the poet at the breakfast table-第40章

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accents；　at　any　rate；　the　Master　and　I　do　most　of　the　talking。　　But
others　help　us　do　the　listening。　　I　think　I　can　show　that　they　listen
to　some　purpose。　　I　am　going　to　surprise　my　reader　with　a　letter
which　I　received　very　shortly　after　the　conversation　took　place　which
I　have　just　reported。　　It　is　of　course　by　a　special　license；　such　as
belongs　to　the　supreme　prerogative　of　an　author；　that　I　am　enabled　to
present　it　to　him。　　He　need　ask　no　questions：　it　is　not　his　affair
how　I　obtained　the　right　to　give　publicity　to　a　private
communication。　　I　have　become　somewhat　more　intimately　acquainted
with　the　writer　of　it　than　in　the　earlier　period　of　my　connection
with　this　establishment；　and　I　think　I　may　say　have　gained　her
confidence　to　a　very　considerable　degree。


MY　DEAR　SIR：　　The　conversations　I　have　had　with　you；　limited　as　they
have　been；　have　convinced　me　that　I　am　quite　safe　in　addressing　you
with　freedom　on　a　subject　which　interests　me；　and　others　more　than
myself。　　We　at　our　end　of　the　table　have　been　listening；　more　or　less
intelligently；　to　the　discussions　going　on　between　two　or　three　of
you　gentlemen　on　matters　of　solemn　import　to　us　all。　　This　is　nothing
very　new　to　me。　　I　have　been　used；　from　an　early　period　of　my　life；
to　hear　the　discussion　of　grave　questions；　both　in　politics　and
religion。　　I　have　seen　gentlemen　at　my　father's　table　get　as　warm
over　a　theological　point　of　dispute　as　in　talking　over　their
political　differences。　　I　rather　think　it　has　always　been　very　much
so；　in　bad　as　well　as　in　good　company；　for　you　remember　how　Milton's
fallen　angels　amused　themselves　with　disputing　on　〃providence；
foreknowledge；　will；　and　fate；〃　and　it　was　the　same　thing　in　that
club　Goldsmith　writes　so　pleasantly　about。　　Indeed；　why　should　not
people　very　often　come；　in　the　course　of　conversation；　to　the　one
subject　which　lies　beneath　all　else　about　which　our　thoughts　are
occupied？　　And　what　more　natural　than　that　one　should　be　inquiring
about　what　another　has　accepted　and　ceased　to　have　any　doubts
concerning？　　It　seems　to　me　all　right　that　at　the　proper　time；　in　the
proper　place；　those　who　are　less　easily　convinced　than　their
neighbors　should　have　the　fullest　liberty　of　calling　to　account　all
the　opinions　which　others　receive　without　question。　　Somebody　must
stand　sentry　at　the　outposts　of　belief；　and　it　is　a　sentry's
business；　I　believe；　to　challenge　every　one　who　comes　near　him；
friend　or　foe。

I　want　you　to　understand　fully　that　I　am　not　one　of　those　poor
nervous　creatures　who　are　frightened　out　of　their　wits　when　any
question　is　started　that　implies　the　disturbance　of　their　old
beliefs。　　I　manage　to　see　some　of　the　periodicals；　and　now　and　then
dip　a　little　way　into　a　new　book　which　deals　with　these　curious
questions　you　were　talking　about；　and　others　like　them。　　You　know
they　find　their　way　almost　everywhere。　　They　do　not　worry　me　in　the
least。　　When　I　was　a　little　girl；　they　used　to　say　that　if　you　put　a
horsehair　into　a　tub　of　water　it　would　turn　into　a　snake　in　the
course　of　a　few　days。　　That　did　not　seem　to　me　so　very　much　stranger
than　it　was　that　an　egg　should　turn　into　a　chicken。　　What　can　I　say
to　that？　　Only　that　it　is　the　Lord's　doings；　and　marvellous　in　my
eyes；　and　if　our　philosophical　friend　should　find　some　little　live
creatures；　or　what　seem　to　be　live　creatures；　in　any　of　his　messes；　I
should　say　as　much；　and　no　more。　　You　do　not　think　I　would　shut　up　my
Bible　and　Prayer…Book　because　there　is　one　more　thing　I　do　not
understand　in　a　world　where　I　understand　so　very　little　of　all　the
wonders　that　surround　me？

It　may　be　very　wrong　to　pay　any　attention　to　those　speculations　about
the　origin　of　mankind　which　seem　to　conflict　with　the　Sacred　Record。
But　perhaps　there　is　some　way　of　reconciling　them；　as　there　is　of
making　the　seven　days　of　creation　harmonize　with　modern　geology。　　At
least；　these　speculations　are　curious　enough　in　themselves；　and　I
have　seen　so　many　good　and　handsome　children　come　of　parents　who　were
anything　but　virtuous　and　comely；　that　I　can　believe　in　almost　any
amount　of　improvement　taking　place　in　a　tribe　of　living　beings；　if
time　and　opportunity　favor　it。　　I　have　read　in　books　of　natural
history　that　dogs　came　originally　from　wolves。　　When　I　remember　my
little　Flora；　who；　as　I　used　to　think；　could　do　everything　but　talk；
it　does　not　seem　to　me　that　she　was　much　nearer　her　savage　ancestors
than　some　of　the　horrid　cannibal　wretches　are　to　their　neighbors　the
great　apes。

You　see　that　I　am　tolerably　liberal　in　my　habit　of　looking　at　all
these　questions。　　We　women　drift　along　with　the　current　of　the　times；
listening；　in　our　quiet　way；　to　the　discussions　going　on　round　us　in
books　and　in　conversation；　and　shift　the　phrases　in　which　we　think
and　talk　with　something　of　the　same　ease　as　that　with　which　we　change
our　style　of　dress　from　year　to　year。　　I　doubt　if　you　of　the　other
sex　know　what　an　effect　this　habit　of　accommodating　our　tastes　to
changing　standards　has　upon　us。　　Nothing　is　fixed　in　them；　as　you
know；　the　very　law　of　fashion　is　change。　　I　suspect　we　learn　from　our
dressmakers　to　shift　the　costume　of　our　minds；　and　slip　on　the　new
fashions　of　thinking　all　the　more　easily　because　we　have　been。
accustomed　to　new　styles　of　dressing　every　season。

It　frightens　me　to　see　how　much　I　have　written　without　having　yet
said　a　word　of　what　I　began　this　letter　on　purpose　to　say。　　I　have
taken　so　much　space　in　〃defining　my　position；〃　to　borrow　the
politicians'　phrase；　that　I　begin　to　fear　you　will　be　out　of　patience
before　you　come　to　the　part　of　my　letter　I　care　most　about　your
reading。

What　I　want　to　say　is　this。　　When　these　matters　are　talked　about
before　persons　of　different　ages　and　various　shades　of　intelligence；
I　think　one　ought　to　be　very　careful　that　his　use　of　language　does
not　injure　the　sensibilities；　perhaps　blunt　the　reverential　feelings；
of　those　who　are　listening　to　him。　　You　of　the　sterner　sex　say　that
we　women　have　intuitions；　but　not　logic；　as　our　birthright。　　I　shall
not　commit　my　sex　by　conceding　this　to　be　true　as　a　whole；　but　I　will
accept　the　first　half　of　it；　and　I　will　go　so　far　as　to　say　that　we
do　not　always　care　to　follow　out　a　train　of　thought　until　it　ends　in
a　blind　cul　de　sac；　as　some　of　what　are　called　the　logical　people　are
fond　of　doing。

Now　I　want　to　remind　you　that　religion　is　not　a　matter　of
intellectual　luxury　to　those　of　us　who　are　interested　in　it；　but
something　very　different。　　It　is　our　life；　and　more　than　our　life；
for　that　is　measured　by　pulse…beats；　but　our　religious　consciousness
partakes　of　the　Infinite；　towards　which　it　is　constantly　yearning。
It　is　very　possible　that　a　hundred　or　five　hundred　years　from　now　the
forms　of　religious　belief　may　be　so　altered　that　we　should　hardly
know　them。　　But　the　sense　of　dependence　on　Divine　influence　and　the
need　of　communion　with　the　unseen　and　eternal　will　be　then　just　what
they　are　now。　　It　is　not　the　geologist's　hammer；　or　the　astronomer's
telescope；　or　the　naturalist's　microscope；　that　is　going　to　take　away
the　need　of　the　human　soul　for　that　Rock　to　rest　upon　which　is　higher
than　itself；　that　Star　which　never　sets；　that　all…pervading　Presence
which　gives　life　to　all　the　least　moving　atoms　of　the　immeasurable
universe。

I　have　no　fears　for　myself；　and　listen　very　quietly　to　all　your
debates。　　I　go　from　your　philosophical　discussions　to　the　reading　of
Jeremy　Taylor's　〃Rule　and　Exercises　of　Holy　Dying　〃　without　feeling
that　I　have　unfitted　myself　in　the　least　degree　for　its　solemn
reflections。　　And；　as　I　have　mentioned　his　name；　I　cannot　help　saying
that　I　do　not　believe　that　good　man　himself　would　have　ever　shown　the
bitterness　to　those　who　seem　to　be　at　variance　with　the　received
doctrines　which　one　may　see　in　some　of　the　newspapers　that　call
themselves　〃religious。〃　　I　have　kept　a　few　old　books　from　my　honored
father's　library；　and　among　them　is　another　of　his　which　I　always
thought　had　more　true　Christianity　in　its　title　than　there　is　in　a
good　many　whole　volumes。　　I　am　going　to　take　the　book　down；　or　up；
for　it　is　not　a　little　one；and　write　out　the　title；　which；　I　dare
say；　yo