the professor at the breakfast table-第26部分

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'Good…will　to　men！'　the　listening　Earth　reply！〃



They　spoke　with　hurried　words　and　accents　wild；

Calm　in　his　cradle　slept　the　heavenly　child。

No　trembling　word　the　mother's　joy　revealed；

One　sigh　of　rapture；　and　her　lips　were　sealed；

Unmoved　she　saw　the　rustic　train　depart；

But　kept　their　words　to　ponder　in　her　heart。



Twelve　years　had　passed；　the　boy　was　fair　and　tall；

Growing　in　wisdom；　finding　grace　with　all。

The　maids　of　Nazareth；　as　they　trooped　to　fill

Their　balanced　urns　beside　the　mountain…rill；

The　gathered　matrons；　as　they　sat　and　spun；

Spoke　in　soft　words　of　Joseph's　quiet　son。

No　voice　had　reached　the　Galilean　vale

Of　star…led　kings　or　awe…struck　shepherds'　tale；

In　the　meek；　studious　child　they　only　saw

The　future　Rabbi；　learned　in　Israel's　law。



So　grew　the　boy；　and　now　the　feast　was　near；

When　at　the　holy　place　the　tribes　appear。

Scarce　had　the　home…bred　child　of　Nazareth　seen

Beyond　the　hills　that　girt　the　village…green；

Save　when　at　midnight；　o'er　the　star…lit　sands；

Snatched　from　the　steel　of　Herod's　murdering　bands；

A　babe；　close…folded　to　his　mother's　breast；

Through　Edom's　wilds　he　sought　the　sheltering　West。



Then　Joseph　spake　：　〃Thy　boy　hath　largely　grown；

Weave　him　fine　raiment；　fitting　to　be　shown；

Fair　robes　beseem　the　pilgrim；　as　the　priest

Goes　he　not　with　us　to　the　holy　feast？〃



And　Mary　culled　the　flaxen　fibres　white；

Till　eve　she　spun；　she　spun　till　morning　light。

The　thread　was　twined；　its　parting　meshes　through

》From　hand　to　hand　her　restless　shuttle　flew；

Till　the　full　web　was　wound　upon　the　beam；

Love's　curious　toil；a　vest　without　a　seam！



They　reach　the　holy　place；　fulfil　the　days

To　solemn　feasting　given；　and　grateful　praise。

At　last　they　turn；　and　far　Moriah's　height

Melts　in　the　southern　sky　and　fades　from　sight。

All　day　the　dusky　caravan　has　flowed

In　devious　trails　along　the　winding　road；

（For　many　a　step　their　homeward　path　attends；

And　all　the　sons　of　Abraham　are　as　friends。）

Evening　has　come；the　hour　of　rest　and　joy；

Hush！　hush！that　whisper；…〃Where　is　Mary's　boy？〃



O　weary　hour！　　O　aching　days　that　passed

Filled　with　strange　fears；　each　wilder　than　the　last：

The　soldier's　lance；the　fierce　centurion's　sword；

The　crushing　wheels　that　whirl　some　Roman　lord；

The　midnight　crypt　that　suck's　the　captive's　breath；

The　blistering　sun　on　Hinnom's　vale　of　death！



Thrice　on　his　cheek　had　rained　the　morning　light；

Thrice　on　his　lips　the　mildewed　kiss　of　night；

Crouched　by　some　porphyry　column's　shining　plinth；

Or　stretched　beneath　the　odorous　terebinth。



At　last；　in　desperate　mood；　they　sought　once　more

The　Temple's　porches；　searched　in　vain　before；

They　found　him　seated　with　the　ancient　men；

The　grim　old　rufflers　of　the　tongue　and　pen；

Their　bald　heads　glistening　as　they　clustered　near；

Their　gray　beards　slanting　as　they　turned　to　hear；

Lost　in　half…envious　wonder　and　surprise

That　lips　so　fresh　should　utter　words　so　wise。



And　Mary　said；as　one　who；　tried　too　long；

Tells　all　her　grief　and　half　her　sense　of　wrong；

What　is　this　thoughtless　thing　which　thou　hast　done？

Lo；　we　have　sought　thee　sorrowing；　O　my　son！

〃Few　words　he　spake；　and　scarce　of　filial　tone；

Strange　words；　their　sense　a　mystery　yet　unknown；

Then　turned　with　them　and　left　the　holy　hill；

To　all　their　mild　commands　obedient　still。



The　tale　was　told　to　Nazareth's　sober　men；

And　Nazareth's　matrons　told　it　oft　again；

The　maids　retold　it　at　the　fountain's　side；

The　youthful　shepherds　doubted　or　denied；

It　passed　around　among　the　listening　friends；

With　all　that　fancy　adds　and　fiction　fends；

Till　newer　marvels　dimmed　the　young　renown

Of　Joseph's　son；　who　talked　the　Rabbis　down。



But　Mary；　faithful　to　its　lightest　word；

Kept　in　her　heart　the　sayings　she　had　heard；

Till　the　dread　morning　rent　the　Temple's　veil；

And　shuddering　Earth　confirmed　the　wondrous　tale。



Youth　fades；　love　droops；　the　leaves　of　friendship　fall；

A　mother's　secret　hope　outlives　them　all。









VI



You　don't　look　so　dreadful　poor　in　the　face　as　you　did　a　while　back。

Bloated　some；　I　expect。



This　was　the　cheerful　and　encouraging　and　elegant　remark　with　which

the　Poor　Relation　greeted　the　divinity…student　one　morning。



Of　course　every　good　man　considers　it　a　great　sacrifice　on　his　part

to　continue　living　in　this　transitory；　unsatisfactory；　and

particularly　unpleasant　world。　　This　is　so　much　a　matter　of　course；

that　I　was　surprised　to　see　the　divinity…student　change　color。　　He

took　a　look　at　a　small　and　uncertain…minded　glass　which　hung　slanting

forward　over　the　chapped　sideboard。　　The　image　it　returned　to　him　had

the　color　of　a　very　young　pea　somewhat　overboiled。　　The　scenery　of　a

long　tragic　drama　flashed　through　his　mind　as　the　lightning…express…

train　whishes　by　a　station：　the　gradual　dismantling　process　of

disease；　friends　looking　on；　sympathetic；　but　secretly　chuckling　over

their　own　stomachs　of　iron　and　lungs　of　caoutchouc；　nurses　attentive；

but　calculating　their　crop；　and　thinking　how　soon　it　will　be　ripe；　so

that　they　can　go　to　your　neighbor；　who　is　good　for　a　year　or　so

longer；　doctors　assiduous；　but　giving　themselves　a　mental　shake；　as

they　go　out　of　your　door；　which　throws　off　your　particular　grief　as　a

duck　sheds　a　raindrop　from　his　oily　feathers；　undertakers　solemn；　but

happy；　then　the　great　subsoil　cultivator；　who　plants；　but　never　looks

for　fruit　in　his　garden；　then　the　stone…cutter；　who　puts　your　name　on

the　slab　which　has　been　waiting　for　you　ever　since　the　birds　or

beasts　made　their　tracks　on　the　new　red　sandstone；　then　the　grass　and

the　dandelions　and　the　buttercups；Earth　saying　to　the　mortal

body；　with　her　sweet　symbolism；　〃You　have　scarred　my　bosom；　but　you

are　forgiven〃；　then　a　glimpse　of　the　soul　as　a　floating　consciousness

without　very　definite　form　or　place；　but　dimly　conceived　of　as　an

upright　column　of　vapor　or　mist　several　times　larger　than　life…size；

so　far　as　it　could　be　said　to　have　any　size　at　all；　wandering　about

and　living　a　thin　and　half…awake　life　for　want　of　good　old…fashioned

solid　matter　to　come　down　upon　with　foot　and　fist；in　fact；　having

neither　foot　nor　fist；　nor　conveniences　for　taking　the　sitting

posture。



And　yet　the　divinity…student　was　a　good　Christian；　and　those　heathen

images　which　remind　one　of　the　childlike　fancies　of　the　dying　Adrian

were　only　the　efforts　of　his　imagination　to　give　shape　to　the

formless　and　position　to　the　placeless。　　Neither　did　his　thoughts

spread　themselves　out　and　link　themselves　as　I　have　displayed　them。

They　came　confusedly　into　his　mind　like　a　heap　of　broken　mosaics；

sometimes　a　part　of　the　picture　complete　in　itself；　sometimes

connected　fragments；　and　sometimes　only　single　severed　stones。



They　did　not　diffuse　a　light　of　celestial　joy　over　his　countenance。

On　the　contrary；　the　Poor　Relation's　remark　turned　him　pale；　as　I

have　said；　and　when　the　terrible　wrinkled　and　jaundiced　looking…glass

turned　him　green　in　addition；　and　he　saw　himself　in　it；　it　seemed　to

him　as　if　it　were　all　settled；　and　his　book　of　life　were　to　be　shut

not　yet　half…read；　and　go　back　to　the　dust　of　the　under…ground

archives。　　He　coughed　a　mild　short　cough；　as　if　to　point　the

direction　in　which　his　downward　path　was　tending。　　It　was　an　honest

little　cough　enough；　so　far　as　appearances　went。　　But　coughs　are

ungrateful　things。　　You　find　one　out　in　the　cold；　take　it　up　and

nurse　it　and　make　everything　of　it；　dress　it　up　warm；　give　it　all

sorts　of　balsams　and　other　food　it　likes；　and　carry　it　round　in　your

bosom　as　if　it　were　a　miniature　lapdog。　　And　by…and…by　its　little

bark　grows　sharp　and　savage；　andconfound　the　thing！　you　find　it

is　a　wolf's　whelp　that　you　have　got　there；　and　he　is　gnawing　in　the

breast　where　he　has　been　nestling　so　long。　The　Poor　Relation　said

that　somebody's　surrup　was　good　for　folks　that　were　gettin'　into　a

bad　way。　The　landlady　had　heard　of　desperate　cases　cured　by　cherry…

pictorial。



Whiskey's　the　fellah；said　the　young　man　John。　Make　it　into　punch；

cold　at　dinner…time　'n'　hot　at　bed…time。　　I'll　come　up　'n'　show　you

how　to　mix　it。　　Have　n't　any　of　you　seen　the　wonderful　fat　man

exhibitin'　down　in　Hanover　Street？



Master　Benjamin　Franklin　rushed　into　the　dialogue　with　a　breezy

exclamation；　that　he　had　seen　a　great　picter　outside　of　the　place

where　the　fat　man　was　exhibitin'。　　Tried　to　get　in　at　half…price；　but

the　man　at　the　door　looked　at　his　teeth　and　said　he　was　more'n　ten

year　old。



It　is　n't　two　years；said　the　young　man　John；　since　that　fat　fellah

was　exhibitin'　here　as　the　Livin'　Skeleton。　　Whiskeythat's　what　did

it；real　Burbon's　the　stuff。　　Hot　water；　sugar；　'n'　jest　a　little

shavin'　of　lemon…skin　in　it；skin；　mind　you；　none　o'　your　juice；

take　it　off　thin；shape　of　one　of　them　flat　curls　the　factory…girls

wear　on　the　sides　of　their　foreheads。



But　I　am　a　teeto