the professor at the breakfast table-第11部分

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How　much　better　this　thorough　interpenetration　of　ideas　than　a　barren

interchange　of　courtesies；　or　a　bush…fighting　argument；　in　which　each

man　tries　to　cover　as　much　of　himself　and　expose　as　much　of　his

opponent　as　the　tangled　thicket　of　the　disputed　ground　will　let　him！



…My　thoughts　flow　in　layers　or　strata；　at　least　three　deep。　　I

follow　a　slow　person's　talk；　and　keep　a　perfectly　clear　under…current

of　my　own　beneath　it。　　Under　both　runs　obscurely　a　consciousness

belonging　to　a　third　train　of　reflections；　independent　of　the　two

others。　　I　will　try　to　write　out　a　Mental　movement　in　three　parts。



A。　…First　voice；　or　Mental　Soprano；thought　follows　a　woman

talking。



B。　Second　voice；　or　Mental　Barytone；my　running　accompaniment。



C。　Third　voice；　or　Mental　Basso；low　grumble　of　importunate　self…

repeating　idea。



A。　White　lace；　three　skirts；　looped　with　flowers；　wreath　of　apple…

blossoms；　gold　bracelets；　diamond　pin　and　ear…rings；　the　most

delicious　berthe　you　ever　saw；　white　satin　slippers…



B。　Deuse　take　her！　　What　a　fool　she　is！　　Hear　her　chatter！　　（Look

out　of　window　just　here。　Two　pages　and　a　half　of　description；　if　it

were　all　written　out；　in　one　tenth　of　a　second。）Go　ahead；　old　lady！

（Eye　catches　picture　over　fireplace。）　There's　that　infernal　family

nose！　　Came　over　in　the　〃Mayflower〃　on　the　first　old　fool's　face。

Why　don't　they　wear　a　ring　in　it？



C。　You　'll　be　late　at　lecture；late　at　lecture；late；late…



I　observe　that　a　deep　layer　of　thought　sometimes　makes　itself　felt

through　the　superincumbent　strata；　thus：The　usual　single　or　double

currents　shall　flow　on；　but　there　shall　be　an　influence　blending　with

them；　disturbing　them　in　an　obscure　way；　until　all　at　once　I　say；

Oh；　there！　　I　knew　there　was　something　troubling　me；and　the　thought

which　had　been　working　through　comes　up　to　the　surface　clear；

definite；　and　articulates　itself；a　disagreeable　duty；　perhaps；　or

an　unpleasant　recollection。



The　inner　world　of　thought　and　the　outer　world　of　events　are　alike　in

this；　that　they　are　both　brimful。　　There　is　no　space　between

consecutive　thoughts；　or　between　the　never…ending　series　of　actions。

All　pack　tight；　and　mould　their　surfaces　against　each　other；　so　that

in　the　long　run　there　is　a　wonderful　average　uniformity　in　the　forms

of　both　thoughts　and　actions；　just　as　you　find　that　cylinders　crowded

all　become　hexagonal　prisms；　and　spheres　pressed　together　are　formed

into　regular　polyhedra。



Every　event　that　a　man　would　master　must　be　mounted　on　the　run；　and

no　man　ever　caught　the　reins　of　a　thought　except　as　it　galloped　by

him。　　So；　to　carry　out；　with　another　comparison；　my　remark　about　the

layers　of　thought；　we　may　consider　the　mind　as　it　moves　among

thoughts　or　events；　like　a　circus…rider　whirling　round　with　a　great

troop　of　horses。　　He　can　mount　a　fact　or　an　idea；　and　guide　it　more

or　less　completely；　but　he　cannot　stop　it。　　So；　as　I　said　in　another

way　at　the　beginning；　he　can　stride　two　or　three　thoughts　at　once；

but　not　break　their　steady　walk；　trot；　or　gallop。　　He　can　only　take

his　foot　from　the　saddle　of　one　thought　and　put　it　on　that　of

another。



What　is　the　saddle　of　a　thought？　　Why；　a　word；　of　course。　Twenty

years　after　you　have　dismissed　a　thought；　it　suddenly　wedges　up　to

you　through　the　press；　as　if　it　had　been　steadily　galloping　round　and

round　all　that　time　without　a　rider。



The　will　does　not　act　in　the　interspaces　of　thought；　for　there　are　no

such　interspaces；　but　simply　steps　from　the　back　of　one　moving

thought　upon　that　of　another。



I　should　like　to　ask；said　the　divinity…student；since　we　are

getting　into　metaphysics；　how　you　can　admit　space；　if　all　things　are

in　contact；　and　how　you　can　admit　time；　if　it　is　always　now　to

something？



I　thought　it　best　not　to　hear　this　question。



I　wonder　if　you　know　this　class　of　philosophers　in　books　or

elsewhere。　　One　of　them　makes　his　bow　to　the　public；　and　exhibits　an

unfortunate　truth　bandaged　up　so　that　it　cannot　stir　hand　or　foot；

as　helpless；　apparently；　and　unable　to　take　care　of　itself；　as　an

Egyptian　mummy。　　He　then　proceeds；　with　the　air　and　method　of　a

master；　to　take　off　the　bandages。　　Nothing　can　be　neater　than　the　way

in　which　he　does　it。　　But　as　he　takes　off　layer　after　layer；　the

truth　seems　to　grow　smaller　and　smaller；　and　some　of　its　outlines

begin　to　look　like　something　we　have　seen　before。　　At　last；　when　he

has　got　them　all　off；　and　the　truth　struts　out　naked；　we　recognize　it

as　a　diminutive　and　familiar　acquaintance　whom　we　have　known　in　the

streets　all　our　lives。　　The　fact　is；　the　philosopher　has　coaxed　the

truth　into　his　study　and　put　all　those　bandages　on；　or　course　it　is

not　very　hard　for　him　to　take　them　off。　　Still；　a　great　many　people

like　to　watch　the　process；he　does　it　so　neatly！



Dear！　　dear！　　I　am　ashamed　to　write　and　talk；　sometimes；　when　I　see

how　those　functions　of　the　large…brained；　thumb…opposing　plantigrade

are　abused　by　my　fellow…vertebrates；perhaps　by　myself。　　How　they

spar　for　wind；　instead　of　hitting　from　the　shoulder！



The　young　fellow　called　John　arose　and　placed　himself　in　a　neat

fighting　attitude。　Fetch　on　the　fellah　that　makes　them　long　words！

he　said；and　planted　a　straight　hit　with　the　right　fist　in　the

concave　palm　of　the　left　hand　with　a　click　like　a　cup　and　ball。　You

small　boy　there；　hurry　up　that　〃Webster's　Unabridged！〃



The　little　gentleman　with　the　malformation；　before　described；　shocked

the　propriety　of　the　breakfast…table　by　a　loud　utterance　of　three

words；　of　which　the　two　last　were　〃Webster's　Unabridged；〃　and　the

first　was　an　emphatic　monosyllable。　Beg　pardon；he　added；forgot

myself。　　But　let　us　have　an　English　dictionary；　if　we　are　to　have

any。　　I　don't　believe　in　clipping　the　coin　of　the　realm；　Sir！　　If　I

put　a　weathercock　on　my　house；　Sir；　I　want　it　to　tell　which　way　the

wind　blows　up　aloft；off　from　the　prairies　to　the　ocean；　or　off　from

the　ocean　to　the　prairies；　or　any　way　it　wants　to　blow！　　I　don't　want

a　weathercock　with　a　winch　in　an　old　gentleman's　study　that　he　can

take　hold　of　and　turn；　so　that　the　vane　shall　point　west　when　the

great　wind　overhead　is　blowing　east　with　all　its　might；　Sir！　　Wait

till　we　give　you　a　dictionary；　Sir！　　It　takes　Boston　to　do　that

thing；　Sir！



Some　folks　think　water　can't　run　down…hill　anywhere　out　of　Boston；

remarked　the　Koh…i…noor。



I　don't　know　what　some　folks　think　so　well　as　I　know　what　some　fools

say；rejoined　the　Little　Gentleman。　If　importing　most　dry　goods

made　the　best　scholars；　I　dare　say　you　would　know　where　to　look　for

'em。　Mr。　Webster　could　n't　spell；　Sir；　or　would　n't　spell；　Sir；at

any　rate；　he　did　n't　spell；　and　the　end　of　it　was　a　fight　between　the

owners　of　some　copyrights　and　the　dignity　of　this　noble　language

which　we　have　inherited　from　our　English　fathers。　　Language！　the

blood　of　the　soul；　Sir！　into　which　our　thoughts　run　and　out　of　which

they　grow！　　We　know　what　a　word　is　worth