over the teacups-第64章

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sideboard；　I　hope　he　may　welcome　it　as　pleasantly　as　he　has　accepted

what　I　have　offered　him　from　the　board　now　just　being　cleared。







　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。







It　is　a　good　rule　for　the　actor　who　manages　the　popular　street　drama

of　Punch　not　to　let　the　audience　or　spectators　see　his　legs。　　It　is

very　hard　for　the　writer　of　papers　like　these；　which　are　now　coming

to　their　conclusion；　to　keep　his　personality　from　showing　itself　too

conspicuously　through　the　thin　disguises　of　his　various　characters。

As　the　show　is　now　over；　as　the　curtain　has　fallen；　I　appear　before

it　in　my　proper　person；　to　address　a　few　words　to　the　friends　who

have　assisted；　as　the　French　say；　by　their　presence；　and　as　we　use

the　word；　by　the　kind　way　in　which　they　have　received　my　attempts　at

their　entertainment。



This　series　of　papers　is　the　fourth　of　its　kind　which　I　have　offered

to　my　readers。　　I　may　be　allowed　to　look　back　upon　the　succession　of

serial　articles　which　was　commenced　more　than　thirty　years　ago；　in

1857。　　〃The　Autocrat　of　the　Breakfast…Table〃　was　the　first　of　the

series。　　It　was　begun　without　the　least　idea　what　was　to　be　its

course　and　its　outcome。　　Its　characters　shaped　themselves　gradually

as　the　manuscript　grew　under　my　hand。　　I　jotted　down　on　the　sheet　of

blotting　paper　before　me　the　thoughts　and　fancies　which　came　into　my

head。　　A　very　odd…looking　object　was　this　page　of　memoranda。　　Many　of

the　hints　were　worked　up　into　formal　shape；　many　were　rejected。

Sometimes　I　recorded　a　story；　a　jest；　or　a　pun　for　consideration；　and

made　use　of　it　or　let　it　alone　as　my　second　thought　decided。　　I

remember　a　curious　coincidence；　which；　if　I　have　ever　told　in　print；

I　am　not　sure　whether　I　have　or　not；I　will　tell　over　again。　　I

mention　it；　not　for　the　pun；　which　I　rejected　as　not　very　edifying

and　perhaps　not　new；　though　I　did　not　recollect　having　seen　it。



Mulier；　Latin　for　woman；　why　apply　that　name　to　one　of　the　gentle　but

occasionally　obstinate　sex？　　The　answer　was　that　a　woman　is

（sometimes）　more　mulish　than　a　mule。　　Please　observe　that　I　did　not

like　the　poor　pun　very　well；　and　thought　it　rather　rude　and

inelegant。　　So　I　left　it　on　the　blotter；　where　it　was　standing　when

one　of　the　next　numbers　of　〃Punch〃　came　out　and　contained　that　very

same　pun；　which　must　have　been　hit　upon　by　some　English　contributor

at　just　about　the　same　time　I　fell　upon　it　on　this　side　of　the

Atlantic。　　This　fact　may　be　added　to　the　chapter　of　coincidences

which　belongs　to　the　first　number　of　this　series　of　papers。



The　〃Autocrat〃　had　the　attraction　of　novelty；　which　of　course　was

wanting　in　the　succeeding　papers　of　similar　character。　　The

criticisms　upon　the　successive　numbers　as　they　came　out　were　various；

but　generally　encouraging。　　Some　were　more　than　encouraging；　very

high…colored　in　their　phrases　of　commendation。　　When　the　papers　were

brought　together　in　a　volume　their　success　was　beyond　my

expectations。　　Up　to　the　present　time　the　〃Autocrat〃　has　maintained

its　position。　　An　immortality　of　a　whole　generation　is　more　than　most

writers　are　entitled　to　expect。　　I　venture　to　think；　from　the　letters

I　receive　from　the　children　and　grandchildren　of　my　first　set　of

readers；　that　for　some　little　time　longer；　at　least；　it　will　continue

to　be　read；　and　even　to　be　a　favorite　with　some　of　its　readers。　　Non

omnis　moriar　is　a　pleasant　thought　to　one　who　has　loved　his　poor

little　planet；　and　will；　I　trust；　retain　kindly　recollections　of　it

through　whatever　wilderness　of　worlds　he　may　be　called　to　wander　in

his　future　pilgrimages。　　I　say　〃poor　little　planet。〃　　Ever　since　I

had　a　ten　cent　look　at　the　transit　of　Venus；　a　few　years　ago；　through

the　telescope　in　the　Mall；　the　earth　has　been　wholly　different　to　me

from　what　it　used　to　be。　　I　knew　from　books　what　a　speck　it　is　in　the

universe；　but　nothing　ever　brought　the　fact　home　like　the　sight　of

the　sister　planet　sailing　across　the　sun's　disk；　about　large　enough

for　a　buckshot；　not　large　enough　for　a　full…sized　bullet。　　Yes；　I

love　the　little　globule　where　I　have　spent　more　than　fourscore　years；

and　I　like　to　think　that　some　of　my　thoughts　and　some　of　my　emotions

may　live　themselves　over　again　when　I　am　sleeping。　　I　cannot　thank

all　the　kind　readers　of　the　〃Autocrat〃　who　are　constantly　sending　me

their　acknowledgments。　　If　they　see　this　printed　page；　let　them　be

assured　that　a　writer　is　always　rendered　happier　by　being　told　that

he　has　made　a　fellow…being　wiser　or　better；　or　even　contributed　to

his　harmless　entertainment。　　This　a　correspondent　may　take　for

granted；　even　if　his　letter　of　grateful　recognition　receives　no

reply。　　It　becomes　more　and　more　difficult　for　me　to　keep　up　with　my

correspondents；　and　I　must　soon　give　it　up　as　impossible。



〃The　Professor　at　the　Breakfast　Table〃　followed　immediately　on　the

heels　of　the　〃Autocrat。〃　　The　Professor　was　the　alter　ego　of　the

first　personage。　　In　the　earlier　series　he　had　played　a　secondary

part；　and　in　this　second　series　no　great　effort　was　made　to　create　a

character　wholly　unlike　the　first。　　The　Professor　was　more　outspoken；

however；　on　religious　subjects；　and　brought　down　a　good　deal　of　hard

language　on　himself　and　the　author　to　whom　he　owed　his　existence。　　I

suppose　he　may　have　used　some　irritating　expressions；　unconsciously；

but　not　unconscientiously；　I　am　sure。　　There　is　nothing　harder　to

forgive　than　the　sting　of　an　epigram。　　Some　of　the　old　doctors；　I

fear；　never　pardoned　me　for　saying　that　if　a　ship；　loaded　with　an

assorted　cargo　of　the　drugs　which　used　to　be　considered　the　natural

food　of　sick　people；　went　to　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　it　would　be　〃all

the　better　for　mankind　and　all　the　worse　for　the　fishes。〃　　If　I　had

not　put　that　snapper　on　the　end　of　my　whip…lash；　I　might　have　got　off

without　the　ill　temper　which　my　antithesis　provoked。　　Thirty　years

set　that　all　right；　and　the　same　thirty　years　have　so　changed　the

theological　atmosphere　that　such　abusive　words　as　〃heretic〃　and

〃infidel；〃　applied　to　persons　who　differ　from　the　old　standards　of

faith；　are　chiefly　interesting　as　a　test　of　breeding；　being　seldom

used　by　any　people　above　the　social　half…caste　line。　　I　am　speaking

of　Protestants；　how　it　may　be　among　Roman　Catholics　I　do　not　know；

but　I　suspect　that　with　them　also　it　is　a　good　deal　a　matter　of

breeding。　　There　were　not　wanting　some　who　liked　the　Professor　better

than　the　Autocrat。　　I　confess　that　I　prefer　my　champagne　in　its　first

burst　of　gaseous　enthusiasm；　but　if　my　guest　likes　it　better　after　it

has　stood　awhile；　I　am　pleased　to　accommodate　him。　　The　first　of　my

series　came　from　my　mind　almost　with　an　explosion；　like　the　champagne

cork；　it　startled　me　a　little　to　see　what　I　had　written；　and　to　hear

what　people　said　about　it。　　After　that　first　explosion　the　flow　was

more　sober；　and　I　looked　upon　the　product　of　my　wine…press　more

coolly。　　Continuations　almost　always　sag　a　little。　　I　will　not　say

that　of　my　own　second　effort；　but　if　others　said　it；　I　should　not　be

disposed　to　wonder　at　or　to　dispute　them。



〃The　Poet　at　the　Breakfast　Table〃　came　some　years　later。　　This　series

of　papers　was　not　so　much　a　continuation　as　a　resurrection。　　It　was　a

doubly　hazardous　attempt；　made　without　any　extravagant　expectations；

and　was　received　as　well　as　I　had　any　right　to　anticipate。　　It

differed　from　the　other　two　series　in　containing　a　poem　of

considerable　length；　published　in　successive　portions。　　This　poem

holds　a　good　deal　of　self…communing；　and　gave　me　the　opportunity　of

expressing　some　thoughts　and　feelings　not　to　be　found　elsewhere　in　my

writings。　　I　had　occasion　to　read　the　whole　volume；　not　long　since；

in　preparation　for　a　new　edition；　and　was　rather　more　pleased　with　it

than　I　had　expected　to　be。　　An　old　author　is　constantly　rediscoving

himself　in　the　more　or　less　fossilized　productions　of　his　earlier

years。　　It　is　a　long　time　since　I　have　read　the　〃Autocrat；〃　but　I

take　i