over the teacups-第47章

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enough　for　anybody。　　At　a　later　period；　〃Roi　Citoyen〃the　citizen

king　was　a　common　title　given　to　Louis　Philippe。　　But　nothing　is　too

grand　for　the　American；　in　the　way　of　titles。　　The　proudest　of　them

all　signify　absolutely　nothing。　　They　do　not　stand　for　ability；　for

public　service；　for　social　importance；　for　large　possessions；　but；　on

the　contrary；　are　oftenest　found　in　connection　with　personalities　to

which　they　are　supremely　inapplicable。　　We　can　hardly　afford　to

quarrel　with　a　national　habit　which；　if　lightly　handled；　may　involve

us　in　serious　domestic　difficulties。　　The　〃Right　Worshipful〃

functionary　whose　equipage　stops　at　my　back　gate；　and　whose　services

are　indispensable　to　the　health　and　comfort　of　my　household；　is　a

dignitary　whom　I　must　not　offend。　　I　must　speak　with　proper　deference

to　the　lady　who　is　scrubbing　my　floors；　when　I　remember　that　her

husband；　who　saws　my　wood；　carries　a　string　of　high…sounding　titles

which　would　satisfy　a　Spanish　nobleman。



After　all；　every　people　must　have　its　own　forms　of　ostentation；

pretence；　and　vulgarity。　　The　ancient　Romans　had　theirs；　the　English

and　the　French　have　theirs　as　well；why　should　not　we　Americans　have

ours？　　Educated　and　refined　persons　must　recognize　frequent　internal

conflicts　between　the　〃Homo　sum〃　of　Terence　and　the　〃Odi　profanum

vulgus〃　of　Horace。　　The　nobler　sentiment　should　be　that　of　every　true

American；　and　it　is　in　that　direction　that　our　best　civilization　is

constantly　tending。



We　were　waited　on　by　a　new　girl；　the　other　evening。　　Our　pretty

maiden　had　left　us　for　a　visit　to　some　relative；so　the　Mistress

said。　　I　do　sincerely　hope　she　will　soon　come　back；　for　we　all　like

to　see　her　flitting　round　the　table。



I　don't　know　what　to　make　of　it。　　I　had　it　all　laid　out　in　my　mind。

With　such　a　company　there　must　be　a　love…story。　　Perhaps　there　will

be；　but　there　may　be　new　combinations　of　the　elements　which　are　to

make　it　up；　and　here　is　a　bud　among　the　full…blown　flowers　to　which　I

must　devote　a　little　space。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Delilah。



I　must　call　her　by　the　name　we　gave　her　after　she　had　trimmed　the

Samson　locks　of　our　Professor。　　Delilah　is　a　puzzle　to　most　of　us。

A　pretty　creature；　dangerously　pretty　to　be　in　a　station　not　guarded

by　all　the　protective　arrangements　which　surround　the　maidens　of　a

higher　social　order。　　It　takes　a　strong　cage　to　keep　in　a　tiger　or　a

grizzly　bear；　but　what　iron　bars；　what　barbed　wires；　can　keep　out　the

smooth　and　subtle　enemy　that　finds　out　the　cage　where　beauty　is

imprisoned？　　Our　young　Doctor　is　evidently　attracted　by　the　charming

maiden　who　serves　him　and　us　so　modestly　and　so　gracefully。

Fortunately；　the　Mistress　never　loses　sight　of　her。　　If　she　were　her

own　daughter；　she　could　not　be　more　watchful　of　all　her　movements。

And　yet　I　do　not　believe　that　Delilah　needs　all　this　overlooking。　　If

I　am　not　mistaken；　she　knows　how　to　take　care　of　herself；　and　could

be　trusted　anywhere；　in　any　company；　without　a　duenna。　　She　has　a

history；I　feel　sure　of　it。　　She　has　been　trained　and　taught　as

young　persons　of　higher　position　in　life　are　brought　up；　and　does　not

belong　in　the　humble　station　in　which　we　find　her。　　But　inasmuch　as

the　Mistress　says　nothing　about　her　antecedents；　we　do　not　like　to　be

too　inquisitive。　　The　two　Annexes　are；　it　is　plain；　very　curious

about　her。　　I　cannot　wonder。　　They　are　both　good…looking　girls；　but

Delilah　is　prettier　than　either　of　them。　　My　sight　is　not　so　good　as

it　was；　but　I　can　see　the　way　in　which　the　eyes　of　the　young　people

follow　each　other　about　plainly　enough　to　set　me　thinking　as　to　what

is　going　on　in　the　thinking　marrow　behind　them。　　The　young　Doctor's

follow　Delilah　as　she　glides　round　the　table；they　look　into　hers

whenever　they　get　a　chance；　but　the　girl's　never　betray　any

consciousness　of　it；　so　far　as　I　can　see。　　There　is　no　mistaking　the

interest　with　which　the　two；　Annexes　watch　all　this。　　Why　shouldn't

they；　I　should　like　to　know？　　The　Doctor　is　a　bright　young　fellow；

and　wants　nothing　but　a　bald　spot　and　a　wife　to　find　himself　in　a

comfortable　family　practice。　　One　of　the　Annexes；　as　I　have　said；。

has　had　thoughts　of　becoming　a　doctress。　　I　don't　think　the　Doctor

would　want　his　wife　to　practise　medicine；　for　reasons　which　I　will

not　stop　to　mention。　　Such　a　partnership　sometimes　works　wonderfully

well；　as　in　one　well…known　instance　where　husband　and　wife　are　both

eminent　in　the　profession；　but　our　young　Doctor　has　said　to　me　that

he　had　rather　see　his　wife；if　he　ever　should　have　one；at　the

piano　than　at　the　dissecting…table。　　Of　course　the　Annexes　know

nothing　about　this；　and　they　may　think；　as　he　professed　himself

willing　to　lecture　on　medicine　to　women；　he　might　like　to　take　one　of

his　pupils　as　a　helpmeet。



If　it　were　not　for　our　Delilah's　humble　position；　I　don't　see　why　she

would　not　be　a　good　match　for　any　young　man。　　But　then　it　is　so　hard

to　take　a　young　woman　from　so　very　lowly　a　condition　as　that　of　a

〃waitress〃　that　it　would　require　a　deal　of　courage　to　venture　on　such

a　step。　　If　we　could　only　find　out　that　she　is　a　princess　in

disguise；　so　to　speak；that　is；　a　young　person　of　presentable

connections　as　well　as　pleasing　looks　and　manners；　that　she　has　had

an　education　of　some　kind；　as　we　suspected　when　she　blushed　on

hearing　herself　spoken　of　as　a　〃gentille　petite；〃　why；　then

everything　would　be　all　right；　the　young　Doctor　would　have　plain

sailing；that　is；　if　be　is　in　love　with　her；　and　if　she　fancies

him；and　I　should　find　my　love…story；the　one　I　expected；　but　not

between　the　parties　I　had　thought　would　be　mating　with　each　other。



Dear　little　Delilah！　　Lily　of　the　valley；　growing　in　the　shade　now；

perhaps　better　there　until　her　petals　drop；　and　yet　if　she　is　all　I

often　fancy　she　is；　how　her　youthful　presence　would　illuminate　and

sweeten　a　household！　　There　is　not　one　of　us　who　does　not　feel

interested　in　her；not　one　of　us　who　would　not　be　delighted　at　some

Cinderella　transformation　which　would　show　her　in　the　setting　Nature

meant　for　her　favorite。



The　fancy　of　Number　Seven　about　the　witches'　broomsticks　suggested　to

one　of　us　the　following　poem：





　　　　　　　　　　THE　BROOMSTICK　TRAIN；

　　　　　OR；　THE　RETURN　OF　THE　WITCHES。



Lookout！　　Look　out；　boys！　　Clear　the　track！

The　witches　are　here！　　They've　all　come　back！

They　hanged　them　high；No　use！　　No　use！

What　cares　a　witch　for　a　hangman's　noose？

They　buried　them　deep；　but　they　would　n't　lie；　still；

For　cats　and　witches　are　hard　to　kill；

They　swore　they　shouldn't　and　wouldn't　die；

Books　said　they　did；　but　they　lie！　　they　lie！



A　couple　of　hundred　years；　or　so；

They　had　knocked　about　in　the　world　below；

When　an　Essex　Deacon　dropped　in　to　call；

And　a　homesick　feeling　seized　them　all；

For　he　came　from　a　place　they　knew　full　well；

And　many　a　tale　he　had　to　tell。

They　long　to　visit　the　haunts　of　men；

To　see　the　old　dwellings　they　knew　again；

And　ride　on　their　broomsticks　all　around

Their　wide　domain　of　unhallowed　ground。



In　Essex　county　there's　many　a　roof

Well　known　to　him　of　the　cloven　hoof；

The　small　square　windows　are　full　in　view

Which　the　midnight　hags　went　sailing　through；

On　their　well…trained　broomsticks　mounted　high；

Seen　like　shadows　against　the　sky；

Crossing　the　track　of　owls　and　bats；

Hugging　before　them　their　coal…black　cats。



Well　did　they　know；　those　gray　old　wives；

The　sights　we　see　in　our　daily　drives

Shimmer　of　lake　and　shine　of　sea；

Brown's　bare　hill　with　its　lonely　tree；

（It　wasn't　then　as　we　see　it　now；

With　one　scant　scalp…lock　to　shade　its　brow；）

Dusky　nooks　in　the　Essex　woods；

Dark；　dim；　Dante…like　solitudes；

Where　the　tree…toad　watches　the　sinuous　snake

Glide　through　his　forests　of　fern　and　brake；

Ipswich　River；　its　old　stone　bridge；

Far　off　Andover's　Indian　Ridge；

And　many　a　scene　where　history　tells

Some　shadow　of　bygone　terror　dwells；

Of　〃Norman's　Woe〃