"Well, there is sorrow in the world, but goodness too; and goodness that is not greenness, either, no more than sorrow is. Dear good man. Poor beating heart!"
It was the man with the weed, not very long after quitting the merchant, murmuring to himself with his hand to his side like one with the heart-disease.
Meditation2 over kindness received seemed to have softened3 him something, too, it may be, beyond what might, perhaps, have been looked for from one whose unwonted self-respect in the hour of need, and in the act of being aided, might have appeared to some not wholly unlike pride out of place; and pride, in any place, is seldom very feeling. But the truth, perhaps, is, that those who are least touched with that vice4, besides being not unsusceptible to goodness, are sometimes the ones whom a ruling sense of propriety5 makes appear cold, if not thankless, under a favor. For, at such a time, to be full of warm, earnest words, and heart-felt protestations, is to create a scene; and well-bred people dislike few things more than that; which would [37] seem to look as if the world did not relish6 earnestness; but, not so; because the world, being earnest itself, likes an earnest scene, and an earnest man, very well, but only in their place—the stage. See what sad work they make of it, who, ignorant of this, flame out in Irish enthusiasm and with Irish sincerity7, to a benefactor8, who, if a man of sense and respectability, as well as kindliness9, can but be more or less annoyed by it; and, if of a nervously10 fastidious nature, as some are, may be led to think almost as much less favorably of the beneficiary paining him by his gratitude11, as if he had been guilty of its contrary, instead only of an indiscretion. But, beneficiaries who know better, though they may feel as much, if not more, neither inflict12 such pain, nor are inclined to run any risk of so doing. And these, being wise, are the majority. By which one sees how inconsiderate those persons are, who, from the absence of its officious manifestations13 in the world, complain that there is not much gratitude extant; when the truth is, that there is as much of it as there is of modesty14; but, both being for the most part votarists of the shade, for the most part keep out of sight.
What started this was, to account, if necessary, for the changed air of the man with the weed, who, throwing off in private the cold garb15 of decorum, and so giving warmly loose to his genuine heart, seemed almost transformed into another being. This subdued16 air of softness, too, was toned with melancholy17, melancholy unreserved; a thing which, however at variance18 with propriety, still the more attested19 his earnestness; for [38] one knows not how it is, but it sometimes happens that, where earnestness is, there, also, is melancholy.
At the time, he was leaning over the rail at the boat's side, in his pensiveness20, unmindful of another pensive21 figure near—a young gentleman with a swan-neck, wearing a lady-like open shirt collar, thrown back, and tied with a black ribbon. From a square, tableted-broach, curiously22 engraved23 with Greek characters, he seemed a collegian—not improbably, a sophomore24—on his travels; possibly, his first. A small book bound in Roman vellum was in his hand.
Overhearing his murmuring neighbor, the youth regarded him with some surprise, not to say interest. But, singularly for a collegian, being apparently25 of a retiring nature, he did not speak; when the other still more increased his diffidence by changing from soliloquy to colloquy26, in a manner strangely mixed of familiarity and pathos27.
"Ah, who is this? You did not hear me, my young friend, did you? Why, you, too, look sad. My melancholy is not catching28!"
"Pray, now," with a sort of sociable30 sorrowfulness, slowly sliding along the rail, "Pray, now, my young friend, what volume have you there? Give me leave," gently drawing it from him. "Tacitus!" Then opening it at random31, read: "In general a black and shameful32 period lies before me." "Dear young sir," touching33 his arm alarmedly, "don't read this book. It is poison, moral poison. Even were there truth in Tacitus, [39] such truth would have the operation of falsity, and so still be poison, moral poison. Too well I know this Tacitus. In my college-days he came near souring me into cynicism. Yes, I began to turn down my collar, and go about with a disdainfully joyless expression."
"Sir, sir, I—I—"
"Trust me. Now, young friend, perhaps you think that Tacitus, like me, is only melancholy; but he's more—he's ugly. A vast difference, young sir, between the melancholy view and the ugly. The one may show the world still beautiful, not so the other. The one may be compatible with benevolence34, the other not. The one may deepen insight, the other shallows it. drop Tacitus. Phrenologically, my young friend, you would seem to have a well-developed head, and large; but cribbed within the ugly view, the Tacitus view, your large brain, like your large ox in the contracted field, will but starve the more. And don't dream, as some of you students may, that, by taking this same ugly view, the deeper meanings of the deeper books will so alone become revealed to you. drop Tacitus. His subtlety35 is falsity, To him, in his double-refined anatomy36 of human nature, is well applied37 the Scripture38 saying—'There is a subtle man, and the same is deceived.' drop Tacitus. Come, now, let me throw the book overboard."
"Sir, I—I—"
"Not a word; I know just what is in your mind, and that is just what I am speaking to. Yes, learn from me that, though the sorrows of the world are great, its [40] wickedness—that is, its ugliness—is small. Much cause to pity man, little to distrust him. I myself have known adversity, and know it still. But for that, do I turn cynic? No, no: it is small beer that sours. To my fellow-creatures I owe alleviations. So, whatever I may have undergone, it but deepens my confidence in my kind. Now, then" (winningly), "this book—will you let me drown it for you?"
"Really, sir—I—"
"I see, I see. But of course you read Tacitus in order to aid you in understanding human nature—as if truth was ever got at by libel. My young friend, if to know human nature is your object, drop Tacitus and go north to the cemeteries39 of Auburn and Greenwood."
"Upon my word, I—I—"
"Nay40, I foresee all that. But you carry Tacitus, that shallow Tacitus. What do I carry? See"—producing a pocket-volume—"Akenside—his 'Pleasures of Imagination.' One of these days you will know it. Whatever our lot, we should read serene41 and cheery books, fitted to inspire love and trust. But Tacitus! I have long been of opinion that these classics are the bane of colleges; for—not to hint of the immorality42 of Ovid, Horace, Anacreon, and the rest, and the dangerous theology of Eschylus and others—where will one find views so injurious to human nature as in Thucydides, Juvenal, Lucian, but more particularly Tacitus? When I consider that, ever since the revival43 of learning, these classics have been the favorites of successive generations of students and studious men, I tremble to think of that mass [41] of unsuspected heresy44 on every vital topic which for centuries must have simmered unsurmised in the heart of Christendom. But Tacitus—he is the most extraordinary example of a heretic; not one iota45 of confidence in his kind. What a mockery that such an one should be reputed wise, and Thucydides be esteemed46 the statesman's manual! But Tacitus—I hate Tacitus; not, though, I trust, with the hate that sins, but a righteous hate. Without confidence himself, Tacitus destroys it in all his readers. Destroys confidence, paternal47 confidence, of which God knows that there is in this world none to spare. For, comparatively inexperienced as you are, my dear young friend, did you never observe how little, very little, confidence, there is? I mean between man and man—more particularly between stranger and stranger. In a sad world it is the saddest fact. Confidence! I have sometimes almost thought that confidence is fled; that confidence is the New Astrea—emigrated—vanished—gone." Then softly sliding nearer, with the softest air, quivering down and looking up, "could you now, my dear young sir, under such circumstances, by way of experiment, simply have confidence in me?"
From the outset, the sophomore, as has been seen, had struggled with an ever-increasing embarrassment48, arising, perhaps, from such strange remarks coming from a stranger—such persistent49 and prolonged remarks, too. In vain had he more than once sought to break the spell by venturing a deprecatory or leave-taking word. In vain. Somehow, the stranger fascinated him. Little [42] wonder, then, that, when the appeal came, he could hardly speak, but, as before intimated, being apparently of a retiring nature, abruptly50 retired51 from the spot, leaving the chagrined52 stranger to wander away in the opposite direction.
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1
sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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6
relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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7
sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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kindliness
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| n.厚道，亲切，友好的行为 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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13
manifestations
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| n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式） | |
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14
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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variance
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| n.矛盾，不同 | |
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attested
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| adj.经检验证明无病的，经检验证明无菌的v.证明( attest的过去式和过去分词 )；证实；声称…属实；使宣誓 | |
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pensiveness
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| n.pensive（沉思的）的变形 | |
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pensive
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| a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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24
sophomore
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| n.大学二年级生；adj.第二年的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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colloquy
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| n.谈话，自由讨论 | |
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pathos
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| n.哀婉，悲怆 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sociable
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| adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的 | |
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random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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benevolence
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| n.慈悲，捐助 | |
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subtlety
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| n.微妙，敏锐，精巧；微妙之处，细微的区别 | |
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anatomy
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| n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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scripture
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| n.经文，圣书，手稿；Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》，《圣经》中的一段 | |
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39
cemeteries
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| n.（非教堂的）墓地，公墓( cemetery的名词复数 ) | |
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40
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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41
serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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42
immorality
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| n. 不道德, 无道义 | |
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43
revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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44
heresy
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| n.异端邪说；异教 | |
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45
iota
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| n.些微，一点儿 | |
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46
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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47
paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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48
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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49
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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50
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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51
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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52
chagrined
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| adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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