over the teacups-第40章

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to　the　Counsellor。



Are　you　quite　sure　that　you　wish　to　live　to　be　threescore　and　twenty

years　old？



〃Most　certainly　I　do。　　Don't　they　say　that　Theophrastus　lived　to　his

hundred　and　seventh　year；　and　did　n't　he　complain　of　the　shortness　of

life？　　At　eighty　a　man　has　had　just　about　time　to　get　warmly　settled

in　his　nest。　　Do　you　suppose　he　doesn't　enjoy　the　quiet　of　that

resting…place？　　No　more　haggard　responsibility　to　keep　him　awake

nights；unless　he　prefers　to　retain　his　hold　on　offices　and　duties

from　which　he　can　be　excused　if　be　chooses。　　No　more　goading

ambitions；he　knows　he　has　done　his　best。　　No　more　jealousies；　if　he

were　weak　enough　to　feel　such　ignoble　stirrings　in　his　more　active

season。　　An　octogenarian　with　a　good　record；　and　free　from　annoying

or　distressing　infirmities；　ought　to　be　the　happiest　of　men。

Everybody　treats　him　with　deference。　　Everybody　wants　to　help　him。

He　is　the　ward　of　the　generations　that　have　grown　up　since　he　was　in

the　vigor　of　maturity。　　Yes；　let　me　live　to　be　fourscore　years；　and

then　I　will　tell　you　whether　I　should　like　a　few　more　years　or　not。〃



You　carry　the　feelings　of　middle　age；　I　said；　in　imagination；　over

into　the　period　of　senility；　and　then　reason　and　dream　about　it　as　if

its　whole　mode　of　being　were　like　that　of　the　earlier　period　of　life。

But　how　many　things　there　are　in　old　age　which　you　must　live　into　if

you　would　expect　to　have　any　〃realizing　sense〃　of　their　significance！

In　the　first　place；　you　have　no　coevals；　or　next　to　none。　　At　fifty；

your　vessel　is　stanch；　and　you　are　on　deck　with　the　rest；　in　all

weathers。　　At　sixty；　the　vessel　still　floats；　and　you　are　in　the

cabin。　　At　seventy；　you；　with　a　few　fellow…passengers；　are　on　a　raft。

At　eighty；　you　are　on　a　spars　to　which；　possibly；　one；　or　two；　or

three　friends　of　about　your　own　age　are　still　clinging。　　After　that；

you　must　expect　soon　to　find　yourself　alone；　if　you　are　still

floating；　with　only　a　life…preserver　to　keep　your　old　white…bearded

chin　above　the　water。



Kindness？　　Yes；　pitying　kindness；　which　is　a　bitter　sweet　in　which

the　amiable　ingredient　can　hardly　be　said　to　predominate。　　How

pleasant　do　you　think　it　is　to　have　an　arm　offered　to　you　when　you

are　walking　on　a　level　surface；　where　there　is　no　chance　to　trip？

How　agreeable　do　you　suppose　it　is　to　have　your　well…meaning　friends

shout　and　screech　at　you；　as　if　you　were　deaf　as　an　adder；　instead　of

only　being；　as　you　insist；　somewhat　hard　of　hearing？　　I　was　a　little

over　twenty　years　old　when　I　wrote　the　lines　which　some　of　you　may

have　met　with；　for　they　have　been　often　reprinted　：



　　　　　　　　　　The　mossy　marbles　rest

　　　　　　　　　　On　the　lips　that　he　has　prest

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　their　bloom；

　　　　　　　　　　And　the　names　he　loved　to　hear

　　　　　　　　　　Have　been　carved　for　many　a　year

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　On　the　tomb。



The　world　was　a　garden　to　me　then；　it　is　a　churchyard　now。



〃I　thought　you　were　one　of　those　who　looked　upon　old　age　cheerfully；

and　welcomed　it　as　a　season　of　peace　and　contented　enjoyment。〃



I　am　one　of　those　who　so　regard　it。　　Those　are　not　bitter　or　scalding

tears　that　fall　from　my　eyes　upon　〃the　mossy　marbles。〃　　The　young　who

left　my　side　early　in　my　life's　journey　are　still　with　me　in　the

unchanged　freshness　and　beauty　of　youth。　　Those　who　have　long　kept

company　with　me　live　on　after　their　seeming　departure；　were　it　only

by　the　mere　force　of　habit；　their　images　are　all　around　me；　as　if

every　surface　had　been　a　sensitive　film　that　photographed　them；　their

voices　echo　about　me；　as　if　they　had　been　recorded　on　those

unforgetting　cylinders　which　bring　back　to　us　the　tones　and　accents

that　have　imprinted　them；　as　the　hardened　sands　show　us　the　tracks　of

extinct　animals。　　The　melancholy　of　old　age　has　a　divine　tenderness

in　it；　which　only　the　sad　experiences　of　life　can　lend　a　human　soul。

But　there　is　a　lower　level；that　of　tranquil　contentment　and　easy

acquiescence　in　the　conditions　in　which　we　find　ourselves；　a　lower

level；　in　which　old　age　trudges　patiently　when　it　is　not　using　its

wings。　　I　say　its　wings；　for　no　period　of　life　is　so　imaginative　as

that　which　looks　to　younger　people　the　most　prosaic。　　The　atmosphere

of　memory　is　one　in　which　imagination　flies　more　easily　and　feels

itself　more　at　home　than　in　the　thinner　ether　of　youthful

anticipation。　　I　have　told　you　some　of　the　drawbacks　of　age；　I　would

not　have　you　forget　its　privileges。　　When　it　comes　down　from　its

aerial　excursions；　it　has　much　left　to　enjoy　on　the　humble　plane　of

being。　　And　so　you　think　you　would　like　to　become　an　octogenarian？

〃I　should；〃　said　the　Counsellor；　now　a　man　in　the　high　noon　of　bodily

and　mental　vigor。　　〃Four　moreyes；　five　moredecades　would　not　be

too　much；　I　think。　　And　how　much　I　should　live　to　see　in　that　time！

I　am　glad　you　have　laid　down　some　rules　by　which　a　man　may　reasonably

expect　to　leap　the　eight　barred　gate。　　I　won't　promise　to　obey　them

all；　though。〃



Among　the　questions　addressed　to　me；　as　to　a　large　number　of　other

persons；　are　the　following。　　I　take　them　from　〃The　American　Hebrew〃

of　April　4；　1890。　　I　cannot　pretend　to　answer　them　all；　but　I　can　say

something　about　one　or　two　of　them。



〃I。　　Can　you；　of　your　own　personal　experience；　find　any　justification

whatever　for　the　entertainment　of　prejudice　towards　individuals

solely　because　they　are　Jews？



〃II。　　Is　this　prejudice　not　due　largely　to　the　religious　instruction

that　is　given　by　the　church　acid　Sunday…school？　　For　instance；　the

teachings　that　the　Jews　crucified　Jesus；　that　they　rejected　him；　and

can　only　secure　salvation　by　belief　in　him；　and　similar　matters　that

are　calculated　to　excite　in　the　impressionable　mind　of　the　child　an

aversion；　if　not　a　loathing；　for　members　of　'the　despised　race。'



〃III。　　Have　you　observed　in　the　social　or　business　life　of　the　Jew；

so　far　as　your　personal　experience　has　gone；　any　different　standard

of　conduct　than　prevails　among　Christians　of　the　same　social　status？



〃IV。　　Can　you　suggest　what　should　be　done　to　dispel　the　existing

prejudice？〃



As　to　the　first　question；　I　have　had　very　slight　acquaintance　with

the　children　of　Israel。　　I　shared　more　or　less　the　prevailing

prejudices　against　the　persecuted　race。　　I　used　to　read　in　my　hymn…

book；I　hope　I　quote　correctly；



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃See　what　a　living　stone

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　builders　did　refuse！

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Yet　God　has　built　his　church　thereon；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　spite　of　envious　Jews。〃



I　grew　up　inheriting　the　traditional　idea　that　they　were　a　race　lying

under　a　curse　for　their　obstinacy　in　refusing　the　gospel。　　Like　other

children　of　New　England　birth；　I　walked　in　the　narrow　path　of　Puritan

exclusiveness。　　The　great　historical　church　of　Christendom　was

presented　to　me　as　Bunyan　depicted　it：　one　of　the　two　giants　sitting

at　the　door　of　their　caves；　with　the　bones；　of　pilgrims　scattered

about　them；　and　grinning　at　the　travellers　whom　they　could　no　longer

devour。　　In　the　nurseries　of　old…fashioned　Orthodoxy　there　was　one

religion　in　the　world；one　religion；　and　a　multitude　of　detestable；

literally　damnable　impositions；　believed　in　by　uncounted　millions；

who　were　doomed　to　perdition　for　so　believing。　　The　Jews　were　the

believers　in　one　of　these　false　religions。　　It　had　been　true　once；

but　was　now　a　pernicious　and　abominable　lie。　　The　principal　use　of

the　Jews　seemed　to　be　to　lend　money；　and　to　fulfil　the　predictions　of

the　old　prophets　of　their　race。



No　doubt　the　individual　sons　of　Abraham　whom　we　found　in　our　ill…

favored　and　ill…flavored　streets　were　apt　to　be　unpleasing　specimens

of　the　race。　　It　was　against　the　most　adverse　influences　of

legislation；　of　religious　feeling；　of　social　repugnance；　that　the

great　names　of　Jewish　origin　made　themselves　illustrious；　that　the

philosophers；　the　musicians；　the　financiers；　the　statesmen；　of　the

last　centuries　forced　the　world　to　recognize　and　accept　them。

Benjamin；　the　s