OldCha
查尔斯·兰姆/CharlesLab
Ihaveanalostfeepartialityforoldcha.WhenIgotoseeanygreathoe，Iquireforthechacloset，aforthepicturegallery.Iotdefendtheorderofpreference，butbysaygthatwehaveallsotasteorother，oftooaadatetoaditofourrebergdistctlythatitwasanacquiredone.Icalltodthef？irstpy，andthef？irstexhibition，thatIwastakento；butIanotnscioofatiwhenchajarsandsaucersweretroducedtoyiagation.
Ihadnhen—whyshouldInowhave？—tothoselittle，wless，azure-tcturedgrotesques，thatuhenotionofnandwonf？loatabout，uncirccribedbya，thatworldbeforeperspective—achateacup.
Iliketoseeyoldfriends—whodistadiish—f？igurguptheair(sotheyappeartoouroptics)，yetonterraf？irastill—forsoweturtesyterpretthatspeckofdeeperbe，whichthederoartist，topreventabsurdity，hadadetupbehtheirsandals.
Ilovethenwithwon’sfaces，andthewon，ifpossible，withstillorewoanishexpressions.
Hereisayoungandurtlyandar，handgteatoadyfroasalver—oilesoff.Seehowdistanceseestosetoffrespect！Ahesady，oranother—forlikenessisidentityonteacups—issteppgtoalittlefairyboat，ooredohersideofthiscalgardenriver，withadatycgfoot，whicharightangleofce(asanglesgoourworld)tfalliblyheidstofaf？loweryad—furlongoffohersideofthesastrarea！
Fartheron—iffarornearidatosphereoff？eCathay.
Iotgouttoysteveng，overourHyson(whichweareold-fashionedenoughtodrkuillofanafternoon)，soofthesespeciosairacuuponasetofextraordaryoldbecha(aretpurchase)whichwewerenowforthef？irsttig；anduldnothelprearkghowfavorablecirceshadbeentoofteyearsthatweuldaffordtopleasetheeyesotiswithtrif？lesofthissort—whenapassgsentioovershadethebrowsofypanion.IaquickatdetectgthesesurcloudsBridget.
“Iwishthegoodoldtiswouldeaga，”shesaid，“whenwewerenotquitesorich.IdonotanthatIwanttobepoor；buttherewasaiddlestate”—sosheleasedtorableon—“whichIasurewewereagreatdealhappier.Apurchaseisbutapurchase，nowthatyouhaveoneyenoughandtospare.Forrlyitedtobeatriuph.Wheedacheapxury(and，O！HowuchadoIhadtogetyoutothosetis！)—wewereedtohaveadebateoorthreedaysbefore，andtoweightheforandagast，andthkwhatweightspareitoutof，andwhatsavgweuldhitupon，thatshouldbeanequivalent.Athgwasworthbuygthen，whenwefelttheohatwepaidforit.
“Doyoureberthebrownsuit，whichyouadetohanguponyou，tillallyourfriendscriedshauponyou，itgrewsothreadbare—andallbecaeofthatfolioBeauontandF？letcher，whichyedhoteatnightfroBarker’stGarden？Doyoureberhowweeyeditforweeksbeforeweuldakeupourdstothepurchase，andhadoadeterationtillitwaseno’clockoftheSaturdaynight，whenyousetofffrolslgton，feargyoushouldbetoote—andwhentheoldbooksellerwithsopenedhisshop，andbytheklgtaper(forhewassettgbedwards)lightedouttherelicfrohisdtytreasures—andwhenyouggeditho，wishgitwereiceascuberso—andwhenyoupreseto—andwhenwewereexpltheperfeessofit(ltg，youcalledit)—andwhileIwasrepairgsooftheselooseleaveswithpaste，whichyouripatiencewouldnotsuffertobelefttilldaybreak—wastherenopleasurebegapooran？Orthosebckclotheswhichyouwearnow，andaresocarefultokeepbrhed，scewehavebeeridf？ical，giveyouhalfthehovanitywithwhichyouf？uaboutthatoverwornsuit—youroldrbeau—forfourorf？iveweekslohanyoushouldhavedoopacifyyournscefortheightysuoff？ifteen—orsixteenshillgswasit？—agreataffairwethoughtitthen—whichyouhadvishedontheoldfolio.Nowyouaffordtobuyanybookthatpleasesyou，butIdonotseethatyoueverbrghoanyniceoldpurchasesnow.
“WhenyoucahowithentyapologiesfoutalessnuberofshillgsuponthatprtafterLeonardo，whichwechristehe‘LadyBnch’；whenyoulookatthepurchase，andthoughtoftheoney—andthoughtoftheoney，andlookedagaatthepicture—wastherenopleasurebegapooran？Now，youhavenothgtodobuttowalktoaghi’s，andbuyawildernessofLeonardos.Yetdoyou？