the professor at the breakfast table-第41节

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candidates；　and　I　don't　doubt　he's　often　right；　Sir。　　Just　so　a

man's　soul　has　a　vote　in　the　spiritual　community；　and　it　doesn't　do；

Sir；　or　it　won't　do　long；　to　call　him　〃schismatic〃　and　〃heretic〃　and

those　other　wicked　names　that　the　old　murderous　Inquisitors　have

left　us　to　help　along　〃peace　and　goodwill　to　men〃！



As　long　as　you　could　catch　a　man　and　drop　him　into　an　oubliette；　or

pull　him　out　a　few　inches　longer　by　machinery；　or　put　a　hot　iron

through　his　tongue；　or　make　him　climb　up　a　ladder　and　sit　on　a　board

at　the　top　of　a　stake　so　that　he　should　be　slowly　broiled　by　the

fire　kindled　round　it；　there　was　some　sense　in　these　words；　they　led

to　something。　　But　since　we　have　done　with　those　tools；　we　had

better　give　up　those　words。　　I　should　like　to　see　a　Yankee

advertisement　like　this！　（the　Little　Gentleman　laughed　fiercely　as

he　uttered　the　words；）



Patent　thumb…screws；will　crush　the　bone　in　three　turns。



The　cast…iron　boot；　with　wedge　and　mallet；　only　five　dollars！



The　celebrated　extension…rack；　warranted　to　stretch　a　man　six

inches　in　twenty　minutes；money　returned；　if　it　proves

unsatisfactory。



I　should　like　to　see　such　an　advertisement；　I　say；　Sir！　　Now；　what's

the　use　of　using　the　words　that　belonged　with　the　thumb…screws；　and

the　Blessed　Virgin　with　the　knives　under　her　petticoats　and　sleeves

and　bodice；　and　the　dry　pan　and　gradual　fire；　if　we　can't　have　the

things　themselves；　Sir？　　What's　the　use　of　painting　the　fire　round　a

poor　fellow；　when　you　think　it　won't　do　to　kindle　one　under　him；as

they　did　at　Valencia　or　Valladolid；　or　wherever　it　was？



What　story　is　that？I　said。



Why；he　answered；at　the　last　auto…da…fe；　in　1824　or　'5；　or

somewhere　there；it's　a　traveller's　story；　but　a　mighty　knowing

traveller　he　is；they　had　a　〃heretic〃　to　use　up　according　to　the

statutes　provided　for　the　crime　of　private　opinion。　　They　could　n't

quite　make　up　their　minds　to　burn　him；　so　they　only　hung　him　in　a

hogshead　painted　all　over　with　flames！



No；　Sir！　　when　a　man　calls　you　names　because　you　go　to　the　ballot…

box　and　vote　for　your　candidate；　or　because　you　say　this　or　that　is

your　opinion；　he　forgets　in　which　half　of　the　world　he　was　born；

Sir！　　It　won't　be　long；　Sir；　before　we　have　Americanized　religion　as

we　have　Americanized　government；　and　then；　Sir；　every　soul　God　sends

into　the　world　will　be　good　in　the　face　of　all　men　for　just　so　much

of　His　〃inspiration〃　as　〃giveth　him　understanding〃！　None　of　my

words；　Sir！　　none　of　my　words！



If　Iris　does　not　love　this　Little　Gentleman；　what　does　love　look

like　when　one　sees　it？　　She　follows　him　with　her　eyes；　she　leans

over　toward　him　when　he　speaks；　her　face　changes　with　the　changes　of

his　speech；　so　that　one　might　think　it　was　with　her　as　with

Christabel；



　　　　　　　　　　That　all　her　features　were　resigned

　　　　　　　　　　To　this　sole　image　in　her　mind。



But　she　never　looks　at　him　with　such　intensity　of　devotion　as　when

he　says　anything　about　the　soul　and　the　soul's　atmosphere；　religion。



Women　are　twice　as　religious　as　men；all　the　world　knows　that。

Whether　they　are　any　better；　in　the　eyes　of　Absolute　Justice；　might

be　questioned；　for　the　additional　religious　element　supplied　by　sex

hardly　seems　to　be　a　matter　of　praise　or　blame。　　But　in　all　common

aspects　they　are　so　much　above　us　that　we　get　most　of　our　religion

from　them；from　their　teachings；　from　their　example；above　all；

from　their　pure　affections。



Now　this　poor　little　Iris　had　been　talked　to　strangely　in　her

childhood。　　Especially　she　had　been　told　that　she　hated　all　good

things；which　every　sensible　parent　knows　well　enough　is　not　true

of　a　great　many　children；　to　say　the　least。　　I　have　sometimes

questioned　whether　many　libels　on　human　nature　had　not　been　a

natural　consequence　of　the　celibacy　of　the　clergy；　which　was

enforced　for　so　long　a　period。



The　child　had　met　this　and　some　other　equally　encouraging　statements

as　to　her　spiritual　conditions；　early　in　life；　and　fought　the　battle

of　spiritual　independence　prematurely；　as　many　children　do。　　If　all

she　did　was　hateful　to　God；　what　was　the　meaning　of　the　approving　or

else　the　disapproving　conscience；　when　she　had　done　〃right〃　or

〃wrong〃？　　No　〃shoulder…striker〃　hits　out　straighter　than　a　child

with　its　logic。　　Why；　I　can　remember　lying　in　my　bed　in　the　nursery

and　settling　questions　which　all　that　I　have　heard　since　and　got　out

of　books　has　never　been　able　to　raise　again。　　If　a　child　does　not

assert　itself　in　this　way　in　good　season；　it　becomes　just　what　its

parents　or　teachers　were；　and　is　no　better　than　a　plastic　image。　

How　old　was　I　at　the　time？I　suppose　about　5823　years　old；that

is；　counting　from　Archbishop　Usher's　date　of　the　Creation；　and

adding　the　life　of　the　race；　whose　accumulated　intelligence　is　a

part　of　my　inheritance；　to　my　own。　　A　good　deal　older　than　Plato；

you　see；　and　much　more　experienced　than　my　Lord　Bacon　and　most　of

the　world's　teachers。　Old　books；　as　you　well　know；　are　books　of

the　world's　youth；　and　new　books　are　fruits　of　its　age。　　How　many　of

all　these　ancient　folios　round　me　are　like　so　many　old　cupels！　　The

gold　has　passed　out　of　them　long　ago；　but　their　pores　are　full　of

the　dross　with　which　it　was　mingled。



And　so　Irishaving　thrown　off　that　first　lasso　which　not　only

fetters；　but　chokes　those　whom　it　can　hold；　so　that　they　give

themselves　up　trembling　and　breathless　to　the　great　soul…subduer；

who　has　them　by　the　windpipe　had　settled　a　brief　creed　for　herself；

in　which　love　of　the　neighbor；　whom　we　have　seen；　was　the　first

article；　and　love　of　the　Creator；　whom　we　have　not　seen；　grew　out　of

this　as　its　natural　development；　being　necessarily　second　in　order

of　time　to　the　first　unselfish　emotions　which　we　feel　for　the

fellow…creatures　who　surround　us　in　our　early　years。



The　child　must　have　some　place　of　worship。　　What　would　a　young　girl

be　who　never　mingled　her　voice　with　the　songs　and　prayers　that　rose

all　around　her　with　every　returning　day　of　rest？　　And　Iris　was　free

to　choose。　　Sometimes　one　and　sometimes　another　would　offer　to　carry

her　to　this　or　that　place　of　worship；　and　when　the　doors　were

hospitably　opened；　she　would　often　go　meekly　in　by　herself。　　It　was

a　curious　fact；　that　two　churches　as　remote　from　each　other　in

doctrine　as　could　well　be　divided　her　affections。



The　Church　of　Saint　Polycarp　had　very　much　the　look　of　a　Roman

Catholic　chapel。　　I　do　not　wish　to　run　the　risk　of　giving　names　to

the　ecclesiastical　furniture　which　gave　it　such　a　Romish　aspect；　but

there　were　pictures；　and　inscriptions　in　antiquated　characters；　and

there　were　reading…stands；　and　flowers　on　the　altar；　and　other

elegant　arrangements。　　Then　there　were　boys　to　sing　alternately　in

choirs　responsive　to　each　other；　and　there　was　much　bowing；　with

very　loud　responding；　and　a　long　service　and　a　short　sermon；　and　a

bag；　such　as　Judas　used　to　hold　in　the　old　pictures；　was　carried

round　to　receive　contributions。　　Everything　was　done　not　only

〃decently　and　in　order；〃　but；　perhaps　one　might　say；　with　a　certain

air　of　magnifying　their　office　on　the　part　of　the　dignified

clergymen；　often　two　or　three　in　number。　　The　music　and　the　free

welcome　were　grateful　to　Iris；　and　she　forgot　her　prejudices　at　the

door　of　the　chapel。　　For　this　was　a　church　with　open　doors；　with

seats　for　all　classes　and　all　colors　alike；a　church　of　zealous

worshippers　after　their　faith；　of　charitable　and　serviceable　men　and

women；　one　that　took　care　of　its　children　and　never　forgot　its　poor；

and　whose　people　were　much　more　occupied　in　looking　out　for　their

own　souls　than　in　attacking　the　faith　of　their　neighbors。　　In　its

mode　of　worship　there　was　a　union　of　two　qualities；the　taste　and

refinement；　which　the　educated　require　just　as　much　in　their

churches　as　elsewhere；　and　the　air　of　stateliness；　almost　of　pomp；

which　impresses　the　common　worshipper；　and　is　often　not　without　its

effect　upon　those　who　think　they　hold　outward　forms　as　of　little

value。　　Under　the　half…Romish　aspect　of　the　Church　of　Saint

Polycarp；　the　young　girl　found　a　devout　and　loving　and　singularly

cheerful　religious　spirit。　　The　artistic　sense；　which　betrayed

itself　in　the　dramatic　proprieties　of　its　ritual；　harmonized　with

her　taste。　　The　mingled　murmur　of　the　loud　responses；　in　those

rhythmic　phrases；　so　simple；　yet　so　fervent；　almost　as　if　every

tenth　heart…beat；　instead　of　its　dull　tic…tac；　articulated　itself　as

〃Good　Lord；　deliver　us！　　〃the　sweet　alternation　of　the　two　choirs；

as　their　holy　song　floated　from　side　to　side；　the　keen　young　voices

rising　like　a　flight　of　singing…birds　that　passes　from　one　grove　to

another；　carrying　its　music　with　it　back　and　forward；why　should

she　not　love　these　gracious　outward　signs　of　those　inner　harmonies

which　none　could　deny　made　beautiful　the　lives　of　many　of　her

fellow…worshippers　in　the　humble；　yet　not　inelegant　Chapel　of　Saint

Polycarp？



The　you