the poet at the breakfast table-第52节

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association；　the　inconspicuous　individual　whose　trifling　indebtedness
to　me　for　value　received　remains　in　a　quiescent　state　and　is　likely
long　to　continue　so；　I　confess　to　having　experienced　a　thrill　of
pleasure。　　I　have　smiled　to　think　how　grand　his　magnificent　titular
appendages　sounded　in　his　own　ears　and　what　a　feeble　tintinnabulation
they　made　in　mine。　　The　crimson　sash；　the　broad　diagonal　belt　of　the
mounted　marshal　of　a　great　procession；　so　cheap　in　themselves；　yet　so
entirely　satisfactory　to　the　wearer；　tickle　my　heart's　root。

Perhaps　I　should　have　enjoyed　all　these　weaknesses　of　my　infantile
fellow…creatures　without　an　afterthought；　except　that　on　a　certain
literary　anniversary　when　I　tie　the　narrow　blue　and　pink　ribbons　in
my　button…hole　and　show　my　decorated　bosom　to　the　admiring　public；　I
am　conscious　of　a　certain　sense　of　distinction　and　superiority　in
virtue　of　that　trifling　addition　to　my　personal　adornments　which
reminds　me　that　I　too　have　some　embryonic　fibres　in　my　tolerably
well…matured　organism。

I　hope　I　have　not　hurt　your　feelings；　if　you　happen　to　be　a　High　and
Mighty　Grand　Functionary　in　any　illustrious　Fraternity。　　When　I　tell
you　that　a　bit　of　ribbon　in　my　button…hole　sets　my　vanity　prancing；　I
think　you　cannot　be　grievously　offended　that　I　smile　at　the　resonant
titles　which　make　you　something　more　than　human　in　your　own　eyes。　　I
would　not　for　the　world　be　mistaken　for　one　of　those　literary　roughs
whose　brass　knuckles　leave　their　mark　on　the　foreheads　of　so　many
inoffensive　people。

There　is　a　human　sub…species　characterized　by　the　coarseness　of　its
fibre　and　the　acrid　nature　of　its　intellectual　secretions。　　It　is　to
a　certain　extent　penetrative；　as　all　creatures　are　which　are　provided
with　stings。　　It　has　an　instinct　which　guides　it　to　the　vulnerable
parts　of　the　victim　on　which　it　fastens。　　These　two　qualities　give　it
a　certain　degree　of　power　which　is　not　to　be　despised。　　It　might
perhaps　be　less　mischievous；　but　for　the　fact　that　the　wound　where　it
leaves　its　poison　opens　the　fountain　from　which　it　draws　its
nourishment。

Beings　of　this　kind　can　be　useful　if　they　will　only　find　their
appropriate　sphere；　which　is　not　literature；　but　that　circle　of
rough…and…tumble　political　life　where　the　fine…fibred　men　are　at　a
discount；　where　epithets　find　their　subjects　poison…proof；　and　the
sting　which　would　be　fatal　to　a　literary　debutant　only　wakes　the
eloquence　of　the　pachydermatous　ward…room　politician　to　a　fiercer
shriek　of　declamation。

The　Master　got　talking　the　other　day　about　the　difference　between
races　and　families。　　I　am　reminded　of　what　he　said　by　what　I　have
just　been　saying　myself　about　coarse…fibred　and　fine…fibred　people。

We　talk　about　a　Yankee；　a　New…Englander；…he　said；…as　if　all　of
'em　were　just　the　same　kind　of　animal。　　〃There　is　knowledge　and
knowledge；〃　said　John　Bunyan。　　There　are　Yankees　and　Yankees。　　Do　you
know　two　native　trees　called　pitch　pine　and　white　pine　respectively？
Of　course　you　know　'em。　　Well；　there　are　pitch…pine　Yankees　and
white…pine　Yankees。　　We　don't　talk　about　the　inherited　differences　of
men　quite　as　freely；　perhaps；　as　they　do　in　the　Old　World；　but
republicanism　doesn't　alter　the　laws　of　physiology。　　We　have　a　native
aristocracy；　a　superior　race；　just　as　plainly　marked　by　nature　as　of
a　higher　and　finer　grade　than　the　common　run　of　people　as　the　white
pine　is　marked　in　its　form；　its　stature；　its　bark；　its　delicate
foliage；　as　belonging　to　the　nobility　of　the　forest；　and　the　pitch
pine；　stubbed；　rough；　coarse…haired；　as　of　the　plebeian　order。　　Only
the　strange　thing　is　to　see　in　what　a　capricious　way　our　natural
nobility　is　distributed。　　The　last　born　nobleman　I　have　seen；　I　saw
this　morning；　he　was　pulling　a　rope　that　was　fastened　to　a　Maine
schooner　loaded　with　lumber。　　I　should　say　he　was　about　twenty　years
old；　as　fine　a　figure　of　a　young　man　as　you　would　ask　to　see；　and
with　a　regular　Greek　outline　of　countenance；　waving　hair；　that　fell
as　if　a　sculptor　had　massed　it　to　copy；　and　a　complexion　as　rich　as　a
red　sunset。　　I　have　a　notion　that　the　State　of　Maine　breeds　the
natural　nobility　in　a　larger　proportion　than　some　other　States；　but
they　spring　up　in　all　sorts　of　out…of…the…way　places。　　The　young
fellow　I　saw　this　morning　had　on　an　old　flannel　shirt；　a　pair　of
trowsers　that　meant　hard　work；　and　a　cheap　cloth　cap　pushed　back　on
his　head　so　as　to　let　the　large　waves　of　hair　straggle　out　over　his
forehead；　he　was　tugging　at　his　rope　with　the　other　sailors；　but　upon
my　word　I　don't　think　I　have　seen　a　young　English　nobleman　of　all
those　whom　I　have　looked　upon　that　answered　to　the　notion　of　〃blood　〃
so　well　as　this　young　fellow　did。　　I　suppose　if　I　made　such　a
levelling　confession　as　this　in　public；　people　would　think　I　was
looking　towards　being　the　labor…reform　candidate　for　President。　　But
I　should　go　on　and　spoil　my　prospects　by　saying　that　I　don't　think
the　white…pine　Yankee　is　the　more　generally　prevailing　growth；　but
rather　the　pitch…pine　Yankee。

The　Member　of　the　Haouse　seemed　to　have　been　getting　a　dim　idea
that　all　this　was　not　exactly　flattering　to　the　huckleberry
districts。　　His　features　betrayed　the　growth　of　this　suspicion　so
clearly　that　the　Master　replied　to　his　look　as　if　it　had　been　a
remark。　　＇I　need　hardly　say　that　this　particular　member　of　the
General　Court　was　a　pitch…pine　Yankee　of　the　most　thoroughly
characterized　aspect　and　flavor。＇

Yes；　Sir；the　Master　continued；Sir　being　anybody　that　listened；
there　is　neither　flattery　nor　offence　in　the　views　which　a
physiological　observer　takes　of　the　forms　of　life　around　him。　　It
won't　do　to　draw　individual　portraits；　but　the　differences　of　natural
groups　of　human　beings　are　as　proper　subjects　of　remark　as　those　of
different　breeds　of　horses；　and　if　horses　were　Houyhnhnms　I　don't
think　they　would　quarrel　with　us　because　we　made　a　distinction
between　a　〃Morgan〃　and　a　〃Messenger。〃　The　truth　is；　Sir；　the　lean
sandy　soil　and　the　droughts　and　the　long　winters　and　the　east…winds
and　the　cold　storms；　and　all　sorts　of　unknown　local　influences　that
we　can't　make　out　quite　so　plainly　as　these；　have　a　tendency　to
roughen　the　human　organization　and　make　it　coarse；　something　as　it　is
with　the　tree　I　mentioned。　　Some　spots　and　some　strains　of　blood
fight　against　these　influences；　but　if　I　should　say　right　out　what　I
think；　it　would　be　that　the　finest　human　fruit；　on　the　whole；　and
especially　the　finest　women　that　we　get　in　New　England　are　raised
under　glass。

Good　gracious！exclaimed　the　Landlady；　under　glass！

Give　me　cowcumbers　raised　in　the　open　air；　said　the　Capitalist；　who
was　a　little　hard　of　hearing。

Perhaps；I　remarked；it　might　be　as　well　if　you　would　explain
this　last　expression　of　yours。　　Raising　human　beings　under　glass　I
take　to　be　a　metaphorical　rather　than　a　literal　statement　of　your
meaning。

No；　Sir！replied　the　Master；　with　energy；I　mean　just　what　I　say；
Sir。　　Under　glass；　and　with　a　south　exposure。　　During　the　hard
season；　of　course；for　in　the　heats　of　summer　the　tenderest　hot…
house　plants　are　not　afraid　of　the　open　air。　　Protection　is　what　the
transplanted　Aryan　requires　in　this　New　England　climate。　　Keep　him；
and　especially　keep　her；　in　a　wide　street　of　a　well…built　city　eight
months　of　the　year；　good　solid　brick　walls　behind　her；　good　sheets　of
plate…glass；　with　the　sun　shining　warm　through　them；　in　front　of　her；
and　you　have　put　her　in　the　condition　of　the　pine…apple；　from　the
land　of　which；　and　not　from　that　of　the　other　kind　of　pine；　her　race
started　on　its　travels。　　People　don't　know　what　a　gain　there　is　to
health　by　living　in　cities；　the　best　parts　of　them　of　course；　for　we
know　too　well　what　the　worst　parts　are。　　In　the　first　place　you　get
rid　of　the　noxious　emanations　which　poison　so　many　country　localities
with　typhoid　fever　and　dysentery；　not　wholly　rid　of　them；　of　course；
but　to　a　surprising　degree。　　Let　me　tell　you　a　doctor's　story。　　I　was
visiting　a　Western　city　a　good　many　years　ago；　it　was　in　the　autumn；
the　time　when　all　sorts　of　malarious　diseases　are　about。　　The　doctor
I　was　speaking　of　took　me　to　see　the　cemetery　just　outside　the　town；
I　don't　know　how　much　he　had　done　to　fill　it；　for　he　didn't　tell　me；
but　I'll　tell　you　what　he　did　say。

〃Look　round；〃　said　the　doctor。　　〃There　isn't　a　house　in　all　the　ten…
mile　circuit　of　country　you　can　see　over；　where　there　isn't　one
person；　at　least；　shaking　with　fever　and　ague。　　And　yet　you　need　n't
be　afraid　of　carrying　it　away　with　you；　for　as　long　as　your　home　is
on　a　paved　street　you　are　safe。〃

I　think　it　likelythe　Master　went　on　to　saythat　my　friend　the
doctor　put　it　pretty　strongly；　but　there　is　no　doubt　at　all　that
while　all　the　country　round　was　suffering　from　intermittent　fever；
the　paved　part　of　the　city　was　comparatively　exempted。　　What　do　you
do　when　you　build　a　house　on　a　damp　soil；　and　there　are　damp　soils
pretty　much　everywhere？　　Why　you　floor　the　cellar　with　cement；　don't
you？　　Well；　the　soil　of　a　city　is　cemented　all　over；　one　may　say；
with　certain　qualifications　of　course。　　A　first…rate　city　house　is　a
regular　sanatorium。　　The　only　trouble　is；　that　the　little　good…for…
nothing