a mortal antipathy-第7节

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But　if　this　sight　is　saddening；　what　is　it　to　see　a　human　dwelling

fall　by　the　hand　of　violence！　　The　ripping　off　of　the　shelter　that

has　kept　out　a　thousand　storms；　the　tearing　off　of　the　once

ornamental　woodwork；　the　wrench　of　the　inexorable　crowbar；　the

murderous　blows　of　the　axe；　the　progressive　ruin；　which　ends　by

rending　all　the　joints　asunder　and　flinging　the　tenoned　and　mortised

timbers　into　heaps　that　will　be　sawed　and　split　to　warm　some　new

habitation　as　firewood；what　a　brutal　act　of　destruction　it　seems！



Why　should　I　go　over　the　old　house　again；　having　already　described　it

more　than　ten　years　ago？　　Alas！　　how　many　remember　anything　they　read

but　once；　and　so　long　ago　as　that？　　How　many　would　find　it　out　if　one

should　say　over　in　the　same　words　that　which　he　said　in　the　last

decade？　　But　there　is　really　no　need　of　telling　the　story　a　second

time；　for　it　can　be　found　by　those　who　are　curious　enough　to　look　it

up　in　a　volume　of　which　it　occupies　the　opening　chapter。



In　order；　however；　to　save　any　inquisitive　reader　that　trouble；　let

me　remind　him　that　the　old　house　was　General　Ward's　headquarters　at

the　breaking　out　of　the　Revolution；　that　the　plan　for　fortifying

Bunker's　Hill　was　laid；　as　commonly　believed；　in　the　southeast　lower

room；　the　floor　of　which　was　covered　with　dents；　made；　it　was

alleged；　by　the　butts　of　the　soldiers'　muskets。　　In　that　house；　too；

General　Warren　probably　passed　the　night　before　the　Bunker　Hill

battle；　and　over　its　threshold　must　the　stately　figure　of　Washington

have　often　cast　its　shadow。



But　the　house　in　which　one　drew　his　first　breath；　and　where　he　one

day　came　into　the　consciousness　that　he　was　a　personality；　an　ego；　a

little　universe　with　a　sky　over　him　all　his　own；　with　a　persistent

identity；　with　the　terrible　responsibility　of　a　separate；

independent；　inalienable　existence；that　house　does　not　ask　for　any

historical　associations　to　make　it　the　centre　of　the　earth　for　him。



If　there　is　any　person　in　the　world　to　be　envied；　it　is　the　one　who

is　born　to　an　ancient　estate；　with　a　long　line　of　family　traditions

and　the　means　in　his　hands　of　shaping　his　mansion　and　his　domain　to

his　own　taste；　without　losing　sight　of　all　the　characteristic

features　which　surrounded　his　earliest　years。　　The　American　is；　for

the　most　part；　a　nomad；　who　pulls　down　his　house　as　the　Tartar　pulls

up　his　tent…poles。　　If　I　had　an　ideal　life　to　plan　for　him　it　would

be　something　like　this：



His　grandfather　should　be　a　wise；　scholarly；　large…brained；　large…

hearted　country　minister；　from　whom　he　should　inherit　the　temperament

that　predisposes　to　cheerfulness　and　enjoyment；　with　the　finer

instincts　which　direct　life　to　noble　aims　and　make　it　rich　with　the

gratification　of　pure　and　elevated　tastes　and　the　carrying　out　of

plans　for　the　good　of　his　neighbors　and　his　fellow…creatures。　　He

should；　if　possible；　have　been　born；　at　any　rate　have　passed　some　of

his　early　years；　or　a　large　part　of　them；　under　the　roof　of　the　good

old　minister。　　His　father　should　be；　we　will　say；　a　business　man　in

one　of　our　great　cities；a　generous　manipulator　of　millions；　some　of

which　have　adhered　to　his　private　fortunes；　in　spite　of　his　liberal

use　of　his　means。　　His　heir；　our　ideally　placed　American；　shall　take

possession　of　the　old　house；　the　home　of　his　earliest　memories；　and

preserve　it　sacredly；　not　exactly　like　the　Santa　Casa；　but；　as　nearly

as　may　be；　just　as　he　remembers　it。　　He　can　add　as　many　acres　as　he

will　to　the　narrow　house…lot。　　He　can　build　a　grand　mansion　for

himself；　if　he　chooses；　in　the　not　distant　neighborhood。　　But　the　old

house；　and　all　immediately　round　it；　shall　be　as　he　recollects　it

when　be　had　to　stretch　his　little　arm　up　to　reach　the　door…handles。

Then；　having　well　provided　for　his　own　household；　himself　included；

let　him　become　the　providence　of　the　village　or　the　town　where　be

finds　himself　during　at　least　a　portion　of　every　year。　　Its　schools；

its　library；　its　poor；and　perhaps　the　new　clergyman　who　has

succeeded　his　grandfather's　successor　may　be　one　of　them；all　its

interests；　he　shall　make　his　own。　　And　from　this　centre　his

beneficence　shall　radiate　so　far　that　all　who　hear　of　his　wealth

shall　also　hear　of　him　as　a　friend　to　his　race。



Is　not　this　a　pleasing　programme？　　Wealth　is　a　steep　hill；　which　the

father　climbs　slowly　and　the　son　often　tumbles　down　precipitately；

but　there　is　a　table…land　on　a　level　with　it；　which　may　be　found　by

those　who　do　not　lose　their　head　in　looking　down　from　its　sharply

cloven　summit。…Our　dangerously　rich　men　can　make　themselves　hated；

held　as　enemies　of　the　race；　or　beloved　and　recognized　as　its

benefactors。　　The　clouds　of　discontent　are　threatening；　but　if　the

gold…pointed　lightning…rods　are　rightly　distributed　the　destructive

element　may　be　drawn　off　silently　and　harmlessly。　　For　it　cannot　be

repeated　too　often　that　the　safety　of　great　wealth　with　us　lies　in

obedience　to　the　new　version　of　the　Old　World　axiom；　RICHESS　oblige。













THE　NEW　PORTFOLIO：　FIRST　OPENING。









A　MORTAL　ANTIPATHY。







I



GETTING　READY。



It　is　impossible　to　begin　a　story　which　must　of　necessity　tax　the

powers　of　belief　of　readers　unacquainted　with　the　class　of　facts　to

which　its　central　point　of　interest　belongs　without　some　words　in　the

nature　of　preparation。　　Readers　of　Charles　Lamb　remember　that　Sarah

Battle　insisted　on　a　clean…swept　hearth　before　sitting　down　to　her

favorite　game　of　whist。



The　narrator　wishes　to　sweep　the　hearth；　as　it　were；　in　these　opening

pages；　before　sitting　down　to　tell　his　story。　　He　does　not　intend　to

frighten　the　reader　away　by　prolix　explanation；　but　he　does　mean　to

warn　him　against　hasty　judgments　when　facts　are　related　which　are　not

within　the　range　of　every…day　experience。　　Did　he　ever　see　the

Siamese　twins；　or　any　pair　like　them？　　Probably　not；　yet　he　feels

sure　that　Chang　and　Eng　really　existed；　and　if　he　has　taken　the

trouble　to　inquire；　he　has　satisfied　himself　that　similar　cases　have

been　recorded　by　credible　witnesses；　though　at　long　intervals　and　in

countries　far　apart　from　each　other。



This　is　the　first　sweep　of　the　brush；　to　clear　the　hearth　of　the

skepticism　and　incredulity　which　must　be　got　out　of　the　way　before　we

can　begin　to　tell　and　to　listen　in　peace　with　ourselves　and　each

other。



One　more　stroke　of　the　brush　is　needed　before　the　stage　will　be　ready

for　the　chief　characters　and　the　leading　circumstances　to　which　the

reader's　attention　is　invited。　　If　the　principal　personages　made

their　entrance　at　once；　the　reader　would　have　to　create　for　himself

the　whole　scenery　of　their　surrounding　conditions。　　In　point　of　fact；

no　matter　how　a　story　is　begun；　many　of　its　readers　have　already

shaped　its　chief　actors　out　of　any　hint　the　author　may　have　dropped；

and　provided　from　their　own　resources　a　locality　and　a　set　of　outward

conditions　to　environ　these　imagined　personalities。　　These　are　all　to

be　brushed　away；　and　the　actual　surroundings　of　the　subject　of　the

narrative　represented　as　they　were；　at　the　risk　of　detaining　the

reader　a　little　while　from　the　events　most　likely　to　interest　him。

The　choicest　egg　that　ever　was　laid　was　not　so　big　as　the　nest　that

held　it。　　If　a　story　were　so　interesting　that　a　maiden　would　rather

hear　it　than　listen　to　the　praise　of　her　own　beauty；　or　a　poet　would

rather　read　it　than　recite　his　own　verses；　still　it　would　have　to　be

wrapped　in　some　tissue　of　circumstance；　or　it　would　lose　half　its

effectiveness。



It　may　not　be　easy　to　find　the　exact　locality　referred　to　in　this

narrative　by　looking　into　the　first　gazetteer　that　is　at　hand。

Recent　experiences　have　shown　that　it　is　unsafe　to　be　too　exact　in

designating　places　and　the　people　who　live　in　them。　　There　are；　it

may　be　added；　so　many　advertisements　disguised　under　the　form　of

stories　and　other　literary　productions　that　one　naturally　desires　to

avoid　the　suspicion　of　being　employed　by　the　enterprising　proprietors

of　this　or　that　celebrated　resort　to　use　his　gifts　for　their　especial

benefit。　　There　are　no　doubt　many　persons　who　remember　the　old　sign

and　the　old　tavern　and　its　four　chief　personages　presently　to　be

mentioned。　　It　is　to　be　hoped　that　they　will　not　furnish　the　public

with　a　key　to　this　narrative；　and　perhaps　bring　trouble　to　the　writer

of　it；　as　has　happened　to　other　authors。　　If　the　real　names　are　a

little　altered；　it　need　not　interfere　with　the　important　facts

relating　to　those　who　bear　them。　　It　might　not　be　safe　to　tell　a

damaging　story　about　John　or　James　Smythe；　but　if　the　slight　change

is　made　of　spelling　the　name　Smith；　the　Smythes　would　never　think　of

bringing　an　action；　as　if　the　allusion　related　to　any　of　them。　　The

same　gulf　of　family　distinction　separates　the　Thompsons　with　a　p　from

the　Thomsons　without　that　letter。



There　are　few　pleasanter　places　in　the　Northern　States　for　a