the professor at the breakfast table-第35部分

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cheap　training。　　As　a　general　thing；　you　do　not　get　elegance　short　of

two　or　three　removes　from　the　soil；　out　of　which　our　best　blood

doubtless　comes；quite　as　good；　no　doubt；　as　if　it　came　from　those

old　prize…fighters　with　iron　pots　on　their　heads；　to　whom　some　great

people　are　so　fond　of　tracing　their　descent　through　a　line　of　small

artisans　and　petty　shopkeepers　whose　veins　have　held　〃base〃　fluid

enough　to　fill　the　Cloaca　Maxima！



Does　not　money　go　everywhere？said　the　Model。



Almost。　　And　with　good　reason。　　For　though　there　are　numerous

exceptions；　rich　people　are；　as　I　said；　commonly　altogether　the　most

agreeable　companions。　　The　influence　of　a　fine　house；　graceful

furniture；　good　libraries；　well…ordered　tables；　trim　servants；　and；

above　all；　a　position　so　secure　that　one　becomes　unconscious　of　it；

gives　a　harmony　and　refinement　to　the　character　and　manners　which　we

feel；　if　we　cannot　explain　their　charm。　　Yet　we　can　get　at　the　reason

of　it　by　thinking　a　little。



All　these　appliances　are　to　shield　the　sensibility　from　disagreeable

contacts；　and　to　soothe　it　by　varied　natural　and　artificial

influences。　　In　this　way　the　mind；　the　taste；　the　feelings；　grow

delicate；　just　as　the　hands　grow　white　and　soft　when　saved　from　toil

and　incased　in　soft　gloves。　　The　whole　nature　becomes　subdued　into

suavity。　　I　confess　I　like　the　quality　ladies　better　than　the　common

kind　even　of　literary　ones。　　They　have　n't　read　the　last　book；

perhaps；　but　they　attend　better　to　you　when　you　are　talking　to　them。

If　they　are　never　learned；　they　make　up　for　it　in　tact　and　elegance。

Besides；　I　think；　on　the　whole；　there　is　less　self…assertion　in

diamonds　than　in　dogmas。　　I　don't　know　where　you　will　find　a　sweeter

portrait　of　humility　than　in　Esther；　the　poor　play…girl　of　King

Ahasuerus；　yet　Esther　put　on　her　royal　apparel　when　she　went　before

her　lord。　　I　have　no　doubt　she　was　a　more　gracious　and　agreeable

person　than　Deborah；　who　judged　the　people　and　wrote　the　story　of

Sisera。　　The　wisest　woman　you　talk　with　is　ignorant　of　something

that　you　know；　but　an　elegant　woman　never　forgets　her　elegance。



Dowdyism　is　clearly　an　expression　of　imperfect　vitality。　　The

highest　fashion　is　intensely　alive；not　alive　necessarily　to　the

truest　and　best　things；　but　with　its　blood　tingling；　as　it　were；　in

all　its　extremities　and　to　the　farthest　point　of　its　surface；　so

that　the　feather　in　its　bonnet　is　as　fresh　as　the　crest　of　a

fighting…cock；　and　the　rosette　on　its　slipper　as　clean…cut　and

pimpant　（pronounce　it　English　fashion；it　is　a　good　word）　as　a

dahlia。　　As　a　general　rule；　that　society　where　flattery　is　acted　is

much　more　agreeable　than　that　where　it　is　spoken。　　Don't　you　see

why？　　Attention　and　deference　don't　require　you　to　make　fine

speeches　expressing　your　sense　of　unworthiness　（lies）　and　returning

all　the　compliments　paid　you。　　This　is　one　reason。



A　woman　of　sense　ought　to　be　above　flattering　any　man；said　the

Model。



＇My　reflection。　　Oh！　oh！　no　wonder　you　did　n't　get　married。　　Served

you　right。＇　　My　remark。　　Surely；　Madam；if　you　mean　by　flattery

telling　people　boldly　to　their　faces　that　they　are　this　or　that；

which　they　are　not。　　But　a　woman　who　does　not　carry　about　with　her

wherever　she　goes　a　halo　of　good　feeling　and　desire　to　make

everybody　contented；an　atmosphere　of　grace；　mercy；　and　peace；　of

at　least　six　feet　radius；　which　wraps　every　human　being　upon　whom

she　voluntarily　bestows　her　presence；　and　so　flatters　him　with　the

comfortable　thought　that　she　is　rather　glad　he　is　alive　than

otherwise；　isn't　worth　the　trouble　of　talking　to；　as　a　woman；　she

may　do　well　enough　to　hold　discussions　with。



I　don't　think　the　Model　exactly　liked　this。　　She　said；a　little

spitefully；　I　thought；that　a　sensible　man　might　stand　a　little

praise；　but　would　of　course　soon　get　sick　of　it；　if　he　were　in　the

habit　of　getting　much。



Oh；　yes；I　replied；just　as　men　get　sick　of　tobacco。　　It　is

notorious　how　apt　they　are　to　get　tired　of　that　vegetable。



That　's　so！said　the　young　fellow　John；I've　got　tired　of　my

cigars　and　burnt　'em　all　up。



I　am　heartily　glad　to　hear　it；said　the　Model；I　wish　they　were

all　disposed　of　in　the　same　way。



So　do　I；said　the　young　fellow　John。



Can't　you　get　your　friends　to　unite　with　you　in　committing　those

odious　instruments　of　debauchery　to　the　flames　in　which　you　have

consumed　your　own？



I　wish　I　could；said　the　young　fellow　John。



It　would　be　a　noble　sacrifice；said　the　Model；　and　every　American

woman　would　be　grateful　to　you。　　Let　us　burn　them　all　in　a　heap　out

in　the　yard。



That　a'n't　my　way；said　the　young　fellow　John；I　burn　'em　one　't'

time；little　end　in　my　mouth　and　big　end　outside。



I　watched　for　the　effect　of　this　sudden　change　of　programme；　when

it　should　reach　the　calm　stillness　of　the　Model's　interior

apprehension；　as　a　boy　watches　for　the　splash　of　a　stone　which　he

has　dropped　into　a　well。　　But　before　it　had　fairly　reached　the

water；　poor　Iris；　who　had　followed　the　conversation　with　a　certain

interest　until　it　turned　this　sharp　corner；　（for　she　seems　rather　to

fancy　the　young　fellow　John；）　laughed　out　such　a　clear；　loud　laugh；

that　it　started　us　all　off；　as　the　locust…cry　of　some　full…throated

soprano　drags　a　multitudinous　chorus　after　it。　　It　was　plain　that

some　dam　or　other　had　broken　in　the　soul　of　this　young　girl；　and　she

was　squaring　up　old　scores　of　laughter；　out　of　which　she　had　been

cheated；　with　a　grand　flood　of　merriment　that　swept　all　before　it。

So　we　had　a　great　laugh　all　round；　in　which　the　Modelwho；　if　she

had　as　many　virtues　as　there　are　spokes　to　a　wheel；　all　compacted

with　a　personality　as　round　and　complete　as　its　tire；　yet　wanted

that　one　little　addition　of　grace；　which　seems　so　small；　and　is　as

important　as　the　linchpin　in　trundling　over　the　rough　ways　of　life

had　not　the　tact　to　join。　　She　seemed　to　be　〃stuffy〃　about　it；　as

the　young　fellow　John　said。　　In　fact；　I　was　afraid　the　joke　would

have　cost　us　both　our　new　lady…boarders。　　It　had　no　effect；　however；

except；　perhaps；　to　hasten　the　departure　of　the　elder　of　the　two；

who　could；　on　the　whole；　be　spared。



I　had　meant　to　make　this　note　of　our　conversation　a　text　for　a　few

axioms　on　the　matter　of　breeding。　　But　it　so　happened；　that；　exactly

at　this　point　of　my　record；　a　very　distinguished　philosopher；　whom

several　of　our　boarders　and　myself　go　to　hear；　and　whom　no　doubt

many　of　my　readers　follow　habitually；　treated　this　matter　of

manners。　　Up　to　this　point；　if　I　have　been　so　fortunate　as　to

coincide　with　him　in　opinion；　and　so　unfortunate　as　to　try　to

express　what　he　has　more　felicitously　said；　nobody　is　to　blame；　for

what　has　been　given　thus　far　was　all　written　before　the　lecture　was

delivered。　　But　what　shall　I　do　now？　　He　told　us　it　was　childish　to

lay　down　rules　for　deportment；but　he　could　not　help　laying　down　a

few。



Thus；Nothing　so　vulgar　as　to　be　in　a　hurry。　　True；　but　hard　of

applicati