lady baltimore-第14部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



〃Juliet　would　see　deeper　than　such　mothers。　She　could　not　have　her　little　sons　and　daughters　grow　up　and　comprehend　their　father's　absences；　and　see　their　mother's　submission　to　his　returns　for　such　discovery　would　scorch　the　marrow　of　any　hearts　they　had。〃

At　this；　as　we　came　out　of　the　Library；　he　made　an　astonishing　rejoinder；　and　one　which　I　cannot　in　the　least　account　for：　〃South　Carolina　does　not　allow　divorce。〃

〃Then　I　should　think；〃　I　said　to　him；　〃that　all　you　people　here　would　be　doubly　careful　as　to　what　manner　of　husbands　and　wives　you　chose　for　yourselves。〃

Such　a　remark　was　sailing；　you　may　say；　almost　within　three　points　of　the　wind；　and　his　own　accidental　allusion　to　Romeo　had　brought　it　about　with　an　aptness　and　a　celerity　which　were　better　for　my　purpose　than　anything　I　had　privately　developed　from　the　text　of　Bottom　and　Titania；　none　the　less；　however；　did　I　intend　to　press　into　my　service　that　fond　couple　also　as　basis　for　a　moral；　in　spite　of　the　sharp　turn　which　those　last　words　of　mine　now　caused　him　at　once　to　give　to　our　conversation。　His　quick　reversion　to　the　beginning　of　the　talk　seemed　like　a　dodging　of　remarks　that　hit　too　near　home　for　him　to　relish　hearing　pursued。

〃Well；　sir；〃　he　resumed　with　the　same　initial　briskness；　〃I　was　ashamed　if　you　were　not。〃

〃I　still　don't　make　out　what　impropriety　we　have　jointly　committed。〃

〃What　do　you　think　of　the　views　you　expressed　about　our　country？〃

〃Oh！　When　we　sat　on　the　gravestones。〃

〃What　do　you　think　about　it　to…day？〃

I　turned　to　him　as　we　slowly　walked　toward　Worship　Street。　〃Did　you　say　anything　then　that　you　would　take　back　now？〃

He　pondered；　wrinkling　his　forehead。　〃Well；　but　all　the　same；　didn't　we　give　the　present　hour　a　pretty　black　eye？〃

〃The　present　hour　deserves　a　black　eye；　and　two　of　them！〃

He　surveyed　me　squarely。　〃I　believe　you're　a　pessimist！〃

〃That　is　the　first　trashy　thing　I've　heard　you　say。〃

〃Thank　you！　At　least　admit　you're　scarcely　an　optimist。〃

〃Optimist！　Pessimist！　Why；　you're　talking　just　like　a　newspaper！〃

He　laughed。　〃Oh；　don't　compare　a　gentleman　to　a　newspaper。〃

〃Then　keep　your　vocabulary　clean　of　bargain…counter　words。　A　while　ago　the　journalists　had　a　furious　run　upon　the　adjective　'un…American。'　Anybody　or　anything　that　displeased　them　was　'un…American。'　They　ran　it　into　the　ground；　and　in　its　place　they　have　lately　set　up　'pessimist；'　which　certainly　has　a　threatening　appearance。　They　don't　know　its　meaning；　and　in　their　mouths　it　merely　signifies　that　what　a　man　says　snakes　them　feel　personally　uncomfortable。　The　word　has　become　a　dusty　rag　of　slang。　The　arrested　burglar　very　likely　calls　the　policeman　a　pessimist；　and；　speaking　reverently　and　with　no　intention　to　shock　you；　the　scribes　and　Pharisees　would　undoubtedly　have　called　Christ　a　pessimist　when　He　called　them　hypocrites；　had　they　been　acquainted　with　the　word。〃

Once　more　my　remarks　drew　from　the　boy　an　unexpected　rejoinder。　We　had　turned　into　Worship　Street；　and；　as　we　passed　the　churchyard；　he　stopped　and　laid　his　hand　upon　the　railing　of　the　pate。

〃You　don't　shock　me；〃　he　said；　and　then：　〃But　you　would　shock　my　aunts。〃　He　paused；　gazing　into　the　churchyard；　before　he　continued　more　slowly：　〃And　so　should　Iif　they　knew　itshock　them。〃

〃If　they　knew　what？〃　I　asked。

His　hand　indicated　a　sculptured　crucifix　near　by。

〃Do　you　believe　everything　still？〃　he　answered。　〃Can　you？〃

As　he　looked　at　me；　I　suppose　that　he　read　negation　in　my　eyes。

〃No　more　can　I；〃　he　murmured。　Again　he　looked　in　among　the　tombstones　and　flowers；　where　the　old　custodian　saw　us　and　took　off　his　hat。　〃Howdy；　Daddy　Ben！〃　John　Mayrant　returned　pleasantly；　and　then　resuming　to　me：　〃No　more　can　I　believe　everything。〃　Then　he　gave　a　brief；　comical　laugh。　〃And　I　hope　my　aunts　won't　find　that　out！　They　would　think　me　gone　to　perdition　indeed。　But　I　always　go　to　church　here〃　（he　pointed　to　the　quiet　building；　which；　for　all　its　modest　size　and　simplicity；　had　a　stately　and　inexpressible　charm）；　〃because　I　like　to　kneel　where　my　mother　said　her　prayers；　you　know。〃　He　flushed　a　little　over　this　confidence　into　which　he　had　fallen；　but　he　continued：　〃I　like　the　words　of　the　service；　too；　and　I　don't　ask　myself　over…curiously　what　I　do　believe；　but　there's　a　permanent　something　within　usa　Greater　Self　don't　you　think？〃

〃A　permanent　something；〃　I　assented；　〃which　has　created　all　the　religions　all　over　the　earth　from　the　beginning；　and　of　which　Christianity　itself　is　merely　one　of　the　present　temples。〃

He　made　an　exclamation　at　my　word　〃present。〃

〃Do　you　think　anything　in　this　world　is　final？〃　I　asked　him。

〃But〃　he　began；　somewhat　at　a　loss。

〃Haven't　you　found　out　yet　that　human　nature　is　the　one　indestructible　reality　that　we　know？〃

〃But〃　he　began　again。

〃Don't　we　have　the　'latest　thing'　all　the　time；　and　never　the　ultimate　thing；　never；　never？　The　latest　thing　in　women's　hats　is　that　huge…brimmed　affair　with　the　veil　as　voluminous　as　a　double…bed　mosquito　netting。　That　hat　will　look　improbable　next　spring。　The　latest　thing　in　science　is　radium。　Radium　has　exploded　the　conservation　of　energy　theoryturned　it　into　a　last　year's　hat。　Answer　me；　if　Christianity　is　the　same　as　when　it　wore　among　its　savage　ornaments　a　devil　with　horns　and　a　flaming　Hell！　Forever　and　forever　the　human　race　reaches　out　its　hand　and　shapes　some　system；　some　creed；　some　government；　and　declares：　'This　is　at　length　the　final　thing；　the　cure…all；'　and　lo　and　behold；　something　flowing　and　eternal　in　the　race　itself　presently　splits　the　creed　and　the　government　to　pieces！　Truth　is　a　very　marvelous　thing。　We　feel　it；　it　can　fill　our　eyes　with　tears；　our　hearts　with　joy；　it　can　make　us　die　for　it；　but　once　our　human　lips　attempt　to　formulate　and　thus　imprison　it；　it　becomes　a　lie。　You　cannot　shut　truth　up　in　any　words。〃

〃But　it　shall　prevail！〃　the　boy　exclaimed　with　a　sort　of　passion。

〃Everything　prevails；〃　I　answered　him。

〃I　don't　like　that；〃　he　said。

〃Neither　do　I；〃　I　returned。　〃But　Jacob　got　Esau's　inheritance　by　a　mean　trick。〃

〃Jacob　was　punished　for　it。〃

〃Did　that　help　Esau　much？〃

〃You　are　a　pessimist！〃

〃Just　because　I　see　Jacob　and　Esau　to…day；　alive　and　kicking　in　Wall　Street；　Washington；　Newport；　everywhere？〃

〃You're　no　optimist；　anyhow！〃

〃I　hope　I'm　blind　in　neither　eye。〃

〃You　don't　give　us　credit〃

〃For　what？〃

〃For　what　we've　accomplished　since　Jacob。〃

〃Printing；　steam；　and　electricity；　for　instance？　They　spread　the　Bible　and　the　yellow　journal　with　equal　velocity。〃

〃I　don't　mean　science。　Take　our　institutions。〃

〃Well；　we've　accomplished　hospitals　and　the　stock　marketa　pretty　even　set…off　between　God　and　the　devil。〃

He　laughed。　〃You　don't　take　a　high　view　of　us！〃

〃Nor　a　low　one。　I　don't　play　ostrich　with　any　of　the　staring　permanences　of　human　nature。　We're　just　as　noble　to…day　as　David　was　sometimes；　and　just　as　bestial　to…day　as　David　was　sometimes；　and　we've　every　possibility　inside　us　all　the　time；　whether　we　paint　our　naked　skins；　or　wear　steel　armor　or　starched　shirts。〃

〃Well；　I　believe　good　is　the　guiding　power　in　the　world。〃

〃Oh；　John　Mayrant！　Good　and　evil　draw　us　on　like　a　span　of　horses；　sometimes　like　a　tandem；　taking　turns　in　the　lead。　Order　has　melted　into　disorder；　and　disorder　into　new　orderhow　many　times？〃

〃But　better　each　time。〃

〃How　can　you　know；　who　never　lived　in　any　age　but　your　own？〃

〃I　know　we　have　a　higher　ideal。〃

〃Have　we？　The　Greek　was　taught　to　love　his　neighbor　as　himself。　He　gave　his　great　teacher　a　cup　of　poison。　We　gave　ours　the　cross。〃

Again　he　looked　away　from　me　into　the　sweet　old　churchyard。　〃I　can't　answer　you；　but　I　don't　believe　it。〃

This　brought　me　to　gayety。　〃That's　unanswerable；　anyhow！〃

He　still　stared　at　the　graves。　〃Those　people　in　there　didn't　think　all　these　uncomfortable　things。〃

〃Ah！　no！　They　belonged　in　the　first　volume　of　the　history　of　our　national　soul；　before　the　bloom　was　off　us。〃

〃That's　an　odd　notion！　And　pray　what　volume　are　we　in　now？〃

〃Only　the　second。〃

〃Since　when？〃

〃Since　that　momentous　picnic；　the　Spanish　War！〃

〃I　don't　see　how　that　took　the　bloom　off　us。〃

〃It　didn't。　It　merely　waked　Europe　up　to　the　facts。〃

〃Our　battleships；　you　mean？〃

〃Our　steel　rails；　our　gold　coffers；　our　roaring　affluence。〃

〃And　our　very　accurate　shooting！〃　he　insisted；　for　he　was　a　Southerner；　and　man's　gallantry　appealed　to　him　more　than　man's　industry。

I　laughed。　〃Yes；　indeed！　We　may　say　that　the　Spanish　War　closed　our　first　volume　with　a　bang。　And　now　in　the　second　we　bid　good…by　to　the　virgin　wilderness；　for　it's　explored；　to　the　Indian；　for　he's　conquered；　to　the　pioneer；　for　he's　dead；　we've　finished　our　wild；　romantic　adolescence　and　we　find　ourselves　a　recognized　world　power　of　eighty　million　people；　and　of　general　commercial　endlessness；　and　playtime　over。〃

I　think；　John　Mayrant　now　asserted；　〃that　it　is　going　too　far　to　say　the　bloom　is　off　us。〃

〃Oh；　you'll　find　snow　in　the　woods　away　into　April　and　May。　The　freedom…loving　American；　the　embattled　farmer；　is　not　yet　extinct　in　the　far　recesses。　But　the　great　cities　grow　like　a　creeping　paralysis　over　freedom；　and　the　man　from　the　country　is　walking　into　them　all　the　time　because　the　poor；　restless　fellow　believes　wealth　awaits　him　on　their　pavements。　And　when　he　doesn't　go　to　them；　they　come　to　him。　The　Wall　Street　bucket…shop　goes　fishing　in　the　woods　with　wires　a　thousand　miles　long；　and　so　we　exchange　the　solid　trailblazing　enterprise　of　Volume　One　for　Volume　Two's　electric　unrest。　In　Volume　One　our　wagon　was　hitched　to　the　star　of　liberty。　Capital　and　labor　have　cut　the　traces。　The　labor　union　forbids　the　workingman　to　labor　as　his　own　virile　energy　and　skill　prompt　him。　If　he　disobeys；　he　is　expelled　and　called　a　'scab。'　Don't　let　us　call　ourselves　the　land　of　the　free　while　such　things　go　on。　We're　all　thinking　a　deal　too　much　about　our　pockets　nowadays。　Eternal　vigilance　cannot　watch　liberty　and　the　ticker　at　the　same　time。

〃Well；〃　said　John　Mayrant；　〃we're　not　thinking　about　our　pockets　in　Kings　Port；　because〃　（and　here　there　came　into　his　voice　and　face　that　sudden　humor　which　made　him　so　delightful）〃because　we　haven't　got　any　pock