the way of all flesh-第23部分

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affectionate　and　attentive　to　his　wishes；　upright；　self…denying　and
diligent；　let　him　never　blush　for　or　grieve　over　the　sins　and
follies　of　those　who　owe　him　such　a　debt　of　gratitude；　and　whose
first　duty　it　is　to　study　his　happiness。　　You　have　both　of　you　a
name　which　must　not　be　disgraced；　a　father　and　a　grandfather　of　whom
to　show　yourselves　worthy；　your　respectability　and　well…doing　in
life　rest　mainly　with　yourselves；　but　far；　far　beyond　earthly
respectability　and　well…doing；　and　compared　with　which　they　are　as
nothing；　your　eternal　happiness　rests　with　yourselves。　　You　know
your　duty；　but　snares　and　temptations　from　without　beset　you；　and
the　nearer　you　approach　to　manhood　the　more　strongly　will　you　feel
this。　　With　God's　help；　with　God's　word；　and　with　humble　hearts　you
will　stand　in　spite　of　everything；　but　should　you　leave　off　seeking
in　earnest　for　the　first；　and　applying　to　the　second；　should　you
learn　to　trust　in　yourselves；　or　to　the　advice　and　example　of　too
many　around　you；　you　will；　you　must　fall。　　Oh；　'let　God　be　true　and
every　man　a　liar。'　　He　says　you　cannot　serve　Him　and　Mammon。　　He
says　that　strait　is　the　gate　that　leads　to　eternal　life。　　Many　there
are　who　seek　to　widen　it；　they　will　tell　you　that　such　and　such
self…indulgences　are　but　venial　offencesthat　this　and　that　worldly
compliance　is　excusable　and　even　necessary。　　The　thing　CANNOT　BE；
for　in　a　hundred　and　a　hundred　places　He　tells　you　solook　to　your
Bibles　and　seek　there　whether　such　counsel　is　trueand　if　not；　oh；
'halt　not　between　two　opinions；'　if　God　is　the　Lord　follow　Him；　only
be　strong　and　of　a　good　courage；　and　He　will　never　leave　you　nor
forsake　you。　　Remember；　there　is　not　in　the　Bible　one　law　for　the
rich；　and　one　for　the　poorone　for　the　educated　and　one　for　the
ignorant。　　To　ALL　there　is　but　one　thing　needful。　　ALL　are　to　be
living　to　God　and　their　fellow…creatures；　and　not　to　themselves。
ALL　must　seek　first　the　Kingdom　of　God　and　His　righteousnessmust
DENY　THEMSELVES；　be　pure　and　chaste　and　charitable　in　the　fullest
and　widest　senseall；　'forgetting　those　things　that　are　behind；'
must　'press　forward　towards　the　mark；　for　the　prize　of　the　high
calling　of　God。'

〃And　now　I　will　add　but　two　things　more。　　Be　true　through　life　to
each　other；　love　as　only　brothers　should　do；　strengthen；　warn；
encourage　one　another；　and　let　who　will　be　against　you；　let　each
feel　that　in　his　brother　he　has　a　firm　and　faithful　friend　who　will
be　so　to　the　end；　and；　oh！　be　kind　and　watchful　over　your　dear
sister；　without　mother　or　sisters　she　will　doubly　need　her　brothers'
love　and　tenderness　and　confidence。　　I　am　certain　she　will　seek
them；　and　will　love　you　and　try　to　make　you　happy；　be　sure　then　that
you　do　not　fail　her；　and　remember；　that　were　she　to　lose　her　father
and　remain　unmarried；　she　would　doubly　need　protectors。　　To　you；
then；　I　especially　commend　her。　　Oh！　my　three　darling　children；　be
true　to　each　other；　your　Father；　and　your　God。　　May　He　guide　and
bless　you；　and　grant　that　in　a　better　and　happier　world　I　and　mine
may　meet　again。Your　most　affectionate　mother；

CHRISTINA　PONTIFEX。〃


From　enquiries　I　have　made；　I　have　satisfied　myself　that　most
mothers　write　letters　like　this　shortly　before　their　confinements；
and　that　fifty　per　cent。　keep　them　afterwards；　as　Christina　did。



CHAPTER　XXVI



The　foregoing　letter　shows　how　much　greater　was　Christina's　anxiety
for　the　eternal　than　for　the　temporal　welfare　of　her　sons。　　One
would　have　thought　she　had　sowed　enough　of　such　religious　wild　oats
by　this　time；　but　she　had　plenty　still　to　sow。　　To　me　it　seems　that
those　who　are　happy　in　this　world　are　better　and　more　lovable　people
than　those　who　are　not；　and　that　thus　in　the　event　of　a　Resurrection
and　Day　of　Judgement；　they　will　be　the　most　likely　to　be　deemed
worthy　of　a　heavenly　mansion。　　Perhaps　a　dim　unconscious　perception
of　this　was　the　reason　why　Christina　was　so　anxious　for　Theobald's
earthly　happiness；　or　was　it　merely　due　to　a　conviction　that　his
eternal　welfare　was　so　much　a　matter　of　course；　that　it　only
remained　to　secure　his　earthly　happiness？　　He　was　to　〃find　his　sons
obedient；　affectionate；　attentive　to　his　wishes；　self…denying　and
diligent；〃　a　goodly　string　forsooth　of　all　the　virtues　most
convenient　to　parents；　he　was　never　to　have　to　blush　for　the　follies
of　those　〃who　owed　him　such　a　debt　of　gratitude；〃　and　〃whose　first
duty　it　was　to　study　his　happiness。〃　　How　like　maternal　solicitude
is　this！　　Solicitude　for　the　most　part　lest　the　offspring　should
come　to　have　wishes　and　feelings　of　its　own；　which　may　occasion　many
difficulties；　fancied　or　real。　　It　is　this　that　is　at　the　bottom　of
the　whole　mischief；　but　whether　this　last　proposition　is　granted　or
no；　at　any　rate　we　observe　that　Christina　had　a　sufficiently　keen
appreciation　of　the　duties　of　children　towards　their　parents；　and
felt　the　task　of　fulfilling　them　adequately　to　be　so　difficult　that
she　was　very　doubtful　how　far　Ernest　and　Joey　would　succeed　in
mastering　it。　　It　is　plain　in　fact　that　her　supposed　parting　glance
upon　them　was　one　of　suspicion。　　But　there　was　no　suspicion　of
Theobald；　that　he　should　have　devoted　his　life　to　his　childrenwhy
this　was　such　a　mere　platitude；　as　almost　to　go　without　saying。

How；　let　me　ask；　was　it　possible　that　a　child　only　a　little　past
five　years　old；　trained　in　such　an　atmosphere　of　prayers　and　hymns
and　sums　and　happy　Sunday　eveningsto　say　nothing　of　daily　repeated
beatings　over　the　said　prayers　and　hymns；　etc。；　about　which　our
authoress　is　silenthow　was　it　possible　that　a　lad　so　trained
should　grow　up　in　any　healthy　or　vigorous　development；　even　though
in　her　own　way　his　mother　was　undoubtedly　very　fond　of　him；　and
sometimes　told　him　stories？　　Can　the　eye　of　any　reader　fail　to
detect　the　coming　wrath　of　God　as　about　to　descend　upon　the　head　of
him　who　should　be　nurtured　under　the　shadow　of　such　a　letter　as　the
foregoing？

I　have　often　thought　that　the　Church　of　Rome　does　wisely　in　not
allowing　her　priests　to　marry。　　Certainly　it　is　a　matter　of　common
observation　in　England　that　the　sons　of　clergymen　are　frequently
unsatisfactory。　　The　explanation　is　very　simple；　but　is　so　often
lost　sight　of　that　I　may　perhaps　be　pardoned　for　giving　it　here。

The　clergyman　is　expected　to　be　a　kind　of　human　Sunday。　　Things　must
not　be　done　in　him　which　are　venial　in　the　week…day　classes。　　He　is
paid　for　this　business　of　leading　a　stricter　life　than　other　people。
It　is　his　raison　d'etre。　　If　his　parishioners　feel　that　he　does
this；　they　approve　of　him；　for　they　look　upon　him　as　their　own
contribution　towards　what　they　deem　a　holy　life。　　This　is　why　the
clergyman　is　so　often　called　a　vicarhe　being　the　person　whose
vicarious　goodness　is　to　stand　for　that　of　those　entrusted　to　his
charge。　　But　his　home　is　his　castle　as　much　as　that　of　any　other
Englishman；　and　with　him；　as　with　others；　unnatural　tension　in
public　is　followed　by　exhaustion　when　tension　is　no　longer
necessary。　　His　children　are　the　most　defenceless　things　he　can
reach；　and　it　is　on　them　in　nine　cases　out　of　ten　that　he　will
relieve　his　mind。

A　clergyman；　again；　can　hardly　ever　allow　himself　to　look　facts
fairly　in　the　face。　　It　is　his　profession　to　support　one　side；　it　is
impossible；　therefore；　for　him　to　make　an　unbiassed　examination　of
the　other。

We　forget　that　every　clergyman　with　a　living　or　curacy；　is　as　much　a
paid　advocate　as　the　barrister　who　is　trying　to　persuade　a　jury　to
acquit　a　prisoner。　　We　should　listen　to　him　with　the　same　suspense
of　judgment；　the　same　full　consideration　of　the　arguments　of　the
opposing　counsel；　as　a　judge　does　when　he　is　trying　a　case。　　Unless
we　know　these；　and　can　state　them　in　a　way　that　our　opponents　would
admit　to　be　a　fair　representation　of　their　views；　we　have　no　right
to　claim　that　we　have　formed　an　opinion　at　all。　　The　misfortune　is
that　by　the　law　of　the　land　one　side　only　can　be　heard。

Theobald　and　Christina　were　no　exceptions　to　the　general　rule。　　When
they　came　to　Battersby　they　had　every　desire　to　fulfil　the　duties　of
their　position；　and　to　devote　themselves　to　the　honour　and　glory　of
God。　　But　it　was　Theobald's　duty　to　see　the　honour　and　glory　of　God
through　the　eyes　of　a　Church　which　had　lived　three　hundred　years
without　finding　reason　to　change　a　single　one　of　its　opinions。

I　should　doubt　whether　he　ever　got　as　far　as　doubting　the　wisdom　of
his　Church　upon　any　single　matter。　　His　scent　for　possible　mischief
was　tolerably　keen；　so　was　Christina's；　and　it　is　likely　that　if
either　of　them　detected　in　him　or　herself　the　first　faint　symptoms
of　a　want　of　faith　they　were　nipped　no　less　peremptorily　in　the　bud；
than　signs　of　self…will　in　Ernest　wereand　I　should　imagine　more
successfully。　　Yet　Theobald　considered　himself；　and　was　generally
considered　to　be；　and　indeed　perhaps　was；　an　exceptionally　truthful
person；　indeed　he　was　generally　looked　upon　as　an　embodiment　of　all
those　virtues　which　make　the　poor　respectable　and　the　rich
respected。　　In　the　course　of　time　he　and　his　wife　became　persuaded
even　to　unconsciousness；　that　no　one　could　even　dwell　under　their
roof　without　deep　cause　for　thankfulness。　　Their　children；　their
servants；　their　parishioners　must　be　fortunate　ipso　facto　that　they
were　theirs。　　There　was　no　road　to　happiness　here　or　hereafter；　but
the　road　that　they　had　themselves　travelled；　no　good　people　who　did
not　think　as　they　did　upon　every　subject；　and　no　reasonable　person
who　had　wants　the　gratification　of　which　would　be　inconvenient　to
themTheobald　and　Christina。

This　was　how　it　came　to　pass　that　their　children　were　white　and
puny；　they　were　suffering　from　HOME…SICKNESS。　　They　were　starving；
through　being　over…crammed　with　the　wrong　things。　　Nature　came　down
upon　them；　but　she　did　not　come　down　on　Theobald　and　Christina。　　Why
should　she？　　They　were　not　leading　a　starved　existence。　　There　are
two　classes　of　people　in　this　world；　those　who　sin；　and　those　who
are　sinned　against；　if　a　man　must　belong　to　either；　he　had　better
belong　to　the　first　than　to　the　second。



CHAPTER　XXVII



I　will　give　no　more　of　the　details　of　my　hero's　earlier　years。
Enough　that　he　struggle