the canterbury pilgrims-第2章

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for　fame　as　others　pant　for　vital　air；　only　to　find　myself　in　a

middle　state　between　obscurity　and　infamy？　But　I　have　my　revenge！

I　could　have　given　existence　to　a　thousand　bright　creations。　I

crush　them　into　my　heart；　and　there　let　them　putrefy！　I　shake　off

the　dust　of　my　feet　against　my　countrymen！　But　posterity；　tracing

my　footsteps　up　this　weary　hill；　will　cry　shame　upon　the　unworthy

age　that　drove　one　of　the　fathers　of　American　song　to　end　his

days　in　a　Shaker　village！　〃



During　this　harangue；　the　speaker　gesticulated　with　great　energy；

and；　as　poetry　is　the　natural　language　of　passion；　there　appeared

reason　to　apprehend　his　final　explosion　into　an　ode　extempore。

The　reader　must　understand　that；　for　all　these　bitter　words；　he

was　a　kind；　gentle；　harmless；　poor　fellow　enough；　whom　Nature；

tossing　her　ingredients　together　without　looking　at　her　recipe；

had　sent　into　the　world　with　too　much　of　one　sort　of　brain；　and

hardly　any　of　another。



〃Friend；〃　said　the　young　Shaker；　in　some　perplexity；　〃thee

seemest　to　have　met　with　great　troubles；　and；　doubtless；　I　should

pity　them；　ifif　I　could　but　understand　what　they　were。〃



〃Happy　in　your　ignorance！〃　replied　the　poet；　with　an　air　of

sublime　superiority。　〃To　your　coarser　mind；　perhaps；　I　may　seem

to　speak　of　more　important　griefs　when　I　add；　what　I　had　well…

nigh　forgotten；　that　I　am　out　at　elbows；　and　almost　starved　to

death。　At　any　rate；　you　have　the　advice　and　example　of　one

individual　to　warn　you　back；　for　I　am　come　hither；　a　disappointed

man；　flinging　aside　the　fragments　of　my　hopes；　and　seeking

shelter　in　the　calm　retreat　which　you　are　so　anxious　to　leave。〃



〃I　thank　thee；　friend；〃　rejoined　the　youth；　〃but　I　do　not　mean　to

be　a　poet；　nor；　Heaven　be　praised！　do　I　think　Miriam　ever　made　a

varse　in　her　life。　So　we　need　not　fear　thy　disappointments。　But；

Miriam；〃　he　added；　with　real　concern；　〃thee　knowest　that　the

elders　admit　nobody　that　has　not　a　gift　to　be　useful。　Now；　what

under　the　sun　can　they　do　with　this　poor　varse…maker？〃



〃Nay；　Josiah；　do　not　thee　discourage　the　poor　man；〃　said　the

girl；　in　all　simplicity　and　kindness。　〃Our　hymns　are　very　rough；

and　perhaps　they　may　trust　him　to　smooth　them。〃



Without　noticing　this　hint　of　professional　employment；　the　poet

turned　away；　and　gave　himself　up　to　a　sort　of　vague　reverie；

which　he　called　thought。　Sometimes　he　watched　the　moon；　pouring　a

silvery　liquid　on　the　clouds；　through　which　it　slowly　melted　till

they　became　all　bright；　then　he　saw　the　same　sweet　radiance

dancing　on　the　leafy　trees　which　rustled　as　if　to　shake　it　off；

or　sleeping　on　the　high　tops　of　hills；　or　hovering　down　in

distant　valleys；　like　the　material　of　unshaped　dreams；　lastly；　he

looked　into　the　spring；　and　there　the　light　was　mingling　with　the

water。　In　its　crystal　bosom；　too；　beholding　all　heaven　reflected

there；　he　found　an　emblem　of　a　pure　and　tranquil　breast。　He

listened　to　that　most　ethereal　of　all　sounds；　the　song　of

crickets；　coming　in　full　choir　upon　the　wind；　and　fancied　that；

if　moonlight　could　be　heard；　it　would　sound　just　like　that。

Finally；　he　took　a　draught　at　the　Shaker　spring；　and；　as　if　it

were　the　true　Castalia；　was　forthwith　moved　to　compose　a　lyric；　a

Farewell　to　his　Harp；　which　he　swore　should　be　its　closing

strain；　the　last　verse　that　an　ungrateful　world　should　have　from

him。　This　effusion；　with　two　or　three　other　little　pieces；

subsequently　written；　he　took　the　first　opportunity　to　send；　by

one　of　the　Shaker　brethren；　to　Concord；　where　they　were　published

in　the　New　Hampshire　Patriot。



Meantime；　another　of　the　Canterbury　pilgrims；　one　so　different

from　the　poet　that　the　delicate　fancy　of　the　latter　could　hardly

have　conceived　of　him；　began　to　relate　his　sad　experience。　He　was

a　small　man；　of　quick　and　unquiet　gestures；　about　fifty　years

old；　with　a　narrow　forehead；　all　wrinkled　and　drawn　together。　He

held　in　his　hand　a　pencil；　and　a　card　of　some　commission…merchant

in　foreign　parts；　on　the　back　of　which；　for　there　was　light

enough　to　read　or　write　by；　he　seemed　ready　to　figure　out　a

calculation。



〃Young　man；〃　said　he；　abruptly；　〃what　quantity　of　land　do　the

Shakers　own　here；　in　Canterbury？〃



〃That　is　more　than　I　can　tell　thee；　friend；〃　answered　Josiah；

〃but　it　is　a　very　rich　establishment；　and　for　a　long　way　by　the

roadside　thee　may　guess　the　land　to　be　ours；　by　the　neatness　of

the　fences。〃



〃And　what　may　be　the　value　of　the　whole；〃　continued　the　stranger；

〃with　all　the　buildings　and　improvements；　pretty　nearly；　in　round

numbers？〃



〃Oh；　a　monstrous　sum；more　than　I　can　reckon；〃　replied　the　young

Shaker。



〃Well；　sir；〃　said　the　pilgrim；　〃there　was　a　day；　and　not　very

long　ago；　neither；　when　I　stood　at　my　counting…room　window；　and

watched　the　signal　flags　of　three　of　my　own　ships　entering　the

harbor；　from　the　East　Indies；　from　Liverpool；　and　from　up　the

Straits；　and　I　would　not　have　given　the　invoice　of　the　least　of

them　for　the　title…deeds　of　this　whole　Shaker　settlement。　You

stare。　Perhaps；　now；　you　won't　believe　that　I　could　have　put　more

value　on　a　little　piece　of　paper；　no　bigger　than　the　palm　of　your

hand；　than　all　these　solid　acres　of　grain；　grass；　and

pasture…land　would　sell　for？〃



〃I　won't　dispute　it；　friend；〃　answered　Josiah；　〃but　I　know　I　had

rather　have　fifty　acres　of　this　good　land　than　a　whole　sheet　of

thy　paper。〃



〃You　may　say　so　now；〃　said　the　ruined　merchant；　bitterly；　〃for　my

name　would　not　be　worth　the　paper　I　should　write　it　on。　Of

course；　you　must　have　heard　of　my　failure？〃



And　the　stranger　mentioned　his　name；　which；　however　mighty　it

might　have　been　in　the　commercial　world；　the　young　Shaker　had

never　heard　of　among　the　Canterbury　hills。



〃Not　heard　of　my　failure！〃　exclaimed　the　merchant；　considerably

piqued。　〃Why；　it　was　spoken　of　on　'Change　in　London；　and　from

Boston　to　New　Orleans　men　trembled　in　their　shoes。　At　all　events；

I　did　fail；　and　you　see　me　here　on　my　road　to　the　Shaker　village；

where；　doubtless　（for　the　Shakers　are　a　shrewd　sect）；　they　will

have　a　due　respect　for　my　experience；　and　give　me　the　management

of　the　trading　part　of　the　concern；　in　which　case　I　think　I　can

pledge　myself　to　double　their　capital　in　four　or　five　years。　Turn

back　with　me；　young　man；　for　though　you　will　never　meet　with　my

good　luck；　you　can　hardly　escape　my　bad。〃



〃I　will　not　turn　back　for　this；〃　replied　Josiah。　calmly；　〃any

more　than　for　the　advice　of　the　varse…maker；　between　whom　and

thee；　friend；　I　see　a　sort　of　likeness；　though　I　can't　justly　say

where　it　lies。　But　Miriam　and　I　can　earn　our　daily　bread　among

the　world's　people　as　well　as　in　the　Shaker　village。　And　do　we

want　anything　more；　Miriam？〃



〃Nothing　more；　Josiah；〃　said　the　girl；　quietly。



〃Yea；　Miriam；　and　daily　bread　for　some　other　little　mouths；　if

God　send　them；〃　observed　the　simple　Shaker　lad。



Miriam　did　not　reply；　but　looked　down　into　the　spring；　where　she

encountered　the　image　of　her　own　pretty　face；　blushing　within　the

prim　little　bonnet。　The　third　pilgrim　now　took　up　the

conversation。　He　was　a　sunburnt　countryman；　of　tall　frame　and

bony　strength；　on　whose　rude　and　manly　face　there　appeared　a

darker；　more　sullen　and　obstinate　despondency；　than　on　those　of

either　the　poet　or　the　merchant。



〃Well；　now；　youngster；〃　he　began；　〃these　folks　have　had　their

say；　so　I'll　take　my　turn。　My　story　will　cut　but　a　poor　figure　by

the　side　of　theirs；　for　I　never　supposed　that　I　could　have　a

right　to　meat　and　drink；　and　great　praise　besides；　only　for

tagging　rhymes　together；　as　it　seems　this　man　does；　nor　ever

tried　to　get　the　substance　of　hundreds　into　my　own　hands；　like

the　trader　there。　When　I　was　about　of　your　years；　I　married　me　a

wife；just　such　a　neat　and　pretty　young　woman　as　Miriam；　if

that's　her　name；and　all　I　asked　of　Providence　was　an　ordinary

blessing　on　the　sweat　of　my　brow；　so　that　we　might　be　decent　and

comfortable；　a