the professor at the breakfast table-第8节

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domestic　influences。



The　divinity…student　turned　towards　me；　looking　mischievous。　Can

you　tell　me；he　said；who　wrote　a　song　for　a　temperance　celebration

once；　of　which　the　following　is　a　verse？



　　　　　Alas　for　the　loved　one；　too　gentle　and　fair

　　　　　The　joys　of　the　banquet　to　chasten　and　share！

　　　　　Her　eye　lost　its　light　that　his　goblet　might　shine；

　　　　　And　the　rose　of　her　cheek　was　dissolved　in　his　wine！



I　did；I　answered。　What　are　you　going　to　do　about　it？I　will　tell

you　another　line　I　wrote　long　ago：



　　　　　Don't　be　〃consistent；〃but　be　simply　true。



The　longer　I　live；　the　more　I　am　satisfied　of　two　things：　first；　that

the　truest　lives　are　those　that　are　cut　rose…diamond…fashion；　with

many　facets　answering　to　the　many…planed　aspects　of　the　world　about

them；　secondly；　that　society　is　always　trying　in　some　way　or　other　to

grind　us　down　to　a　single　flat　surface。　　It　is　hard　work　to　resist

this　grinding…down　action。　Now　give　me　a　chance。　　Better　eternal

and　universal　abstinence　than　the　brutalities　of　those　days　that　made

wives　and　mothers　and　daughters　and　sisters　blush　for　those　whom　they

should　have　honored；　as　they　came　reeling　home　from　their　debauches！

Yet　better　even　excess　than　lying　and　hypocrisy；　and　if　wine　is　upon

all　our　tables；　let　us　praise　it　for　its　color　and　fragrance　and

social　tendency；　so　far　as　it　deserves；　and　not　hug　a　bottle　in　the

closet　and　pretend　not　to　know　the　use　of　a　wine…glass　at　a　public

dinner！　　I　think　you　will　find　that　people　who　honestly　mean　to　be

true　really　contradict　themselves　much　more　rarely　than　those　who　try

to　be　〃consistent。〃　　But　a　great　many　things　we　say　can　be　made　to

appear　contradictory；　simply　because　they　are　partial　views　of　a

truth；　and　may　often　look　unlike　at　first；　as　a　front　view　of　a　face

and　its　profile　often　do。



Here　is　a　distinguished　divine；　for　whom　I　have　great　respect；　for　I

owe　him　a　charming　hour　at　one　of　our　literary　anniversaries；　and　he

has　often　spoken　noble　words；　but　he　holds　up　a　remark　of　my　friend

the　〃Autocrat；〃which　I　grieve　to　say　he　twice　misquotes；　by

omitting　the　very　word　which　gives　it　its　significance；the　word

fluid；　intended　to　typify　the　mobility　of　the　restricted　will；holds

it　up；　I　say；　as　if　it　attacked　the　reality　of　the　self…determining

principle；　instead　of　illustrating　its　limitations　by　an　image。　　Now

I　will　not　explain　any　farther；　still　less　defend；　and　least　of　all

attack；　but　simply　quote　a　few　lines　from　one　of　my　friend's　poems；

printed　more　than　ten　years　ago；　and　ask　the　distinguished　gentleman

where　he　has　ever　asserted　more　strongly　or　absolutely　the

independent　will　of　the　〃subcreative　centre；〃　as　my　heretical　friend

has　elsewhere　called　man。



　　　　　Thought；　conscience；　will；　to　make　them　all　thy　own

　　　　　He　rent　a　pillar　from　the　eternal　throne！

　　　　　Made　in　His　image；　thou　must　nobly　dare

　　　　　The　thorny　crown　of　sovereignty　to　share。

　　　　　Think　not　too　meanly　of　thy　low　estate；

　　　　　Thou　hast　a　choice；　to　choose　is　to　create！



If　he　will　look　a　little　closely；　he　will　see　that　the　profile　and

the　full…face　views　of　the　will　are　both　true　and　perfectly

consistent！



Now　let　us　come　back；　after　this　long　digression；　to　the　conversation

with　the　intelligent　Englishman。　　We　begin　skirmishing　with　a　few

light　ideas；testing　for　thoughts；as　our　electro…chemical　friend；

De　Sauty；　if　there　were　such　a　person；　would　test　for　his　current；

trying　a　little　litmus…paper　for　acids；　and　then　a　slip　of　turmeric…

paper　for　alkalies；　as　chemists　do　with　unknown　compounds；　flinging

the　lead；　and　looking　at　the　shells　and　sands　it　brings　up　to　find

out　whether　we　are　like　to　keep　in　shallow　water；　or　shall　have　to

drop　the　deep…sea　line；in　short；　seeing　what　we　have　to　deal　with。

If　the　Englishman　gets　his　H's　pretty　well　placed；　he　comes　from　one

of　the　higher　grades　of　the　British　social　order；　and　we　shall　find

him　a　good　companion。



But；　after　all；　here　is　a　great　fact　between　us。　　We　belong　to　two

different　civilizations；　and；　until　we　recognize　what　separates　us；

we　are　talking　like　Pyramus　and　Thisbe；　without　any　hole　in　the　wall

to　talk　through。　　Therefore；　on　the　whole；　if　he　were　a　superior

fellow；　incapable　of　mistaking　it　for　personal　conceit；　I　think　I

would　let　out　the　fact　of　the　real　American　feeling　about　Old…World

folks。　　They　are　children　to　us　in　certain　points　of　view。　　They　are

playing　with　toys　we　have　done　with　for　whole…generations。





FOOTNOTE：



The　more　I　have　observed　and　reflected；　the　more　limited　seems　to　me

the　field　of　action　of　the　human　will。　Every　act　of　choice　involves　a

special　relation　between　the　ego　and　the　conditions　before　it。　　But

no　man　knows　what　forces　are　at　work　in　the　determination　of　his　ego。

The　bias　which　decides　his　choice　between　two　or　more　motives　may

come　from　some　unsuspected　ancestral　source；　of　which　he　knows

nothing　at　all。　　He　is　automatic　in　virtue　of　that　hidden　spring　of

reflex　action；　all　the　time　having　the　feeling　that　he　is　self…

determining。　　The　Story　of　Elsie　Yenner；　written…soon　after　this　book

was　published；　illustrates　the　direction　in　which　my　thought　was

moving。　　'The　imaginary　subject　of　the　story　obeyed　her　will；　but　her

will　Obeyed　the　mysterious　antenatal　poisoning　influence。





That　silly　little　drum　they　are　always　beating　on；　and　the　trumpet

and　the　feather　they　make　so　much　noise　and　cut　such　a　figure　with；

we　have　not　quite　outgrown；　but　play　with　much　less　seriously　and

constantly　than　they　do。　　Then　there　is　a　whole　museum　of　wigs；　and

masks；　and　lace…coats；　and　gold…sticks；　and　grimaces；　and　phrases；

which　we　laugh　at　honestly；　without　affectation；　that　are　still　used

in　the　Old…World　puppet…shows。　　I　don't　think　we　on　our　part　ever

understand　the　Englishman's　concentrated　loyalty　and　specialized

reverence。　　But　then　we　do　think　more　of　a　man；　as　such；　（barring

some　little　difficulties　about　race　and　complexion　which　the

Englishman　will　touch　us　on　presently；）　than　any　people　that　ever

lived　did　think　of　him。　　Our　reverence　is　a　great　deal　wider；　if　it

is　less　intense。　　We　have　caste　among　us；　to　some　extent；　it　is　true；

but　there　is　never　a　collar　on　the　American　wolf…dog　such　as　you

often　see　on　the　English　mastiff；　notwithstanding　his　robust；　hearty

individuality。



This　confronting　of　two　civilizations　is　always　a　grand　sensation　to

me；　it　is　like　cutting　through　the　isthmus　and　letting　the　two　oceans

swim　into　each　other's　laps。　　The　trouble　is；　it　is　so　difficult　to

let　out　the　whole　American　nature　without　its　self…assertion　seeming

to　take　a　personal　character。　　But　I　never　enjoy　the　Englishman　so

much　as　when　he　talks　of　church　and　king　like　Manco　Capac　among　the

Peruvians。　　Then　you　get　the　real　British　flavor；　which　the

cosmopolite　Englishman　loses。



How　much　better　this　thorough　interpenetration　of　ideas　than　a　barren

interchange　of　courtesies；　or　a　bush…fighting　argument；　in　which　each

man　tries　to　cover　as　much　of　himself　and　expose　as　much　of　his

opponent　as　the　tangled　thicket　of　the　disputed　ground　will　let　him！



…My　thoughts　flow　in　layers　or　strata；　at　least　three　deep。　　I

follow　a　slow　person's　talk；　and　keep　a　perfectly　clear　under…current

of　my　own　beneath　it。　　Under　both　runs　obscurely　a　consciousness

belonging　to　a　third　train　of　reflections；　independent　of　the　two

others。　　I　will　try　to　write　out　a　Mental　movement　in　three　parts。



A。　…First　voice；　or　Mental　Soprano；thought　follows　a　woman

talking。



B。　Second　voice；　or　Mental　Barytone；my　running　accompaniment。



C。　Third　voice；　or　Mental　Basso；low　grumble　of　importunate　self…

repeating　idea。



A。　White　lace；　three　skirts；　looped　with　flowers；　wreath　of　apple…

blossoms；　gold　bracelets；　diamond　pin　and　ear…rings；　the　most

delicious　berthe　you　ever　saw；　white　satin　slippers…



B。　Deuse　take　her！　　What　a　fool　she　is！　　Hear　her　chatter！　　（Look

out　of　window　just　here。　Two　pages　and　a　half　of　description；　if　it

were　all　written　out；　in　one　tenth　of　a　second。）Go　ahead；　old　lady！

（Eye　catches　picture　over　fireplace。）　There's　that　infernal　family

nose！　　Came　over　in　the　〃Mayflower〃　on　the　first　old　fool's　face。

Why　don't　they　wear　a　ring　in　it？



C。　You　'll　be　late　at　lecture；late　at　lecture；late；late…



I　observe　that　a　deep　layer　of　thought　sometimes　makes　itself　felt

through　the　superincumbent　strata；　thus：The　usual　single　or　double

currents　shall　flow　on；　but　there　shall　be　an　influence　blending　with

them；　disturbing　them　in　an　obscure　way；　until　all　at　once　I　say；

Oh；　there！　　I　knew　there　was　something　troubling　me；and　the　thought

which　had　been　working　through　comes　up　to　the　surface　clear；

definite；　and　articulates　itself；a　disagreeable　duty；　perhaps；　or

an　unpleasant　recollection。



The　inner　world　of　thought　and　the　outer　world　of　events　are　alike　in

this；　that　they　are　both　brimful。　　There　is