the uncommercial traveller-第2部分

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！



upon　them　after　yawning　open；　and　would　keep　them　down。　　A　diver

made　known；　even　then；　that　he　had　come　upon　the　body　of　a　man；　and

had　sought　to　release　it　from　a　great　superincumbent　weight；　but

that；　finding　he　could　not　do　so　without　mutilating　the　remains；　he

had　left　it　where　it　was。



It　was　the　kind　and　wholesome　face　I　have　made　mention　of　as　being

then　beside　me；　that　I　had　purposed　to　myself　to　see；　when　I　left

home　for　Wales。　　I　had　heard　of　that　clergyman；　as　having　buried

many　scores　of　the　shipwrecked　people；　of　his　having　opened　his

house　and　heart　to　their　agonised　friends；　of　his　having　used　a

most　sweet　and　patient　diligence　for　weeks　and　weeks；　in　the

performance　of　the　forlornest　offices　that　Man　can　render　to　his

kind；　of　his　having　most　tenderly　and　thoroughly　devoted　himself　to

the　dead；　and　to　those　who　were　sorrowing　for　the　dead。　　I　had　said

to　myself；　'In　the　Christmas　season　of　the　year；　I　should　like　to

see　that　man！'　　And　he　had　swung　the　gate　of　his　little　garden　in

coming　out　to　meet　me；　not　half　an　hour　ago。



So　cheerful　of　spirit　and　guiltless　of　affectation；　as　true

practical　Christianity　ever　is！　　I　read　more　of　the　New　Testament

in　the　fresh　frank　face　going　up　the　village　beside　me；　in　five

minutes；　than　I　have　read　in　anathematising　discourses　（albeit　put

to　press　with　enormous　flourishing　of　trumpets）；　in　all　my　life。　　I

heard　more　of　the　Sacred　Book　in　the　cordial　voice　that　had　nothing

to　say　about　its　owner；　than　in　all　the　would…be　celestial　pairs　of

bellows　that　have　ever　blown　conceit　at　me。



We　climbed　towards　the　little　church；　at　a　cheery　pace；　among　the

loose　stones；　the　deep　mud；　the　wet　coarse　grass；　the　outlying

water；　and　other　obstructions　from　which　frost　and　snow　had　lately

thawed。　　It　was　a　mistake　（my　friend　was　glad　to　tell　me；　on　the

way）　to　suppose　that　the　peasantry　had　shown　any　superstitious

avoidance　of　the　drowned；　on　the　whole；　they　had　done　very　well；

and　had　assisted　readily。　　Ten　shillings　had　been　paid　for　the

bringing　of　each　body　up　to　the　church；　but　the　way　was　steep；　and

a　horse　and　cart　（in　which　it　was　wrapped　in　a　sheet）　were

necessary；　and　three　or　four　men；　and；　all　things　considered；　it

was　not　a　great　price。　　The　people　were　none　the　richer　for　the

wreck；　for　it　was　the　season　of　the　herring…shoal　…　and　who　could

cast　nets　for　fish；　and　find　dead　men　and　women　in　the　draught？



He　had　the　church　keys　in　his　hand；　and　opened　the　churchyard　gate；

and　opened　the　church　door；　and　we　went　in。



It　is　a　little　church　of　great　antiquity；　there　is　reason　to

believe　that　some　church　has　occupied　the　spot；　these　thousand

years　or　more。　　The　pulpit　was　gone；　and　other　things　usually

belonging　to　the　church　were　gone；　owing　to　its　living　congregation

having　deserted　it　for　the　neighbouring　school…room；　and　yielded　it

up　to　the　dead。　　The　very　Commandments　had　been　shouldered　out　of

their　places；　in　the　bringing　in　of　the　dead；　the　black　wooden

tables　on　which　they　were　painted；　were　askew；　and　on　the　stone

pavement　below　them；　and　on　the　stone　pavement　all　over　the　church；

were　the　marks　and　stains　where　the　drowned　had　been　laid　down。

The　eye；　with　little　or　no　aid　from　the　imagination；　could　yet　see

how　the　bodies　had　been　turned；　and　where　the　head　had　been　and

where　the　feet。　　Some　faded　traces　of　the　wreck　of　the　Australian

ship　may　be　discernible　on　the　stone　pavement　of　this　little

church；　hundreds　of　years　hence；　when　the　digging　for　gold　in

Australia　shall　have　long　and　long　ceased　out　of　the　land。



Forty…four　shipwrecked　men　and　women　lay　here　at　one　time；　awaiting

burial。　　Here；　with　weeping　and　wailing　in　every　room　of　his　house；

my　companion　worked　alone　for　hours；　solemnly　surrounded　by　eyes

that　could　not　see　him；　and　by　lips　that　could　not　speak　to　him；

patiently　examining　the　tattered　clothing；　cutting　off　buttons；

hair；　marks　from　linen；　anything　that　might　lead　to　subsequent

identification；　studying　faces；　looking　for　a　scar；　a　bent　finger；

a　crooked　toe；　comparing　letters　sent　to　him　with　the　ruin　about

him。　　'My　dearest　brother　had　bright　grey　eyes　and　a　pleasant

smile；'　one　sister　wrote。　　O　poor　sister！　well　for　you　to　be　far

from　here；　and　keep　that　as　your　last　remembrance　of　him！



The　ladies　of　the　clergyman's　family；　his　wife　and　two　sisters…in…

law；　came　in　among　the　bodies　often。　　It　grew　to　be　the　business　of

their　lives　to　do　so。　　Any　new　arrival　of　a　bereaved　woman　would

stimulate　their　pity　to　compare　the　description　brought；　with　the

dread　realities。　　Sometimes；　they　would　go　back　able　to　say；　'I

have　found　him；'　or；　'I　think　she　lies　there。'　　Perhaps；　the

mourner；　unable　to　bear　the　sight　of　all　that　lay　in　the　church；

would　be　led　in　blindfold。　　Conducted　to　the　spot　with　many

compassionate　words；　and　encouraged　to　look；　she　would　say；　with　a

piercing　cry；　'This　is　my　boy！'　and　drop　insensible　on　the

insensible　figure。



He　soon　observed　that　in　some　cases　of　women；　the　identification　of

persons；　though　complete；　was　quite　at　variance　with　the　marks　upon

the　linen；　this　led　him　to　notice　that　even　the　marks　upon　the

linen　were　sometimes　inconsistent　with　one　another；　and　thus　he

came　to　understand　that　they　had　dressed　in　great　haste　and

agitation；　and　that　their　clothes　had　become　mixed　together。　　The

identification　of　men　by　their　dress；　was　rendered　extremely

difficult；　in　consequence　of　a　large　proportion　of　them　being

dressed　alike　…　in　clothes　of　one　kind；　that　is　to　say；　supplied　by

slopsellers　and　outfitters；　and　not　made　by　single　garments　but　by

hundreds。　　Many　of　the　men　were　bringing　over　parrots；　and　had

receipts　upon　them　for　the　price　of　the　birds；　others　had　bills　of

exchange　in　their　pockets；　or　in　belts。　　Some　of　these　documents；

carefully　unwrinkled　and　dried；　were　little　less　fresh　in

appearance　that　day；　than　the　present　page　will　be　under　ordinary

circumstances；　after　having　been　opened　three　or　four　times。



In　that　lonely　place；　it　had　not　been　easy　to　obtain　even　such

common　commodities　in　towns；　as　ordinary　disinfectants。　　Pitch　had

been　burnt　in　the　church；　as　the　readiest　thing　at　hand；　and　the

frying…pan　in　which　it　had　bubbled　over　a　brazier　of　coals　was

still　there；　with　its　ashes。　　Hard　by　the　Communion…Table；　were

some　boots　that　had　been　taken　off　the　drowned　and　preserved　…　a

gold…digger's　boot；　cut　down　the　leg　for　its　removal　…　a　trodden…

down　man's　ankle…boot　with　a　buff　cloth　top　…　and　others　…　soaked

and　sandy；　weedy　and　salt。



From　the　church；　we　passed　out　into　the　churchyard。　　Here；　there

lay；　at　that　time；　one　hundred　and　forty…five　bodies；　that　had　come

ashore　from　the　wreck。　　He　had　buried　them；　when　not　identified；　in

graves　containing　four　each。　　He　had　numbered　each　body　in　a

register　describing　it；　and　had　placed　a　corresponding　number　on

each　coffin；　and　over　each　grave。　　Identified　bodies　he　had　buried

singly；　in　private　graves；　in　another　part　of　the　church…yard。

Several　bodies　had　been　exhumed　from　the　graves　of　four；　as

relatives　had　come　from　a　distance　and　seen　his　register；　and；　when

recognised；　these　have　been　reburied　in　private　graves；　so　that　the

mourners　might　erect　separate　headstones　over　the　remains。　　In　all

such　cases　he　had　performed　the　funeral　service　a　second　time；　and

the　ladies　of　his　house　had　attended。　　There　had　been　no　offence　in

the　poor　ashes　when　they　were　brought　again　to　the　light　of　day；

the　beneficent　Earth　had　already　absorbed　it。　　The　drowned　were

buried　in　their　clothes。　　To　supply　the　great　sudden　demand　for

coffins；　he　had　got　all　the　neighbouring　people　handy　at　tools；　to

work　the　livelong　day；　and　Sunday　likewise。　　The　coffins　were

neatly　formed；　…　I　had　seen　two；　waiting　for　occupants；　under　the

lee　of　the　ruined　walls　of　a　stone　hut　on　the　beach；　within　call　of

the　tent　where　the　Christmas　Feast　was　held。　　Similarly；　one　of　the

graves　for　four　was　lying　open　and　ready；　here；　in　the　churchyard。

So　much　of　the　scanty　space　was　already　devoted　to　the　wrecked

people；　that　the　villagers　had　begun　to　express　uneasy　doubts

whether　they　themselves　could　lie　in　their　own　ground；　with　their

forefathers　and　descendants；　by…and…by。　　The　churchyard　being　but　a

step　from　the　clergyman's　dwelling…house；　we　crossed　to　the　latter；

the　white　surplice　was　hanging　up　near　the　door　ready　to　be　put　on

at　any　time；　for　a　funeral　service。



The　cheerful　earnestness　of　this　good　Christian　minister　was　as

consolatory；　as　the　circumstances　out　of　which　it　shone　were　sad。

I　never　have　seen　anything　more　delightfully　genuine　than　the　calm

dismissal　by　himself　and　his　household　of　all　they　had　undergone；

as　a　simple　duty　that　was　quietly　done　and　ended。　　In　speaking　of

it；　they　spoke　of　it　with　great　compassion　for　the　bereaved；　but

laid　no　stress　upon　their　own　hard　share　in　those　weary　weeks；

except　as　it　had　attached　many　people　to　them　as　friends；　and

elicited　many　touching　expressions　of　gratitude。　　This　clergyman's

brother　…　himself　the　clergyman　of　two　adjoining　parishes；　who　had

buried　thirty…four　of　the　bodies　in　his　own　churchyard；　and　who　had

done　to　them　all　that　his　brother　had　done　as　to　the　larger　number

…　must　be　understood　as　included　in　the　family。　　He　was　there；　with

his　neatly　arranged　papers；　and　made　no　more　account　of　his　trouble

than　anybody　else　did。　　Down　to　yesterday's　post　outward；　my

clergyman　alone　had　written　one　thousand　and　seventy…five　letters

to　relatives　and　friends　of　the　lost　people。　　In　the　absence　of

self…assertion；　it　was　only　through　my　now　and　then　delicately

putting　a　question　as　the　occasion　arose；　that　I　became　informed　of

these　things。　　It　was　only　when　I　had　remarked　again　and　again；　in

the　church；　on　the　awful　nature　of　the　scene　of　death　he　had　been

required　so　closely　to　familiarise　himself　with　for　the　soothing　of

the　living；　that　he　had　cas