A cheerful temper 好心情

ACHEERFULTEMPER好心情

FROMmyfatherIreceivedthebestinheritance,namelya"goodtemper.""Andwhowasmyfather?"Thathasnothingtodowiththegoodtemper;butIwillsayhewaslively,good-lookinground,andfat;hewasbothinappearanceandcharacteracompletecontradictiontohisprofession."Andpraywhatwashisprofessionandhisstandinginrespectablesociety?"Well,perhaps,ifinthebeginningofabookthesewerewrittenandprinted,many,whentheyreadit,wouldlaythebookdownandsay,"Itseemstomeaverymiserabletitle,Idon’tlikethingsofthissort."Andyetmyfatherwasnotaskin-dressernoranexecutioner;onthecontrary,hisemploymentplacedhimattheheadofthegrandestpeopleofthetown,anditwashisplacebyright.Hehadtoprecedethebishop,andeventheprincesoftheblood;healwayswentfirst,-hewasahearsedriver!There,now,thetruthisout.AndIwillown,thatwhenpeoplesawmyfatherperchedupinfrontoftheomnibusofdeath,dressedinhislong,wide,blackcloak,andhisblack-edged,three-corneredhatonhishead,andthenglancedathisround,jocundface,roundasthesun,theycouldnotthinkmuchofsorroworthegrave.Thatfacesaid,"Itisnothing,itwillallendbetterthanpeoplethink."SoIhaveinheritedfromhim,notonlymygoodtemper,butahabitofgoingoftentothechurchyard,whichisgood,whendoneinaproperhumor;andthenalsoItakeintheIntelligencer,justasheusedtodo.
Iamnotveryyoung,Ihaveneitherwifenorchildren,noralibrary,but,asIsaid,IreadtheIntelligencer,whichisenoughforme;itistomeadelightfulpaper,andsoitwastomyfather.Itisofgreatuse,foritcontainsallthatamanrequirestoknow;thenamesofthepreachersatthechurch,andthenewbookswhicharepublished;wherehouses,servants,clothes,andprovisionsmaybeobtained.Andthenwhatanumberofsubscriptionstocharities,andwhatinnocentverses!Personsseekinginterviewsandengagements,allsoplainlyandnaturallystated.Certainly,amanwhotakesintheIntelligencermaylivemerrilyandbeburiedcontentedly,andbytheendofhislifewillhavesuchacapitalstockofpaperthathecanlieonasoftbedofit,unlesshepreferswoodshavingsforhisresting-place.Thenewspaperandthechurchyardwerealwaysexcitingobjectstome.Mywalkstothelatterwerelikebathing-placestomygoodhumor.Everyonecanreadthenewspaperforhimself,butcomewithmetothechurchyardwhilethesunshinesandthetreesaregreen,andletuswanderamongthegraves.Eachofthemislikeaclosedbook,withthebackuppermost,onwhichwecanreadthetitleofwhatthebookcontains,butnothingmore.Ihadagreatdealofinformationfrommyfather,andIhavenoticedagreatdealmyself.Ikeepitinmydiary,inwhichIwriteformyownuseandpleasureahistoryofallwholiehere,andafewmorebeside.
Nowweareinthechurchyard.Here,behindthewhiteironrailings,oncearose-treegrew;itisgonenow,butalittlebitofevergreen,fromaneighboringgrave,stretchesoutitsgreentendrils,andmakessomeappearance;thererestsaveryunhappyman,andyetwhilehelivedhemightbesaidtooccupyaverygoodposition.Hehadenoughtoliveupon,andsomethingtospare;butowingtohisrefinedtastestheleastthingintheworldannoyedhim.Ifhewenttoatheatreofanevening,insteadofenjoyinghimselfhewouldbequiteannoyedifthemachinisthadputtoostrongalightintoonesideofthemoon,oriftherepresentationsoftheskyhungoverthesceneswhentheyoughttohavehungbehindthem;orifapalm-treewasintroducedintoascenerepresentingtheZoologicalGardensofBerlin,oracactusinaviewofTyrol,orabeech-treeinthenorthofNorway.Asifthesethingswereofanyconsequence!Whydidhenotleavethemalone?Whowouldtroublethemselvesaboutsuchtrifles?especiallyatacomedy,whereeveryoneisexpectedtobeamused.Thensometimesthepublicapplaudedtoomuch,ortoolittle,topleasehim."Theyarelikewetwood,"hewouldsay,lookingroundtoseewhatsortofpeoplewerepresent,"thisevening;nothingfiresthem."Thenhewouldvexandfrethimselfbecausetheydidnotlaughattherighttime,orbecausetheylaughedinthewrongplaces;andsohefrettedandworriedhimselftillatlasttheunhappymanfrettedhimselfintothegrave.
Hererestsahappyman,thatistosay,amanofhighbirthandposition,whichwasveryluckyforhim,otherwisehewouldhavebeenscarcelyworthnotice.Itisbeautifultoobservehowwiselynatureordersthesethings.Hewalkedaboutinacoatembroideredallover,andinthedrawing-roomsofsocietylookedjustlikeoneofthoserichpearl-embroideredbell-pulls,whichareonlymadeforshow;andbehindthemalwayshangsagoodthickcordforuse.Thismanalsohadastout,usefulsubstitutebehindhim,whodiddutyforhim,andperformedallhisdirtywork.Andtherearestill,evennow,theseserviceablecordsbehindotherembroideredbell-ropes.
Itisallsowiselyarranged,thatamanmaywellbeinagoodhumor.Hererests,-ah,itmakesonefeelmournfultothinkofhim!-buthererestsamanwho,duringsixty-sevenyears,wasneverrememberedtohavesaidagoodthing;helivedonlyinthehopeofhavingagoodidea.Atlasthefeltconvinced,inhisownmind,thathereallyhadone,andwassodelightedthathepositivelydiedofjoyatthethoughtofhavingatlastcaughtanidea.Nobodygotanythingbyit;indeed,nooneevenheardwhatthegoodthingwas.NowIcanimaginethatthissameideamaypreventhimfromrestingquietlyinhisgrave;forsupposethattoproduceagoodeffect,itisnecessarytobringouthisnewideaatbreakfast,andthathecanonlymakehisappearanceonearthatmidnight,asghostsarebelievedgenerallytodo;whythenthisgoodideawouldnotsuitthehour,andthemanwouldhavetocarryitdownagainwithhimintothegrave-thatmustbeatroubledgrave.
Thewomanwholiesherewassoremarkablystingy,thatduringherlifeshewouldgetupinthenightandmew,thatherneighborsmightthinkshekeptacat.Whatamisershewas!
Hererestsayounglady,ofagoodfamily,whowouldalwaysmakehervoiceheardinsociety,andwhenshesang"Mimancalavoce,"*itwastheonlytruethingsheeversaidinherlife.
"Iwantavoice,"or,"Ihavenovoice."
Hereliesamaidenofanotherdescription.Shewasengagedtobemarried,-but,herstoryisoneofevery-daylife;wewillleavehertorestinthegrave.Hererestsawidow,who,withmusicinhertongue,carriedgallinherheart.Sheusedtogoroundamongthefamiliesnear,andsearchouttheirfaults,uponwhichshepreyedwithalltheenvyandmaliceofhernature.Thisisafamilygrave.
Themembersofthisfamilyheldsofirmlytogetherintheiropinions,thattheywouldbelieveinnoother.Ifthenewspapers,oreventhewholeworld,saidofacertainsubject,"Itisso-and-so;"andalittleschoolboydeclaredhehadlearnedquitedifferently,theywouldtakehisassertionastheonlytrueone,becausehebelongedtothefamily.Anditiswellknownthatiftheyard-cockbelongingtothisfamilyhappenedtocrowatmidnight,theywoulddeclareitwasmorning,althoughthewatchmanandalltheclocksinthetownwereproclaimingthehouroftwelveatnight.
ThegreatpoetGoetheconcludeshisFaustwiththewords,"maybecontinued;"somightourwanderingsinthechurchyardbecontinued.Icomehereoften,andifanyofmyfriends,orthosewhoarenotmyfriends,aretoomuchforme,Igooutandchooseaplotofgroundinwhichtoburyhimorher.ThenIburythem,asitwere;theretheylie,deadandpowerless,tilltheycomebacknewandbettercharacters.Theirlivesandtheirdeeds,lookedataftermyownfashion,Iwritedowninmydiary,aseveryoneoughttodo.Then,ifanyofourfriendsactabsurdly,nooneneedtobevexedaboutit.Letthemburytheoffendersoutofsight,andkeeptheirgoodtemper.TheycanalsoreadtheIntelligencer,whichisapaperwrittenbythepeople,withtheirhandsguided.Whenthetimecomesforthehistoryofmylife,tobeboundbythegrave,thentheywillwriteuponitasmyepitaph-"Themanwithacheerfultemper."Andthisismystory.

THEEND