the poet at the breakfast table-第30章

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Young　Girl。

She　threw　her　hair　back　and　took　her　position　at　the　instrument。
Saint　Simeon　Stylites　the　Younger　explained　the　wonders　of　the　moon
to　her；Tycho　and　the　grooves　radiating　from　it；　Kepler　and
Copernicus　with　their　craters　and　ridges；　and　all　the　most　brilliant
shows　of　this　wonderful　little　world。　　I　thought　he　was　more　diffuse
and　more　enthusiastic　in　his　descriptions　than　he　had　been　with　the
older　members　of　the　party。　　I　don't　doubt　the　old　gentleman　who
lived　so　long　on　the　top　of　his　pillar　would　have　kept　a　pretty
sinner　（if　he　could　have　had　an　elevator　to　hoist　her　up　to　him）
longer　than　he　would　have　kept　her　grandmother。　　These　young　people
are　so　ignorant；　you　know。　　As　for　our　Scheherezade；　her　delight　was
unbounded；　and　her　curiosity　insatiable。　　If　there　were　any　living
creatures　there；　what　odd　things　they　must　be。　　They　could　n't　have
any　lungs；　nor　any　hearts。　　What　a　pity！　　Did　they　ever　die？　　How
could　they　expire　if　they　didn't　breathe？　　Burn　up？　　No　air　to　burn
in。　　Tumble　into　some　of　those　horrid　pits；　perhaps；　and　break　all　to
bits。　　She　wondered　how　the　young　people　there　liked　it；　or　whether
there　were　any　young　people　there；　perhaps　nobody　was　young　and
nobody　was　old；　but　they　were　like　mummies　all　of　themwhat　an　idea
two　mummies　making　love　to　each　other！　　So　she　went　on　in　a
rattling；　giddy　kind　of　way；　for　she　was　excited　by　the　strange　scene
in　which　she　found　herself；　and　quite　astonished　the　Young　Astronomer
with　her　vivacity。　　All　at　once　she　turned　to　him。

Will　you　show　me　the　double　star　you　said　I　should　see？

With　the　greatest　pleasure；he　said；　and　proceeded　to　wheel　the
ponderous　dome；　and　then　to　adjust　the　instrument；　I　think　to　the　one
in　Andromeda；　or　that　in　Cygnus；　but　I　should　not　know　one　of　them
from　the　other。

How　beautiful！she　said　as　she　looked　at　the　wonderful　object。…One
is　orange　red　and　one　is　emerald　green。

The　young　man　made　an　explanation　in　which　he　said　something　about
complementary　colors。

Goodness！exclaimed　the　Landlady。…What！　　complimentary　to　our
party？

Her　wits　must　have　been　a　good　deal　confused　by　the　strange　sights　of
the　evening。　　She　had　seen　tickets　marked　complimentary；　she
remembered；　but　she　could　not　for　the　life　of　her　understand　why　our
party　should　be　particularly　favored　at　a　celestial　exhibition　like
this。　　On　the　whole；　she　questioned　inwardly　whether　it　might　not　be
some　subtle　pleasantry；　and　smiled；　experimentally；　with　a　note　of
interrogation　in　the　smile；　but；　finding　no　encouragement；　allowed
her　features　to　subside　gradually　as　if　nothing　had　happened。　　I　saw
all　this　as　plainly　as　if　it　had　all　been　printed　in　great…primer
type；　instead　of　working　itself　out　in　her　features。　　I　like　to　see
other　people　muddled　now　and　then；　because　my　own　occasional　dulness
is　relieved　by　a　good　solid　background　of　stupidity　in　my　neighbors。

And　the　two　revolve　round　each　other？　said　the　Young　Girl。

Yes；he　answered；two　suns；　a　greater　and　a　less；　each　shining；
but　with　a　different　light；　for　the　other。

How　charming！　　It　must　be　so　much　pleasanter　than　to　be　alone　in
such　a　great　empty　space！　　I　should　think　one　would　hardly　care　to
shine　if　its　light　wasted　itself　in　the　monstrous　solitude　of　the
sky。　　Does　not　a　single　star　seem　very　lonely　to　you　up　there？

Not　more　lonely　than　I　am　myself；answered　the　Young　Astronomer。

I　don't　know　what　there　was　in　those　few　words；　but　I　noticed　that
for　a　minute　or　two　after　they；　were　uttered　I　heard　the　ticking　of
the　clock…work　that　moved　the　telescope　as　clearly　as　if　we　had　all
been　holding　our　breath；　and　listening　for　the　music　of　the　spheres。

The　Young　Girl　kept　her　eye　closely　applied　to　the　eye…piece　of　the
telescope　a　very　long　time；　it　seemed　to　me。　　Those　double　stars
interested　her　a　good　deal；　no　doubt。　　When　she　looked　off　from　the
glass　I　thought　both　her　eyes　appeared　very　much　as　if　they　had　been
a　little　strained；　for　they　were　suffused　and　glistening。　　It　may　be
that　she　pitied　the　lonely　young　man。

I　know　nothing　in　the　world　tenderer　than　the　pity　that　a　kind…
hearted　young　girl　has　for　a　young　man　who　feels　lonely。　　It　is　true
that　these　dear　creatures　are　all　compassion　for　every　form　of　human
woe；　and　anxious　to　alleviate　all　human　misfortunes。　　They　will　go　to
Sunday…schools　through　storms　their　brothers　are　afraid　of；　to　teach
the　most　unpleasant　and　intractable　classes　of　little　children　the
age　of　Methuselah　and　the　dimensions　of　Og　the　King　of　Bashan's
bedstead。　　They　will　stand　behind　a　table　at　a　fair　all　day　until
they　are　ready　to　drop；　dressed　in　their　prettiest　clothes　and　their
sweetest　smiles；　and　lay　hands　upon　you；　likeso　many　Lady
Potiphars；perfectly　correct　ones；　of　course；to　make　you　buy　what
you　do　not　want；　at　prices　which　you　cannot　afford；　all　this　as
cheerfully　as　if　it　were　not　martyrdom　to　them　as　well　as　to　you。
Such　is　their　love　for　all　good　objects；　such　their　eagerness　to
sympathize　with　all　their　suffering　fellow…creatures！　　But　there　is
nothing　they　pity　as　they　pity　a　lonely　young　man。

I　am　sure；　I　sympathize　with　her　in　this　instance。　　To　see　a　pale
student　burning　away；　like　his　own　midnight　lamp；　with　only　dead
men's　hands　to　hold；　stretched　out　to　him　from　the　sepulchres　of
books；　and　dead　men's　souls　imploring　him　from　their　tablets　to　warm
them　over　again　just　for　a　little　while　in　a　human　consciousness；
when　all　this　time　there　are　soft；　warm；　living　hands　that　would　ask
nothing　better　than　to　bring　the　blood　back　into　those　cold　thin
fingers；　and　gently　caressing　natures　that　would　wind　all　their
tendrils　about　the　unawakened　heart　which　knows　so　little　of　itself；
is　pitiable　enough　and　would　be　sadder　still　if　we　did　not　have　the
feeling　that　sooner　or　later　the　pale　student　will　be　pretty　sure　to
feel　the　breath　of　a　young　girl　against　his　cheek　as　she　looks　over
his　shoulder；　and　that　he　will　come　all　at　once　to　an　illuminated
page　in　his　book　that　never　writer　traced　in　characters；　and　never
printer　set　up　in　type；　and　never　binder　enclosed　within　his　covers！
But　our　young　man　seems　farther　away　from　life　than　any　student　whose
head　is　bent　downwards　over　his　books。　　His　eyes　are　turned　away　from
all　human　things。　　How　cold　the　moonlight　is　that　falls　upon　his
forehead；　and　how　white　he　looks　in　it！　　Will　not　the　rays　strike
through　to　his　brain　at　last；　and　send　him　to　a　narrower　cell　than
this　egg…shell　dome　which　is　his　workshop　and　his　prison？

I　cannot　say　that　the　Young　Astronomer　seemed　particularly　impressed
with　a　sense　of　his　miserable　condition。　　He　said　he　was　lonely；　it
is　true；　but　he　said　it　in　a　manly　tone；　and　not　as　if　he　were
repining　at　the　inevitable　condition　of　his　devoting　himself　to　that
particular　branch　of　science。　　Of　course；　he　is　lonely；　the　most
lonely　being　that　lives　in　the　midst　of　our　breathing　world。　　If　he
would　only　stay　a　little　longer　with　us　when　we　get　talking；　but　he
is　busy　almost　always　either　in　observation　or　with　his　calculations
and　studies；　and　when　the　nights　are　fair　loses　so　much　sleep　that　he
must　make　it　up　by　day。　　He　wants　contact　with　human　beings。　　I　wish
he　would　change　his　seat　and　come　round　and　sit　by　our　Scheherezade！

The　rest　of　the　visit　went　off　well　enough；　except　that　the　〃Man　of
Letters；〃　so　called；　rather　snubbed　some　of　the　heavenly　bodies　as
not　quite　up　to　his　standard　of　brilliancy。　　I　thought　myself　that
the　double…star　episode　was　the　best　part　of　it。


I　have　an　unexpected　revelation　to　make　to　the　reader。　　Not　long
after　our　visit　to　the　Observatory；　the　Young　Astronomer　put　a
package　into　my　hands；　a　manuscript；　evidently；　which　he　said　he
would　like　to　have　me　glance　over。　　I　found　something　in　it　which
interested　me；　and　told　him　the　next　day　that　I　should　like　to　read
it　with　some　care。　　He　seemed　rather　pleased　at　this；　and　said　that
he　wished　I　would　criticise　it　as　roughly　as　I　liked；　and　if　I　saw
anything　in　it　which　might　be　dressed　to　better　advantage　to　treat　it
freely；　just　as　if　it　were　my　own　production。　　It　had　often　happened
to　him；　he　went　on　to　say；　to　be　interrupted　in　his　observations　by