the professor at the breakfast table-第71部分

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XII



A　young　fellow；　born　of　good　stock；　in　one　of　the　more　thoroughly

civilized　portions　of　these　United　States　of　America；　bred　in　good

principles；　inheriting　a　social　position　which　makes　him　at　his　ease

everywhere；　means　sufficient　to　educate　him　thoroughly　without

taking　away　the　stimulus　to　vigorous　exertion；　and　with　a　good

opening　in　some　honorable　path　of　labor；　is　the　finest　sight　our

private　satellite　has　had　the　opportunity　of　inspecting　on　the

planet　to　which　she　belongs。　　In　some　respects　it　was　better　to　be　a

young　Greek。　　If　we　may　trust　the　old　marbles；　my　friend　with　his

arm　stretched　over　my　head；　above　there；　（in　plaster　of　Paris；）　or

the　discobolus；　whom　one　may　see　at　the　principal　sculpture　gallery

of　this　metropolis；those　Greek　young　men　were　of　supreme　beauty。

Their　close　curls；　their　elegantly　set　heads；　column…like　necks；

straight　noses；　short；　curled　lips；　firm　chins；　deep　chests；　light

flanks；　large　muscles；　small　joints；　were　finer　than　anything　we

ever　see。　　It　may　well　be　questioned　whether　the　human　shape　will

ever　present　itself　again　in　a　race　of　such　perfect　symmetry。　　But

the　life　of　the　youthful　Greek　was　local；　not　planetary；　like　that

of　the　young　American。　　He　had　a　string　of　legends；　in　place　of　our

Gospels。　　He　had　no　printed　books；　no　newspaper；　no　steam　caravans；

no　forks；　no　soap；　none　of　the　thousand　cheap　conveniences　which

have　become　matters　of　necessity　to　our　modern　civilization。　　Above

all　things；　if　he　aspired　to　know　as　well　as　to　enjoy；　he　found

knowledge　not　diffused　everywhere　about　him；　so　that　a　day's　labor

would　buy　him　more　wisdom　than　a　year　could　master；　but　held　in

private　hands；　hoarded　in　precious　manuscripts；　to　be　sought　for

only　as　gold　is　sought　in　narrow　fissures；　and　in　the　beds　of

brawling　streams。　　Never；　since　man　came　into　this　atmosphere　of

oxygen　and　azote；　was　there　anything　like　the　condition　of　the　young

American　of　the　nineteenth　century。　　Having　in　possession　or　in

prospect　the　best　part　of　half　a　world；　with　all　its　climates　and

soils　to　choose　from；　equipped　with　wings　of　fire　and　smoke　than　fly

with　him　day　and　night；　so　that　he　counts　his　journey　not　in　miles；

but　in　degrees；　and　sees　the　seasons　change　as　the　wild　fowl　sees

them　in　his　annual　flights；　with　huge　leviathans　always　ready　to

take　him　on　their　broad　backs　and　push　behind　them　with　their

pectoral　or　caudal　fins　the　waters　that　seam　the　continent　or

separate　the　hemispheres；　heir　of　all　old　civilizations；　founder　of

that　new　one　which；　if　all　the　prophecies　of　the　human　heart　are　not

lies；　is　to　be　the　noblest；　as　it　is　the　last；　isolated　in　space

from　the　races　that　are　governed　by　dynasties　whose　divine　right

grows　out　of　human　wrong；　yet　knit　into　the　most　absolute　solidarity

with　mankind　of　all　times　and　places　by　the　one　great　thought　he

inherits　as　his　national　birthright；　free　to　form　and　express　his

opinions　on　almost　every　subject；　and　assured　that　he　will　soon

acquire　the　last　franchise　which　men　withhold　from　man；that　of

stating　the　laws　of　his　spiritual　being　and　the　beliefs　he　accepts

without　hindrance　except　from　clearer　views　of　truth；he　seems　to

want　nothing　for　a　large；　wholesome；　noble；　beneficent　life。　　In

fact；　the　chief　danger　is　that　he　will　think　the　whole　planet　is

made　for　him；　and　forget　that　there　are　some　possibilities　left　in

the　debris　of　the　old…world　civilization　which　deserve　a　certain

respectful　consideration　at　his　hands。



The　combing　and　clipping　of　this　shaggy　wild　continent　are　in　some

measure　done　for　him　by　those　who　have　gone　before。　　Society　has

subdivided　itself　enough　to　have　a　place　for　every　form　of　talent。

Thus；　if　a　man　show　the　least　sign　of　ability　as　a　sculptor　or　a

painter；　for　instance；　he　finds　the　means　of　education　and　a　demand

for　his　services。　　Even　a　man　who　knows　nothing　but　science　will　be

provided　for；　if　he　does　not　think　it　necessary　to　hang　about　his

birthplace　all　his　days；which　is　a　most　unAmerican　weakness。　　The

apron…strings　of　an　American　mother　are　made　of　India…rubber。　　Her

boy　belongs　where　he　is　wanted；　and　that　young　Marylander　of　ours

spoke　for　all　our　young　men；　when　he　said　that　his　home　was　wherever

the　stars　and　stripes　blew　over　his　head。



And　that　leads　me　to　say　a　few　words　of　this　young　gentleman；　who

made　that　audacious　movement　lately　which　I　chronicled　in　my　last

record；jumping　over　the　seats　of　I　don't　know　how　many　boarders　to

put　himself　in　the　place　which　the　Little　Gentleman's　absence　had

left　vacant　at　the　side　of　Iris。　　When　a　young　man　is　found

habitually　at　the　side　of　any　one　given　young　lady；when　he　lingers

where　she　stays；　and　hastens　when　she　leaves；when　his　eyes　follow

her　as　she　moves　and　rest　upon　her　when　she　is　still；when　he

begins　to　grow　a　little　timid；　he　who　was　so　bold；　and　a　little

pensive；　he　who　was　so　gay；　whenever　accident　finds　them　alone；

when　he　thinks　very　often　of　the　given　young　lady；　and　names　her

very　seldom；



What　do　you　say　about　it；　my　charming　young　expert　in　that　sweet

science　in　which；　perhaps；　a　long　experience　is　not　the　first　of

qualifications？



But　we　don't　know　anything　about　this　young　man；　except　that　he　is

good…looking；　and　somewhat　high…spirited；　and　strong…limbed；　and　has

a　generous　style　of　nature；all　very　promising；　but　by　no　means

proving　that　he　is　a　proper　lover　for　Iris；　whose　heart　we　turned

inside　out　when　we　opened　that　sealed　book　of　hers。



Ah；　my　dear　young　friend！　　When　your　mamma　then；　if　you　will　believe

it；　a　very　slight　young　lady；　with　very　pretty　hair　and　figurecame

and　told　her　mamma　that　your　papa　hadhadasked　No；　no；　no！　she

could　n't　say　it；　but　her　motheroh　the　depth　of　maternal　sagacity！

guessed　it　all　without　another　word！　When　your　mother；　I　say；

came　and　told　her　mother　she　was　engaged；　and　your　grandmother　told

your　grandfather；　how　much　did　they　know　of　the　intimate　nature　of

the　young　gentleman　to　whom　she　had　pledged　her　existence？　　I　will

not　be　so　hard　as　to　ask　how　much　your　respected　mamma　knew　at　that

time　of　the　intimate　nature　of　your　respected　papa；　though；　if　we

should　compare　a　young　girl's　man…as…she…thinks…him　with　a　forty…

summered　matron's　man…as…she…finds…him；　I　have　my　doubts　as　to

whether　the　second　would　be　a　facsimile　of　the　first　in　most　cases。



The　idea　that　in　this　world　each　young　person　is　to　wait　until　he　or

she　finds　that　precise　counterpart　who　alone　of　all　creation　was

meant　for　him　or　her；　and　then　fall　instantly　in　love　with　it；　is

pretty　enough；　only　it　is　not　Nature's　way。　　It　is　not　at　all

essential　that　all　pairs　of　human　beings　should　be；　as　we　sometimes

say　of　particular　couples；　〃born　for　each　other。〃　　Sometimes　a　man

or　a　woman　is　made　a　great　deal　better　and　happier　in　the　end　for

having　had　to　conquer　the　faults　of　the　one　beloved；　and　make　the

fitness　not　found　at　first；　by　gradual　assimilation。　　There　is　a

class　of　good