over the teacups-第36部分

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〃I　thought　you　were　one　of　those　who　looked　upon　old　age　cheerfully；

and　welcomed　it　as　a　season　of　peace　and　contented　enjoyment。〃



I　am　one　of　those　who　so　regard　it。　　Those　are　not　bitter　or　scalding

tears　that　fall　from　my　eyes　upon　〃the　mossy　marbles。〃　　The　young　who

left　my　side　early　in　my　life's　journey　are　still　with　me　in　the

unchanged　freshness　and　beauty　of　youth。　　Those　who　have　long　kept

company　with　me　live　on　after　their　seeming　departure；　were　it　only

by　the　mere　force　of　habit；　their　images　are　all　around　me；　as　if

every　surface　had　been　a　sensitive　film　that　photographed　them；　their

voices　echo　about　me；　as　if　they　had　been　recorded　on　those

unforgetting　cylinders　which　bring　back　to　us　the　tones　and　accents

that　have　imprinted　them；　as　the　hardened　sands　show　us　the　tracks　of

extinct　animals。　　The　melancholy　of　old　age　has　a　divine　tenderness

in　it；　which　only　the　sad　experiences　of　life　can　lend　a　human　soul。

But　there　is　a　lower　level；that　of　tranquil　contentment　and　easy

acquiescence　in　the　conditions　in　which　we　find　ourselves；　a　lower

level；　in　which　old　age　trudges　patiently　when　it　is　not　using　its

wings。　　I　say　its　wings；　for　no　period　of　life　is　so　imaginative　as

that　which　looks　to　younger　people　the　most　prosaic。　　The　atmosphere

of　memory　is　one　in　which　imagination　flies　more　easily　and　feels

itself　more　at　home　than　in　the　thinner　ether　of　youthful

anticipation。　　I　have　told　you　some　of　the　drawbacks　of　age；　I　would

not　have　you　forget　its　privileges。　　When　it　comes　down　from　its

aerial　excursions；　it　has　much　left　to　enjoy　on　the　humble　plane　of

being。　　And　so　you　think　you　would　like　to　become　an　octogenarian？

〃I　should；〃　said　the　Counsellor；　now　a　man　in　the　high　noon　of　bodily

and　mental　vigor。　　〃Four　moreyes；　five　moredecades　would　not　be

too　much；　I　think。　　And　how　much　I　should　live　to　see　in　that　time！

I　am　glad　you　have　laid　down　some　rules　by　which　a　man　may　reasonably

expect　to　leap　the　eight　barred　gate。　　I　won't　promise　to　obey　them

all；　though。〃



Among　the　questions　addressed　to　me；　as　to　a　large　number　of　other

persons；　are　the　following。　　I　take　them　from　〃The　American　Hebrew〃

of　April　4；　1890。　　I　cannot　pretend　to　answer　them　all；　but　I　can　say

something　about　one　or　two　of　them。



〃I。　　Can　you；　of　your　own　personal　experience；　find　any　justification

whatever　for　the　entertainment　of　prejudice　towards　individuals

solely　because　they　are　Jews？



〃II。　　Is　this　prejudice　not　due　largely　to　the　religious　instruction

that　is　given　by　the　church　acid　Sunday…school？　　For　instance；　the

teachings　that　the　Jews　crucified　Jesus；　that　they　rejected　him；　and

can　only　secure　salvation　by　belief　in　him；　and　similar　matters　that

are　calculated　to　excite　in　the　impressionable　mind　of　the　child　an

aversion；　if　not　a　loathing；　for　members　of　'the　despised　race。'



〃III。　　Have　you　observed　in　the　social　or　business　life　of　the　Jew；

so　far　as　your　personal　experience　has　gone；　any　different　standard

of　conduct　than　prevails　among　Christians　of　the　same　social　status？



〃IV。　　Can　you　suggest　what　should　be　done　to　dispel　the　existing

prejudice？〃



As　to　the　first　question；　I　have　had　very　slight　acquaintance　with

the　children　of　Israel。　　I　shared　more　or　less　the　prevailing

prejudices　against　the　persecuted　race。　　I　used　to　read　in　my　hymn…

book；I　hope　I　quote　correctly；



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃See　what　a　living　stone

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　builders　did　refuse！

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Yet　God　has　built　his　church　thereon；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　spite　of　envious　Jews。〃



I　grew　up　inheriting　the　traditional　idea　that　they　were　a　race　lying

under　a　curse　for　their　obstinacy　in　refusing　the　gospel。　　Like　other

children　of　New　England　birth；　I　walked　in　the　narrow　path　of　Puritan

exclusiveness。　　The　great　historical　church　of　Christendom　was

presented　to　me　as　Bunyan　depicted　it：　one　of　the　two　giants　sitting

at　the　door　of　their　caves；　with　the　bones；　of　pilgrims　scattered

about　them；　and　grinning　at　the　travellers　whom　they　could　no　longer

devour。　　In　the　nurseries　of　old…fashioned　Orthodoxy　there　was　one

religion　in　the　world；one　religion；　and　a　multitude　of　detestable；

literally　damnable　impositions；　believed　in　by　uncounted　millions；

who　were　doomed　to　perdition　for　so　believing。　　The　Jews　were　the

believers　in　one　of　these　false　religions。　　It　had　been　true　once；

but　was　now　a　pernicious　and　abominable　lie。　　The　principal　use　of

the　Jews　seemed　to　be　to　lend　money；　and　to　fulfil　the　predictions　of

the　old　prophets　of　their　race。



No　doubt　the　individual　sons　of　Abraham　whom　we　found　in　our　ill…

favored　and　ill…flavored　streets　were　apt　to　be　unpleasing　specimens

of　the　race。　　It　was　against　the　most　adverse　influences　of

legislation；　of　religious　feeling；　of　social　repugnance；　that　the

great　names　of　Jewish　origin　made　themselves　illustrious；　that　the

philosophers；　the　musicians；　the　financiers；　the　statesmen；　of　the

last　centuries　forced　the　world　to　recognize　and　accept　them。

Benjamin；　the　son　of　Isaac；　a　son　of　Israel；　as　his　family　name　makes

obvious；　has　shown　how　largely　Jewish　blood　has　been　represented　in

the　great　men　and　women　of　modern　days。



There　are　two　virtues　which　Christians　have　found　it　very　hard　to


exemplify　in　practice。　　These　are　modesty　and　civility。　　The　Founder

of　the　Christian　religion　appeared　among　a　people　accustomed　to　look

for　a　Messiah；　a　special　ambassador　from　heaven；　with　an

authoritative　message。　　They　were　intimately　acquainted　with　every

expression　having　reference　to　this　divine　messenger。　　They　had　a

religion　of　their　own；　about　which　Christianity　agrees　with　Judaism

in　asserting　that　it　was　of　divine　origin。　　It　is　a　serious　fact；　to

which　we　do　not　give　all　the　attention　it　deserves；　that　this

divinely　instructed　people　were　not　satisfied　with　the　evidence　that

the　young　Rabbi　who　came　to　overthrow　their　ancient　church　and　found

a　new　one　was　a　supernatural　being。　　〃We　think　he　was　a　great

Doctor；〃　said　a　Jewish　companion　with　whom　I　was　conversing。　　He

meant　a　great　Teacher；　I　presume；　though　healing　the　sick　was　one　of

his　special　offices。　　Instead　of　remembering　that　they　were　entitled

to　form　their　own　judgment　of　the　new　Teacher；　as　they　had　judged　of

Hillel　and　other　great　instructors；　Christians；　as　they　called

themselves；　have　insulted；　calumniated；　oppressed；　abased；　outraged；

〃the　chosen　race〃　during　the　long　succession　of　centuries　since　the

Jewish　contemporaries　of　the　Founder　of　Christianity　made　up　their

minds　that　he　did　not　meet　the　conditions　required　by　the　subject　of

the　predictions　of　their　Scriptures。　　The　course　of　the　argument

against　them　is　very　briefly　and　effectively　stated　by　Mr。　Emerson：



〃This　was　Jehovah　come　down　out　of　heaven。　　I　will　kill　you　if　you

say　he　was　a　man。〃



It　seems　as　if　there　should　be　certain　laws　of　etiquette　regulating

the　relation　of　different　religions　to　each　other。　　It　is　not　civil

for　a　follower　of　Mahomet　to　call　his　neighbor　of　another　creed　a

〃Christian　dog。〃　　Still　more；　there　should　be　something　like

politeness　in　the　bearing　of　Christian　sects　toward　each　other；　and

of　believers　in　the　new　dispensation　toward　those　who　still　adhere　to

the　old。　　We　are　in　the　habit　of　allowing　a　certain　arrogant

assumption　to　our　Roman　Catholic　brethren。　　We　have　got　used　to　their

pretensions。　　They　may　call　us　〃heretics；〃　if　they　like。　　They　may

speak　of　us　as　〃infidels；〃　if　they　choose；　especially　if　they　say　it

in　Latin。　　So　long　as　there　is　no　inquisition；　so　long　as　there　is　no

auto　da　fe；　we　do　not　mind　the　hard　words　much；　and　we　have　as　good

phrases　to　give　them　back：　the　Man　of　Sin　and　the　Scarlet　Woman　will

serve　for　examples。　　But　it　is　better　to　be　civil　to　each　other　all

round。　　I　doubt　if　a　convert　to　the　religion　of　Mahomet　was　ever　made

by　calling　a　man　a　Christian　dog。　　I　doubt　if　a　Hebrew　ever　became　a

good　Christian　if　the　baptismal　rite　was　performed　by　spitting　on　his

Jewish　gabardine。　　I　have　often　thought　of　the　advance　in　comity　and

true　charity　shown　in　the　title　of　my　late　honored　friend　James

Freeman　Clarke's　book；　〃The　Ten　Great　Religions。〃　　If　the　creeds　of

mankind　try　to　understand　each　other　before　attempting　mutual

extermination；　they　will　be　sure　to　find　a　meaning　in　beliefs　which

are　different　from　their　own。　　The　old　Calvinistic　spirit　was　almost

savagely　exclusive。　　While　the　author　of　the　〃Ten　Great　Religions〃

was　growing　up　in　Boston　under　the　benignant；　large…minded　teachings

of　the　Rev。　James　Freeman；　the　famous　Dr。　John　M。　　Mason；　at　New

York；　was　fiercely　attacking　the　noble　humanity　of　〃The　Universal

Prayer。〃　　〃In　preaching；〃　says　his　biographer；　〃he　once　quoted　Pope's

lines　as　to　God's　being　adored　alike　'by　saint；　by　savage；　and　by

sage；'　and　pronounced　it　（in　his　deepest　guttural）　'the　most　damnable

lie。'〃



What　could　the　Hebrew　expect　when　a　Christian　pre