the poet at the breakfast table-第53节

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regular　sanatorium。　　The　only　trouble　is；　that　the　little　good…for…
nothings　that　come　of　utterly　used…up　and　worn…out　stock；　and　ought
to　die；　can't　die；　to　save　their　lives。　　So　they　grow　up　to　dilute
the　vigor　of　the　race　with　skim…milk　vitality。　　They　would　have　died；
like　good　children；　in　most　average　country　places；　but　eight　months
of　shelter　in　a　regulated　temperature；　in　a　well…sunned　house；　in　a
duly　moistened　air；　with　good　sidewalks　to　go　about　on　in　all
weather；　and　four　months　of　the　cream　of　summer　and　the　fresh　milk　of
Jersey　cows；　make　the　little　sham　organizationsthe　worm…eaten　wind…
falls；　for　that　's　what　they　look　likehang　on　to　the　boughs　of　life
like　〃froze…n…thaws〃；　regular　struldbrugs　they　come　to　be；　a　good
many　of　'em。

The　Scarabee's　ear　was　caught　by　that　queer　word　of　Swift's；　and　he
asked　very　innocently　what　kind　of　bugs　he　was　speaking　of；　whereupon
That　Boy　shouted　out；　Straddlebugs！　　to　his　own　immense　amusement　and
the　great　bewilderment　of　the　Scarabee；　who　only　saw　that　there　was
one　of　those　unintelligible　breaks　in　the　conversation　which　made
other　people　laugh；　and　drew　back　his　antennae　as　usual；　perplexed；
but　not　amused。

I　do　not　believe　the　Master　had　said　all　he　was　going　to　say　on　this
subject；　and　of　course　all　these　statements　of　his　are　more　or　less
one…sided。　　But　that　some　invalids　do　much　better　in　cities　than　in
the　country　is　indisputable；　and　that　the　frightful　dysenteries　and
fevers　which　have　raged　like　pestilences　in　many　of　our　country　towns
are　almost　unknown　in　the　better　built　sections　of　some　of　our　large
cities　is　getting　to　be　more　generally　understood　since　our　well…to…
do　people　have　annually　emigrated　in　such　numbers　from　the　cemented
surface　of　the　city　to　the　steaming　soil　of　some　of　the　dangerous
rural　districts。　　If　one　should　contrast　the　healthiest　country
residences　with　the　worst　city　ones　the　result　would　be　all　the　other
way；　of　course；　so　that　there　are　two　sides　to　the　question；　which　we
must　let　the　doctors　pound　in　their　great　mortar；　infuse　and　strain；
hoping　that　they　will　present　us　with　the　clear　solution　when　they
have　got　through　these　processes。　　One　of　our　chief　wants　is　a
complete　sanitary　map　of　every　State　in　the　Union。

The　balance　of　our　table；　as　the　reader　has　no　doubt　observed；　has
been　deranged　by　the　withdrawal　of　the　Man　of　Letters；　so　called；　and
only　the　side　of　the　deficiency　changed　by　the　removal　of　the　Young
Astronomer　into　our　neighborhood。　　The　fact　that　there　was　a　vacant
chair　on　the　side　opposite　us　had　by　no　means　escaped　the　notice　of
That　Boy。　　He　had　taken　advantage　of　his　opportunity　and　invited　in　a
schoolmate　whom　he　evidently　looked　upon　as　a　great　personage。　　This
boy　or　youth　was　a　good　deal　older　than　himself　and　stood　to　him
apparently　in　the　light　of　a　patron　and　instructor　in　the　ways　of
life。　　A　very　jaunty；　knowing　young　gentleman　he　was；　good…looking；
smartly　dressed；　smooth…checked　as　yet；　curly…haired；　with　a　roguish
eye；　a　sagacious　wink；　a　ready　tongue；　as　I　soon　found　out；　and　as　I
learned　could　catch　a　ball　on　the　fly　with　any　boy　of　his　age；　not
quarrelsome；　but；　if　he　had　to　strike；　hit　from　the　shoulder；　the
pride　of　his　father　（who　was　a　man　of　property　and　a　civic
dignitary）；　and　answering　to　the　name　of　Johnny。

I　was　a　little　surprised　at　the　liberty　That　Boy　had　taken　in
introducing　an　extra　peptic　element　at　our　table；　reflecting　as　I　did
that　a　certain　number　of　avoirdupois　ounces　of　nutriment　which　the
visitor　would　dispose　of　corresponded　to　a　very　appreciable　pecuniary
amount；　so　that　he　was　levying　a　contribution　upon　our　Landlady　which
she　might　be　inclined　to　complain　of。　　For　the　Caput　mortuum　（or
deadhead；　in　vulgar　phrase）　is　apt　to　be　furnished　with　a　Venter
vivus；　or；　as　we　may　say；　a　lively　appetite。　　But　the　Landlady
welcomed　the　new…comer　very　heartily。

Why！　　howdoyoudo　Johnny？！　with　the　notes　of　interrogation　and
of　admiration　both　together；　as　here　represented。

Johnny　signified　that　he　was　doing　about　as　well　as　could　be　expected
under　the　circumstances；　having　just　had　a　little　difference　with　a
young　person　whom　he　spoke　of　as　〃Pewter…jaw〃　（I　suppose　he　had　worn
a　dentist's　tooth…straightening　contrivance　during　his　second
dentition）；　which　youth　he　had　finished　off；　as　he　said；　in　good
shape；　but　at　the　expense　of　a　slight　epistaxis；　we　will　translate
his　vernacular　expression。

The　three　ladies　all　looked　sympathetic；　but　there　did　not　seem　to
be　any　great　occasion　for　it；　as　the　boy　had　come　out　all　right；　and
seemed　to　be　in　the　best　of　spirits。

…And　how　is　your　father　and　your　mother？　asked　the　Landlady。

…Oh；　the　Governor　and　the　Head　Centre？　　A　1；　both　of　'em。　　Prime
order　for　shipping；warranted　to　stand　any　climate。　　The　Governor
says　he　weighs　a　hunderd　and　seventy…five　pounds。　　Got　a　chin…tuft
just　like　Ed'in　Forrest。　　D'd　y'　ever　see　Ed'in　Forrest　play
Metamora？　　Bully；　I　tell　you！　　My　old　gentleman　means　to　be　Mayor　or
Governor　or　President　or　something　or　other　before　he　goes　off　the
handle；　you'd　better　b'lieve。　　He's　smart；and　I've　heard　folks　say
I　take　after　him。

Somehow　or　other　I　felt　as　if　I　had　seen　this　boy　before；　or　known
something　about　him。　　Where　did　he　get　those　expressions　〃A　1〃　and
〃prime〃　and　so　on？　　They　must　have　come　from　somebody　who　has　been　in
the　retail　dry…goods　business；　or　something　of　that　nature。　　I　have
certain　vague　reminiscences　that　carry　me　back　to　the　early　times　of
this　boardinghouse。…Johnny。…Landlady　knows　his　father　well。


…Boarded　with　her；　no　doubt。…There　was　somebody　by　the　name　of
John；　I　remember　perfectly　well；　lived　with　her。　　I　remember　both　my
friends　mentioned　him；　one　of　them　very　often。　　I　wonder　if　this　boy
isn't　a　son　of　his！　　I　asked　the　Landlady　after　breakfast　whether
this　was　not；　as　I　had　suspected；　the　son　of　that　former　boarder。

To　be　sure　he　is；she　answered；and　jest　such　a　good…natur'd　sort
of　creatur'　as　his　father　was。　　I　always　liked　John；　as　we　used　to
call　his　father。　　He　did　love　fun；　but　he　was　a　good　soul；　and　stood
by　me　when　I　was　in　trouble；　always。　　He　went　into　business　on　his
own　account　after　a　while；　and　got　merried；　and　settled　down　into　a
family　man。　　They　tell　me　he　is　an　amazing　smart　business　man；grown
wealthy；　and　his　wife's　father　left　her　money。　　But　I　can't　help
calling　him　John；law；　we　never　thought　of　calling　him　anything
else；　and　he　always　laughs　and　says；　〃That's　right。〃　　This　is　his
oldest　son；　and　everybody　calls　him　Johnny。　　That　Boy　of　ours　goes　to
the　same　school　with　his　boy；　and　thinks　there　never　was　anybody　like
him；you　see　there　was　a　boy　undertook　to　impose　on　our　boy；　and
Johnny　gave　the　other　boy　a　good　licking；　and　ever　since　that　he　is
always　wanting　to　have　Johnny　round　with　him　and　bring　him　here　with
him；and　when　those　two　boys　get　together；　there　never　was　boys　that
was　so　chock　full　of　fun　and　sometimes　mischief；　but　not　very　bad
mischief；　as　those　two　boys　be。　　But　I　like　to　have　him　come　once　in
a　while　when　there　is　room　at　the　table；　as　there　is　now；　for　it　puts
me　in　mind　of　the　old　times；　when　my　old　boarders　was　all　round　me；
that　I　used　to　think　so　much　of；not　that　my　boarders　that　I　have
now　a'nt　very　nice　people；　but　I　did　think　a　dreadful　sight　of　the
gentleman　that　made　that　first　book；　it　helped　me　on　in　the　world
more　than　ever　he　knew　of；for　it　was　as　good　as　one　of　them
Brandreth's　pills　advertisements；　and　did　n't　cost　me　a　cent；　and
that　young　lady　he　merried　too；　she　was　nothing　but　a　poor　young
schoolma'am　when　she　come　to　my　house；　and　nowand　she　deserved　it
all　too；　for　she　was　always　just　the　same；　rich　or　poor；　and　she　is
n't　a　bit　prouder　now　she　wears　a　camel's…hair　shawl；　than　she　was
when　I　used　to　lend　her　a　woollen　one　to　keep　her　poor　dear　little
shoulders　warm　when　she　had　to　go　out　and　it　was　storming；and　then
there　was　that　old　gentleman；I　can't　speak　about　him；　for　I　never
knew　how　good　he　was　till　his　will　was　opened；　and　then　it　was　too
late　to　thank　him。。。。

I　respected　the　feeling　which　caused　the　interval　of　silence；　and
found　my　own　eyes　moistened　as　I　remembered　how　long　it　was　since
that　friend　of　ours　was　sitting　in　the　chair　where　I　now　sit；　and
what　a　tidal　wave　of　change　has　swept　over　the　world　and　more
especially　over　this　great　land　of　ours；　since　he　opened　his　lips　and
found　so　many　kind　listeners。

The　Young　Astronomer　has　read　us　another　extract　from　his　manuscript。
I　ran　my　eye　over　it；　and　so　far　as　I　have　noticed　it　is　correct
enough　in　its　versification。　　I　suppose　we　are　getting　gradually　over
our　hemispherical　provincialism；　which　allowed　a　set　of　monks　to　pull
their　hoods　over　our　eyes　and　tell　us　there　was　no　meaning　in　any
religious　symbolism　but　our　own。　　If　I　am　mistaken　about　this　advance
I　am　very　glad　to　print　the　young　man's　somewhat　outspoken　lines　to
help　us　in　that　direction。


　　　　　　　　　　WIND…CLOUDS　AND　STAR…DRIFTS。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VI

The　time　is　racked　with　birth…pangs；　every　hour
Brings　forth　some　gasping　truth；　and　truth　new…born
Looks　a　misshapen　and　untimely　growth；
The　terror　of　the　household　and　its　shame；