autobiography of a pocket-handkerchief-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


preparatory　schooling；　in　order　that　my　mind　might　be　prepared　for　its
own　avenir；　and　not　be　blinded　by　an　undue　appreciation　of　the
importance　of　its　future　associates。　I　know　there　are　those　who　will
sneer　at　the　supposition　of　a　pocket…handkerchief　possessing　any　mind；
or　esprit；　at　all；　but　let　such　have　patience　and　read　on；　when　I　hope　it
will　be　in　my　power　to　demonstrate　their　error。

｛avenir　=　future；　esprit　=　soul　or　vital　spirit　｝



CHAPTER　II。

It　is　scarcely　necessary　to　dwell　on　the　scenes　which　occurred　between
the　time　I　first　sprang　from　the　earth　and　that　in　which　I　was　〃pulled。〃
The　latter　was　a　melancholy　day　for　me；　however；　arriving　prematurely
as　regarded　my　vegetable　state；　since　it　was　early　determined　that　I　was
to　be　spun　into　threads　of　unusual　fineness。　I　will　only　say；　here；　that　my
youth　was　a　period　of　innocent　pleasures；　during　which　my　chief　delight
was　to　exhibit　my　simple　but　beautiful　flowers；　in　honor　of　the　hand　that
gave　them　birth。

At　the　proper　season；　the　whole　field　was　laid　low；　when　a　scene　of
hurry　and　confusion　succeeded；　to　which　I　find　it　exceedingly　painful　to
turn　in　memory。　The　〃rotting〃　was　the　most　humiliating　part　of　the
process　which　followed；　though；　in　our　case；　this　was　done　in　clear
running　water；　and　the　〃crackling〃　the　most　uncomfortable。　Happily；　we
were　spared　the　anguish　which　ordinarily　accompanies　breaking　on　the
wheel；　though　we　could　not　be　said　to　have　entirely　escaped　from　all　its
parade。　Innocence　was　our　shield；　and　while　we　endured　some　of　the
disgrace　that　attaches　to　mere　forms；　we　had　that　consolation　of　which
no　cruelty　or　device　can　deprive　the　unoffending。　Our　sorrows　were　not
heightened　by　the　consciousness　of　undeserving。

｛〃rotting〃　was。。。　=　to　prepare　flax　for　weaving　as　linen　it　is　softened
（technically；　〃retted〃）　by　soaking　in　water；　separated　from　its　woody
fibers　by　beating　（〃scutched〃this　seems　to　be　what　Cooper　means　by
〃crackling〃）；　and　finally　combed　（〃hatcheled〃）｝

There　is　a　period；　which　occurred　between　the　time　of　being　〃hatcheled〃
and　that　of　being　〃woven；〃　that　it　exceeds　my　powers　to　delineate。　All
around　me　seemed　to　be　in　a　state　of　inextricable　confusion；　out　of
which　order　finally　appeared　in　the　shape　of　a　piece　of　cambric；　of　a
quality　that　brought　the　workmen　far　and　near　to　visit　it。　We　were　a
single　family　of　only　twelve；　in　this　rare　fabric；　among　which　I　remember
that　I　occupied　the　seventh　place　in　the　order　of　arrangement；　and　of
course　in　the　order　of　seniority　also。　When　properly　folded；　and
bestowed　in　a　comfortable　covering；　our　time　passed　pleasantly　enough；
being　removed　from　all　disagreeable　sights　and　smells；　and　lodged　in　a
place　of　great　security；　and　indeed　of　honor；　men　seldom　failing　to
bestow　this　attention　on　their　valuables。

｛cambric　=　a　fine　white　linen；　originally　from　Cambray　in　Flanders｝

It　is　out　of　my　power　to　say　precisely　how　long　we　remained　in　this
passive　state　in　the　hands　of　the　manufacturer。　It　was　some　weeks；
however；　if　not　months；　during　which　our　chief　communications　were　on
the　chances　of　our　future　fortunes。　Some　of　our　number　were　ambitious；
and　would　hear　to　nothing　but　the　probability；　nay；　the　certainty；　of　our
being　purchased；　as　soon　as　our　arrival　in　Paris　should　be　made　known；
by　the　king；　in　person；　and　presented　to　the　dauphine；　then　the　first　lady
in　France。　The　virtues　of　the　Duchesse　d'Angouleme　were　properly
appreciated　by　some　of　us；　while　I　discovered　that　others　entertained
for　her　any　feelings　but　those　of　veneration　and　respect。　This　diversity　of
opinion；　on　a　subject　of　which　one　would　think　none　of　us　very　well
qualified　to　be　judges；　was　owing　to　a　circumstance　of　such　every…day
occurrence　as　almost　to　supersede　the　necessity　of　telling　it；　though　the
narrative　would　be　rendered　more　complete　by　an　explanation。

｛Dauphine　=　Crown　Princess；　Duchesse　d'Angouleme　=　Marie　Therese
Charlotte　（1778…1851）；　the　Dauphine；　daughter　of　King　Louis　XVI　and
wife　of　Louis　Antoine　of　Artois；　Duke　of　Angouleme；　eldest　son　of　King
Charles　Xshe　lost　her　chance　to　become　queen　when　her　father…in…
law　abdicated　the　French　throne　in　1830Napoleon　said　of　her　that
she　was　〃the　only　man　in　her　family〃｝

It　happened；　while　we　lay　in　the　bleaching　grounds；　that　one　half　of　the
piece　extended　into　a　part　of　the　field　that　came　under　the　management
of　a　legitimist；　while　the　other　invaded　the　dominions　of　a　liberal。　Neither
of　these　persons　had　any　concern　with　us；　we　being　under　the　special
superintendence　of　the　head　workman；　but　it　was　impossible；　altogether
impossible；　to　escape　the　consequences　of　our　locales。　While　the
legitimist　read　nothing　but　the　Moniteur；　the　liberal　read　nothing　but　Le
Temps；　a　journal　then　recently　established；　in　the　supposed　interests　of
human　freedom。　Each　of　these　individuals　got　a　paper　at　a　certain　hour；
which　he　read　with　as　much　manner　as　he　could　command；　and　with
singular　perseverance　as　related　to　the　difficulties　to　be　overcome；　to　a
clientele　of　bleachers；　who　reasoned　as　he　reasoned；　swore　by　his
oaths；　and　finally　arrived　at　all　his　conclusions。　The　liberals　had　the　best
of　it　as　to　numbers；　and　possibly　as　to　wit；　the　Moniteur　possessing　all
the　dullness　of　official　dignity　under　all　the　dynasties　and　ministries　that
have　governed　France　since　its　establishment。　My　business；　however；　is
with　the　effect　produced　on　the　pocket…handkerchiefs；　and　not　with　that
produced　on　the　laborers。　The　two　extremes　were　regular　cotes
gauches　and　cotes　droits。　In　other　words；　all　at　the　right　end　of　the
piece　became　devoted　Bourbonists；　devoutly　believing　that　princes；
who　were　daily　mentioned　with　so　much　reverence　and　respect；　could
be　nothing　else　but　perfect；　while　the　opposite　extreme　were　disposed
to　think　that　nothing　good　could　come　of　Nazareth。　In　this　way；　four　of
our　number　became　decided　politicians；　not　only　entertaining　a
sovereign　contempt　for　the　sides　they　respectively　opposed；　but
beginning　to　feel　sensations　approaching　to　hatred　for　each　other。

｛bleaching　grounds　=　open　spaces　where　newly　woven　linen　is　spread
to　whiten　in　the　sun；　legitimist。。。。　=　this　paragraph　refers　to
controversies；　before　the　French　〃July　Revolution〃　of　1830；　between
rightist　（〃cote　droit〃　=　right　side）　legitimists；　who　read　the　official
〃Moniteur〃　newspaper　and　supported　the　absolutist　Bourbon　monarchy
of　King　Charles　X；　and　leftist　（〃cote　gauche〃　=　left　side）　liberals；　who
read　〃Le　Temps〃　and　argued　for　reform　or　revolution；　〃nothing　good
could　come　of　Nazareth〃　=　from　the　Bible；　John；　I；　46：　〃Can　any　good
thing　come　out　of　Nazareth〃｝

The　reader　will　readily　understand　that　these　feelings　lessened　toward
the　centre　of　the　piece；　acquiring　most　intensity　at　the　extremes。　I　may
be　said；　myself；　to　have　belonged　to　the　centre　gauche；　that　being　my
accidental　position　in　the　fabric；　when　it　was　a　natural　consequence　to
obtain　sentiments　of　this　shade。　It　will　be　seen；　in　the　end；　how
prominent　were　these　early　impressions；　and　how　far　it　is　worth　while
for　mere　pocket…handkerchiefs　to　throw　away　their　time；　and　permit
their　feelings　to　become　excited　concerning　interests　that　they　are
certainly　not　destined　to　control；　and　about　which；　under　the　most
favorable　circumstances；　they　seldom　obtain　other　than　very
questionable　information。

｛centre　gauche　=　center　left；　i。e。；　moderate　left｝

It　followed　from　this　state　of　feeling；　that　the　notion　we　were　about　to
fall　into　the　hands　of　the　unfortunate　daughter　of　Louis　XVI　excited
considerable　commotion　and　disgust　among　us。　Though　very　moderate
in　my　political　antipathies　and　predilections；　I　confess　to　some
excitement　in　my　own　case；　declaring　that　if　royalty　WAS　to　be　my　lot；
I　would　prefer　not　to　ascend　any　higher　on　the　scale　than　to　become　the
property　of　that　excellent　princess；　Amelie；　who　then　presided　in　the
Palais　Royal；　the　daughter　and　sister　of　a　king；　but　with　as　little
prospects　as　desires　of　becoming　a　queen　in　her　own　person。　This　wish
of　mine　was　treated　as　groveling；　and　even　worse　than　republican；　by
the　cote　droit　of　our　piece；　while　the　cote　gauche　sneered　at　it　as
m