the idle thoughts of an idle fellow[1].(一个浪子的随想)-第21章
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boards and crumbling walls； there； from their lofty thrones； those rag…
clothed Joves have hurled their thunderbolts and shaken； before now； the
earth to its foundations。
Huddle them up in your lumber…rooms； oh； world！ Shut them fast in
and turn the key of poverty upon them。 Weld close the bars； and let them
fret their hero lives away within the narrow cage。 Leave them there to
starve； and rot； and die。 Laugh at the frenzied beatings of their hands
against the door。 Roll onward in your dust and noise and pass them by；
forgotten。
But take care lest they turn and sting you。 All do not； like the fabled
phoenix； warble sweet melodies in their agony； sometimes they spit
venomvenom you must breathe whether you will or no； for you cannot
seal their mouths； though you may fetter their limbs。 You can lock the door
upon them； but they burst open their shaky lattices and call out over the
house…tops so that men cannot but hear。 You hounded wild Rousseau into
the meanest garret of the Rue St。 Jacques and jeered at his angry shrieks。
But the thin； piping tones swelled a hundred years later into the sullen roar
of the French Revolution； and civilization to this day is quivering to the
reverberations of his voice。
As for myself； however； I like an attic。 Not to live in： as residences
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THE IDLE THOUGHTS OF AN IDLE FELLOW。
they are inconvenient。 There is too much getting up and down stairs
connected with them to please me。 It puts one unpleasantly in mind of the
tread…mill。 The form of the ceiling offers too many facilities for bumping
your head and too few for shaving。 And the note of the tomcat as he sings
to his love in the stilly night outside on the tiles becomes positively
distasteful when heard so near。
No； for living in give me a suit of rooms on the first floor of a
Piccadilly mansion （I wish somebody would！）； but for thinking in let me
have an attic up ten flights of stairs in the densest quarter of the city。 I
have all Herr Teufelsdrockh's affection for attics。 There is a sublimity
about their loftiness。 I love to 〃sit at ease and look down upon the wasps'
nest beneath；〃 to listen to the dull murmur of the human tide ebbing and
flowing ceaselessly through the narrow streets and lanes below。 How
small men seem； how like a swarm of ants sweltering in endless confusion
on their tiny hill！ How petty seems the work on which they are hurrying
and skurrying！ How childishly they jostle against one another and turn to
snarl and scratch！ They jabber and screech and curse； but their puny
voices do not reach up here。 They fret； and fume； and rage； and pant； and
die； 〃but I； mein Werther； sit above it all； I am alone with the stars。〃
The most extraordinary attic I ever came across was one a friend and I
once shared many years ago。 Of all eccentrically planned things； from
Bradshaw to the maze at Hampton Court； that room was the most
eccentric。 The architect who designed it must have been a genius； though I
cannot help thinking that his talents would have been better employed in
contriving puzzles than in shaping human habitations。 No figure in Euclid
could give any idea of that apartment。 It contained seven corners； two of
the walls sloped to a point； and the window was just over the fireplace。
The only possible position for the bedstead was between the door and the
cupboard。 To get anything out of the cupboard we had to scramble over
the bed； and a large percentage of the various commodities thus obtained
was absorbed by the bedclothes。 Indeed； so many things were spilled and
dropped upon the bed that toward night…time it had become a sort of small
cooperative store。 Coal was what it always had most in stock。 We used to
keep our coal in the bottom part of the cupboard； and when any was
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THE IDLE THOUGHTS OF AN IDLE FELLOW。
wanted we had to climb over the bed； fill a shovelful； and then crawl back。
It was an exciting moment when we reached the middle of the bed。 We
would hold our breath； fix our eyes upon the shovel； and poise ourselves
for the last move。 The next instant we； and the coals； and the shovel； and
the bed would be all mixed up together。
I've heard of the people going into raptures over beds of coal。 We slept
in one every night and were not in the least stuck up about it。
But our attic； unique though it was； had by no means exhausted the
architect's sense of humor。 The arrangement of the whole house was a
marvel of originality。 All the doors opened outward； so that if any one
wanted to leave a room at the same moment that you were coming
downstairs it was unpleasant for you。 There was no ground…floorits
ground…floor belonged to a house in the next court； and the front door
opened direct upon a flight of stairs leading down to the cellar。 Visitors on
entering the house would suddenly shoot past the person who had
answered the door to them and disappear down these stairs。 Those of a
nervous temperament used to imagine that it was a trap laid for them； and
would shout murder as they lay on their backs at the bottom till somebody
came and picked them up。
It is a long time ago now that I last saw the inside of an attic。 I have
tried various floors since but I have not found that they have made much
difference to me。 Life tastes much the same； whether we quaff it from a
golden goblet or drink it out of a stone mug。 The hours come laden with
the same mixture of joy and sorrow； no matter where we wait for them。 A
waistcoat of broadcloth or of fustian is alike to an aching heart； and we
laugh no merrier on velvet cushions than we did on wooden chairs。 Often
have I sighed in those low…ceilinged rooms； yet disappointments have
come neither less nor lighter since I quitted them。 Life works upon a
compensating balance； and the happiness we gain in one direction we lose
in another。 As our means increase； so do our desires； and we ever stand
midway between the two。 When we reside in an attic we enjoy a supper of
fried fish and stout。 When we occupy the first floor it takes an elaborate
dinner at the Continental to give us the same amount of satisfaction。
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THE IDLE THOUGHTS OF AN IDLE FELLOW。
ON DRESS AND DEPORTMENT。
They saypeople who ought to be ashamed of themselves dothat the
consciousness of being well dressed imparts a blissfulness to the human
heart that religion is powerless to bestow。 I am afraid these cynical persons
are sometimes correct。 I know that when I was a very young man （many；
many years ago； as the story…books say） and wanted cheering up； I used to
go and dress myself in all my best clothes。 If I had been annoyed in any
mannerif my washerwoman had discharged me； for instance； or my
blank…verse poem had been returned for the tenth time； with the editor's
compliments 〃and regrets that owing to want of space he is unable to avail
himself of kind offer；〃 or I had been snubbed by the woman I loved as
man never loved beforeby the way； it's really extraordinary what a
variety of ways of loving there must be。 We all do it as it was never done
before。 I don't know how our great…grandchildren will manage。 They will
have to do it on their heads by their time if they persist in not clashing
with any previous method。
Well； as I was saying； when these unpleasant sort of things happened
and I felt crushed； I put on all my best clothes and went out。 It brought
back my vanishing self…esteem。 In a glossy new hat and a pair of trousers
with a fold down the front （carefully preserved by keeping them under the
bedI don't mean on the floor； you know； but between the bed and the
mattress）； I felt I was somebody and that there were other washerwomen：
ay； and even other girls to love； and who would perhaps appreciate a
clever； good…looking young fellow。 I didn't care； that was my reckless way。
I would make love to other maidens。 I felt that in those clothes I could do
it。
They have a wonderful deal to do with courting； clothes have。 It is half
the battle。 At all events； the young man thinks so； and it generally takes
him a couple of hours to get himself up for the occasion。 His first half…
hour is occupied in trying to decide whether to wear his light suit with a
cane and drab billycock； or his black tails with a chimney…pot hat and his
new umbrella。 He is sure to be unfortunate in either decision。 If he wears
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THE IDLE THOUGHTS OF AN IDLE FELLOW。
his light suit and takes the stick it comes on to rain； and he reaches the
house in a damp and muddy condition and spends the evening trying to
hide his boots。 If； on the other hand； he decides in favor of the top hat and
umbrellanobody would ever dream of going out in a top hat without an
umbrella； it would be like letting baby （bless it！） toddle out without its
nurse。 How I do hate a top hat！ One lasts me a very long while； I can tell
you。 I only wear it whenwell； never mind when I wear it。 It lasts me a
very long while。 I've had my present one five years。 It was rather old…
fashioned last summer； but the shape has come round again now and I
look quite stylish。
But to return to our young man and his courting。 If he starts off with
the top hat and umbrella the afternoon turns out fearfully hot； and the
perspiration takes all the soap out of his mustache and converts the
beautifully arranged curl over his forehead into a limp wisp resembling a
lump of seaweed。 The Fates are never favorable to the poor wretch。 If he
does by any chance reach t
