the poet at the breakfast table-第9章

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cultivated　my　little　sand…patch；　and　grown　up　in　〃the　study　〃　from
the　height　of　Walton's　Polyglot　Bible　to　that　of　the　shelf　which　held
the　Elzevir　Tacitus　and　Casaubon's　Polybius；　with　all　the　complex
influences　about　him　that　surrounded　me；　would　have　been　so　nearly
what　I　am　that　I　should　have　loved　him　like　a　brother；always
provided　that　I　did　not　hate　him　for　his　resemblance　to　me；　on　the
same　principle　as　that　which　makes　bodies　in　the　same　electric
condition　repel　each　other。

For；　perhaps　after　all；　my　One　Reader　is　quite　as　likely　to　be　not
the　person　most　resembling　myself；　but　the　one　to　whom　my　nature　is
complementary。　　Just　as　a　particular　soil　wants　some　one　element　to
fertilize　it；　just　as　the　body　in　some　conditions　has　a　kind　of
faminefor　one　special　food；　so　the　mind　has　its　wants；　which　do　not
always　call　for　what　is　best；　but　which　know　themselves　and　are　as
peremptory　as　the　salt…sick　sailor's　call　for　a　lemon　or　a　raw
potato；　or；　if　you　will；　as　those　capricious　〃longings；〃　which　have　a
certain　meaning；　we　may　suppose；　and　which　at　any　rate　we　think　it
reasonable　to　satisfy　if　we　can。

I　was　going　to　say　something　about　our　boarders　the　other　day　when　I
got　run　away　with　by　my　local　reminiscences。　　I　wish　you　to
understand　that　we　have　a　rather　select　company　at　the　table　of　our
boarding…house。

Our　Landlady　is　a　most　respectable　person；　who　has　seen　better　days；
of　course；all　landladies　have；but　has　also；　I　feel　sure；　seen　a
good　deal　worse　ones。　　For　she　wears　a　very　handsome　silk　dress　on
state　occasions；　with　a　breastpin　set；　as　I　honestly　believe；　with
genuine　pearls；　and　appears　habitually　with　a　very　smart　cap；　from
under　which　her　gray　curls　come　out　with　an　unmistakable　expression；
conveyed　in　the　hieratic　language　of　the　feminine　priesthood；　to　the
effect　that　while　there　is　life　there　is　hope。　　And　when　I　come　to
reflect　on　the　many　circumstances　which　go　to　the　making　of
matrimonial　happiness；　I　cannot　help　thinking　that　a　personage　of　her
present　able　exterior；　thoroughly　experienced　in　all　the　domestic
arts　which　render　life　comfortable；　might　make　the　later　years　of
some　hitherto　companionless　bachelor　very　endurable；　not　to　say
pleasant。

The　condition　of　the　Landlady's　family　is；　from　what　I　learn；　such　as
to　make　the　connection　I　have　alluded　to；　I　hope　with　delicacy；
desirable　for　incidental　as　well　as　direct　reasons；　provided　a
fitting　match　could　be　found。　　I　was　startled　at　hearing　her　address
by　the　familiar　name　of　Benjamin　the　young　physician　I　have　referred
to；　until　I　found　on　inquiry；　what　I　might　have　guessed　by　the　size
of　his　slices　of　pie　and　other　little　marks　of　favoritism；　that　he
was　her　son。　　He　has　recently　come　back　from　Europe；　where　he　has
topped　off　his　home　training　with　a　first…class　foreign　finish。　　As
the　Landlady　could　never　have　educated　him　in　this　way　out　of　the
profits　of　keeping　boarders；　I　was　not　surprised　when　I　was　told　that
she　had　received　a　pretty　little　property　in　the　form　of　a　bequest
from　a　former　boarder；　a　very　kind…hearted；　worthy　old　gentleman　who
had　been　long　with　her　and　seen　how　hard　she　worked　for　food　and
clothes　for　herself　and　this　son　of　hers；　Benjamin　Franklin　by　his
baptismal　name。　　Her　daughter　had　also　married　well；　to　a　member　of
what　we　may　call　the　post…medical　profession；　that；　namely；　which
deals　with　the　mortal　frame　after　the　practitioners　of　the　healing
art　have　done　with　it　and　taken　their　leave。　　So　thriving　had　this
son…in…law　of　hers　been　in　his　business；　that　his　wife　drove　about　in
her　own　carriage；　drawn　by　a　pair　of　jet…black　horses　of　most
dignified　demeanor；　whose　only　fault　was　a　tendency　to　relapse　at
once　into　a　walk　after　every　application　of　a　stimulus　that　quickened
their　pace　to　a　trot；　which　application　always　caused　them　to　look
round　upon　the　driver　with　a　surprised　and　offended　air；　as　if　he　had
been　guilty　of　a　grave　indecorum。

The　Landlady's　daughter　had　been　blessed　with　a　number　of　children；
of　great　sobriety　of　outward　aspect；　but　remarkably　cheerful　in　their
inward　habit　of　mind；　more　especially　on　the　occasion　of　the　death　of
a　doll；　which　was　an　almost　daily　occurrence；　and　gave　them　immense
delight　in　getting　up　a　funeral；　for　which　they　had　a　complete
miniature　outfit。　　How　happy　they　were　under　their　solemn　aspect！
For　the　head　mourner；　a　child　of　remarkable　gifts；　could　actually
make　the　tears　run　down　her　cheeks；as　real　ones　as　if　she　had　been
a　grown　person　following　a　rich　relative；　who　had　not　forgotten　his
connections；　to　his　last　unfurnished　lodgings。

So　this　was　a　most　desirable　family　connection　for　the　right　man　to
step　into；a　thriving；　thrifty　　mother…in…law；　who　knew　what　was
good　for　the　sustenance　of　the　body；　and　had　no　doubt　taught　it　to
her　daughter；　a　medical　artist　at　hand　in　case　the　luxuries　of　the
table　should　happen　to　disturb　the　physiological　harmonies；　and　in
the　worst　event；　a　sweet　consciousness　that　the　last　sad　offices
would　be　attended　to　with　affectionate　zeal；　and　probably　a　large
discount　from　the　usual　charges。

It　seems　as　if　I　could　hardly　be　at　this　table　for　a　：year；　if　I
should　stay　so　long；　without　seeing　some　romance　or　other　work　itself
out　under　my　eyes；　and　I　cannot　help　thinking　that　the　Landlady　is　to
be　the　heroine　of　the　love…history　like　to　unfold　itself。　　I　think　I
see　the　little　cloud　in　the　horizon；　with　a　silvery　lining　to　it；
which　may　end　in　a　rain　of　cards　tied　round　with　white　ribbons。
Extremes　meet；　and　who　so　like　to　be　the　other　party　as　the　elderly
gentleman　at　the　other　end　of　the　table；　as　far　from　her　now　as　the
length　of　the　board　permits？　　I　may　be　mistaken；　but　I　think　this　is
to　be　the　romantic　episode　of　the　year　before　me。　　Only　it　seems　so
natural　it　is　improbable；　for　you　never　find　your　dropped　money　just
where　you　look　for　it；　and　so　it　is　with　these　a　priori　matches。

This　gentleman　is　a　tight；　tidy；　wiry　little　man；　with　a　small；　brisk
head；　close…cropped　white　hair；　a　good　wholesome　complexion；　a　quiet；
rather　kindly　face；　quick　in　his　movements；　neat　in　his　dress；　but
fond　of　wearing　a　short　jacket　over　his　coat；　which　gives　him　the
look　of　a　pickled　or　preserved　schoolboy。　　He　has　retired；　they　say；
from　a　thriving　business；　with　a　snug　property；　suspected　by　some　to
be　rather　more　than　snug；　and　entitling　him　to　be　called　a
capitalist；　except　that　this　word　seems　to　be　equivalent　to　highway
robber　in　the　new　gospel　of　Saint　Petroleum。　　That　he　is　economical
in　his　habits　cannot　be　denied；　for　he　saws　and　splits　his　own　wood；
for　exercise；　he　says；and　makes　his　own　fires；　brushes　his　own
shoes；　and；　it　is　whispered；　darns　a　hole　in　a　stocking　now　and
then；all　for　exercise；　I　suppose。　　Every　summer　he　goes　out　of　town
for　a　few　weeks。　　On　a　given　day　of　the　month　a　wagon　stops　at　the
door　and　takes　up；　not　his　trunks；　for　he　does　not　indulge　in　any
such　extravagance；　but　the　stout　brown　linen　bags　in　which　he　packs
the　few　conveniences　he　carries　with　him。

I　do　not　think　this　worthy　and　economical　personage　will　have　much　to
do　or　to　say；　unless　he　marries　the　Landlady。　　If　he　does　that；　he
will　play　a　part　of　some　importance；but　I　don't　feel　sure　at　all。
His　talk　is　little　in　amount；　and　generally　ends　in　some　compact
formula　condensing　much　wisdom　in　few　words；　as　that　a　man；　should
not　put　all　his　eggs　in　one　basket；　that　there　are　as　good　fish　in
the　sea　as　ever　came　out　of　it；　and　one　in　particular；　which　he
surprised　me　by　saying　in　pretty　good　French　one　day；　to　the　effect
that　the　inheritance　of　the　world　belongs　to　the　phlegmatic　people；
which　seems　to　me　to　have　a　good　deal　of　truth　in　it。

The　other　elderly　personage；　the　old　man　with　iron…gray　hair　and
large　round　spectacles；　sits　at　my　right　at　table。　　He　is　a　retired
college　officer；　a　man　of　books　and　observation；　and　himself　an
author。　　Magister　Artium　is　one　of　his　titles　on　the　College
Catalogue；　and　I　like　best　to　speak　of　him　as　the　Master；　because　he
has　a　certain　air　of　authority　which　none　of　us　feel　inclined　to
dispute。　　He　has　given　me　a　copy　of　a　work　of　his　which　seems　to　me
not　wanting　in　suggestiveness