tea-table talk-第3章

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〃That　is　very　curious；〃　added　the　Philosopher。　　〃As　you　say；　a　woman　never　can　be　logical。〃

〃Are　all　men　logical？〃　demanded　the　Girton　Girl。

〃As　a　class；〃　replied　the　Minor　Poet；　〃yes。〃



CHAPTER　II



〃What　woman　suffers　from；〃　said　the　Philosopher；　〃is　over…praise。　It　has　turned　her　head。〃

〃You　admit；　then；　that　she　has　a　head？〃　demanded　the　Girton　Girl。

〃It　has　always　been　a　theory　of　mine；〃　returned　the　Philosopher；　〃that　by　Nature　she　was　intended　to　possess　one。　　It　is　her　admirers　who　have　always　represented　her　as　brainless。〃

〃Why　is　it　that　the　brainy　girl　invariably　has　straight　hair？〃　asked　the　Woman　of　the　World。

〃Because　she　doesn't　curl　it；〃　explained　the　Girton　Girl。　　She　spoke　somewhat　snappishly；　it　seemed　to　me。

〃I　never　thought　of　that；〃　murmured　the　Woman　of　the　World。

〃It　is　to　be　noted　in　connection　with　the　argument；〃　I　ventured　to　remark；　〃that　we　hear　but　little　concerning　the　wives　of　intellectual　men。　　When　we　do；　as　in　the　case　of　the　Carlyles；　it　is　to　wish　we　did　not。〃

〃When　I　was　younger　even　than　I　am　now；〃　said　the　Minor　Poet；　〃I　thought　a　good　deal　of　marriagevery　young　men　do。　　My　wife；　I　told　myself；　must　be　a　woman　of　mind。　　Yet；　curiously；　of　all　the　women　I　have　ever　loved；　no　single　one　has　been　remarkable　for　intellect　present　company；　as　usual；　of　course　excepted。〃

〃Why　is　it；〃　sighed　the　Philosopher；　〃that　in　the　most　serious　business　of　our　life；　marriage；　serious　considerations　count　for　next　to　nothing？　　A　dimpled　chin　can；　and　often　does；　secure　for　a　girl　the　best　of　husbands；　while　virtue　and　understanding　combined　cannot　be　relied　upon　to　obtain　her　even　one　of　the　worst。〃

〃I　think　the　explanation　is；〃　replied　the　Minor　Poet；　〃that　as　regards；　let　us　say；　the　most　natural　business　of　our　life；　marriage；　our　natural　instincts　alone　are　brought　into　play。　Marriageclothe　the　naked　fact　in　what　flowers　of　rhetoric　we　will…　…has　to　do　with　the　purely　animal　part　of　our　being。　　The　man　is　drawn　towards　it　by　his　primeval　desires；　the　woman　by　her　inborn　craving　towards　motherhood。〃

The　thin；　white　hands　of　the　Old　Maid　fluttered；　troubled；　where　they　lay　upon　her　lap。　　〃Why　should　we　seek　to　explain　away　all　the　beautiful　things　of　life？〃　she　said。　　She　spoke　with　a　heat　unusual　to　her。　　〃The　blushing　lad；　so　timid；　so　devotional；　worshipping　as　at　the　shrine　of　some　mystic　saint；　the　young　girl　moving　spell…　bound　among　dreams！　　They　think　of　nothing　but　of　one　another。〃

〃Tracing　a　mountain　stream　to　its　sombre　source　need　not　mar　its　music　for　us　as　it　murmurs　through　the　valley；〃　expounded　the　Philosopher。　　〃The　hidden　law　of　our　being　feeds　each　leaf　of　our　life　as　sap　runs　through　the　tree。　　The　transient　blossom；　the　ripened　fruit；　is　but　its　changing　outward　form。〃

〃I　hate　going　to　the　roots　of　things；〃　said　the　Woman　of　the　World。　〃Poor；　dear　papa　was　so　fond　of　doing　that。　　He　would　explain　to　us　the　genesis　of　oysters　just　when　we　were　enjoying　them。　　Poor　mamma　could　never　bring　herself　to　touch　them　after　that。　　While　in　the　middle　of　dessert　he　would　stop　to　argue　with　my　Uncle　Paul　whether　pig's　blood　or　bullock's　was　the　best　for　grape　vines。　　I　remember　the　year　before　Emily　came　out　her　favourite　pony　died；　I　have　never　known　her　so　cut　up　about　anything　before　or　since。　　She　asked　papa　if　he　would　mind　her　having　the　poor　creature　buried　in　the　garden。　Her　idea　was　that　she　would　visit　now　and　then　its　grave　and　weep　awhile。　　Papa　was　awfully　nice　about　it　and　stroked　her　hair。　'Certainly；　my　dear；'　he　said；　'we　will　have　him　laid　to　rest　in　the　new　strawberry　bed。'　　Just　then　old　Pardoe；　the　head　gardener；　came　up　to　us　and　touched　his　hat。　　'Well；　I　was　just　going　to　inquire　of　Miss　Emily；'　he　said；　'if　she　wouldn't　rather　have　the　poor　thing　buried　under　one　of　the　nectarine…trees。　　They　ain't　been　doing　very　well　of　late。'　　He　said　it　was　a　pretty　spot；　and　that　he　would　put　up　a　sort　of　stone。　　Poor　Emily　didn't　seem　to　care　much　where　the　animal　was　buried　by　that　time；　so　we　left　them　arguing　the　question。　　I　forget　how　it　was　settled；　but　I　know　we　neither　of　us　ate　either　strawberries　or　nectarines　for　the　next　two　years。〃

〃There　is　a　time　for　everything；〃　agreed　the　Philosopher。　　〃With　the　lover；　penning　poetry　to　the　wondrous　red　and　white　upon　his　mistress'　cheek；　we　do　not　discuss　the　subject　of　pigment　in　the　blood；　its　cause　and　probable　duration。　　Nevertheless；　the　subject　is　interesting。〃

〃We　men　and　women；〃　continued　the　Minor　Poet；　〃we　are　Nature's　favourites；　her　hope；　for　whom　she　has　made　sacrifice；　putting　aside　so　many　of　her　own　convictions；　telling　herself　she　is　old…　fashioned。　　She　has　let　us　go　from　her　to　the　strange　school　where　they　laugh　at　all　her　notions。　　We　have　learnt　new；　strange　ideas　that　bewilder　the　good　dame。　　Yet；　returning　home　it　is　curious　to　notice　how　little；　in　the　few　essential　things　of　life；　we　differ　from　her　other　children；　who　have　never　wandered　from　her　side。　　Our　vocabulary　has　been　extended　and　elaborated；　yet　face　to　face　with　the　realities　of　existence　it　is　unavailing。　　Clasping　the　living；　standing　beside　the　dead；　our　language　still　is　but　a　cry。　　Our　wants　have　grown　more　complicated；　the　ten…course　banquet；　with　all　that　it　involves；　has　substituted　itself　for　the　handful　of　fruits　and　nuts　gathered　without　labour；　the　stalled　ox　and　a　world　of　trouble　for　the　dinner　of　herbs　and　leisure　therewith。　　Are　we　so　far　removed　thereby　above　our　little　brother；　who；　having　swallowed　his　simple；　succulent　worm；　mounts　a　neighbouring　twig　and　with　easy　digestion　carols　thanks　to　God？　　The　square　brick　box　about　which　we　move；　hampered　at　every　step　by　wooden　lumber；　decked　with　many　rags　and　strips　of　coloured　paper；　cumbered　with　odds　and　ends　of　melted　flint　and　moulded　clay；　has　replaced　the　cheap；　convenient　cave。　　We　clothe　ourselves　in　the　skins　of　other　animals　instead　of　allowing　our　own　to　develop　into　a　natural　protection。　　We　hang　about　us　bits　of　stone　and　metal；　but　underneath　it　all　we　are　little　two…legged　animals；　struggling　with　the　rest　to　live　and　breed。　　Beneath　each　hedgerow　in　the　springtime　we　can　read　our　own　romances　in　the　makingthe　first　faint　stirring　of　the　blood；　the　roving　eye；　the　sudden　marvellous　discovery　of　the　indispensable　She；　the　wooing；　the　denial；　hope；　coquetry；　despair；　contention；　rivalry；　hate；　jealousy；　love；　bitterness；　victory；　and　death。　　Our　comedies；　our　tragedies；　are　being　played　upon　each　blade　of　grass。　　In　fur　and　feather　we　run　epitomised。〃

〃I　know；〃　said　the　Woman　of　the　World；　〃I　have　heard　it　all　so　often。　　It　is　nonsense；　I　can　prove　it　to　you。〃

〃That　is　easy；〃　observed　the　Philosopher。　　〃The　Sermon　on　the　Mount　itself　has　been　proved　nonsenseamong　others；　by　a　bishop。　Nonsense　is　the　reverse　side　of　the　patternthe　tangled　ends　of　the　thread　that　Wisdom　weaves。〃

〃There　was　a　Miss　Askew　at　the　College；〃　said　the　Girton　Girl。　　〃She　agreed　with　every　one。　　With　Marx　she　was　a　Socialist；　with　Carlyle　a　believer　in　benevolent　despotism；　with　Spinoza　a　materialist；　with　Newman　a　fanatic。　　I　had　a　long　talk　with　her　before　she　left；　and　tried　to　understand　her；　she　was　an　interesting　girl。　　'I　think；'　she　said；　'I　could　choose　among　them　if　only　they　would　answer　one　another。　　But　they　don't。　　They　won't　listen　to　one　another。　　They　only　repeat　their　own　case。'〃

〃There　never　is　an　answer；〃　explained　the　Philosopher。　　〃The　kernel　of　every　sincere　opinion　is　truth。　　This　life　contains　only　the　questionsthe　solutions　to　be　published　in　a　future　issue。〃

〃She　was　a　curious　sort　of　young　woman；〃　smiled　the　Girton　Girl；　〃we　used　to　laugh　at　her。〃

〃I　can　quite　believe　it；〃　commented　the　Philosopher。

〃It　is　so　like　shopping；〃　said　the　Old　Maid。

〃Like　shopping！〃　exclaimed　the　Girton　Girl。

The　Old　Maid　blushed。　　〃I　was　merely　thinking；〃　she　said。　　〃It　sounds　foolish。　　The　idea　occurred　to　me。〃

〃You　were　thinking　of　the　difficulty　of　choosing？〃　I　suggested。

〃Yes；〃　answered　the　Old　Maid。　　〃They　will　show　you　so　many　different　things；　one　is　quite　unableat　least；　I　know　it　is　so　in　my　own　case。　　I　get　quite　angry　with　myself。　　It　seems　so　weak…minded；　but　I　cannot　help　it。　　This　very　d