按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
that the cold season was at hand。 They wandered round for a while；
and at last found themselves under the Great Elm； drawn thither； no
doubt； by the magnetism it is so well known to exert over the natives
of its own soil and those who have often been under the shadow of its
outstretched arms。 The venerable survivor of its contemporaries that
flourished in the days when Blackstone rode beneath it on his bull
was now a good deal broken by age； yet not without marks of lusty
vitality。 It had been wrenched and twisted and battered by so many
scores of winters that some of its limbs were crippled and many of
its joints were shaky； and but for the support of the iron braces
that lent their strong sinews to its more infirm members it would
have gone to pieces in the first strenuous northeaster or the first
sudden and violent gale from the southwest。 But there it stood； and
there it stands as yet；though its obituary was long ago written
after one of the terrible storms that tore its branches；leafing out
hopefully in April as if it were trying in its dumb language to lisp
〃Our Father；〃 and dropping its slender burden of foliage in October
as softly as if it were whispering Amen！
Not far from the ancient and monumental tree lay a small sheet of
water； once agile with life and vocal with evening melodies； but now
stirred only by the swallow as he dips his wing； or by the morning
bath of the English sparrows； those high…headed； thick…bodied； full…
feeding； hot…tempered little John Bulls that keep up such a swashing
and swabbing and spattering round all the water basins； one might
think from the fuss they make about it that a bird never took a bath
here before； and that they were the missionaries of ablution to the
unwashed Western world。
There are those who speak lightly of this small aqueous expanse； the
eye of the sacred enclosure； which has looked unwinking on the happy
faces of so many natives and the curious features of so many
strangers。 The music of its twilight minstrels has long ceased； but
their memory lingers like an echo in the name it bears。 Cherish it；
inhabitants of the two…hilled city； once three…hilled； ye who have
said to the mountain； 〃Remove hence；〃 and turned the sea into dry
land！ May no contractor fill his pockets by undertaking to fill
thee； thou granite girdled lakelet； or drain the civic purse by
drawing off thy waters！ For art thou not the Palladium of our Troy？
Didst thou not； like the Divine image which was the safeguard of
Ilium； fall from the skies； and if the Trojan could look with pride
upon the heaven…descended form of the Goddess of Wisdom； cannot he
who dwells by thy shining oval look in that mirror and contemplate
Himself；the Native of Boston。
There must be some fatality which carries our young men and maidens
in the direction of the Common when they have anything very
particular to exchange their views about。 At any rate I remember two
of our young friends brought up here a good many years ago； and I
understand that there is one path across the enclosure which a young
man must not ask a young woman to take with him unless he means
business； for an action will holdfor breach of promise； if she
consents to accompany him； and he chooses to forget his obligations：
Our two young people stood at the western edge of the little pool；
studying astronomy in the reflected firmament。 The Pleiades were
trembling in the wave before them； and the three great stars of
Orion；for these constellations were both glittering in the eastern
sky。
〃There is no place too humble for the glories of heaven to shine in；〃
she said
〃And their splendor makes even this little pool beautiful and noble；〃
he answered。 〃Where is the light to come from that is to do as much
for our poor human lives？〃
A simple question enough； but the young girl felt her color change as
she answered； 〃From friendship； I think。〃
Grazing only as …yet；not striking full； hardly hitting at all；
but there are questions and answers that come so very near； the wind
of them alone almost takes the breath away。
There was an interval of silence。 Two young persons can stand
looking at water for a long time without feeling the necessity of
speaking。 Especially when the water is alive with stars and the
young persons are thoughtful and impressible。 The water seems to do
half the thinking while one is looking at it； its movements are felt
in the brain very much like thought。 When I was in full training as
a flaneur； I could stand on the Pont Neuf with the other experts in
the great science of passive cerebration and look at the river for
half an hour with so little mental articulation that when I moved on
it seemed as if my thinking…marrow had been asleep and was just
waking up refreshed after its nap。
So the reader can easily account for the interval of silence。 It is
hard to tell how long it would have lasted； but just then a lubberly
intrusive boy threw a great stone； which convulsed the firmament； the
one at their feet； I mean。 The six Pleiads disappeared as if in
search of their lost sister； the belt of Orion was broken asunder；
and a hundred worlds dissolved back into chaos。 They turned away and
strayed off into one of the more open paths； where the view of the
sky over them was unobstructed。 For some reason or other the
astronomical lesson did not get on very fast this evening。
Presently the young man asked his pupil：
Do you know what the constellation directly over our heads is？
Is it not Cassiopea？she asked a little hesitatingly。
No； it is Andromeda。 You ought not to have forgotten her； for I
remember showing you a double star； the one in her right foot；
through the equatorial telescope。 You have not forgotten the double
star；the two that shone for each other and made a little world by
themselves？
No； indeed；she answered； and blushed； and felt ashamed because
she had said indeed； as if it had been an emotional recollection。
The double…star allusion struck another dead silence。 She would have
given a week's pay to any invisible attendant that would have cut her
stay…lace。
At last： Do you know the story of Andromeda？ he said。
Perhaps I did once； but suppose I don't remember it。
He told her the story of the unfortunate maiden chained to a rock and
waiting for a sea…beast that was coming to devour her； and how
Perseus came and set her free； and won her love with her life。 And
then he began something about a young man chained to his rock； which
was a star…gazer's tower； a prey by turns to ambition； and lonely
self…contempt and unwholesome scorn of the life he looked down upon
after the serenity of the firmament； and endless questionings that
led him nowhere；and now he had only one more question to ask。 He
loved her。 Would she break his chain？He held both his hands out
towards her； the palms together； as if they were fettered at the
wrists。 She took hold of them very gently； parted them a little；
then widerwiderand found herself all at once folded； unresisting；
in her lover's arms。
So there was a new double…star in the living firmament。 The
constellations seemed to kindle with new splendors as t