the way of all flesh-第16节

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things　were　changing　least；　tolerators；　if　not　lovers；　of　all　that
was　familiar；　haters　of　all　that　was　unfamiliar；　they　would　have
been　equally　horrified　at　hearing　the　Christian　religion　doubted；
and　at　seeing　it　practised。

〃What　can　there　be　in　common　between　Theobald　and　his　parishioners？〃
said　Christina　to　me；　in　the　course　of　the　evening；　when　her　husband
was　for　a　few　moments　absent。　　〃Of　course　one　must　not　complain；　but
I　assure　you　it　grieves　me　to　see　a　man　of　Theobald's　ability　thrown
away　upon　such　a　place　as　this。　　If　we　had　only　been　at　Gaysbury；
where　there　are　the　A's；　the　B's；　the　C's；　and　Lord　D's　place；　as
you　know；　quite　close；　I　should　not　then　have　felt　that　we　were
living　in　such　a　desert；　but　I　suppose　it　is　for　the　best；〃　she
added　more　cheerfully；　〃and　then　of　course　the　Bishop　will　come　to
us　whenever　he　is　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　if　we　were　at　Gaysbury
he　might　have　gone　to　Lord　D's。〃

Perhaps　I　have　now　said　enough　to　indicate　the　kind　of　place　in
which　Theobald's　lines　were　cast；　and　the　sort　of　woman　he　had
married。　　As　for　his　own　habits；　I　see　him　trudging　through　muddy
lanes　and　over　long　sweeps　of　plover…haunted　pastures　to　visit　a
dying　cottager's　wife。　　He　takes　her　meat　and　wine　from　his　own
table；　and　that　not　a　little　only　but　liberally。　　According　to　his
lights　also；　he　administers　what　he　is　pleased　to　call　spiritual
consolation。

〃I　am　afraid　I'm　going　to　Hell；　Sir；〃　says　the　sick　woman　with　a
whine。　　〃Oh；　Sir；　save　me；　save　me；　don't　let　me　go　there。　　I
couldn't　stand　it；　Sir；　I　should　die　with　fear；　the　very　thought　of
it　drives　me　into　a　cold　sweat　all　over。〃

〃Mrs　Thompson；〃　says　Theobald　gravely；　〃you　must　have　faith　in　the
precious　blood　of　your　Redeemer；　it　is　He　alone　who　can　save　you。〃

〃But　are　you　sure；　Sir；〃　says　she；　looking　wistfully　at　him；　〃that
He　will　forgive　mefor　I've　not　been　a　very　good　woman；　indeed　I
haven'tand　if　God　would　only　say　'Yes'　outright　with　His　mouth
when　I　ask　whether　my　sins　are　forgiven　me〃

〃But　they　ARE　forgiven　you；　Mrs　Thompson；〃　says　Theobald　with　some
sternness；　for　the　same　ground　has　been　gone　over　a　good　many　times
already；　and　he　has　borne　the　unhappy　woman's　misgivings　now　for　a
full　quarter　of　an　hour。　　Then　he　puts　a　stop　to　the　conversation　by
repeating　prayers　taken　from　the　〃Visitation　of　the　Sick；〃　and
overawes　the　poor　wretch　from　expressing　further　anxiety　as　to　her
condition。

〃Can't　you　tell　me；　Sir；〃　she　exclaims　piteously；　as　she　sees　that
he　is　preparing　to　go　away；　〃can't　you　tell　me　that　there　is　no　Day
of　Judgement；　and　that　there　is　no　such　place　as　Hell？　　I　can　do
without　the　Heaven；　Sir；　but　I　cannot　do　with　the　Hell。〃　　Theobald
is　much　shocked。

〃Mrs　Thompson；〃　he　rejoins　impressively；　〃let　me　implore　you　to
suffer　no　doubt　concerning　these　two　cornerstones　of　our　religion　to
cross　your　mind　at　a　moment　like　the　present。　　If　there　is　one　thing
more　certain　than　another　it　is　that　we　shall　all　appear　before　the
Judgement　Seat　of　Christ；　and　that　the　wicked　will　be　consumed　in　a
lake　of　everlasting　fire。　　Doubt　this；　Mrs　Thompson；　and　you　are
lost。〃

The　poor　woman　buries　her　fevered　head　in　the　coverlet　in　a　paroxysm
of　fear　which　at　last　finds　relief　in　tears。

〃Mrs　Thompson；〃　says　Theobald；　with　his　hand　on　the　door；　〃compose
yourself；　be　calm；　you　must　please　to　take　my　word　for　it　that　at
the　Day　of　Judgement　your　sins　will　be　all　washed　white　in　the　blood
of　the　Lamb；　Mrs　Thompson。　　Yea；〃　he　exclaims　frantically；　〃though
they　be　as　scarlet；　yet　shall　they　be　as　white　as　wool；〃　and　he
makes　off　as　fast　as　he　can　from　the　fetid　atmosphere　of　the　cottage
to　the　pure　air　outside。　　Oh；　how　thankful　he　is　when　the　interview
is　over！

He　returns　home；　conscious　that　he　has　done　his　duty；　and
administered　the　comforts　of　religion　to　a　dying　sinner。　　His
admiring　wife　awaits　him　at　the　Rectory；　and　assures　him　that　never
yet　was　clergyman　so　devoted　to　the　welfare　of　his　flock。　　He
believes　her；　he　has　a　natural　tendency　to　believe　everything　that
is　told　him；　and　who　should　know　the　facts　of　the　case　better　than
his　wife？　　Poor　fellow！　　He　has　done　his　best；　but　what　does　a
fish's　best　come　to　when　the　fish　is　out　of　water？　　He　has　left　meat
and　winethat　he　can　do；　he　will　call　again　and　will　leave　more
meat　and　wine；　day　after　day　he　trudges　over　the　same　plover…haunted
fields；　and　listens　at　the　end　of　his　walk　to　the　same　agony　of
forebodings；　which　day　after　day　he　silences；　but　does　not　remove；
till　at　last　a　merciful　weakness　renders　the　sufferer　careless　of
her　future；　and　Theobald　is　satisfied　that　her　mind　is　now
peacefully　at　rest　in　Jesus。



CHAPTER　XVI



He　does　not　like　this　branch　of　his　professionindeed　he　hates　it
but　will　not　admit　it　to　himself。　　The　habit　of　not　admitting　things
to　himself　has　become　a　confirmed　one　with　him。　　Nevertheless　there
haunts　him　an　ill　defined　sense　that　life　would　be　pleasanter　if
there　were　no　sick　sinners；　or　if　they　would　at　any　rate　face　an
eternity　of　torture　with　more　indifference。　　He　does　not　feel　that
he　is　in　his　element。　　The　farmers　look　as　if　they　were　in　their
element。　　They　are　full…bodied；　healthy　and　contented；　but　between
him　and　them　there　is　a　great　gulf　fixed。　　A　hard　and　drawn　look
begins　to　settle　about　the　corners　of　his　mouth；　so　that　even　if　he
were　not　in　a　black　coat　and　white　tie　a　child　might　know　him　for　a
parson。

He　knows　that　he　is　doing　his　duty。　　Every　day　convinces　him　of　this
more　firmly；　but　then　there　is　not　much　duty　for　him　to　do。　　He　is
sadly　in　want　of　occupation。　　He　has　no　taste　for　any　of　those　field
sports　which　were　not　considered　unbecoming　for　a　clergyman　forty
years　ago。　　He　does　not　ride；　nor　shoot；　nor　fish；　nor　course；　nor
play　cricket。　　Study；　to　do　him　justice；　he　had　never　really　liked；
and　what　inducement　was　there　for　him　to　study　at　Battersby？　　He
reads　neither　old　books　nor　new　ones。　　He　does　not　interest　himself
in　art　or　science　or　politics；　but　he　sets　his　back　up　with　some
promptness　if　any　of　them　show　any　development　unfamiliar　to
himself。　　True；　he　writes　his　own　sermons；　but　even　his　wife
considers　that　his　forte　lies　rather　in　the　example　of　his　life
（which　is　one　long　act　of　self…devotion）　than　in　his　utterances　from
the　pulpit。　　After　breakfast　he　retires　to　his　study；　he　cuts　little
bits　out　of　the　Bible　and　gums　them　with　exquisite　neatness　by　the
side　of　other　little　bits；　this　he　calls　making　a　Harmony　of　the　Old
and　New　Testaments。　　Alongside　the　extracts　he　copies　in　the　very
perfection　of　hand…writing　extracts　from　Mede　（the　only　man；
according　to　Theobald；　who　really　understood　the　Book　of
Revelation）；　Patrick；　and　other　old　divines。　　He　works　steadily　at
this　for　half　an　hour　every　morning　during　many　years；　and　the
result　is　doubtless　valuable。　　After　some　years　have　gone　by　he
hears　his　children　their　lessons；　and　the　daily　oft…repeated　screams
that　issue　from　the　study　during　the　lesson　hours　tell　their　own
horrible　story　over　the　house。　　He　has　also　taken　to　collecting　a
hortus　siccus；　and　through　the　interest　of　his　father　was　once
mentioned　in　the　Saturday　Magazine　as　having　been　the　first　to　find
a　plant；　whose　name　I　have　forgotten；　in　the　neighbourhood　of
Battersby。　　This　number　of　the　Saturday　Magazine　has　been　bound　in
red　morocco；　and　is　kept　upon　the　drawing…room　table。　　He　potters
about　his　garden；　if　he　hears　a　hen　cackling　he　runs　and　tells
Christina；　and　straightway　goes　hunting　for　the　egg。

When　the　two　Miss　Allabys　came；　as　they　sometimes　did；　to　stay　with
Christina；　they　said　the　life　led　by　their　sister　and　brother…in…law
was　an　idyll。　　Happy　indeed　was　Christina　in　her　choice；　for　that
she　had　had　a　choice　was　a　fiction　which　soon　took　root　among　them
and　happy　Theobald　in　his　Christina。　　Somehow　or　other　Christina　was
always　a　little　shy　of　cards　when　her　sisters　were　staying　with　her；
though　at　other　times　she　enjoyed　a　game　of　cribbage　or　a　rubber　of
whist　heartily　enough；　but　her　sisters　knew　they　would　never　be
asked　to　Battersby　again　if　they　were　to　refer　to　that　little
matter；　and　on　the　whole　it　was　worth　their　while　to　be　asked　to
Battersby。　　If　Theobald's　temper　was　rather　irritable　he　did　not
vent　it　upon　them。

By　nature　reserved；　if　he　could　have　found　someone　to　cook　his
dinner　for　him；　he　would　rather　have　lived　in　a　desert　island　than
not。　　In　his　heart　of　hearts　he　held　with　Pope　that　〃the　greatest
nuisance　to　mankind　is　man〃　or　words　to　that　effectonly　that
women；　with　the　exception　perhaps　of　Christina；　were　worse。　　Yet　for
all　this　when　visitors　called　he　put　a　better　face　on　it　than　anyone
who　was　behind　the　scenes　would　have　expected。

He　was　quick　too　at　introducing　the　names　of　any　literary
celebrities　whom　he　had　met　at　his　father's　house；　and　soon
established　an　all…round　reputation　which　satisfied　even　Christina
herself。

Who　so　integer　vitae　scelerisque　purus；　it　was　asked；　as　Mr　Pontifex
of　Battersby？　　Who　so　fit　to　be　consulted　if　any　difficulty　about
parish　management　should　arise？　　Who　such　a　happy　mixture　of　the
sincere　uninquiring　Christian　and　of　the　man　of　the　world？　　For