the professor at the breakfast table-第48章

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last　semi…breve　upon　his　private　responsibility；　but　how　much　more

of　the　spirit　of　the　old　Psalmist　in　the　music　of　these　imperfectly

trained　voices　than　in　the　academic　niceties　of　the　paid　performers

who　take　our　musical　worship　out　of　our　hands！



I　am　of　the　opinion　that　the　creed　of　the　Church　of　the　Galileans　is

not　laid　down　in　as　many　details　as　that　of　the　Church　of　Saint

Polycarp。　　Yet　I　suspect；　if　one　of　the　good　people　from　each　of

those　churches　had　met　over　the　bed　of　a　suffering　fellow…creature；

or　for　the　promotion　of　any　charitable　object；　they　would　have　found

they　had　more　in　common　than　all　the　special　beliefs　or　want　of

beliefs　that　separated　them　would　amount　to。　　There　are　always　many

who　believe　that　the　fruits　of　a　tree　afford　a　better　test　of　its

condition　than　a　statement　of　the　composts　with　which　it　is　dressed；

though　the　last　has　its　meaning　and　importance；　no　doubt。



Between　these　two　churches；　then；　our　young　Iris　divides　her

affections。　　But　I　doubt　if　she　listens　to　the　preacher　at　either

with　more　devotion　than　she　does　to　her　little　neighbor　when　he

talks　of　these　matters。



What　does　he　believe？　　In　the　first　place；　there　is　some　deep…rooted

disquiet　lying　at　the　bottom　of　his　soul；　which　makes　him　very

bitter　against　all　kinds　of　usurpation　over　the　right　of　private

judgment。　　Over　this　seems　to　lie　a　certain　tenderness　for　humanity

in　general；　bred　out　of　life…long　trial；　I　should　say；　but　sharply

streaked　with　fiery　lines　of　wrath　at　various　individual　acts　of

wrong；　especially　if　they　come　in　an　ecclesiastical　shape；　and

recall　to　him　the　days　when　his　mother's　great…grandmother　was

strangled　on　Witch　Hill；　with　a　text　from　the　Old　Testament　for　her

halter。　　With　all　this；　he　has　a　boundless　belief　in　the　future　of

this　experimental　hemisphere；　and　especially　in　the　destiny　of　the

free　thought　of　its　northeastern　metropolis。



A　man　can　see　further；　Sir；he　said　one　day；from　the　top　of

Boston　State　House；　and　see　more　that　is　worth　seeing；　than　from　all

the　pyramids　and　turrets　and　steeples　in　all　the　places　in　the

world！　　No　smoke；　Sir；　no　fog；　Sir；　and　a　clean　sweep　from　the　Outer

Light　and　the　sea　beyond　it　to　the　New　Hampshire　mountains！　　Yes；

Sir；and　there　are　great　truths　that　are　higher　than　mountains　and

broader　than　seas；　that　people　are　looking　for　from　the　tops　of

these　hills　of　ours；such　as　the　world　never　saw；　though　it　might

have　seen　them　at　Jerusalem；　if　its　eyes　had　been　open！　Where　do

they　have　most　crazy　people？　　Tell　me　that；　Sir！



I　answered；　that　I　had　heard　it　said　there　were　more　in　New　England

than　in　most　countries；　perhaps　more　than　in　any　part　of　the　world。



Very　good；　Sir；he　answered。　When　have　there　been　most　people

killed　and　wounded　in　the　course　of　this　century？



During　the　wars　of　the　French　Empire；　no　doubt；I　said。



That's　it！　that's　it！　said　the　Little　Gentleman；where　the　battle

of　intelligence　is　fought；　there　are　most　minds　bruised　and　broken！

We're　battling　for　a　faith　here；　Sir。



The　divinity…student　remarked；　that　it　was　rather　late　in　the

world's　history　for　men　to　be　looking　out　for　a　new　faith。



I　did　n't　say　a　new　faith；said　the　Little　Gentleman；old　or　new；

it　can't　help　being　different　here　in　this　American　mind　of　ours

from　anything　that　ever　was　before；　the　people　are　new；　Sir；　and

that　makes　the　difference。　　One　load　of　corn　goes　to　the　sty；　and

makes　the　fat　of　swine；another　goes　to　the　farm…house；　and　becomes

the　muscle　that　clothes　the　right　arms　of　heroes。　　It　is　n't　where　a

pawn　stands　on　the　board　that　makes　the　difference；　but　what　the

game　round　it　is　when　it　is　on　this　or　that　square。



Can　any　man　look　round　and　see　what　Christian　countries　are　now

doing；　and　how　they　are　governed；　and　what　is　the　general　condition

of　society；　without　seeing　that　Christianity　is　the　flag　under　which

the　world　sails；　and　not　the　rudder　that　steers　its　course？　　No；

Sir！　　There　was　a　great　raft　built　about　two　thousand　years　ago；

call　it　an　ark；　rather；the　world's　great　ark！　big　enough　to　hold

all　mankind；　and　made　to　be　launched　right　out　into　the　open　waves

of　life；and　here　it　has　been　lying；　one　end　on　the　shore　and　one

end　bobbing　up　and　down　in　the　water；　men　fighting　all　the　time　as

to　who　should　be　captain　and　who　should　have　the　state…rooms；　and

throwing　each　other　over　the　side　because　they　could　not　agree　about

the　points　of　compass；　but　the　great　vessel　never　getting　afloat

with　its　freight　of　nations　and　their　rulers；and　now；　Sir；　there

is　and　has　been　for　this　long　time　a　fleet　of　〃heretic〃　lighters

sailing　out　of　Boston　Bay；　and　they　have　been　saying；　and　they　say

now；　and　they　mean　to　keep　saying；　〃Pump　out　your　bilge…water；

shovel　over　your　loads　of　idle　ballast；　get　out　your　old　rotten

cargo；　and　we　will　carry　it　out　into　deep　waters　and　sink　it　where

it　will　never　be　seen　again；　so　shall　the　ark　of　the　world's　hope

float　on　the　ocean；　instead　of　sticking　in　the　dock…mud　where　it　is

lying！〃



It's　a　slow　business；　this　of　getting　the　ark　launched。　　The　Jordan

was　n't　deep　enough；　and　the　Tiber　was　n't　deep　enough；　and　the

Rhone　was　n't　deep　enough；　and　the　Thames　was　n't　deep　enough；　and

perhaps　the　Charles　is　n't　deep　enough；　but　I　don't　feel　sure　of

that；　Sir；　and　I　love　to　hear　the　workmen　knocking　at　the　old　blocks

of　tradition　and　making　the　ways　smooth　with　the　oil　of　the　Good

Samaritan。　　I　don't　know；　Sir；but　I　do　think　she　stirs　a　little；

I　do　believe　she　slides；and　when　I　think　of　what　a　work　that　is

for　the　dear　old　three…breasted　mother　of　American　liberty；　I　would

not　take　all　the　glory　of　all　the　greatest　cities　in　the　world　for

my　birthright　in　the　soil　of　little　Boston！



Some　of　us　could　not　help　smiling　at　this　burst　of　local

patriotism；　especially　when　it　finished　with　the　last　two　words。



And　Iris　smiled；　too。　　But　it　was　the　radiant　smile　of　pleasure

which　always　lights　up　her　face　when　her　little　neighbor　gets

excited　on　the　great　topics　of　progress　in　freedom　and　religion；　and

especially　on　the　part　which；　as　he　pleases　himself　with　believing；

his　own　city　is　to　take　in　that　consummation　of　human　development　to

which　he　looks　forward。



Presently　she　looked　into　his　face　with　a　changed　expression；the

anxiety　of　a　mother　that　sees　her　child　suffering。



You　are　not　well；she　said。



I　am　never　well；he　answered。　His　eyes　fell　mechanically　on　the

death's…head　ring　he　wore　on　his　right　hand。　　She　took　his　hand　as

if　it　had　been　a　baby's；　and　turned　the　grim　device　so　that　it

should　be　out　of　sight。　　One　slight；　sad；　slow　movement　of　the　head

seemed　to　say；　〃The　death…symbol　is　still　there！〃



A　very　odd　personage；　to　be　sure！　　Seems　to　know　what　is　going　on；

reads　books；　old　and　new；has　many　recent　publications　sent　him；

they　tell　me；　but；　what　is　more　curious；　keeps　up　with　the　everyday

affairs　of　the　world；　too。　　Whether　he　hears　everything　that　is　said

with　preternatural　acuteness；　or　whether　some　confidential　friend

visits　him　in　a　quiet　way；　is　more　than　I　can　tell。　　I　can　make

nothing　more　of　the　noises　I　hear　in　his　room　than　my　old

conjectures。　　The　movements　I　mention　are　less　frequent；　but　I　often

hear　the　plaintive　cry；I　observe　that　it　is　rarely　laughing　of

late；I　never　have　detected　one　articulate　word；　but　I　never　heard

such　tones　from　anything　but　a　human　voice。



There　has　been；　of　late；　a　deference　approaching　to　tenderness；　on

the　part　of　the　boarders　generally　so　far　as　he　is　concerned。　　This

is　doubtless　owing　to　the　air　of　suffering　which　seems　to　have

saddened　his　look　of　late。　　Either　some　passion　is　gnawing　at　him

inwardly；　or　some　hidden　disease　is　at　work　upon　him。



What　's　the　matter　with　Little　Boston？said　the　young　man　John　to

me　one　day。　There　a'n't　much　of　him；　anyhow；　but　't　seems　to　me　he

looks　peakeder　than　ever。　　The　old　woman　says　he's　in　a　bad　way；　'n'

wants　a　puss　to