over the teacups-第51章

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The　Tutor　found　Number　Five　an　apt　scholar；　and　something　more　than

that；　for　while；　as　a　linguist；　he　was；　of　course；　her　master；　her

intelligent　comments　brought　out　the　beauties　of　an　author　in　a　way

to　make　the　text　seem　like　a　different　version。　　They　did　not　always

confine　themselves　to　the　book　they　were　reading。　　Number　Five　showed

some　curiosity　about　the　Tutor's　relations　with　the　two　Annexes。　　She

suggested　whether　it　would　not　be　well　to　ask　one　or　both　of　them　in

to　take　part　in　their　readings。　　The　Tutor　blushed　and　hesitated。

〃Perhaps　you　would　like　to　ask　one　of　them；〃　said　Number　Five。

〃Which　one　shall　it　be？〃　　〃It　makes　no　difference　to　me　which；〃　he

answered；〃　but　I　do　not　see　that　we　need　either。〃　　Number　Five　did

not　press　the　matter　further。　　So　the　young　Tutor　and　Number　Five

read　together　pretty　regularly；　and　came　to　depend　upon　their　meeting

over　a　book　as　one　of　their　stated　seasons　of　enjoyment。　　He　is　so

many　years　younger　than　she　is　that　I　do　not　suppose　he　will　have　to

pass　par　la；　as　most　of　her　male　friends　have　done。　　I　tell　her

sometimes　that　she　reminds　me　of　my　Alma　Mater；　always　young；　always

fresh　in　her　attractions；　with　her　scholars　all　round　her；　many　of

them　graduates；　or　to　graduate　sooner　or　later。



What　do　I　mean　by　graduates？　　Why；　that　they　have　made　love　to　her；

and　would　be　entitled　to　her　diploma；　if　she　gave　a　parchment　to　each

one　of　them　who　had　had　the　courage　to　face　the　inevitable。　　About

the　Counsellor　I　am；　as　I　have　said；　in　doubt。　　Who　wrote　that

〃I　Like　You　and　I　Love　You；〃　which　we　found　in　the　sugar…bowl　the


other　day？　　Was　it　a　graduate　who　had　felt　the　〃icy　dagger；〃　or　only

a　candidate　for　graduation　who　was　afraid　of　it？　　So　completely　does

she　subjugate　those　who　come　under　her　influence　that　I　believe　she

looks　upon　it　as　a　matter　of　course　that　the　fateful　question　will

certainly　come；　often　after　a　brief　acquaintance。　　She　confessed　as

much　to　me；　who　am　in　her　confidence；　and　not　a　candidate　for

graduation　from　her　academy。　　Her　graduatesher　lambs　I　called　them

are　commonly　faithful　to　her；　and　though　now　and　then　one　may　have

gone　off　and　sulked　in　solitude；　most　of　them　feel　kindly　to　her；　and

to　those　who　have　shared　the　common　fate　of　her　suitors。　　I　do　really

believe　that　some　of　them　would　be　glad　to　see　her　captured　by　any

one；　if　such　there　can　be；　who　is　worthy　of　her。　　She　is　the　best　of

friends；　they　say；　but　can　she　love　anybody；　as　so　many　other　women

do；　or　seem　to？　　Why　shouldn't　our　Musician；　who　is　evidently　fond　of

her　company；　and　sings　and　plays　duets　with　her；　steal　her　heart　as

Piozzi　stole　that　of　the　pretty　and　bright　Mrs。　Thrale；　as　so　many

music…teachers　have　run　away　with　their　pupils'　hearts？　　At　present

she　seems　to　be　getting　along　very　placidly　and　contentedly　with　her

young　friend　the　Tutor。　　There　is　something　quite　charming　in　their

relations　with　each　other。　　He　knows　many　things　she　does　not；　for　he

is　reckoned　one　of　the　most　learned　in　his　literary　specialty　of　all

the　young　men　of　his　time；　and　it　can　be　a　question　of　only　a　few

years　when　some　first…class　professorship　will　be　offered　him。　　She；

on　the　other　hand；　has　so　much　more　experience；　so　much　more

practical　wisdom；　than　he　has　that　he　consults　her　on　many　every…day

questions；　as　he　did；　or　made　believe　do；　about　that　of　making　love

to　one　of　the　two　Annexes。　　I　had　thought；　when　we　first　sat　round

the　tea…table；　that　she　was　good　for　the　bit　of　romance　I　wanted；　but

since　she　has　undertaken　to　be　a　kind　of　half…maternal　friend　to　the

young　Tutor；　I　am　afraid　I　shall　have　to　give　her　up　as　the　heroine

of　a　romantic　episode。　　It　would　be　a　pity　if　there　were　nothing　to

commend　these　papers　to　those　who　take　up　this　periodical　but　essays；

more　or　less　significant；　on　subjects　more　or　less　interesting　to　the

jaded　and　impatient　readers　of　the　numberless　stories　and

entertaining　articles　which　crowd　the　magazines　of　this　prolific

period。　　A　whole　year　of　a　tea…table　as　large　as　ours　without　a

single　love　passage　in　it　would　be　discreditable　to　the　company。　　We

must　find　one；　or　make　one；　before　the　tea…things　are　taken　away　and

the　table　is　no　longer　spread。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Dictator　turns　preacher。



We　have　so　many　light　and　playful　talks　over　the　teacups　that　some

readers　may　be　surprised　to　find　us　taking　up　the　most　serious　and

solemn　subject　which　can　occupy　a　human　intelligence。　　The　sudden

appearance　among　our　New　England　Protestants　of　the　doctrine　of

purgatory　as　a　possibility；　or　even　probability；　has　startled　the

descendants　of　the　Puritans。　　It　has　naturally　led　to　a

reconsideration　of　the　doctrine　of　eternal　punishment。　　It　is　on　that

subject　that　Number　Five　and　I　have　talked　together。　　I　love　to

listen　to　her；　for　she　talks　from　the　promptings　of　a　true　woman's

heart。　　I　love　to　talk　to　her；　for　I　learn　my　own　thoughts　better　in

that　way　than　in　any　other　〃L'appetit　vient　en　mangeant；〃　the　French

saying　has　it。　　〃L'esprit　vient　en　causant；〃　that　is；　if　one　can　find

the　right　persons　to　talk　with。



The　subject　which　has　specially　interested　Number　Five　and　myself；　of

late；　was　suggested　to　me　in　the　following　way。



Some　two　years　ago　I　received　a　letter　from　a　clergyman　who　bears　by

inheritance　one　of　the　most　distinguished　names　which　has　done　honor

to　the　American　〃Orthodox〃　pulpit。　　This　letter　requested　of　me　〃a

contribution　to　a　proposed　work　which　was　to　present　in　their　own

language　the　views　of　'many　men　of　many　minds'　on　the　subject　of

future　punishment。　　It　was　in　my　mind　to　let　the　public　hear　not　only

from　professional　theologians；　but　from　other　professions；　as　from

jurists　on　the　alleged　but　disputed　value　of　the　hangman's　whip

overhanging　the　witness…box；　and　from　physicians　on　the　working　of

beliefs　about　the　future　life　in　the　minds　of　the　dangerously　sick。

And　I　could　not　help　thinking　what　a　good　thing　it　would　be　to　draw

out　the　present　writer　upon　his　favorite　borderland　between　the

spiritual　and　the　material。〃　　The　communication　came　to　me；　as　the

writer　reminds　me　in　a　recent　letter；　at　a　〃painfully　inopportune

time；〃　and　though　it　was　courteously　answered；　was　not　made　the

subject　of　a　special　reply。



This　request　confers　upon　me　a　certain　right　to　express　my　opinion　on

this　weighty　subject　without　fear　and　without　reproach　even　from

those　who　might　be　ready　to　take　offence　at　one　of　the　laity　for

meddling　with　pulpit　questions。　　It　shows　also　that　this　is　not　a

dead　issue　in　our　community；　as　some　of　the　younger　generation　seem

to　think。　　There　are　some；　there　may　be　many；　who　would　like　to　hear

what　impressions　one　has　received　on　the　subject　referred　to；　after　a

long　life　in　which　he　has　heard　and　read　a　great　deal　about　the

matter。　　There　is　a　certain　gravity　in　the　position　of　one　who　is；　in

the　order　of　nature　very　near　the　undiscovered　country。　　A　man　who

has　passed　his　eighth　decade　feels　as　if　be　were　already　in　the

antechamber　of　the　apartments　which　he　may　be　called　to　occupy　in　the

house　of　many　mansions。　　His　convictions　regarding　the　future　of　our

race　are　likely　to　be　serious；　and　his　expressions　not　lightly

uttered。　　The　question　my　correspondent　suggests　is　a　tremendous　one。

No　other　interest　compares　for　one　moment　with　that　belonging　to　it。

It　is　not　only　ourselves　that　it　concerns；　but　all　whom　we　love　or

ever　have　loved；　all　our　human　brotherhood；　as　well　as　our　whole　idea

of　the　Being　who　made　us　and　the　relation　in　which　He　stands　to　his

creatures。　　In　attempting　to　answer　my　correspondent's　question；　I

shall　no　doubt　repeat　many　things　I　have　said　before　in　different

forms；　on　different　occasions。　　This　is　no　more　than　every　clergyman

does　habitually；　and　it　would　be　hard　if　I　could　not　have　the　same

license　which　the　professional　preacher　enjoys　so　fully。



Number　Five　and　I　have　occasionally　talked　on　religious　questio