Stylishwomen,Idon’tdoubt,——saidtheLittleGentleman——Don’ttellmethatatrueladyeversacrificesthedutyofkeepingallabouthersweetandcleantothewishofmakingavulgarshow。I
won’tbelieveitofalady。Therearesomethingsthatnofashionhasanyrighttotouch,andcleanlinessisoneofthosethings。Ifawomanwishestoshowthatherhusbandorherfatherhasgotmoney,whichshewantsandmeanstospend,butdoesn’tknowhow,letherbuyayardortwoofsilkandpinittoherdresswhenshegoesouttowalk,butletherunpinitbeforeshegoesintothehouse;——theremaybepoorwomenthatwillthinkitworthdisinfecting。Itisaninsulttoarespectablelaundresstocarrysuchthingsintoahouseforhertodealwith。Idon’tliketheBloomersanytoowell,——infact,Ineversawbutone,andshe——orhe,orit——hadamobofboysafterher,orwhateveryoucallthecreature,asifshehadbeena——
TheLittleGentlemanstoppedshort,——flushedsomewhat,andlookedroundwiththatinvoluntary,suspiciousglancewhichthesubjectsofanybodilymisfortuneareveryapttocastroundthem。Hiseyewanderedoverthecompany,noneofwhom,exceptingmyselfandoneother,had,probably,noticedthemovement。TheyfellatlastonIris,——hisnextneighbor,youremember——
Weknowinamoment,onlookingsuddenlyataperson,ifthatperson’seyeshavebeenfixedonus。
Sometimesweareconsciousofitbeforeweturnsoastoseetheperson。Strangesecretsofcuriosity,ofimpertinence,ofmalice,oflove,leakoutinthisway。ThereisnoneedofMrs。FelixLorraine’sreflectioninthemirror,totellusthatsheisplottingevilforusbehindourbacks。Weknowit,asweknowbytheominousstillnessofachildthatsomemischieforotherisgoing-on。A
younggirlbetrays,inamoment,thathereyeshavebeenfeedingon。
thefacewhereyoufindthemfixed,andnotmerelybrushingoveritwiththeirpencilsofblueorbrownlight。
Acertaininvoluntaryadjustmentassimilatesus,youmayalsoobserve,tothatuponwhichwelook。Rosesreddenthecheeksofherwhostoopstogatherthem,andbuttercupsturnlittlepeople’schinsyellow。Whenwelookatavastlandscape,ourchestsexpandasifwewouldenlargetofillit。Whenweexamineaminuteobject,wenaturallycontract,notonlyourforeheads,butallourdimensions。
IfIseetwomenwrestling,Iwrestletoo,withmylimbsandfeatures。Whenacountry-fellowcomesuponthestage,youwillseetwentyfacesintheboxesputtingonthebumpkinexpression。Thereisnoneedofmultiplyinginstancestoreachthisgeneralization;
everypersonandthingwelookuponputsitsspecialmarkuponus。
Ifthisisrepeatedoftenenough,wegetapermanentresemblancetoit,or,atleast,afixedaspectwhichwetookfromit。Husbandandwifecometolookalikeatlast,ashasoftenbeennoticed。Itisacommonsayingofajockey,thatheis\"allhorse\";andIhaveoftenfanciedthatmilkmengetastiff,uprightcarriage,andanangularmovementofthearm,thatremindoneofapumpandtheworkingofitshandle。
Allthiscameinbyaccident,justbecauseIhappenedtomentionthattheLittleGentlemanfoundthatIrishadbeenlookingathimwithhersoulinhereyes,whenhisglancerestedonherafterwanderingroundthecompany。Whathethought,itishardtosay;
buttheshadowofsuspicionfadedofffromhisface,andhelookedcalmlyintotheambereyes,restinghischeekuponthehandthatworetheredjewel——
Ifitwereapossiblething,——womenaresuchstrangecreatures!
Isthereanytrickthatloveandtheirownfanciesdonotplaythem?
Justseehowtheymarry!AwomanthatgetsholdofabitofmanhoodislikeoneofthoseChinesewood-carverswhoworkonanyodd,fantasticrootthatcomestohand,and,ifitisonlybulbousaboveandbifurcatedbelow,willalwayscontrivetomakeaman——suchasheis——outofit。Ishouldliketoseeanykindofaman,distinguishablefromaGorilla,thatsomegoodandevenprettywomancouldnotshapeahusbandoutof——
Achild,——yes,ifyouchoosetocallherso,butsuchachild!DoyouknowhowArtbringsallagestogether?Thereisnoagetotheangelsandidealhumanformsamongwhichtheartistlives,andhesharestheiryouthuntilhishandtremblesandhiseyegrowsdim。
Theyouthfulpaintertalksofwhite-beardedLeonardoasifhewereabrother,andtheveteranforgetsthatRaphaeldiedatanagetowhichhisownisofpatriarchalantiquity。
ButwhythisloverofthebeautifulshouldbesodrawntoonewhomNaturehaswrongedsodeeplyseemshardtoexplain。Pity,I
suppose。Theysaythatleadstolove——
IthoughtthismatteroveruntilIbecameexcitedandcurious,anddeterminedtosetmyselfmoreseriouslyatworktofindoutwhatwasgoingoninthesewildheartsandwheretheirpassionatelivesweredrifting。Isaywildheartsandpassionatelives,becauseIthinkI
canlookthroughthisseemingcalmnessofyouthandthisapparentfeeblenessoforganization,andseethatNature,whomitisveryhardtocheat,isonlywaitingasthesapperwaitsinhismine,knowingthatallisinreadinessandtheslow-matchburningquietlydowntothepowder。Hewillleaveitby-and-by,andthenitwilltakecareofitself。
Oneneednotwaittoseethesmokecomingthroughtheroofofahouseandtheflamesbreakingoutofthewindowstoknowthatthebuildingisonfire。Hark!Thereisaquiet,steady,unobtrusive,crisp,notloud,butveryknowinglittlecreepingcracklethatistolerablyintelligible。Thereisawhiffofsomethingfloatingabout,suggestiveoftoastingshingles。Alsoasharppyroligneous-
acidpungencyintheairthatstingsone’seyes。Letusgetupandseewhatisgoingon——Oh,——oh,——oh!doyouknowwhathasgotholdofyou?Itisthegreatreddragonthatisbornofthelittleredeggswecallsparks,withhishundredblowingredmanes,andhisthousandlashingredtails,andhismultitudinousredeyesglaringateverycrackandkey-hole,andhiscountlessredtongueslappingthebeamsheisgoingtocrunchpresently,andhishotbreathwarpingthepanelsandcrackingtheglassandmakingoldtimbersweatthathadforgottenitwaseveralivewithsap。Runforyourlife!leap!oryouwillbeacinderinfiveminutes,thatnothingbutacoronerwouldtakeforthewreckofahumanbeing!
Ifanygentlemanwillhavethekindnesstostopthisrun-awaycomparison,Ishallbemuchobligedtohim。AllIintendedtosaywas,thatweneednotwaitforheartstobreakoutinflamestoknowthattheyarefullofcombustiblesandthatasparkhasgotamongthem。Idon’tpretendtosayorknowwhatitisthatbringsthesetwopersonstogether;——andwhenIsaytogether,Ionlymeanthatthereisanevidentaffinityofsomekindorotherwhichmakestheircommonestintercoursestrangelysignificant,asthateachseemstounderstandalookorawordoftheother。WhentheyounggirllaidherhandontheLittleGentleman’sarm,——whichsogreatlyshockedtheModel,youmayremember,——Isawthatshehadlearnedthelion-
tamer’ssecret。Shemastershim,andyetIcanseeshehasakindofaweofhim,asthemanwhogoesintothecagehasofthemonsterthathemakesababyof。
Oneoftwothingsmusthappen。Thefirstislove,downrightlove,onthepartofthisyounggirl,forthepoorlittlemisshapenman。
Youmaylaugh,ifyoulike。Butwomenareapttolovethemenwhotheythinkhavethelargestcapacityofloving;——andwhocanlovelikeonethathasthirstedallhislifelongforthesmileofyouthandbeauty,andseenitflyhispresenceasthewaveebbedfromtheparchedlipsofhimwhosefabledpunishmentistheperpetualtypeofhumanlonginganddisappointment?Whatwouldbecomeofhim,ifthisfreshsoulshouldstoopuponhiminherfirstyoungpassion,astheflamingodropsoutoftheskyuponsomelonelyanddarklagooninthemarshesofCagliari,withaflutterofscarletfeathersandakindlingofstrangefiresintheshadowywatersthatholdherburningimage?——
Marryher,ofcourse?——Why,no,notofcourse。Ishouldthinkthechanceless,onthewhole,thathewouldbewillingtomarryherthanshetomarryhim。
Thereisoneotherthingthatmighthappen。Iftheinterestheawakesinhergetstobeadeepone,andyethasnothingofloveinit,shewillglanceofffromhimintosomegreatpassionorother。
Allexcitementsruntoloveinwomenofacertain——letusnotsayage,butyouth。Anelectricalcurrentpassingthroughacoilofwiremakesamagnetofabarofironlyingwithinit,butnottouchingit。Soawomanisturnedintoalove-magnetbyatinglingcurrentofliferunningroundher。Ishouldliketoseeoneofthembalancedonapivotproperlyadjusted,andwatchifshedidnotturnsoastopointnorthandsouth,——asshewould,ifthelove-currentsarelikethoseoftheearthourmother。
Pray,doyouhappentorememberWordsworth’s\"BoyofWindermere\"?
Thisboyusedtoputhishandstohismouth,andshoutaloud,mimickingthehootingoftheowls,whowouldanswerhim\"withquiveringpeals,Andlonghalloosandscreams,andechoesloudRedoubledandredoubled。\"
Whentheyfailedtoanswerhim,andhehunglisteningintentlyfortheirvoices,hewouldsometimescatchthefaintsoundoffardistantwaterfalls,orthewholescenearoundhimwouldimprintitselfwithnewforceuponhisperceptions——Readthesonnet,ifyouplease;——itisWordsworthallover,——trivialinsubject,solemninstyle,vividindescription,prolixindetail,truemeta-
physically,butimmenselysuggestiveof\"imagination,\"touseamildterm,whenrelatedasanactualfactofasprightlyyoungster。
AllIwantofitistoenforcetheprinciple,that,whenthedoorofthesoulisonceopenedtoaguest,thereisnoknowingwhowillcomeinnext——
Ouryounggirlkeepsupherearlyhabitofsketchingheadsandcharacters。Nobodyis,Ishouldthink,morefaithfulandexactinthedrawingoftheacademicalfiguresgivenheraslessons,butthereisaperpetualarabesqueoffanciesthatrunsroundthemarginofherdrawings,andthereisonebookwhichIknowshekeepstorunriotin,where,ifanywhere,ashrewdeyewouldbemostlikelytoreadherthoughts。ThisbookofhersImeantosee,ifIcangetatithonorably。
IhaveneveryetcrossedthethresholdoftheLittleGentleman’schamber。Howhelives,whenheoncegetswithinit,Icanonlyguess。Hishoursarelate,asIhavesaid;often,onwakinglateinthenight,Iseethelightthroughcracksinhiswindow-shuttersonthewallofthehouseopposite。Ifthetimesofwitchcraftwerenotover,Ishouldbeafraidtobesocloseaneighbortoaplacefromwhichtherecomesuchstrangenoises。Sometimesitisthedraggingofsomethingheavyoverthefloor,thatmakesmeshivertohearit,——
itsoundssolikewhatpeoplethatkillotherpeoplehavetodonowandthen。OccasionallyIhearverysweetstrainsofmusic,——whetherofawindorstringedinstrument,orahumanvoice,strangeasitmayseem,Ihaveoftentriedtofindout,butthroughthepartitionIcouldnotbequitesure。IfIhavenotheardawomancryandmoan,andthenagainlaughasthoughshewoulddielaughing,Ihaveheardsoundssolikethemthat——Iamafooltoconfessit——Ihavecoveredmyheadwiththebedclothes;forIhavehadafancyinmydreams,thatIcouldhardlyshakeoffwhenIwokeup,aboutthatso-
calledwitchthatwashisgreat-grandmother,orwhateveritwas,——asortoffancythatshevisitedtheLittleGentleman,——ayoungwomaninold-fashioneddress,witharedringroundherwhiteneck,——notaneck-lace,butadull-stain。
Ofcourseyoudon’tsupposethatIhaveanyfoolishsuperstitionsaboutthematter,——I,theProfessor,whohaveseenenoughtotakeallthatnonsenseoutofanyman’shead!Itisnotourbeliefsthatfrightenushalfsomuchasourfancies。Amannotonlybelieves,butknowsherunsarisk,wheneverhestepsintoarailroadcar;butitdoesn’tworryhimmuch。Ontheotherhand,carrythatmanacrossapasturealittlewayfromsomedrearycountry-village,andshowhimanoldhousewheretherewerestrangedeathsagoodmanyyearsago,andtherearerumorsofuglyspotsonthewalls,——theoldmanhunghimselfinthegarret,thatiscertain,andeversincethecountry-peoplehavecalledit\"thehauntedhouse,\"——theownershaven’tbeenabletoletitsincethelasttenantsleftonaccountofthenoises,——soithasfallenintosaddecay,andthemossgrowsontherottenshinglesoftheroof,andtheclapboardshaveturnedblack,andthewindowsrattleliketeeththatchatterwithfear,andthewallsofthehousebegintoleanasifitskneeswereshaking,——
takethemanwhodidn’tmindtherealriskofthecarstothatoldhouse,onsomedrearyNovemberevening,andaskhimtosleeptherealone,——howdoyouthinkhewilllikeit?Hedoesn’tbelieveonewordofghosts,——butthenheknows,that,whetherwakingorsleeping,hisimaginationwillpeoplethehauntedchamberswithghostlyimages。Itisnotwhatwebelieve,asIsaidbefore,thatfrightensuscommonly,butwhatweconceive。AprinciplethatreachesagoodwayifIamnotmistaken。Isay,then,that,iftheseoddsoundscomingfromtheLittleGentleman’schambersometimesmakemenervous,sothatIcannotgettosleep,itisnotbecauseIsupposeheisengagedinanyunlawfulormysteriousway。
Theonlywickedsuggestionthatevercameintomyheadwasonethatwasfoundedonthelandlady’sstoryofhishavingapileofgold;itwasaridiculousfancy;besides,IsuspectthestoryofsweatinggoldwasonlyoneofthemanyfablesgotuptomaketheJewsodiousandaffordapretextforplunderingthem。Asforthesoundlikeawomanlaughingandcrying,Ineversaiditwasawoman’svoice;for,inthefirstplace,Icouldonlyhearindistinctly;and,secondly,hemayhaveanorgan,orsomequeerinstrumentorother,withwhattheycallthevoxhumanastop。Ifhemoveshisbedroundtogetawayfromthewindow,orforanysuchreason,thereisnothingveryfrightfulinthatsimpleoperation。Mostofourfoolishconceitsexplainthemselvesinsomesuchsimpleway。And,yet,forallthat,Iconfess,that,whenIwokeuptheotherevening,andheard,firstasweetcomplainingcry,andthenfootsteps,andthenthedraggingsound,——nothingbuthisbed,Iamquitesure,——IfeltastirringintherootsofmyhairasthefeastersdidinKeats’sterriblepoemof\"Lamia。\"
ThereisnothingveryoddinmyfeelingnervouswhenIhappentolieawakeandgetlisteningforsounds。Justkeepyourearsopenanytimeaftermidnight,whenyouarelyinginbedinaloneatticofadarknight。Whathorrid,strange,suggestive,unaccountablenoisesyouwillhear!Thestillnessofnightisavulgarerror。Allthedeadthingsseemtobealive。Crack!Thatistheoldchestofdrawers;youneverhearitcrackinthedaytime。Creak!There’sadoorajar;youknowyoushutthemall。
Wherecanthatlatchbethatrattlesso?Isanybodytryingitsoftly?or,worsethananybody,is——?Coldshiver。Thenasuddengustthatjarsallthewindows;——verystrange!——theredoesnotseemtobeanywindaboutthatitbelongsto。Whenitstops,youhearthewormsboringinthepowderybeamsoverhead。Thenstepsoutside,——astrayanimal,nodoubt。Allright,——butagentlemoisturebreaksoutalloveryou;andthensomethinglikeawhistleoracry,——anothergustofwind,perhaps;thataccountsfortherustlingthatjustmadeyourheartrolloverandtumbleabout,sothatitfeltmorelikealiveratunderyourribsthanapartofyourownbody;thenacrashofsomethingthathasfallen,——blownover,verylikely——Paternoster,quiesincoelis!foryouaredampandcold,andsittingboltupright,andthebedtremblingsothatthedeath-watchisfrightenedandhasstoppedticking!
No,——nightisanawfultimeforstrangenoisesandsecretdoings。
Whoeverdreamed,tilloneofoursleeplessneighborstoldusofit,ofthatWalpurgisgatheringofbirdsandbeastsofprey,——foxes,andowls,andcrows,andeagles,thatcomefromallthecountryroundonmoonshinynightstocrunchtheclamsandmuscles,andpickouttheeyesofdeadfishesthatthestormhasthrownonChelseaBeach?OuroldmotherNaturehaspleasantandcheerytonesenoughforuswhenshecomesinherdressofblueandgoldovertheeasternhill-tops;
butwhenshefollowsusup-stairstoourbedsinhersuitofblackvelvetanddiamonds,everycreakofhersandalsandeverywhisperofherlipsisfullofmysteryandfear。
Youunderstand,then,distinctly,thatIdonotbelievethereisanythingaboutthissingularlittleneighborofminewhichisasitshouldnotbe。Probablyavisittohisroomwouldclearupallthathaspuzzledme,andmakemelaughatthenotionswhichbegan,I
suppose,innightmares,andendedbykeepingmyimaginationatworksoasalmosttomakemeuncomfortableattimes。Butitisnotsoeasytovisithimassomeofourotherboarders,forvariousreasonswhichIwillnotstoptomention。Ithinksomeofthemareratherpleasedtoget\"theProfessor\"undertheirceilings。
TheyoungmanJohn,forinstance,askedmetocomeuponedayandtrysome\"oldBurbon,\"whichhesaidwasA1。Onaskinghimwhatwasthenumberofhisroom,heanswered,thatitwasforty-’leven,sky-parlorfloor,butthatIshouldn’tfindit,ifhedidn’tgoaheadtoshowmetheway。Ifollowedhimtohishabitat,beingverywillingtoseeinwhatkindofwarrenheburrowed,andthinkingI
mightpickupsomethingabouttheboarderswhohadexcitedmycuriosity。
MightyclosequarterstheywerewheretheyoungmanJohnbestowedhimselfandhisfurniture;thislastconsistingofabed,achair,abureau,atrunk,andnumerouspegswithcoatsand\"pants\"and\"vests,\"——ashewasinthehabitofcallingwaist-coatsandpantaloonsortrousers,——hangingupasiftheownerhadmeltedoutofthem。Severalprintswerepinnedupunframed,——amongthemthatgrandnationalportrait-piece,\"BarnumpresentingOssianE。DodgetoJennyLind,\"andapictureofafamoustrot,inwhichIadmiredanewthecabalisticairofthatimposingarrayofexpressions,andespeciallytheItalicizedword,\"DanMacenamesb。h。MajorSlocum,\"
and\"HiramWoodruffnamesg。m。LadySmith。\"\"Bestthreeinfive。
Time:2。40,2。46,2。50。\"
Thatsetmethinkinghowveryoddthismatteroftrottinghorsesis,asanindexofthemathematicalexactnessofthelawsoflivingmechanism。IsawLadySuffolktrotamilein2。26。FloraTemplehastrottedclosedownto2。20;andEthanAllenin2。25,orless。
Manyhorseshavetrottedtheirmileunder2。30;nonethatIrememberinpublicaslowdownas2。20。Fromfivetotenseconds,then,inaboutahundredandsixtyisthewholerangeofthemaximaofthepresentraceoftrottinghorses。Thesamethingisseenintherunningofmen。Manycanrunamileinfiveminutes;butwhenonecomestothefractionsbelow,theytaperdownuntilsomewhereabout4。30themaximumisreached。Averagesofmasseshavebeenstudiedmorethanaveragesofmaximaandminima。WeknowfromtheRegistrar-General’sReports,thatacertainnumberofchildren——sayfromonetotwodozen——dieeveryyearinEnglandfromdrinkinghotwateroutofspoutsofteakettles。Weknow,that,amongsuicides,womenandmenpastacertainagealmostneverusefire-arms。A
womanwhohasmadeuphermindtodieisstillafraidofapistoloragun。Orisitthattheexplosionwouldderangehercostume?
Isay,averagesofmasseswehave,butourtablesofmaximaweowetothesportingmenmorethantothephilosophers。Thelessontheirexperienceteachesis,thatNaturemakesnoleaps,——doesnothingpersaltum。Thegreatestbrainthateverlived,nodoubt,wasonlyasmallfractionofanideaaheadofthesecondbest。Justlookatthechess-players。Leavingoutthephenomenalexceptions,theniceshadesthatseparatetheskilfulonesshowhowcloselytheirbrainsapproximate,——almostascloselyaschronometers。Suchapersonisa\"knight-player,\"——hemusthavethatpiecegivenhim。Anothermusthavetwopawns。Another,\"pawnandtwo,\"oronepawnandtwomoves。
Thenwefindonewhoclaims\"pawnandmove,\"holdinghimself,withthisfractionaladvantage,amatchforonewhowouldbeprettysuretobeathimplayingeven——Somucharemindsalike;andyouandI
thinkweare\"peculiar,\"——thatNaturebrokeherjelly-mouldaftershapingourcerebralconvolutions。SoIreflected,standingandlookingatthepicture——
Isay,Governor,——brokeintheyoungmanJohn,——thembosses’11
stayjestaswell,ifyou’llonlysetdown。I’vehad’emthisyear,andtheyhaven’tstirred——Hespoke,andhandedthechairtowardsme,——seatinghimself,atthesametime,ontheendofthebed。
Youhavelivedinthishousesometime?——Isaid,——withanoteofinterrogationattheendofthestatement。
DoIlookasifI’dlostmuchflesh——saidhe,answeringmyquestionbyanother。
No,——saidI;——forthatmatter,Ithinkyoudocreditto\"thebountifullyfurnishedtableoftheexcellentladywhoprovidessoliberallyforthecompanythatmeetsaroundherhospitableboard。\"
[Thesentenceinquotation-markswasfromoneofthosedisinterestededitorialsinsmalltype,whichIsuspecttohavebeenfurnishedbyafriendofthelandlady’s,andpaidforasanadvertisement。Thisimpartialtestimonytothesuperiorqualitiesoftheestablishmentanditsheadattractedanumberofapplicantsforadmission,andacoupleofnewboardersmadeabriefappearanceatthetable。Oneofthemwasoftheclassofpeoplewhogrumbleiftheydon’tgetcanvas-backsandwoodcockseveryday,forthree-fiftyperweek。Theotherwassubjecttosomnambulism,orwalkinginthenight,whenheoughttohavebeenasleepinhisbed。Inthisstatehewalkedintoseveraloftheboarders’chambers,hiseyeswideopen,asisusualwithsomnambulists,and,fromsomeoddinstinctorother,wishingtoknowwhatthehourwas,gottogetheranumberoftheirwatches,forthepurposeofcomparingthem,asitwouldseem。Amongthemwasarepeater,belongingtoouryoungMarylander。Hehappenedtowakeupwhilethesomnambulistwasinhischamber,and,notknowinghisinfirmity,caughtholdofhimandgavehimadreadfulshaking,afterwhichhetiedhishandsandfeet,andsolefthimtillmorning,whenheintroducedhimtoagentlemanusedtotakingcareofsuchcasesofsomnambulism。]
Ifyou,myreader,willpleasetoskipbackward,overthisparenthesis,youwillcometoourconversation,whichithasinterrupted。
Ita’n’tthefeed,——saidtheyoungmanJohn,——it’stheoldwoman’slookswhenafellahlaysitintoostrong。Thefeed’swellenough。
Aftergeesehavegottough,’n’turkeyshavegotstrong,’n’lamb’sgotold,’n’veal’sprettynighbeef,’n’sparragrass’sgrowin’
tall’n’slim’n’scatteryaboutthehead,’n’greenpeasaregettin’sobig’n’hardthey’dbedangerousifyoufired’emoutofarevolver,wegetholdofallthemdelicaciesoftheseason。Butit’stoomuchlikefeedin’onlivefolksanddevourin’widdah’ssubstance,tolayyourselfoutintheeatin’way,whenafellah’sashungryasthechapthatsaidaturkeywastoomuchforone’n’
notenoughfortwo。Ican’thelplookin’attheoldwoman。Corned-
beef-daysshe’stolerablecalm。Roastin’-dayssheworriessome,’n’
keepsasharpeyeonthechapthatcarves。Butwhenthere’sanythinginthepoultryline,itseemstohurtherfeelin’ssotoseetheknifegoin’intothebreastandjointscomin’topieces,thatthere’snocomfortineatin’。WhenIcutupanoldfowlandhelptheboarders,IalwaysfeelasifIoughttosay,Won’tyouhaveasliceofwiddah?——insteadofchicken。
TheyoungmanJohnfellintoatrainofreflectionswhichendedinhisproducingaBolognasausage,aplateof\"crackers,\"asweBostonfolkscallcertainbiscuits,andthebottleofwhiskeydescribedasbeingA1。
Undertheinfluenceofthecrackersandsausage,hegrewcordialandcommunicative。
Itwastime,Ithought,tosoundhimastothoseofourboarderswhohadexcitedmycuriosity。
WhatdoyouthinkofouryoungIris?——Ibegan。
Fust-ratelittlefilly;-hesaid——PootiestandnicestlittlechapI’veseensincetheschoolma’amleft。Schoolma’amwasabrown-
hairedone,——eyescoffee-color。Thisonehasgotwine-coloredeyes,——’n’that’sthereasontheyturnafellah’shead,Isuppose。
Thisisasplendidblonde,——Isaid,——theotherwasabrunette。
Whichstyledoyoulikebest?
WhichdoIlikebest,boiledmuttonorroastmutton?——saidtheyoungmanJohn。Like’emboth,——ita’n’tthecolorof’emmakesthegoodness。I’vebeenkindoflonelysinceschoolma’amwentaway。
Usedtoliketolookather。Ineversaidanythingparticulartoher,thatIremember,but——
Idon’tknowwhetheritwasthecrackerandsausage,orthattheyoungfellow’sfeetweretreadingonthehotashesofsomelongingthathadnothadtimetocool,buthiseyeglistenedashestopped。
Isupposeshewouldn’thavelookedatafellahlikeme,——hesaid,——
butIcomeprettyneartryin’。Ifshehadsaid,Yes,though,I
shouldn’thaveknownwhattohavedonewithher。Can’tmarryawomannow-a-daystillyou’resodeafyouhavetocockyourheadlikeaparrottohearwhatshesays,andsolongsightedyoucan’tseewhatshelookslikenearerthanarm’s-length。
Hereisanotherchanceforyou,——Isaid——WhatdoyouwantnicerthansuchayoungladyasIris?
It’snouse,——heanswered——Ilookatthemgirlsandfeelasthefellahdidwhenhemissedcatchin’thetrout——’To’od’a’costmorebuttertocookhim’n’he’sworth,——saysthefellah——Takesawholepieceo’goodstocoveragirlupnow-a-days。I’dasliefundertaketokeepaspanofelephants,——andtakeanostrichtoboard,too,——astomarryoneof’em。What’stheuse?Clerksandcounter-jumpersain’tanything。Sparragrassandgreenpeasa’n’tforthem,——notwhilethey’reyoungandtender。Hossback-ridin’a’n’tforthem,——
exceptonceayear,onFast-day。Andmarryin’a’n’tforthem。
Sometimesafellahfeelslonely,andwouldliketohaveaniceyoungwoman,totellherhowlonelyhefeels。Andsometimesafellah,——
heretheyoungmanJohnlookedveryconfidential,and,perhaps,asifalittleashamedofhisweakness,——sometimesafellahwouldliketohaveoneo’themsmallyoungonestotrotonhiskneeandpushaboutinalittlewagon,——akindofalittleJohnny,youknow;——it’soddenough,but,itseemstome,nobodycanaffordthemlittlearticles,exceptthefolksthataresorichtheycanbuyeverything,andthefolksthataresopoortheydon’twantanything。Itmakesniceboysofusyoungfellahs,nodoubt!Andit’spleasanttoseefineyounggirlssittin’,likeshopkeepersbehindtheirgoods,waitin’,andwaitin’,andwaitin’,’n’nocustomers,——andthemenlingerin’roundandlookin’atthegoods,likefolksthatwanttobecustomers,buthaven’tthemoney!
DoyouthinkthedeformedgentlemanmeanstomakelovetoIris?——I
said。
What!LittleBostonaskthatgirltomarryhim!Well,now,that’scumin’ofitalittletoostrong。Yes,Iguessshewillmarryhimandcarryhimroundinabasket,likealamebantam:Lookhere!——hesaid,mysteriously;——oneoftheboardersswearsthere’sawomancomestoseehim,andthathehasheardhersingin’andscreechin’。
Ishouldliketoknowwhathe’saboutinthatdenofhis。Helayslow’n’keepsdark,——and,Itellyou,there’sagoodmanyoftheboarderswouldliketogetintohischamber,buthedon’tseemtowant’em。Biddycouldtellsomethin’aboutwhatshe’sseenwhenshe’sbeentoputhisroomtorights。She’saPaddy’n’afool,butsheknowsenoughtokeephertonguestill。AllIknowis,Isawhercrossin’herselfonedaywhenshecameoutofthatroom。Shelookedpaleenough,’n’Iheardhermutterin’somethin’orotherabouttheBlessedVirgin。Ifithadn’tbeenforthedoubledoorstothatchamberofhis,I’dhavehadasquintinsidebeforethis;but,somehoworother,itneverseemstohappenthatthey’rebothopenatonce。
Whatdoyouthinkheemployshimselfabout?saidI。
TheyoungmanJohnwinked。
Iwaitedpatientlyforthethought,ofwhichthiswinkwastheblossom,tocometofruitinwords。
Idon’tbelieveinwitches,——saidtheyoungmanJohn。
NorI。
Wewerebothsilentforafewminutes——
Didyoueverseetheyounggirl’sdrawing-books,——Isaid,presently。
Allbutone,——heanswered;——shekeepsalockonthat,andwon’tshowit。Ma’amAllen,theyoungroguestickstothatname,inspeakingofthegentlemanwiththediamond,Ma’amAllentriedtopeekintoitonedaywhensheleftitonthesideboard。\"Ifyouplease,\"saysshe,——’n’tookitfromhim,’n’gavehimalookthatmadehimcurluplikeacaterpillaronahotshovel。Ionlywishedhehadn’t,andhadjestgivenheralittlesass,forI’vebeentakin’boxin’-
lessons,’n’I’vegotanewwayofcounterin’Iwanttotryontosomebody——
Theendofallthiswas,thatIcameawayfromtheyoungfellow’sroom,feelingthatthereweretwoprincipalthingsthatIhadtolivefor,forthenextsixweeksorsixmonths,ifitshouldtakesolong。Thesewere,togetasightoftheyounggirl’sdrawing。
book,whichIsuspectedhadherheartshutupinit,andtogetalookintotheLittleGentleman’sroom。
Idon’tdoubtyouthinkitratherabsurdthatIshouldtroublemyselfaboutthesematters。Youtellme,withsomeshowofreason,thatallIshallfindintheyounggirl’s——bookwillbesomeoutlinesofangelswithimmenseeyes,traceriesofflowers,ruralsketches,andcaricatures,amongwhichIshallprobablyhavethepleasureofseeingmyownfeaturesfiguring。Verylikely。ButI’lltellyouwhatIthinkIshallfind。Ifthischildhasidealizedthestrangelittlebitofhumanityoverwhichsheseemstohavespreadherwingslikeabroodingdove,——if,inoneofthosewildvagariesthatpassionatenaturesaresoliableto,shehasfairlysprunguponhimwithherclaspingnature,asthesea-flowersfoldaboutthefirststrayshell-fishthatbrushestheiroutspreadtentacles,dependuponit,Ishallfindthemarksofitinthisdrawing-bookofhers,——ifIcanevergetalookatit,——fairly,ofcourse,forI
wouldnotplaytrickstosatisfymycuriosity。
Then,ifIcangetintothisLittleGentleman’sroomunderanyfairpretext,Ishall,nodoubt,satisfymyselfinfiveminutesthatheisjustlikeotherpeople,andthatthereisnoparticularmysteryabouthim。
ThenightaftermyvisittotheyoungmanJohn,Imadealltheseandmanymorereflections。Itwasabouttwoo’clockinthemorning,——
brightstarlight,——solightthatIcouldmakeoutthetimeonmyalarm-clock,——whenIwokeuptremblingandverymoist。Itwastheheavydraggingsound,asIhadoftenhearditbeforethatwakedme。
Presentlyawindowwassoftlyclosed。Ihadjustbeguntogetovertheagitationwithwhichwealwaysawakefromnightmaredreams,whenIheardthesoundwhichseemedtomeasofawoman’svoice,——theclearest,purestsopranowhichonecouldwellconceiveof。Itwasnotloud,andIcouldnotdistinguishaword,ifitwasawoman’svoice;buttherewererecurringphrasesofsoundandsnatchesofrhythmthatreachedme,whichsuggestedtheideaofcomplaint,andsometimes,Ithought,ofpassionategriefanddespair。Itdiedawayatlast,——andthenIheardtheopeningofadoor,followedbyalow,monotonoussound,asofonetalking,——andthentheclosingofadoor,——andpresentlythelightontheoppositewalldisappearedandallwasstillforthenight。
ByGeorge!thisgetsinteresting,——Isaid,asIgotoutofbedforachangeofnight-clothes。
Ihadthisinmypockettheotherday,butthoughtIwouldn’treaditatourcelebration。SoIreadittotheboardersinstead,andprintittofinishoffthisrecordwith。
ROBINSONOFLEYDEN。
Hesleepsnothere;inhopeandprayerHiswanderingflockhadgonebefore,Buthe,theshepherd,mightnotshareTheirsorrowsonthewintryshore。
BeforetheSpeedwell’sanchorswung,EreyettheMayflower’ssailwasspread,WhileroundhisfeetthePilgrimsclung,Thepastorspake,andthushesaid:——
\"Men,brethren,sisters,childrendear!
Godcallsyouhencefromoversea;
YemaynotbuildbyHaerlemMeer,NoryetalongtheZuyder-Zee。
\"YegotobearthesavingwordTotribesunnamedandshoresuntrod:
Heedwellthelessonsyehaveheard>FromthoseoldteacherstaughtofGod。
\"YetthinknotuntothemwaslentAlllightforallthecomingdays,AndHeaven’seternalwisdomspentInmakingstraighttheancientways。
\"ThelivingfountainoverflowsForeveryflock,foreverylamb,Norheeds,thoughangrycreedsopposeWithLuther’sdikeorCalvin’sdam。\"
Hespake;withlingering,longembrace,Withtearsofloveandpartingsfond,TheyfloateddownthecreepingMaas,AlongtheisleofYsselmond。
TheypassedthefrowningtowersofBriel,The\"HookofHolland’s\"shelfofsand,AndgratedsoonwithliftingkeelThesullenshoresofFatherland。
Nohomeforthese!——toowelltheyknewThemitredkingbehindthethrone;
Thesailswereset,thepennonsflew,Andwestwardho!forworldsunknown——
Andtheseweretheywhogaveusbirth,ThePilgrimsofthesunsetwave,Whowonforusthisvirginearth,Andfreedomwiththesoiltheygave。
ThepastorslumbersbytheRhine,——
Inalienearththeexileslie,——
Theirnamelessgravesourholiestshrine,Hiswordsournoblestbattle-cry!
Stillcrythem,andtheworldshallhear,Yedwellersbythestorm-sweptsea!
YehavenotbuiltbyHaerlemMeer,Norontheland-lockedZuyder-Zee!
VIII
Therehasbeenasortofstillnessintheatmosphereofourboarding-housesincemylastrecord,asifsomethingorotherweregoingon。ThereisnoparticularchangethatIcanthinkofintheaspectofthings;yetIhaveafeelingasifsomegameoflifewerequietlyplayingandstrangeforceswereatwork,underneaththissmoothsurfaceofevery-dayboardinghouselife,whichwouldshowthemselvessomefinemorningorotherinevents,ifnotincatastrophes。Ihavebeenwatchful,asIsaidIshouldbe,buthavelittletotellasyet。Youmaylaughatme,andverylikelythinkmefoolishlyfancifultotroublemyselfaboutwhatisgoingoninamiddling-classhouseholdlikeours。Doasyoulike。Buthereisthatterriblefacttobeginwith,——abeautifulyounggirl,withthebloodandthenerve-fibrethatbelongtoNature’swomen,turnedlooseamonglivemen-
Terriblefact?
Veryterrible。Nothingmoreso。Doyouforgettheangelswholostheavenforthedaughtersofmen?DoyouforgetHelen,andthefairwomenwhomademischiefandsetnationsbytheearsbeforeHelenwasborn?Ifjealousiesthatgnawmen’sheartsoutoftheirbodies,——ifpangsthatwastementoshadowsanddrivethemintoravingmadnessormopingmelancholy,——ifassassinationandsuicidearedreadfulpossibilities,thenthereisalwayssomethingfrightfulaboutalovelyyoungwoman——Ilovetolookatthis\"Rainbow,\"asherfatherusedsometimestocallher,ofours。Handsomecreaturethatsheisinformsandcolors,——theverypicture,asitseemstome,ofthat\"goldenblonde\"myfriendwhosebookyoureadlastyearfellinlovewithwhenhewasaboy,asyouremember,nodoubt,——handsomeassheis,fitforasea-king’sbride,itisnotherbeautyalonethatholdsmyeyesuponher。Letmetellyouoneofmyfancies,andthenyouwillunderstandthestrangesortoffascinationshehasforme。
Itisintheheartsofmanymenandwomen——letmeaddchildren——thatthereisaGreatSecretwaitingforthem,——asecretofwhichtheygethintsnowandthen,perhapsoftenerinearlythaninlateryears。Thesehintscomesometimesindreams,sometimesinsuddenstartlingflashes,——secondwakings,asitwere,——awakingoutofthewakingstate,whichlastisveryapttobeahalf-sleep。Ihavemanytimesstoppedshortandheldmybreath,andfeltthebloodleavingmycheeks,inoneofthesesuddenclairvoyantflashes。OfcourseIcannottellwhatkindofasecretthisis,butIthinkofitasadisclosureofcertainrelationsofourpersonalbeingtotimeandspace,tootherintelligences,totheprocessionofevents,andtotheirFirstGreatCause。Thissecretseemstobebrokenup,asitwere,intofragments,sothatwefindhereawordandthereasyllable,andthenagainonlyaletterofit;butitneveriswrittenoutformostofusasacompletesentence,inthislife。I
donotthinkitcouldbe;forIamdisposedtoconsiderourbeliefsaboutsuchapossibledisclosureratherasakindofpremonitionofanenlargementofourfacultiesinsomefuturestatethanasanexpectationtobefulfilledformostofusinthislife。Persons,however,havefallenintotrances,——asdidtheReverendWilliamTennent,amongmanyothers,——andlearnedsomethingswhichtheycouldnottellinourhumanwords。
Nowamongthevisibleobjectswhichhinttousfragmentsofthisinfinitesecretforwhichoursoulsarewaiting,thefacesofwomenarethosethatcarrythemostlegiblehieroglyphicsofthegreatmystery。Therearewomen’sfaces,somereal,someideal,whichcontainsomethinginthemthatbecomesapositiveelementinourcreed,sodirectandpalpablearevelationisitoftheinfinitepurityandlove。Iremembertwofacesofwomenwithwings,suchastheycallangels,ofFraAngelico,——andIjustnowcameacrossaprintofRaphael’sSantaApollina,withsomethingofthesamequality,——whichIwassurehadtheirprototypesintheworldaboveours。NowondertheCatholicspaytheirvowstotheQueenofHeaven!TheunpoeticalsideofProtestantismis,thatithasnowomentobeworshipped。
Butmindyou,itisnoteverybeautifulfacethathintstheGreatSecrettous,norisitonlyinbeautifulfacesthatwefindtracesofit。Sometimesitlooksoutfromasweetsadeye,theonlybeautyofaplaincountenance;sometimesthereissomuchmeaninginthelipsofawoman,nototherwisefascinating,thatweknowtheyhaveamessageforus,andwaitalmostwithawetoheartheiraccents。Butthisyounggirlhasatoncethebeautyoffeatureandtheunspokenmysteryofexpression。Canshetellmeanything?
Isherlifeacomplementofmine,withthemissingelementinitwhichIhavebeengropingafterthroughsomanyfriendshipsthatI
havetiredof,andthrough——Hush!Isthedoorfast?Talkingloudisabadtrickinthesecuriousboarding-houses。
YoumusthavesometimesnotedthisfactthatIamgoingtoremindyouofandtouseforaspecialillustration。Ridingalongoverarockyroad,suddenlytheslowmonotonousgrindingofthecrushinggravelchangestoadeepheavyrumble。Thereisagreathollowunderyourfeet,——ahugeunsunnedcavern。Deep,deepbeneathyouinthecoreofthelivingrock,itarchesitsawfulvault,andfarawayitstretchesitswindinggalleries,theirroofsdrippingintostreamswherefisheshavebeenswimmingandspawninginthedarkuntiltheirscalesarewhiteasmilkandtheireyeshavewitheredout,obsoleteanduseless。
Soitisinlife。Wejogquietlyalong,meetingthesamefaces,grindingoverthesamethoughts,thegravelofthesoul’shighway,——
nowandthenjarredagainstanobstaclewecannotcrush,butmustrideoverorroundaswebestmay,sometimesbringingshortupagainstadisappointment,butstillworkingalongwiththecreakingandrattlingandgratingandjerkingthatbelongtothejourneyoflife,eveninthesmoothest-rollingvehicle。Suddenlywehearthedeepundergroundreverberationthatrevealstheunsuspecteddepthofsomeabyssofthoughtorpassionbeneathus。
Iwishthegirlwouldgo。Idon’tliketolookathersomuch,andyetIcannothelpit。AlwaysthatsameexpressionofsomethingthatIoughttoknow,——somethingthatshewasmadetotellandItohear,——lyingtherereadytofallofffromherlips,readytoleapoutofhereyesandmakeasaintofme,oradeviloralunatic,orperhapsaprophettotellthetruthandbehatedofmen,orapoetwhosewordsshallflashuponthedrystubble-fieldofworn-outthoughtsandburnoveranageofliesinanhourofpassion。
ItsuddenlyoccurstomethatImayhaveputyouonthewrongtrack。
TheGreatSecretthatIrefertohasnothingtodowiththeThreeWords。Setyourmindateaseaboutthat,——therearereasonsIcouldgiveyouwhichsettleallthatmatter。Idon’twonder,however,thatyouconfoundedtheGreatSecretwiththeThreeWords。
ILOVEYOUisallthesecretthatmany,nay,mostwomenhavetotell。Whenthatissaid,theyarelikeChina-crackersonthemorningofthefifthofJuly。Andjustasthatlittlepatrioticimplementismadewithaslendertrainwhichleadstothemagazineinitsinterior,soasharpeyecanalmostalwaysseethetrainleadingfromayounggirl’seyeorliptothe\"Iloveyou\"inherheart。ButtheThreeWordsarenottheGreatSecretImean。No,women’sfacesareonlyoneofthetabletsonwhichthatiswritteninitspartial,fragmentarysymbols。ItliesdeeperthanLove,thoughveryprobablyLoveisapartofit。Some,Ithink,——
Wordsworthmightbeoneofthem,——spelloutaportionofitfromcertainbeautifulnaturalobjects,landscapes,flowers,andothers。
IcanmentionseveralpoemsofhisthathaveshadowyhintswhichseemtometocomeneartheregionwhereIthinkitlies。Ihaveknowntwopersonswhopursueditwiththepassionoftheoldalchemists,——allwrongevidently,butinfatuated,andnevergivingupthedailysearchforituntiltheygottremulousandfeeble,andtheirdreamschangedtovisionsofthingsthatranandcrawledabouttheirfloorandceilings,andsotheydied。Thevulgarcalledthemdrunkards。
ItoldyouthatIwouldletyouknowthemysteryoftheeffectthisyounggirl’sfaceproducesonme。Itisakintothoseinfluencesafriendofminehasdescribed,youmayremember,ascomingfromcertainvoices。Icannottranslateitintowords,——onlyintofeelings;andtheseIhaveattemptedtoshadowbyshowingthatherfacehintedthatrevelationofsomethingweareclosetoknowing,whichallimaginativepersonsarelookingforeitherinthisworldorontheverythresholdofthenext。
Youshakeyourheadatthevaguenessandfancifulincomprehensiblenessofmydescriptionoftheexpressioninayounggirl’sface。Youforgetwhatamiserablesurface-matterthislanguageisinwhichwetrytoreproduceourinteriorstateofbeing。Articulationisashallowtrick。FromthelightPoh!whichwetossofffromourlipsasweflinganamelessscribbler’simpertinenceintoourwaste-baskets,tothegravestutteranceswhichcomesfromourthroatsinourmomentsofdeepestneed,isonlyaspaceofsomethreeorfourinches。Words,whichareasetofclickings,hissings,lispings,andsoon,meanverylittle,comparedtotonesandexpressionofthefeatures。Igiveitup;IthoughtI
couldshadowforthinsomefeebleway,bytheiraid,theeffectthisyounggirl’sfaceproducesonmyimagination;butitisofnouse。
Nodoubtyourheadaches,tryingtomakesomethingofmydescription。IfthereishereandthereonethatcanmakeanythingintelligibleoutofmytalkabouttheGreatSecret,andwhohasspeltoutasyllableortwoofitonsomewoman’sface,deadorliving,thatisallIcanexpect。Oneshouldseethepersonwithwhomheconversesaboutsuchmatters。Therearedreamy-eyedpeopletowhomIshouldsayallthesethingswithacertaintyofbeingunderstood;——
ThatmomentthathisfaceIsee,IknowthemanthatmusthearmeTohimmytaleIteach——
IamafraidsomeofthemhavenotgotasparequarterofadollarforthisAugustnumber,sothattheywillneverseeit——
Letusstartagain,justasifwehadnotmadethisambitiousattempt,whichmaygofornothing,andyoucanhaveyourmoneyrefunded,ifyouwillmakethechange。
Thisyounggirl,aboutwhomIhavetalkedsounintelligibly,istheunconsciouscentreofattractiontothewholesolarsystemofourbreakfast-table。TheLittleGentlemanleanstowardsher,andsheagainseemstobeswayedasbysomeinvisiblegentleforcetowardshim。Thatslightinclinationoftwopersonswithastrongaffinitytowardseachother,throwingthemalittleoutofplumbwhentheysitsidebyside,isaphysicalfactIhaveoftennoticed。Thenthereisatendencyinallthemen’seyestoconvergeonher;andI
dofirmlybelieve,that,ifalltheirchairswereexamined,theywouldbefoundalittleobliquelyplaced,soastofavorthedirectioninwhichtheiroccupantslovetolook。
Thatbland,quietoldgentleman,ofwhomIhavespokenassittingoppositetome,isnoexceptiontotherule。Shebroughtdownsomemignonetteonemorning,whichshehadgrowninherchamber。Shegaveasprigtoherlittleneighbor,andonetothelandlady,andsentanotherbythehandofBridgettothisoldgentleman——
Sarvant,Ma’amIMuchobleeged,——hesaid,andputitgallantlyinhisbutton-hole——Afterbreakfasthemustseesomeofherdrawings。
Veryfineperformances,——veryfine!——trulyelegantproductions,trulyelegant!——HadseenMissLinwood’sneedleworkinLondon,intheyeareighteenhundredandlittleornothing,Ithinkhesaid,-
patronizedbythenobilityandgentry,andHerMajesty,——elegant,trulyelegantproductions,veryfineperformances;thesedrawingsremindedhimofthem;——wonderfulresemblancetoNature;anextraordinaryart,painting;Mr。Copleymadesomeveryfinepicturesthatherememberedseeingwhenhewasaboy。UsedtoremembersomelinesaboutaportraitWrittenbyMr。Cowper,beginning,Ohthatthoselipshadlanguage!Lifehaspass’dWithmebutroughlysinceIheardtheelast。\"
Andwiththistheoldgentlemanfelltothinkingaboutadeadmotherofhisthatherememberedeversomuchyoungerthanhenowwas,andlooking,notashismother,butashisdaughtershouldlook。Thedeadyoungmotherwaslookingattheoldman,herchild,assheusedtolookathimsomany,manyyearsago。Hestoodstillasifinawakingdream,hiseyesfixedonthedrawingstilltheiroutlinesgrewindistinctandtheyranintoeachother,andapale,sweetfaceshapeditselfoutoftheglimmeringlightthroughwhichhesawthem——
Whatistherequitesoprofoundlyhumanasanoldman’smemoryofamotherwhodiedinhisearlieryears?Mothersheremainstillmanhood,andby-and-byshegrowstobeasasister;andatlast,when,wrinkledandbowedandbroken,helooksbackuponherinherfairyouth,heseesinthesweetimagehecaresses,nothisparent,but,asitwere,hischild。
IfIhadnotseenallthisintheoldgentleman’sface,thewordswithwhichhebrokehissilencewouldhavebetrayedhistrainofthought——
Iftheyhadonlytakenpicturesthenastheydonow!——hesaid——
Allgone!allgone!nothingbutherfaceassheleanedonthearmsofhergreatchair;andIwouldgiveahundredpoundforthepoorestlittlepictureofher,suchasyoucanbuyforashillingofanybodythatyoudon’twanttosee——Theoldgentlemanputhishandtohisforeheadsoastoshadehiseyes。Isawhewaslookingatthedimphotographofmemory,andturnedfromhimtoIris。
Howmanydrawing-bookshaveyoufilled,——Isaid,——sinceyoubegantotakelessons?——Thiswasthefirst,——sheanswered,——sinceshewashere;anditwasnotfull,butthereweremanyseparatesheetsoflargesizeshehadcoveredwithdrawings。
Iturnedovertheleavesofthebookbeforeus。Academicstudies,principallyofthehumanfigure。Headsofsibyls,prophets,andsoforth。Limbsfromstatues。HandsandfeetfromNature。Whatasuperbdrawingofanarm!Idon’trememberitamongthefiguresfromMichelAngelo,whichseemtohavebeenherpatternsmainly。
>FromNature,Ithink,orafteracastfromNature——Oh!——
Yoursmallerstudiesareinthis,Isuppose,——Isaid,takingupthedrawing-bookwithalockonit,——Yes,——shesaid——Ishouldliketoseeherstyleofworkingonasmallscale——Therewasnothinginitworthshowing,——shesaid;andpresentlyIsawhertrythelock,whichprovedtobefast。Weareallcaricaturedinit,Ihaven’ttheleastdoubt。Ithink,though,Icouldtellbyherwayofdealingwithuswhatherfancieswereaboutusboarders。Someofthemactasiftheywerebewitchedwithher,butshedoesnotseemtonoticeitmuch。Herthoughtsseemtobeonherlittleneighbormorethanonanybodyelse。TheyoungfellowJohnappearstostandsecondinhergoodgraces。Ithinkhehasonceortwicesentherwhatthelandlady’sdaughtercallsbo-kaysofflowers,——somebodyhas,atanyrate——Isawabookshehad,whichmusthavecomefromthedivinity-student。Ithadadrearytitle-page,whichshehadenlivenedwithafancyportraitoftheauthor,——afacefrommemory,apparently,——oneofthosefacesthatsmallchildrenloathewithoutknowingwhy,andwhichgivethemthatinwarddisgustforheavensomanyofthelittlewretchesbetray,whentheyhearthattheseare\"goodmen,\"andthatheavenisfullofsuch——Thegentlemanwiththediamond——theKoh-i-noor,socalledbyus——wasnotencouraged,I
think,bythereceptionofhispacketofperfumedsoap。HepullshispurplemoustacheandlooksappreciatinglyatIris,whoneverseeshim,asitshouldseem。TheyoungMarylander,whoIthoughtwouldhavebeeninlovewithherbeforethistime,sometimeslooksfromhiscorneracrossthelongdiagonalofthetable,asmuchastosay,Iwishyouwereupherebyme,orIweredowntherebyyou,——
whichwould,perhaps,beamorenaturalarrangementthanthepresentone。Butnothingcomesofallthis,——andnothinghascomeofmysagaciousideaoffindingoutthegirl’sfanciesbylookingintoherlockeddrawing-book。
NottogiveupallthequestionsIwasdeterminedtosolve,ImadeanattemptalsotoworkintotheLittleGentleman’schamber。Forthispurpose,Ikepthiminconversation,onemorning,untilhewasjustreadytogoup-stairs,andthen,asiftocontinuethetalk,followedhimashetoiledbacktohisroom。Herestedonthelandingandfacedroundtowardme。Therewassomethinginhiseyewhichsaid,Stopthere!Sowefinishedourconversationonthelanding。Thenextday,Imusteredassuranceenoughtoknockathisdoor,havingapretextready——Noanswer——Knockagain。Adoor,asifofacabinet,wasshutsoftlyandlocked,andpresentlyI
heardthepeculiardeadbeatofhisthick-soled,misshapenboots。
Theboltsandthelockoftheinnerdoorwereunfastened,——withunnecessarynoise,Ithought,——andhecameintothepassage。HepulledtheinnerdoorafterhimandopenedtheouteroneatwhichI
stood。Hehadonafloweredsilkdressing-gown,suchas\"Mr。Copley\"usedtopainthisold-fashionedmerchant-princesin;
andaquaint-lookingkeyinhishand。Ourconversationwasshort,butlongenoughtoconvincemethattheLittleGentlemandidnotwantmycompanyinhischamber,anddidnotmeantohaveit。
Ihavebeenmakingagreatfussaboutwhatisnomysteryatall,——aschoolgirl’ssecretsandawhimsicalman’shabits。Imeantogiveupsuchnonsenseandmindmyownbusiness——Hark!Whatthedeuseisthatoddnoiseinhischamber?——
IthinkIamalittlesuperstitious。Thereweretwothings,whenIwasaboy,thatdiabolizedmyimagination,——Imean,thatgavemeadistinctapprehensionofaformidablebodilyshapewhichprowledroundtheneighborhoodwhereIwasbornandbred。Thefirstwasaseriesofmarkscalledthe\"Devil’sfootsteps。\"Thesewerepatchesofsandinthepastures,wherenograssgrew,wherethelow-bushblackberry,the\"dewberry,\"asourSouthernneighborscallit,inprettierandmoreShakspearianlanguage,didnotspreaditsclingingcreepers,——whereeventhepale,dry,sadly-sweet\"everlasting\"couldnotgrow,butallwasbareandblasted。Thesecondwasamarkinoneofthepublicbuildingsnearmyhome,——thecollegedormitorynamedafteraColonialGovernor。Idonotthinkmanypersonsareawareoftheexistenceofthismark,——littlehavingbeensaidaboutthestoryinprint,asitwasconsideredverydesirable,forthesakeoftheInstitution,tohushitup。Inthenorthwestcorner,andonthelevelofthethirdorfourthstory,therearesignsofabreachinthewalls,mendedprettywell,butnottobemistaken。A
considerableportionofthatcornermusthavebeencarriedaway,fromwithinoutward。Itwasanunpleasantaffair;andIdonotcaretorepeattheparticulars;butsomeyoungmenhadbeenusingsacredthingsinaprofaneandunlawfulway,whentheoccurrence,whichwasvariouslyexplained,tookplace。ThestoryoftheAppearanceinthechamberwas,Isuppose,inventedafterwards;butoftheinjurytothebuildingtherecouldbenoquestion;andthezig-zagline,wherethemortarisalittlethickerthanbefore,isstilldistinctlyvisible。Thequeerburntspots,calledthe\"Devil’sfootsteps,\"hadneverattractedattentionbeforethistime,thoughthereisnoevidencethattheyhadnotexistedpreviously,exceptthatofthelateMissM。,a\"Goody,\"socalled,orsweeper,whowaspositiveonthesubject,buthadastrangehorrorofreferringtoanaffairofwhichshewasthoughttoknowsomething——Itellyouitwasnotsopleasantforalittleboyofimpressiblenaturetogouptobedinanoldgambrel-roofedhouse,withuntenanted,lockedupper-chambers,andamostghostlygarret,——withthe\"Devil’sfootsteps\"inthefieldsbehindthehouseandinfrontofitthepatcheddormitorywheretheunexplainedoccurrencehadtakenplacewhichstartledthosegodlessyouthsattheirmockdevotions,sothatoneofthemwasepilepticfromthatdayforward,andanother,afteradreadfulseasonofmentalconflict,tookholyordersandbecamerenownedforhisasceticsanctity。
TherewereothercircumstancesthatkeptuptheimpressionproducedbythesetwosingularfactsIhavejustmentioned。Therewasadarkstoreroom,onlookingthroughthekey-holeofwhich,Icoulddimlyseeaheapofchairsandtables,andotherfour-footedthings,whichseemedtometohaverushedinthere,frightened,andintheirfrighttohavehuddledtogetherandclimbeduponeachother’sbacks,——asthepeopledidinthatawfulcrushwheresomanywerekilled,attheexecutionofHollowayandHaggerty。ThentheLady’sportrait,up-stairs,withthesword-thruststhroughit,——marksoftheBritishofficers’rapiers,——andthetallmirrorinwhichtheyusedtolookattheirredcoats,——confoundthemforsmashingitsmate?——andthedeep,cunninglywroughtarm-chairinwhichLordPercyusedtositwhilehishairwasdressing;——hewasagentleman,andalwayshaditcoveredwithalargepeignoir,tosavethesilkcoveringmygrandmotherembroidered。Thenthelittleroomdownstairsfromwhichwenttheorderstothrowupabankofearthonthehillyonder,whereyoumaynowobserveagraniteobelisk,——\"thestudy\"inmyfather’stime,butinthosedaysthecouncil-chamberofarmedmen,——sometimesfilledwithsoldiers;comewithme,andIwillshowyouthe\"dents\"leftbythebuttsoftheirmusketsalloverthefloor。Withallthesesuggestiveobjectsroundme,aidedbythewildstoriesthoseawfulcountry-boysthatcametoliveinourservicebroughtwiththem;——ofcontractswritteninbloodandleftoutovernight,nottobefoundthenextmorning,removedbytheEvilOne,whotakeshisnightlyroundamongourdwellings,andfiledawayforfutureuse,——ofdreamscomingtrue,——ofdeath-signs,——ofapparitions,nowonderthatmyimaginationgotexcited,andIwasliabletosuperstitiousfancies。
JeremyBentham’slogic,bywhichheprovedthathecouldn’tpossiblyseeaghostisallverywell-intheday-time。Allthereasonintheworldwillnevergetthoseimpressionsofchildhood,createdbyjustsuchcircumstancesasIhavebeentelling,outofaman’shead。
ThatistheonlyexcuseIhavetogiveforthenervouskindofcuriositywithwhichIwatchmylittleneighbor,andtheobstinacywithwhichIlieawakewheneverIhearanythinggoingoninhischamberaftermidnight。
ButwhateverfurtherobservationsImayhavemademustbedeferredforthepresent。Youwillseeinwhatwayithappenedthatmythoughtswereturnedfromspiritualmatterstobodilyones,andhowIgotmyfancyfullofmaterialimages,——faces,heads,figures,muscles,andsoforth,——insuchawaythatIshouldhavenochanceinthisnumbertogratifyanycuriosityyoumayfeel,ifIhadthemeansofsodoing。
Indeed,Ihavecomeprettynearomittingmyperiodicalrecordthistime。Itwasalltheworkofafriendofmine,whowouldhaveitthatIshouldsittohimformyportrait。Whenasouldrawsabodyinthegreatlotteryoflife,whereeveryoneissureofaprize,suchasitis,thesaidsoulinspectsthesaidbodywiththesamecuriousinterestwithwhichonewhohasventuredintoa\"giftenterprise\"examinesthe\"massivesilverpencil-case\"withthecopperysmellandimpressibletube,orthe\"splendidgoldring\"withthequestionablespecificgravity,whichithasbeenhisfortunetoobtaininadditiontohispurchase。
Thesoul,havingstudiedthearticleofwhichitfindsitselfproprietor,thinks,afteratime,itknowsitprettywell。Butthereisthisdifferencebetweenitsviewandthatofapersonlookingatus:——welookfromwithin,andseenothingbutthemouldformedbytheelementsinwhichweareincased;otherobserverslookfromwithout,andseeusaslivingstatues。Tobesure,bytheaidofmirrors,wegetafewglimpsesofouroutsideaspect;butthisoccasionalimpressionisalwaysmodifiedbythatlookofthesoulfromwithinoutwardwhichnonebutourselvescantake。Aportraitisapt,therefore,tobeasurprisetous。Theartistlooksonlyfromwithout。Heseesus,too,withahundredaspectsonourfacesweareneverlikelytosee。Nogenuineexpressioncanbestudiedbythesubjectofitinthelooking-glass。
Morethanthis;heseesusinawayinwhichmanyofourfriendsoracquaintancesneverseeus。Withoutwearinganymaskweareconsciousof,wehaveaspecialfaceforeachfriend。For,inthefirstplace,eachputsaspecialreflectionofhimselfuponus,ontheprincipleofassimilationyoufoundreferredtoinmylastrecord,ifyouhappenedtoreadthatdocument。Andsecondly,eachofourfriendsiscapableofseeingjustsofar,andnofarther,intoourface,andeachseesinittheparticularthingthathelooksfor。Nowtheartist,ifheistrulyanartist,doesnottakeanyoneofthesespecialviews。Supposeheshouldcopyyouasyouappeartothemanwhowantsyournametoasubscription-list,youcouldhardlyexpectafriendwhoentertainsyoutorecognizethelikenesstothesmilingfacewhichshedsitsradianceathisboard。
Evenwithinyourownfamily,Iamafraidthereisafacewhichtherichuncleknows,thatisnotsofamiliartothepoorrelation。Theartistmusttakeoneortheother,orsomethingcompoundedofthetwo,orsomethingdifferentfromeither。Whatthedaguerreotypeandphotographdoistogivethefeaturesandoneparticularlook,theverylookwhichkillsallexpression,thatofself-consciousness。
Theartistthrowsyouoffyourguard,watchesyouinmovementandinrepose,putsyourfacethroughitsexercises,observesitstransitions,andsogetsthewholerangeofitsexpression。Outofallthisheformsanidealportrait,whichisnotacopyofyourexactlookatanyonetimeortoanyparticularperson。Suchaportraitcannotbetoeverybodywhattheunglovedcall\"asnat’ralaslife。\"Everygoodpicture,therefore,mustbeconsideredwantinginresemblancebymanypersons。
Thereisonestrangerevelationwhichcomesout,astheartistshapesyourfeaturesfromhisoutline。Itisthatyouresemblesomanyrelativestowhomyouyourselfneverhadnoticedanyparticularlikenessinyourcountenance。
Heisatworkatmenow,whenIcatchsomeoftheseresemblances,thus:
There!thatisjustthelookmyfatherusedtohavesometimes;I
neverthoughtIhadasignofit。Themother’seyebrowandgrayish-
blueeye,thoseIknewIhad。Butthereisasomethingwhichrecallsasmilethatfadedawayfrommysister’slips——howmanyyearsago!Ithoughtitsopleasantinher,thatIlovemyselfbetterforhavingatraceofit。
Arewenotyoung?Arewenotfreshandblooming?Wait,abit。Theartisttakesameanlittlebrushanddrawsthreefinelines,divergingoutwardsfromtheeyeoverthetemple。Fiveyears——Theartistdrawsonetolerablydistinctandtwofaintlines,perpendicularlybetweentheeyebrows。Tenyears——Theartistbreaksupthecontoursroundthemouth,sothattheylookalittleasahatdoesthathasbeensatuponandrecovereditself,ready,asonewouldsay,tocrumpleupagaininthesamecreases,onsmilingorotherchangeoffeature——Holdon!Stopthat!Giveayoungfellowachance!ArewenotwholeyearsshortofthatinterestingperiodoflifewhenMr。Balzacsaysthataman,etc。,etc。,etc。?
Therenow!Thatisourself,aswelookafterfinishinganarticle,gettingathree-milepullwiththeten-footsculls,redressingthewrongsofthetoilet,andstandingwiththelightofhopeinoureyeandthereflectionofaredcurtainonourcheek。IshenotaPOET
thatpaintedus?
\"Blestbetheartthatcanimmortalize!\"
COWPER——
Youngfolkslookonafaceasaunit;childrenwhogotoschoolwithanygivenlittleJohnSmithseeinhisnameadistinctiveappellation,andinhisfeaturesasspecialanddefiniteanexpressionofhissoleindividualityasifhewerethefirstcreatedofhisrace:Assoonasweareoldenoughtogettherangeofthreeorfourgenerationswellinhand,andtotakeinlargefamilyhistories,weneverseeanindividualinafaceofanystockweknow,butamosaiccopyofapattern,withfragmentarytintsfromthisandthatancestor。Theanalysisofafaceintoitsancestralelementsrequiresthatitshouldbeexaminedintheveryearliestinfancy,beforeithaslostthatancientandsolemnlookitbringswithitoutofthepasteternity;andagaininthatbriefspacewhenLife,themightysculptor,hasdonehiswork,andDeath,hissilentservant,liftstheveilandletsuslookatthemarblelineshehaswroughtsofaithfully;andlastly,whileapainterwhocanseizeallthetraitsofacountenanceisbuildingitup,featureafterfeature,fromtheslightoutlinetothefinishedportrait——
Iamsatisfied,that,aswegrowolder,welearntolookuponourbodiesmoreandmoreasatemporarypossessionandlessandlessasidentifiedwithourselves。Inearlyyears,whilethechild\"feelsitslifeineverylimb,\"itlivesinthebodyandforthebodytoaverygreatextent。Itoughttobeso。Therehavebeenmanyveryinterestingchildrenwhohaveshownawonderfulindifferencetothethingsofearthandanextraordinarydevelopmentofthespiritualnature。Thereisaperfectliteratureoftheirbiographies,allalikeintheiressentials;thesame\"disinclinationtotheusualamusementsofchildhood\";thesameremarkablesensibility;thesamedocility;thesameconscientiousness;inshort,analmostuniformcharacter,markedbybeautifultraits,whichwelookatwithapainfuladmiration。Itwillbefoundthatmostofthesechildrenarethesubjectsofsomeconstitutionalunfitnessforliving,themostfrequentofwhichIneednotmention。Theyarelikethebeautiful,blushing,half-grownfruitthatfallsbeforeitstimebecauseitscoreisgnawedout。Theyhavetheirmeaning,——theydonot-liveinvain,——buttheyarewindfalls。Iamconvincedthatmanyhealthychildrenareinjuredmorallybybeingforcedtoreadtoomuchabouttheselittlemeeksufferersandtheirspiritualexercises。Hereisaboythatlovestorun,swim,kickfootball,turnsomersets,makefaces,whittle,fish,tearhisclothes,coast,skate,firecrackers,blowsquash\"tooters,\"cuthisnameonfences,readaboutRobinsonCrusoeandSinbadtheSailor,eatthewidest-
angledslicesofpieanduntoldcakesandcandies,cracknutswithhisbackteethandbiteoutthebetterpartofanotherboy’sapplewithhisfrontones,turnupcoppers,\"stick\"knives,callnames,throwstones,knockoffhats,setmousetraps,chalkdoorsteps,\"cutbehind\"anythingonwheelsorrunners,whistlethroughhisteeth,\"holler\"Fire!onslightevidence,runaftersoldiers,patronizeanengine-company,or,inhisownwords,\"blowfortubNo。11,\"orwhateveritmaybe;——isn’tthataprettynicesortofaboy,thoughhehasnotgotanythingthematterwithhimthattakesthetasteofthisworldout?Now,whenyouputintosuchahot-blooded,hard-
fisted,round-cheekedlittlerogue’shandasad-lookingvolumeorpamphlet,withtheportraitofathin,white-facedchild,whoselifeisreallyasmuchatrainingfordeathasthelastmonthofacondemnedcriminal’sexistence,whatdoeshefindincommonbetweenhisownoverflowingandexultingsenseofvitalityandtheexperiencesofthedoomedoffspringofinvalidparents?Thetimecomeswhenwehavelearnedtounderstandthemusicofsorrow,thebeautyofresignedsuffering,theholylightthatplaysoverthepillowofthosewhodiebeforetheirtime,inhumblehopeandtrust。
Butitisnotuntilhehasworkedhiswaythroughtheperiodofhonestheartyanimalexistence,whicheveryrobustchildshouldmakethemostof,——notuntilhehaslearnedtheuseofhisvariousfaculties,whichishisfirstduty,——thataboyofcourageandanimalvigorisinaproperstatetoreadthesetearfulrecordsofprematuredecay。Ihavenodoubtthatdisgustisimplantedinthemindsofmanyhealthychildrenbyearlysurfeitsofpathologicalpiety。IdoverilybelievethatHewhotookchildreninHisarmsandblessedthemlovedthehealthiestandmostplayfulofthemjustaswellasthosewhowererichestinthetuberculousvirtues。I
knowwhatIamtalkingabout,andtherearemoreparentsinthiscountrywhowillbewillingtolistentowhatIsaythantherearefoolstopickaquarrelwithme。InthesensibilityandthesanctitywhichoftenaccompanyprematuredecayIseeoneofthemostbeautifulinstancesoftheprincipleofcompensationwhichmarkstheDivinebenevolence。ButtogetthespiritualhygieneofrobustnaturesoutoftheexceptionalregimenofinvalidsisjustsimplywhatweProfessorscall\"badpractice\";andIknowbyexperiencethatthereareworthypeoplewhonotonlytryitontheirownchildren,butactuallyforceitonthoseoftheirneighbors——
Havingbeenphotographed,andstereographed,andchromatographed,ordoneincolors,itonlyremainedtobephrenologized。ApolitenotefromMessrs。BumpusandCrane,requestingourattendanceattheirPhysiologicalEmporium,wastootemptingtoberesisted。WerepairedtothatscientificGolgotha。
Messrs。BumpusandCranearearrangedontheplanofthemanandthewomaninthetoycalleda\"weather-house,\"bothonthesamewoodenarmsuspendedonapivot,——sothatwhenonecomestothedoor,theotherretiresbackwards,andviceversa。Themoreparticularspecialityofoneistolubricateyourentranceandexit,——thatoftheothertopolishyouoffphrenologicallyintherecessesoftheestablishment。Supposeyourselfinaroomfullofcastsandpictures,beforeacounterfulofbookswithtakingtitles。Iwonderifthepictureofthebrainisthere,\"approved\"byanotedPhrenologist,whichwascopiedfrommy,theProfessor’s,folioplate,intheworkofGallandSpurzheim。Anextraconvolution,No。
9,Destructiveness,accordingtothelistbeneath,whichwasnottobeseenintheplate,itselfacopyofNature,wasveryliberallysuppliedbytheartist,tomeetthewantsofthecatalogueof\"organs。\"ProfessorBumpusisseatedinfrontofarowofwomen,——
horn-combersandgold-beaders,orsomewhereaboutthatrangeoflife,——lookingsocredulous,that,ifanySecond-AdventMillerorJoeSmithshouldcomealong,hecouldstringthewholelotofthemonhischeapestlie,asaboystringsadozen\"shiners\"onastrippedtwigofwillow。
TheProfessormeaningourselvesisinahurry,asusual;letthehorn-comberswait,——heshallbebumpedwithoutinspectingtheantechamber。
Taperoundthehead,——22inches。Comeon,old23inches,ifyouthinkyouarethebetterman!
Feelsthoraxandarm,andnuzzlesroundamongmusclesasthosehorridoldwomenpoketheirfingersintothesalt-meatontheprovision-stallsattheQuincyMarket。Vitality,No。5or6,orsomethingorother。Victuality,organatepigastrium,someothernumberequallysignificant。
Mildchampooingofheadnowcommences。’Extraordinaryrevelations!
Cupidiphilous,6!Hymeniphilous,6!Paediphilous,5!
Deipniphilous,6!Gelasmiphilous,6!Musikiphilous,5!
Uraniphilous,5!Glossiphilous,8!!andsoon。Meantforalinguist——Invaluableinformation。Willinvestingrammarsanddictionariesimmediately——Ihavenothingagainstthegrandtotalofmyphrenologicalendowments。