the professor at the breakfast table-第68章

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central　figure　of　the　Christendom　which　includes　us　all。



The　divinity…student　expressed　a　hope　before　the　boarders　that　he

should　meet　him　in　heaven。　The　question　is；　whether　he'll　meet

you；said　the　young　fellow　John；　rather　smartly。　　The　divinity…

student　had　n't　thought　of　that。



However；　he　is　a　worthy　young　man；　and　I　trust　I　have　shown　him　in　a

kindly　and　respectful　light。　　He　will　get　a　parish　by…and…by；　and；

as　he　is　about　to　marry　the　sister　of　an　old　friend；the

Schoolmistress；　whom　some　of　us　remember；and　as　all　sorts　of

expensive　accidents　happen　to　young　married　ministers；　he　will　be

under　bonds　to　the　amount　of　his　salary；　which　means　starvation；　if

they　are　forfeited；　to　think　all　his　days　as　he　thought　when　he　was

settled；unless　the　majority　of　his　people　change　with　him　or　in

advance　of　him。　　A　hard　ease；　to　which　nothing　could　reconcile　a

man；　except　that　the　faithful　discharge　of　daily　duties　in　his

personal　relations　with　his　parishioners　will　make　him　useful　enough

in　his　way；　though　as　a　thinker　he　may　cease　to　exist　before　he　has

reached　middle　age。



Iris　went　into　mourning　for　the　Little　Gentleman。　　Although；　as　I

have　said；　he　left　the　bulk　of　his　property；　by　will；　to　a　public

institution；　he　added　a　codicil；　by　which　he　disposed　of　various

pieces　of　property　as　tokens　of　kind　remembrance。　　It　was　in　this

way　I　became　the　possessor　of　the　wonderful　instrument　I　have　spoken

of；　which　had　been　purchased　for　him　out　of　an　Italian　convent。　　The

landlady　was　comforted　with　a　small　legacy。　　The　following　extract

relates　to　Iris　：　〃in　consideration　of　her　manifold　acts　of

kindness；　but　only　in　token　of　grateful　remembrance；　and　by　no　means

as　a　reward　for　services　which　cannot　be　compensated；　a　certain

messuage；　with　all　the　land　thereto　appertaining；　situated　in　______

Street；　at　the　North　End；　so　called；　of　Boston；　aforesaid；　the　same

being　the　house　in　which　I　was　born；　but　now　inhabited　by　several

families；　and　known　as　'The　Rookery。'〃　Iris　had　also　the　crucifix；

the　portrait；　and　the　red…jewelled　ring。　　The　funeral　or　death's…

head　ring　was　buried　with　him。



It　was　a　good　while；　after　the　Little　Gentleman　was　gone；　before　our

boarding…house　recovered　its　wonted　cheerfulness。　　There　was　a

flavor　in　his　whims　and　local　prejudices　that　we　liked；　even　while

we　smiled　at　them。　　It　was　hard　to　see　the　tall　chair　thrust　away

among　useless　lumber；　to　dismantle　his　room；　to　take　down　the

picture　of　Leah；　the　handsome　Witch　of　Essex；　to　move　away　the

massive　shelves　that　held　the　books　he　loved；　to　pack　up　the　tube

through　which　he　used　to　study　the　silent　stars；　looking　down　at　him

like　the　eyes　of　dumb　creatures；　with　a　kind　of　stupid　half…

consciousness　that　did　not　worry　him　as　did　the　eyes　of　men　and

women；and　hardest　of　all　to　displace　that　sacred　figure　to　which

his　heart　had　always　turned　and　found　refuge；　in　the　feelings　it

inspired；　from　all　the　perplexities　of　his　busy　brain。　　It　was　hard；

but　it　had　to　be　done。



And　by…and…by　we　grew　cheerful　again；　and　the　breakfast…table　wore

something　of　its　old　look。　　The　Koh…i…noor；　as　we　named　the

gentleman　with　the　diamond；　left　us；　however；　soon　after　that

〃little　mill；〃　as　the　young　fellow　John　called　it；　where　he　came　off

second　best。　　His　departure　was　no　doubt　hastened　by　a　note　from　the

landlady's　daughter；　inclosing　a　lock　of　purple　hair　which　she　〃had

valued　as　a　pledge　of　affection；　ere　she　knew　the　hollowness　of　the

vows　he　had　breathed；〃　speedily　followed　by　another；　inclosing　the

landlady's　bill。　　The　next　morning　he　was　missing；　as　were　his

limited　wardrobe　and　the　trunk　that　held　it。　　Three　empty　bottles　of

Mrs。　Allen's　celebrated　preparation；　each　of　them　asserting；　on　its

word　of　honor　as　a　bottle；　that　its　former　contents　were　〃not　a

dye；〃　were　all　that　was　left　to　us　of　the　Koh…i…noor。



》From　this　time　forward；　the　landlady's　daughter　manifested　a　decided

improvement　in　her　style　of　carrying　herself　before　the　boarders。

She　abolished　the　odious　little　flat；　gummy　side…curl。　　She　left　off

various　articles　of　〃jewelry。〃　　She　began　to　help　her　mother　in　some

of　her　household　duties。　　She　became　a　regular　attendant　on　the

ministrations　of　a　very　worthy　clergyman；　having　been　attracted　to

his　meetin'　by　witnessing　a　marriage　ceremony　in　which　he　called　a

man　and　a　woman　a　〃gentleman〃　and　a　〃lady；〃a　stroke　of　gentility

which　quite　overcame　her。　　She　even　took　a　part　in　what　she　called　a

Sabbath　school；　though　it　was　held　on　Sunday；　and　by　no　means　on

Saturday；　as　the　name　she　intended　to　utter　implied。　　All　this；

which　was　very　sincere；　as　I　believe；　on　her　part；　and　attended　with

a　great　improvement　in　her　character；　ended　in　her　bringing　home　a

young　man；　with　straight；　sandy　hair；　brushed　so　as　to　stand　up

steeply　above　his　forehead；　wearing　a　pair　of　green　spectacles；　and

dressed　in　black　broadcloth。　　His　personal　aspect；　and　a　certain

solemnity　of　countenance；　led　me　to　think　he　must　be　a　clergyman；

and　as　Master　Benjamin　Franklin　blurted　out　before　several　of　us

boarders；　one　day；　that　〃Sis　had　got　a　beau；〃　I　was　pleased　at　the

prospect　of　her　becoming　a　minister's　wife。　　On　inquiry；　however；　I

found　that　the　somewhat　solemn　look　which　I　had　noticed　was　indeed　a

professional　one；　but　not　clerical。　　He　was　a　young　undertaker；　who

had　just　succeeded　to　a　thriving　business。　　Things；　I　believe；　are

going　on　well　at　this　time　of　writing；　and　I　am　glad　for　the

landlady's　daughter　and　her　mother。　　Sextons　and　undertakers　are　the

cheerfullest　people　in　the　world　at　home；　as　comedians　and　circus…

clowns　are　the　most　melancholy　in　their　domestic　circle。



As　our　old　boarding…house　is　still　in　existence；　I　do　not　feel　at

liberty　to　give　too　minute　a　statement　of　the　present　condition　of

each　and　all　of　its　inmates。　　I　am　happy　to　say；　however；　that　they

are　all　alive　and　well；　up　to　this　time。　　That　amiable　old　gentleman

who　sat　opposite　to　me　is　growing　older；　as　old　men　will；　but　still

smiles　benignantly　on　all　the　boarders；　and　has　come　to　be　a　kind　of

father　to　all　of　them；so　that　on　his　birthday　there　is　always

something　like　a　family　festival。　　The　Poor　Relation；　even；　has

warmed　into　a　filial　feeling　towards　him；　and　on　his　last　birthday

made　him　a　beautiful　present；　namely；　a　very　handsomely　bound　copy

of　Blair's　celebrated　poem；　〃The　Grave。〃



The　young　man　John　is　still；　as　he　says；　〃in　fustrate　fettle。〃　　I

saw　him　spar；　not　long　since；　at　a　private　exhibition；　and　do

himself　great　credit　in　a　set…to　with　Henry　Finnegass；　Esq。；　a

professional　gentleman　of　celebrity。　　I　am　pleased　to　say　that　he

has　been　promoted　to　an　upper　clerkship；　and；　in　consequence　of　his

rise　in　office；　has　taken　an　apartment　somewhat　lower　down　than

number　〃forty…'leven；〃　as　he　facetiously　called　his　attic。　　Whether

there　is　any　truth；　or　not；　in　the　story　of　his　attachment　to；　and

favorable　reception　by；　the　daughter　of　the　head　of　an　extensive

wholesale　grocer's　establishment；　I　will　not　venture　an　opinion；　I

may　say；　however；　that　I　have　met　him　repeatedly　in　company　with　a

very　well…nourished　and　high…colored　young　lady；　who；　I　understand；

is　the　daughter　of　the　house　in　question。



Some　of　the　boarders　were　of　opinion　that　Iris　did　not　return　the

undisguised　attentions　of　the　handsome　young　Marylander。　　Instead　of

fixing　her　eyes　steadily　on　him；　as　she　used　to　look　upon　the　Little

Gentleman；　she　would　turn　them　away；　as　if　to　avoid　his　own。　　They

often　went　to　church　together；　it　is　true；　but　nobody；　of　course；

supposes　there　is　any　relation　between　religious　sympathy　and　those

wretched　〃sentimental〃　movements　of　the　human　heart　upon　which　it　is

commonly　agreed　that　nothing　better　is　based　than　society；

civilization；　friendship；　the　relation　of　husband　and　wife；　and　of

parent　and　child；　and　which　many　people　must　think　were　singularly

overrated　by　the　Teacher　of　Nazareth；　whose　whole　life