the way of all flesh-第13节

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father；　dexterously　took　out　one　of　his　ribs　without　waking　him；　and
miraculously　healed　the　wound　so　that　no　trace　of　the　operation
remained。　　Finally；　God　had　taken　the　rib　perhaps　into　the
greenhouse；　and　had　turned　it　into　just　such　another　young　woman　as
Christina。　　That　was　how　it　was　done；　there　was　neither　difficulty
nor　shadow　of　difficulty　about　the　matter。　　Could　not　God　do
anything　He　liked；　and　had　He　not　in　His　own　inspired　Book　told　us
that　He　had　done　this？

This　was　the　average　attitude　of　fairly　educated　young　men　and　women
towards　the　Mosaic　cosmogony　fifty；　forty；　or　even　twenty　years　ago。
The　combating　of　infidelity；　therefore；　offered　little　scope　for
enterprising　young　clergymen；　nor　had　the　Church　awakened　to　the
activity　which　she　has　since　displayed　among　the　poor　in　our　large
towns。　　These　were　then　left　almost　without　an　effort　at　resistance
or　co…operation　to　the　labours　of　those　who　had　succeeded　Wesley。
Missionary　work　indeed　in　heathen　countries　was　being　carried　on
with　some　energy；　but　Theobald　did　not　feel　any　call　to　be　a
missionary。　　Christina　suggested　this　to　him　more　than　once；　and
assured　him　of　the　unspeakable　happiness　it　would　be　to　her　to　be
the　wife　of　a　missionary；　and　to　share　his　dangers；　she　and　Theobald
might　even　be　martyred；　of　course　they　would　be　martyred
simultaneously；　and　martyrdom　many　years　hence　as　regarded　from　the
arbour　in　the　Rectory　garden　was　not　painful；　it　would　ensure　them　a
glorious　future　in　the　next　world；　and　at　any　rate　posthumous　renown
in　thiseven　if　they　were　not　miraculously　restored　to　life　again
and　such　things　had　happened　ere　now　in　the　case　of　martyrs。
Theobald；　however；　had　not　been　kindled　by　Christina's　enthusiasm；
so　she　fell　back　upon　the　Church　of　Romean　enemy　more　dangerous；
if　possible；　than　paganism　itself。　　A　combat　with　Romanism　might
even　yet　win　for　her　and　Theobald　the　crown　of　martyrdom。　　True；　the
Church　of　Rome　was　tolerably　quiet　just　then；　but　it　was　the　calm
before　the　storm；　of　this　she　was　assured；　with　a　conviction　deeper
than　she　could　have　attained　by　any　argument　founded　upon　mere
reason。

〃We；　dearest　Theobald；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃will　be　ever　faithful。　　We
will　stand　firm　and　support　one　another　even　in　the　hour　of　death
itself。　　God　in　his　mercy　may　spare　us　from　being　burnt　alive。　　He
may　or　may　not　do　so。　　Oh　Lord〃　（and　she　turned　her　eyes　prayerfully
to　Heaven）；　〃spare　my　Theobald；　or　grant　that　he　may　be　beheaded。〃

〃My　dearest；〃　said　Theobald　gravely；　〃do　not　let　us　agitate
ourselves　unduly。　　If　the　hour　of　trial　comes　we　shall　be　best
prepared　to　meet　it　by　having　led　a　quiet　unobtrusive　life　of　self…
denial　and　devotion　to　God's　glory。　　Such　a　life　let　us　pray　God
that　it　may　please　Him　to　enable　us　to　pray　that　we　may　lead。〃

〃Dearest　Theobald；〃　exclaimed　Christina；　drying　the　tears　that　had
gathered　in　her　eyes；　〃you　are　always；　always　right。　　Let　us　be
self…denying；　pure；　upright；　truthful　in　word　and　deed。〃　　She
clasped　her　hands　and　looked　up　to　Heaven　as　she　spoke。

〃Dearest；〃　rejoined　her　lover；　〃we　have　ever　hitherto　endeavoured　to
be　all　of　these　things；　we　have　not　been　worldly　people；　let　us
watch　and　pray　that　we　may　so　continue　to　the　end。〃

The　moon　had　risen　and　the　arbour　was　getting　damp；　so　they
adjourned　further　aspirations　for　a　more　convenient　season。　　At
other　times　Christina　pictured　herself　and　Theobald　as　braving　the
scorn　of　almost　every　human　being　in　the　achievement　of　some　mighty
task　which　should　redound　to　the　honour　of　her　Redeemer。　　She　could
face　anything　for　this。　　But　always　towards　the　end　of　her　vision
there　came　a　little　coronation　scene　high　up　in　the　golden　regions
of　the　Heavens；　and　a　diadem　was　set　upon　her　head　by　the　Son　of　Man
Himself；　amid　a　host　of　angels　and　archangels　who　looked　on　with
envy　and　admirationand　here　even　Theobald　himself　was　out　of　it。
If　there　could　be　such　a　thing　as　the　Mammon　of　Righteousness
Christina　would　have　assuredly　made　friends　with　it。　　Her　papa　and
mamma　were　very　estimable　people　and　would　in　the　course　of　time
receive　Heavenly　Mansions　in　which　they　would　be　exceedingly
comfortable；　so　doubtless　would　her　sisters；　so　perhaps；　even　might
her　brothers；　but　for　herself　she　felt　that　a　higher　destiny　was
preparing；　which　it　was　her　duty　never　to　lose　sight　of。　　The　first
step　towards　it　would　be　her　marriage　with　Theobald。　　In　spite；
however；　of　these　flights　of　religious　romanticism；　Christina　was　a
good…tempered　kindly…natured　girl　enough；　who；　if　she　had　married　a
sensible　laymanwe　will　say　a　hotel…keeperwould　have　developed
into　a　good　landlady　and　been　deservedly　popular　with　her　guests。

Such　was　Theobald's　engaged　life。　　Many　a　little　present　passed
between　the　pair；　and　many　a　small　surprise　did　they　prepare
pleasantly　for　one　another。　　They　never　quarrelled；　and　neither　of
them　ever　flirted　with　anyone　else。　　Mrs　Allaby　and　his　future
sisters…in…law　idolised　Theobald　in　spite　of　its　being　impossible　to
get　another　deacon　to　come　and　be　played　for　as　long　as　Theobald　was
able　to　help　Mr　Allaby；　which　now　of　course　he　did　free　gratis　and
for　nothing；　two　of　the　sisters；　however；　did　manage　to　find
husbands　before　Christina　was　actually　married；　and　on　each　occasion
Theobald　played　the　part　of　decoy　elephant。　　In　the　end　only　two　out
of　the　seven　daughters　remained　single。

After　three　or　four　years；　old　Mr　Pontifex　became　accustomed　to　his
son's　engagement　and　looked　upon　it　as　among　the　things　which　had
now　a　prescriptive　right　to　toleration。　　In　the　spring　of　1831；　more
than　five　years　after　Theobald　had　first　walked　over　to　Crampsford；
one　of　the　best　livings　in　the　gift　of　the　College　unexpectedly　fell
vacant；　and　was　for　various　reasons　declined　by　the　two　fellows
senior　to　Theobald；　who　might　each　have　been　expected　to　take　it。
The　living　was　then　offered　to　and　of　course　accepted　by　Theobald；
being　in　value　not　less　than　500　pounds　a　year　with　a　suitable　house
and　garden。　　Old　Mr　Pontifex　then　came　down　more　handsomely　than　was
expected　and　settled　10；000　pounds　on　his　son　and　daughter…in…law
for　life　with　remainder　to　such　of　their　issue　as　they　might
appoint。　　In　the　month　of　July；　1831　Theobald　and　Christina　became
man　and　wife。



CHAPTER　XIII



A　due　number　of　old　shoes　had　been　thrown　at　the　carriage　in　which
the　happy　pair　departed　from　the　Rectory；　and　it　had　turned　the
corner　at　the　bottom　of　the　village。　　It　could　then　be　seen　for　two
or　three　hundred　yards　creeping　past　a　fir　coppice；　and　after　this
was　lost　to　view。

〃John；〃　said　Mr　Allaby　to　his　man…servant；　〃shut　the　gate；〃　and　he
went　indoors　with　a　sigh　of　relief　which　seemed　to　say：　　〃I　have
done　it；　and　I　am　alive。〃　　This　was　the　reaction　after　a　burst　of
enthusiastic　merriment　during　which　the　old　gentleman　had　run　twenty
yards　after　the　carriage　to　fling　a　slipper　at　itwhich　he　had　duly
flung。

But　what　were　the　feelings　of　Theobald　and　Christina　when　the
village　was　passed　and　they　were　rolling　quietly　by　the　fir
plantation？　　It　is　at　this　point　that　even　the　stoutest　heart　must
fail；　unless　it　beat　in　the　breast　of　one　who　is　over　head　and　ears
in　love。　　If　a　young　man　is　in　a　small　boat　on　a　choppy　sea；　along
with　his　affianced　bride　and　both　are　sea…sick；　and　if　the　sick
swain　can　forget　his　own　anguish　in　the　happiness　of　holding　the
fair　one's　head　when　she　is　at　her　worstthen　he　is　in　love；　and
his　heart　will　be　in　no　danger　of　failing　him　as　he　passes　his　fir
plantation。　　Other　people；　and　unfortunately　by　far　the　greater
number　of　those　who　get　married　must　be　classed　among　the　〃other
people；〃　will　inevitably　go　through　a　quarter　or　half　an　hour　of
greater　or　less　badness　as　the　case　may　be。　　Taking　numbers　into
account；　I　should　think　more　mental　suffering　had　been　undergone　in
the　streets　leading　from　St　George's；　Hanover　Square；　than　in　the
condemned　cells　of　Newgate。　　There　is　no　time　at　which　what　the
Italians　call　la　figlia　della　Morte　lays　her　cold　hand　upon　a　man
more　awfully　than　during　the　first　half　hour　that　he　is　alone　with　a
woman　whom　he　has　married　but　never　genuinely　loved。

Death's　daughter　did　not　spare　Theobald。　　He　had　behaved　very　well
hitherto。　　When　Christina　had　offered　to　let　him　go；　he　had　stuck　to
his　post　with　a　magnanimity　on　which　he　had　plumed　himself　ever
since。　　From　that　time　forward　he　had　said　to　himself：　　〃I；　at　any
rate；　am　the　very　soul　of　honour；　I　am　not；〃　etc。；　etc。　　True；　at
the　moment　of　magnanimity　the　actual　cash　payment；　so　to　speak；　was
still　distant；　when　his　father　gave　formal　consent　to　his　marriage
things　began　to　look　more　serious；　when　the　college　living　had
fallen　vacant　and　been　accepted　they　looked　more　serious　still；　but
when　Christina　actually　named　the　day；　then　Theobald's　heart　fainted
within　him。

The　engagement　had　gone　on　so　long　that　he　had　got　into　a　groove；
and　the　prospect　of　change　was　disconcerting。　　Christina　and　he　had
got　on；　he　thought　to　himself；　very　nicely　for　a　great　number　of
years；　whywhywhy　should　they　not　continue　to　go　on　as　they　were
doing　now　for　the　rest　of　their　lives？　　But　there　was　no　more　chance
of　escape