四季随笔-the private papers of henry ryecroft(英文版)-第29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！


Nobody　cares。　Who　cares　for　anything　but　the　show　and　bluster　which　are　threatening　our　ruin？　English　food；　not　long　ago　the　best　in　the　world；　is　falling　off　in　quality；　and　even　our　national　genius　for　cooking　shows　a　decline；　to　anyone　who　knows　England；　these　are　facts　significant　enough。　Foolish　persons　have　prated　about　〃our　insular　cuisine；〃　demanding　its　reform　on　Continental　models；　and　they　have　found　too　many　like　unto　themselves　who　were　ready　to　listen；　the　result　will　be；　before　long；　that　our　excellence　will　be　forgotten；　and　paltry　methods　be　universally　introduced；　together　with　the　indifferent　viands　to　which　they　are　suited。　Yet；　if　any　generality　at　all　be　true；　it　is　a　plain　fact　that　English　diet　and　English　virtue……in　the　largest　sense　of　the　word……are　inseparably　bound　together。
Our　supremacy　in　this　matter　of　the　table　came　with　little　taking　of　thought；　what　we　should　now　do　is　to　reflect　upon　the　things　which　used　to　be　instinctive；　perceive　the　reasons　of　our　excellence；　and　set　to　work　to　re…establish　it。　Of　course　the　vilest　cooking　in　the　kingdom　is　found　in　London；　is　it　not　with　the　exorbitant　growth　of　London　that　many　an　ill　has　spread　over　the　land？　London　is　the　antithesis　of　the　domestic　ideal；　a　social　reformer　would　not　even　glance　in　that　direction；　but　would　turn　all　his　zeal　upon　small　towns　and　country　districts；　where　blight　may　perhaps　be　arrested；　and　whence；　some　day；　a　reconstituted　national　life　may　act　upon　the　great　centre　of　corruption。　I　had　far　rather　see　England　covered　with　schools　of　cookery　than　with　schools　of　the　ordinary　kind；　the　issue　would　be　infinitely　more　hopeful。　Little　girls　should　be　taught　cooking　and　baking　more　assiduously　than　they　are　taught　to　read。　But　with　ever　in　view　the　great　English　principle……that　food　is　only　cooked　aright　when　it　yields　the　utmost　of　its　native　and　characteristic　savour。　Let　sauces　be　utterly　forbidden……save　the　natural　sauce　made　of　gravy。　In　the　same　way　with　sweets；　keep　in　view　the　insurpassable　English　ideals　of　baked　tarts　（or　pies；　if　so　you　call　them）；　and　boiled　puddings；　as　they　are　the　wholesomest；　so　are　they　the　most　delicious　of　sweet　cakes　yet　invented；　it　is　merely　a　question　of　having　them　well　made　and　cooked。　Bread；　again；　we　are　getting　used　to　bread　of　poor　quality；　and　ill…made；　but　the　English　loaf　at　its　best……such　as　you　were　once　sure　of　getting　in　every　village……is　the　faultless　form　of　the　staff　of　life。　Think　of　the　glorious　revolution　that　could　be　wrought　in　our　troubled　England　if　it　could　be　ordained　that　no　maid；　of　whatever　rank；　might　bee　a　wife　unless　she　had　proved　her　ability　to　make　and　bake　a　perfect　loaf　of　bread。
XII
The　good　S…　writes　me　a　kindly　letter。　He　is　troubled　by　the　thought　of　my　loneliness。　That　I　should　choose　to　live　in　such　a　place　as　this　through　the　summer；　he　can　understand；　but　surely　I　should　do　better　to　e　to　town　for　the　winter？　How　on　earth　do　I　spend　the　dark　days　and　the　long　evenings？
I　chuckle　over　the　good　S…'s　sympathy。　Dark　days　are　few　in　happy　Devon；　and　such　as　befall　have　never　brought　me　a　moment's　tedium。　The　long；　wild　winter　of　the　north　would　try　my　spirits；　but　here；　the　season　that　follows　autumn　is　merely　one　of　rest；　Nature's　annual　slumber。　And　I　share　in　the　restful　influence。　Often　enough　I　pass　an　hour　in　mere　drowsing　by　the　fireside；　frequently　I　let　my　book　drop；　satisfied　to　muse。　But　more　often　than　not　the　winter　day　is　blest　with　sunshine……the　soft　beam　which　is　Nature's　smile　in　dreaming。　I　go　forth；　and　wander　far。　It　pleases　me　to　note　changes　of　landscape　when　the　leaves　have　fallen；　I　see　streams　and　ponds　which　during　summer　were　hidden；　my　favourite　lanes　have　an　unfamiliar　aspect；　and　I　bee　better　acquainted　with　them。　Then；　there　is　a　rare　beauty　in　the　structure　of　trees　ungarmented；　and　if　perchance　snow　or　frost　have　silvered　their　tracery　against　the　sober　sky；　it　bees　a　marvel　which　never　tires。
Day　by　day　I　look　at　the　coral　buds　on　the　lime…tree。　Something　of　regret　will　mingle　with　my　joy　when　they　begin　to　break。
In　the　middle　years　of　my　life……those　years　that　were　the　worst　of　all……I　used　to　dread　the　sound　of　a　winter　storm　which　woke　me　in　the　night。　Wind　and　rain　lashing　the　house　filled　me　with　miserable　memories　and　apprehensions；　I　lay　thinking　of　the　savage　struggle　of　man　with　man；　and　often　saw　before　me　no　better　fate　than　to　be　trampled　down　into　the　mud　of　life。　The　wind's　wail　seemed　to　me　the　voice　of　a　world　in　anguish；　rain　was　the　weeping　of　the　feeble　and　the　oppressed。　But　nowadays　I　can　lie　and　listen　to　a　night…　storm　with　no　intolerable　thoughts；　at　worst；　I　fall　into　a　passionate　sadness　as　I　remember　those　I　loved　and　whom　I　shall　see　no　more。　For　myself；　there　is　even　fort　in　the　roaring　dark；　for　I　feel　the　strength　of　the　good　walls　about　me；　and　my　safety　from　squalid　peril　such　as　pursued　me　through　all　my　labouring　life。　〃Blow；　blow；　thou　winter　wind！〃　Thou　canst　not　blow　away　the　modest　wealth　which　makes　my　security。　Nor　can　any　〃rain　upon　the　roof〃　put　my　soul　to　question；　for　life　has　given　me　all　I　ever　asked……　infinitely　more　than　I　ever　hoped……and　in　no　corner　of　my　mind　does　there　lurk　a　coward　fear　of　death。
XIII
If　some　stranger　from　abroad　asked　me　to　point　out　to　him　the　most　noteworthy　things　in　England；　I　should　first　of　all　consider　his　intellect。　Were　he　a　man　of　everyday　level；　I　might　indicate　for　his　wonder　and　admiration　Greater　London；　the　Black　Country；　South　Lancashire；　and　other　features　of　our　civilization　which；　despite　eager　rivalry；　still　maintain　our　modern　pre…eminence　in　the　creation　of　ugliness。　If；　on　the　other　hand；　he　seemed　a　man　of　brains；　it　would　be　my　pleasure　to　take　him　to　one　of　those　old　villages；　in　the　midlands　or　the　west；　which　lie　at　some　distance　from　a　railway　station；　and　in　aspect　are　still　untouched　by　the　baser　tendencies　of　the　time。　Here；　I　would　tell　my　traveller；　he　saw　something　which　England　alone　can　show。　The　simple　beauty　of　the　architecture；　its　perfect　adaptation　to　the　natural　surroundings；　the　neatness　of　everything　though　without　formality；　the　general　cleanness　and　good　repair；　the　grace　of　cottage　gardens；　that　tranquillity　and　security　which　make　a　music　in　the　mind　of　him　who　gazes……these　are　what　a　man　must　see　and　feel　if　he　would　appreciate　the　worth　and　the　power　of　England。　The　people　which　has　made　for　itself　such　homes　as　these　is　distinguished；　above　all　things；　by　its　love　of　order；　it　has　understood；　as　no　other　people；　the　truth　that　〃order　is　heaven's　first　law。〃　With　order　it　is　natural　to　find　stability；　and　the　bination　of　these　qualities；　as　seen　in　domestic　life；　results　in　that　peculiarly　English　product；　our　name　for　which……though　but　a　pale　shadow　of　the　thing　itself……has　been　borrowed　by　other　countries：　fort。
Then　Englishman's　need　of　〃fort〃　is　one　of　his　best　characteristics；　the　possibility　that　he　may　change　in　this　respect；　and　bee　indifferent　to　his　old　ideal　of　physical　and　mental　ease；　is　the　gravest　danger　manifest　in　our　day。　For　〃fort；〃　mind　you；　does　not　concern　the　body　alone；　the　beauty　and　orderliness　of　an　Englishman's　home　derive　their　value；　nay；　their　very　existence；　from　the　spirit　which　directs　his　whole　life。　Walk　from　the　village　to　the　noble's　mansion。　It；　too；　is　perfect　of　its　kind；　it　has　the　dignity　of　age；　its　walls　are　beautiful；　the　gardens；　the　park　about　it　are　such　as　can　be　found　only　in　England；　lovely　beyond　pare；　and　all　this　represents　the　same　moral　characteristics　as　the　English　cottage；　but　with　greater　activities　and　responsibilities。　If　the　noble　grow　tired　of　his　mansion；　and；　letting　it　to　some　crude　owner　of　millions；　go　to　live　in　hotels　and　hired　villas；　if　the　cottager　sicken　of　his　village　roof；　and　transport　himself　to　the　sixth　floor　of　a　〃block〃　in　Shoreditch；　one　sees　but　too　well　that　the　one　and　the　other　have　lost　the　old　English　sense　of　fort；　and；　in　losing　it；　have　suffered　degradation　alike　as　men　and　as　citizens。　It　is　not　a　question　of　exchanging　one　form　of　fort　for　another；　the　instinct　which　made　an　Englishman　has　in　these　cases　perished。　Perhaps　it　is　perishing　from　among　us　altogether；　killed　by　new　social　and　political　conditions；　one　who　looks　at　villages　of　the　new　type；　at　the　working…class　quarters　of　towns；　at　the　rising　of　〃flats〃　among　the　dwellings　of　the　wealthy；　has　little　choice　but　to　think　so。　There　may　soon　e　a　day　when；　though　the　word　〃fort〃　continues　to　be　used　in　many　languages；　the　thing　it　signifies　will　be　discoverable　nowhere　at　all。
XIV
If　the　ingenious　foreigner　found　himself　in　some　village　of　manufacturing　Lancashire；　he　would　be　otherwise　impressed。　Here　something　of　the　power　of　England　might　be　revealed　to　him；　but　of　England's　worth；　little　enough。　Hard　ugliness　would　everywhere　assail　his　eyes；　the　visages　and　voices　of　the　people　would　seem　to　him　thoroughly　akin　to　their　surroundings。　Scarcely　could　one　find；　in　any　civilized　nation；　a　more　notable　contrast　than　that　between　these　two　English　villages　and　their　inhabitants。
Yet　Lancashire　is　English；　and　there　among　the　mill　chimneys；　in　the　hideous　little　street；　folk　are　living　whose　domestic　thoughts　claim　undeniable　kindred　with　those　of　the　villagers　of　the　kinder　south。　But　to　understand　how　〃fort；〃　and　the　virtues　it　implies；　can　exist　amid　such　conditions；　one　must　perate　to　the　hearthside；　the　door　must　be　shut；　the　curtain　drawn；　here　〃home〃　does　not　extend　beyond　the　threshold。　After　all；　this　grimy　row　of　houses；　ugliest　that　man　ever　conceived；　is　more　representative　of　England　to…day　than　the　lovely　village　among　the　trees　and　meadows。　More　than　a　hundred　years　ago；　power　passed　from　the　south　of　England　to　the　north。　The　vigorous　race　on　the　other　side　of　Trent　only　found　its　opportunity　when　the　age　of　machinery　began；　its　civilization；　long　delayed；　differs　in　obvious　respects　from　that　of　older　England。　In　Sussex　or　in　Somerset；　however　dull　and　clownish　the　typical　inhabitant；　he　plainly　belongs　to　an　ancient　order　of　things；　represents　an　immemorial　subordination。　The　rude　man　of　the　north　is……by　parison……but　just　emerged　from　barbarism；　and　under　any　circumstances　would　show　less　smooth　a　front。　By　great　misfortune；　he　ha