the poet at the breakfast table-第13章

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presents　now　and　then。　　Three　or　four　years　ago　they　sent　her　a
silver　waiter；　and　every　Christmas　they　sent　her　a　boquet；it　must
cost　as　much　as　five　dollars；　the　Landlady　thought。

And　how　did　the　Lady　receive　these　valuable　and　useful　gifts？

Every　Christmas　she　got　out　the　silver　waiter　and　borrowed　a　glass
tumbler　and　filled　it　with　water；　and　put　the　boquet　in　it　and　set　it
on　the　waiter。　　It　smelt　sweet　enough　and　looked　pretty　for　a　day　or
two；　but　the　Landlady　thought　it　wouldn't　have　hurt　'em　if　they'd
sent　a　piece　of　goods　for　a　dress；　or　at　least　a　pocket…handkercher
or　two；　or　something　or　other　that　she　could　'a'　made　some　kind　of
use　of；　but　beggars　must　n't　be　choosers；　not　that　she　was　a　beggar；
for　she'd　sooner　die　than　do　that　if　she　was　in　want　of　a　meal　of
victuals。　　There　was　a　lady　I　remember；　and　she　had　a　little　boy　and
she　was　a　widow；　and　after　she'd　buried　her　husband　she　was　dreadful
poor；　and　she　was　ashamed　to　let　her　little　boy　go　out　in　his　old
shoes；　and　copper…toed　shoes　they　was　too；　because　his　poor　little
tentoeswas　a　coming　out　of　'em；　and　what　do　you　think　my
husband's　rich　uncle；well；　there　now；　it　was　me　and　my　little
Benjamin；　as　he　was　then；　there's　no　use　in　hiding　of　it；and　what
do　you　think　my　husband's　uncle　sent　me　but　a　plaster　of　Paris　image
of　a　young　woman；　that　was；well；　her　appearance　wasn't　respectable；
and　I　had　to　take　and　wrap　her　up　in　a　towel　and　poke　her　right　into
my　closet；　and　there　she　stayed　till　she　got　her　head　broke　and
served　her　right；　for　she　was　n't　fit　to　show　folks。　　You　need　n't
say　anything　about　what　I　told　you；　but　the　fact　is　I　was　desperate
poor　before　I　began　to　support　myself　taking　boarders；　and　a　lone
woman　without　herher

The　sentence　plunged　into　the　gulf　of　her　great　remembered　sorrow；
and　was　lost　to　the　records　of　humanity。

Presently　she　continued　in　answer　to　my　questions：　The　Lady　was　not
very　sociable；　kept　mostly　to　herself。　　The　Young　Girl　（our
Scheherezade）　used　to　visit　her　sometimes；　and　they　seemed　to　like
each　other；　but　the　Young　Girl　had　not　many　spare　hours　for　visiting。
The　Lady　never　found　fault；　but　she　was　very　nice　in　her　tastes；　and
kept　everything　about　her　looking　as　neat　and　pleasant　as　she　could。

…What　did　she　do？Why；　she　read；　and　she　drew　pictures；　and　she
did　needlework　patterns；　and　played　on　an　old　harp　she　had；　the　gilt
was　mostly　off；　but　it　sounded　very　sweet；　and　she　sung　to　it
sometimes；　those　old　songs　that　used　to　be　in　fashion　twenty　or
thirty　years　ago；　with　words　to　'em　that　folks　could　understand。

Did　she　do　anything　to　help　support　herself　？The　Landlady　couldn't
say　she　did；　but　she　thought　there　was　rich　people　enough　that　ought
to　buy　the　flowers　and　things　she　worked　and　painted。

All　this　points　to　the　fact　that　she　was　bred　to　be　an　ornamental
rather　than　what　is　called　a　useful　member　of　society。　　This　is　all
very　well　so　long　as　fortune　favors　those　who　are　chosen　to　be　the
ornamental　personages；　but　if　the　golden　tide　recedes　and　leaves　them
stranded；　they　are　more　to　be　pitied　than　almost　any　other　class。　　〃I
cannot　dig；　to　beg　I　am　ashamed。〃

I　think　it　is　unpopular　in　this　country　to　talk　much　about　gentlemen
and　gentlewomen。　　People　are　touchy　about　social　distinctions；　which
no　doubt　are　often　invidious　and　quite　arbitrary　and　accidental；　but
which　it　is　impossible　to　avoid　recognizing　as　facts　of　natural
history。　　Society　stratifies　itself　everywhere；　and　the　stratum　which
is　generally　recognized　as　the　uppermost　will　be　apt　to　have　the
advantage　in　easy　grace　of　manner　and　in　unassuming　confidence；　and
consequently　be　more　agreeable　in　the　superficial　relations　of　life。
To　compare　these　advantages　with　the　virtues　and　utilities　would　be
foolish。　　Much　of　the　noblest　work　in　life　is　done　by　ill…dressed；
awkward；　ungainly　persons；　but　that　is　no　more　reason　for
undervaluing　good　manners　and　what　we　call　high…breeding；　than　the
fact　that　the　best　part　of　the　sturdy　labor　of　the　world　is　done　by
men　with　exceptionable　hands　is　to　be　urged　against　the　use　of　Brown
Windsor　as　a　preliminary　to　appearance　in　cultivated　society。

I　mean　to　stand　up　for　this　poor　lady；　whose　usefulness　in　the　world
is　apparently　problematical。　　She　seems　to　me　like　a　picture　which
has　fallen　from　its　gilded　frame　and　lies；　face　downward；　on　the
dusty　floor。　　The　picture　never　was　as　needful　as　a　window　or　a　door；
but　it　was　pleasant　to　see　it　in　its　place；　and　it　would　be　pleasant
to　see　it　there　again；　and　I；　for　one；　should　be　thankful　to　have　the
Lady　restored　by　some　turn　of　fortune　to　the　position　from　which　she
has　been　so　cruelly　cast　down。

I　have　asked　the　Landlady　about　the　young　man　sitting　near　her；　the
same　who　attracted　my　attention　the　other　day　while　I　was　talking；　as
I　mentioned。　　He　passes　most　of　his　time　in　a　private　observatory；　it
appears；　a　watcher　of　the　stars。　　That　I　suppose　gives　the　peculiar
look　to　his　lustrous　eyes。　　The　Master　knows　him　and　was　pleased　to
tell　me　something　about　him。

You　call　yourself　a　Poet；he　said；and　we　call　you　so；　too；　and　so
you　are；　I　read　your　verses　and　like　'em。　　But　that　young　man　lives
in　a　world　beyond　the　imagination　of　poets；　let　me　tell　you。　　The
daily　home　of　his　thought　is　in　illimitable　space；　hovering　between
the　two　eternities。　　In　his　contemplations　the　divisions　of　time　run
together；　as　in　the　thought　of　his　Maker。　　With　him　also；I　say　it
not　profanely；one　day　is　as　a　thousand　years　and　a　thousand　years
as　one　day。

This　account　of　his　occupation　increased　the　interest　his　look　had
excited　in　me；　and　I　have　observed　him　more　particularly　and　found
out　more　about　him。　　Sometimes；　after　a　long　night's　watching；　he
looks　so　pale　and　worn；　that　one　would　think　the　cold　moonlight　had
stricken　him　with　some　malign　effluence　such　as　it　is　fabled　to　send
upon　those　who　sleep　in　it。　　At　such　times　he　seems　more　like　one　who
has　come　from　a　planet　farther　away　from　the　sun　than　our　earth；　than
like　one　of　us　terrestrial　creatures。　　His　home　is　truly　in　the
heavens；　and　he　practises　an　asceticism　in　the　cause　of　science
almost　comparable　to　that　of　Saint　Simeon　Stylites。　　Yet　they　tell　me
he　might　live　in　luxury　if　he　spent　on　himself　what　he　spends　on
science。　　His　knowledge　is　of　that　strange；　remote　character；　that　it
seems　sometimes　almost　superhuman。　　He　knows　the　ridges　and　chasms　of
the　moon　as　a　surveyor　knows　a　garden…plot　he　has　measured。　　He
watches　the　snows　that　gather　around　the　poles　of　Mars；　he　is　on　the
lookout　for　the　expected　comet　at　the　moment　when　its　faint　stain　of
diffused　light　first　shows　itself；　he　analyzes　the　ray　that　comes
from　the　sun's　photosphere；　he　measures　the　rings　of　Saturn；　he
counts　his　asteroids　to　see　that　none　are　missing；　as　the　shepherd
counts　the　sheep　in　his　flock。　　A　strange　unearthly　being；　lonely；
dwelling　far　apart　from　the　thoughts　and　cares　of　the　planet　on　which
he　lives；an　enthusiast　who　gives　his　life　to　knowledge；　a　student
of　antiquity；　to　whom　the　records　of　the　geologist　are　modern　pages
in　the　great　volume　of　being；　and　the　pyramids　a　memorandum　of
yesterday；　as　the　eclipse　or　occultation　that　is　to　take　place
thousands　of　years　hence　is　an　event　of　to…morrow　in　the　diary
without　beginning　and　without　end　where　he　enters　the　aspect　of　the
passing　moment　as　it　is　read　on　the　celestial　dial。

In　very　marked　contrast　with　this　young　man　is　the　something　more
than　middle…aged　Register　of　Deeds；　a　rusty；　sallow；　smoke…dried
looking　personage；　who　belongs　to　this　earth　as　exclusively　as　the
other　belongs　to　the　firmament。　　His　movements　are　as　mechanical　as
those　of　a　pendulum；to　the　office；　where　he　changes　his　coat　and
plunges　into　messuages　and　building…lots；　then；　after　changing　his
coat　again；　back　to　our　table；　and　so；　day　by　day；　the　dust　of　years
gradually　gathering　around　him　as　it　does　on　the　old　folios　that　fill
the　shelves　all　round　the　great　cemetery　of　past　transactions　of
which　he　is　the　sexton。

Of　the　Salesman　who　sits　next　him；　nothing　need　be　said　except　that
he　is　good…looking；　rosy；　well…dressed；　and　of　very　polite　manners；
only　a　little　more