the professor at the breakfast table-第53章

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well　as　in　words；　gives　a　richness　to　this　young　girl's　alphabet　of

feeling　and　imagery　that　takes　me　by　surprise。　　And　then　besides；

and　most　of　all；　I　am　puzzled　at　her　sudden　and　seemingly　easy

confidence　in　me。　　Perhaps　I　owe　it　to　myWell；　no　matter！　　How　one

must　love　the　editor　who　first　calls　him　the　venerable　So…and…So！



I　locked　the　book　and　sighed　as　I　laid　it　down。　　The　world　is

always　ready　to　receive　talent　with　open　arms。　　Very　often　it　does

not　know　what　to　do　with　genius。　　Talent　is　a　docile　creature。　　It

bows　its　head　meekly　while　the　world　slips　the　collar　over　it。　　It

backs　into　the　shafts　like　a　lamb。　　It　draws　its　load　cheerfully；

and　is　patient　of　the　bit　and　of　the　whip。　　But　genius　is　always

impatient　of　its　harness；　its　wild　blood　makes　it　hard　to　train。



Talent　seems；　at　first；　in　one　sense；　higher　than　genius；namely；

that　it　is　more　uniformly　and　absolutely　submitted　to　the　will；　and

therefore　more　distinctly　human　in　its　character。　　Genius；　on　the

other　hand；　is　much　more　like　those　instincts　which　govern　the

admirable　movements　of　the　lower　creatures；　and　therefore　seems　to

have　something　of　the　lower　or　animal　character。　　A　goose　flies　by　a

chart　which　the　Royal　Geographical　Society　could　not　mend。　　A　poet；

like　the　goose；　sails　without　visible　landmarks　to　unexplored

regions　of　truth；　which　philosophy　has　yet　to　lay　down　on　its　atlas。

The　philosopher　gets　his　track　by　observation；　the　poet　trusts　to

his　inner　sense；　and　makes　the　straighter　and　swifter　line。



And　yet；　to　look　at　it　in　another　light；　is　not　even　the　lowest

instinct　more　truly　divine　than　any　voluntary　human　act　done　by　the

suggestion　of　reason？　　What　is　a　bee's　architecture　but　an

unobstructed　divine　thought？what　is　a　builder's　approximative　rule

but　an　obstructed　thought　of　the　Creator；　a　mutilated　and　imperfect

copy　of　some　absolute　rule　Divine　Wisdom　has　established；

transmitted　through　a　human　soul　as　an　image　through　clouded　glass？



Talent　is　a　very　common　family…trait；　genius　belongs　rather　to

individuals；just　as　you　find　one　giant　or　one　dwarf　in　a　family；

but　rarely　a　whole　brood　of　either。　　Talent　is　often　to　be　envied；

and　genius　very　commonly　to　be　pitied。　　It　stands　twice　the　chance

of　the　other　of　dying　in　hospital；　in　jail；　in　debt；　in　bad　repute。

It　is　a　perpetual　insult　to　mediocrity；　its　every　word　is　a　trespass

against　somebody's　vested　ideas；blasphemy　against　somebody's　O'm；

or　intangible　private　truth。



What　is　the　use　of　my　weighing　out　antitheses　in　this　way；　like　a

rhetorical　grocer？You　know　twenty　men　of　talent；　who　are　making

their　way　in　the　world；　you　may；　perhaps；　know　one　man　of　genius；

and　very　likely　do　not　want　to　know　any　more。　　For　a　divine

instinct；　such　as　drives　the　goose　southward　and　the　poet

heavenward；　is　a　hard　thing　to　manage；　and　proves　too　strong　for

many　whom　it　possesses。　　It　must　have　been　a　terrible　thing　to　have

a　friend　like　Chatterton　or　Burns。　　And　here　is　a　being　who

certainly　has　more　than　talent；　at　once　poet　and　artist　in　tendency；

if　not　yet　fairly　developed；a　woman；　too；and　genius　grafted　on

womanhood　is　like　to　overgrow　it　and　break　its　stem；　as　you　may　see

a　grafted　fruit…tree　spreading　over　the　stock　which　cannot　keep　pace

with　its　evolution。



I　think　now　you　know　something　of　this　young　person。　　She　wants

nothing　but　an　atmosphere　to　expand　in。　　Now　and　then　one　meets　with

a　nature　for　which　our　hard；　practical　New　England　life　is　obviously

utterly　incompetent。　　It　comes　up；　as　a　Southern　seed；　dropped　by

accident　in　one　of　our　gardens；　finds　itself　trying　to　grow　and　blow

into　flower　among　the　homely　roots　and　the　hardy　shrubs　that

surround　it。　　There　is　no　question　that　certain　persons　who　are　born

among　us　find　themselves　many　degrees　too　far　north。　　Tropical　by

organization；　they　cannot　fight　for　life　with　our　eastern　and

northwestern　breezes　without　losing　the　color　and　fragrance　into

which　their　lives　would　have　blossomed　in　the　latitude　of　myrtles

and　oranges。　　Strange　effects　are　produced　by　suffering　any　living

thing　to　be　developed　under　conditions　such　as　Nature　had　not

intended　for　it。　　A　French　physiologist　confined　some　tadpoles　under

water　in　the　dark。　　Removed　from　the　natural　stimulus　of　light；　they

did　not　develop　legs　and　arms　at　the　proper　period　of　their　growth；

and　so　become　frogs；　they　swelled　and　spread　into　gigantic　tadpoles。

I　have　seen　a　hundred　colossal　human　tadpoles；　overgrown　Zarvce　or

embryos；　nay；　I　am　afraid　we　Protestants　should　look　on　a

considerable　proportion　of　the　Holy　Father's　one　hundred　and　thirty…

nine　millions　as　spiritual　larvae；　sculling　about　in　the　dark　by　the

aid　of　their　caudal　extremities；　instead　of　standing　on　their　legs；

and　breathing　by　gills；　instead　of　taking　the　free　air　of　heaven

into　the　lungs　made　to　receive　it。　　Of　course　we　never　try　to　keep

young　souls　in　the　tadpole　state；　for　fear　they　should　get　a　pair　or

two　of　legs　by…and…by　and　jump　out　of　the　pool　where　they　have　been

bred　and　fed！　　Never！　　Never。　　Never？



Now　to　go　back　to　our　plant。　　You　may　know；　that；　for　the　earlier

stages　of　development　of　almost　any　vegetable；　you　only　want　air；

water；　light；　and　warmth。　　But　by…and…by；　if　it　is　to　have　special

complex　principles　as　a　part　of　its　organization；　they　must　be

supplied　by　the　soil；your　pears　will　crack；　if　the　root　of　the

tree　gets　no　iron；your　asparagus…bed　wants　salt　as　much　as　you　do。

Just　at　the　period　of　adolescence；　the　mind　often　suddenly　begins　to

come　into　flower　and　to　set　its　fruit。　　Then　it　is　that　many　young

natures；　having　exhausted　the　spiritual　soil　round　them　of　all　it

contains　of　the　elements　they　demand；　wither　away；　undeveloped　and

uncolored；　unless　they　are　transplanted。



Pray　for　these　dear　young　souls！　　This　is　the　second　natural　birth；…

for　I　do　not　speak　of　those　peculiar　religious　experiences　which

form　the　point　of　transition　in　many　lives　between　the　consciousness

of　a　general　relation　to　the　Divine　nature　and　a　special　personal

relation。　　The　litany　should　count　a　prayer　for　them　in　the　list　of

its　supplications；　masses　should　be　said　for　them　as　for　souls　in

purgatory；　all　good　Christians　should　remember　them　as　they　remember

those　in　peril　through　travel　or　sickness　or　in　warfare。



I　would　transport　this　child　to　Rome　at　once；　if　I　had　my　will。　　She

should　ripen　under　an　Italian　sun。　　She　should　walk　under　the

frescoed　vaults　of　palaces；　until　her　colors　deepened　to　those　of

Venetian　beauties；　and　her　forms　were　perfected　into　rivalry　with

the　Greek　marbles；　and　the　east　wind　was　out　of　her　soil。　　Has　she

not　exhausted　this　lean　soil　of　the　elements　her　growing　nature

requires？



I　do　not　know。　　The　magnolia　grows　and　comes　into　full　flower　on

Cape　Ann；　many　degrees　out　of　its　proper　region。　　I　was　riding　once

along　that　delicious　road　between　the　hills　and　the　sea；　when　we

passed　a　thicket　where　there　seemed　to　be　a　chance　of　finding　it。

In　five　minutes　I　had　fallen　on　the　trees　in　full　blossom；　and

filled　my　arms　with　the　sweet；　resplendent　flowers。　　I　could　not

believe　I　was　in　our　cold；　northern　Essex；　which；　in　the　dreary

season　when　I　pass　its　slate…colored；　unpainted　farm…houses；　and

huge；　square；　windy；　'squire…built　〃mansions；〃　looks　as　brown　and

unvegetating　as　an　old　rug　with　its　patterns　all　trodden　out　and　the

colored　fringe　worn　from　all　its　border。



If　the　magnolia　can　bloom　in　northern　New　England；　why　should　not　a

poet　or　a　painter　come　to　his　full　growth　here　just　as　well？　　Yes；

but　if　the　gorgeous　tree…flower　is　rare；　and　only　as　if　by　a　freak

of　Nature　springs　up　in　a　single　spot　among　the　beeches　and　alders；

is　there　not　as　much　reason　to　think　the　perfumed　flower　of

imaginative　genius　will　find　it　hard　to　be　born　and　harder　to　spread

its　leaves　in　the　clear；　cold　atmosphere　of　our　ultra…temperate　zone

of　humanity？



Take　the　poet。　　On　the　one　hand；　I　bel