the poet at the breakfast table-第58章

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been　long　feeling　lonely；　and　youth　and　nature　and　〃all　impulses　of
soul　and　sense；〃　as　Coleridge　has　it；　will　bring　these　two　young
people　into　closer　relations　than　they　perhaps　have　yet　thought　of；
and　so　that　sweet　lesson　of　loving　the　neighbor　whom　he　has　seen　may
lead　him　into　deeper　and　more　trusting　communion　with　the　Friend　and
Father　whom　he　has　not　seen。

The　Young　Girl　evidently　did　not　intend　that　her　accomplice　should　be
a　loser　by　the　summary　act　of　the　Member　of　the　Haouse：　I　took
occasion　to　ask　That　Boy　what　had　become　of　all　the　popguns。　　He　gave
me　to　understand　that　popguns　were　played　out；　but　that　he　had　got　a
squirt　and　a　whip；　and　considered　himself　better　off　than　before。

This　great　world　is　full　of　mysteries。　　I　can　comprehend　the　pleasure
to　be　got　out　of　the　hydraulic　engine；　but　what　can　be　the
fascination　of　a　whip；　when　one　has　nothing　to　flagellate　but　the
calves　of　his　own　legs；　I　could　never　understand。　　Yet　a　small
riding…whip　is　the　most　popular　article　with　the　miscellaneous　New…
Englander　at　all　great　gatherings；cattle…shows　and　Fourth…of…July
celebrations。　　If　Democritus　and　Heraclitus　could　walk　arm　in　arm
through　one　of　these　crowds；　the　first　would　be　in　a　broad　laugh　to
see　the　multitude　of　young　persons　who　were　rejoicing　in　the
possession　of　one　of　these　useless　and　worthless　little　commodities；
happy　himself　to　see　how　easily　others　could　purchase　happiness。　　But
the　second　would　weep　bitter　tears　to　think　what　a　rayless　and　barren
life　that　must　be　which　could　extract　enjoyment　from　the　miserable
flimsy　wand　that　has　such　magic　attraction　for　sauntering　youths　and
simpering　maidens。　　What　a　dynamometer　of　happiness　are　these　paltry
toys；　and　what　a　rudimentary　vertebrate　must　be　the　freckled
adolescent　whose　yearning　for　the　infinite　can　be　stayed　even　for　a
single　hour　by　so　trifling　a　boon　from　the　venal　hands　of　the　finite！

Pardon　these　polysyllabic　reflections；　Beloved；　but　I　never
contemplate　these　dear　fellow…creatures　of　ours　without　a　delicious
sense　of　superiority　to　them　and　to　all　arrested　embryos　of
intelligence；　in　which　I　have　no　doubt　you　heartily　sympathize　with
me。　　It　is　not　merely　when　I　look　at　the　vacuous　countenances　of　the
mastigophori；　the　whip…holders；　that　I　enjoy　this　luxury　（though　I
would　not　miss　that　holiday　spectacle　for　a　pretty　sum　of　money；　and
advise　you　by　all　means　to　make　sure　of　it　next　Fourth　of　July；　if
you　missed　it　this）；　but　I　get　the　same　pleasure　from　many　similar
manifestations。

I　delight　in　Regalia；　so　called；　of　the　kind　not　worn　by　kings；　nor
obtaining　their　diamonds　from　the　mines　of　Golconda。　　I　have　a
passion　for　those　resplendent　titles　which　are　not　conferred　by　a
sovereign　and　would　not　be　the　open　sesame　to　the　courts　of　royalty；
yet　which　are　as　opulent　in　impressive　adjectives　as　any　Knight　of
the　Garter's　list　of　dignities。　　When　I　have　recognized　in　the　every…
day　name　of　His　Very　Worthy　High　Eminence　of　some　cabalistic
association；　the　inconspicuous　individual　whose　trifling　indebtedness
to　me　for　value　received　remains　in　a　quiescent　state　and　is　likely
long　to　continue　so；　I　confess　to　having　experienced　a　thrill　of
pleasure。　　I　have　smiled　to　think　how　grand　his　magnificent　titular
appendages　sounded　in　his　own　ears　and　what　a　feeble　tintinnabulation
they　made　in　mine。　　The　crimson　sash；　the　broad　diagonal　belt　of　the
mounted　marshal　of　a　great　procession；　so　cheap　in　themselves；　yet　so
entirely　satisfactory　to　the　wearer；　tickle　my　heart's　root。

Perhaps　I　should　have　enjoyed　all　these　weaknesses　of　my　infantile
fellow…creatures　without　an　afterthought；　except　that　on　a　certain
literary　anniversary　when　I　tie　the　narrow　blue　and　pink　ribbons　in
my　button…hole　and　show　my　decorated　bosom　to　the　admiring　public；　I
am　conscious　of　a　certain　sense　of　distinction　and　superiority　in
virtue　of　that　trifling　addition　to　my　personal　adornments　which
reminds　me　that　I　too　have　some　embryonic　fibres　in　my　tolerably
well…matured　organism。

I　hope　I　have　not　hurt　your　feelings；　if　you　happen　to　be　a　High　and
Mighty　Grand　Functionary　in　any　illustrious　Fraternity。　　When　I　tell
you　that　a　bit　of　ribbon　in　my　button…hole　sets　my　vanity　prancing；　I
think　you　cannot　be　grievously　offended　that　I　smile　at　the　resonant
titles　which　make　you　something　more　than　human　in　your　own　eyes。　　I
would　not　for　the　world　be　mistaken　for　one　of　those　literary　roughs
whose　brass　knuckles　leave　their　mark　on　the　foreheads　of　so　many
inoffensive　people。

There　is　a　human　sub…species　characterized　by　the　coarseness　of　its
fibre　and　the　acrid　nature　of　its　intellectual　secretions。　　It　is　to
a　certain　extent　penetrative；　as　all　creatures　are　which　are　provided
with　stings。　　It　has　an　instinct　which　guides　it　to　the　vulnerable
parts　of　the　victim　on　which　it　fastens。　　These　two　qualities　give　it
a　certain　degree　of　power　which　is　not　to　be　despised。　　It　might
perhaps　be　less　mischievous；　but　for　the　fact　that　the　wound　where　it
leaves　its　poison　opens　the　fountain　from　which　it　draws　its
nourishment。

Beings　of　this　kind　can　be　useful　if　they　will　only　find　their
appropriate　sphere；　which　is　not　literature；　but　that　circle　of
rough…and…tumble　political　life　where　the　fine…fibred　men　are　at　a
discount；　where　epithets　find　their　subjects　poison…proof；　and　the
sting　which　would　be　fatal　to　a　literary　debutant　only　wakes　the
eloquence　of　the　pachydermatous　ward…room　politician　to　a　fiercer
shriek　of　declamation。

The　Master　got　talking　the　other　day　about　the　difference　between
races　and　families。　　I　am　reminded　of　what　he　said　by　what　I　have
just　been　saying　myself　about　coarse…fibred　and　fine…fibred　people。

We　talk　about　a　Yankee；　a　New…Englander；…he　said；…as　if　all　of
'em　were　just　the　same　kind　of　animal。　　〃There　is　knowledge　and
knowledge；〃　said　John　Bunyan。　　There　are　Yankees　and　Yankees。　　Do　you
know　two　native　trees　called　pitch　pine　and　white　pine　respectively？
Of　course　you　know　'em。　　Well；　there　are　pitch…pine　Yankees　and
white…pine　Yankees。　　We　don't　talk　about　the　inherited　differences　of
men　quite　as　freely；　perhaps；　as　they　do　in　the　Old　World；　but
republicanism　doesn't　alter　the　laws　of　physiology。　　We　have　a　native
aristocracy；　a　superior　race；　just　as　plainly　marked　by　nature　as　of
a　higher　and　finer　grade　than　the　common　run　of　people　as　the　white
pine　is　marked　in　its　form；　its　stature；　its　bark；　its　delicate
foliage；　as　belonging　to　the　nobility　of　the　forest；　and　the　pitch
pine；　stubbed；　rough；　coarse…haired；　as　of　the　plebeian　order。　　Only
the　strange　thing　is　to　see　in　what　a　capricious　way　our　natural
nobility　is　distributed。　　The　last　born　nobleman　I　have　seen；　I　saw
this　morning；　he　was　pulling　a　rope　that　was　fastened　to　a　Maine
schooner　loaded　with　lumber。　　I　should　say　he　was　about　twenty　years
old；　as　fine　a　figure　of　a　young　man　as　you　would　ask　to　see；　and
with　a　regular　Greek　outline　of　countenance；　waving　hair；　that　fell
as　if　a　sculptor　had　massed　it　to　copy；　and　a　complexion　as　rich　as　a
red　sunset。　　I　have　a　notion　that　the　State　of　Maine　breeds　the
natural　nobility　in　a　larger　proportion　than　some　other　States；　but
they　spring　up　in　all　sorts　of　out…of…the…way　places。　　The　young
fellow　I　saw　this　morning　had　on　an　old　flannel　shirt；　a　pair　of
trowsers　that　meant　hard　work；　and　a　cheap　cloth　cap　pushed　back　on
his　head　so　as　to　let　the　large　waves　of　hair　straggle　out　over　his
forehead；　he　was　tugging　at　his　rope　with　the　other　sailors；　but　upon
my　word　I　don't　think　I　have　seen　a　young　English　nobleman　of　all
those　whom　I　have　looked　upon　that　answered　to　the　notion　of　〃blood　〃
so　well　as　this　young　fellow　did。　　I　suppose　if　I　made　such　a
levelling　confession　as　this　in　public；　people　would　think　I　was
looking　towards　being　the　labor…reform　candidate　for　President。　　But
I　should　go　on　and　spoil　my　prospects　by　saying　that　I　don't　think
the　white…pine　Yankee　is　the　more　generally　prevailing　growth；　but
rather　the　pitch…pine　Yankee。

The　Member　of　the　Haouse　seemed　to　have　been　getting　a　dim　idea
that　all　this　was　not　exactly　flattering　to　the　huckleberry
districts。　　His　features　betrayed