the way of all flesh-第14部分

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or　painter　short　of　a　great　master　would　be　able　to　produce。

I　remember　staying　with　Theobald　some　six　or　seven　months　after　he
was　married；　and　while　the　old　church　was　still　standing。　　I　went　to
church；　and　felt　as　Naaman　must　have　felt　on　certain　occasions　when
he　had　to　accompany　his　master　on　his　return　after　having　been　cured
of　his　leprosy。　　I　have　carried　away　a　more　vivid　recollection　of
this　and　of　the　people；　than　of　Theobald's　sermon。　　Even　now　I　can
see　the　men　in　blue　smock　frocks　reaching　to　their　heels；　and　more
than　one　old　woman　in　a　scarlet　cloak；　the　row　of　stolid；　dull；
vacant　plough…boys；　ungainly　in　build；　uncomely　in　face；　lifeless；
apathetic；　a　race　a　good　deal　more　like　the　pre…revolution　French
peasant　as　described　by　Carlyle　than　is　pleasant　to　reflect　upona
race　now　supplanted　by　a　smarter；　comelier　and　more　hopeful
generation；　which　has　discovered　that　it　too　has　a　right　to　as　much
happiness　as　it　can　get；　and　with　clearer　ideas　about　the　best　means
of　getting　it。

They　shamble　in　one　after　another；　with　steaming　breath；　for　it　is
winter；　and　loud　clattering　of　hob…nailed　boots；　they　beat　the　snow
from　off　them　as　they　enter；　and　through　the　opened　door　I　catch　a
momentary　glimpse　of　a　dreary　leaden　sky　and　snow…clad　tombstones。
Somehow　or　other　I　find　the　strain　which　Handel　has　wedded　to　the
words　〃There　the　ploughman　near　at　hand；〃　has　got　into　my　head　and
there　is　no　getting　it　out　again。　　How　marvellously　old　Handel
understood　these　people！

They　bob　to　Theobald　as　they　passed　the　reading　desk　（〃The　people
hereabouts　are　truly　respectful；〃　whispered　Christina　to　me；　〃they
know　their　betters。〃）；　and　take　their　seats　in　a　long　row　against
the　wall。　　The　choir　clamber　up　into　the　gallery　with　their
instrumentsa　violoncello；　a　clarinet　and　a　trombone。　　I　see　them
and　soon　I　hear　them；　for　there　is　a　hymn　before　the　service；　a　wild
strain；　a　remnant；　if　I　mistake　not；　of　some　pre…Reformation　litany。
I　have　heard　what　I　believe　was　its　remote　musical　progenitor　in　the
church　of　SS。　Giovanni　e　Paolo　at　Venice　not　five　years　since；　and
again　I　have　heard　it　far　away　in　mid…Atlantic　upon　a　grey　sea…
Sabbath　in　June；　when　neither　winds　nor　waves　are　stirring；　so　that
the　emigrants　gather　on　deck；　and　their　plaintive　psalm　goes　forth
upon　the　silver　haze　of　the　sky；　and　on　the　wilderness　of　a　sea　that
has　sighed　till　it　can　sigh　no　longer。　　Or　it　may　be　heard　at　some
Methodist　Camp　Meeting　upon　a　Welsh　hillside；　but　in　the　churches　it
is　gone　for　ever。　　If　I　were　a　musician　I　would　take　it　as　the
subject　for　the　adagio　in　a　Wesleyan　symphony。

Gone　now　are　the　clarinet；　the　violoncello　and　the　trombone；　wild
minstrelsy　as　of　the　doleful　creatures　in　Ezekiel；　discordant；　but
infinitely　pathetic。　　Gone　is　that　scarebabe　stentor；　that　bellowing
bull　of　Bashan　the　village　blacksmith；　gone　is　the　melodious
carpenter；　gone　the　brawny　shepherd　with　the　red　hair；　who　roared
more　lustily　than　all；　until　they　came　to　the　words；　〃Shepherds　with
your　flocks　abiding；〃　when　modesty　covered　him　with　confusion；　and
compelled　him　to　be　silent；　as　though　his　own　health　were　being
drunk。　　They　were　doomed　and　had　a　presentiment　of　evil；　even　when
first　I　saw　them；　but　they　had　still　a　little　lease　of　choir　life
remaining；　and　they　roared　out


＇wick…ed　hands　have　pierced　and　nailed　him；　pierced　and　nailed　him
to　a　tree。＇


but　no　description　can　give　a　proper　idea　of　the　effect。　　When　I　was
last　in　Battersby　church　there　was　a　harmonium　played　by　a　sweet…
looking　girl　with　a　choir　of　school　children　around　her；　and　they
chanted　the　canticles　to　the　most　correct　of　chants；　and　they　sang
Hymns　Ancient　and　Modern；　the　high　pews　were　gone；　nay；　the　very
gallery　in　which　the　old　choir　had　sung　was　removed　as　an　accursed
thing　which　might　remind　the　people　of　the　high　places；　and　Theobald
was　old；　and　Christina　was　lying　under　the　yew　trees　in　the
churchyard。

But　in　the　evening　later　on　I　saw　three　very　old　men　come　chuckling
out　of　a　dissenting　chapel；　and　surely　enough　they　were　my　old
friends　the　blacksmith；　the　carpenter　and　the　shepherd。　　There　was　a
look　of　content　upon　their　faces　which　made　me　feel　certain　they　had
been　singing；　not　doubtless　with　the　old　glory　of　the　violoncello；
the　clarinet　and　the　trombone；　but　still　songs　of　Sion　and　no　new
fangled　papistry。



CHAPTER　XV



The　hymn　had　engaged　my　attention；　when　it　was　over　I　had　time　to
take　stock　of　the　congregation。　　They　were　chiefly　farmersfat；
very　well…to…do　folk；　who　had　come　some　of　them　with　their　wives　and
children　from　outlying　farms　two　and　three　miles　away；　haters　of
popery　and　of　anything　which　any　one　might　choose　to　say　was　popish；
good；　sensible　fellows　who　detested　theory　of　any　kind；　whose　ideal
was　the　maintenance　of　the　status　quo　with　perhaps　a　loving
reminiscence　of　old　war　times；　and　a　sense　of　wrong　that　the　weather
was　not　more　completely　under　their　control；　who　desired　higher
prices　and　cheaper　wages；　but　otherwise　were　most　contented　when
things　were　changing　least；　tolerators；　if　not　lovers；　of　all　that
was　familiar；　haters　of　all　that　was　unfamiliar；　they　would　have
been　equally　horrified　at　hearing　the　Christian　religion　doubted；
and　at　seeing　it　practised。

〃What　can　there　be　in　common　between　Theobald　and　his　parishioners？〃
said　Christina　to　me；　in　the　course　of　the　evening；　when　her　husband
was　for　a　few　moments　absent。　　〃Of　course　one　must　not　complain；　but
I　assure　you　it　grieves　me　to　see　a　man　of　Theobald's　ability　thrown
away　upon　such　a　place　as　this。　　If　we　had　only　been　at　Gaysbury；
where　there　are　the　A's；　the　B's；　the　C's；　and　Lord　D's　place；　as
you　know；　quite　close；　I　should　not　then　have　felt　that　we　were
living　in　such　a　desert；　but　I　suppose　it　is　for　the　best；〃　she
added　more　cheerfully；　〃and　then　of　course　the　Bishop　will　come　to
us　whenever　he　is　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　if　we　were　at　Gaysbury
he　might　have　gone　to　Lord　D's。〃

Perhaps　I　have　now　said　enough　to　indicate　the　kind　of　place　in
which　Theobald's　lines　were　cast；　and　the　sort　of　woman　he　had
married。　　As　for　his　own　habits；　I　see　him　trudging　through　muddy
lanes　and　over　long　sweeps　of　plover…haunted　pastures　to　visit　a
dying　cottager's　wife。　　He　takes　her　meat　and　wine　from　his　own
table；　and　that　not　a　little　only　but　liberally。　　According　to　his
lights　also；　he　administers　what　he　is　pleased　to　call　spiritual
consolation。

〃I　am　afraid　I'm　going　to　Hell；　Sir；〃　says　the　sick　woman　with　a
whine。　　〃Oh；　Sir；　save　me；　save　me；　don't　let　me　go　there。　　I
couldn't　stand　it；　Sir；　I　should　die　with　fear；　the　very　thought　of
it　drives　me　into　a　cold　sweat　all　over。〃

〃Mrs　Thompson；〃　says　Theobald　gravely；　〃you　must　have　faith　in　the
precious　blood　of　your　Redeemer；　it　is　He　alone　who　can　save　you。〃

〃But　are　you　sure；　Sir；〃　says　she；　looking　wistfully　at　him；　〃that
He　will　forgive　mefor　I've　not　been　a　very　good　woman；　indeed　I
haven'tand　if　God　would　only　say　'Yes'　outright　with　His　mouth
when　I　ask　whether　my　sins　are　forgiven　me〃

〃But　they　ARE　forgiven　you；　Mrs　Thompson；〃　says　Theobald　with　some
sternness；　for　the　same　ground　has　been　gone　over　a　good　many　times
already；　and　he　has　borne　the　unhappy　woman's　misgivings　now　for　a
full　quarter　of　an　hour。　　Then　he　puts　a　stop　to　the　conversation　by
repeating　prayers　taken　from　the　〃Visitation　of　the　Sick；〃　and
overawes　the　poor　wretch　from　expressing　further　anxiety　as　to　her
condition。

〃Can't　you　tell　me；　Sir；〃　she　exclaims　piteously；　as　she　sees　that
he　is　preparing　to　go　away；　〃can't　you　tell　me　that　there　is　no　Day
of　Judgement；　and　that　there　is　no　such　place　as　Hell？　　I　can　do
without　the　Heaven；　Sir；　but　I　cannot　do　with　the　Hell。〃　　Theobald
is　much　shocked。

〃Mrs　Thompson；〃　he　rejoins　impressively；　〃let　me　implore　you　to
suffer　no　doubt　concerning　these　two　cornerstones　of　our　religion　to
cross　your　mind　at　a　moment　like　the　present。　　If　there　is　one　thing
more　certain　than　another　it　is　that　we　shall　all　appear　before　the
Judgement　Seat　of　Christ；　and　that　the　wicked　will　be　consumed　in　a
lake　of　everlasting　fire。　　Doubt　this；　Mrs　Thompson；　and　you　are
lost。〃

The　poor　woman　buries　her　fevered　head　in　the　coverlet　in　a　paroxysm
of　fear　which　at　last　finds　relief　in　tears。

〃Mrs　Thompson；〃　says　Theobald；　with　his　hand　on　the　door；　〃compose
yourself；　be　calm；　you　must　please　to　take　my　word　for　it　that　at
the　Day　of　Judgement　your　sins　will　be　all　washed　white　in　the　blood
of　the　Lamb；　Mrs　Thompson。　　Yea；〃　he　exclaims　frantically；　〃though
they　be　as　scarlet；　yet　shall　they　be　as　white　as　wool；〃　and　he
makes　off　as　fast　as　he　can　from　the　fetid　atmosphere　of　the　cottage
to　the　pure　air　outside。　　Oh；　how　thankful　he　is　when　the　interview
is　over！

He　returns　home；　conscious　that　he　has　done　his　duty；　and
administered　the　comforts　of　religion　to　a　dying　sinner。　　His
admiring　wife　awaits　him　at　the　Rectory；　and　assures　him　that　never
yet　was　clergyman　so　devoted　to　the　welfare　of　his　flock。　　He
believes　her；　he　has　a　natural　tendency　to　believe　everything　that
is　told　him；　and　who　should　know　the　facts　of　the　case　better　than
his　wife？　　Poor　fellow！　　He　has　done　his　best；　but　what　does　a
fish's　best　come　to　when　the　fish　is　out　of　water？　　He　has　left　meat
and　winethat　he　can　do；　he　will　call　again　and　will　leave　more
meat　and　wine；　day　after　day　he　trudges　over　the　same　plover…haunted
fields；　and　listens　at　the　end　of　his　walk　to　the　same　agony　of
forebodings；　which　day　after　day　he　silences；　but　does　not　remove；
till　at　last　a　merciful　weakness　renders　the　sufferer　careless　of
her　future；　and　Theobald　is　satisfied　that　her　mind　is　now
peacefully　at　rest　in　Jesus。



CHAPTER　XVI



He　does　not　like　this　branch　of　his　professionindeed　he　hates　it
but　will　not　admit　it　to　himself。　　The　habit　of　not　admitting　things
to　himself　has　become　a　confirmed　one　with　him。　　Nevertheless　there
haunts　him　an　ill　defined　sense　that　life　would　be　pleasanter　if
there　were　no　sick　sinners；　or　if　they　would　at　any　rate　face　an
eternity　of　torture　with　more　indifference。　　He　does　not　feel　that
he　is　in　his　element。　　The　farmers　look　as　if　they