every　such　mark　of

esteem；　even　for　the　telegram　from　an　unknown　friend　in　a　distant

land；　for　which　I　cheerfully　paid　the　considerable　charge　which　the

sender　doubtless　knew　it　would　give　me　pleasure　to　disburse　for　such

an　expression　of　friendly　feeling。



I　will　not　detain　the　reader　any　longer　from　the　essay　I　have

promised。



This　is　the　paper　read　to　The　Teacups。



It　is　in　A　Song　of　Moses　that　we　find　the　words；　made　very　familiar

to　us　by　the　Episcopal　Burial　Service；　which　place　the　natural　limit

on　life　at　threescore　years　and　ten；　with　an　extra　ten　years　for　some

of　a　stronger　constitution　than　the　average。　　Yet　we　are　told　that

Moses　himself　lived　to　be　a　hundred　and　twenty　years　old；　and　that

his　eye　was　not　dim　nor　his　natural　strength　abated。　　This　is　hard　to

accept　literally；　but　we　need　not　doubt　that　he　was　very　old；　and　in

remarkably　good　condition　for　a　man　of　his　age。　　Among　his　followers

was　a　stout　old　captain；　Caleb；　the　son　of　Jephunneh。　　This　ancient

warrior　speaks　of　himself　in　these　brave　terms：　〃Lo；　I　am　this　day

fourscore　and　five　years　old。　　As　yet；　I　am　as　strong　this　day　as　I

was　in　the　day　that　Moses　sent　me；　as　my　strength　was　then；　even　so

is　my　strength　now；　for　war；　both　to　go　out　and　to　come　in。〃　　It　is

not　likely　that　anybody　believed　his　brag　about　his　being　as　good　a

man　for　active　service　at　eighty…five　as　he　was　at　forty；　when　Moses

sent　him　out　to　spy　the　land　of　Canaan。　　But　he　was；　no　doubt；　lusty

and　vigorous　for　his　years；　and　ready　to　smite　the　Canaanites　hip　and

thigh；　and　drive　them　out；　and　take　possession　of　their　land；　as　he

did　forthwith；　when　Moses　gave　him　leave。



Grand　old　men　there　were；　three　thousand　years　ago！　　But　not　all

octogenarians　were　like　Caleb；　the　son　of　Jephunneh。　　Listen　to　poor

old　Barzillai；　and　hear　him　piping：　〃I　am　this　day　fourscore　years

old；　and　can　I　discern　between　good　and　evil？　　Can　thy　servant　taste

what　I　eat　or　what　I　drink　？　　Can　I　hear　any　more　the　voice　of

singing　men　and　singing　women？　　Wherefore；　then；　should　thy　servant

be　yet　a　burden　unto　my　lord　the　king？〃　　And　poor　King　David　was

worse　off　than　this；　as　you　all　remember；　at　the　early　age　of

seventy。



Thirty　centuries　do　not　seem　to　have　made　any　very　great　difference

in　the　extreme　limits　of　life。　　Without　pretending　to　rival　the

alleged　cases　of　life　prolonged　beyond　the　middle　of　its　second

century；　such　as　those　of　Henry　Jenkins　and　Thomas　Parr；　we　can　make

a　good　showing　of　centenarians　and　nonagenarians。　　I　myself　remember

Dr。　Holyoke；　of　Salem；　son　of　a　president　of　Harvard　College；　who

answered　a　toast　proposed　in　his　honor　at　a　dinner　given　to　him　on

his　hundredth　birthday。



〃Father　Cleveland；〃　our　venerated　city　missionary；　was　born　June　21；

1772；　and　died　June　5；　1872；　within　a　little　more　than　a　fortnight　of

his　hundredth　birthday。　　Colonel　Perkins；　of　Connecticut；　died

recently　after　celebrating　his　centennial　anniversary。



Among　nonagenarians；　three　whose　names　are　well　known　to　Bostonians；

Lord　Lyndhurst；　Josiah　Quincy；　and　Sidney　Bartlett；　were　remarkable

for　retaining　their　faculties　in　their　extreme　age。　　That　patriarch

of　our　American　literature；　the　illustrious　historian　of　his　country；

is　still　with　us；　his　birth　dating　in　1800。



Ranke；　the　great　German　historian；　died　at　the　age　of　ninety…one；　and

Chevreul；　the　eminent　chemist；　at　that　of　a　hundred　and　two。



Some　English　sporting　characters　have　furnished　striking　examples　of

robust　longevity。　　In　Gilpin's　〃Forest　Scenery〃　there　is　the　story　of

one　of　these　horseback　heroes。　　Henry　Hastings　was　the　name　of　this

old　gentleman；　who　lived　in　the　time　of　Charles　the　First。　　It　would

be　hard　to　find　a　better　portrait　of　a　hunting　squire　than　that　which

the　Earl　of　Shaftesbury　has　the　credit　of　having　drawn　of　this　very

peculiar　personage。　　His　description　ends　by　saying；　〃He　lived　to　be

an　hundred；　and　never　lost　his　eyesight　nor　used　spectacles。　　He　got

on　horseback　without　help；　and　rode　to　the　death　of　the　stag　till　he

was　past　fourscore。〃



Everything　depends　on　habit。　　Old　people　can　do；　of　course；　more　or

less　well；　what　they　have　been　doing　all　their　lives；　but　try　to

teach　them　any　new　tricks；　and　the　truth　of　the　old　adage　will　very

soon　show　itself。　　Mr。　Henry　Hastings　had　done　nothing　but　hunt　all

his　days；　and　his　record　would　seem　to　have　been　a　good　deal　like

that　of　Philippus　Zaehdarm　in　that　untranslatable　epitaph　which　may

be　found　in　〃Sartor　Resartus。〃　　Judged　by　its　products；　it　was　a　very

short　life　of　a　hundred　useless　twelve　months。



It　is　something　to　have　climbed　the　white　summit；　the　Mont　Blanc　of

fourscore。　　A　small　number　only　of　mankind　ever　see　their　eightieth

anniversary。　　I　might　go　to　the　statistical　tables　of　the　annuity　and

life　insurance　offices　for　extended　and　exact　information；　but　I

prefer　to　take　the　facts　which　have　impressed　themselves　upon　me　in

my　own　career。



The　class　of　1829　at　Harvard　College；　of　which　I　am　a　member；

graduated；　according　to　the　triennial；　fifty…nine　in　number。　　It　is

sixty　years；　then；　since　that　time；　and　as　they　were；　on　an　average；

about　twenty　years　old；　those　who　survive　must　have　reached　fourscore

years。　　Of　the　fifty…nine　graduates　ten　only　are　living；　or　were　at

the　last　accounts；　one　in　six；　very　nearly。　　In　the　first　ten　years

after　graduation；　our　third　decade；　when　we　were　between　twenty　and

thirty　years　old；　we　lost　three　members；about　one　in　twenty；

between　the　ages　of　thirty　and　forty；　eight　died；one　in　seven　of

those　the　decade　began　with；　from　forty　to　fifty；　only　two；or　one

in　twenty…four；　from　fifty　to　sixty；　eight；or　one　in　six　；　from

sixty　to　seventy；　fifteen；or　two　out　of　every　five；　from　seventy　to

eighty；　twelve；or　one　in　two。　　The　greatly　increased　mortality

which　began　with　our　seventh　decade　went　on　steadily　increasing。　　At

sixty　we　come　〃within　range　of　the　rifle…pits；〃　to　borrow　an

expression　from　my　friend　Weir　Mitchell。



Our　eminent　classmate；　the　late　Professor　Benjamin　Peirce；　showed　by

numerical　comparison　that　the　men　of　superior　ability　outlasted　the

average　of　their　fellow…graduates。　　He　himself　lived　a　little　beyond

his　threescore　and　ten　years。　　James　Freeman　Clarke　almost　reached

the　age　of　eighty。　　The　eighth　decade　brought　the　fatal　year　for

Benjamin　Robbins　Curtis；　the　great　lawyer；　who　was　one　of　the　judges

of　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United　States；　for　the　very　able　chief

justice　of　Massachusetts；　George　Tyler　Bigelow；　and　for　that　famous

wit　and　electric　centre　of　social　life；　George　T。　Davis。　　At　the　last

annual　dinner　every　effort　was　made　to　bring　all　the　survivors　of　the

class　together。　　Six　of　the　ten　living　members　were　there；　six　old

men　in　the　place　of　the　thirty　or　forty　classmates　who　surrounded　the

long；　oval　table　in　1859；　when　I　asked；　〃Has　there　any　old　fellow　got

mixed　with　the　boys？　　〃11　boys〃　whose　tongues　were　as　the　vibrating

leaves　of　the　forest；　whose　talk　was　like　the　voice　of　many　waters；

whose　laugh　was　as　the　breaking　of　mighty　waves　upon　the　seashore。

Among　the　six　at　our　late　dinner　was　our　first　scholar；　the　thorough…

bred　and　accomplished　engineer　who　held　the　city　of　Lawrence　in　his

brain　before　it　spread　itself　out　along　the　banks　of　the　Merrimac。

There；　too；　was　the　poet　whose　National　Hymn；　〃My　Country；　't　is　of

thee；〃　is　known　to　more　millions；　and　dearer　to　many　of　them；　than

all　the　other　songs　written　since　the　Psalms　of　David。　　Four　of　our

six　were　clergymen；　the　engineer　and　the　present　writer　completed　the

list。　　Were　we　melancholy？　　Did　we　talk　of　graveyards　and　epitaphs？

No；we　remembered　our　dead　tenderly；　serenely；　feeling　deeply　what

we　had　lost　in　those　who　but　a　little　while　ago　were　with　us。　　How

could　we　forget　James　Freeman　Clarke；　that　man　of　noble　thought　and

vigorous　action；　who　pervaded　this　community　with　his　spirit；　and　was

felt　through　all　its　channels　as　are　the　light　and　the　strength　that

radiate　through　the　wires　wh