a mortal antipathy-第53节

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that；　nor　an　〃eclectic；〃　nor　a　〃faith…cure　man。〃　　On　the　whole；　I

don't　think　I　want　to　be　married　at　all。　　I　don't　like　the　male

animal　very　well　（except　such　noble　specimens　as　your　husband）。　　They

are　all　tyrants；almost　all；so　far　as　our　sex　is　concerned；　and　I

often　think　we　could　get　on　better　without　them。



However；　the　creatures　are　useful　in　the　Society。　　They　send　us

papers；　some　of　them　well　worth　reading。　　You　have　told　me　so　often

that　you　would　like　to　know　how　the　Society　is　getting　on；　and　to

read　some　of　the　papers　sent　to　it　if　they　happened　to　be

interesting；　that　I　have　laid　aside　one　or　two　manuscripts　expressly

for　your　perusal。　　You　will　get　them　by　and　by。



I　am　delighted　to　know　that　you　keep　Paolo　with　you。　　Arrowhead

Village　misses　him　dreadfully；　I　can　tell　you。　　That　is　the　reason

people　become　so　attached　to　these　servants　with　Southern　sunlight　in

their　natures？　　I　suppose　life　is　not　long　enough　to　cool　their　blood

down　to　our　Northern　standard。　　Then　they　are　so　child…like；　whereas

the　native　of　these　latitudes　is　never　young　after　he　is　ten　or

twelve　years　old。　　Mother　says；you　know　mother's　old…fashioned

notions；　and　how　shrewd　and　sensible　she　is　in　spite　of　them；mother

says　that　when　she　was　a　girl　families　used　to　import　young　men　and

young　women　from　the　country　towns；　who　called　themselves　〃helps；〃

not　servants；no；　that　was　Scriptural；　〃　but　they　did　n't　know

everything　down　in　Judee；〃　and　it　is　not　good　American　language。　　She

says　that　these　people　would　live　in　the　same　household　until　they

were　married；　and　the　women　often　remain　in　the　same　service　until

they　died　or　were　old　and　worn　out；　and　then；　what　with　the　money

they　had　saved　and　the　care　and　assistance　they　got　from　their　former

employers；　would　pass　a　decent　and　comfortable　old　age；　and　be　buried

in　the　family　lot。　　Mother　has　made　up　her　mind　to　the　change；　but

grandmother　is　bitter　about　it。　　She　says　there　never　was　a　country

yet　where　the　population　was　made　up　of　〃ladies〃　and　〃gentlemen；〃　and

she　does　n't　believe　there　can　be；　nor　that　putting　a　spread　eagle　on

a　copper　makes　a　gold　dollar　of　it。　　She　is　a　pessimist　after　her　own

fashion。　　She　thinks　all　sentiment　is　dying　out　of　our　people。　　No

loyalty　for　the　sovereign；　the　king…post　of　the　political　edifice；

she　says；　no　deep　attachment　between　employer　and　employed；　no

reverence　of　the　humbler　members　of　a　household　for　its　heads；　and　to

make　sure　of　continued　corruption　and　misery；　what　she　calls

〃universal　suffrage〃　emptying　all　the　sewers　into　the　great　aqueduct

we　all　must　drink　from。　　〃Universal　suffrage！〃　　I　suppose　we　women

don't　belong　to　the　universe！　　Wait　until　we　get　a　chance　at　the

ballot…box；　I　tell　grandma；　and　see　if　we　don't　wash　out　the　sewers

before　they　reach　the　aqueduct！　　But　my　pen　has　run　away　with　men　I

was　thinking　of　Paolo；　and　what　a　pleasant　thing　it　is　to　have　one　of

those　child…like；　warm…hearted；　attachable；　cheerful；　contented；

humble；　faithful；　companionable；　but　never　presuming　grownup　children

of　the　South　waiting　on　one；　as　if　everything　he　could　do　for　one　was

a　pleasure；　and　carrying　a　look　of　content　in　his　face　which　makes

every　one　who　meets　him　happier　for　a　glimpse　of　his　features。



It　does　seem　a　shame　that　the　charming　relation　of　master　and

servant；　intelligent　authority　and　cheerful　obedience；　mutual

interest　in　each　other's　welfare；　thankful　recognition　of　all　the

advantages　which　belong　to　domestic　service　in　the　better　class　of

families；　should　be　almost　wholly　confined　to　aliens　and　their

immediate　descendants。　　Why　should　Hannah　think　herself　so　much

better　than　Bridget？　　When　they　meet　at　the　polls　together；　as　they

will　before　long；　they　will　begin　to　feel　more　of　an　equality　than　is

recognized　at　present。　　The　native　female　turns　her　nose　up　at　the

idea　of　〃living　out；〃　does　she　think　herself　so　much　superior　to　the

women　of　other　nationalities？　　Our　women　will　have　to　come　to　it；so

grandmother　says；in　another　generation　or　two；　and　in　a　hundred

years；　according　to　her　prophecy；　there　will　be　a　new　set　of　old

〃Miss　Pollys〃　and　〃　Miss　Betseys〃　who　have　lived　half　a　century　in

the　same　families；　respectful　and　respected；　cherished；　cared　for　in

time　of　need　（citizens　as　well　as　servants；　holding　a　ballot　as　well

as　a　broom；　I　tell　her）；　and　bringing　back　to　us　the　lowly；　underfoot

virtues　of　contentment　and　humility；　which　we　do　so　need　to　carpet

the　barren　and　hungry　thoroughfare　of　our　unstratified　existence。



There；　I　have　got　a…going；　and　am　forgetting　all　the　news　I　have　to

tell　you。　　There　is　an　engagement　you　will　want　to　know　all　about。

It　came　to　pass　through　our　famous　boat…race；　which　you　and　I

remember；　and　shall　never　forget　as　long　as　we　live。　　It　seems　that

the　young　fellow　who　pulled　the　bow　oar　of　that　men's　college　boat

which　we　had　the　pleasure　of　beating　got　some　glimpses　of　Georgina；

our　handsome　stroke　oar。　　I　believe　he　took　it　into　his　head　that　it

was　she　who　threw　the　bouquet　that　won　the　race　for　us。　　He　was；　as

you　know；　greatly　mistaken；　and　ought　to　have　made　love　to　me；　only

he　did　n't。　　Well；　it　seems　he　came　posting　down　to　the　Institute

just　before　the　vacation　was　over；　and　there　got　a　sight　of　Georgina。

I　wonder　whether　she　told　him　she　didn't　fling　the　bouquet！　　Anyhow；

the　acquaintance　began　in　that　way；　and　now　it　seems　that　this　young

fellow；　good…looking　and　a　bright　scholar；　but　with　a　good　many

months　more　to　pass　in　college；　is　her　captive。　　It　was　too　bad。

Just　think　of　my　bouquet's　going　to　another　girl's　credit！　　No

matter；　the　old　Atalanta　story　was　paid　off；　at　any　rate。



You　want　to　know　all　about　dear　Dr。　Butts。　　They　say　he　has　just　been

offered　a　Professorship　in　one　of　the　great　medical　colleges。　　I

asked　him　about　it；　and　he　did　not　say　that　he　had　or　had　not。

〃But；〃　said　be；　〃suppose　that　I　had　been　offered　such　a　place；　do　you

think　I　ought　to　accept　it　and　leave　Arrowhead　Village？　　Let　us　talk

it　over；〃　said　he；　〃just　as　if　I　had　had　such　an　offer。〃　　I　told　him

he　ought　to　stay。　　There　are　plenty　of　men　that　can　get　into　a

Professor's　chair；　I　said；　and　talk　like　Solomons　to　a　class　of

wondering　pupils：　but　once　get　a　really　good　doctor　in　a　place；　a　man

who　knows　all　about　everybody；　whether　they　have　this　or　that

tendency；　whether　when　they　are　sick　they　have　a　way　of　dying　or　a

way　of　getting　well；　what　medicines　agree　with　them　and　what　drugs

they　cannot　take；　whether　they　are　of　the　sort　that　think　nothing　is

the　matter　with　them　until　they　are　dead　as　smoked　herring；　or　of　the

sort　that　send　for　the　minister　if　they　get　a　stomach…ache　from

eating　too　many　cucumbers；who　knows　all　about　all　the　people　within

half　a　dozen　miles　（all　the　sensible　ones；　that　is；　who　employ　a

regular　practitioner）；such　a　man　as　that；　I　say；　is　not　to　be

replaced　like　a　missing　piece　out　of　a　Springfield　musket　or　a

Waltham　watch。　　Don't　go！　　said　I。　　Stay　here　and　save　our　precious

lives；　if　you　can；　or　at　least　put　us　through　in　the　proper　way；　so

that　we　needn't　be　ashamed　of　ourselves　for　dying；　if　we　must　die。

Well；　Dr。　Butts　is　not　going　to　leave　us。　　I　hope　you　will　have　no

unwelcome　occasion　for　his　services；you　are　never　ill；　you　know；

but；　anyhow；　he　is　going　to　be　here；　and　no　matter　what　happens　he

will　be　on　hand。



The　village　news　is　not　of　a　very　exciting　character。　　Item　1。　　A　new

house　is　put　up　over　the　ashes　of　the　one　in　which　your　husband　lived

while　he　was　here。　　It　was　planned　by　one　of　the　autochthonous

inhabitants　with　the　most　ingenious　combination　of　inconveniences

that　the　natural　man　could　educe　from　his　original　perversity　of

intellect。　　To　get　at　any　one　room　you　must　pass　through　every　other。

It　is　blind；　or　nearly　so；　on　the　only　side　which　has　a　good

prospect；　and　commands　a　fine　view　of　the　barn　and　pigsty　through

numerous　windows。　　Item　2。　　We　have　a　small　fire…engine　near　the　new

house　which　can　be　worked　by　a　man　or　two；　and　would　be　equal　to　the

emergency　of　putting　out　a　bunch　of　fire…crackers。　　Item　3。　　We　have

a　new　ladder；　in　a　bog；　close　to　the　new　fire…engine；　so　if　the　new

house　catches　fire；　like　its　predecessor；　and　there　should　happen　to；

be　a　sick　man　on　an　upper　floor；　he　can　be　got　out　without　running

the　risk　of　going　up　and　down　a　burning　staircase。　　What　a　blessed

thing　it　was　that　there　was　no　fire…engine　near　by　and　no　ladder　at

hand　on　the　day　of　the　great　rescue！　　If　there　had　been；　what　a

change　in　your　programme　of　life！　　You　remember　that　〃cup　of　tea

spilt　on　Mrs。　Masham's　apron；〃　which　we　used　to　read　of　in　one　of

Everett's　Orations；　and　all　its　wide…reaching　consequences　in　the

affairs　of　Europe。　　I　hunted　up　that　cup　of　tea　as　diligently　as　ever

a　Boston　matron　sought　for　the　last　leaves　in　her　old　caddy　after　the

tea…chests　had　been　flung　overboard　at　Griffin's　wharf；but　no

matter　about　that；　now。　　That　is