over the teacups-第14章

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natural　springs　with　their　atmospheric　nitrogen　in　the　proportion　of

about　twenty　per　cent；　which　makes　very　nearly　the　same　thing　as　the

air　of　your　planet。　　But　to　the　Saturnians　the　mixture　is　highly

intoxicating；　and　is　therefore　a　relief　to　the　monotony　of　their

every…day　life。　　This　mixture　is　greatly　sought　after；　but　hard　to

obtain；　as　the　sources　of　oxygen　are　few　and　scanty。　　It　shortens　the

lives　of　those　who　have　recourse　to　it；　but　if　it　takes　too　long；

they　have　other　ways　of　escaping　from　a　life　which　cuts　and　dries

everything　for　its　miserable　subjects；　defeats　all　the　natural

instincts；　confounds　all　individual　characteristics；　and　makes

existence　such　a　colossal　bore；　as　your　worldly　people　say；　that

self…destruction　becomes　a　luxury。〃





Number　Five　stopped　here。



Your　imaginary　wholesale　Shakerdom　is　all　very　fine；　said　I。　　Your

Utopia；　your　New　Atlantis；　and　the　rest　are　pretty　to　look　at。　　But

your　philosophers　are　treating　the　world　of　living　souls　as　if　they

were；　each　of　them；　playing　a　game　of　solitaire；　all　the　pegs　and

all　the　holes　alike。　　Life　is　a　very　different　sort　of　game。　　It　is　a

game　of　chess；　and　not　of　solitaire；　nor　even　of　checkers。　　The　men

are　not　all　pawns；　but　you　have　your　knights；　bishops；　rooks；yes；

your　king　and　queen；to　be　provided　for。　　Not　with　these　names；　of

course；　but　all　looking　for　their　proper　places；　and　having　their　own

laws　and　modes　of　action。　　You　can　play　solitaire　with　the　members　of

your　own　family　for　pegs；　if　you　like；　and　if　none　of　them　rebel。

You　can　play　checkers　with　a　little　community　of　meek；　like…minded

people。　　But　when　it　comes　to　the　handling　of　a　great　state；　you　will

find　that　nature　has　emptied　a　box　of　chessmen　before　you；　and　you

must　play　with　them　so　as　to　give　each　its　proper　move；　or　sweep　them

off　the　board；　and　come　back　to　the　homely　game　such　as　I　used　to　see

played　with　beans　and　kernels　of　corn　on　squares　marked　upon　the　back

of　the　kitchen　bellows。



It　was　curious　to　see　how　differently　Number　Five's　narrative　was

received　by　the　different　listeners　in　our　circle。　　Number　Five

herself　said　she　supposed　she　ought　to　be　ashamed　of　its　absurdities；

but　she　did　not　know　that　it　was　much　sillier　than　dreams　often　are；

and　she　thought　it　might　amuse　the　company。　　She　was　herself　always

interested　by　these　ideal　pictures　of　society。　　But　it　seemed　to　her

that　life　must　be　dull　in　any　of　them；　and　with　that　idea　in　her　head

her　dreaming　fancy　had　drawn　these　pictures。



The　Professor　was　interested　in　her　conception　of　the　existence　of

the　Lunites　without　waste；　and　the　death　in　life　of　the　nitrogen…

breathing　Saturnians。　　Dream…chemistry　was　a　new　subject　to　him。

Perhaps　Number　Five　would　give　him　some　lessons　in　it。



At　this　she　smiled；　and　said　she　was　afraid　she　could　not　teach　him

anything；　but　if　he　would　answer　a　few　questions　in　matter…of…fact

chemistry　which　had　puzzled　her　she　would　be　vastly　obliged　to　him。



〃You　must　come　to　my　laboratory；〃　said　the　Professor。



〃I　will　come　to…morrow；〃　said　Number　Five。



Oh；　yes！　Much　laboratory　work　they　will　do！　Play　of　mutual

affinities。　　Amalgamates。　　No　freezing　mixtures；　I'll　warrant



Why　shouldn't　we　get　a　romance　out　of　all　this；　hey　？



But　Number　Five　looks　as　innocent　as　a　lamb；　and　as　brave　as　a　lion。

She　does　not　care　a　copper　for　the　looks　that　are　going　round　The

Teacups。



Our　Doctor　was　curious　about　those　cases　of　anchylosis；　as　he　called

it；　of　the　lower　jaw。　　He　thought　it　a　quite　possible　occurrence。

Both　the　young　girls　thought　the　dream　gave　a　very　hard　view　of　the

optimists；　who　look　forward　to　a　reorganization　of　society　which

shall　rid　mankind　of　the　terrible　evils　of　over…crowding　and

competition。



Number　Seven　was　quite　excited　about　the　matter。　　He　had　himself

drawn　up　a　plan　for　a　new　social　arrangement。　　He　had　shown　it　to　the

legal　gentleman　who　has　lately　joined　us。　　This　gentleman　thought　it

well…intended；　but　that　it　would　take　one　constable　to　every　three

inhabitants　to　enforce　its　provisions。



I　said　the　dream　could　do　no　harm；　it　was　too　outrageously　improbable

to　come　home　to　anybody's　feelings。　　Dreams　were　like　broken

mosaics；the　separated　stones　might　here　and　there　make　parts　of

pictures。　　If　one　found　a　caricature　of　himself　made　out　of　the

pieces　which　had　accidentally　come　together；　he　would　smile　at　it；

knowing　that　it　was　an　accidental　effect　with　no　malice　in　it。　　If

any　of　you　really　believe　in　a　working　Utopia；　why　not　join　the

Shakers；　and　convert　the　world　to　this　mode　of　life？　　Celibacy　alone

would　cure　a　great　many　of　the　evils　you　complain　of。



I　thought　this　suggestion　seemed　to　act　rather　unfavorably　upon　the

ladies　of　our　circle。　　The　two　Annexes　looked　inquiringly　at　each

other。　　Number　Five　looked　smilingly　at　them。　　She　evidently　thought

it　was　time　to　change　the　subject　of　conversation；　for　she　turned　to

me　and　said；　〃You　promised　to　read　us　the　poem　you　read　before　your

old　classmates　the　other　evening。〃



I　will　fulfill　my　promise；　I　said。　　We　felt　that　this　might　probably

be　our　last　meeting　as　a　Class。　　The　personal　reference　is　to　our

greatly　beloved　and　honored　classmate；　James　Freeman　Clarke。





AFTER　THE　CURFEW。



The　Play　is　over。　　While　the　light

Yet　lingers　in　the　darkening　hall；



I　come　to　say　a　last　Good…night

Before　the　final　Exeunt　all。



We　gathered　once；　a　joyous　throng：

The　jovial　toasts　went　gayly　round；

With　jest；　and　laugh；　and　shout；　and　song

we　made　the　floors　and　walls　resound。



We　come　with　feeble　steps　and　slow；

A　little　band　of　four　or　five；

Left　from　the　wrecks　of　long　ago；

Still　pleased　to　find　ourselves　alive。



Alive！　　How　living；　too；　are　they

whose　memories　it　is　ours　to　share！

Spread　the　long　table's　full　array；

There　sits　a　ghost　in　every　chair！



One　breathing　form　no　more；　alas！

Amid　our　slender　group　we　see；

With　him　we　still　remained　〃The　Class；〃

without　his　presence　what　are　we？



The　hand　we　ever　loved　to　clasp；

That　tireless　hand　which　knew　no　rest；

Loosed　from　affection's　clinging　grasp；

Lies　nerveless　on　the　peaceful　breast。



The　beaming　eye；　the　cheering　voice；

That　lent　to　life　a　generous　glow；

whose　every　meaning　said　〃Rejoice；〃

we　see；　we　hear；　no　more　below。



The　air　seems　darkened　by　his　loss；

Earth's　shadowed　features　look　less　fair；

And　heavier　weighs　the　daily　cross

His　willing　shoulders　helped　as　bear。



Why　mourn　that　we；　the　favored　few



Whom　grasping　Time　so　long　has　spared

Life's　sweet　illusions　to　pursue；

The　common　lot　of　age　have　shared？



In　every　pulse　of　Friendship's　heart

There　breeds　unfelt　a　throb　of　pain；

One　hour　must　rend　its　links　apart；

Though　years　on　years　have　forged　the　chain。



So　ends　〃The　Boys；〃a　lifelong　play。

We　too　must　hear　the　Prompter's　call

To　fairer　scenes　and　brighter　day

Farewell！　I　let　the　curtain　fall。









IV



If　the　reader　thinks　that　all　these　talking　Teacups　came　together　by

mere　accident；　as　people　meet　at　a　boarding…house；　I　may　as　well　tell

him　at　once　that　he　is　mistaken。　　If　he　thinks　I　am　going　to　explain

how　it　is　that　he　finds　them　thus　brought　together；　whether　they　form

a　secret　association；　whether　they　are　the　editors　of　this　or　that

periodical；　whether　they　are　connected　with　some　institution；　and　so

on；I　must　disappoint　him。　　It　is　enough　that　he　finds　them　in　each

other's　company；　a　very　mixed　assembly；　of　different　sexes；　ages；　and

pursuits；　and　if　there　is　a　certain　mystery　surrounds　their　meetings；

he　must　not　be　surprised。　　Does　he　suppose　we　want　to　be　known　and

talked　about　in　public　as　〃Teacups〃？　　No；　so　far　as　we　give　to　the

community　some　records　of　the　talks　at　our　table　our　thoughts　become

public　property；　but　the　sacred　personality　of　every　Teacup　must　be

properly　respected。　　If　any　wonder　at　the　presence　of　on