the poet at the breakfast table-第59章

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that　all　this　was　not　exactly　flattering　to　the　huckleberry
districts。　　His　features　betrayed　the　growth　of　this　suspicion　so
clearly　that　the　Master　replied　to　his　look　as　if　it　had　been　a
remark。　　＇I　need　hardly　say　that　this　particular　member　of　the
General　Court　was　a　pitch…pine　Yankee　of　the　most　thoroughly
characterized　aspect　and　flavor。＇

Yes；　Sir；the　Master　continued；Sir　being　anybody　that　listened；
there　is　neither　flattery　nor　offence　in　the　views　which　a
physiological　observer　takes　of　the　forms　of　life　around　him。　　It
won't　do　to　draw　individual　portraits；　but　the　differences　of　natural
groups　of　human　beings　are　as　proper　subjects　of　remark　as　those　of
different　breeds　of　horses；　and　if　horses　were　Houyhnhnms　I　don't
think　they　would　quarrel　with　us　because　we　made　a　distinction
between　a　〃Morgan〃　and　a　〃Messenger。〃　The　truth　is；　Sir；　the　lean
sandy　soil　and　the　droughts　and　the　long　winters　and　the　east…winds
and　the　cold　storms；　and　all　sorts　of　unknown　local　influences　that
we　can't　make　out　quite　so　plainly　as　these；　have　a　tendency　to
roughen　the　human　organization　and　make　it　coarse；　something　as　it　is
with　the　tree　I　mentioned。　　Some　spots　and　some　strains　of　blood
fight　against　these　influences；　but　if　I　should　say　right　out　what　I
think；　it　would　be　that　the　finest　human　fruit；　on　the　whole；　and
especially　the　finest　women　that　we　get　in　New　England　are　raised
under　glass。

Good　gracious！exclaimed　the　Landlady；　under　glass！

Give　me　cowcumbers　raised　in　the　open　air；　said　the　Capitalist；　who
was　a　little　hard　of　hearing。

Perhaps；I　remarked；it　might　be　as　well　if　you　would　explain
this　last　expression　of　yours。　　Raising　human　beings　under　glass　I
take　to　be　a　metaphorical　rather　than　a　literal　statement　of　your
meaning。

No；　Sir！replied　the　Master；　with　energy；I　mean　just　what　I　say；
Sir。　　Under　glass；　and　with　a　south　exposure。　　During　the　hard
season；　of　course；for　in　the　heats　of　summer　the　tenderest　hot…
house　plants　are　not　afraid　of　the　open　air。　　Protection　is　what　the
transplanted　Aryan　requires　in　this　New　England　climate。　　Keep　him；
and　especially　keep　her；　in　a　wide　street　of　a　well…built　city　eight
months　of　the　year；　good　solid　brick　walls　behind　her；　good　sheets　of
plate…glass；　with　the　sun　shining　warm　through　them；　in　front　of　her；
and　you　have　put　her　in　the　condition　of　the　pine…apple；　from　the
land　of　which；　and　not　from　that　of　the　other　kind　of　pine；　her　race
started　on　its　travels。　　People　don't　know　what　a　gain　there　is　to
health　by　living　in　cities；　the　best　parts　of　them　of　course；　for　we
know　too　well　what　the　worst　parts　are。　　In　the　first　place　you　get
rid　of　the　noxious　emanations　which　poison　so　many　country　localities
with　typhoid　fever　and　dysentery；　not　wholly　rid　of　them；　of　course；
but　to　a　surprising　degree。　　Let　me　tell　you　a　doctor's　story。　　I　was
visiting　a　Western　city　a　good　many　years　ago；　it　was　in　the　autumn；
the　time　when　all　sorts　of　malarious　diseases　are　about。　　The　doctor
I　was　speaking　of　took　me　to　see　the　cemetery　just　outside　the　town；
I　don't　know　how　much　he　had　done　to　fill　it；　for　he　didn't　tell　me；
but　I'll　tell　you　what　he　did　say。

〃Look　round；〃　said　the　doctor。　　〃There　isn't　a　house　in　all　the　ten…
mile　circuit　of　country　you　can　see　over；　where　there　isn't　one
person；　at　least；　shaking　with　fever　and　ague。　　And　yet　you　need　n't
be　afraid　of　carrying　it　away　with　you；　for　as　long　as　your　home　is
on　a　paved　street　you　are　safe。〃

I　think　it　likelythe　Master　went　on　to　saythat　my　friend　the
doctor　put　it　pretty　strongly；　but　there　is　no　doubt　at　all　that
while　all　the　country　round　was　suffering　from　intermittent　fever；
the　paved　part　of　the　city　was　comparatively　exempted。　　What　do　you
do　when　you　build　a　house　on　a　damp　soil；　and　there　are　damp　soils
pretty　much　everywhere？　　Why　you　floor　the　cellar　with　cement；　don't
you？　　Well；　the　soil　of　a　city　is　cemented　all　over；　one　may　say；
with　certain　qualifications　of　course。　　A　first…rate　city　house　is　a
regular　sanatorium。　　The　only　trouble　is；　that　the　little　good…for…
nothings　that　come　of　utterly　used…up　and　worn…out　stock；　and　ought
to　die；　can't　die；　to　save　their　lives。　　So　they　grow　up　to　dilute
the　vigor　of　the　race　with　skim…milk　vitality。　　They　would　have　died；
like　good　children；　in　most　average　country　places；　but　eight　months
of　shelter　in　a　regulated　temperature；　in　a　well…sunned　house；　in　a
duly　moistened　air；　with　good　sidewalks　to　go　about　on　in　all
weather；　and　four　months　of　the　cream　of　summer　and　the　fresh　milk　of
Jersey　cows；　make　the　little　sham　organizationsthe　worm…eaten　wind…
falls；　for　that　's　what　they　look　likehang　on　to　the　boughs　of　life
like　〃froze…n…thaws〃；　regular　struldbrugs　they　come　to　be；　a　good
many　of　'em。

The　Scarabee's　ear　was　caught　by　that　queer　word　of　Swift's；　and　he
asked　very　innocently　what　kind　of　bugs　he　was　speaking　of；　whereupon
That　Boy　shouted　out；　Straddlebugs！　　to　his　own　immense　amusement　and
the　great　bewilderment　of　the　Scarabee；　who　only　saw　that　there　was
one　of　those　unintelligible　breaks　in　the　conversation　which　made
other　people　laugh；　and　drew　back　his　antennae　as　usual；　perplexed；
but　not　amused。

I　do　not　believe　the　Master　had　said　all　he　was　going　to　say　on　this
subject；　and　of　course　all　these　statements　of　his　are　more　or　less
one…sided。　　But　that　some　invalids　do　much　better　in　cities　than　in
the　country　is　indisputable；　and　that　the　frightful　dysenteries　and
fevers　which　have　raged　like　pestilences　in　many　of　our　country　towns
are　almost　unknown　in　the　better　built　sections　of　some　of　our　large
cities　is　getting　to　be　more　generally　understood　since　our　well…to…
do　people　have　annually　emigrated　in　such　numbers　from　the　cemented
surface　of　the　city　to　the　steaming　soil　of　some　of　the　dangerous
rural　districts。　　If　one　should　contrast　the　healthiest　country
residences　with　the　worst　city　ones　the　result　would　be　all　the　other
way；　of　course；　so　that　there　are　two　sides　to　the　question；　which　we
must　let　the　doctors　pound　in　their　great　mortar；　infuse　and　strain；
hoping　that　they　will　present　us　with　the　clear　solution　when　they
have　got　through　these　processes。　　One　of　our　chief　wants　is　a
complete　sanitary　map　of　every　State　in　the　Union。

The　balance　of　our　table；　as　the　reader　has　no　doubt　observed；　has
been　deranged　by　the　withdrawal　of　the　Man　of　Letters；　so　called；　and
only　the　side　of　the　deficiency　changed　by　the　removal　of　the　Young
Astronomer　into　our　neighborhood。　　The　fact　that　there　was　a　vacant
chair　on　the　side　opposite　us　had　by　no　means　escaped　the　notice　of
That　Boy。　　He　had　taken　advantage　of　his　opportunity　and　invited　in　a
schoolmate　whom　he　evidently　looked　upon　as　a　great　personage。　　This
boy　or　youth　was　a　good　deal　older　than　himself　and　stood　to　him
apparently　in　the　light　of　a　patron　and　instructor　in　the　ways　of
life。　　A　very　jaunty；　knowing　young　gentleman　he　was；　good…looking；
smartly　dressed；　smooth…checked　as　yet；　curly…haired；　with　a　roguish
eye；　a　sagacious　wink；　a　ready　tongue；　as　I　soon　found　out；　and　as　I
learned　could　catch　a　ball　on　the　fly　with　any　boy　of　his　age；　not
quarrelsome；　but；　if　he　had　to　strike；　hit　from　the　shoulder；　the
pride　of　his　father　（who　was　a　man　of　property　and　a　civic
dignitary）；　and　answering　to　the　name　of　Johnny。

I　was　a　little　surprised　at　the　liberty　That　Boy　had　taken　in
introducing　an　extra　peptic　element　at　our　table；　reflecting　as　I　did
that　a　certain　number　of　avoirdupois　ounces　of　nutriment　which　the
visitor　would　dispose　of　corresponded　to　a　very　appreciable　pecuniary
amount；　so　that　he　was　levying　a　contribution　upon　our　Landlady　which
she　might　be　inclined　to　complain　of。　　For　the　Caput　mortuum　（or
deadhead；　in　vulgar　phrase）　is　apt　to　be　furnished　with　a　Venter
vivus；　or；　as　we　may　say；　a　lively　appetite。　　But　the　Landlady
welcomed　the　new…comer　very　heartily。

Why！　　howdoyoudo　Johnny？！　with　the　notes　of　interrogation　and
of　admiration　both　together；　as　here　represented。

Johnny　signified　that　he　was　doing　about　as　well　as　could　be　expected
under　the　circumstances；　having　just　had　a　little　difference　with　a
young　pe