the procession of life-第1节

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THE　PROCESSION　OF　LIFE



Life　figures　itself　to　me　as　a　festal　or　funereal　procession。　All

of　us　have　our　places；　and　are　to　move　onward　under　the　direction

of　the　Chief　Marshal。　The　grand　difficulty　results　from　the

invariably　mistaken　principles　on　which　the　deputy　marshals　seek

to　arrange　this　immense　concourse　of　people；　so　much　more

numerous　than　those　that　train　their　interminable　length　through

streets　and　highways　in　times　of　political　excitement。　Their

scheme　is　ancient；　far　beyond　the　memory　of　man　or　even　the

record　of　history；　and　has　hitherto　been　very　little　modified　by

the　innate　sense　of　something　wrong；　and　the　dim　perception　of

better　methods；　that　have　disquieted　all　the　ages　through　which

the　procession　has　taken　its　march。　Its　members　are　classified　by

the　merest　external　circumstances；　and　thus　are　more　certain　to

be　thrown　out　of　their　true　positions　than　if　no　principle　of

arrangement　were　attempted。　In　one　part　of　the　procession　we　see

men　of　landed　estate　or　moneyed　capital　gravely　keeping　each

other　company；　for　the　preposterous　reason　that　they　chance　to

have　a　similar　standing　in　the　tax…gatherer's　book。　Trades　and

professions　march　together　with　scarcely　a　more　real　bond　of

union。　In　this　manner；　it　cannot　be　denied；　people　are

disentangled　from　the　mass　and　separated　into　various　classes

according　to　certain　apparent　relations；　all　have　some　artificial

badge　which　the　world；　and　themselves　among　the　first；　learn　to

consider　as　a　genuine　characteristic。　Fixing　our　attention　on

such　outside　shows　of　similarity　or　difference；　we　lose　sight　of

those　realities　by　which　nature；　fortune；　fate；　or　Providence　has

constituted　for　every　man　a　brotherhood；　wherein　it　is　one　great

office　of　human　wisdom　to　classify　him。　When　the　mind　has　once

accustomed　itself　to　a　proper　arrangement　of　the　Procession　of

Life；　or　a　true　classification　of　society；　even　though　merely

speculative；　there　is　thenceforth　a　satisfaction　which　pretty

well　suffices　for　itself　without　the　aid　of　any　actual

reformation　in　the　order　of　march。



For　instance；　assuming　to　myself　the　power　of　marshalling　the

aforesaid　procession；　I　direct　a　trumpeter　to　send　forth　a　blast

loud　enough　to　be　heard　from　hence　to　China；　and　a　herald；　with

world…pervading　voice；　to　make　proclamation　for　a　certain　class

of　mortals　to　take　their　places。　What　shall　be　their　principle　of

union？　After　all；　an　external　one；　in　comparison　with　many　that

might　be　found；　yet　far　more　real　than　those　which　the　world　has

selected　for　a　similar　purpose。　Let　all　who　are　afflicted　with

like　physical　diseases　form　themselves　into　ranks。



Our　first　attempt　at　classification　is　not　very　successful。　It

may　gratify　the　pride　of　aristocracy　to　reflect　that　disease；

more　than　any　other　circumstance　of　human　life；　pays　due

observance　to　the　distinctions　which　rank　and　wealth；　and　poverty

and　lowliness；　have　established　among　mankind。　Some　maladies　are

rich　and　precious；　and　only　to　be　acquired　by　the　right　of

inheritance　or　purchased　with　gold。　Of　this　kind　is　the　gout；

which　serves　as　a　bond　of　brotherhood　to　the　purple…visaged

gentry；　who　obey　the　herald's　voice；　and　painfully　hobble　from

all　civilized　regions　of　the　globe　to　take　their　post　in　the

grand　procession。　In　mercy　to　their　toes；　let　us　hope　that　the

march　may　not　be　long。　The　Dyspeptics；　too；　are　people　of　good

standing　in　the　world。　For　them　the　earliest　salmon　is　caught　in

our　eastern　rivers；　and　the　shy　woodcock　stains　the　dry　leaves

with　his　blood　in　his　remotest　haunts；　and　the　turtle　comes　from

the　far　Pacific　Islands　to　be　gobbled　up　in　soup。　They　can　afford

to　flavor　all　their　dishes　with　indolence；　which；　in　spite　of　the

general　opinion；　is　a　sauce　more　exquisitely　piquant　than

appetite　won　by　exercise。　Apoplexy　is　another　highly　respectable

disease。　We　will　rank　together　all　who　have　the　symptom　of

dizziness　in　the　brain；　and　as　fast　as　any　drop　by　the　way　supply

their　places　with　new　members　of　the　board　of　aldermen。



On　the　other　hand；　here　come　whole　tribes　of　people　whose

physical　lives　are　but　a　deteriorated　variety　of　life；　and

themselves　a　meaner　species　of　mankind；　so　sad　an　effect　has　been

wrought　by　the　tainted　breath　of　cities；　scanty　and　unwholesome

food；　destructive　modes　of　labor；　and　the　lack　of　those　moral

supports　that　might　partially　have　counteracted　such　bad

influences。　Behold　here　a　train　of　house　painters；　all　afflicted

with　a　peculiar　sort　of　colic。　Next　in　place　we　will　marshal

those　workmen　in　cutlery；　who　have　breathed　a　fatal　disorder　into

their　lungs　with　the　impalpable　dust　of　steel。　Tailors　and

shoemakers；　being　sedentary　men；　will　chiefly　congregate　into　one

part　of　the　procession　and　march　under　similar　banners　of

disease；　but　among　them　we　may　observe　here　and　there　a　sickly

student；　who　has　left　his　health　between　the　leaves　of　classic

volumes；　and　clerks；　likewise；　who　have　caught　their　deaths　on

high　official　stools；　and　men　of　genius　too；　who　have　written

sheet　after　sheet　with　pens　dipped　in　their　heart's　blood。　These

are　a　wretched　quaking；　short…breathed　set。　But　what　is　this

cloud　of　pale…cheeked；　slender　girls；　who　disturb　the　ear　with

the　multiplicity　of　their　short；　dry　coughs？　They　are

seamstresses；　who　have　plied　the　daily　and　nightly　needle　in　the

service　of　master　tailors　and　close…fisted　contractors；　until　now

it　is　almost　time　for　each　to　hem　the　borders　of　her　own　shroud。

Consumption　points　their　place　in　the　procession。　With　their　sad

sisterhood　are　intermingled　many　youthful　maidens　who　have

sickened　in　aristocratic　mansions；　and　for　whose　aid　science　has

unavailingly　searched　its　volumes；　and　whom　breathless　love　has

watched。　In　our　ranks　the　rich　maiden　and　the　poor　seamstress　may

walk　arm　in　arm。　We　might　find　innumerable　other　instances；　where

the　bond　of　mutual　diseasenot　to　speak　of　nation…sweeping

pestilenceembraces　high　and　low；　and　makes　the　king　a　brother

of　the　clown。　But　it　is　not　hard　to　own　that　disease　is　the

natural　aristocrat。　Let　him　keep　his　state；　and　have　his

established　orders　of　rank；　and　wear　his　royal　mantle　of　the

color　of　a　fever　flush　and　let　the　noble　and　wealthy　boast　their

own　physical　infirmities；　and　display　their　symptoms　as　the

badges　of　high　station。　All　things　considered；　these　are　as

proper　subjects　of　human　pride　as　any　relations　of　human　rank

that　men　can　fix　upon。



Sound　again；　thou　deep…breathed　trumpeter！　and　herald；　with　thy

voice　of　might；　shout　forth　another　summons　that　shall　reach　the

old　baronial　castles　of　Europe；　and　the　rudest　cabin　of　our

western　wilderness！　What　class　is　next　to　take　its　place　in　the

procession　of　mortal　life？　Let　it　be　those　whom　the　gifts　of

intellect　have　united　in　a　noble　brotherhood。



Ay；　this　is　a　reality；　before　which　the　conventional　distinctions

of　society　melt　away　like　a　vapor　when　we　would　grasp　it　with　the

hand。　Were　Byron　now　alive；　and　Burns；　the　first　would　come　from

his　ancestral　abbey；　flinging　aside；　although　unwillingly；　the

inherited　honors　of　a　thousand　years；　to　take　the　arm　of　the

mighty　peasant　who　grew　immortal　while　he　stooped　behind　his

plough。　These　are　gone；　but　the　hall；　the　farmer's　fireside；　the

hut；　perhaps　the　palace；　the　counting…room；　the　workshop；　the

village；　the　city；　life's　high　places　and　low　ones；　may　all

produce　their　poets；　whom　a　common　temperament　pervades　like　an

electric　sympathy。　Peer　or　ploughman；　we　will　muster　them　pair　by

pair　and　shoulder　to　shoulder。　Even　society；　in　its　most

artificial　state；　consents　to　this　arrangement。　These　factory

girls　from　Lowell　shall　mate　themselves　with　the　pride　of

drawing…rooms　and　literary　circles；　the　bluebells　in　fashion's

nosegay；　the　Sapphos；　and　Montagues；　and　Nortons　of　the　age。

Other　modes　of　intellect　bring　together　as　strange　companies。

Silk…gowned　professor　of　languages；　give　your　arm　to　this　sturdy

blacksmith；　and　deem　yourself　honored　by　the　conjunction；　though

you　behold　him　grimy　from　the　anvil。　All　varieties　of　human

speech　are　like　his　mother　tongue　to　this　rare　man。

Indiscriminately　let　those　take　their　places；　of　whatever　rank

they　come；　who　possess　the　kingly　gifts　to　lead　armies　or　to　sway

a　peopleNature's　generals；　her　lawgivers；　her　kings；　and　with

them　also　the　deep　philosophers　who　think　the　thought　in　one

generation　that　is　to　revolutionize　society　in　the　next。　With　the

hereditary　legislator　in　whom　eloquence　is　a　far…descended

attainmenta　rich　echo　repeated　by　powerful　voices　from　Cicero

downwardwe　will　match　some　wondrous　backwoodsman；　who　has

caught　a　wild　power　of　language　from　the　breeze　among　his　native

forest　boughs。　But　we　may　safely　leave　these　brethren　and

sisterhood　to　settle　their　own　congenialities。　Our　ordinary

distinctions　become　so　trifling；　so　impalpable；　so　ridiculously

visionary；　in　comparison　with　a　classification　founded　on　tr