the poet at the breakfast table-第34章

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pursuit　of　the　poet's　bays。　　This；　it　must　be　confessed；　was　a　rather
discouraging　case。　　A　young　person　like　this　may　pierce；　as　the
Frenchmen　say；　by　and　by；　but　the　chances　are　all　the　other　way。

I　advise　aimless　young　men　to　choose　some　profession　without　needless
delay；　and　so　get　into　a　good　strong　current　of　human　affairs；　and
find　themselves　bound　up　in　interests　with　a　compact　body　of　their
fellow…men。

I　advise　young　women　who　write　to　me　for　counsel；perhaps　I　do　not
advise　them　at　all；　only　sympathize　a　little　with　them；　and　listen　to
what　they　have　to　say　（eight　closely　written　pages　on　the　average；
which　I　always　read　from　beginning　to　end；　thinking　of　the　widow's
cruse　and　myself　in　the　character　of　Elijah）　andandcome　now；　I
don't　believe　Methuselah　would　tell　you　what　he　said　in　his　letters
to　young　ladies；　written　when　he　was　in　his　nine　hundred　and　sixty…
ninth　year。

But；　dear　me！　how　much　work　all　this　private　criticism　involves！　　An
editor　has　only　to　say　〃respectfully　declined；〃　and　there　is　the　end
of　it。　　But　the　confidential　adviser　is　expected　to　give　the　reasons
of　his　likes　and　dislikes　in　detail；　and　sometimes　to　enter　into　an
argument　for　their　support。　　That　is　more　than　any　martyr　can　stand；
but　what　trials　he　must　go　through；　as　it　is！　　Great　bundles　of
manuscripts；　verse　or　prose；　which　the　recipient　is　expected　to　read；
perhaps　to　recommend　to　a　publisher；　at　any　rate　to　express　a　well…
digested　and　agreeably　flavored　opinion　about；　which　opinion；　nine
times　out　of　ten；　disguise　it　as　we　may；　has　to　be　a　bitter　draught；
every　form　of　egotism；　conceit；　false　sentiment；　hunger　for
notoriety；　and　eagerness　for　display　of　anserine　plumage　before　the
admiring　public；all　these　come　in　by　mail　or　express；　covered　with
postage…stamps　of　so　much　more　cost　than　the　value　of　the　waste　words
they　overlie；　that　one　comes　at　last　to　groan　and　change　color　at　the
very　sight　of　a　package；　and　to　dread　the　postman's　knock　as　if　it
were　that　of　the　other　visitor　whose　naked　knuckles　rap　at　every
door。

Still　there　are　experiences　which　go　far　towards　repaying　all　these
inflictions。　　My　last　young　man's　case　looked　desperate　enough；　some
of　his　sails　had　blown　from　the　rigging；　some　were　backing　in　the
wind；　and　some　were　flapping　and　shivering；　but　I　told　him　which　way
to　head；　and　to　my　surprise　he　promised　to　do　just　as　I　directed；　and
I　do　not　doubt　is　under　full　sail　at　this　moment。

What　if　I　should　tell　my　last；　my　very　recent　experience　with　the
other　sex？　　I　received　a　paper　containing　the　inner　history　of　a
young　woman's　life；　the　evolution　of　her　consciousness　from　its
earliest　record　of　itself；　written　so　thoughtfully；　so　sincerely；
with　so　much　firmness　and　yet　so　much　delicacy；　with　such　truth　of
detail　and　such　grace　in　the　manner　of　telling；　that　I　finished　the
long　manuscript　almost　at　a　sitting；　with　a　pleasure　rarely；　almost
never　experienced　in　voluminous　communications　which　one　has　to　spell
out　of　handwriting。　　This　was　from　a　correspondent　who　made　my
acquaintance　by　letter　when　she　was　little　more　than　a　child；　some
years　ago。　　How　easy　at　that　early　period　to　have　silenced　her　by
indifference；　to　have　wounded　her　by　a　careless　epithet；　perhaps　even
to　have　crushed　her　as　one　puts　his　heel　on　a　weed！　　A　very　little
encouragement　kept　her　from　despondency；　and　brought　back　one　of
those　overflows　of　gratitude　which　make　one　more　ashamed　of　himself
for　being　so　overpaid　than　he　would　be　for　having　committed　any　of
the　lesser　sins。　　But　what　pleased　me　most　in　the　paper　lately
received　was　to　see　how　far　the　writer　had　outgrown　the　need　of　any
encouragement　of　mine；　that　she　had　strengthened　out　of　her　tremulous
questionings　into　a　self…reliance　and　self…poise　which　I　had　hardly
dared　to　anticipate　for　her。　　Some　of　my　readers　who　are　also　writers
have　very　probably　had　more　numerous　experiences　of　this　kind　than　I
can　lay　claim　to；　self…revelations　from　unknown　and　sometimes
nameless　friends；　who　write　from　strange　corners　where　the　winds　have
wafted　some　stray　words　of　theirs　which　have　lighted　in　the　minds　and
reached　the　hearts　of　those　to　whom　they　were　as　the　angel　that
stirred　the　pool　of　Bethesda。　　Perhaps　this　is　the　best　reward
authorship　brings；　it　may　not　imply　much　talent　or　literary
excellence；　but　it　means　that　your　way　of　thinking　and　feeling　is
just　what　some　one　of　your　fellow…creatures　needed。

I　have　been　putting　into　shape；　according　to　his　request；　some
further　passages　from　the　Young　Astronomer's　manuscript；　some　of
which　the　reader　will　have　a　chance　to　read　if　he　is　so　disposed。
The　conflict　in　the　young　man's　mind　between　the　desire　for　fame　and
the　sense　of　its　emptiness　as　compared　with　nobler　aims　has　set　me
thinking　about　the　subject　from　a　somewhat　humbler　point　of　view。　　As
I　am　in　the　habit　of　telling　you；　Beloved；　many　of　my　thoughts；　as
well　as　of　repeating　what　was　said　at　our　table；　you　may　read　what
follows　as　if　it　were　addressed　to　you　in　the　course　of　an　ordinary
conversation；　where　I　claimed　rather　more　than　my　share；　as　I　am
afraid　I　am　a　little　in　the　habit　of　doing。

I　suppose　we　all；　those　of　us　who　write　in　verse　or　prose；　have　the
habitual　feeling　that　we　should　like　to　be　remembered。　　It　is　to　be
awake　when　all　of　those　who　were　round　us　have　been　long　wrapped　in
slumber。　　It　is　a　pleasant　thought　enough　that　the　name　by　which　we
have　been　called　shall　be　familiar　on　the　lips　of　those　who　come
after　us；　and　the　thoughts　that　wrought　themselves　out　in　our
intelligence；　the　emotions　that　trembled　through　our　frames；　shall
live　themselves　over　again　in　the　minds　and　hearts　of　others。

But　is　there　not　something　of　rest；　of　calm；　in　the　thought　of　gently
and　gradually　fading　away　out　of　human　remembrance？　　What　line　have
we　written　that　was　on　a　level　with　our　conceptions？　　What　page　of
ours　that　does　not　betray　some　weakness　we　would　fain　have　left
unrecorded？　　To　become　a　classic　and　share　the　life　of　a　language　is
to　be　ever　open　to　criticisms；　to　comparisons；　to　the　caprices　of
successive　generations；　to　be　called　into　court　and　stand　a　trial
before　a　new　jury；　once　or　more　than　once　in　every　century。　　To　be
forgotten　is　to　sleep　in　peace　with　the　undisturbed　myriads；　no
longer　subject　to　the　chills　and　heats；　the　blasts；　the　sleet；　the
dust；　which　assail　in　endless　succession　that　shadow　of　a　man　which
we　call　his　reputation。　　The　line　which　dying　we　could　wish　to　blot
has　been　blotted　out　for　us　by　a　hand　so　tender；　so　patient；　so　used
to　its　kindly　task；　that　the　page　looks　as　fair　as　if　it　had　never
borne　the　record　of　our　infirmity　or　our　transgression。　　And　then　so
few　would　be　wholly　content　with　their　legacy　of　fame。　　You　remember
poor　Monsieur　Jacques's　complaint　of　the　favoritism　shown　to　Monsieur
Berthier；it　is　in　that　exquisite　〃Week　in　a　French　Country…House。〃
〃Have　you　seen　his　room？　　Have　you　seen　how　large　it　is？　　Twice　as
large　as　mine！　　He　has　two　jugs；　a　large　one　and　a　little　one。　　I
have　only　one　small　one。　　And　a　tea…service　and　a　gilt　Cupid　on　the
top　of　his　looking…glass。〃　The　famous　survivor　of　himself　has　had　his
features　preserved　in　a　medallion；　and　the　slice　of　his　countenance
seems　clouded　with　the　thought　that　it　does　not　belong　to　a　bust；　the
bust　ought　to　look　happy　in　its　niche；　but　the　statue　opposite　makes
it　feel　as　if　it　had　been　cheated　out　of　half　its　personality；　and
the　statue　looks　uneasy　because　another　stands　on　a　loftier　pedestal。
But　〃Ignotus　〃　and　〃Miserrimus　〃　are　of　the　great　majority　in　that
vast　assembly；　that　House　of　Commons　whose　members　are　all　peers；
where　to　be　forgotten　is　the　standing　rule。　　The　dignity　of　a　silent
memory　is　not　to　be　undervalued。　　Fame　is　after　all　a　kind　of　rude
handling；　and　a　name　that　is　often　on　vulgar　lips　seems　to　borrow
something　not　to　be　desired；　as　the　paper　money　that　passes　from　hand
to　hand　gains　somewhat　which　is　a　loss　thereby。　　O　sweet；　tranquil
refuge　of　oblivion；　so　far　as　earth　is　concerned；　for　us　poor
blundering；　stammering；　misbehaving　creatures　who　cannot　turn　over　a
leaf　of　our　life's　diary　without　feeling　thankful　that