the professor at the breakfast table-第27节

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wear　on　the　sides　of　their　foreheads。



But　I　am　a　teetotaller；said　the　divinity…student　in　a　subdued

tone；not　noticing　the　enormous　length　of　the　bow…string　the　young

fellow　had　just　drawn。



He　took　up　his　hat　and　went　out。



I　think　you　have　worried　that　young　man　more　than　you　meant；I　said。

I　don't　believe　he　will　jump　off　one　of　the　bridges；　for　he　has　too

much　principle；　but　I　mean　to　follow　him　and　see　where　he　goes；　for

he　looks　as　if　his　mind　were　made　up　to　something。



I　followed　him　at　a　reasonable　distance。　　He　walked　doggedly　along；

looking　neither　to　the　right　nor　the　left；　turned　into　State　Street；

and　made　for　a　well…known　Life…Insurance　Office。　　Luckily；　the　doctor

was　there　and　overhauled　him　on　the　spot。　　There　was　nothing　the

matter　with　him；　he　said；　and　he　could　have　his　life　insured　as　a

sound　one。　　He　came　out　in　good　spirits；　and　told　me　this　soon　after。



This　led　me　to　make　some　remarks　the　next　morning　on　the　manners　of

well…bred　and　ill…bred　people。



I　began；The　whole　essence　of　true　gentle…breeding　（one　does　not

like　to　say　gentility）　lies　in　the　wish　and　the　art　to　be　agreeable。

Good…breeding　is　surface…Christianity。　　Every　look；　movement；　tone；

expression；　subject　of　discourse；　that　may　give　pain　to　another　is

habitually　excluded　from　conversational　intercourse。　　This　is　the

reason　why　rich　people　are　apt　to　be　so　much　more　agreeable　than

others。



I　thought　you　were　a　great　champion　of　equality；said　the　discreet

and　severe　lady　who　had　accompanied　our　young　friend；　the　Latin

Tutor's　daughter。



I　go　politically　for　equality；I　said；and　socially　for　the

quality。



Who　are　the　〃quality；〃said　the　Model；　etc。；　in　a　community　like

ours？



I　confess　I　find　this　question　a　little　difficult　to　answer；I　said。

Nothing　is　better　known　than　the　distinction　of　social　ranks　which

exists　in　every　community；　and　nothing　is　harder　to　define。　　The

great　gentlemen　and　ladies　of　a　place　are　its　real　lords　and　masters

and　mistresses；　they　are　the　quality；　whether　in　a　monarchy　or　a

republic；　mayors　and　governors　and　generals　and　senators　and　ex…

presidents　are　nothing　to　them。　　How　well　we　know　this；　and　how

seldom　it　finds　a　distinct　expression！　　Now　I　tell　you　truly；　I

believe　in　man　as　man；　and　I　disbelieve　in　all　distinctions　except

such　as　follow　the　natural　lines　of　cleavage　in　a　society　which　has

crystallized　according　to　its　own　true　laws。　　But　the　essence　of

equality　is　to　be　able　to　say　the　truth；　and　there　is　nothing　more

curious　than　these　truths　relating　to　the　stratification　of　society。



Of　all　the　facts　in　this　world　that　do　not　take　hold　of　immortality；

there　is　not　one　so　intensely　real；　permanent；　and　engrossing　as　this

of　social　position；as　you　see　by　the　circumstances　that　the　core　of

all　the　great　social　orders　the　world　has　seen　has　been；　and　is

still；　for　the　most　part；　a　privileged　class　of　gentlemen　and　ladies

arranged　in　a　regular　scale　of　precedence　among　themselves；　but

superior　as　a　body　to　all　else。



Nothing　but　an　ideal　Christian　equality；　which　we　have　been　getting

farther　away　from　since　the　days　of　the　Primitive　Church；　can　prevent

this　subdivision　of　society　into　classes　from　taking　place

everywhere；in　the　great　centres　of　our　republic　as　much　as　in　old

European　monarchies。　　Only　there　position　is　more　absolutely

hereditary；here　it　is　more　completely　elective。



Where　is　the　election　held？　and　what　are　the　qualifications？　and

who　are　the　electors？said　the　Model。



Nobody　ever　sees　when　the　vote　is　taken；　there　never　is　a　formal

vote。　　The　women　settle　it　mostly；　and　they　know　wonderfully　well

what　is　presentable；　and　what　can't　stand　the　blaze　of　the

chandeliers　and　the　critical　eye　and　ear　of　people　trained　to　know　a

staring　shade　in　a　ribbon；　a　false　light　in　a　jewel；　an　ill…bred

tone；　an　angular　movement；　everything　that　betrays　a　coarse　fibre　and

cheap　training。　　As　a　general　thing；　you　do　not　get　elegance　short　of

two　or　three　removes　from　the　soil；　out　of　which　our　best　blood

doubtless　comes；quite　as　good；　no　doubt；　as　if　it　came　from　those

old　prize…fighters　with　iron　pots　on　their　heads；　to　whom　some　great

people　are　so　fond　of　tracing　their　descent　through　a　line　of　small

artisans　and　petty　shopkeepers　whose　veins　have　held　〃base〃　fluid

enough　to　fill　the　Cloaca　Maxima！



Does　not　money　go　everywhere？said　the　Model。



Almost。　　And　with　good　reason。　　For　though　there　are　numerous

exceptions；　rich　people　are；　as　I　said；　commonly　altogether　the　most

agreeable　companions。　　The　influence　of　a　fine　house；　graceful

furniture；　good　libraries；　well…ordered　tables；　trim　servants；　and；

above　all；　a　position　so　secure　that　one　becomes　unconscious　of　it；

gives　a　harmony　and　refinement　to　the　character　and　manners　which　we

feel；　if　we　cannot　explain　their　charm。　　Yet　we　can　get　at　the　reason

of　it　by　thinking　a　little。



All　these　appliances　are　to　shield　the　sensibility　from　disagreeable

contacts；　and　to　soothe　it　by　varied　natural　and　artificial

influences。　　In　this　way　the　mind；　the　taste；　the　feelings；　grow

delicate；　just　as　the　hands　grow　white　and　soft　when　saved　from　toil

and　incased　in　soft　gloves。　　The　whole　nature　becomes　subdued　into

suavity。　　I　confess　I　like　the　quality　ladies　better　than　the　common

kind　even　of　literary　ones。　　They　have　n't　read　the　last　book；

perhaps；　but　they　attend　better　to　you　when　you　are　talking　to　them。

If　they　are　never　learned；　they　make　up　for　it　in　tact　and　elegance。

Besides；　I　think；　on　the　whole；　there　is　less　self…assertion　in

diamonds　than　in　dogmas。　　I　don't　know　where　you　will　find　a　sweeter

portrait　of　humility　than　in　Esther；　the　poor　play…girl　of　King

Ahasuerus；　yet　Esther　put　on　her　royal　apparel　when　she　went　before

her　lord。　　I　have　no　doubt　she　was　a　more　gracious　and　agreeable

person　than　Deborah；　who　judged　the　people　and　wrote　the　story　of

Sisera。　　The　wisest　woman　you　talk　with　is　ignorant　of　something

that　you　know；　but　an　elegant　woman　never　forgets　her　elegance。



Dowdyism　is　clearly　an　expression　of　imperfect　vitality。　　The

highest　fashion　is　intensely　alive；not　alive　necessarily　to　the

truest　and　best　things；　but　with　its　blood　tingling；　as　it　were；　in

all　its　extremities　and　to　the　farthest　point　of　its　surface；　so

that　the　feather　in　its　bonnet　is　as　fresh　as　the　crest　of　a

fighting…cock；　and　the　rosette　on　its　slipper　as　clean…cut　and

pimpant　（pronounce　it　English　fashion；it　is　a　good　word）　as　a

dahlia。　　As　a　general　rule；　that　society　where　flattery　is　acted　is

much　more　agreeable　than　that　where　it　is　spoken。　　Don't　you　see

why？　　Attention　and　deference　don't　require　you　to　make　fine

speeches　expressing　your　sense　of　unworthiness　（lies）　and　returning

all　the　compliments　paid　you。　　This　is　one　reason。



A　woman　of　sense　ought　to　be　above　flattering　any　man；said　the

Model。



＇My　reflection。　　Oh！　oh！　no　wonder　you　did　n't　get　married。　　Served

you　right。＇　　My　remark。　　Surely；　Madam；if　you　mean　by　flattery

telling　people　boldly　to　their　faces　that　they　are　this　or　that；

which　they　are　not。　　But　a　woman　who　does　not　carry　about　with　her

wherever　she　goes　a　halo　of　good　feeling　and　desire　to　make

everybody　contented；an　atmosphere　of　grace；　mercy；　and　peace；　of

at　least　six　feet　radius；　which　wraps　every　human　being　upon　whom

she　voluntarily　bestows　her　presence；　and　so　flatters　him　with　the

comfortable　thought　that　she　is　rather　glad　he　is　alive　than

otherwise；　isn't　worth　the　trouble　of　talking　to；　as　a　woman；　she

may　do　well　enough　to　hold　discussions　with。



I　don't　think　the　Model　exactly　liked　this。　　She　said；a　little

spitefully；　I　thought；that　a　sensible　man　might　stand　a　little

praise；　but　would　of　course　soon　get　sick　of　it；　if　he　were　in　the

habit　of　getting　much。



Oh；　yes；I　replied；just　as　men　get　sick　of　tobacco。　　It　is

notorious　how　apt　they　are　to　get　tired　of　that　vegetable。



That　's　so！said　the　young　fellow　John；I've　got　tired　of　my

cigars　and　burnt　'em　all　up。



I　am　heartily　glad　to　hear　it；said　the　Model；I　wish　they　were

all　disposed　of　in　the　same　way。



So　do　I；said　the　young　fellow　John。



Can't　you　get　your　friends　to　unite　with　you　in　committing　those

odious　instruments　of　debauchery　to　the　flames　in　which　you　have

consumed　your　own？



I　wish　I　could；said　the　young　fellow　John。



It　would　be　a　noble　sacrifice；said　the　Model；　and　every　American

woman　would　be　grateful　to　you。　　Let　us　burn　them　all　in　a　heap　out

in　the　yard。



That　a'n't　my　way；said　the　young　fellow　John；I　burn　'em　one　't'

time；little　end　in　my　mouth　and　big　end　outside。



I　watched　for　the　effect　of　this　sudden　change　of　programme；　when

it　should　reach　the　calm　stillness　of　the　Model's　interior

apprehension；　as　a　boy　watches　for　the　splash　of　a　stone　which　he

has　dropped　into　a　well。　　But　before　it　had　fairly　reached　the

water；　poor　Iris；　who　had　fo