the professor at the breakfast table-第5节

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application；　and　to　afford　a　fair　opening　for　a　lively　rejoinder；　if

the　Koh…i…noor　had　been　so　disposed。　　The　little　man　uttered　it　with

the　distinct　wooden　calmness　with　which　the　ingenious　Turk　used　to

exclaim；　E…chec！　so　that　it　must　have　been　heard。　　The　party　supposed

to　be　interested　in　the　remark　was；　however；　carrying　a　large　knife…

bladeful　of　something　to　his　mouth　just　then；　which；　no　doubt；

interfered　with　the　reply　he　would　have　made。



My　friend　who　used　to　board　here　was　accustomed　sometimes；　in　a

pleasant　way；　to　call　himself　the　Autocrat　of　the　table；meaning；　I

suppose；　that　he　had　it　all　his　own　way　among　the　boarders。　　I　think

our　small　boarder　here　is　like　to　prove　a　refractory　subject；　if　I

undertake　to　use　the　sceptre　my　friend　meant　to　bequeath　me；　too

magisterially。　　I　won't　deny　that　sometimes；　on　rare　occasions；　when

I　have　been　in　company　with　gentlemen　who　preferred　listening；　I　have

been　guilty　of　the　same　kind　of　usurpation　which　my　friend　openly

justified。　　But　I　maintain；　that　I；　the　Professor；　am　a　good

listener。　　If　a　man　can　tell　me　a　fact　which　subtends　an　appreciable

angle　in　the　horizon　of　thought；　I　am　as　receptive　as　the

contribution…box　in　a　congregation　of　colored　brethren。　　If；　when　I

am　exposing　my　intellectual　dry…goods；　a　man　will　begin　a　good　story；

I　will　have　them　all　in；　and　my　shutters　up；　before　he　has　got　to　the

fifth　〃says　he；〃　and　listen　like　a　three…years'　child；　as　the　author

of　the　〃Old　Sailor〃　says。　　I　had　rather　hear　one　of　those　grand

elemental　laughs　from　either　of　our　two　Georges；　（fictitious　names；

Sir　or　Madam；）　glisten　to　one　of　those　old　playbills　of　our　College

days；　in　which　〃Tom　and　Jerry〃　（〃Thomas　and　Jeremiah；〃　as　the　old

Greek　Professor　was　said　to　call　it）　was　announced　to　be　brought　on

the　stage　with　whole　force　of　the　Faculty；　read　by　our　Frederick；　（no

such　person；　of　course；）　than　say　the　best　things　I　might　by　any

chance　find　myself　capable　of　saying。　　Of　course；　if　I　come　across　a

real　thinker；　a　suggestive；　acute；　illuminating；　informing　talker；　I

enjoy　the　luxury　of　sitting　still　for　a　while　as　much　as　another。



Nobody　talks　much　that　does　n't　say　unwise　things；things　he　did　not

mean　to　say；　as　no　person　plays　much　without　striking　a　false　note

sometimes。　　Talk；　to　me；　is　only　spading　up　the　ground　for　crops　of

thought。　　I　can't　answer　for　what　will　turn　up。　　If　I　could；　it　would

n't　be　talking；　but　〃speaking　my　piece。〃　　Better；　I　think；　the　hearty

abandonment　of　one's　self　to　the　suggestions　of　the　moment　at　the

risk　of　an　occasional　slip　of　the　tongue；　perceived　the　instant　it

escapes；　but　just　one　syllable　too　late；　than　the　royal　reputation　of

never　saying　a　foolish　thing。



What　shall　I　do　with　this　little　man？There　is　only　one　thing　to

do；and　that　is　to　let　him　talk　when　he　will。　　The　day　of　the

〃Autocrat's〃　monologues　is　over。



My　friend；said　I　to　the　young　fellow　whom；　as　I　have　said；　the

boarders　call　〃John；〃My　friend；I　said；　one　morning；　after

breakfast；can　you　give　me　any　information　respecting　the　deformed

person　who　sits　at　the　other　end　of　the　table？



What！　the　Sculpin？said　the　young　fellow。



The　diminutive　person；　with　angular　curvature　of　the　spine；I　said；…

…and　double　talipes　varus；I　beg　your　pardon；with　two　club…feet。



Is　that　long　word　what　you　call　it　when　a　fellah　walks　so？said　the

young　man；　making　his　fists　revolve　round　an　imaginary　axis；　as　you

may　have　seen　youth　of　tender　age　and　limited　pugilistic　knowledge；

when　they　show　how　they　would　punish　an　adversary；　themselves

protected　by　this　rotating　guard；the　middle　knuckle；　meantime；

thumb…supported；　fiercely　prominent；　death…threatening。



It　is；said　I。　But　would　you　have　the　kindness　to　tell　me　if　you

know　anything　about　this　deformed　person？



About　the　Sculpin？said　the　young　fellow。



My　good　friend；said　I；I　am　sure；　by　your　countenance；　you　would

not　hurt　the　feelings　of　one　who　has　been　hardly　enough　treated　by

Nature　to　be　spared　by　his　fellows。　　Even　in　speaking　of　him　to

others；　I　could　wish　that　you　might　not　employ　a　term　which　implies

contempt　for　what　should　inspire　only　pity。



A　fellah　's　no　business　to　be　so　crooked；said　the　young　man　called

John。



Yes；　yes；I　said；　thoughtfully；the　strong　hate　the　weak。　　It's　all

right。　　The　arrangement　has　reference　to　the　race；　and　not　to　the

individual。　　Infirmity　must　be　kicked　out；　or　the　stock　run　down。

Wholesale　moral　arrangements　are　so　different　from　retail！　I

understand　the　instinct；　my　friend；it　is　cosmic；it　is　planetary；…

…it　is　a　conservative　principle　in　creation。



The　young　fellow's　face　gradually　lost　its　expression　as　I　was

speaking；　until　it　became　as　blank　of　vivid　significance　as　the

countenance　of　a　gingerbread　rabbit　with　two　currants　in　the　place　of

eyes。　　He　had　not　taken　my　meaning。



Presently　the　intelligence　came　back　with　a　snap　that　made　him　wink；

as　he　answered；Jest　so。　　All　right。　　A　1。　　Put　her　through。　　That's

the　way　to　talk。　　Did　you　speak　to　me；　Sir？Here　the　young　man

struck　up　that　well…known　song　which　I　think　they　used　to　sing　at

Masonic　festivals；　beginning；　〃Aldiborontiphoscophornio；　Where　left

you　Chrononhotonthologos？　〃



I　beg　your　pardon；I　said；all　I　meant　was；　that　men；　as　temporary

occupants　of　a　permanent　abode　called　human　life；　which　is　improved

or　injured　by　occupancy；　according　to　the　style　of　tenant；　have　a

natural　dislike　to　those　who；　if　they　live　the　life　of　the　race　as

well　as　of　the　individual；　will　leave　lasting　injurious　effects　upon

the　abode　spoken　of；　which　is　to　be　occupied　by　countless　future

generations。　　This　is　the　final　cause　of　the　underlying　brute

instinct　which　we　have　in　common　with　the　herds。



The　gingerbread…rabbit　expression　was　coming　on　so　fast；　that　I

thought　I　must　try　again。　It's　a　pity　that　families　are　kept　up；

where　there　are　such　hereditary　infirmities。　　Still；　let　us　treat

this　poor　man　fairly；　and　not　call　him　names。　　Do　you　know　what　his

name　is？



I　know　what　the　rest　of　'em　call　him；said　the　young　fellow。　They

call　him　Little　Boston。　　There's　no　harm　in　that；　is　there？



It　is　an　honorable　term；I　replied。　But　why　Little　Boston；　in　a

place　where　most　are　Bostonians？



Because　nobody　else　is　quite　so　Boston　all　over　as　he　is；said　the

young　fellow。



〃L。　B。　　Ob。　1692。〃Little　Boston　let　him　be；　when　we　talk　about　him。

The　ring　he　wears　labels　him　well　enough。　　There　is　stuff　in　the

little　man；　or　he　would　n't　stick　so　manfully　by　this　crooked；

crotchety　old　town。　　Give　him　a　chance。　You　will　drop　the　Sculpin；

won't　you？I　said　to　the　young　fellow。



Drop　him？he　answered；I　ha'n't　took　him　up　yet。



No；　no；the　term；I　said；the　term。　　Don't　call　him　so　any　more；

if　you　please。　　Call　him　Little　Boston；　if　you　like。



All　right；said　the　young　fellow。　I　would　n't　be　hard　on　the　poor

little…



The　word　he　used　was　objectionable　in　point　of　significance　and　of

grammar。　　It　was　a　frequent　termination　of　certain　adjectives　among

the　Romans；as　of　those　designating　a　person　following　the　sea；　or

given　to　rural　pursuits。　　It　is　classed　by　custom　among　the　profane

words；　why；　it　is　hard　to　say；but　it　is　largely　used　in　the　street

by　those　who　speak　of　their　fellows　in　pity　or　in　wrath。



I　never　heard　the　young　fellow　apply　the　name　of　the　odious　pretended

fish　to　the　little　man　from　that　day　forward。



Here　we　are；　then；　at　our　boardinghouse。　　First；　myself；　the

Professor；　a　little　way　from　the　head　of　the　table；　on　the　right；

looking　down；　where　the　〃Autocrat〃　used　to　sit。　　At　the　further　end

sits　the　Landlady。　　At　the　head　of　the　table；　just　now；　the　Koh…i…

noor；　or　the　gentleman　with　the　diamond。　　Opposite　me　is　a　Venerable

Gentleman　with　a　bland　countenance；　who　as　yet　has　spoken　little。

The　Divinity　Student　is　my　neighbor　on　the　right；and　further　down；

that　Young　Fellow　of　whom　I　have　repeatedly　spoken。　　The　Landlady's

Daughter　sits　near　the　Koh…i…noor；　as　I　said。　　The　Poor　Relation　near

the　Landlady。　　At　the　right　upper　corner　is　a　fresh…looking　youth　of

whose　name　and　history　I　have　as　yet　learned　nothing。　　Next　the

further　left…hand　corner；　near　the　lower　end　of　the　table；　sits　the

deformed　person。　　The　chair　at　his　side；　occupying　that　corner；　is

empty。　　I　need　not　specially　mention　the　other　boarders；　with　the

exception　of　Benjamin　Franklin；　the　landlady's　son；　who　sits　near　his

mother。　　We　are　a　tolerably　assorted　set；difference　enough　and

likeness　enough；　but　still　it　seems　to　me　there　is　something　wanting。

The　Landlady's　Daughter　is　the　prima　donna　in　the　way　of　feminine

attractions。　　I　am　not　quite　satisfied　with　this　young　lady。　　She

wears　more　〃jewelry；〃　as　certain　young　ladies　call　their　trinkets；

than　I　care　to　see　on　a　person　in　her　position。　　Her　voice　is

strident；　her　laugh　too　much　like　a　giggle；　and　she　has　that　foolish

way　of　dancing　and　bobbing　like　a　quill…fl