第 2 节
作者:莫再讲      更新:2021-04-30 17:12      字数:9322
  and fascinated by her in plenty; but _you_ will not be among them。 You
  will   run   the   show;   you   will   pay   all   the   expenses;   do   all   the   work。 Your
  performing lady will be most affable and enchanting to the crowd。 They
  will stare at her; and admire her; and talk to her; and flirt with her。                And
  you will be able to feel that you are quite a benefactor to your fellow…men
  and   womento   your   fellow…men   especiallyin providing such   delightful
  amusement for them; free。 But _you_ will not get any of the fun yourself。
  You will not get the handsome looks。              _You_ will get the jaded face;
  and the dull; lusterless eyes; and the untidy hair with the dye showing on it。
  You   will   not   get   the   exquisite   dresses。   _You_      will   get   dirty;  shabby
  frocks   and   slommicking   dressing…gowns;   such   as   your   cook   would   be
  ashamed to wear。         _You_ will not get the charm and fascination。              _You_
  will get the after…headaches; the complainings and grumblings; the silence
  and   sulkiness;   the   weariness   and   lassitude   and   ill…temper   that   comes   as
  such a relief after working hard all day at being pleasant!
  It is not the people who shine in society; but the people who brighten
  up the back parlor; not the people who are charming when they are out;
  but the people who are charming when they are in; that are good to _live_
  with。    It   is   not   the   brilliant   men   and  women;   but   the   simple;   strong;
  restful men and women; that make the best traveling companions for the
  road of life。     The men and women who will only laugh as they put up the
  umbrella   when   the   rain   begins   to   fall;   who   will   trudge   along   cheerfully
  through   the   mud   and   over   the   stony   placesthe   comrades   who   will   lay
  their firm hand on ours and strengthen us when the way is dark and we are
  growing weakthe evergreen men and women; who; like the holly; are at
  their brightest and best when the blast blows chilliestthe stanch men and
  women!
  It is a grand thing this stanchness。         It is the difference between a dog
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  and a sheepbetween a man and an oyster。
  Women; as a rule; are stancher than men。                 There are women that you
  feel you could rely upon to the death。             But very few men indeed have this
  dog…like virtue。       Men; taking them generally; are more like cats。 You may
  live   with them  and   call   them  yours   for   twenty   years;  but   you   can   never
  feel    _quite_    sure   of   them。     You     never    know     exactly    what    they   are
  thinking of。      You never feel easy in your mind as to the result of the next…
  door neighbor's laying down a Brussels carpet in his kitchen。
  We have no school for the turning…out of stanch men in this nineteenth
  century。     In the old; earnest times; war made men stanch and true to each
  other。      We     have    learned     up   a  good     many     glib   phrases     about    the
  wickedness   of   war;   and   we   thank   God   that   we   live   in   these   peaceful;
  trading times; wherein we canand dodevote the whole of our thoughts
  and     energies    to  robbing     and    cheating    and    swindling     one    anotherto
  〃doing〃   our   friends;   and   overcoming   our   enemies   by   trickery   and   lies
  wherein;      undisturbed      by    the   wicked     ways    of   fighting…men;       we   can
  cultivate to better  perfection   the  〃smartness;〃 the  craft;  and   the  cunning;
  and all the other 〃business…like〃 virtues on which we so pride ourselves;
  and which were so neglected and treated with so little respect in the bad
  old age of violence; when men   chose lions and   eagles for their   symbols
  rather than foxes。
  There   is   a   good   deal   to   be   said   against   war。 I   am   not   prepared   to
  maintain that war did not bring with it disadvantages; but there can be no
  doubt that; for the noblest work of Naturethe making of menit was a
  splendid      manufactory。        It   taught    men    courage。      It   trained    them    in
  promptness and determination; in strength of brain and strength of hand。
  From   its    stern   lessons    they   learned    fortitude    in  suffering;    coolness    in
  danger;   cheerfulness   under   reverses。         Chivalry;   Reverence;   and   Loyalty
  are the beautiful children of ugly War。               But; above all gifts; the greatest
  gift it gave to men was stanchness。
  It first taught men to be true to one another; to be true to their duty;
  true to their post; to be in all things faithful; even unto death。
  The   martyrs   that   died     at   the   stake;   the  explorers   that   fought    with
  Nature   and   opened   up   the   world   for   us;   the   reformers   (they   had   to   do
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  something more than talk in those days) who won for us our liberties; the
  men who gave their lives to science and art; when science and art brought;
  not as now; fame and fortune; but shame and penurythey sprang from the
  loins of the rugged men who had learned; on many a grim battlefield; to
  laugh at pain and death; who had had it hammered into them; with many a
  hard blow; that the whole duty of a man in this world is to be true to his
  trust; and fear not。
  Do you remember the story of the old Viking who had been converted
  to Christianity; and who; just as they were about; with much joy; to baptize
  him;   paused   and   asked:     〃But   whatif   this;   as   you   tell   me;   is   the   only
  way   to   the   true Valhallawhat   has   become   of   my   comrades;   my   friends
  who are dead; who died in the old faithwhere are they?〃
  The     priests;   confused;     replied    there   could    be    no   doubt    those
  unfortunate folk had gone to a place they would rather not mention。
  〃Then;〃 said the old warrior; stepping back; 〃I will not be baptized。 I
  will go along with my own people。〃
  He   had   lived   with   them;   fought   beside   them;   they   were   his   people。
  He would stand by them to the endof eternity。                Most assuredly; a very
  shocking old Viking!         But I think it might be worth while giving up our
  civilization and our culture to get back to the days when they made men
  like that。
  The only reminder of such times that we have left us now; is the bull…
  dog; and he is fast dying outthe pity of it!           What a splendid old dog he
  is! so grim; so silent; so stanch; so terrible; when he has got his idea; of his
  duty clear before him; so absurdly  meek; when it is only himself that is
  concerned。
  He is the gentlest; too; and the most lovable of all dogs。              He does not
  look   it。   The   sweetness   of   his   disposition   would   not   strike   the   casual
  observer   at   first   glance。  He   resembles   the   gentleman   spoken   of   in   the
  oft…quoted stanza:
  'E's all right when yer knows 'im。                 But yer've got to know
  'im fust。            The first time I ever met a bull…dogto speak to; that is
  was many years ago。           We were lodging down in the country; an orphan
  friend of mine   named George;  and myself;  and one night; coming   home
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  late   from   some   dissolving   views   we   found   the   family   had   gone   to   bed。
  They had left a light in our room; however; and we went in and sat down;
  and began to take off our boots。
  And then; for the first time; we noticed on the hearthrug a bull…dog。 A
  dog with a more thoughtfully ferocious expressiona dog with; apparently;
  a heart more dead to all ennobling and civilizing sentimentsI have never
  seen。     As   George   said;   he   looked   more   like   some   heathen   idol   than   a
  happy English dog。
  He appeared to have been waiting for us; and he rose up and greeted
  us with a ghastly grin; and got between us and the door。
  We smiled at hima sickly; propitiatory smile。              We said; 〃Good dog
  poor fellow!〃 and we asked him; in tones implying that the question could
  admit of no negative; if he was not a 〃nice old chap。〃 We did not really
  think so。      We   had   our own   private   opinion   concerning him;   and   it   was
  unfavorable。       But   we   did   not   express   it。 We   would   not   have   hurt   his
  feelings for the world。         He was a visitor; our guest; so to speakand; as
  well…brought…up young men; we felt that the