the way of all flesh-第15节

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been　a　Barbary　hen；　and　had　ruffled　her　feathers　in　any　show　of
resistance　Theobald　would　not　have　ventured　to　swagger　with　her；　but
she　was　not　a　Barbary　hen；　she　was　only　a　common　hen；　and　that　too
with　rather　a　smaller　share　of　personal　bravery　than　hens　generally
have。



CHAPTER　XIV



Battersby…On…The…Hill　was　the　name　of　the　village　of　which　Theobald
was　now　Rector。　　It　contained　400　or　500　inhabitants；　scattered　over
a　rather　large　area；　and　consisting　entirely　of　farmers　and
agricultural　labourers。　　The　Rectory　was　commodious；　and　placed　on
the　brow　of　a　hill　which　gave　it　a　delightful　prospect。　　There　was　a
fair　sprinkling　of　neighbours　within　visiting　range；　but　with　one　or
two　exceptions　they　were　the　clergymen　and　clergymen's　families　of
the　surrounding　villages。

By　these　the　Pontifexes　were　welcomed　as　great　acquisitions　to　the
neighbourhood。　　Mr　Pontifex；　they　said　was　so　clever；　he　had　been
senior　classic　and　senior　wrangler；　a　perfect　genius　in　fact；　and
yet　with　so　much　sound　practical　common　sense　as　well。　　As　son　of
such　a　distinguished　man　as　the　great　Mr　Pontifex　the　publisher　he
would　come　into　a　large　property　by…and…by。　　Was　there　not　an　elder
brother？　　Yes；　but　there　would　be　so　much　that　Theobald　would
probably　get　something　very　considerable。　　Of　course　they　would　give
dinner　parties。　　And　Mrs　Pontifex；　what　a　charming　woman　she　was；
she　was　certainly　not　exactly　pretty　perhaps；　but　then　she　had　such
a　sweet　smile　and　her　manner　was　so　bright　and　winning。　　She　was　so
devoted　too　to　her　husband　and　her　husband　to　her；　they　really　did
come　up　to　one's　ideas　of　what　lovers　used　to　be　in　days　of　old；　it
was　rare　to　meet　with　such　a　pair　in　these　degenerate　times；　it　was
quite　beautiful；　etc。；　etc。　　Such　were　the　comments　of　the
neighbours　on　the　new　arrivals。

As　for　Theobald's　own　parishioners；　the　farmers　were　civil　and　the
labourers　and　their　wives　obsequious。　　There　was　a　little　dissent；
the　legacy　of　a　careless　predecessor；　but　as　Mrs　Theobald　said
proudly；　〃I　think　Theobald　may　be　trusted　to　deal　with　THAT。〃　　The
church　was　then　an　interesting　specimen　of　late　Norman；　with　some
early　English　additions。　　It　was　what　in　these　days　would　be　called
in　a　very　bad　state　of　repair；　but　forty　or　fifty　years　ago　few
churches　were　in　good　repair。　　If　there　is　one　feature　more
characteristic　of　the　present　generation　than　another　it　is　that　it
has　been　a　great　restorer　of　churches。

Horace　preached　church　restoration　in　his　ode：…


Delicta　majorum　immeritus　lues；
Romane；　donec　templa　refeceris
Aedesque　labentes　deorum　et
Foeda　nigro　simulacra　fumo。


Nothing　went　right　with　Rome　for　long　together　after　the　Augustan
age；　but　whether　it　was　because　she　did　restore　the　temples　or
because　she　did　not　restore　them　I　know　not。　　They　certainly　went
all　wrong　after　Constantine's　time　and　yet　Rome　is　still　a　city　of
some　importance。

I　may　say　here　that　before　Theobald　had　been　many　years　at　Battersby
he　found　scope　for　useful　work　in　the　rebuilding　of　Battersby
church；　which　he　carried　out　at　considerable　cost；　towards　which　he
subscribed　liberally　himself。　　He　was　his　own　architect；　and　this
saved　expense；　but　architecture　was　not　very　well　understood　about
the　year　1834；　when　Theobald　commenced　operations；　and　the　result　is
not　as　satisfactory　as　it　would　have　been　if　he　had　waited　a　few
years　longer。

Every　man's　work；　whether　it　be　literature　or　music　or　pictures　or
architecture　or　anything　else；　is　always　a　portrait　of　himself；　and
the　more　he　tries　to　conceal　himself　the　more　clearly　will　his
character　appear　in　spite　of　him。　　I　may　very　likely　be　condemning
myself；　all　the　time　that　I　am　writing　this　book；　for　I　know　that
whether　I　like　it　or　no　I　am　portraying　myself　more　surely　than　I　am
portraying　any　of　the　characters　whom　I　set　before　the　reader。　　I　am
sorry　that　it　is　so；　but　I　cannot　help　itafter　which　sop　to
Nemesis　I　will　say　that　Battersby　church　in　its　amended　form　has
always　struck　me　as　a　better　portrait　of　Theobald　than　any　sculptor
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
w