the poet at the breakfast table-第36节

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course　of　a　few　days。　　That　did　not　seem　to　me　so　very　much　stranger
than　it　was　that　an　egg　should　turn　into　a　chicken。　　What　can　I　say
to　that？　　Only　that　it　is　the　Lord's　doings；　and　marvellous　in　my
eyes；　and　if　our　philosophical　friend　should　find　some　little　live
creatures；　or　what　seem　to　be　live　creatures；　in　any　of　his　messes；　I
should　say　as　much；　and　no　more。　　You　do　not　think　I　would　shut　up　my
Bible　and　Prayer…Book　because　there　is　one　more　thing　I　do　not
understand　in　a　world　where　I　understand　so　very　little　of　all　the
wonders　that　surround　me？

It　may　be　very　wrong　to　pay　any　attention　to　those　speculations　about
the　origin　of　mankind　which　seem　to　conflict　with　the　Sacred　Record。
But　perhaps　there　is　some　way　of　reconciling　them；　as　there　is　of
making　the　seven　days　of　creation　harmonize　with　modern　geology。　　At
least；　these　speculations　are　curious　enough　in　themselves；　and　I
have　seen　so　many　good　and　handsome　children　come　of　parents　who　were
anything　but　virtuous　and　comely；　that　I　can　believe　in　almost　any
amount　of　improvement　taking　place　in　a　tribe　of　living　beings；　if
time　and　opportunity　favor　it。　　I　have　read　in　books　of　natural
history　that　dogs　came　originally　from　wolves。　　When　I　remember　my
little　Flora；　who；　as　I　used　to　think；　could　do　everything　but　talk；
it　does　not　seem　to　me　that　she　was　much　nearer　her　savage　ancestors
than　some　of　the　horrid　cannibal　wretches　are　to　their　neighbors　the
great　apes。

You　see　that　I　am　tolerably　liberal　in　my　habit　of　looking　at　all
these　questions。　　We　women　drift　along　with　the　current　of　the　times；
listening；　in　our　quiet　way；　to　the　discussions　going　on　round　us　in
books　and　in　conversation；　and　shift　the　phrases　in　which　we　think
and　talk　with　something　of　the　same　ease　as　that　with　which　we　change
our　style　of　dress　from　year　to　year。　　I　doubt　if　you　of　the　other
sex　know　what　an　effect　this　habit　of　accommodating　our　tastes　to
changing　standards　has　upon　us。　　Nothing　is　fixed　in　them；　as　you
know；　the　very　law　of　fashion　is　change。　　I　suspect　we　learn　from　our
dressmakers　to　shift　the　costume　of　our　minds；　and　slip　on　the　new
fashions　of　thinking　all　the　more　easily　because　we　have　been。
accustomed　to　new　styles　of　dressing　every　season。

It　frightens　me　to　see　how　much　I　have　written　without　having　yet
said　a　word　of　what　I　began　this　letter　on　purpose　to　say。　　I　have
taken　so　much　space　in　〃defining　my　position；〃　to　borrow　the
politicians'　phrase；　that　I　begin　to　fear　you　will　be　out　of　patience
before　you　come　to　the　part　of　my　letter　I　care　most　about　your
reading。

What　I　want　to　say　is　this。　　When　these　matters　are　talked　about
before　persons　of　different　ages　and　various　shades　of　intelligence；
I　think　one　ought　to　be　very　careful　that　his　use　of　language　does
not　injure　the　sensibilities；　perhaps　blunt　the　reverential　feelings；
of　those　who　are　listening　to　him。　　You　of　the　sterner　sex　say　that
we　women　have　intuitions；　but　not　logic；　as　our　birthright。　　I　shall
not　commit　my　sex　by　conceding　this　to　be　true　as　a　whole；　but　I　will
accept　the　first　half　of　it；　and　I　will　go　so　far　as　to　say　that　we
do　not　always　care　to　follow　out　a　train　of　thought　until　it　ends　in
a　blind　cul　de　sac；　as　some　of　what　are　called　the　logical　people　are
fond　of　doing。

Now　I　want　to　remind　you　that　religion　is　not　a　matter　of
intellectual　luxury　to　those　of　us　who　are　interested　in　it；　but
something　very　different。　　It　is　our　life；　and　more　than　our　life；
for　that　is　measured　by　pulse…beats；　but　our　religious　consciousness
partakes　of　the　Infinite；　towards　which　it　is　constantly　yearning。
It　is　very　possible　that　a　hundred　or　five　hundred　years　from　now　the
forms　of　religious　belief　may　be　so　altered　that　we　should　hardly
know　them。　　But　the　sense　of　dependence　on　Divine　influence　and　the
need　of　communion　with　the　unseen　and　eternal　will　be　then　just　what
they　are　now。　　It　is　not　the　geologist's　hammer；　or　the　astronomer's
telescope；　or　the　naturalist's　microscope；　that　is　going　to　take　away
the　need　of　the　human　soul　for　that　Rock　to　rest　upon　which　is　higher
than　itself；　that　Star　which　never　sets；　that　all…pervading　Presence
which　gives　life　to　all　the　least　moving　atoms　of　the　immeasurable
universe。

I　have　no　fears　for　myself；　and　listen　very　quietly　to　all　your
debates。　　I　go　from　your　philosophical　discussions　to　the　reading　of
Jeremy　Taylor's　〃Rule　and　Exercises　of　Holy　Dying　〃　without　feeling
that　I　have　unfitted　myself　in　the　least　degree　for　its　solemn
reflections。　　And；　as　I　have　mentioned　his　name；　I　cannot　help　saying
that　I　do　not　believe　that　good　man　himself　would　have　ever　shown　the
bitterness　to　those　who　seem　to　be　at　variance　with　the　received
doctrines　which　one　may　see　in　some　of　the　newspapers　that　call
themselves　〃religious。〃　　I　have　kept　a　few　old　books　from　my　honored
father's　library；　and　among　them　is　another　of　his　which　I　always
thought　had　more　true　Christianity　in　its　title　than　there　is　in　a
good　many　whole　volumes。　　I　am　going　to　take　the　book　down；　or　up；
for　it　is　not　a　little　one；and　write　out　the　title；　which；　I　dare
say；　you　remember；　and　very　likely　you　have　the　book。　　〃Discourse　of
the　Liberty　of　Prophesying；　showing　the　Unreasonableness　of
prescribing　to　other　Men's　Faith；　and　the　Iniquity　of　persecuting
Different　Opinions。〃

Now；　my　dear　sir；　I　am　sure　you　believe　that　I　want　to　be　liberal　and
reasonable；　and　not　to　act　like　those　weak　alarmists　who；　whenever
the　silly　sheep　begin　to　skip　as　if　something　was　after　them；　and
huddle　together　in　their　fright；　are　sure　there　must　be　a　bear　or　a
lion　coming　to　eat　them　up。　　But　for　all　that；　I　want　to　beg　you　to
handle　some　of　these　points；　which　are　so　involved　in　the　creed　of　a
good　many　well…intentioned　persons　that　you　cannot　separate　them　from
it　without　picking　their　whole　belief　to　pieces；　with　more　thought
for　them　than　you　might　think　at　first　they　were　entitled　to。　　I　have
no　doubt　you　gentlemen　are　as　wise　as　serpents；　and　I　want　you　to　be
as　harmless　as　doves。

The　Young　Girl　who　sits　by　me　has；　I　know；　strong　religious
instincts。　　Instead　of　setting　her　out　to　ask　all　sorts　of　questions；
I　would　rather；　if　I　had　my　way；　encourage　her　to　form　a　habit　of
attending　to　religious　duties；　and　make　the　most　of　the　simple　faith
in　which　she　was　bred。　　I　think　there　are　a　good　many　questions　young
persons　may　safely　postpone　to　a　more　convenient　season；　and　as　this
young　creature　is　overworked；　I　hate　to　have　her　excited　by　the　fever
of　doubt　which　it　cannot　be　denied　is　largely　prevailing　in　our　time。

I　know　you　must　have　looked　on　our　other　young　friend；　who　has
devoted　himself　to　the　sublimest　of　the　sciences；　with　as　much
interest　as　I　do。　　When　I　was　a　little　girl　I　used　to　write　out　a
line　of　Young's　as　a　copy　in　my　writing…book；

　　　　　〃An　undevout　astronomer　is　mad〃；

but　I　do　not　now　feel　quite　so　sure　that　the　contemplation　of　all　the
multitude　of　remote　worlds　does　not　tend　to　weaken　the　idea　of　a
personal　Deity。　　It　is　not　so　much　that　nebular　theory　which　worries
me；　when　I　think　about　this　subject；　as　a　kind　of　bewilderment　when　I
try　to　conceive　of　a　consciousness　filling　all　those　frightful　blanks
of　space　they　talk　about。　　I　sometimes　doubt　whether　that　young　man
worships　anything　but　the　stars。　　They　tell　me　that　many　young
students　of　science　like　him　never　see　the　inside　of　a　church。　　I
cannot　help　wishing　they　did。　　It　humanizes　people；　quite　apart　from
any　higher　influence　it　exerts　upon　them。　　One　reason；　perhaps；　why
they　do　not　care　to　go　to　places　of　worship　is　that　they　are　liable
to　hear　the　questions　they　know　something　about　handled　in　sermons　by
those　who　know　very　much　less　about　them。　　And　so　they　lose　a　great
deal。　　Almost　every　human　being；　however　vague　his　notions　of　the
Power　addressed；　is　capable　of　being　lifted　and　solemnized　by　the
exercise　of　public　prayer。　　When　I　was　a　young　girl　we　travelled　in
Europe；　and　I　visited　Ferney　with　my　parents；　and　I　remember　we　all
stopped　before　a　chapel；　and　I　read　upon　its　front；　I　knew　Latin
enough　to　understand　it；　I　am　pleased　to　say；Deo　erexit　Voltaire。
I　never　forgot　it；　and　knowing　what　a　sad　scoffer　he　was　at　most
sacred　things；　I　could　not　but　be　impressed　with　the　fact　that　even
he　was　not　satisfied　with　himself；　until　he　had　shown　his　devotion　in
a　public　and　lasting　form。

We　all　want　religion　sooner　or　later。　　I　am　afraid　there　are　some　who
have　no　natural　turn　for　it；　as　there　are　persons　without　an　ear　for
music；　to　which；　if　I　remember　right；　I　heard　one　of　you　comparing
what　you　called　religious　genius。　　But　sorrow　and　misery　bring　even
these　to　know　what　it　means；　in　a　great　many　instances。　　May　I　not
say　to　you；　my　friend；　that　I　am　one　who　has　learned　the　secret　of
the　inner　life　by　the　discipline　of　trials　in　the　life　of　outward
circumstance？　　I　can　remember　the　time　when　I　thought　more　about　the
shade　of　color　in　a　ribbon；　whether　it　matched　my　complexion　or　not；
than　I　did　about　my　spiritual　interests　in　this　world　or　the　next。
It　was　needful　that　I　should　learn　the　meaning　of　that　text；　〃Whom
the　Lord　loveth　he　chasteneth。〃

Sin