the poet at the breakfast table-第49章

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interviews　with　the　double…headed　daughter　of　Africa；so　far；　at
least；　as　her　twofold　personality　admitted　of　private　confidences。　　I
have　listened　to　the　touching　experiences　of　the　Bearded　Lady；　whose
rough　cheeks　belie　her　susceptible　heart。　　Miss　Jane　Campbell　has
allowed　me　to　question　her　on　the　delicate　subject　of　avoirdupois
equivalents；　and　the　armless　fair　one；　whose　embrace　no　monarch　could
hope　to　win；　has　wrought　me　a　watch…paper　with　those　despised　digits
which　have　been　degraded　from　gloves　to　boots　in　our　evolution　from
the　condition　of　quadrumana。

I　hope　you　have　read　my　experiences　as　good…naturedly　as　the　old
Master　listened　to　them。　　He　seemed　to　be　pleased　with　my　whim；　and
promised　to　go　with　me　to　see　all　the　side…shows　of　the　next　caravan。
Before　I　left　him　he　wrote　my　name　in　a　copy　of　the　new　edition　of
his　book；　telling　me　that　it　would　not　all　be　new　to　me　by　a　great
deal；　for　he　often　talked　what　he　had　printed　to　make　up　for　having
printed　a　good　deal　of　what　he　had　talked。

Here　is　the　passage　of　his　Poem　the　Young　Astronomer　read　to　us。


　　　　　WIND…CLOUDS　AND　STAR…DRIFTS。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　IV

》From　my　lone　turret　as　I　look　around
O'er　the　green　meadows　to　the　ring　of　blue；
》From　slope；　from　summit；　and　from　half…hid　vale
The　sky　is　stabbed　with　dagger…pointed　spires；
Their　gilded　symbols　whirling　in　the　wind；
Their　brazen　tongues　proclaiming　to　the　world；
Here　truth　is　sold；　the　only　genuine　ware；
See　that　it　has　our　trade…mark！
You　will　buy　Poison　instead　of　food　across　the　way；
The　lies　of　〃this　or　that；　each　several　name
The　standard's　blazon　and　the　battle…cry
Of　some　true…gospel　faction；　and　again
The　token　of　the　Beast　to　all　beside。
And　grouped　round　each　I　see　a　huddling　crowd
Alike　in　all　things　save　the　words　they　use；
In　love；　in　longing；　hate　and　fear　the　same。

Whom　do　we　trust　and　serve？　　We　speak　of　one
And　bow　to　many；　Athens　still　would　find
The　shrines　of　all　she　worshipped　safe　within
Our　tall　barbarian　temples；　and　the　thrones
That　crowned　Olympus　mighty　as　of　old。
The　god　of　music　rules　the　Sabbath　choir；
The　lyric　muse　must　leave　the　sacred　nine
To　help　us　please　the　dilettante's　ear；
Plutus　limps　homeward　with　us；　as　we　leave
The　portals　of　the　temple　where　we　knelt
And　listened　while　the　god　of　eloquence
（Hermes　of　ancient　days；　but　now　disguised
In　sable　vestments）　with　that　other　god
Somnus；　the　son　of　Erebus　and　Nog；
Fights　in　unequal　contest　for　our　souls；
The　dreadful　sovereign　of　the　under　world
Still　shakes　his　sceptre　at　us；　and　we　hear
The　baying　of　the　triple…throated　hound；
Eros…is　young　as　ever；　and　as　fair
The　lovely　Goddess　born　of　ocean's　foam。

These　be　thy　gods；　O　Israel！　　Who　is　he；
The　one　ye　name　and　tell　us　that　ye　serve；
Whom　ye　would　call　me　from　my　lonely　tower
To　worship　with　the　many…headed　throng？
Is　it　the　God　that　walked　in　Eden's　grove
In　the　cool　hour　to　seek　our　guilty　sire？
The　God　who　dealt　with　Abraham　as　the　sons
Of　that　old　patriarch　deal　with　other　men？
The　jealous　God　of　Moses；　one　who　feels
An　image　as　an　insult；　and　is　wroth
With　him　who　made　it　and　his　child　unborn？
The　God　who　plagued　his　people　for　the　sin
Of　their　adulterous　king；　beloved　of　him；
The　same　who　offers　to　a　chosen　few
The　right　to　praise　him　in　eternal　song
While　a　vast　shrieking　world　of　endless　woe
Blends　its　dread　chorus　with　their　rapturous　hymn？
Is　this　the　God　ye　mean；　or　is　it　he
Who　heeds　the　sparrow's　fall；　whose　loving　heart
Is　as　the　pitying　father's　to　his　child；
Whose　lesson　to　his　children　is；　〃Forgive；〃
Whose　plea　for　all；　〃They　know　not　what　they　do〃

I　claim　the　right　of　knowing　whom　I　serve；
Else　is　my　service　idle；　He　that　asks
My　homage　asks　it　from　a　reasoning　soul。
To　crawl　is　not　to　worship；　we　have　learned
A　drill　of　eyelids；　bended　neck　and　knee；
Hanging　our　prayers　on　binges；　till　we　ape
The　flexures　of　the　many…jointed　worm。
Asia　has　taught　her　Aliabs　and　salaams
To　the　world's　children；we　have　grown　to　men！
We　who　have　rolled　the　sphere　beneath　our　feet
To　find　a　virgin　forest；　as　we　lay
The　beams　of　our　rude　temple；　first　of　all
Must　frame　its　doorway　high　enough　for　man
To　pass　unstooping；　knowing　as　we　do
That　He　who　shaped　us　last　of　living　forms
Has　long　enough　been　served　by　creeping　things；
Reptiles　that　left　their　foot…prints　in　the　sand
Of　old　sea…margins　that　have　turned　to　stone；
And　men　who　learned　their　ritual；　we　demand
To　know　him　first；　then　trust　him　and　then　love
When　we　have　found　him　worthy　of　our　love；
Tried　by　our　own　poor　hearts　and　not　before；
He　must　be　truer　than　the　truest　friend；
He　must　be　tenderer　than　a　woman's　love；
A　father　better　than　the　best　of　sires；
Kinder　than　she　who　bore　us；　though　we　sin
Oftener　than　did　the　brother　we　are　told；
We…poor　ill…tempered　mortals…must　forgive；
Though　seven　times　sinning　threescore　times　and　ten。

This　is　the　new　world's　gospel：　Be　ye　men！
Try　well　the　legends　of　the　children's　time；
Ye　are　the　chosen　people；　God　has　led
Your　steps　across　the　desert　of　the　deep
As　now　across　the　desert　of　the　shore；
Mountains　are　cleft　before　you　as　the　sea
Before　the　wandering　tribe　of　Israel's　sons；
Still　onward　rolls　the　thunderous　caravan；
Its　coming　printed　on　the　western　sky；
A　cloud　by　day；　by　night　a　pillared　flame；
Your　prophets　are　a　hundred　unto　one
Of　them　of　old　who　cried；　〃Thus　saith　the　Lord〃；
They　told　of　cities　that　should　fall　in　heaps；
But　yours　of　mightier　cities　that　shall　rise
Where　yet　the　lonely　fishers　spread　their　nets；
Where　hides　the　fox　and　hoots　the　midnight　owl；
The　tree　of　knowledge　in　your　garden　grows
Not　single；　but　at　every　humble　door；
Its　branches　lend　you　their　immortal　food；
That　fills　you　with　the　sense　of　what　ye　are；
No　servants　of　an　altar　hewed　and　carved
》From　senseless　stone　by　craft　of　human　hands；
Rabbi；　or　dervish；　Brahmin；　bishop；　bonze；
But　masters　of　the　charm　with　which　they　work
To　keep　your　hands　from　that　forbidden　tree！

Ye　that　have　tasted　that　divinest　fruit；
Look　on　this　world　of　yours　with　opened　eyes！
Ye　are　as　gods！　　Nay；　makers　of　your　gods；
Each　day　ye　break　an　image　in　your　shrine
And　plant　a　fairer　image　where　it　stood
Where　is　the　Moloch　of　your　fathers'　creed；
Whose　fires　of　torment　burned　for　span…long　babes？
Fit　object　for　a　tender　mother's　love！
Why　not　？　　It　was　a　bargain　duly　made
For　these　same　infants　through　the　surety's　act
Intrusted　with　their　all　for　earth　and　heaven；
By　Him　who　chose　their　guardian；　knowing　well
His　fitness　for　the　task；this；　even　this；
Was　the　true　doctrine　only　yesterday
As　thoughts　are　reckoned；and　to…day　you　hear
In　words　that　sound　as　if　from　human　tongues
Those　monstrous；　uncouth　horrors　of　the　past
That　blot　the　blue　of　heaven　and　shame　the　earth
As　would　the　saurians　of　the　age　of　slime；
Awaking　from　their　stony　sepulchres
And　wallowing　hateful　in　the　eye　of　day！


Four　of　us　listened　to　these　lines　as　the　young　man　read　them；the
Master　and　myself　and　our　two　ladies。　　This　was　the　little　party　we
got　up　to　hear　him　read。　　I　do　not　think　much　of　it　was　very　new　to
the　Master　or　myself。　　At　any　rate；　he　said　to　me　when　we　were　alone；
That　is　the　kind　of　talk　the　〃natural　man；〃　as　the　theologians　call
him；　is　apt　to　fall　into。

I　thought　it　was　the　Apostle　Paul；　and　not　the　theologians；　that
used　the　term　〃natural　man；　I　ventured　to　suggest。

I　should　like　to　know　where　the　Apostle　Paul　learned　English？said
the　Master；　with　the　look　of　one　who　does　not　mean　to　be　tripped　up
if　he　can　help　himself。…But　at　any　rate；he　continued；the
〃natural　man；〃　so　called；　is　worth　listening　to　now　and　then；　for　he
didn't　make　his　nature；　and　the　Devil　did　n't　make　it；　and　if　the
Almighty　made　it；　I　never　saw　or　heard　of　anything　he　made　that
wasn't　worth　attending　to。

The　young　man　begged　the　Lady　to　pardon　anything　that　might　sound
harshly　in　these　crude　thoughts　of　his。　　He　had　been　taught　strange
things；　he　said；　from　old　theologies；　when　he　was　a　child；　and　had
thought　his　way　out　of　many　of　his　early　superstitions。　　As　for　the
Young　Girl；　our　Scheherezade；　he　said　to　her　that　she　must　have　got
dreadfully　tired　（at　whi