the poet at the breakfast table-第51部分

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that　he　is　the　latest　terrestrial　manifestation　of　an　ever　upward…
striving　movement　of　divine　power？　　If　there　lives　a　man　who　does　not
want　to　disbelieve　the　popular　notions　about　the　condition　and
destiny　of　the　bulk　of　his　race；　I　should　like　to　have　him　look　me　in
the　face　and　tell　me　so。

I　am　not　writing　for　the　basement　story　or　the　nursery；　and　I　do　not
pretend　to　be；　but　I　say　nothing　in　these　pages　which　would　not　be
said　without　fear　of　offence　in　any　intelligent　circle；　such　as
clergymen　of　the　higher　castes　are　in　the　habit　of　frequenting。
There　are　teachers　in　type　for　our　grandmothers　and　our　grandchildren
who　vaccinate　the　two　childhoods　with　wholesome　doctrine；　transmitted
harmlessly　from　one　infant　to　another。　　But　we　three　men　at　our　table
have　taken　the　disease　of　thinking　in　the　natural　way。　　It　is　an
epidemic　in　these　times；　and　those　who　are　afraid　of　it　must　shut
themselves　up　close　or　they　will　catch　it。

I　hope　none　of　us　are　wanting　in　reverence。　　One　at　least　of　us　is　a
regular　church…goer；　and　believes　a　man　may　be　devout　and　yet　very
free　in　the　expression　of　his　opinions　on　the　gravest　subjects。
There　may　be　some　good　people　who　think　that　our　young　friend　who
puts　his　thoughts　in　verse　is　going　sounding　over　perilous　depths；
and　are　frightened　every　time　he　throws　the　lead。　　There　is　nothing
to　be　frightened　at。　　This　is　a　manly　world　we　live　in。　　Our
reverence　is　good　for　nothing　if　it　does　not　begin　with　self…respect。
Occidental　manhood　springs　from　that　as　its　basis；　Oriental　manhood
finds　the　greatest　satisfaction　in　self…abasement。　　There　is　no　use
in　trying　to　graft　the　tropical　palm　upon　the　Northern　pine。　　The
same　divine　forces　underlie　the　growth　of　both；　but　leaf　and　flower
and　fruit　must　follow　the　law　of　race；　of　soil；　of　climate。　　Whether
the　questions　which　assail　my　young　friend　have　risen　in　my　reader's
mind　or　not；　he　knows　perfectly　well　that　nobody　can　keep　such
questions　from　springing　up　in　every　young　mind　of　any　force　or
honesty。　　As　for　the　excellent　little　wretches　who　grow　up　in　what
they　are　taught；　with　never　a　scruple　or　a　query；　Protestant　or
Catholic；　Jew　or　Mormon；　Mahometan　or　Buddhist；　they　signify　nothing
in　the　intellectual　life　of　the　race。　　If　the　world　had　been　wholly
peopled　with　such　half…vitalized　mental　negatives；　there　never　would
have　been　a　creed　like　that　of　Christendom。

I　entirely　agree　with　the　spirit　of　the　verses　I　have　looked　over；　in
this　point　at　least；　that　a　true　man's　allegiance　is　given　to　that
which　is　highest　in　his　own　nature。　　He　reverences　truth；　he　loves
kindness；　he　respects　justice。　　The　two　first　qualities　he
understands　well　enough。　　But　the　last；　justice；　at　least　as　between
the　Infinite　and　the　finite；　has　been　so　utterly　dehumanized；
disintegrated；　decomposed；　and　diabolized　in　passing　through　the
minds　of　the　half…civilized　banditti　who　have　peopled　and　unpeopled
the　world　for　some　scores　of　generations；　that　it　has　become　a　mere
algebraic　x；　and　has　no　fixed　value　whatever　as　a　human　conception。

As　for　power；　we　are　outgrowing　all　superstition　about　that。　　We　have
not　the　slightest　respect　for　it　as　such；　and　it　is　just　as　well　to
remember　this　in　all　our　spiritual　adjustments。　　We　fear　power　when
we　cannot　master　it；　but　just　as　far　as　we　can　master　it；　we　make　a
slave　and　a　beast　of　burden　of　it　without　hesitation。　　We　cannot
change　the　ebb　and　flow　of　the　tides；　or　the　course　of　the　seasons；
but　we　come　as　near　it　as　we　can。　　We　dam　out　the　ocean；　we　make
roses　bloom　in　winter　and　water　freeze　in　summer。　　We　have　no　more
reverence　for　the　sun　than　we　have　for　a　fish…tail　gas…burner；　we
stare　into　his　face　with　telescopes　as　at　a　ballet…dancer　with　opera…
glasses；　we　pick　his　rays　to　pieces　with　prisms　as　if　they　were　so
many　skeins　of　colored　yarn；　we　tell　him　we　do　not　want　his　company
and　shut　him　out　like　a　troublesome　vagrant。　　The　gods　of　the　old
heathen　are　the　servants　of　to…day。　　Neptune；　Vulcan；　Aolus；　and　the
bearer　of　the　thunderbolt　himself　have　stepped　down　from　their
pedestals　and　put　on　our　livery。　　We　cannot　always　master　them；
neither　can　we　always　master　our　servant；　the　horse；　but　we　have　put
a　bridle　on　the　wildest　natural　agencies。　　The　mob　of　elemental
forces　is　as　noisy　and　turbulent　as　ever；　but　the　standing　army　of
civilization　keeps　it　well　under；　except　for　an　occasional　outbreak。

When　I　read　the　Lady's　letter　printed　some　time　since；　I　could　not
help　honoring　the　feeling　which　prompted　her　in　writing　it。　　But
while　I　respect　the　innocent　incapacity　of　tender　age　and　the
limitations　of　the　comparatively　uninstructed　classes；　it　is　quite
out　of　the　question　to　act　as　if　matters　of　common　intelligence　and
universal　interest　were　the　private　property　of　a　secret　society；
only　to　be　meddled　with　by　those　who　know　the　grip　and　the　password。

We　must　get　over　the　habit　of　transferring　the　limitations　of　the
nervous　temperament　and　of　hectic　constitutions　to　the　great　Source
of　all　the　mighty　forces　of　nature；　animate　and　inanimate。　　We　may
confidently　trust　that　we　have　over　us　a　Being　thoroughly　robust　and
grandly　magnanimous；　in　distinction　from　the　Infinite　Invalid　bred　in
the　studies　of　sickly　monomaniacs；　who　corresponds　to　a　very　common
human　type；　but　makes　us　blush　for　him　when　we　contrast　him　with　a
truly　noble　man；　such　as　most　of　us　have　had　the　privilege　of　knowing
both　in　public　and　in　private　life。

I　was　not　a　little　pleased　to　find　that　the　Lady；　in　spite　of　her
letter；　sat　through　the　young　man's　reading　of　portions　of　his　poem
with　a　good　deal　of　complacency。　　I　think　I　can　guess　what　is　in　her
mind。　　She　believes；　as　so　many　women　do；　in　that　great　remedy　for
discontent；　and　doubts　about　humanity；　and　questionings　of
Providence；　and　all　sorts　of　youthful　vagaries；I　mean　the　love…
cure。　　And　she　thinks；　not　without　some　reason；　that　these
astronomical　lessons；　and　these　readings　of　poetry　and　daily
proximity　at　the　table；　and　the　need　of　two　young　hearts　that　have
been　long　feeling　lonely；　and　youth　and　nature　and　〃all　impulses　of
soul　and　sense；〃　as　Coleridge　has　it；　will　bring　these　two　young
people　into　closer　relations　than　they　perhaps　have　yet　thought　of；
and　so　that　sweet　lesson　of　loving　the　neighbor　whom　he　has　seen　may
lead　him　into　deeper　and　more　trusting　communion　with　the　Friend　and
Father　whom　he　has　not　seen。

The　Young　Girl　evidently　did　not　intend　that　her　accomplice　should　be
a　loser　by　the　summary　act　of　the　Member　of　the　Haouse：　I　took
occasion　to　ask　That　Boy　what　had　become　of　all　the　popguns。　　He　gave
me　to　understand　that　popguns　were　played　out；　but　that　he　had　got　a
squirt　and　a　whip；　and　considered　himself　better　off　than　before。

This　great　world　is　full　of　mysteries。　　I　can　comprehend　the　pleasure
to　be　got　out　of　the　hydraulic　engine；　but　what　can　be　the
fascination　of　a　whip；　when　one　has　nothing　to　flagellate　but　the
calves　of　his　own　legs；　I　could　never　understand。　　Yet　a　small
riding…whip　is　the　most　popular　article　with　the　miscellaneous　New…
Englander　at　all　great　gatherings；cattle…shows　and　Fourth…of…July
celebrations。　　If　Democritus　and　Heraclitus　could　walk　arm　in　arm
through　one　of　these　crowds；　the　first　would　be　in　a　broad　laugh　to
see　the　multitude　of　young　persons　who　were　rejoicing　in　the
possession　of　one　of　these　useless　and　worthless　little　commodities；
happy　himself　to　see　how　easily　others　could　purchase　happiness。　　But
the　second　would　weep　bitter　tears　to　think　what　a　rayless　and　barren
life　that　must　be　which　could　extract　enjoyment　from　the　miserable
flimsy　wand　that　has　such　magic　attraction　for　sauntering　youths　and
simpering　maidens。　　What　a　dynamometer　of　happiness　are　these　paltry
toys；　and　what　a　rudimentary　vertebrate　must　be　the　freckled
adolescent　whose　yearning　for　the　infinite　can　be　stayed　even　for　a
single　hour　by　so　trifling　a　boon　from　the　venal　hands　of　the　finite！

Pardon　these　polysyllabic　reflections；　Beloved；　but　I　never
contemplate　these　dear　fellow…creatures　of　ours　without　a　delicious
sense　of　superiority　to　them　and　to　all　arrested　embryos　of
intelligence；　in　which　I　have　no　doubt　you　heartily　sympathize　with
me。　　It　is　not　merely　when　I　look　at　the　vacuous　countenances　of　the
mastigophori；　the　whip…holders；　that　I　enjoy　this　luxury　（though　I
would　not　miss　that　holiday　spectacle　for　a　pretty　sum　of　money；　and
advise　you　by　all　means　to　make　sure　of　it　next　Fourth　of　July；　if
you　missed　it　this）；　but　I　get　the　same　pleasure　from　many　similar
manifestations。

I　delight　in　Regalia；　so　called；　of　the　kind　not　worn　by　kings；　nor
obtaining　their　diamonds　from　the　mines　of　Golconda。　　I　have　a
passion　for　those　resplendent　titles　which　are　not　conferred　by　a
sovereign　and　would　not　be　the　open　sesame　to　the　courts　of　royalty；
yet　which　are　as　opulent　in　impressive　adjectives　as　any　Knight　of
the　Garter's　list　of　dignities。　　When　I　have　recognized　in　the　every…
day　name　of　His　Very　Worthy　High　Eminence　of　some　cabalistic
association；　the　inconspicuous　individual　whose　trifling　indebtedness
to　me　for　value　received　remains　in　a　quiescent　state　and　is　likely
long　to　continu