the poet at the breakfast table-第48节

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It　is　a　source　of　genuine　delight　to　me；　who　am　of　a　kindly　nature
enough；　according　to　my　own　reckoning；　to　watch　the　good　woman；　and
see　what　looks　of　pride　and　affection　she　bestows　upon　her　Benjamin；
and　how；　in　spite　of　herself；　the　maternal　feeling　betrays　its
influence　in　her　dispensations　of　those　delicacies　which　are　the
exceptional　element　in　our　entertainments。　　I　will　not　say　that
Benjamin's　mess；　like　his　Scripture　namesake's；　is　five　times　as
large　as　that　of　any　of　the　others；　for　this　would　imply　either　an
economical　distribution　to　the　guests　in　general　or　heaping　the　poor
young　man's　plate　in　a　way　that　would　spoil　the　appetite　of　an
Esquimau；　but　you　may　be　sure　he　fares　well　if　anybody　does；　and　I
would　have　you　understand　that　our　Landlady　knows　what　is　what　as
well　as　who　is　who。

I　begin　really　to　entertain　very　sanguine　expectations　of　young
Doctor　Benjamin　Franklin。　　He　has　lately　been　treating　a　patient　of
whose　good…will　may　prove　of　great　importance　to　him。　　The　Capitalist
hurt　one　of　his　fingers　somehow　or　other；　and　requested　our　young
doctor　to　take　a　look　at　it。　　The　young　doctor　asked　nothing　better
than　to　take　charge　of　the　case；　which　proved　more　serious　than　might
have　been　at　first　expected；　and　kept　him　in　attendance　more　than　a
week。　　There　was　one　very　odd　thing　about　it。　　The　Capitalist　seemed
to　have　an　idea　that　he　was　like　to　be　ruined　in　the　matter　of
bandages；small　strips　of　worn　linen　which　any　old　woman　could　have
spared　him　from　her　rag…bag；　but　which；　with　that　strange　perversity
which　long　habits　of　economy　give　to　a　good　many　elderly　people；　he
seemed　to　think　were　as　precious　as　if　they　had　been　turned　into
paper　and　stamped　with　promises　to　pay　in　thousands；　from　the
national　treasury。　　It　was　impossible　to　get　this　whim　out　of　him；
and　the　young　doctor　had　tact　enough　to　humor　him　in　it。　　All　this
did　not　look　very　promising　for　the　state　of　mind　in　which　the
patient　was　like　to　receive　his　bill　for　attendance　when　that　should
be　presented。　　Doctor　Benjamin　was　man　enough；　however；　to　come　up　to
the　mark；　and　sent　him　in　such　an　account　as　it　was　becoming　to　send
a　man　of　ample　means　who　had　been　diligently　and　skilfully　cared　for。
He　looked　forward　with　some　uncertainty　as　to　how　it　would　be
received。　　Perhaps　his　patient　would　try　to　beat　him　down；　and　Doctor
Benjamin　made　up　his　mind　to　have　the　whole　or　nothing。　　Perhaps　he
would　pay　the　whole　amount；　but　with　a　look；　and　possibly　a　word；
that　would　make　every　dollar　of　it　burn　like　a　blister。

Doctor　Benjamin's　conjectures　were　not　unnatural；　but　quite　remote
from　the　actual　fact。　　As　soon　as　his　patient　had　got　entirely　well；
the　young　physician　sent　in　his　bill。　　The　Capitalist　requested　him
to　step　into　his　room　with　him；　and　paid　the　full　charge　in　the
handsomest　and　most　gratifying　way；　thanking　him　for　his　skill　and
attention；　and　assuring　him　that　he　had　had　great　satisfaction　in
submitting　himself　to　such　competent　hands；　and　should　certainly
apply　to　him　again　in　case　he　should　have　any　occasion　for　a　medical
adviser。　　We　must　not　be　too　sagacious　in　judging　people　by　the
little　excrescences　of　their　character。　　Ex　pede　Herculem　may　often
prove　safe　enough；　but　ex　verruca　Tullium　is　liable　to　mislead　a
hasty　judge　of　his　fellow…men。

I　have　studied　the　people　called　misers　and　thought　a　good　deal　about
them。　　In　former　years　I　used　to　keep　a　little　gold　by　me　in　order　to
ascertain　for　myself　exactly　the　amount　of　pleasure　to　be　got　out　of
handling　it；　this　being　the　traditional　delight　of　the　old…fashioned
miser。　　It　is　by　no　means　to　be　despised。　　Three　or　four　hundred
dollars　in　double…eagles　will　do　very　well　to　experiment　on。　　There
is　something　very　agreeable　in　the　yellow　gleam；　very　musical　in　the
metallic　clink；　very　satisfying　in　the　singular　weight；　and　very
stimulating　in　the　feeling　that　all　the　world　over　these　same　yellow
disks　are　the　master…keys　that　let　one　in　wherever　he　wants　to　go；
the　servants　that　bring　him　pretty　nearly　everything　he　wants；　except
virtue；and　a　good　deal　of　what　passes　for　that。　　I　confess；　then；
to　an　honest　liking　for　the　splendors　and　the　specific　gravity　and
the　manifold　potentiality　of　the　royal　metal；　and　I　understand；　after
a　certain　imperfect　fashion；　the　delight　that　an　old　ragged　wretch；
starving　himself　in　a　crazy　hovel；　takes　in　stuffing　guineas　into　old
stockings　and　filling　earthen　pots　with　sovereigns；　and　every　now　and
then　visiting　his　hoards　and　fingering　the　fat　pieces；　and　thinking
ever　all　that　they　represent　of　earthly　and　angelic　and　diabolic
energy。　　A　miser　pouring　out　his　guineas　into　his　palm　and　bathing
his　shrivelled　and　trembling　hands　in　the　yellow　heaps　before　him；　is
not　the　prosaic　being　we　are　in　the　habit　of　thinking　him。　　He　is　a
dreamer；　almost　a　poet。　　You　and　I　read　a　novel　or　a　poem　to　help　our
imaginations　to　build　up　palaces；　and　transport　us　into　the　emotional
states　and　the　felicitous　conditions　of　the　ideal　characters　pictured
in　the　book　we　are　reading。　　But　think　of　him　and　the　significance　of
the　symbols　he　is　handling　as　compared　with　the　empty　syllables　and
words　we　are　using　to　build　our　aerial　edifices　with！　　In　this　hand
he　holds　the　smile　of　beauty　and　in　that　the　dagger　of　revenge。　　The
contents　of　that　old　glove　will　buy　him　the　willing　service　of　many
an　adroit　sinner；　and　with　what　that　coarse　sack　contains　he　can
purchase　the　prayers　of　holy　men　for　all　succeeding　time。　　In　this
chest　is　a　castle　in　Spain；　a　real　one；　and　not　only　in　Spain；　but
anywhere　he　will　choose　to　have　it。　　If　he　would　know　what　is　the
liberality　of　judgment　of　any　of　the　straiter　sects；　he　has　only　to
hand　over　that　box　of　rouleaux　to　the　trustees　of　one　of　its
educational　institutions　for　the　endowment　of　two　or　three
professorships。　　If　he　would　dream　of　being　remembered　by　coming
generations；　what　monument　so　enduring　as　a　college　building　that
shall　bear　his　name；　and　even　when　its　solid　masonry　shall　crumble
give　place　to　another　still　charged　with　the　same　sacred　duty　of
perpetuating　his　remembrance。　　Who　was　Sir　Matthew　Holworthy；　that
his　name　is　a　household　word　on　the　lips　of　thousands　of　scholars；
and　will　be　centuries　hence；　as　that　of　Walter　de　Merton；　dead　six
hundred　years　ago；　is　to…day　at　Oxford？　　Who　was　Mistress　Holden；
that　she　should　be　blessed　among　women　by　having　her　name　spoken
gratefully　and　the　little　edifice　she　caused　to　be　erected　preserved
as　her　monument　from　generation　to　generation？　　All　these
possibilities；　the　lust　of　the　eye；　the　lust　of　the　flesh；　the　pride
of　life；　the　tears　of　grateful　orphans　by　the　gallon；　the　prayers　of
Westminster　Assembly's　Catechism　divines　by　the　thousand；　the　masses
of　priests　by　the　century；all　these　things；　and　more　if　more　there
be　that　the　imagination　of　a　lover　of　gold　is　likely　to　range　over；
the　miser　hears　and　sees　and　feels　and　hugs　and　enjoys　as　he　paddles
with　his　lean　hands　among　the　sliding；　shining；　ringing；　innocent…
looking　bits　of　yellow　metal；　toying　with　them　as　the　lion…tamer
handles　the　great　carnivorous　monster；　whose　might　and　whose　terrors
are　child's　play　to　the　latent　forces　and　power　of　harm…doing　of　the
glittering　counters　played　with　in　the　great　game　between　angels　and
devils。

I　have　seen　a　good　deal　of　misers；　and　I　think　I　understand　them　as
well　as　most　persons　do。　　But　the　Capitalist's　economy　in　rags　and
his　liberality　to　the　young　doctor　are　very　oddly　contrasted　with
each　other。　　I　should　not　be　surprised　at　any　time　to　hear　that　he
had　endowed　a　scholarship　or　professorship　or　built　a　college
dormitory；　in　spite　of　his　curious　parsimony　in　old　linen。

I　do　not　know　where　our　Young　Astronomer　got　the　notions　that　he
expresses　so　freely　in　the　lines　that　follow。　　I　think　the　statement
is　true；　however；　which　I　see　in　one　of　the　most　popular
Cyclopaedias；　that　〃the　non…clerical　mind　in　all　ages　is　disposed　to
look　favorably　upon　the　doctrine　of　the　universal　restoration　to
holiness　and　happiness　of　all　fallen　intelligences；　whether　human　or
angelic。〃　　Certainly；　most　of　the　poets　who　have　reached　the　heart　of
men；　since　Burns　dropped　the　tear　for　poor　〃auld　Nickie…ben〃　that
softened　the　stony…hearted　theology　of　Scotland；　have　had　〃non…
clerical〃　minds；　and　I　suppose　our　young　friend　is　in　his　humble　way
an　optimist　like　them。　　What　he　says　in　verse　is　very　much　the　same
thing　as　what　is　said　in　prose　in　all　companies；　and　thought　by　a
great　many　who　are　thankful　to　anybody　that　will　say　it　for　them；
not　a　few　clerical　as　wall　as　〃non…clerical　〃　persons　among　them。


　　　　　　　　　　WIND…CLOUDS　AND　STAR…DRIFTS。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　V

What　am　I　but　the　creature　Thou　hast　made？
What　have　I　save　the　blessings　Thou　hast　lent？
What　hope　I　but　Thy　mercy　and　Thy　love？
Who　but　myself　shall　cloud　my　soul　with　fear？
Whose　hand　protect　me　from　myself　but　Thine？

I　claim　the　rights　of　weakness；　I；　the　babe；
Call　on　my　sire　to　shield　me　from　the　ills
That　still　beset　my　path；　not　trying　me
With　snares　beyond　my　wisdom　or　my　strength；
He　knowing　I　shall　use　them　to　my　harm；
And　find　a　tenfold　misery　in　the　sense
Th