over the teacups- 第40部分

Knights　by　plain　citizens　of　a　country　which　prides　itself　on

recognizing　simple　manhood　and　womanhood　as　sufficiently　entitled　to

respect　without　these　unnecessary　additions。　　I　do　not　like　any

better　the　familiar；　and　as　it　seems　to　me　rude；　way　of　speaking　of

our　fellow…citizens　who　are　entitled　to　the　common　courtesies　of

civilized　society。　　I　never　thought　it　dignified　or　even　proper　for　a

President　of　the　United　States　to　call　himself；　or　to　be　called　by

others；　〃Frank〃　Pierce。　　In　the　first　place　I　had　to　look　in　a

biographical　dictionary　to　find　out　whether　his　baptismal　name　was

Franklin；　or　Francis；　or　simply　Frank；　for　I　think　children　are

sometimes　christened　with　this　abbreviated　name。　　But　it　is　too　much

in　the　style　of　Cowper's　unpleasant　acquaintance　：



　　　　　　　　　〃The　man　who　hails　you　Tom　or　Jack；

　　　　　　　　　　And　proves　by　thumping　on　your　back

　　　　　　　　　　How　he　esteems　your　merit。〃



I　should　not　like　to　hear　our　past　chief　magistrates　spoken　of　as

Jack　Adams　or　Jim　Madison；　and　it　would　have　been　only　as　a　political

partisan　that　I　should　have　reconciled　myself　to　〃Tom〃　Jefferson。

So；　in　spite　of　〃Ben〃　Jonson；　〃Tom〃　Moore；　and　〃Jack〃　Sheppard；　I

prefer　to　speak　of　a　fellow…citizen　already　venerable　by　his　years；

entitled　to　respect　by　useful　services　to　his　country；　and　recognized

by　many　as　the　prophet　of　a　new　poetical　dispensation；　with　the

customary　title　of　adults　rather　than　by　the　free　and　easy　school…boy

abbreviation　with　which　he　introduced　himself　many　years　ago　to　the

public。　　As　for　his　rhapsodies；　Number　Seven；　our　〃cracked　Teacup；〃

says　they　sound　to　him　like　〃fugues　played　on　a　big　organ　which　has

been　struck　by　lightning。〃　　So　far　as　concerns　literary　independence；

if　we　understand　by　that　term　the　getting　rid　of　our　subjection　to

British　criticism；　such　as　it　was　in　the　days　when　the　question　was

asked；　〃Who　reads　an　American　book？〃　we　may　consider　it　pretty　well

established。　　If　it　means　dispensing　with　punctuation；　coining　words

at　will；　self…revelation　unrestrained　by　a　sense　of　what　is　decorous；

declamations　in　which　everything　is　glorified　without　being

idealized；　〃poetry〃　in　which　the　reader　must　make　the　rhythms　which

the　poet　has　not　made　for　him；　then　I　think　we　had　better　continue

literary　colonists。　　I　shrink　from　a　lawless　independence　to　which

all　the　virile　energy　and　trampling　audacity　of　Mr。　Whitman　fail　to

reconcile　me。　　But　there　is　room　for　everybody　and　everything　in　our

huge　hemisphere。　　Young　America　is　like　a　three…year…old　colt　with

his　saddle　and　bridle　just　taken　off。　　The　first　thing　he　wants　to　do

is　to　roll。　　He　is　a　droll　object；　sprawling　in　the　grass　with　his

four　hoofs　in　the　air；　but　he　likes　it；　and　it　won't　harm　us。　　So　let

him　roll；let　him　roll



Of　all　The　Teacups　around　our　table；　Number　Five　is　the　one　who　is

the　object　of　the　greatest　interest。　　Everybody　wants　to　be　her

friend；　and　she　has　room　enough　in　her　hospitable　nature　to　find　a

place　for　every　one　who　is　worthy　of　the　privilege。　　The　difficulty

is　that　it　is　so　hard　to　be　her　friend　without　becoming　her　lover。　　I

have　said　before　that　she　turns　the　subjects　of　her　Circe…like

enchantment；　not　into　swine；　but　into　lambs。　　The　Professor　and　I

move　round　among　her　lambs；　the　docile　and　amiable　flock　that　come

and　go　at　her　bidding；　that　follow　her　footsteps；　and　are　content　to

live　in　the　sunshine　of　her　smile　and　within　reach　of　the　music　of

her　voice。　　I　like　to　get　her　away　from　their　amiable　bleatings；　I

love　to　talk　with　her　about　life；　of　which　she　has　seen　a　great　deal；

for　she　knows　what　it　is　to　be　an　idol　in　society　and　the　centre　of

her　social　circle。　　It　might　be　a　question　whether　women　or　men　most

admire　and　love　her。　　With　her　own　sex　she　is　always　helpful；

sympathizing；　tender；　charitable；　sharing　their　griefs　as　well　as

taking　part　in　their　pleasures。　　With　men　it　has　seemed　to　make

little　difference　whether　they　were　young　or　old：　all　have　found　her

the　same　sweet；　generous；　unaffected　companion；　fresh　enough　in

feeling　for　the　youngest；　deep　enough　in　the　wisdom　of　the　heart　for

the　oldest。　　She　does　not　pretend　to　be　youthful；　nor　does　she

trouble　herself　that　she　has　seen　the　roses　of　more　Junes　than　many

ofthe　younger　women　who　gather　round　her。　　She　has　not　had　to　say；



　　　　　　　　　　Comme　je　regrette

　　　　　　　　　　Mon　bras　si　dodu；



for　her　arm　has　never　lost　its　roundness；　and　her　face　is　one　of

those　that　cannot　be　cheated　of　their　charm　even　if　they　live　long

enough　to　look　upon　the　grown　up　grandchildren　of　their　coevals。



It　is　a　wonder　how　Number　Five　can　find　the　time　to　be　so　much　to　so

many　friends　of　both　sexes；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　she　is　one　of

the　most　insatiable　of　readers。　　She　not　only　reads；　but　she

remembers；　she　not　only　remembers；　but　she　records；　for　her　own　use

and　pleasure；　and　for　the　delight　and　profit　of　those　who　are

privileged　to　look　over　her　note…books。　　Number　Five；　as　I　think　I

have　said　before；　has　not　the　ambition　to　figure　as　an　authoress。

That　she　could　write　most　agreeably　is　certain。　　I　have　seen　letters

of　hers　to　friends　which　prove　that　clearly　enough。　　Whether　she

would　find　prose　or　verse　the　most　natural　mode　of　expression　I

cannot　say；　but　I　know　she　is　passionately　fond　of　poetry；　and　I

should　not　be　surprised　if；　laid　away　among　the　pressed　pansies　and

roses　of　past　summers；　there　were　poems；　songs；　perhaps；　of　her　own；

which　she　sings　to　herself　with　her　fingers　touching　the　piano；　for

to　that　she　tells　her　secrets　in　tones　sweet　as　the　ring…dove's　call

to　her　mate。



I　am　afraid　it　may　be　suggested　that　I　am　drawing　Number　Five's

portrait　too　nearly　after　some　model　who　is　unconsciously　sitting　for

it；　but　have　n't　I　told　you　that　you　must　not　look　for　flesh　and

blood　personalities　behind　or　beneath　my　Teacups？　　I　am　not　going　to

make　these　so　lifelike　that　you　will　be　saying；　This　is　Mr。　or　Miss；

or　Mrs。　So…and…So。　　My　readers　must　remember　that　there　are　very　many

pretty；　sweet；　amiable　girls　and　women　sitting　at　their　pianos；　and

finding　chords　to　the　music　of　their　heart…strings。　　If　I　have

pictured　Number　Five　as　one　of　her　lambs　might　do　it；　I　have

succeeded　in　what　I　wanted　to　accomplish。　　Why　don't　I　describe　her

person？　　If　I　do；　some　gossip　or　other　will　be　sure　to　say；　〃Oh；　he

means　her；　of　course；〃　and　find　a　name　to　match　the　pronoun。



It　is　strange　to　see　how　we　are　all　coming　to　depend　upon　the

friendly　aid　of　Number　Five　in　our　various　perplexities。　　The

Counsellor　asked　her　opinion　in　one　of　those　cases　where　a　divorce

was　too　probable；　but　a　reconciliation　was　possible。　　It　takes　a

woman　to　sound　a　woman's　heart；　and　she　found　there　was　still　love

enough　under　the　ruffled　waters　to　warrant　the　hope　of　peace　and

tranquillity。　　The　young　Doctor　went　to　her　for　counsel　in　the　case

of　a　hysteric　girl　possessed　with　the　idea　that　she　was　a　born

poetess；　and　covering　whole　pages　of　foolscap　with　senseless

outbursts；　which　she　wrote　in　paroxysms　of　wild　excitement；　and　read

with　a　rapture　of　self…admiration　which　there　was　nothing　in　her

verses　to　justify　or　account　for。　　How　sweetly　Number　Five　dealt　with

that　poor　deluded　sister　in　her　talk　with　the　Doctor！　　〃Yes；〃　she

said　to　him；　〃nothing　can　be　fuller　of　vanity；　self…worship；　and

self…deception。　　But　we　must　be　very　gentle　with　her。　　I　knew　a　young

girl　tormented　with　aspirations；　and　possessed　by　a　belief　that　she

was　meant　for　a　higher　place　than　that　which　fate　had　assigned　her；

who　needed　wholesome　advice；　just　as　this　poor　young　thing　does。　　She

did　not　ask　for　it；　and　it　was　not　offered。　　Alas；　alas！　　'no　man

cared　for　her　soul；'no　man　nor　woman　either。　　She　was　in　her　early

teens；　and　the　thought　of　her　earthly　future；　as　it　stretched　out

before　her；　was　more　than　she　could　bear；　and　she　sought　the　presence

of　her　Maker　to　ask　the　meaning　of　her　abortive　existence。　We　will

talk　it　over。　　I　will　help　you　take　care　of　this　child。〃



The　Doctor　was　thankful　to　have　her　assistance　in　a　case　with　which

he　would　have　found　it　difficult　to　deal　if　he　had　been　left　to；　his

unaided　judgment；　and　between　them　the　young　girl　was　safely　piloted

through　the　perilous　straits　in　which　she　came　near　shipwreck。



I　know　that　it　is　commonly　said　of　her　that　every　male　friend　of　hers

must　become　her　lover　unless　he　is　already　lassoed　by　another。　　Il

fait　passer　par　l'a。　　The　young　Doctor　is；　I　think；　safe；　for　I　am

convinced　that　he　is　bewitched　with　Delilah。　　Since　she　has　left　us；

he　has　seemed　rather　dejected；　I　feel　sure　that　he　misses　her。　　We

all　do；　but　he　more　seriously　than　the　rest　of　us。　　I　have　said　that

I　cannot　tell　whether　the　Counsellor　is　to　be　counted　as　one　of

Number　Five's　lambs　or　not；　but　he　evidently　admires　her；　and　if　he

is　not　fascinated；　looks　as　if　he　were　very　near　that　condition。



It　was　a　more　delicate　matter　about　which　the　Tutor　talked　with　her。

Something　which　she　had　pleasantly　said　to　him　about　the　two　Annexes

led　him　to　ask　her；　more　or　less　seriously；　it　may　be　remembered；

about　the　fitness　of　either　of　them　to　be　the　wife　of　a　young　man　in

his　position。　　She　talked　so　sensibly；　as　it　seemed　to　him；　about　it

that　he　continued　the　conversation；　and；　shy　as　he　was；　became　quite

easy　and　confidential　in　her　company。　　The　Tutor　is　not　only　a　poet；

but　is　a　great　reader　of　the　poetry　of　many　languages。　　It　so

happened　that　Number　Five　was　puzzled；　one　day；　in　reading　a　sonnet

of　Petrarch；　and　had　recourse　to　the　Tutor　to　explain　the　difficult

passage。　　She　found　him　so　thoroughly　instructed；　so　clear；　so　much

interested；　so　ready　to　impart　knowledge；　and　so　happy　in　his　way　of

doing　it；　that　she　asked　him　if　he　would　not　allow　her　the　privilege

of　reading　an　Italian　author　under　his　guidance；　now　and　then。



The　Tutor　found　Number　Five　an　apt　scholar；　and　something　more　than

that；　for