the poet at the breakfast table-第47章

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something　out　of　my　book。

I　have　noticed　that　the　Master　very　rarely　fails　to　come　back　to
his　original　proposition；　though　he；　like　myself；　is　fond　of
zigzagging　in　order　to　reach　it。　　Men's　minds　are　like　the　pieces　on
a　chess…board　in　their　way　of　moving。　　One　mind　creeps　from　the
square　it　is　on　to　the　next；　straight　forward；　like　the　pawns。
Another　sticks　close　to　its　own　line　of　thought　and　follows　it　as　far
as　it　goes；　with　no　heed　for　others'　opinions；　as　the　bishop　sweeps
the　board　in　the　line　of　his　own　color。　　And　another　class　of　minds
break　through　everything　that　lies　before　them；　ride　over　argument
and　opposition；　and　go　to　the　end　of　the　board；　like　the　castle。　　But
there　is　still　another　sort　of　intellect　which　is　very　apt　to　jump
over　the　thought　that　stands　next　and　come　down　in　the　unexpected　way
of　the　knight。　　But　that　same　knight；　as　the　chess　manuals　will　show
you；　will　contrive　to　get　on　to　every　square　of　the　board　in　a　pretty
series　of　moves　that　looks　like　a　pattern　of　embroidery；　and　so　these
zigzagging　minds　like　the　Master's；　and　I　suppose　my　own　is　something
like　it；　will　sooner　or　later　get　back　to　the　square　next　the　one
they　started　from。

The　Master　took　down　a　volume　from　one　of　the　shelves。　　I　could　not
help　noticing　that　it　was　a　shelf　near　his　hand　as　he　sat；　and　that
the　volume　looked　as　if　he　had　made　frequent　use　of　it。　　I　saw；　too；
that　he　handled　it　in　a　loving　sort　of　way；　the　tenderness　he　would
have　bestowed　on　a　wife　and　children　had　to　find　a　channel　somewhere；
and　what　more　natural　than　that　he　should　look　fondly　on　the　volume
which　held　the　thoughts　that　had　rolled　themselves　smooth　and　round
in　his　mind　like　pebbles　on　a　beach；　the　dreams　which；　under　cover　of
the　simple　artifices　such　as　all　writers　use；　told　the　little　world
of　readers　his　secret　hopes　and　aspirations；　the　fancies　which　had
pleased　him　and　which　he　could　not　bear　to　let　die　without　trying　to
please　others　with　them？　　I　have　a　great　sympathy　with　authors；　most
of　all　with　unsuccessful　ones。　　If　one　had　a　dozen　lives　or　so；　it
would　all　be　very　well；　but　to　have　only　a　single　ticket　in　the　great
lottery；　and　have　that　drawn　a　blank；　is　a　rather　sad　sort　of　thing。
So　I　was　pleased　to　see　the　affectionate　kind　of　pride　with　which　the
Master　handled　his　book；　it　was　a　success；　in　its　way；　and　he　looked
on　it　with　a　cheerful　sense　that　he　had　a　right　to　be　proud　of　it。
The　Master　opened　the　volume；　and；　putting　on　his　large　round
glasses；　began　reading；　as　authors　love　to　read　that　love　their
books。

The　only　good　reason　for　believing　in　the　stability　of　the　moral
order　of　things　is　to　be　found　in　the　tolerable　steadiness　of　human
averages。　　Out　of　a　hundred　human　beings　fifty…one　will　be　found　in
the　long　run　on　the　side　of　the　right；　so　far　as　they　know　it；　and
against　the　wrong。　　They　will　be　organizers　rather　than
disorganizers；　helpers　and　not　hinderers　in　the　upward　movement　of
the　race。　　This　is　the　main　fact　we　have　to　depend　on。　　The　right
hand　of　the　great　organism　is　a　little　stronger　than　the　left；　that
is　all。

Now　and　then　we　come　across　a　left…handed　man。　　So　now　and　then　we
find　a　tribe　or　a　generation；　the　subject　of　what　we　may　call　moral
left…handedness；　but　that　need　not　trouble　us　about　our　formula。　　All
we　have　to　do　is　to　spread　the　average　over　a　wider　territory　or　a
longer　period　of　time。　　Any　race　or　period　that　insists　on　being
left…handed　must　go　under　if　it　comes　in　contact　with　a　right…handed
one。　　If　there　were；　as　a　general　rule；　fifty…one　rogues　in　the
hundred　instead　of　forty…nine；　all　other　qualities　of　mind　and　body
being　equally　distributed　between　the　two　sections；　the　order　of
things　would　sooner　or　later　end　in　universal　disorder。　　It　is　the
question　between　the　leak　and　the　pumps。

It　does　not　seem　very　likely　that　the　Creator　of　all　things　is　taken
by　surprise　at　witnessing　anything　any　of　his　creatures　do　or　think。
Men　have　sought　out　many　inventions；　but　they　can　have　contrived
nothing　which　did　not　exist　as　an　idea　in　the　omniscient
consciousness　to　which　past；　present；　and　future　are　alike　Now。

We　read　what　travellers　tell　us　about　the　King　of　Dahomey；　or　the
Fejee　Island　people；　or　the　short　and　simple　annals　of　the
celebrities　recorded　in　the　Newgate　Calendar；　and　do　not　know　just
what　to　make　of　these　brothers　and　sisters　of　the　race；　but　I　do　not
suppose　an　intelligence　even　as　high　as　the　angelic　beings；　to　stop
short　there；　would　see　anything　very　peculiar　or　wonderful　about
them；　except　as　everything　is　wonderful　and　unlike　everything　else。

It　is　very　curious　to　see　how　science；　that　is；　looking　at　and
arranging　the　facts　of　a　case　with　our　own　eyes　and　our　own
intelligence；　without　minding　what　somebody　else　has　said；　or　how
some　old　majority　vote　went　in　a　pack　of　intriguing　ecclesiastics；
I　say　it　is　very　curious　to　see　how　science　is　catching　up　with　one
superstition　after　another。

There　is　a　recognized　branch　of　science　familiar　to　all　those　who
know　anything　of　the　studies　relating　to　life；　under　the　name　of
Teratology。　　It　deals　with　all　sorts　of　monstrosities　which　are　to　be
met　with　in　living　beings；　and　more　especially　in　animals。　　It　is
found　that　what　used　to　be　called　lusus　naturae；　or　freaks　of　nature；
are　just　as　much　subject　to　laws　as　the　naturally　developed　forms　of
living　creatures。

The　rustic　looks　at　the　Siamese　twins；　and　thinks　he　is　contemplating
an　unheard…of　anomaly；　but　there　are　plenty　of　cases　like　theirs　in
the　books　of　scholars；　and　though　they　are　not　quite　so　common　as
double　cherries；　the　mechanism　of　their　formation　is　not　a　whit　more
mysterious　than　that　of　the　twinned　fruits。　　Such　cases　do　not
disturb　the　average　arrangement；　we　have　Changs　and　Engs　at　one　pole；
and　Cains　and　Abels　at　the　other。　　One　child　is　born　with　six　fingers
on　each　hand；　and　another　falls　short　by　one　or　more　fingers　of　his
due　allowance；　but　the　glover　puts　his　faith　in　the　great　law　of
averages；　and　makes　his　gloves　with　five　fingers　apiece；　trusting
nature　for　their　counterparts。

Thinking　people　are　not　going　to　be　scared　out　of　explaining　or　at
least　trying　to　explain　things　by　the　shrieks　of　persons　whose
beliefs　are　disturbed　thereby。　　Comets　were　portents　to　Increase
Mather；　President　of　Harvard　College；　〃preachers　of　Divine　wrath；
heralds　and　messengers　of　evil　tidings　to　the　world。〃　　It　is　not　so
very　long　since　Professor　Winthrop　was　teaching　at　the　same
institution。　　I　can　remember　two　of　his　boys　very　well；　old　boys；　it
is　true；　they　were；　and　one　of　them　wore　a　three…cornered　cocked　hat；
but　the　father　of　these　boys；　whom；　as　I　say；　I　can　remember；　had　to
defend　himself　against　the　minister　of　the　Old　South　Church　for　the
impiety　of　trying　to　account　for　earthquakes　on　natural　principles。
And　his　ancestor；　Governor　Winthrop；　would　probably　have　shaken　his
head　over　his　descendant's　dangerous　audacity；　if　one　may　judge　by
the　solemn　way　in　which　he　mentions　poor　Mrs。　Hutchinson's　unpleasant
experience；　which　so　grievously　disappointed　her　maternal
expectations。　　But　people　used　always　to　be　terribly　frightened　by
those　irregular　vital　products　which　we　now　call　〃interesting
specimens〃　and　carefully　preserve　in　jars　of　alcohol。　　It　took　next
to　nothing　to　make　a　panic；　a　child　was　born　a　few　centuries　ago　with
six　teeth　in　its　head；　and　about　that　time　the　Turks　began　gaining
great　advantages　over　the　Christians。　　Of　course　there　was　an
intimate　connection　between　the　prodigy　and　the　calamity。　　So　said
the　wise　men　of　that　day。

All　these　out…of…the…way　cases　are　studied　connectedly　now；　and　are
found　to　obey　very　exact　rules。　　With　a　little　management　one　can
even　manufacture　living　monstrosities。　　Malformed　salmon　and　other
fish　can　be　supplied　in　quantity；　if　anybody　happens　to　want　them。
Now；　what　all　I　have　said　is　tending　to　is　exactly　this；　namely；　that
just　as　the　celestial　movements　are　regulated　by　fixed　laws；　just　as
bodily　monstrosities　are　produced　according　to　rule；　and　with　as　good
reason　as　normal　shapes；　so　obliquities　of　character　are　to　be
accounted　for　on　perfectly　natural　principles；