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！
with sabre…cuts； as if to mark them as belonging to their country until their dust becomes a portion of the soil which they defended。 In every Northern graveyard slumber the victims of this destroying struggle。 Many whom you remember playing as children amidst the clover…blossoms of our Northern fields； sleep under nameless mounds with strange Southern wild…flowers blooming over them。 By those wounds of living heroes； by those graves of fallen martyrs； by the hopes of your children； and the claims of your children's children yet unborn； in the name of outraged honor； in the interest of violated sovereignty； for the life of an imperilled nation； for the sake of men everywhere and of our common humanity； for the glory of God and the advancement of his kingdom on earth； your country calls upon you to stand by her through good report and through evil report； in triumph and in defeat； until she emerges from the great war of Western civilization； Queen of the broad continent； Arbitress in the councils of earth's emancipated peoples； until the flag that fell from the wall of Fort Sumter floats again inviolate； supreme； over all her ancient inheritance； every fortress； every capital； every ship； and this warring land is once more a； United Nation！
CINDERS FROM THE ASHES。
The personal revelations contained in my report of certain breakfast… table conversations were so charitably listened to and so good… naturedly interpreted； that I may be in danger of becoming over… communicative。 Still； I should never have ventured to tell the trivial experiences here thrown together； were it not that my brief story is illuminated here and there by a glimpse of some shining figure that trod the same path with me for a time； or crossed it； leaving a momentary or lasting brightness in its track。 I remember that； in furnishing a chamber some years ago； I was struck with its dull aspect as I looked round on the black…walnut chairs and bedstead and bureau。 〃Make me a large and handsomely wrought gilded handle to the key of that dark chest of drawers；〃 I said to the furnisher。 It was done； and that one luminous point redeemed the sombre apartment as the evening star glorifies the dusky firmament。 So； my loving reader；and to none other can such table…talk as this be addressed；… …I hope there will be lustre enough in one or other of the names with which I shall gild my page to redeem the dulness of all that is merely personal in my recollections。
After leaving the school of Dame Prentiss； best remembered by infantine loves； those pretty preludes of more serious passions； by the great forfeit…basket； filled with its miscellaneous waifs and deodauds； and by the long willow stick by the aid of which the good old body； now stricken in years and unwieldy in person could stimulate the sluggish faculties or check the mischievous sallies of the child most distant from his ample chair；a school where I think my most noted schoolmate was the present Bishop of Delaware； became the pupil of Master William Biglow。 This generation is not familiar with his title to renown； although he fills three columns and a half in Mr。 Duyckinck's 〃Cyclopaedia of American Literature。〃 He was a humorist hardly robust enough for more than a brief local immortality。 I am afraid we were an undistinguished set； for I do not remember anybody near a bishop in dignity graduating from our benches。
At about ten years of age I began going to what we always called the 〃Port School；〃 because it was kept at Cambridgeport； a mile from the College。 This suburb was at that time thinly inhabited； and； being much of it marshy and imperfectly reclaimed； had a dreary look as compared with the thriving College settlement。 The tenants of the many beautiful mansions that have sprung up along Main Street； Harvard Street； and Broadway can hardly recall the time when； except the 〃Dana House〃 and the 〃Opposition House〃 and the 〃Clark House；〃 these roads were almost all the way bordered by pastures until we reached the 〃stores〃 of Main Street； or were abreast of that forlorn 〃First Row〃 of Harvard Street。 We called the boys of that locality 〃Port…chucks。〃 They called us 〃Cambridge…chucks；〃 but we got along very well together in the main。
Among my schoolmates at the Port School was a young girl of singular loveliness。 I once before referred to her as 〃the golden blonde；〃 but did not trust myself to describe her charms。 The day of her appearance in the school was almost as much a revelation to us boys as the appearance of Miranda was to Caliban。 Her abounding natural curls were so full of sunshine； her skin was so delicately white； her smile and her voice were so all…subduing； that half our heads were turned。 Her fascinations were everywhere confessed a few years afterwards； and when I last met her； though she said she was a grandmother； I questioned her statement； for her winning looks and ways would still have made her admired in any company。
Not far from the golden blonde were two small boys； one of them very small； perhaps the youngest boy in school； both ruddy； sturdy； quiet； reserved； sticking loyally by each other； the oldest； however； beginning to enter into social relations with us of somewhat maturer years。 One of these two boys was destined to be widely known； first in literature； as author of one of the most popular books of its time and which is freighted for a long voyage； then as an eminent lawyer； a man who； if his countrymen are wise； will yet be prominent in the national councils。 Richard Henry Dana； Junior； is the name he bore and bears； he found it famous； and will bequeath it a fresh renown。
Sitting on the girls' benches； conspicuous among the school…girls of unlettered origin by that look which rarely fails to betray hereditary and congenital culture； was a young person very nearly of my own age。 She came with the reputation of being 〃smart；〃 as we should have called it； clever as we say nowadays。 This was Margaret Fuller； the only one among us who； like 〃Jean Paul；〃 like 〃The Duke；〃 like 〃Bettina；〃 has slipped the cable of the more distinctive name to which she was anchored； and floats on the waves of speech as 〃Margaret。〃 Her air to her schoolmates was marked by a certain stateliness and distance； as if she had other thoughts than theirs and was not of them。 She was a great student and a great reader of what she used to call 〃naw…vels。〃 I remember her so well as she appeared at school and later； that I regret that she had not been faithfully given to canvas or marble in the day of her best looks。 None know her aspect who have not seen her living。 Margaret； as I remember her at school and afterwards； was tall； fair complexioned； with a watery； aqua…marine lustre in her light eyes； which she used to make small； as one does who looks at the sunshine。 A remarkable point about her was that long； flexile neck； arching and undulating in strange sinuous movements； which one who loved her would compare to those of a swan； and one who loved her not to those of the ophidian who tempted our common mother。 Her talk was affluent； magisterial； de haut en bas； some would say euphuistic； but surpassing the talk of women in breadth and audacity。 Her face kindled and reddened and dilated in every feature as she spoke； and； as I once saw her in a fine storm of indignation at the supposed ill… treatment of a relative； showed itself capable of something resembling what Milton calls the viraginian aspect。
Little incidents bear telling when they recall anything of such a celebrity as Margaret。 I remember being greatly awed once； in our school…days； with the maturity of one of her expressions。 Some themes were brought home from the school for examination by my father； among them one of hers。 I took it up with a certain emulous interest （for I fancied at that day that I too had drawn a prize； say a five…dollar one； at least； in the great intellectual life…lottery） and read the first words。
〃It is a trite remark；〃 she began。
I stopped。 Alas！ I did not know what trite meant。 How could I ever judge Margaret fairly after such a crushing discovery of her superiority？ I doubt if I ever did； yet oh； how pleasant it would have been； at about the age； say； of threescore and ten； to rake over these ashes for cinders with her；she in a snowy cap； and I in a decent peruke！
After being five years at the Port School； the time drew near when I was to enter college。 It seemed advisable to give me a year of higher training； and for that end some public school was thought to offer advantages。 Phillips Academy at Andover was well known to us。 We had been up there； my father and myself； at anniversaries。 Some Boston boys of well…known and distinguished parentage had been scholars there very lately； Master Edmund Quincy； Master Samuel Hurd Walley； Master Nathaniel Parker Willis；all promising youth； who fulfilled their promise。
I do not believe there was any thought of getting a little respite of quiet by my temporary absence； but I have wondered that there was not。 Exceptional boys of fourteen or fifteen make home a heaven； it is true； but I have suspected； late in life； that I was not one of the exceptional kind。 I had tendencies in the direction of flageolets and octav