the poet at the breakfast table-第38章

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or　not！　　I　don't　know　whether　to　laugh　or　shudder。　　The　thought　of　an
oecumenical　council　having　its　leading　feature　dislocated　by　my
trifling　experiment！　　The　thought；　again；　of　the　mighty　revolution　in
human　beliefs　and　affairs　that　might　grow　out　of　the　same
insignificant　little　phenomenon。　　A　wine…glassful　of　clear　liquid
growing　muddy。　　If　we　had　found　a　wriggle；　or　a　zigzag；　or　a　shoot
from　one　side　to　the　other；　in　this　last　flask；　what　a　scare　there
would　have　been；　to　be　sure；　in　the　schools　of　the　prophets！　　Talk
about　your　megatherium　and　your　megalosaurus；what　are　these　to　the
bacterium　and　the　vibrio？　　These　are　the　dreadful　monsters　of　today。
If　they　show　themselves　where　they　have　no　business；　the　little
rascals　frighten　honest　folks　worse　than　ever　people　were　frightened
by　the　Dragon　of　Rhodes！

The　Master　gets　going　sometimes；　there　is　no　denying　it；　until　his
imagination　runs　away　with　him。　　He　had　been　trying；　as　the　reader
sees；　one　of　those　curious　experiments　in　spontaneous　generation；　as
it　is　called；　which　have　been　so　often　instituted　of　late　years；　and
by　none　more　thoroughly　than　by　that　eminent　American　student　of
nature　（Professor　Jeffries　Wyman）　whose　process　he　had　imitated　with
a　result　like　his。

We　got　talking　over　these　matters　among　us　the　next　morning　at　the
breakfast…table。

We　must　agree　they　couldn't　stand　six　hours'　boiling；I　said。

Good　for　the　Pope　of　Rome！exclaimed　the　Master。

The　Landlady　drew　back　with　a　certain　expression　of　dismay　in　her
countenance。　　She　hoped　he　did　n't　want　the　Pope　to　make　any　more
converts　in　this　country。　　She　had　heard　a　sermon　only　last　Sabbath；
and　the　minister　had　made　it　out；　she　thought；　as　plain　as　could　be；
that　the　Pope　was　the　Man　of　Sin　and　that　the　Church　of　Rome　was
Well；　there　was　very　strong　names　applied　to　her　in　Scripture。

What　was　good　for　the　Pope　was　good　for　your　minister；　too；　my　dear
madam；said　the　Master。　　Good　for　everybody　that　is　afraid　of　what
people　call　〃science。〃　If　it　should　prove　that　dead　things　come　to
life　of　themselves；　it　would　be　awkward；　you　know；　because　then
somebody　will　get　up　and　say　if　one　dead　thing　made　itself　alive
another　might；　and　so　perhaps　the　earth　peopled　itself　without　any
help。　　Possibly　the　difficulty　wouldn't　be　so　great　as　many　people
suppose。　　We　might　perhaps　find　room　for　a　Creator　after　all；　as　we
do　now；　though　we　see　a　little　brown　seed　grow　till　it　sucks　up　the
juices　of　half　an　acre　of　ground；　apparently　all　by　its　own　inherent
power。　　That　does　not　stagger　us；　I　am　not　sure　that　it　would　if　Mr。
Crosses　or　Mr。　Weekes's　acarus　should　show　himself　all　of　a　sudden；
as　they　said　he　did；　in　certain　mineral　mixtures　acted　on　by
electricity。

The　Landlady　was　off　soundings；　and　looking　vacant　enough　by　this
time。

The　Master　turned　to　me。…Don't　think　too　much　of　the　result　of　our
one　experiment。　　It　means　something；　because　it　confirms　those　other
experiments　of　which　it　was　a　copy；　but　we　must　remember　that　a
hundred　negatives　don't　settle　such　a　question。　　Life　does　get　into
the　world　somehow。　　You　don't　suppose　Adam　had　the　cutaneous
unpleasantness　politely　called　psora；　do　you？

Hardly；I　answered。…He　must　have　been　a　walking　hospital　if　he
carried　all　the　maladies　about　him　which　have　plagued　his
descendants。

Well；　then；　how　did　the　little　beast　which　is　peculiar　to　that
special　complaint　intrude　himself　into　the　Order　of　Things？　　You
don't　suppose　there　was　a　special　act　of　creation　for　the　express
purpose　of　bestowing　that　little　wretch　on　humanity；　do　you？

I　thought；　on　the　whole；　I　would　n't　answer　that　question。

You　and　I　are　at　work　on　the　same　problem；　said　the　Young
Astronomer　to　the　Master。…I　have　looked　into　a　microscope　now　and
then；　and　I　have　seen　that　perpetual　dancing　about　of　minute　atoms　in
a　fluid；　which　you　call　molecular　motion。　　Just　so；　when　I　look
through　my　telescope　I　see　the　star…dust　whirling　about　in　the
infinite　expanse　of　ether；　or　if　I　do　not　see　its　motion；　I　know　that
it　is　only　on　account　of　its　immeasurable　distance。　　Matter　and
motion　everywhere；　void　and　rest　nowhere。　　You　ask　why　your　restless
microscopic　atoms　may　not　come　together　and　become　self…conscious　and
self…moving　organisms。　　I　ask　why　my　telescopic　star…dust　may　not
come　together　and　grow　and　organize　into　habitable　worlds；the
ripened　fruit　on　the　branches　of　the　tree　Yggdrasil；　if　I　may　borrow
from　our　friend　the　Poet's　province。　　It　frightens　people；　though；　to
hear　the　suggestion　that　worlds　shape　themselves　from　star…mist。　　It
does　not　trouble　them　at　all　to　see　the　watery　spheres　that　round
themselves　into　being　out　of　the　vapors　floating　over　us；　they　are
nothing　but　raindrops。　　But　if　a　planet　can　grow　as　a　rain…drop
grows；　why　then　　It　was　a　great　comfort　to　these　timid　folk　when
Lord　Rosse's　telescope　resolved　certain　nebula　into　star…clusters。
Sir　John　Herschel　would　have　told　them　that　this　made　little
difference　in　accounting　for　the　formation　of　worlds　by　aggregation；
but　at　any　rate　it　was　a　comfort　to　them。

These　people　have　always　been　afraid　of　the　astronomers；said　the
Master。　They　were　shy；　you　know；　of　the　Copernican　system；　for　a
long　while；　well　they　might　be　with　an　oubliette　waiting　for　them　if
they　ventured　to　think　that　the　earth　moved　round　the　sun。　　Science
settled　that　point　finally　for　them；　at　length；　and　then　it　was　all
right；when　there　was　no　use　in　disputing　the　fact　any　longer。　　By
and　by　geology　began　turning　up　fossils　that　told　extraordinary
stories　about　the　duration　of　life　upon　our　planet。　　What　subterfuges
were　not　used　to　get　rid　of　their　evidence！　　Think　of　a　man　seeing
the　fossilized　skeleton　of　an　animal　split　out　of　a　quarry；　his　teeth
worn　down　by　mastication；　and　the　remains　of　food　still　visible　in
his　interior；　and；　in　order　to　get　rid　of　a　piece　of　evidence
contrary　to　the　traditions　he　holds　to；　seriously　maintaining　that
this　skeleton　never　belonged　to　a　living　creature；　but　was　created
with　just　these　appearances；　a　make…believe；　a　sham；　a　Barnum's…
mermaid　contrivance　to　amuse　its　Creator　and　impose　upon　his
intelligent　children！　　And　now　people　talk　about　geological　epochs
and　hundreds　of　millions　of　years　in　the　planet's　history　as　calmly
as　if　they　were　discussing　the　age　of　their　deceased　great…
grandmothers。　　Ten　or　a　dozen　years　ago　people　said　Sh！　Sh！　if　you
ventured　to　meddle　with　any　question　supposed　to　involve　a　doubt　of
the　generally　accepted　Hebrew　traditions。　　To…day　such　questions　are
recognized　as　perfectly　fair　subjects　for　general　conversation；　not
in　the　basement　story；　perhaps；　or　among　the　rank　and　file　of　the
curbstone　congregations；　but　among　intelligent　and　educated　persons。
You　may　preach　about　them　in　your　pulpit；　you　may　lecture　about　them；
you　may　talk　about　them　with　the　first　sensible…looking　person　you
happen　to　meet；　you　may　write　magazine　articles　about　them；　and　the
editor　need　not　expect　to　receive　remonstrances　from　angry
subscribers　and　withdrawals　of　subscriptions；　as　he　would　have　been
sure　to　not　a　great　many　years　ago。　　Why；　you　may　go　to　a　tea…party
where　the　clergyman's　wife　shows　her　best　cap　and　his　daughters
display　their　shining　ringlets；　and　you　will　hear　the　company
discussing　the　Darwinian　theory　of　the　origin　of　the　human　race　as　if
it　were　as　harmless　a　question　as　that　of　the　lineage　of　a　spinster's
lapdog。　　You　may　see　a　fine　lady　who　is　as　particular　in　her
genuflections　as　any　Buddhist　or　Mahometan　saint　in　his
manifestations　of　reverence；　who　will　talk　over　the　anthropoid　ape；
the　supposed　founder　of　the　family　to　which　we　belong；　and　even　go
back　with　you　to　the　acephalous　mollusk；　first　cousin　to　the　clams
and　mussels；　whose　rudimental　spine　was　the　hinted　prophecy　of
humanity；　all　this　time　never　dreaming；　apparently；　that　what　she
takes　for　a　matter　of　curious　speculation　involves　the　whole　future
of　human　progress　and　destiny。

I　can't　help　thinking　that　if　we　had　talked　as　freely　as　we　can　and
do　now　in　the　days　of　the　first　boarder　at　this　table；I　mean　the
one　who　introduced　it　to　the　public；it　would　have　sounded　a　good
deal　more　aggress