over the teacups-第41章

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behaved　particularly　well；　and　neither　of　the　young　ladies　could

complain　that　she　was　not　attended　to。　　As　to　the　Tutor　and　Number

Five；　their　going　together　caused　no　special　comment。　　Their　intimacy

was　accepted　as　an　established　fact；　and　nothing　but　the　difference

in　their　ages　prevented　the　conclusion　that　it　was　love；　and　not　mere

friendship；　which　brought　them　together。　　There　was；　no　doubt；　a

strong　feeling　among　many　people　that　Number　Five's　affections　were　a

kind　of　Gibraltar　or　Ehrenbreitstein；　say　rather　a　high　table…land　in

the　region　of　perpetual；　unmelting　snow。　　It　was　hard　for　these

people　to　believe　that　any　man　of　mortal　mould　could　find　a　foothold

in　that　impregnable　fortress；could　climb　to　that　height　and　find

the　flower　of　love　among　its　glaciers。　　The　Tutor　and　Number　Five

were　both　quiet；　thoughtful：　he；　evidently　captivated；　she；　what　was

the　meaning　of　her　manner　to　him？　　Say　that　she　seemed　fond　of　him；

as　she　might　be　were　he　her　nephew；one　for　whom　she　had　a　special

liking。　　If　she　had　a　warmer　feeling　than　this；　she　could　hardly　know

how　to　manage　it；　for　she　was　so　used　to　having　love　made　to　her

without　returning　it　that　she　would　naturally　be　awkward　in　dealing

with　the　new　experience。



The　Doctor　drove　a　lively　five…year…old　horse；　and　took　the　lead。

The　Tutor　followed　with　a　quiet；　steady…going　nag；　if　he　had　driven

the　five…year…old；　I　would　not　have　answered　for　the　necks　of　the

pair　in　the　chaise；　for　he　was　too　much　taken　up　with　the　subject

they　were　talking　of；　to　be　very　careful　about　his　driving。　　The

Mistress　and　her　escort　brought　up　the　rear；I　holding　the　reins；

the　Professor　at　my　side；　and　Number　Seven　sitting　with　the　Mistress。



We　arrived　at　the　institution　a　little　later　than　we　had　expected　to；

and　the　students　were　flocking　into　the　hall；　where　the　Commencement

exercises　were　to　take　place；　and　the　medal…scholars　were　to　receive

the　tokens　of　their　excellence　in　the　various　departments。　　From　our

seats　we　could　see　the　greater　part　of　the　assembly；not　quite　all；

however　of　the　pupils。　　A　pleasing　sight　it　was　to　look　upon；　this

array　of　young　ladies　dressed　in　white；　with　their　class　badges；　and

with　the　ribbon　of　the　shade　of　blue　affected　by　the　scholars　of　the

institution。　　If　Solomon　in　all　his　glory　was　not　to　be　compared　to　a

lily；　a　whole　bed　of　lilies　could　not　be　compared　to　this　garden…bed

of　youthful　womanhood。



The　performances　were　very　much　the　same　as　most　of　us　have　seen　at

the　academies　and　collegiate　schools。　　Some　of　the　graduating　class

read　their　〃compositions；〃　one　of　which　was　a　poem；an　echo　of　the

prevailing　American　echoes；　of　course；　but　prettily　worded　and

intelligently　read。　　Then　there　was　a　song　sung　by　a　choir　of　the

pupils；　led　by　their　instructor；　who　was　assisted　by　the　Musician

whom　we　count　among　The　Teacups。　There　was　something　in　one　of　the

voices　that　reminded　me　of　one　I　had　heard　before。　　Where　could　it

have　been？　　I　am　sure　I　cannot　remember。　　There　are　some　good　voices

in　our　village　choir；　but　none　so　pure　and　bird…like　as　this。　　A

sudden　thought　came　into　my　head；　but　I　kept　it　to　myself。　　I　heard　a

tremulous　catching　of　the　breath；　something　like　a　sob；　close　by　me。

It　was　the　Mistress；she　was　crying。　　What　was　she　crying　for？　　It

was　impressive；　certainly；　to　listen　to　these　young　voices；　many　of

them　blending　for　the　last　time；for　the　scholars　were　soon　to　be

scattered　all　over　the　country；　and　some　of　them　beyond　its

boundaries；but　why　the　Mistress　was　so　carried　away；　I　did　not

know。　　She　must　be　more　impressible　than　most　of　us；　yet　I　thought

Number　Five　also　looked　as　if　she　were　having　a　struggle　with　herself

to　keep　down　some　rebellious　signs　of　emotion。



The　exercises　went　on　very　pleasingly　until　they　came　to　the　awarding

of　the　gold　medal　of　the　year　and　the　valedictory；　which　was　to　be

delivered　by　the　young　lady　to　whom　it　was　to　be　presented。　　The　name

was　called；　it　was　one　not　unfamiliar　to　our　ears；　and　the　bearer　of

itthe　Delilah　of　our　tea…table；　Avis　as　she　was　known　in　the　school

and　elsewhererose　in　her　place　and　came　forward；　so　that　for　the

first　time　on　that　day；　we　looked　upon　her。　　It　was　a　sensation　for

The　Teacups。　　Our　modest；　quiet　waiting…girl　was　the　best　scholar　of

her　year。　　We　had　talked　French　before　her；　and　we　learned　that　she

was　the　best　French　scholar　the　teacher　had　ever　had　in　the　school。

We　had　never　thought　of　her　except　as　a　pleasing　and　well…trained

handmaiden；　and　here　she　was　an　accomplished　young　lady。



Avis　went　through　her　part　very　naturally　and　gracefully；　and　when　it

was　finished；　and　she　stood　before　us　with　the　medal　glittering　on

her　breast；　we　did　not　know　whether　to　smile　or　to　cry；some　of　us

did　one；　and　some　the　other。　We　all　had　an　opportunity　to　see　her

and　congratulate　her　before　we　left　the　institution。　　The　mystery　of

her　six　weeks'　serving　at　our　table　was　easily　solved。　　She　had　been

studying　too　hard　and　too　long；　and　required　some　change　of　scene　and

occupation。　　She　had　a　fancy　for　trying　to　see　if　she　could　support

herself　as　so　many　young　women　are　obliged　to；　and　found　a　place　with

us；　the　Mistress　only　knowing　her　secret。



〃She　is　to　be　our　young　Doctor's　wife！〃　the　Mistress　whispered　to　me；

and　did　some　more　crying；　not　for　grief；　certainly。



Whether　our　young　Doctor's　long　visits　to　a　neighboring　town　had

anything　to　do　with　the　fact　that　Avis　was　at　that　institution；

whether　she　was　the　patient　he　visited　or　not；　may　be　left　in　doubt。

At　all　events；　he　had　always　driven　off　in　the　direction　which　would

carry　him　to　the　place　where　she　was　at　school。



I　have　attended　a　large　number　of　celebrations；　commencements；

banquets；　soirees；　and　so　forth；　and　done　my　best　to　help　on　a　good

many　of　them。　　In　fact；　I　have　become　rather　too　well　known　in

connection　with　〃occasions；〃　and　it　has　cost　me　no　little　trouble。

I　believe　there　is　no　kind　of　occurrence　for　which　I　have　not　been

requested　to　contribute　something　in　prose　or　verse。　　It　is　sometimes

very　hard　to　say　no　to　the　requests。　　If　one　is　in　the　right　mood

when　he　or　she　writes　an　occasional　poem；　it　seems　as　if　nothing

could　have　been　easier。　　〃Why；　that　piece　run　off　jest　like　ile。

I　don't　bullieve；〃　the　unlettered　applicant　says　to　himself；　〃I　don't

bullieve　it　took　him　ten　minutes　to　write　them　verses。〃　　The　good

people　have　no　suspicion　of　how　much　a　single　line；　a　single

expression；　may　cost　its　author。　　The　wits　used　to　say　that　Ropers；

the　poet　once　before　referred　to；　old　Samuel　Ropers；　author　of　the

Pleasures　of　Memory　and　giver　of　famous　breakfasts；was　accustomed

to　have　straw　laid　before　the　house　whenever　he　had　just　given　birth

to　a　couplet。　　It　is　not　quite　so　bad　as　that　with　most　of　us　who　are

called　upon　to　furnish　a　poem；　a　song；　a　hymn；　an　ode　for　some　grand

meeting；　but　it　is　safe　to　say　that　many　a　trifling　performance　has

had　more　good　honest　work　put　into　it　than　the　minister's　sermon　of

that　week　had　cost　him。　　If　a　vessel　glides　off　the　ways　smoothly　and

easily　at　her　launching；　it　does　not　mean　that　no　great　pains　have

been　taken　to　secure　the　result。　　Because　a　poem　is　an　〃occasional〃

one；　it　does　not　follow　that　it　has　not　taken　as　much　time　and　skill

as　if　it　had　been　written　without　immediate；　accidental；　temporary

motive。　　Pindar's　great　odes　were　occasional　poems；　just　as　much　as

our　Commencement　and　Phi　Beta　Kappa　poems　are；　and　yet　they　have　come

down　among　the　most　precious　bequests　of　antiquity　to　modern　times。



The　mystery　of　the　young　Doctor's　long　visits　to　the　neighboring　town

was　satisfactorily　explained　by　what　we　saw　and　heard　of　his

relations　with　our　charming　〃Delilah；〃for　Delilah　we　could　hardly

help　calling　her。　　Our　little　handmaid；　the　Cinderella　of　the

teacups；　now　the　princess；　or；　what　was　better；　the　pride　of　the

school　to　which　she　had　belonged；　fit　for　any　position　to　which　she

might　be　called；　was　to　be　the　wife　of　our　young　Doctor。　　It　would

not　have　been　the　right　thing　to　proclaim　the　fact　while　she　was　a

pupil；　but　now　that　she　had　finished　her　course　of　instruction　there

was　no　need　of　making　a　secret　of　the　engagement。



So　we　have　got　our　romance；　our　love…story　out　of　our　Teacups；　as　I

hoped　and　expected　that　we　should；　but　not　exactly　in　the　quarter

where　it　might　have　been　looked　for。



What　did　our　two　Annexes　say　to　this　unexpected　turn　of　events？　　They

were　good…hearted　girls　as　ever　lived；　but　they　were　human；　like　the

rest　of　us；　and　women；　like　some　of　the　rest　of　us。　　They　behaved

perfectly。　　They　congratulated　the　Doctor；　and　hoped　he　would　bring

the　young　lady　to　the　tea…table　where　she　had　played　her　part　so

becomingly。　　It　is　safe　to　say　that　each　of　the　Annexes　world　have

liked　to　be　asked　the　lover's　last　question　by　the　very　nice　young

man　who　had　been　a　pleasant　companion　at　the　table　and　elsewhere　to

each　of　them。　　That　same　question　is　the　highest　compliment　a　man　can

pay　a　woman；　and　a　woman　does　not　mind　having　a　dozen　or　more　such

compliments　to　string　on　the　rosary　of　her　remembrances。　　Whether

either　of　them　was　glad；　on　the　whole；　that　he　had　not　offered

himself　to　the　other　in　preference　to　herself　would　be　a　mean；　shabby

question；　and　I　think　altogether　too　well　of　you　who　are　reading　this

paper　to　suppose　that　you　would　entertain　the　idea　of　asking　it。



It　was　a　very　pleasant　occasion　when　the　Doctor　brought　Avis　over　to

sit　with　us　at　the　table　where　she　used　to　stand　and　wait　upon　us。

We　wondered　how　we　could　for　a　moment　have　questioned　that　she　was

one　to　be　waited　upon；　and　not　made　for　the　humble　office　which

nevertheless　she　performed　so　cheerfully　and　so　well。





　　　　　Commencements　and　other　Celebrations；　American　and　English。



The　social　habits　of　our　people　have　undergone　an　immense　change

within　the　past　half　century；　largely　in　consequence　of　the　vast

development　of　the　means　of　intercourse　between　different

neighborhoods。



Commencements；　college　gatherings　of　all　kinds；　church　assemblages；

school　anniversaries；　town　centennials；all　possible　occasions　for

getting　crowds　together　are　made　the　most　of。　　〃'T　is　sixty　years

since；〃and　a　good　many　years　over；the　time　to　which　my　memory

extends。　　The　great　days　of　the　year　were；　Election；General

Election　on　Wednesday；　and　Artillery　Election　on　the　Monday

following；　at　which　time　lilacs　were　in　bloom　and　'lection　buns　were

in　order；　Fourth　of　July；　when　strawberries　were　just　going　out；　and

Commencement；　a　grand　time　of　feasting；　fiddling；　dancing；　jollity；

not　to　mention　drunkenness　and　fighting；　on　the　classic　green　of

Cambridge。　　This　was　the　season　of　melons　and　peaches。　　That　is　the

way　our　boyhood　chronicles　events。　　It　was　odd　that　the　literary

festival　should　be　turned　into　a　Donnybrook　fair；　but　so　it　was　when

I　was　a　boy；　and　the　te