14-a burleque biograhy-第2章

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Tom　Pepper；　Nebuchadnezzar；　and　Baalam's　Assthey　all　belong

to　our　family；　but　to　a　branch　of　it　somewhat　distinctly　removed

from　the　honorable　direct　linein　fact；　a　collateral　branch；

whose　members　chiefly　differ　from　the　ancient　stock　in　that；　in　order

to　acquire　the　notoriety　we　have　always　yearned　and　hungered　for；

they　have　got　into　a　low　way　of　going　to　jail　instead　of　getting　hanged。



It　is　not　well；　when　writing　an　autobiography；　to　follow　your　ancestry

down　too　close　to　your　own　timeit　is　safest　to　speak　only　vaguely

of　your　great…grandfather；　and　then　skip　from　there　to　yourself；

which　I　now　do。



I　was　born　without　teethand　there　Richard　III。　　had　the　advantage

of　me；　but　I　was　born　without　a　humpback；　likewise；　and　there　I

had　the　advantage　of　him。　　My　parents　were　neither　very　poor　nor

conspicuously　honest。



But　now　a　thought　occurs　to　me。　　My　own　history　would　really　seem

so　tame　contrasted　with　that　of　my　ancestors；　that　it　is　simply　wisdom

to　leave　it　unwritten　until　I　am　hanged。　　If　some　other　biographies　I

have　read　had　stopped　with　the　ancestry　until　a　like　event　occurred；

it　would　have　been　a　felicitous　thing　for　the　reading　public。　

How　does　it　strike　you？