the professor at the breakfast table-第66章

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remarkable　interview　with　him；　which　I　shall　briefly　relate；　without

attempting　to　justify　the　positions　taken　by　the　Little　Gentleman。

He　found　him　weak；　but　calm。　　Iris　sat　silent　by　his　pillow。



After　the　usual　preliminaries；　the　divinity…student　said；　in　a　kind

way；　that　he　was　sorry　to　find　him　in　failing　health；　that　he　felt

concerned　for　his　soul；　and　was　anxious　to　assist　him　in　making

preparations　for　the　great　change　awaiting　him。



I　thank　you；　Sir；said　the　Little　Gentleman；　permit　me　to　ask　you；

what　makes　you　think　I　am　not　ready　for　it；　Sir；　and　that　you　can　do

anything　to　help　me；　Sir？



I　address　you　only　as　a　fellow…man；said　the　divinity…student；and

therefore　a　fellow…sinner。



I　am　not　a　man；　Sir！　said　the　Little　Gentleman。　I　was　born　into

this　world　the　wreck　of　a　man；　and　I　shall　not　be　judged　with　a　race

to　which　I　do　not　belong。　　Look　at　this！　he　said；　and　held　up　his

withered　arm。　See　there！　and　he　pointed　to　his　misshapen

extremities。　Lay　your　hand　here！　and　he　laid　his　own　on　the

region　of　his　misplaced　heart。　I　have　known　nothing　of　the　life　of

your　race。　　When　I　first　came　to　my　consciousness；　I　found　myself　an

object　of　pity；　or　a　sight　to　show。　　The　first　strange　child　I　ever

remember　hid　its　face　and　would　not　come　near　me。　　I　was　a　broken…

hearted　as　well　as　broken…bodied　boy。　　I　grew　into　the　emotions　of

ripening　youth；　and　all　that　I　could　have　loved　shrank　from　my

presence。　　I　became　a　man　in　years；　and　had　nothing　in　common　with

manhood　but　its　longings。　　My　life　is　the　dying　pang　of　a　worn…out

race；　and　I　shall　go　down　alone　into　the　dust；　out　of　this　world　of

men　and　women；　without　ever　knowing　the　fellowship　of　the　one　or　the

love　of　the　other。　　I　will　not　die　with　a　lie　rattling　in　my　throat。

If　another　state　of　being　has　anything　worse　in　store　for　me；　I　have

had　a　long　apprenticeship　to　give　me　strength　that　I　may　bear　it。　　I

don't　believe　it；　Sir！　　I　have　too　much　faith　for　that。　　God　has　not

left　me　wholly　without　comfort；　even　here。　　I　love　this　old　place

where　I　was　born；the　heart　of　the　world　beats　under　the　three

hills　of　Boston；　Sir！　　I　love　this　great　land；　with　so　many　tall　men

in　it；　and　so　many　good；　noble　women。　His　eyes　turned　to　the

silent　figure　by　his　pillow。　I　have　learned　to　accept　meekly　what

has　been　allotted　to　me；　but　I　cannot　honestly　say　that　I　think　my

sin　has　been　greater　than　my　suffering。　　I　bear　the　ignorance　and

the　evil…doing　of　whole　generations　in　my　single　person。　　I　never

drew　a　breath　of　air　nor　took　a　step　that　was　not　a　punishment　for

another's　fault。　　I　may　have　had　many　wrong　thoughts；　but　I　cannot

have　done　many　wrong　deeds；for　my　cage　has　been　a　narrow　one；　and

I　have　paced　it　alone。　　I　have　looked　through　the　bars　and　seen　the

great　world　of　men　busy　and　happy；　but　I　had　no　part　in　their

doings。　　I　have　known　what　it　was　to　dream　of　the　great　passions；

but　since　my　mother　kissed　me　before　she　died；　no　woman's　lips　have

pressed　my　cheek；nor　ever　will。



The　young　girl's　eyes　glittered　with　a　sudden　film；　and　almost

without　a　thought；　but　with　a　warm　human　instinct　that　rushed　up

into　her　face　with　her　heart's　blood；　she　bent　over　and　kissed　him。

It　was　the　sacrament　that　washed　out　the　memory　of　long　years　of

bitterness；　and　I　should　hold　it　an　unworthy　thought　to　defend　her。

The　Little　Gentleman　repaid　her　with　the　only　tear　any　of　us　ever

saw　him　shed。



The　divinity…student　rose　from　his　place；　and；　turning　away　from　the

sick　man；　walked　to　the　other　side　of　the　room；　where　he　bowed　his

head　and　was　still。　　All　the　questions　he　had　meant　to　ask　had　faded

from　his　memory。　　The　tests　he　had。　　prepared　by　which　to　judge　of

his　fellow…creature's　fitness　for　heaven　seemed　to　have　lost　their

virtue。　　He　could　trust　the　crippled　child　of　sorrow　to　the　Infinite

Parent。　　The　kiss　of　the　fair…haired　girl　had　been　like　a　sign　from

heaven；　that　angels　watched　over　him　whom　he　was　presuming　but　a

moment　before　to　summon　before　the　tribunal　of　his　private　judgment。

Shall　I　pray　with　you？he　said；　after　a　pause。　　A　little　before　he

would　have　said；　Shall　I　pray　for　you？The　Christian　religion；　as

taught　by　its　Founder；　is　full　of　sentiment。　　So　we　must　not　blame

the　divinity…student；　if　he　was　overcome　by　those　yearnings　of　human

sympathy　which　predominate　so　much　more　in　the　sermons　of　the　Master

than　in　the　writings　of　his　successors；　and　which　have　made　the

parable　of　the　Prodigal　Son　the　consolation　of　mankind；　as　it　has

been　the　stumbling…block　of　all　exclusive　doctrines。



Pray！　said　the　Little　Gentleman。



The　divinity…student　prayed；　in　low；　tender　tones；



Iris　and　the　Little　Gentleman　that　God　would　look　on　his　servant

lying　helpless　at　the　feet　of　his　mercy；　that　He　would　remember　his

long　years　of　bondage　in　the　flesh；　that　He　would　deal　gently　with

the　bruised　reed。　　Thou　hast　visited　the　sins　of　the　fathers　upon

this　their　child。　　Oh；　turn　away　from　him　the　penalties　of　his　own

transgressions！　　Thou　hast　laid　upon　him；　from　infancy；　the　cross

which　thy　stronger　children　are　called　upon　to　take　up；　and　now　that

he　is　fainting　under　it；　be　Thou　his　stay；　and　do　Thou　succor　him

that　is　tempted！　　Let　his　manifold　infirmities　come　between　him　and

Thy　judgment；　in　wrath　remember　mercy！　　If　his　eyes　are　not　opened

to　all　Thy　truth；　let　Thy　compassion　lighten　the　darkness　that　rests

upon　him；　even　as　it　came　through　the　word　of　thy　Son　to　blind

Bartimeus；　who　sat　by　the　wayside；　begging！



Many　more　petitions　he　uttered；　but　all　in　the　same　subdued　tone　of

tenderness。　　In　the　presence　of　helpless　suffering；　and　in　the　fast…

darkening　shadow　of　the　Destroyer；　he　forgot　all　but　his　Christian

humanity；　and　cared　more　about　consoling　his　fellow…man　than　making

a　proselyte　of　him。



This　was　the　last　prayer　to　which　the　Little　Gentleman　ever

listened。　　Some　change　was　rapidly　coming　over　him　during　this　last

hour　of　which　I　have　been　speaking。　　The　excitement　of　pleading　his

cause　before　his　self…elected　spiritual　adviser；the　emotion　which

overcame　him；　when　the　young　girl　obeyed　the　sudden　impulse　of　her

feelings　and　pressed　her　lips　to　his　cheek；the　thoughts　that

mastered　him　while　the　divinity…student　poured　out　his　soul　for　him

in　prayer；　might　well　hurry　on　the　inevitable　moment。　　When　the

divinity…student　had　uttered　his　last　petition；　commending　him　to

the　Father　through　his　Son's　intercession；　he　turned　to　look　upon

him　before　leaving　his　chamber。　　His　face　was　changed。　There　is　a

language　of　the　human　countenance　which　we　all　understand　without　an

interpreter；　though　the　lineaments　belong　to　the　rudest　savage　that

ever　stammered　in　an　unknown　barbaric　dialect。　　By　the　stillness　of

the　sharpened　features；　by　the　blankness　of　the　tearless　eyes；　by

the　fixedness　of　the　smileless　mouth；　by　the　deadening　tints；　by　the

contracted　brow；　by　the　dilating　nostril；　we　know　that　the　soul　is

soon　to　leave　its　mortal　tenement；　and　is　already　closing　up　its

windows　and　putting　out　its　fires。　Such　was　the　aspect　of　the　face

upon　which　the　divinity…student　looked；　after　the　brief　silence

which　followed　his　prayer。　　The　change　had　been　rapid；　though　not

that　abrupt　one　which　is　liable　to　happen　at　any　moment　in　these

cases。　The　sick　man　looked　towards　him。　Farewell；he　said；I

thank　you。　　Leave　me　alone　with　her。



When　the　divinity…student　had　gone；　and　the　Little　Gentleman　found

himself　alone　with　Iris；　he　lifted　his　hand　to　his　neck；　and　took

from　it；　suspended　by　a　slender　chain；　a　quaint；　antique…looking

key；the　same　key　I　had　once　seen　him　holding。　　He　gave　this　to

her；　and　pointed　to　a　carved　cabinet　opposite　his　bed；　one　of　those

that　had　so　attracted　my　curious　eyes　and　set　me　wondering　as　to

what　it　might　contain。



Open　it；he　said；and　light　the　lamp。　The　young　girl　walked　to

the　cabinet　and　unlocked　the　door。　　A　deep　recess　appeared；　lined

with　black　velvet；　against　which