osc.am1.seventhson-第7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！
a day； and by rights he should be here。
〃What； is he ill？〃 asked Thrower。
Faith tightened her lips。 〃When I say he won't e； Reverend Thrower； it's not to say he can't e。〃
It confirmed Thrower's gathering suspicions。 〃Have I offended him somewise？〃
Faith sighed and looked away from him； toward the posts and beams of the meetinghouse。 〃Not you yourself； sir； not the way a man treads on another； as they say。〃
Abruptly she became alert。 〃Now what is that？〃
Right up against the building； most of the men were tying ropes to the north half of the ridgebeam； so they could lift it into place。 It was a tricky job； and all the harder because of the little boys wrestling each other in the dust and getting underfoot。 It was the wrestlers that had caught her eye。
〃Al！〃 cried Faith。 〃Alvin Junior； you let him up this minute！〃 She took two strides toward the cloud of dust that marked the heroic struggles of the six…year…olds。
Reverend Thrower was not inclined to let her end the conversation so easily。 〃Mistress Faith；〃 said Reverend Thrower sharply。 〃Alvin Miller is the first settler in these parts； and people hold him in high regard。 If he's against me for some reason； it will greatly harm my ministry。 At least you can tell me what I did to give offense。〃
Faith looked him in the eye； as if to calculate whether he could stand to hear the truth。 〃It was your foolish sermon； sir；〃 she said。
〃Foolish？〃
〃You couldn't know any better； being from England； and〃
〃From Scotland； Mistress Faith。〃
〃And being how you're educated in schools where they don't know much about〃
〃The University of Edinburgh！ Don't know much indeed； I〃
〃About hexes and doodles and charms and beseechings and suchlike。〃
〃I know that claiming to use such dark and invisible powers is a burning offense in the lands that obey the Lord Protector； Mistress Faith； though in his mercy he merely banishes those who〃
〃Well looky there； that's my point；〃 she said triumphantly。 〃They're not likely to teach you about that in university； now； are they？ But it's the way we live here； and calling it a superstition〃
〃I called it hysteria〃
〃That don't change the fact that it works。〃
〃I understand that you believe that it works；〃 said Thrower patiently。 〃But everything in the world is either science or miracles。 Miracles came from God in ancient times； but those times are over。 Today if we wish to change the world； it is not magic but science that will give us our tools。〃
From the set of her face； Thrower could see that he wasn't making much impression on her。
〃Science；〃 she said。 〃Like feeling head bumps？〃
He doubted she had tried very hard to hide her scorn。 〃Phrenology is an infant science；〃 he said coldly； 〃and there are many flaws； but I am seeking to discover〃
She laughed a girlish laugh； that made her seem much younger than a woman who had borne fourteen children。 〃Sorry； Reverend Thrower； but I just remembered how Measure called it 'dowsing for brains；' and he allowed as how you'd have slim luck in these parts。〃
True words； thought Reverend Thrower； but he was wise enough not to say so。 〃Mistress Faith； I spoke as I did to let people understand that there are superior ways of thought in the world today； and we need no longer be bound by the delusions of〃
It was no use。 Her patience had quite run out。 〃My boy looks about to get himself smacked with a spare joist if he don't let up on them other boys； Reverend； so you'll just have to excuse me。〃 And off she went； to fall on six…year…old Alvin and three…year…old Calvin like the vengeance of the Lord。 She was a champion tongue…lasher。 He could hear the scolding from where he stood； and that with the breeze blowing the other way； too。
Such ignorance； said Thrower to himself。 I am needed here； not only as a man of God among near heathens； but also as a man of science among superstitious fools。 Somebody whispers a curse and then； six months later； something bad happens to the person cursed it always does； something bad happens to everybody at least twice a year and it makes them quite certain that their curse had malefic effect。 Post hoc ergo propter hoc。
In Britain； students learned to discard such elementary logic errors while yet studying the trivium。 Here it was a way of life。 The Lord Protector was quite right to punish practitioners of magic arts in Britain； though Thrower would prefer that he do it on grounds of stupidity rather than heresy。 Treating it as heresy gave it too much dignity； as if it were something to be feared rather than despised。
Three years ago； right after he earned his Doctor of Divinity degree； it had dawned on Thrower what harm the Lord Protector was actually doing。 He remembered it as the turning point of his life； wasn't it also the first time the Visitor had e to him？ It was in his small room in the rectory of St。 James Church in Belfast； where he was junior assistant pastor； his first assignment after ordination。 He was looking at a map of the world when his eye strayed to America； to where Pennsylvania was clearly marked； stretching from the Dutch and Swedish colonies westward until the lines faded in the obscure country beyond the Mizzipy。 It was as if the map then came alive； and he saw the flood of people arriving in the New World。 Good Puritans； loyal churchmen； and sound businessmen all went to New England； Papists； Royalists； and scoundrels all went to the rebellious slave country of Virginia； Carolina； and Jacobia； the so…called Crown Colonies。 The sort of people who； once they found their place； stayed in it forever。
But it was another kind of people went to Pennsylvania。 Germans； Dutchmen； Swedes； and Huguenots fled their countries and turned Pennsylvania Colony into a slop pot； filled with the worst human rubbish of the continent。 Worse yet； they would not stay put。 These dimwitted country people would debark in Philadelphia； discover that the settled Thrower did not call them 〃civilized〃 portions of Pennsylvania were too crowded for them； and immediately head westward into the Red country to hew out a farm among the trees。 Never mind that the Lord Protector specifically forbade them to settle there。 What did such pagans care for law？ Land was what they wanted； as if the mere ownership of dirt could turn a peasant into a squire。
Then Thrower's vision of America turned from bleak to black indeed。 He saw that war was ing to America with the new century。 In his vision； he foresaw that the King of France would send that obnoxious Corsican colonel； Bonaparte； to Canada； and his people would stir up the Reds from the French fortress town in Detroit。 The Reds would fall upon the settlers and destroy them； scum they might be； but they were mostly English scum； and the vision of the Reds' savagery made Thrower's skin crawl。
Yet even if the English won； the overall result would be the same。 America west of the Appalachees would never be a Christian land。 Either the damned Papist French and Spanish would have it； or the equally damned heathen Reds would keep it； or else the most depraved sort of Englishmen would thrive and thumb their noses at Christ and the Lord Protector alike。 Another whole continent would be lost to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus。 It was such a fearsome vision that Thrower cried out； thinking none would hear him in the confines of his little room。
But someone did hear him。 〃There's a life's work for a man of God；〃 said someone behind him。 Thrower turned at once； startled； but the voice was gentle and warm； the face old and kindly； and Thrower was not afraid for more than a moment； despite the fact that the door and window were both locked tight； and no natural man could have e inside his little room。
Thinking that this man was surely a part of the manifestation he had just seen； Thrower addressed him reverently。 〃Sir； whoever you are； I have seen the future of North America； and it looks like the victory of the devil to me。〃
〃The devil takes his victories；〃 the man replied； 〃wherever men of God lose heart； and leave the field to him。〃
Then the man simply was not there。
Thrower had known in that moment what the work of his life would be。 To e to the wilds of America； build a country church； and fight the devil in his own country。 It had taken him three years to get the money and the permission of his superiors in the Scottish Church； but now he was here； the posts and beams of his church were rising； their white and naked wood a bright rebuke to the dark forest of barbarism from which they had been hewn。
Of course； with such a magnificent work under way； the devil was bound to take notice。 And it was obvious that the devil's chief disciple in Vigor Township was Alvin Miller。 Even though all his sons were here； helping to build the churchhouse； Thrower knew that this was Faith's doing。 The woman had even allowed as how she was probably Church of Scotland in her heart； even though she was born in Massachusetts； her membership would mean that Thrower could look forward to having a congregation provided Alvin Miller could be kept from wrecking everything。
And wreck it he would。 It was one thing if Alvin had been offended by something Thrower had inadvertently said and done。 But to have the quarrel be about belief in sorcery； right from the start well； there was no hiding from this conflict。 The battle lines were laid。 Thrower stood on the side of science and Christianity； and on the other side stood all the powers of darkness and superstition； the bestial； carnal nature of man was on the other side； with Alvin Miller as its champion。 I am only at the beginning of my tournament for the Lord； thought Thrower。 If I can't vanquish this first opponent； then no victory will ever； be possible for me。
〃Pastor Thrower！〃 shouted Alvin's oldest boy； David。 〃We're ready to raise the ridgebeam！〃
Thrower started toward them at a trot； then remembered his dignity and walked the rest of the way。 There was nothing in the gospels to imply that the Lord ever ran only walked； as befitted his high station。 Of course； Paul had his ments about running a good race； but that was allegory。 A minister was supposed to be a shadow of J
