the poet at the breakfast table-第44节

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The　jealous　God　of　Moses；　one　who　feels
An　image　as　an　insult；　and　is　wroth
With　him　who　made　it　and　his　child　unborn？
The　God　who　plagued　his　people　for　the　sin
Of　their　adulterous　king；　beloved　of　him；
The　same　who　offers　to　a　chosen　few
The　right　to　praise　him　in　eternal　song
While　a　vast　shrieking　world　of　endless　woe
Blends　its　dread　chorus　with　their　rapturous　hymn？
Is　this　the　God　ye　mean；　or　is　it　he
Who　heeds　the　sparrow's　fall；　whose　loving　heart
Is　as　the　pitying　father's　to　his　child；
Whose　lesson　to　his　children　is；　〃Forgive；〃
Whose　plea　for　all；　〃They　know　not　what　they　do〃

I　claim　the　right　of　knowing　whom　I　serve；
Else　is　my　service　idle；　He　that　asks
My　homage　asks　it　from　a　reasoning　soul。
To　crawl　is　not　to　worship；　we　have　learned
A　drill　of　eyelids；　bended　neck　and　knee；
Hanging　our　prayers　on　binges；　till　we　ape
The　flexures　of　the　many…jointed　worm。
Asia　has　taught　her　Aliabs　and　salaams
To　the　world's　children；we　have　grown　to　men！
We　who　have　rolled　the　sphere　beneath　our　feet
To　find　a　virgin　forest；　as　we　lay
The　beams　of　our　rude　temple；　first　of　all
Must　frame　its　doorway　high　enough　for　man
To　pass　unstooping；　knowing　as　we　do
That　He　who　shaped　us　last　of　living　forms
Has　long　enough　been　served　by　creeping　things；
Reptiles　that　left　their　foot…prints　in　the　sand
Of　old　sea…margins　that　have　turned　to　stone；
And　men　who　learned　their　ritual；　we　demand
To　know　him　first；　then　trust　him　and　then　love
When　we　have　found　him　worthy　of　our　love；
Tried　by　our　own　poor　hearts　and　not　before；
He　must　be　truer　than　the　truest　friend；
He　must　be　tenderer　than　a　woman's　love；
A　father　better　than　the　best　of　sires；
Kinder　than　she　who　bore　us；　though　we　sin
Oftener　than　did　the　brother　we　are　told；
We…poor　ill…tempered　mortals…must　forgive；
Though　seven　times　sinning　threescore　times　and　ten。

This　is　the　new　world's　gospel：　Be　ye　men！
Try　well　the　legends　of　the　children's　time；
Ye　are　the　chosen　people；　God　has　led
Your　steps　across　the　desert　of　the　deep
As　now　across　the　desert　of　the　shore；
Mountains　are　cleft　before　you　as　the　sea
Before　the　wandering　tribe　of　Israel's　sons；
Still　onward　rolls　the　thunderous　caravan；
Its　coming　printed　on　the　western　sky；
A　cloud　by　day；　by　night　a　pillared　flame；
Your　prophets　are　a　hundred　unto　one
Of　them　of　old　who　cried；　〃Thus　saith　the　Lord〃；
They　told　of　cities　that　should　fall　in　heaps；
But　yours　of　mightier　cities　that　shall　rise
Where　yet　the　lonely　fishers　spread　their　nets；
Where　hides　the　fox　and　hoots　the　midnight　owl；
The　tree　of　knowledge　in　your　garden　grows
Not　single；　but　at　every　humble　door；
Its　branches　lend　you　their　immortal　food；
That　fills　you　with　the　sense　of　what　ye　are；
No　servants　of　an　altar　hewed　and　carved
》From　senseless　stone　by　craft　of　human　hands；
Rabbi；　or　dervish；　Brahmin；　bishop；　bonze；
But　masters　of　the　charm　with　which　they　work
To　keep　your　hands　from　that　forbidden　tree！

Ye　that　have　tasted　that　divinest　fruit；
Look　on　this　world　of　yours　with　opened　eyes！
Ye　are　as　gods！　　Nay；　makers　of　your　gods；
Each　day　ye　break　an　image　in　your　shrine
And　plant　a　fairer　image　where　it　stood
Where　is　the　Moloch　of　your　fathers'　creed；
Whose　fires　of　torment　burned　for　span…long　babes？
Fit　object　for　a　tender　mother's　love！
Why　not　？　　It　was　a　bargain　duly　made
For　these　same　infants　through　the　surety's　act
Intrusted　with　their　all　for　earth　and　heaven；
By　Him　who　chose　their　guardian；　knowing　well
His　fitness　for　the　task；this；　even　this；
Was　the　true　doctrine　only　yesterday
As　thoughts　are　reckoned；and　to…day　you　hear
In　words　that　sound　as　if　from　human　tongues
Those　monstrous；　uncouth　horrors　of　the　past
That　blot　the　blue　of　heaven　and　shame　the　earth
As　would　the　saurians　of　the　age　of　slime；
Awaking　from　their　stony　sepulchres
And　wallowing　hateful　in　the　eye　of　day！


Four　of　us　listened　to　these　lines　as　the　young　man　read　them；the
Master　and　myself　and　our　two　ladies。　　This　was　the　little　party　we
got　up　to　hear　him　read。　　I　do　not　think　much　of　it　was　very　new　to
the　Master　or　myself。　　At　any　rate；　he　said　to　me　when　we　were　alone；
That　is　the　kind　of　talk　the　〃natural　man；〃　as　the　theologians　call
him；　is　apt　to　fall　into。

I　thought　it　was　the　Apostle　Paul；　and　not　the　theologians；　that
used　the　term　〃natural　man；　I　ventured　to　suggest。

I　should　like　to　know　where　the　Apostle　Paul　learned　English？said
the　Master；　with　the　look　of　one　who　does　not　mean　to　be　tripped　up
if　he　can　help　himself。…But　at　any　rate；he　continued；the
〃natural　man；〃　so　called；　is　worth　listening　to　now　and　then；　for　he
didn't　make　his　nature；　and　the　Devil　did　n't　make　it；　and　if　the
Almighty　made　it；　I　never　saw　or　heard　of　anything　he　made　that
wasn't　worth　attending　to。

The　young　man　begged　the　Lady　to　pardon　anything　that　might　sound
harshly　in　these　crude　thoughts　of　his。　　He　had　been　taught　strange
things；　he　said；　from　old　theologies；　when　he　was　a　child；　and　had
thought　his　way　out　of　many　of　his　early　superstitions。　　As　for　the
Young　Girl；　our　Scheherezade；　he　said　to　her　that　she　must　have　got
dreadfully　tired　（at　which　she　colored　up　and　said　it　was　no　such
thing）；　and　he　promised　that；　to　pay　for　her　goodness　in　listening；
he　would　give　her　a　lesson　in　astronomy　the　next　fair　evening；　if　she
would　be　his　scholar；　at　which　she　blushed　deeper　than　before；　and
said　something　which　certainly　was　not　No。




IX

There　was　no　sooner　a　vacancy　on　our　side　of　the　table；　than　the
Master　proposed　a　change　of　seats　which　would　bring　the　Young
Astronomer　into　our　immediate　neighborhood。　　The　Scarabee　was　to　move
into　the　place　of　our　late　unlamented　associate；　the　Man　of　Letters；
so　called。　　I　was　to　take　his　place；　the　Master　to　take　mine；　and　the
young　man　that　which　had　been　occupied　by　the　Master。　　The　advantages
of　this　change　were　obvious。　　The　old　Master　likes　an　audience；
plainly　enough；　and　with　myself　on　one　side　of　him；　and　the　young
student　of　science；　whose　speculative　turn　is　sufficiently　shown　in
the　passages　from　his　poem；　on　the　other　side；　he　may　feel　quite　sure
of　being　listened　to。　　There　is　only　one　trouble　in　the　arrangement；
and　that　is　that　it　brings　this　young　man　not　only　close　to　us；　but
also　next　to　our　Scheherezade。

I　am　obliged　to　confess　that　he　has　shown　occasional　marks　of
inattention　even　while　the　Master　was　discoursing　in　a　way　that　I
found　agreeable　enough。　　I　am　quite　sure　it　is　no　intentional
disrespect　to　the　old　Master。　　It　seems　to　me　rather　that　he　has
become　interested　in　the　astronomical　lessons　he　has　been　giving　the
Young　Girl。　　He　has　studied　so　much　alone；　that　it　is　naturally　a
pleasure　to　him　to　impart　some　of　his　knowledge。　　As　for　his　young
pupil；　she　has　often　thought　of　being　a　teacher　herself；　so　that　she
is　of　course　very　glad　to　acquire　any　accomplishment　that　may　be
useful　to　her　in　that　capacity。　　I　do　not　see　any　reason　why　some　of
the　boarders　should　have　made　such　remarks　as　they　have　done。　　One
cannot　teach　astronomy　to　advantage；　without　going　out　of　doors；
though　I　confess　that　when　two　young　people　go　out　by　daylight　to
study　the　stars；　as　these　young　folks　have　done　once　or　twice；　I　do
not　so　much　wonder　at　a　remark　or　suggestion　from　those　who　have
nothing　better　to　do　than　study　their　neighbors。

I　ought　to　have　told　the　reader　before　this　that　I　found；　as　I
suspected；　that　our　innocent…looking　Scheherezade　was　at　the　bottom
of　the　popgun　business。　　I　watched　her　very　closely；　and　one　day；
when　the　little　monkey　made　us　all　laugh　by　stopping　the　Member　of
the　Haouse　in　the　middle　of　a　speech　he　was　repeating　to　us；it　was
his　great　effort　of　the　season　on　a　bill　for　the　protection　of　horn…
pout　in　Little　Muddy　River；I　caught　her　making　the　signs　that　set
him　going。　　At　a　slight　tap　of　her　knife　against　her　plate；　he　got
all　ready；　and　presently　I　saw　her　cross　her　knife　and　fork　upon　her
plate；　and　as　she　did　so；　pop！　went　the　small　piece　of　artillery。
The　Member　of　the　Haouse　was　just　saying　that　this　bill　hit　his
constitooents　in　their　most　vitalwhen　a　pellet　hit　him　in　the
feature　of　his　countenance　most　exposed　to　aggressions　and　least
tolerant　of　liberties。　　The　Member　resented　this　unparliamentary
treatment　by　jumping　up　from　his　chair　and　giving　the　small　aggressor
a　good　shaking；　at　the　same　time　seizing　the　implement　which　had
caused　his　wrath　and　breaking　it　into　splinters。　　The　Boy　blubbered；
the　Young　Girl　changed　color；　and　looked　as　if　she　would　cry；　and
that　was　the　last　of　these　interruptions。

I　must　own　that　I　have　sometimes　wished　we　had　the　popgun　back；　for
it　answered　all　the　purpose　of　〃the　previous　question〃　in　a
deliberative　assembly。　　No　doubt　the　Young　Girl　was　capricious　in
setting　the　little　engine　at　work；　but　she　cut　short　a　good　many
disquisitions　that　threatened　to　be　tedious。　　I　find　myself　often
wishing　for　her　and　her　small　fellow…conspirator's　intervention；　in
company　where　I　am　supposed　to　be　enjoying　myself。　　When　my　friend
the　politician　gets　too　far　into　the　personal　details　of　the　quorum
pars　magna　fui；　I　find　myself　all　at　once　exclaiming　in　mental
articulation；