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the professor at the breakfast table-第39部分
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about the beautiful; and cannot pronounce the word view; to talk
about fashion to a set of people who; if one of the quality left a
card at their doors; would contrive to keep it on the very top of
their heap of the names of their two…story acquaintances; till it
was as yellow as the Codex Vaticanus?
Wealth; too;what an endless repetition of the same foolish
trivialities about it! Take the single fact of its alleged
uncertain tenure and transitory character。 In old times; when men
were all the time fighting and robbing each other;in those
tropical countries where the Sabeans and the Chaldeans stole all a
man's cattle and camels; and there were frightful tornadoes and
rains of fire from heaven; it was true enough that riches took wings
to themselves not unfrequently in a very unexpected way。 But; with
common prudence in investments; it is not so now。 In fact; there is
nothing earthly that lasts so well; on the whole; as money。 A man's
learning dies with him; even his virtues fade out of remembrance;
but the dividends on the stocks he bequeaths to his children live
and keep his memory green。
I do not think there is much courage or originality in giving
utterance to truths that everybody knows; but which get overlaid by
conventional trumpery。 The only distinction which it is necessary
to point out to feeble…minded folk is this: that; in asserting the
breadth and depth of that significance which gives to fashion and
fortune their tremendous power; we do not indorse the extravagances
which often disgrace the one; nor the meanness which often degrades
the other。
A remark which seems to contradict a universally current opinion is
not generally to be taken 〃neat;〃 but watered with the ideas of
common…sense and commonplace people。 So; if any of my young friends
should be tempted to waste their substance on white kids and 〃all…
rounds;〃 or to insist on becoming millionaires at once; by anything
I have said; I will give them references to some of the class
referred to; well known to the public as providers of literary
diluents; who will weaken any truth so that there is not an old
woman in the land who cannot take it with perfect impunity。
I am afraid some of the blessed saints in diamonds will think I mean
to flatter them。 I hope not;if I do; set it down as a weakness。
But there is so much foolish talk about wealth and fashion; (which;
of course; draw a good many heartless and essentially vulgar people
into the glare of their candelabra; but which have a real
respectability and meaning; if we will only look at them
stereoscopically; with both eyes instead of one;) that I thought it
a duty to speak a few words for them。 Why can't somebody give us a
list of things that everybody thinks and nobody says; and another
list of things that everybody says and nobody thinks?
Lest my parish should suppose we have forgotten graver matters in
these lesser topics; I beg them to drop these trifles and read the
following lesson for the day。
THE TWO STREAMS。
Behold the rocky wall
That down its sloping sides
Pours the swift rain…drops; blending; as they fall;
In rushing river…tides!
Yon stream; whose sources run
Turned by a pebble's edge;
Is Athabasca; rolling toward the sun
Through the cleft mountain…ledge。
The slender rill had strayed;
But for the slanting stone;
To evening's ocean; with the tangled braid
Of foam…flecked Oregon。
So from the heights of Will
Life's parting stream descends;
And; as a moment turns its slender rill;
Each widening torrent bends;
》From the same cradle's side;
》From the same mother's knee;
One to long darkness and the frozen tide;
One to the Peaceful Sea!
VII
Our landlady's daughter is a young lady of some pretensions to
gentility。 She wears her bonnet well back on her head; which is
known by all to be a mark of high breeding。 She wears her trains
very long; as the great ladies do in Europe。 To be sure; their
dresses are so made only to sweep the tapestried floors of chateaux
and palaces; as those odious aristocrats of the other side do not go
draggling through the mud in silks and satins; but; forsooth; must
ride in coaches when they are in full dress。 It is true; that;
considering various habits of the American people; also the little
accidents which the best…kept sidewalks are liable to; a lady who
has swept a mile of them is not exactly in such a condition that one
would care to be her neighbor。 But then there is no need of being
so hard on these slight weaknesses of the poor; dear women as our
little deformed gentleman was the other day。
There are no such women as the Boston women; Sir;he said。
Forty…two degrees; north latitude; Rome; Sir; Boston; Sir! They had
grand women in old Rome; Sir;and the women bore such menchildren
as never the world saw before。 And so it was here; Sir。 I tell
you; the revolution the Boston boys started had to run in woman's
milk before it ran in man's blood; Sir!
But confound the make…believe women we have turned loose in our
streets! where do they come from? Not out of Boston parlors; I
trust。 Why; there is n't a beast or a bird that would drag its tail
through the dirt in the way these creatures do their dresses。
Because a queen or a duchess wears long robes on great occasions; a
maid…of…all…work or a factory…girl thinks she must make herself a
nuisance by trailing through the street; picking up and carrying
about with her pah! that's what I call getting vulgarity into your
bones and marrow。 Making believe be what you are not is the essence
of vulgarity。 Show over dirt is the one attribute of vulgar people。
If any man can walk behind one of these women and see what she rakes
up as she goes; and not feel squeamish; he has got a tough stomach。
I wouldn't let one of 'em into my room without serving 'em as David
served Saul at the cave in the wilderness;cut off his skirts; Sir!
cut off his skirts!
I suggested; that I had seen some pretty stylish ladies who offended
in the way he condemned。
Stylish women; I don't doubt;said the Little Gentleman。 Don't
tell me that a true lady ever sacrifices the duty of keeping all
about her sweet and clean to the wish of making a vulgar show。 I
won't believe it of a lady。 There are some things that no fashion
has any right to touch; and cleanliness is one of those things。 If
a woman wishes to show that her husband or her father has got money;
which she wants and means to spend; but doesn't know how; let her
buy a yard or two of silk and pin it to her dress when she goes out
to walk; but let her unpin it before she goes into the house;there
may be poor women that will think it worth disinfecting。 It is an
insult to a respectable laundress to carry such things into a house
for her to deal with。 I don't like the Bloomers any too well;in
fact; I never saw but one; and sheor he; or ithad a mob of boys
after
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