Icalleduponyouthismorningandfoundthatyouweregonetovisitadyingfriend.Ihadbeenuponalikeerrand.PoorN.R.haslaindyingnowforalmostaweek,suchisthepenaltywepayforhavingenjoyedthroughlifeastrongconstitution.Whetherheknewmeornot,Iknownot,orwhetherhesawmethroughhispoorglazedeyes,butthegroupIsawabouthimIshallnotforget.Uponthebed,oraboutit,wereassembledhisWife,theirtwoDaughters,andpoordeafRobert,lookingdoublystupified.Theretheywere,andseemedtohavebeensittingalltheweek.IcouldonlyreachoutahandtoMrs.R.Speakingwasimpossibleinthatmutechamber.Bythistimeitmustbealloverwithhim.InhimIhavealosstheworldcannotmakeup.Hewasmyfriend,andmyfathersfriend,forallthelifethatIcanremember.Iseemtohavemadefoolishfriendshipssince.Thosearethefriendships,whichoutlastasecondgeneration.OldasIamgetting,inhiseyesIwasstillthechildheknewme.TothelasthecalledmeJemmy.IhavenonetocallmeJemmynow.HewasthelastlinkthatboundmetoB____.Youarebutofyesterday.InhimIseemtohavelosttheoldplainnessofmannersandsinglenessofheart.Letteredhewasnot,hisreadingscarcelyexceededtheObituaryoftheoldGentlemansMagazine,towhichhehasneverfailedofhavingrecoursefortheselastfiftyyears.Yettherewastheprideofliteratureabouthimfromthatslenderperusal,andmoreoverfromhisofficeofarchive-keepertoyourancientcity,inwhichhemustneedspickupsomeequivocalLatin,which,amonghislessliteraryfriends,assumedtheairofaverypleasantpedantry.CanIforgettheeruditelookwithwhich,havingtriedtopuzzleoutthetextofaBlack-letteredChaucerinyourCorporationLibrary,towhichhewasasortofLibrarian,hegaveitupwiththisconsolatoryreflection——"Jemmy,"saidhe,"Idonotknowwhatyoufindintheseveryoldbooks,butIobserve,thereisadealofveryindifferentspellinginthem."Hisjokes(forhehadsome)areended,buttheywereoldPerennials,staple,andalwaysasgoodasnew.HehadoneSong,thatspakeofthe"flatbottomsofourfoesingoverindarkness,"andalludedtoathreatenedinvasion,manyyearssinceblownover,thishereservedtobesungonChristmasNight,whichwealwayspassedwithhim,andhesangitwiththefreshnessoftheimpendingevent.Howhiseyeswouldsparklewhenhecametothepassage:——
Wellstillmakeemrun,andwellstillmakeemsweat,
InspiteofthedevilandBrusselsGazette!
WhatistheBrusselsGazettenow?Icry,whileIenditethesetrifles.Hispoorgirlswhoare,Ibelieve,pactofsolidgoodness,willhavetoreceivetheirafflictedmotheratanunsuccessfulhomeinapettyvillagein——shire,whereforyearstheyhavebeenstrugglingtoraiseaGirlsSchoolwithnoeffect.PoordeafRobert(andthelesshopefulforbeingso)isthrownupadeafworld,withouttheforttohisfatheronhisdeath-bedofknowinghimprovidedfor.Theyareleftalmostprovisionless.Somelifeassurancethereis,butIfear,notexceeding.Theirhopesmustbefromyourcorporation,whichtheirfatherhasservedforfiftyyears.WhoorwhatareyourLeadingMembersnow,Iknownot.Isthereany,towhomwithoutimpertinence,youcanrepresentthetruecircumstancesofthefamily?YoucannotsaygoodenoughofpoorR.,andhispoorwife.Obligemeandthedead,ifyoucan.
ＷＷＷ.xiＡosＨuoＴＸＴ.neT>T<>xt<小<>说<>天<>堂<>