the professor at the breakfast table-第26节
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'Good…will to men！' the listening Earth reply！〃
They spoke with hurried words and accents wild；
Calm in his cradle slept the heavenly child。
No trembling word the mother's joy revealed；
One sigh of rapture； and her lips were sealed；
Unmoved she saw the rustic train depart；
But kept their words to ponder in her heart。
Twelve years had passed； the boy was fair and tall；
Growing in wisdom； finding grace with all。
The maids of Nazareth； as they trooped to fill
Their balanced urns beside the mountain…rill；
The gathered matrons； as they sat and spun；
Spoke in soft words of Joseph's quiet son。
No voice had reached the Galilean vale
Of star…led kings or awe…struck shepherds' tale；
In the meek； studious child they only saw
The future Rabbi； learned in Israel's law。
So grew the boy； and now the feast was near；
When at the holy place the tribes appear。
Scarce had the home…bred child of Nazareth seen
Beyond the hills that girt the village…green；
Save when at midnight； o'er the star…lit sands；
Snatched from the steel of Herod's murdering bands；
A babe； close…folded to his mother's breast；
Through Edom's wilds he sought the sheltering West。
Then Joseph spake ： 〃Thy boy hath largely grown；
Weave him fine raiment； fitting to be shown；
Fair robes beseem the pilgrim； as the priest
Goes he not with us to the holy feast？〃
And Mary culled the flaxen fibres white；
Till eve she spun； she spun till morning light。
The thread was twined； its parting meshes through
》From hand to hand her restless shuttle flew；
Till the full web was wound upon the beam；
Love's curious toil；a vest without a seam！
They reach the holy place； fulfil the days
To solemn feasting given； and grateful praise。
At last they turn； and far Moriah's height
Melts in the southern sky and fades from sight。
All day the dusky caravan has flowed
In devious trails along the winding road；
（For many a step their homeward path attends；
And all the sons of Abraham are as friends。）
Evening has come；the hour of rest and joy；
Hush！ hush！that whisper；…〃Where is Mary's boy？〃
O weary hour！ O aching days that passed
Filled with strange fears； each wilder than the last：
The soldier's lance；the fierce centurion's sword；
The crushing wheels that whirl some Roman lord；
The midnight crypt that suck's the captive's breath；
The blistering sun on Hinnom's vale of death！
Thrice on his cheek had rained the morning light；
Thrice on his lips the mildewed kiss of night；
Crouched by some porphyry column's shining plinth；
Or stretched beneath the odorous terebinth。
At last； in desperate mood； they sought once more
The Temple's porches； searched in vain before；
They found him seated with the ancient men；
The grim old rufflers of the tongue and pen；
Their bald heads glistening as they clustered near；
Their gray beards slanting as they turned to hear；
Lost in half…envious wonder and surprise
That lips so fresh should utter words so wise。
And Mary said；as one who； tried too long；
Tells all her grief and half her sense of wrong；
What is this thoughtless thing which thou hast done？
Lo； we have sought thee sorrowing； O my son！
〃Few words he spake； and scarce of filial tone；
Strange words； their sense a mystery yet unknown；
Then turned with them and left the holy hill；
To all their mild commands obedient still。
The tale was told to Nazareth's sober men；
And Nazareth's matrons told it oft again；
The maids retold it at the fountain's side；
The youthful shepherds doubted or denied；
It passed around among the listening friends；
With all that fancy adds and fiction fends；
Till newer marvels dimmed the young renown
Of Joseph's son； who talked the Rabbis down。
But Mary； faithful to its lightest word；
Kept in her heart the sayings she had heard；
Till the dread morning rent the Temple's veil；
And shuddering Earth confirmed the wondrous tale。
Youth fades； love droops； the leaves of friendship fall；
A mother's secret hope outlives them all。
VI
You don't look so dreadful poor in the face as you did a while back。
Bloated some； I expect。
This was the cheerful and encouraging and elegant remark with which
the Poor Relation greeted the divinity…student one morning。
Of course every good man considers it a great sacrifice on his part
to continue living in this transitory； unsatisfactory； and
particularly unpleasant world。 This is so much a matter of course；
that I was surprised to see the divinity…student change color。 He
took a look at a small and uncertain…minded glass which hung slanting
forward over the chapped sideboard。 The image it returned to him had
the color of a very young pea somewhat overboiled。 The scenery of a
long tragic drama flashed through his mind as the lightning…express…
train whishes by a station： the gradual dismantling process of
disease； friends looking on； sympathetic； but secretly chuckling over
their own stomachs of iron and lungs of caoutchouc； nurses attentive；
but calculating their crop； and thinking how soon it will be ripe； so
that they can go to your neighbor； who is good for a year or so
longer； doctors assiduous； but giving themselves a mental shake； as
they go out of your door； which throws off your particular grief as a
duck sheds a raindrop from his oily feathers； undertakers solemn； but
happy； then the great subsoil cultivator； who plants； but never looks
for fruit in his garden； then the stone…cutter； who puts your name on
the slab which has been waiting for you ever since the birds or
beasts made their tracks on the new red sandstone； then the grass and
the dandelions and the buttercups；Earth saying to the mortal
body； with her sweet symbolism； 〃You have scarred my bosom； but you
are forgiven〃； then a glimpse of the soul as a floating consciousness
without very definite form or place； but dimly conceived of as an
upright column of vapor or mist several times larger than life…size；
so far as it could be said to have any size at all； wandering about
and living a thin and half…awake life for want of good old…fashioned
solid matter to come down upon with foot and fist；in fact； having
neither foot nor fist； nor conveniences for taking the sitting
posture。
And yet the divinity…student was a good Christian； and those heathen
images which remind one of the childlike fancies of the dying Adrian
were only the efforts of his imagination to give shape to the
formless and position to the placeless。 Neither did his thoughts
spread themselves out and link themselves as I have displayed them。
They came confusedly into his mind like a heap of broken mosaics；
sometimes a part of the picture complete in itself； sometimes
connected fragments； and sometimes only single severed stones。
They did not diffuse a light of celestial joy over his countenance。
On the contrary； the Poor Relation's remark turned him pale； as I
have said； and when the terrible wrinkled and jaundiced looking…glass
turned him green in addition； and he saw himself in it； it seemed to
him as if it were all settled； and his book of life were to be shut
not yet half…read； and go back to the dust of the under…ground
archives。 He coughed a mild short cough； as if to point the
direction in which his downward path was tending。 It was an honest
little cough enough； so far as appearances went。 But coughs are
ungrateful things。 You find one out in the cold； take it up and
nurse it and make everything of it； dress it up warm； give it all
sorts of balsams and other food it likes； and carry it round in your
bosom as if it were a miniature lapdog。 And by…and…by its little
bark grows sharp and savage； andconfound the thing！ you find it
is a wolf's whelp that you have got there； and he is gnawing in the
breast where he has been nestling so long。 The Poor Relation said
that somebody's surrup was good for folks that were gettin' into a
bad way。 The landlady had heard of desperate cases cured by cherry…
pictorial。
Whiskey's the fellah；said the young man John。 Make it into punch；
cold at dinner…time 'n' hot at bed…time。 I'll come up 'n' show you
how to mix it。 Have n't any of you seen the wonderful fat man
exhibitin' down in Hanover Street？
Master Benjamin Franklin rushed into the dialogue with a breezy
exclamation； that he had seen a great picter outside of the place
where the fat man was exhibitin'。 Tried to get in at half…price； but
the man at the door looked at his teeth and said he was more'n ten
year old。
It is n't two years；said the young man John； since that fat fellah
was exhibitin' here as the Livin' Skeleton。 Whiskeythat's what did
it；real Burbon's the stuff。 Hot water； sugar； 'n' jest a little
shavin' of lemon…skin in it；skin； mind you； none o' your juice；
take it off thin；shape of one of them flat curls the factory…girls
wear on the sides of their foreheads。
But I am a teeto
