the old street lamp-第2节

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chair；　and　guess　where！　Why；　at　the　old　watchman's　house。　He　had

begged；　as　a　favor；　that　the　mayor　and　corporation　would　allow　him

to　keep　the　street　lamp；　in　consideration　of　his　long　and　faithful

service；　as　he　had　himself　hung　it　up　and　lit　it　on　the　day　he　first

commenced　his　duties；　four…and…twenty　years　ago。　He　looked　upon　it

almost　as　his　own　child；　he　had　no　children；　so　the　lamp　was　given

to　him。　There　it　lay　in　the　great　arm…chair　near　to　the　warm　stove。　It

seemed　almost　as　if　it　had　grown　larger；　for　it　appeared　quite　to　fill

the　chair。　The　old　people　sat　at　their　supper；　casting　friendly

glances　at　the　old　lamp；　whom　they　would　willingly　have　admitted　to

a　place　at　the　table。　It　is　quite　true　that　they　dwelt　in　a　cellar；

two　yards　deep　in　the　earth；　and　they　had　to　cross　a　stone　passage

to　get　to　their　room；　but　within　it　was　warm　and　comfortable　and

strips　of　list　had　been　nailed　round　the　door。　The　bed　and　the

little　window　had　curtains；　and　everything　looked　clean　and　neat。　On

the　window　seat　stood　two　curious　flower…pots　which　a　sailor；　named

Christian；　had　brought　over　from　the　East　or　West　Indies。　They　were　of

clay；　and　in　the　form　of　two　elephants；　with　open　backs；　they　were

hollow　and　filled　with　earth；　and　through　the　open　space　flowers

bloomed。　In　one　grew　some　very　fine　chives　or　leeks；　this　was　the

kitchen　garden。　The　other　elephant；　which　contained　a　beautiful

geranium；　they　called　their　flower　garden。　On　the　wall　hung　a　large

colored　print；　representing　the　congress　of　Vienna；　and　all　the

kings　and　emperors　at　once。　A　clock；　with　heavy　weights；　hung　on　the

wall　and　went　〃tick；　tick；〃　steadily　enough；　yet　it　was　always

rather　too　fast；　which；　however；　the　old　people　said　was　better　than

being　too　slow。　They　were　now　eating　their　supper；　while　the　old

street　lamp；　as　we　have　heard；　lay　in　the　grandfather's　arm…chair　near

the　stove。　It　seemed　to　the　lamp　as　if　the　whole　world　had　turned

round；　but　after　a　while　the　old　watchman　looked　at　the　lamp；　and

spoke　of　what　they　had　both　gone　through　together；…　in　rain　and　in

fog；　during　the　short　bright　nights　of　summer；　or　in　the　long　winter

nights；　through　the　drifting　snow…storms；　when　he　longed　to　be　at　home

in　the　cellar。　Then　the　lamp　felt　it　was　all　right　again。　He　saw

everything　that　had　happened　quite　clearly；　as　if　it　were　passing

before　him。　Surely　the　wind　had　given　him　an　excellent　gift。　The　old

people　were　very　active　and　industrious；　they　were　never　idle　for　even

a　single　hour。　On　Sunday　afternoons　they　would　bring　out　some　books；

generally　a　book　of　travels　which　they　were　very　fond　of。　The　old

man　would　read　aloud　about　Africa；　with　its　great　forests　and　the　wild

elephants；　while　his　wife　would　listen　attentively；　stealing　a

glance　now　and　then　at　the　clay　elephants；　which　served　as

flower…pots。

　　　　〃I　can　almost　imagine　I　am　seeing　it　all；〃　she　said；　and　then

how　the　lamp　wished　for　a　wax　taper　to　be　lighted　in　him；　for　then　the

old　woman　would　have　seen　the　smallest　detail　as　clearly　as　he　did

himself。　The　lofty　trees；　with　their　thickly　entwined　branches；　the

naked　negroes　on　horseback；　and　whole　herds　of　elephants　treading　down

bamboo　thickets　with　their　broad；　heavy　feet。

　　　　〃What　is　the　use　of　all　my　capabilities；〃　sighed　the　old　lamp；

〃when　I　cannot　obtain　any　wax　lights；　they　have　only　oil　and　tallow

here；　and　these　will　not　do。〃　One　day　a　great　heap　of　wax…candle

ends　found　their　way　into　the　cellar。　The　larger　pieces　were　burnt；

and　the　smaller　ones　the　old　woman　kept　for　waxing　her　thread。　So

there　were　now　candles　enough；　but　it　never　occurred　to　any　one　to　put

a　little　piece　in　the　lamp。

　　　　〃Here　I　am　now　with　my　rare　powers；〃　thought　the　lamp；　〃I　have

faculties　within　me；　but　I　cannot　share　them；　they　do　not　know　that

I　could　cover　these　white　walls　with　beautiful　tapestry；　or　change

them　into　noble　forests；　or；　indeed；　to　anything　else　they　might

wish　for。〃　The　lamp；　however；　was　always　kept　clean　and　shining　in　a

corner　where　it　attracted　all　eyes。　Strangers　looked　upon　it　as

lumber；　but　the　old　people　did　not　care　for　that；　they　loved　the　lamp。

One　day…　it　was　the　watchman's　birthday…　the　old　woman　approached

the　lamp；　smiling　to　herself；　and　said；　〃I　will　have　an　illumination

to…day　in　honor　of　my　old　man。〃　And　the　lamp　rattled　in　his　metal

frame；　for　he　thought；　〃Now　at　last　I　shall　have　a　light　within　me；〃

but　after　all　no　wax　light　was　placed　in　the　lamp；　but　oil　as　usual。

The　lamp　burned　through　the　whole　evening；　and　began　to　perceive　too

clearly　that　the　gift　of　the　stars　would　remain　a　hidden　treasure

all　his　life。　Then　he　had　a　dream；　for；　to　one　with　his　faculties；

dreaming　was　no　difficulty。　It　appeared　to　him　that　the　old　people

were　dead；　and　that　he　had　been　taken　to　the　iron　foundry　to　be　melted

down。　It　caused　him　quite　as　much　anxiety　as　on　the　day　when　he　had

been　called　upon　to　appear　before　the　mayor　and　the　council　at　the

town…hall。　But　though　he　had　been　endowed　with　the　power　of　falling

into　decay　from　rust　when　he　pleased；　he　did　not　make　use　of　it。　He

was　therefore　put　into　the　melting…furnace　and　changed　into　as　elegant

an　iron　candlestick　as　you　could　wish　to　see；　one　intended　to　hold　a

wax　taper。　The　candlestick　was　in　the　form　of　an　angel　holding　a

nosegay；　in　the　centre　of　which　the　wax　taper　was　to　be　placed。　It　was

to　stand　on　a　green　writing　table；　in　a　very　pleasant　room；　many　books

were　scattered　about；　and　splendid　paintings　hung　on　the　walls。　The

owner　of　the　room　was　a　poet；　and　a　man　of　intellect；　everything　he

thought　or　wrote　was　pictured　around　him。　Nature　showed　herself　to　him

sometimes　in　the　dark　forests；　at　others　in　cheerful　meadows　where　the

storks　were　strutting　about；　or　on　the　deck　of　a　ship　sailing　across

the　foaming　sea　with　the　clear；　blue　sky　above；　or　at　night　the

glittering　stars。　〃What　powers　I　possess！〃　said　the　lamp；　awaking　from

his　dream；　〃I　could　almost　wish　to　be　melted　down；　but　no；　that　must

not　be　while　the　old　people　live。　They　love　me　for　myself　alone；

they　keep　me　bright；　and　supply　me　with　oil。　I　am　as　well　off　as　the

picture　of　the　congress；　in　which　they　take　so　much　pleasure。〃　And

from　that　time　he　felt　at　rest　in　himself；　and　not　more　so　than　such

an　honorable　old　lamp　really　deserved　to　be。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

。