the poet at the breakfast table-第60节

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given　a　week's　pay　to　any　invisible　attendant　that　would　have　cut　her
stay…lace。

At　last：　Do　you　know　the　story　of　Andromeda？　　he　said。

Perhaps　I　did　once；　but　suppose　I　don't　remember　it。

He　told　her　the　story　of　the　unfortunate　maiden　chained　to　a　rock　and
waiting　for　a　sea…beast　that　was　coming　to　devour　her；　and　how
Perseus　came　and　set　her　free；　and　won　her　love　with　her　life。　　And
then　he　began　something　about　a　young　man　chained　to　his　rock；　which
was　a　star…gazer's　tower；　a　prey　by　turns　to　ambition；　and　lonely
self…contempt　and　unwholesome　scorn　of　the　life　he　looked　down　upon
after　the　serenity　of　the　firmament；　and　endless　questionings　that
led　him　nowhere；and　now　he　had　only　one　more　question　to　ask。　　He
loved　her。　　Would　she　break　his　chain？He　held　both　his　hands　out
towards　her；　the　palms　together；　as　if　they　were　fettered　at　the
wrists。　　She　took　hold　of　them　very　gently；　parted　them　a　little；
then　widerwiderand　found　herself　all　at　once　folded；　unresisting；
in　her　lover's　arms。

So　there　was　a　new　double…star　in　the　living　firmament。　　The
constellations　seemed　to　kindle　with　new　splendors　as　the　student　and
the　story…teller　walked　homeward　in　their　light；　Alioth　and　Algol
looked　down　on　them　as　on　the　first　pair　of　lovers　they　shone　over；
and　the　autumn　air　seemed　full　of　harmonies　as　when　the　morning　stars
sang　together。




XII

The　old　Master　had　asked　us；　the　Young　Astronomer　and　myself；　into
his　library；　to　hear　him　read　some　passages　from　his　interleaved
book。　　We　three　had　formed　a　kind　of　little　club　without　knowing　it
from　the　time　when　the　young　man　began　reading　those　extracts　from
his　poetical　reveries　which　I　have　reproduced　in　these　pages。
Perhaps　we　agreed　in　too　many　things；I　suppose　if　we　could　have　had
a　good　hard…headed；　old…fashioned　New　England　divine　to　meet　with　us
it　might　have　acted　as　a　wholesome　corrective。　　For　we　had　it　all　our
own　way；　the　Lady's　kindly　remonstrance　was　taken　in　good　part；　but
did　not　keep　us　from　talking　pretty　freely；　and　as　for　the　Young
Girl；　she　listened　with　the　tranquillity　and　fearlessness　which　a
very　simple　trusting　creed　naturally　gives　those　who　hold　it。　　The
fewer　outworks　to　the　citadel　of　belief；　the　fewer　points　there　are
to　be　threatened　and　endangered。

The　reader　must　not　suppose　that　I　even　attempt　to　reproduce
everything　exactly　as　it　took　place　in　our　conversations；　or　when　we
met　to　listen　to　the　Master's　prose　or　to　the　Young　Astronomer's
verse。　　I　do　not　pretend　to　give　all　the　pauses　and　interruptions　by
question　or　otherwise。　　I　could　not　always　do　it　if　I　tried；　but　I　do
not　want　to；　for　oftentimes　it　is　better　to　let　the　speaker　or　reader
go　on　continuously；　although　there　may　have　been　many　breaks　in　the
course　of　the　conversation　or　reading。　　When；　for　instance；　I　by　and
by　reproduce　what　the　Landlady　said　to　us；　I　shall　give　it　almost
without　any　hint　that　it　was　arrested　in　its　flow　from　time　to　time
by　various　expressions　on　the　part　of　the　hearers。

I　can　hardly　say　what　the　reason　of　it　was；　but　it　is　very　certain
that　I　had　a　vague　sense　of　some　impending　event　as　we　took　our　seats
in　the　Master's　library。　　He　seemed　particularly　anxious　that　we
should　be　comfortably　seated；　and　shook　up　the　cushions　of　the　arm…
chairs　himself；　and　got　them　into　the　right　places。

Now　go　to　sleephe　saidor　listen；just　which　you　like　best。　　But
I　am　going　to　begin　by　telling　you　both　a　secret。

Liberavi　animam　meam。　　That　is　the　meaning　of　my　book　and　of　my
literary　life；　if　I　may　give　such　a　name　to　that　party…colored　shred
of　human　existence。　　I　have　unburdened　myself　in　this　book；　and　in
some　other　pages；　of　what　I　was　born　to　say。　　Many　things　that　I　have
said　in　my　ripe　days　have　been　aching　in　my　soul　since　I　was　a　mere
child。　　I　say　aching；　because　they　conflicted　with　many　of　my
inherited　beliefs；　or　rather　traditions。　　I　did　not　know　then　that
two　strains　of　blood　were　striving　in　me　for　the　mastery；two！
twenty；　perhaps；twenty　thousand；　for　aught　I　know；but　represented
to　me　by　two；paternal　and　maternal。　　Blind　forces　in　themselves；
shaping　thoughts　as　they　shaped　features　and　battled　for　the　moulding
of　constitution　and　the　mingling　of　temperament。

Philosophy　and　poetry　cameto　me　before　I　knew　their　names。

　　　　　Je　fis　mes　premiers　vers；　sans　savoir　les　ecrire。

Not　verses　so　much　as　the　stuff　that　verses　are　made　of。　　I　don't
suppose　that　the　thoughts　which　came　up　of　themselves　in　my　mind　were
so　mighty　different　from　what　come　up　in　the　minds　of　other　young
folks。　　And　that　's　the　best　reason　I　could　give　for　telling　'em。　　I
don't　believe　anything　I've　written　is　as　good　as　it　seemed　to　me
when　I　wrote　it；he　stopped；　for　he　was　afraid　he　was　lying；not
much　that　I　've　written；　at　any　rate；he　saidwith　a　smile　at　the
honesty　which　made　him　qualify　his　statement。　　But　I　do　know　this：　I
have　struck　a　good　many　chords；　first　and　last；　in　the　consciousness
of　other　people。　　I　confess　to　a　tender　feeling　for　my　little　brood
of　thoughts。　　When　they　have　been　welcomed　and　praised　it　has　pleased
me；　and　if　at　any　time　they　have　been　rudely　handled　and　despitefully
entreated　it　has　cost　me　a　little　worry。　　I　don't　despise　reputation；
and　I　should　like　to　be　remembered　as　having　said　something　worth
lasting　well　enough　to　last。

But　all　that　is　nothing　to　the　main　comfort　I　feel　as　a　writer。　　I
have　got　rid　of　something　my　mind　could　not　keep　to　itself　and　rise
as　it　was　meant　to　into　higher　regions。　　I　saw　the　aeronauts　the
other　day　emptying　from　the　bags　some　of　the　sand　that　served　as
ballast。　　It　glistened　a　moment　in　the　sunlight　as　a　slender　shower；
and　then　was　lost　and　seen　no　more　as　it　scattered　itself　unnoticed。
But　the　airship　rose　higher　as　the　sand　was　poured　out；　and　so　it
seems　to　me　I　have　felt　myself　getting　above　the　mists　and　clouds
whenever　I　have　lightened　myself　of　some　portion　of　the　mental
ballast　I　have　carried　with　me。　　Why　should　I　hope　or　fear　when　I
send　out　my　book？　　I　have　had　my　reward；　for　I　have　wrought　out　my
thought；　I　have　said　my　say；　I　have　freed　my　soul。　　I　can　afford　to
be　forgotten。

Look　here！he　said。　　I　keep　oblivion　always　before　me。…He　pointed
to　a　singularly　perfect　and　beautiful　trilobite　which　was　lying　on　a
pile　of　manuscripts。…Each　time　I　fill　a　sheet　of　paper　with　what　I
am　writing；　I　lay　it　beneath　this　relic　of　a　dead　world；　and　project
my　thought　forward　into　eternity　as　far　as　this　extinct　crustacean
carries　it　backward。　　When　my　heart　beats　too　lustily　with　vain　hopes
of　being　remembered；　I　press　the　cold　fossil　against　it　and　it　grows
calm。　　I　touch　my　forehead　with　it；　and　its　anxious　furrows　grow
smooth。　　Our　world；　too；　with　all　its　breathing　life；　is　but　a　leaf
to　be　folded　with　the　other　strata；　and　if　I　am　only　patient；　by　and
by　I　shall　be　just　as　famous　as　imperious　Caesar　himself；　embedded
with　me　in　a　conglomerate。

He　began　reading：〃There　is　no　new　thing　under　the　sun；〃　said　the
Preacher。　　He　would　not　say　so　now；　if　he　should　come　to　life　for　a
little　while；　and　have　his　photograph　taken；　and　go　up　in　a　balloon；
and　take　a　trip　by　railroad　and　a　voyage　by　steamship；　and　get　a
message　from　General　Grant　by　the　cable；　and　see　a　man's　leg　cut　off
without　its　hurting　him。　　If　it　did　not　take　his　breath　away　and　lay
him　out　as　flat　as　the　Queen　of　Sheba　was　knocked　over　by　the
splendors　of　his　court；　he　must　have　rivalled　our　Indians　in　the　nil
admarari　line。

For　all　that；　it　is　a　strange　thing　to　see　what　numbers　of　new　things
are　really　old。　　There　are　many　modern　contrivances　that　are　of　as
early　date　as　the　first　man；　if　not　thousands　of　centuries　older。
Everybody　knows　how　all　the　arrangements　of　our　telescopes　and
microscopes　are　anticipated　in　the　eye；　and　how　our　best　musical
instruments　are　surpassed　by　the　larynx。　　But　there　are　some　very　odd
things　any　anatomist　can　tell；　showing　how　our　recent　contrivances
are　anticipated　in　the　human　body。　　In　the　alimentary　canal　are
certain　pointed　eminences　called　villi；　and　certain　ridges　called
valvuloe　conniventes。　　The　makers　of　heating　apparatus　have　exactly
reproduced　the　first　in　the　〃pot〃　of　their　furnaces；　and　the　second
in　many　of　the　radiators　to　be　seen　in　our　public　buildings。　　The
object　in　the　body　and　the　heating　apparatus　is　the　same；　to　increase
the　extent　of　surface。　We　mix　hair　with　plaster　（as　the　Egyptians
mixed　straw　with　clay　to　make　bricks）　so　that　it　shall　hold　more
firmly。　　But　before　man　had　any　artificial　dwelling　the　same
contrivance　of　mixing　fibrous　threads　with　a　cohesive　substance　had
been　employed　in　the　jointed　fabric　of　his　own　spinal　column。　　India…
rubber　is　modern；　but　the　yellow　animal　substance　which　is　elastic
like　that；　and　serves　the　same　purpose　in　the　animal　economy　which
that　serves　in　our　mechanical　contrivances；　is　as　old　as　the
mammalia。　　The　dome；　the　round　and　the　Gothic　arch；　the　groined　roof；
the　flying　buttress；　are　all　familiar　to　those　who　have　studied　the
bony　frame　of　man。　　All　forms　of　the　lever　and　all　the　principal
kinds　of　hinges　are　to　be　met　with　in　our　own　frames。　　The　valvular
arrangements　of　the　blood…vessels　a