the poet at the breakfast table-第28节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


A　youth　who　watched　beneath　the　western　star
Sought　in　the　darkness；　found；　and　showed　to　men；
Linked　with　his　name　thenceforth　and　evermore！
So　shall　that　name　be　syllabled　anew
In　all　the　tongues　of　all　the　tribes　of　men：
I　that　have　been　through　immemorial　years
Dust　in　the　dust　of　my　forgotten　time
Shall　live　in　accents　shaped　of　blood…warm　breath；
Yea；　rise　in　mortal　semblance；　newly　born
In　shining　stone；　in　undecaying　bronze；
And　stand　on　high；　and　look　serenely　down
On　the　new　race　that　calls　the　earth　its　own。

Is　this　a　cloud；　that；　blown　athwart　my　soul；
Wears　a　false　seeming　of　the　pearly　stain
Where　worlds　beyond　the　world　their　mingling　rays
Blend　in　soft　white；a　cloud　that；　born　of　earth；
Would　cheat　the　soul　that　looks　for　light　from　heaven？
Must　every　coral…insect　leave　his　sign
On　each　poor　grain　he　lent　to　build　the　reef；
As　Babel's　builders　stamped　their　sunburnt　clay；
Or　deem　his　patient　service　all　in　vain？
What　if　another　sit　beneath　the　shade
Of　the　broad　elm　I　planted　by　the　way；
What　if　another　heed　the　beacon　light
I　set　upon　the　rock　that　wrecked　my　keel；
Have　I　not　done　my　task　and　served　my　kind？
Nay；　rather　act　thy　part；　unnamed；　unknown；
And　let　Fame　blow　her　trumpet　through　the　world
With　noisy　wind　to　swell　a　fool's　renown；
Joined　with　some　truth　be　stumbled　blindly　o'er；
Or　coupled　with　some　single　shining　deed
That　in　the　great　account　of　all　his　days
Will　stand　alone　upon　the　bankrupt　sheet
His　pitying　angel　shows　the　clerk　of　Heaven。
The　noblest　service　comes　from　nameless　hands；
And　the　best　servant　does　his　work　unseen。
Who　found　the　seeds　of　fire　and　made　them　shoot；
Fed　by　his　breath；　in　buds　and　flowers　of　flame？
Who　forged　in　roaring　flames　the　ponderous　stone；
And　shaped　the　moulded　metal　to　his　need？
Who　gave　the　dragging　car　its　rolling　wheel；
And　tamed　the　steed　that　whirls　its　circling　round？
All　these　have　left　their　work　and　not　their　names；
Why　should　I　murmur　at　a　fate　like　theirs？
This　is　the　heavenly　light；　the　pearly　stain
Was　but　a　wind…cloud　drifting　oer　the　stars！




VI

I　find　I　have　so　many　things　in　common　with　the　old　Master　of　Arts；
that　I　do　not　always　know　whether　a　thought　was　originally　his　or
mine。　　That　is　what　always　happens　where　two　persons　of　a　similar
cast　of　mind　talk　much　together。　　And　both　of　them　often　gain　by　the
interchange。　　Many　ideas　grow　better　when　transplanted　into　another
mind　than　in　the　one　where　they　sprang　up。　　That　which　was　a　weed　in
one　intelligence　becomes　a　flower　in　the　other。　　A　flower；　on　the
other　hand；　may　dwindle　down　to　a　mere　weed　by　the　same　change。
Healthy　growths　may　become　poisonous　by　falling　upon　the　wrong　mental
soil；　and　what　seemed　a　night…shade　in　one　mind　unfold　as　a　morning…
glory　in　the　other。

I　thank　God；the　Master　said；that　a　great　many　people　believe　a
great　deal　more　than　I　do。　　I　think；　when　it　comes　to　serious
matters；　I　like　those　who　believe　more　than　I　do　better　than　those
who　believe　less。

Why；said　I；you　have　got　hold　of　one　of　my　own　working　axioms。
I　should　like　to　hear　you　develop　it。

The　Member　of　the　Haouse　said　he　should　be　glad　to　listen　to　the
debate。　　The　gentleman　had　the　floor。　　The　Scarabee　rose　from　his
chair　and　departed；I　thought　his　joints　creaked　as　he　straightened
himself。

The　Young　Girl　made　a　slight　movement；　it　was　a　purely　accidental
coincidence；　no　doubt；　but　I　saw　That　Boy　put　his　hand　in　his　pocket
and　pull　out　his　popgun；　and　begin　loading　it。　　It　cannot　be　that　our
Scheherezade；　who　looks　so　quiet　and　proper　at　the　table；　can　make
use　of　That　Boy　and　his　catapult　to　control　the　course　of
conversation　and　change　it　to　suit　herself！　　She　certainly　looks
innocent　enough；　but　what　does　a　blush　prove；　and　what　does　its
absence　prove；　on　one　of　these　innocent　faces？　　There　is　nothing　in
all　this　world　that　can　lie　and　cheat　like　the　face　and　the　tongue　of
a　young　girl。　　Just　give　her　a　little　touch　of　hysteria；I　don't
mean　enough　of　it　to　make　her　friends　call　the　doctor　in；　but　a
slight　hint　of　it　in　the　nervous　system；and　〃Machiavel　the　waiting…
maid〃　might　take　lessons　of　her。　　But　I　cannot　think　our　Scheherezade
is　one　of　that　kind；　and　I　am　ashamed　of　myself　for　noting　such　a
trifling　coincidence　as　that　which　excited　my　suspicion。

I　say；the　Master　continued；that　I　had　rather　be　in　the　company
of　those　who　believe　more　than　I　do；　in　spiritual　matters　at　least；
than　of　those　who　doubt　what　I　accept　as　a　part　of　my　belief。

To　tell　the　truth；said　I；I　find　that　difficulty　sometimes　in
talking　with　you。　　You　have　not　quite　so　many　hesitations　as　I　have
in　following　out　your　logical　conclusions。　　I　suppose　you　would　bring
some　things　out　into　daylight　questioning　that　I　had　rather　leave　in
that　twilight　of　half…belief　peopled　with　shadowsif　they　are　only
shadowsmore　sacred　to　me　than　many　realities。

There　is　nothing　I　do　not　question；said　the　Master；I　not　only
begin　with　the　precept　of　Descartes；　but　I　hold　all　my　opinions
involving　any　chain　of　reasoning　always　open　to　revision。

I　confess　that　I　smiled　internally　to　hear　him　say　that。　　The　old
Master　thinks　he　is　open　to　conviction　on　all　subjects；　but　if　you
meddle　with　some　of　his　notions　and　don't　get　tossed　on　his　horns　as
if　a　bull　had　hold　of　you；　I　should　call　you　lucky。

You　don't　mean　you　doubt　everything？I　said。

What　do　you　think　I　question　everything　for；　the　Master　replied；
if　I　never　get　any　answers？　　You've　seen　a　blind　man　with　a　stick；
feeling　his　way　along？　　Well；　I　am　a　blind　man　with　a　stick；　and　I
find　the　world　pretty　full　of　men　just　as　blind　as　I　am；　but　without
any　stick。　　I　try　the　ground　to　find　out　whether　it　is　firm　or　not
before　I　rest　my　weight　on　it；　but　after　it　has　borne　my　weight；　that
question　at　least　is　answered。　　It　very　certainly　was　strong　enough
once；　the　presumption　is　that　it　is　strong　enough　now。　　Still　the
soil　may　have　been　undermined；　or　I　may　have　grown　heavier。　　Make　as
much　of　that　as　you　will。　　I　say　I　question　everything；　but　if　I　find
Bunker　Hill　Monument　standing　as　straight　as　when　I　leaned　against　it
a　year　or　ten　years　ago；　I　am　not　very　much　afraid　that　Bunker　Hill
will　cave　in　if　I　trust　myself　again　on　the　soil　of　it。

I　glanced　off；　as　one　often　does　in　talk。

The　Monument　is　an　awful　place　to　visit；I　said。…The　waves　of　time
are　like　the　waves　of　the　ocean；　the　only　thing　they　beat　against
without　destroying　it　is　a　rock；　and　they　destroy　that　at　last。　　But
it　takes　a　good　while。　　There　is　a　stone　now　standing　in　very　good
order　that　was　as　old　as　a　monument　of　Louis　XIV。　and　Queen　Anne's
day　is　now　when　Joseph　went　down　into　Egypt。　　Think　of　the　shaft　on
Bunker　Hill　standing　in　the　sunshine　on　the　morning　of　January　1st　in
the　year　5872！

It　won't　be　standing；the　Master　said。…We　are　poor　bunglers
compared　to　those　old　Egyptians。　　There　are　no　joints　in　one　of　their
obelisks。　　They　are　our　masters　in　more　ways　than　we　know　of；　and　in
more　ways　than　some　of　us　are　willing　to　know。　　That　old　Lawgiver
wasn't　learned　in　all　the　wisdom　of　the　Egyptians　for　nothing。　　It
scared　people　well　a　couple　of　hundred　years　ago　when　Sir　John
Marsham　and　Dr。　John　Spencer　ventured　to　tell　their　stories　about　the
sacred　ceremonies　of　the　Egyptian　priesthood。　　People　are　beginning
to　find　out　now　that　you　can't　study　any　religion　by　itself　to　any
good　purpose。　　You　must　have　comparative　theology　as　you　have
comparative　anatomy。　　What　would　you　make　of　a　cat's　foolish　little
good…for…nothing　collar…bone；　if　you　did　not　know　how　the　same　bone
means　a　good　deal　in　other　creatures；in　yourself；　for　instance；　as
you　'll　find　out　if　you　break　it？　　You　can't　know　too　much　of　your
race　and　its　beliefs；　if　you　want　to　know　anything　about　your　Maker。
I　never　found　but　one　sect　large　enough　to　hold　the　whole　of　me。

And　may　I　ask　what　that　was？I　said。

The　Human　sect；the　Master　answered。　　That　has　about　room　enough
for　me；at　present；　I　mean　to　say。

Including　cannibals　and　all？said　I。

…Oh；　as　to　that；　the　eating　of　one's　kind　is　a　matter　of　taste；　but
the　roasting　of　them　has　been　rather　more　a　specialty　of　our　own
particular　belief　than　of　any　other　I　am　acquainted　with。　　If　you
broil　a　saint；　I　don't　see　why；　if　you　have　a　mind；　you　shouldn't
serve　him　up　at　your

Pop！　　went　the　little　piece　of　artillery。　　Don't　tell　me　it　was
accident。　　I　know　better。　　You　can't　suppose　for　one　minute　that　a
boy　like　that　one　would　time　his　interruptions　so　cleverly。　　Now　it
so　happened　that　at　that　particular　moment　Dr。　B。　Franklin　was　not　at
the　table。　　You　may　draw　your　own　conclusions。　　I　say　nothing；　but　I
think　a　good　deal。

I　came　back　to　the　Bunker　Hill　Monument。…I　often　thinkI　said
of　the　dynasty　which　is　to　reign　in　its　shadow　for　some　thousands　of
years；　it　may　be。

The　〃Man　of　Letters；〃　so　called；　asked　me；　in　a　tone　I　did　not
exactly　like；　whether　I　expected　to　live　long　enough　to　see　a
monarchy　take　the　place　of　a　republic　in　this　country。

No；said　I；I　was　thinking　of　something　very　different。　　I　was
indulging　a　fancy　of　mine　about　the　Man　who　is　to　sit　at　the　foot　of
the　monument　for　one；　or　it　may　be　two　or　three　th