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1、THELAMPLIGHTERTHELAMPLIGHTER1THELAMPLIGHTER'IfyoutalkofMurphyandFrancisMoore,gentlemen,'saidthelamplighterwhowasinthechair,'Imeantosaythatneitherof'emeverhadanymoretodowiththestarsthanTomGrighad.''AndwhathadHEtodowith'em?'askedthelamplighterwhoofficiatedasvice.'Nothingatall,'repliedtheother;'just
2、exactlynothingatall.''Doyoumeantosayyoudon'tbelieveinMurphy,then?'demandedthelamplighterwhohadopenedthediscussion.'ImeantosayIbelieveinTomGrig,'repliedthechairman.'WhetherIbelieveinMurphy,ornot,isamatterbetweenmeandmyconscience;andwhetherMurphybelievesinhimself,ornot,isamatterbetweenhimandhiscons
3、cience.Gentlemen,Idrinkyourhealths.'Thelamplighterwhodidthecompanythishonour,wasseatedinthechimney-cornerofacertaintavern,whichhasbeen,timeoutofmind,theLamplighters'HouseofCall.Hesatinthemidstofacircleoflamplighters,andwasthecacique,orchiefofthetribe.Ifanyofourreadershavehadthegoodfortunetobehold
4、alamplighter'sfuneral,theywillnotbesurprisedtolearnthatlamplightersareastrangeandprimitivepeople;thattheyrigidlyadheretooldceremoniesandcustomswhichhavebeenhandeddownamongthemfromfathertosonsincethefirstpubliclampwaslightedoutofdoors;thattheyintermarry,andbetroththeirchildrenininfancy;thattheyent
5、erintonoplotsorconspiracies(forwhoeverheardofatraitorouslamplighter?);thattheycommitnocrimesagainstthelawsoftheircountry(therebeingnoinstanceofamurderousorburglariouslamplighter);thattheyare,inshort,notwithstandingtheirapparentlyvolatileandrestlesscharacter,ahighlymoralandreflectivepeople:havinga
6、mongthemselvesasmanytraditionalobservancesastheJews,andbeing,asabody,ifnotasoldasthehills,atleastasoldasthestreets.Itisanarticleoftheircreedthatthefirstfaintglimmeringoftruecivilisationshoneinthefirststreet-lightmaintainedatthepublicexpense.Theytracetheirexistenceandhighpositioninthepublicesteem,
7、inadirectlinetotheheathenmythology;andholdthatthehistoryofPrometheushimselfisbutapleasantfable,whereofthetrueheroisalamplighter.2THELAMPLIGHTER'Gentlemen,'saidthelamplighterinthechair,'Idrinkyourhealths.''Andperhaps,Si
