the professor at the breakfast table-第17节
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threatened onslaught and its suppression passed so quickly that it
was all over by the time the other end of the table found out there
was a disturbance； just as a man chopping wood half a mile off may be
seen resting on his axe at the instant you hear the last blow he
struck。 So you will please to observe that the Little Gentleman was
not； interrupted during the time implied by these ex…post…facto
remarks of mine； but for some ten or fifteen seconds only。
He did not seem to mind the interruption at all； for he started
again。 The 〃Sir〃 of his harangue was no doubt addressed to myself
more than anybody else； but he often uses it in discourse as if he
were talking with some imaginary opponent。
America； Sir；he exclaimed；is the only place where man is full…
grown！
He straightened himself up； as he spoke； standing on the top round of
his high chair； I suppose； and so presented the larger part of his
little figure to the view of the boarders。
It was next to impossible to keep from laughing。 The commentary was
so strange an illustration of the text！ I thought it was time to put
in a word； for I have lived in foreign parts； and am more or less
cosmopolitan。
I doubt if we have more practical freedom in America than they have
in England；…I said。 An Englishman thinks as he likes in religion
and politics。 Mr。 Martineau speculates as freely as ever Dr。
Channing did； and Mr。 Bright is as independent as Mr。 Seward。
Sir；said he；it is n't what a man thinks or says； but when and
where and to whom he thinks and says it。 A man with a flint and
steel striking sparks over a wet blanket is one thing； and striking
them over a tinder…box is another。 The free Englishman is born under
protest； he lives and dies under protest；a tolerated； but not a
welcome fact。 Is not freethinker a term of reproach in England？ The
same idea in the soul of an Englishman who struggled up to it and
still holds it antagonistically； and in the soul of an American to
whom it is congenital and spontaneous； and often unrecognized； except
as an element blended with all his thoughts； a natural movement； like
the drawing of his breath or the beating of his heart； is a very
different thing。 You may teach a quadruped to walk on his hind legs；
but he is always wanting to be on all fours。 Nothing that can be
taught a growing youth is like the atmospheric knowledge he breathes
from his infancy upwards。 The American baby sucks in freedom with
the milk of the breast at which he hangs。
That's a good joke；said the young fellow John；considerin' it
commonly belongs to a female Paddy。
I thoughtI will not be certainthat the Little Gentleman winked；
as if he had been hit somewhereas I have no doubt Dr。 Darwin did
when the wooden…spoon suggestion upset his theory about why； etc。 If
he winked； however； he did not dodge。
A lively comment！he said。 But Rome； in her great founder； sucked
the blood of empire out of the dugs of a brute； Sir！ The Milesian
wet…nurse is only a convenient vessel through which the American
infant gets the life…blood of this virgin soil； Sir； that is making
man over again； on the sunset pattern！ You don't think what we are
doing and going to do here。 Why； Sir； while commentators are
bothering themselves with interpretation of prophecies； we have got
the new heavens and the new earth over us and under us！ Was there
ever anything in Italy； I should like to know； like a Boston sunset？
This time there was a laugh； and the little man himself almost
smiled。
Yes；Boston sunsets；perhaps they're as good in some other places；
but I know 'em best here。 Anyhow； the American skies are different
from anything they see in the Old World。 Yes； and the rocks are
different； and the soil is different； and everything that comes out
of the soil； from grass up to Indians； is different。 And now that
the provisional races are dying out…
What do you mean by the provisional races； Sir？said the divinity…
student； interrupting him。
Why； the aboriginal bipeds； to be sure；he answered；the red…crayon
sketch of humanity laid on the canvas before the colors for the real
manhood were ready。
I hope they will come to something yet；said the divinity…student。
Irreclaimable； Sir；irreclaimable！said the Little Gentleman。
Cheaper to breed white men than domesticate a nation of red ones。
When you can get the bitter out of the partridge's thigh； you can
make an enlightened commonwealth of Indians。 A provisional race；
Sir；nothing more。 Exhaled carbonic acid for the use of vegetation；
kept down the bears and catamounts； enjoyed themselves in scalping
and being scalped； and then passed away or are passing away；
according to the programme。
Well； Sir； these races dying out； the white man has to acclimate
himself。 It takes him a good while； but he will come all right by…
and…by； Sir；as sound as a woodchuck；as sound as a musquash！
A new nursery； Sir； with Lake Superior and Huron and all the rest of
'em for wash…basins！ A new race； and a whole new world for the new…
born human soul to work in！ And Boston is the brain of it； and has
been any time these hundred years！ That's all I claim for Boston；
that it is the thinking centre of the continent； and therefore of the
planet。
And the grand emporium of modesty；said the divinity…student； a
little mischievously。
Oh； don't talk to me of modesty！answered the Little Gentleman；I
'm past that！ There is n't a thing that was ever said or done in
Boston； from pitching the tea overboard to the last ecclesiastical
lie it tore into tatters and flung into the dock； that was n't
thought very indelicate by some fool or tyrant or bigot； and all the
entrails of commercial and spiritual conservatism are twisted into
colics as often as this revolutionary brain of ours has a fit of
thinking come over it。 No； Sir；show me any other place that is；
or was since the megalosaurus has died out； where wealth and social
influence are so fairly divided between the stationary and the
progressive classes！ Show me any other place where every other
drawing…room is not a chamber of the Inquisition； with papas and
mammas for inquisitors；and the cold shoulder； instead of the 〃dry
pan and the gradual fire；〃 the punishment of 〃heresy〃！
We think Baltimore is a pretty civilized kind of a village；said
the young Marylander； good…naturedly。 But I suppose you can't
forgive it for always keeping a little ahead of Boston in point of
numbers；tell the truth now。 Are we not the centre of something？
Ah； indeed； to be sure you are。 You are the gastronomic metropolis
of the Union。 Why don't you put a canvas…back…duck on the top of the
Washington column？ Why don't you get that lady off from Battle
Monument and plant a terrapin in her place？ Why will you ask for
other glories when you have soft crabs？ No； Sir；you live too well
to think as hard as we do in Boston。 Logic comes to us with the
salt…fish of Cape Ann； rhetoric is born of the beans of Beverly； but
youif you open your mouths to speak； Nature stops them with a fat
oyster； or offers a slice of the breast of your divine bird； and
silences all your aspirations。
And what of Philadelphia？said the Marylander。
Oh； Philadelphia？Waterworks；killed by the Croton and Cochituate；…
…Ben Franklin；borrowed from Boston；David Rittenhouse；made an
orrery；Benjamin Rush；made a medical system；both interesting to
antiquarians；great Red…river raft of medical students；spontaneous
generation of professors to match；more widely known through the
Moyamensing hose…company； and the Wistar parties；…for geological
section of social strata； go to The Club。 Good place to live in；
first…rate market；tip…top peaches。 What do we know about
Philadelphia； except that the engine…companies are always shooting
each other？
And what do you say to New York？asked the Koh…i…noor。
A great city； Sir；replied the Little Gentleman；a very opulent；
splendid city。 A point of transit of much that is remarkable； and of
permanence for much that is respectable。 A great money…centre。 San
Francisco with the mines above…ground；and some of 'em under the
sidewalks。 I have seen next to nothing grandiose； out of New York；
in all our cities。 It makes 'em all look paltry and petty。 Has many
elements of civilization。 May stop where Venice did； though； for
aught we know。 The order of its development is just this：Wealth；
architecture； upholstery； painting； sculpture。 Printing； as a
mechanical art；just as Nicholas Jepson and the Aldi； who were
scholars too； made Venice renowned for it。 Journalism； which is the
accident of business and crowded populations； in great perfection。
Venice got as far as Titian and Paul Veronese and Tintoretto；great
colorists； mark you； magnificent on the flesh…and…blood side of Art；…
…but look over to Florence and see who lie in Santa Crocea； and ask
out of whose loins Dante
