the poet at the breakfast table-第7部分

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　THIRD　SPIRIT。

Nay；　tax　not　me　with　passion's　wasting　fire；
When　the　swift　message　set　my　spirit　free；
Blind；　helpless；　lone；　I　left　my　gray…haired　sire；
My　friends　were　many；　he　had　none　save　me。

I　left　him；　orphaned；　in　the　starless　night；
Alas；　for　him　no　cheerful　morning's　dawn！
I　wear　the　ransomed　spirit's　robe　of　white；
Yet　still　I　hear　him　moaning；　She　is　gone！


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　ANGEL。

Ye　know　me　not；　sweet　sisters？All　in　vain
Ye　seek　your　lost　ones　in　the　shapes　they　wore；
The　flower　once　opened　may　not　bud　again；
The　fruit　once　fallen　finds　the　stem　no　more。

Child；　lover；　sire；yea；　all　things　loved　below；
Fair　pictures　damasked　on　a　vapor's　fold；
Fade　like　the　roseate　flush；　the　golden　glow；
When　the　bright　curtain　of　the　day　is　rolled。

I　was　the　babe　that　slumbered　on　thy　breast。
And；　sister；　mine　the　lips　that　called　thee　bride。
Mine　were　the　silvered　locks　thy　hand　caressed；
That　faithful　hand；　my　faltering　footstep's　guide！

Each　changing　form；　frail　vesture　of　decay；
The　soul　unclad　forgets　it　once　hath　worn；
Stained　with　the　travel　of　the　weary　day；
And　shamed　with　rents　from　every　wayside　thorn。

To　lie；　an　infant；　in　thy　fond　embrace；
To　come　with　love's　warm　kisses　back　to　thee；
To　show　thine　eyes　thy　gray…haired　father's　face；
Not　Heaven　itself　could　grant；　this　may　not　be！

Then　spread　your　folded　wings；　and　leave　to　earth
The　dust　once　breathing　ye　have　mourned　so　long；
Till　Love；　new　risen；　owns　his　heavenly　birth；
And　sorrow's　discords　sweeten　into　song！




II

I　am　going　to　take　it　for　granted　now　and　henceforth；　in　my　report　of
what　was　said　and　what　was　to　be　seen　at　our　table；　that　I　have
secured　one　good；　faithful；　loving　reader；　who　never　finds　fault；　who
never　gets　sleepy　over　my　pages；　whom　no　critic　can　bully　out　of　a
liking　for　me；　and　to　whom　I　am　always　safe　in　addressing　myself。　　My
one　elect　may　be　man　or　woman；　old　or　young；　gentle　or　simple；　living
in　the　next　block　or　on　a　slope　of　Nevada；　my　fellow…countryman　or　an
alien；　but　one　such　reader　I　shall　assume　to　exist　and　have　always　in
my　thought　when　I　am　writing。

A　writer　is　so　like　a　lover！　　And　a　talk　with　the　right　listener　is
so　like　an　arm…in…arm　walk　in　the　moonlight　with　the　soft　heartbeat
just　felt　through　the　folds　of　muslin　and　broadcloth！　　But　it　takes
very　little　to　spoil　everything　for　writer；　talker；　lover。　　There　are
a　great　many　cruel　things　besides　poverty　that　freeze　the　genial
current　of　the　soul；　as　the　poet　of　the　Elegy　calls　it。　　Fire　can
stand　any　wind；　but　is　easily　blown　out；　and　then　come　smouldering
and　smoke；　and　profitless；　slow　combustion　without　the　cheerful　blaze
which　sheds　light　all　round　it。　　The　one　Reader's　hand　may　shelter
the　flame；　the　one　blessed　ministering　spirit　with　the　vessel　of　oil
may　keep　it　bright　in　spite　of　the　stream　of　cold　water　on　the　other
side　doing　its　best　to　put　it　out。

I　suppose；　if　any　writer；　of　any　distinguishable　individuality；　could
look　into　the　hearts　of　all　his　readers；　he　might　very　probably　find
one　in　his　parish　of　a　thousand　or　a　million　who　honestly　preferred
him　to　any　other　of　his　kind。　　I　have　no　doubt　we　have　each　one　of
us；　somewhere；　our　exact　facsimile；　so　like　us　in　all　things　except
the　accidents　of　condition；　that　we　should　love　each　other　like　a
pair　of　twins；　if　our　natures　could　once　fairly　meet。　　I　know　I　have
my　counterpart　in　some　State　of　this　Union。　　I　feel　sure　that　there
is　an　Englishman　somewhere　precisely　like　myself。　　（I　hope　he　does
not　drop　his　h's；　for　it　does　not　seem　to　me　possible　that　the　Royal
Dane　could　have　remained　faithful　to　his　love　for　Ophelia；　if　she　had
addressed　him　as　'Amlet。）　There　is　also　a　certain　Monsieur；　to　me　at
this　moment　unknown；　and　likewise　a　Herr　Von　Something；　each　of　whom
is　essentially　my　double。　　An　Arab　is　at　this　moment　eating　dates；　a
mandarin　is　just　sipping　his　tea；　and　a　South…Sea…Islander　（with
undeveloped　possibilities）　drinking　the　milk　of　a　cocoa…nut；　each　one
of　whom；　if　he　had　been　born　in　the　gambrel…roofed　house；　and
cultivated　my　little　sand…patch；　and　grown　up　in　〃the　study　〃　from
the　height　of　Walton's　Polyglot　Bible　to　that　of　the　shelf　which　held
the　Elzevir　Tacitus　and　Casaubon's　Polybius；　with　all　the　complex
influences　about　him　that　surrounded　me；　would　have　been　so　nearly
what　I　am　that　I　should　have　loved　him　like　a　brother；always
provided　that　I　did　not　hate　him　for　his　resemblance　to　me；　on　the
same　principle　as　that　which　makes　bodies　in　the　same　electric
condition　repel　each　other。

For；　perhaps　after　all；　my　One　Reader　is　quite　as　likely　to　be　not
the　person　most　resembling　myself；　but　the　one　to　whom　my　nature　is
complementary。　　Just　as　a　particular　soil　wants　some　one　element　to
fertilize　it；　just　as　the　body　in　some　conditions　has　a　kind　of
faminefor　one　special　food；　so　the　mind　has　its　wants；　which　do　not
always　call　for　what　is　best；　but　which　know　themselves　and　are　as
peremptory　as　the　salt…sick　sailor's　call　for　a　lemon　or　a　raw
potato；　or；　if　you　will；　as　those　capricious　〃longings；〃　which　have　a
certain　meaning；　we　may　suppose；　and　which　at　any　rate　we　think　it
reasonable　to　satisfy　if　we　can。

I　was　going　to　say　something　about　our　boarders　the　other　day　when　I
got　run　away　with　by　my　local　reminiscences。　　I　wish　you　to
understand　that　we　have　a　rather　select　company　at　the　table　of　our
boarding…house。

Our　Landlady　is　a　most　respectable　person；　who　has　seen　better　days；
of　course；all　landladies　have；but　has　also；　I　feel　sure；　seen　a
good　deal　worse　ones。　　For　she　wears　a　very　handsome　silk　dress　on
state　occasions；　with　a　breastpin　set；　as　I　honestly　believe；　with
genuine　pearls；　and　appears　habitually　with　a　very　smart　cap；　from
under　which　her　gray　curls　come　out　with　an　unmistakable　expression；
conveyed　in　the　hieratic　language　of　the　feminine　priesthood；　to　the
effect　that　while　there　is　life　there　is　hope。　　And　when　I　come　to
reflect　on　the　many　circumstances　which　go　to　the　making　of
matrimonial　happiness；　I　cannot　help　thinking　that　a　personage　of　her
present　able　exterior；　thoroughly　experienced　in　all　the　domestic
arts　which　render　life　comfortable；　might　make　the　later　years　of
some　hitherto　companionless　bachelor　very　endurable；　not　to　say
pleasant。

The　condition　of　the　Landlady's　family　is；　from　what　I　learn；　such　as
to　make　the　connection　I　have　alluded　to；　I　hope　with　delicacy；
desirable　for　incidental　as　well　as　direct　reasons；　provided　a
fitting　match　could　be　found。　　I　was　startled　at　hearing　her　address
by　the　familiar　name　of　Benjamin　the　young　physician　I　have　referred
to；　until　I　found　on　inquiry；　what　I　might　have　guessed　by　the　size
of　his　slices　of　pie　and　other　little　marks　of　favoritism；　that　he
was　her　son。　　He　has　recently　come　back　from　Europe；　where　he　has
topped　off　his　home　training　with　a　first…class　foreign　finish。　　As
the　Landlady　could　never　have　educated　him　in　this　way　out　of　the
profits　of　keeping　boarders；　I　was　not　surprised　when　I　was　told　that
she　had　received　a　pretty　little　property　in　the　form　of　a　bequest
from　a　former　boarder；　a　very　kind…hearted；　worthy　old　gentleman　who
had　been　long　with　her　and　seen　how　hard　she　worked　for　food　and
clothes　for　herself　and　this　son　of　hers；　Benjamin　Franklin　by　his
baptismal　name。　　Her　daughter　had　also　married　well；　to　a　member　of
what　we　may　call　the　post…medical　profession；　that；　namely；　which
deals　with　the　mortal　frame　after　the　practitioners　of　the　healing
art　have　done　with　it　and　taken　their　leave。　　So　thriving　had　this
son…in…law　of　hers　been　in　his　business；　that　his　wife　drove　about　in
her　own　carriage；　drawn　by　a　pair　of　jet…black　horses　of　most
dignified　demeanor；　whose　only　fault　was　a　tendency　to　relapse　at
once　into　a　walk　after　every　application　of　a　stimulus　that　quickened
their　pace　to　a　trot；　which　application　always　caused　them　to　look
round　upon　the　driver　with　a　surprised　and　offended　air；　as　if　he　had
been　guilty　of　a　grave　indecorum。

The　Landlady's　daughter　had　been　blessed　with　a　number　of　children；
of　great　sobriety　of　outward　aspect；　but　remarkably　cheerful　in　their
inward　habit　of　mind；　more　especially　on　the　occasion　of　the　death　of
a　doll；　which　was　an　almost　daily　occurrence；　and　gave　them　immense
delight　in　getting　up　a　funeral；　for　which　they　had　a　complete
miniature　outfit。　　How　happy　they　were　under　their　solemn　aspect！
For　the　head　mourner；　a　child　of　remarkable　gifts；　could　actually
make　the　tears　run　down　her　cheeks；as　real　ones　as　if　she　had　been
a　grown　person　following　a　rich　relative；　who　had　not　forgotten　his
connections；　to　his　last　unfurnished　lodgings。

So　this　was　a　most　desirable　family　connection　for　the　right　man　to
step　into；a　thriving；　thrifty　　mother…in…law；　who　knew　what　was
good　for　the　sustenance　of　the　body；　and　had　no　doubt　taught　it　to
her　daughter；　a　medical　artist　at　hand　in　case　the　luxuries　of　the
table　should　happen　to　disturb　the　physiological　harmonies；　and　in
the　worst　event；　a　sweet　consciousness　that　the　last　sad　offices
would　be　attended　to　with　affectionate　zeal；　and　probably　a　large
discount　from　the　usual　charges。

It　seems　as　if　I　could　hardly　be　at　this　table　for　a　：year；　if　I
should　stay　so　long；　without　seeing　some　romance　or　other　work　itself
out　under　my　eyes；　and　I　cannot　help　thinking　that　the　Landlady　is　to
be　the　heroine　of　the　love…history　like　to　unfold　itself。　　I　think　I
see　the　little　cloud　in　the　horizon；　with　a　silvery　lining　to　it；
which　may　end　in　a　rain　of　cards　tied　round　with　white　ribbons。
Extremes　meet；　and　who　so　like　to　be　the　other　party　as　the　elderly
gentleman　at　the　other　end　of　the　table；　as　far　from　her　now　as　the
length　of　the　board　permits？　　I　may　be　mistaken；　but　I　think　this　is
to　be　the　romantic　episode　of　the　year　before　me。　　Only　it　seems　so
natural　it　is　improbable；　for　you　never　find　your　dropped　money　just
where　you　look　for　it；　and　so　it　is　with　these　a　priori　matches。

This　gentleman　is　a　tight；　tidy；　wiry　little　man；　with　a　small；　brisk
head；　close…cropped　white　hair；　a　good　wholesome　complexion；　a　quiet；
rather　kindly　face；　quick　in　his　movements；　neat　in