the way of all flesh-第21节

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said　what　I　have　said　in　the　foregoing　chapter　once　for　all；　and
shall　not　break　my　thread　to　repeat　it。　　It　should　go　without　saying
in　modification　of　the　verdict　which　the　reader　may　be　inclined　to
pass　too　hastily；　not　only　upon　Mr　George　Pontifex；　but　also　upon
Theobald　and　Christina。　　And　now　I　will　continue　my　story。



CHAPTER　XX



The　birth　of　his　son　opened　Theobald's　eyes　to　a　good　deal　which　he
had　but　faintly　realised　hitherto。　　He　had　had　no　idea　how　great　a
nuisance　a　baby　was。　　Babies　come　into　the　world　so　suddenly　at　the
end；　and　upset　everything　so　terribly　when　they　do　come：　　why　cannot
they　steal　in　upon　us　with　less　of　a　shock　to　the　domestic　system？
His　wife；　too；　did　not　recover　rapidly　from　her　confinement；　she
remained　an　invalid　for　months；　here　was　another　nuisance　and　an
expensive　one；　which　interfered　with　the　amount　which　Theobald　liked
to　put　by　out　of　his　income　against；　as　he　said；　a　rainy　day；　or　to
make　provision　for　his　family　if　he　should　have　one。　　Now　he　was
getting　a　family；　so　that　it　became　all　the　more　necessary　to　put
money　by；　and　here　was　the　baby　hindering　him。　　Theorists　may　say
what　they　like　about　a　man's　children　being　a　continuation　of　his
own　identity；　but　it　will　generally　be　found　that　those　who　talk　in
this　way　have　no　children　of　their　own。　　Practical　family　men　know
better。

About　twelve　months　after　the　birth　of　Ernest　there　came　a　second；
also　a　boy；　who　was　christened　Joseph；　and　in　less　than　twelve
months　afterwards；　a　girl；　to　whom　was　given　the　name　of　Charlotte。
A　few　months　before　this　girl　was　born　Christina　paid　a　visit　to　the
John　Pontifexes　in　London；　and；　knowing　her　condition；　passed　a　good
deal　of　time　at　the　Royal　Academy　exhibition　looking　at　the　types　of
female　beauty　portrayed　by　the　Academicians；　for　she　had　made　up　her
mind　that　the　child　this　time　was　to　be　a　girl。　　Alethea　warned　her
not　to　do　this；　but　she　persisted；　and　certainly　the　child　turned
out　plain；　but　whether　the　pictures　caused　this　or　no　I　cannot　say。

Theobald　had　never　liked　children。　　He　had　always　got　away　from　them
as　soon　as　he　could；　and　so　had　they　from　him；　oh；　why；　he　was
inclined　to　ask　himself；　could　not　children　be　born　into　the　world
grown　up？　　If　Christina　could　have　given　birth　to　a　few　full…grown
clergymen　in　priest's　ordersof　moderate　views；　but　inclining
rather　to　Evangelicalism；　with　comfortable　livings　and　in　all
respects　facsimiles　of　Theobald　himselfwhy；　there　might　have　been
more　sense　in　it；　or　if　people　could　buy　ready…made　children　at　a
shop　of　whatever　age　and　sex　they　liked；　instead　of　always　having　to
make　them　at　home　and　to　begin　at　the　beginning　with　themthat
might　do　better；　but　as　it　was　he　did　not　like　it。　　He　felt　as　he
had　felt　when　he　had　been　required　to　come　and　be　married　to
Christinathat　he　had　been　going　on　for　a　long　time　quite　nicely；
and　would　much　rather　continue　things　on　their　present　footing。　　In
the　matter　of　getting　married　he　had　been　obliged　to　pretend　he
liked　it；　but　times　were　changed；　and　if　he　did　not　like　a　thing
now；　he　could　find　a　hundred　unexceptionable　ways　of　making　his
dislike　apparent。

It　might　have　been　better　if　Theobald　in　his　younger　days　had　kicked
more　against　his　father：　　the　fact　that　he　had　not　done　so
encouraged　him　to　expect　the　most　implicit　obedience　from　his　own
children。　　He　could　trust　himself；　he　said　（and　so　did　Christina）；
to　be　more　lenient　than　perhaps　his　father　had　been　to　himself；　his
danger；　he　said　（and　so　again　did　Christina）；　would　be　rather　in　the
direction　of　being　too　indulgent；　he　must　be　on　his　guard　against
this；　for　no　duty　could　be　more　important　than　that　of　teaching　a
child　to　obey　its　parents　in　all　things。

He　had　read　not　long　since　of　an　Eastern　traveller；　who；　while
exploring　somewhere　in　the　more　remote　parts　of　Arabia　and　Asia
Minor；　had　come　upon　a　remarkably　hardy；　sober；　industrious　little
Christian　communityall　of　them　in　the　best　of　healthwho　had
turned　out　to　be　the　actual　living　descendants　of　Jonadab；　the　son
of　Rechab；　and　two　men　in　European　costume；　indeed；　but　speaking
English　with　a　broken　accent；　and　by　their　colour　evidently
Oriental；　had　come　begging　to　Battersby　soon　afterwards；　and
represented　themselves　as　belonging　to　this　people；　they　had　said
they　were　collecting　funds　to　promote　the　conversion　of　their　fellow
tribesmen　to　the　English　branch　of　the　Christian　religion。　　True；
they　turned　out　to　be　impostors；　for　when　he　gave　them　a　pound　and
Christina　five　shillings　from　her　private　purse；　they　went　and　got
drunk　with　it　in　the　next　village　but　one　to　Battersby；　still；　this
did　not　invalidate　the　story　of　the　Eastern　traveller。　　Then　there
were　the　Romanswhose　greatness　was　probably　due　to　the　wholesome
authority　exercised　by　the　head　of　a　family　over　all　its　members。
Some　Romans　had　even　killed　their　children；　this　was　going　too　far；
but　then　the　Romans　were　not　Christians；　and　knew　no　better。

The　practical　outcome　of　the　foregoing　was　a　conviction　in
Theobald's　mind；　and　if　in　his；　then　in　Christina's；　that　it　was
their　duty　to　begin　training　up　their　children　in　the　way　they
should　go；　even　from　their　earliest　infancy。　　The　first　signs　of
self…will　must　be　carefully　looked　for；　and　plucked　up　by　the　roots
at　once　before　they　had　time　to　grow。　　Theobald　picked　up　this　numb
serpent　of　a　metaphor　and　cherished　it　in　his　bosom。

Before　Ernest　could　well　crawl　he　was　taught　to　kneel；　before　he
could　well　speak　he　was　taught　to　lisp　the　Lord's　prayer；　and　the
general　confession。　　How　was　it　possible　that　these　things　could　be
taught　too　early？　　If　his　attention　flagged　or　his　memory　failed
him；　here　was　an　ill　weed　which　would　grow　apace；　unless　it　were
plucked　out　immediately；　and　the　only　way　to　pluck　it　out　was　to
whip　him；　or　shut　him　up　in　a　cupboard；　or　dock　him　of　some　of　the
small　pleasures　of　childhood。　　Before　he　was　three　years　old　he
could　read　and；　after　a　fashion；　write。　　Before　he　was　four　he　was
learning　Latin；　and　could　do　rule　of　three　sums。

As　for　the　child　himself；　he　was　naturally　of　an　even　temper；　he
doted　upon　his　nurse；　on　kittens　and　puppies；　and　on　all　things　that
would　do　him　the　kindness　of　allowing　him　to　be　fond　of　them。　　He
was　fond　of　his　mother；　too；　but　as　regards　his　father；　he　has　told
me　in　later　life　he　could　remember　no　feeling　but　fear　and
shrinking。　　Christina　did　not　remonstrate　with　Theobald　concerning
the　severity　of　the　tasks　imposed　upon　their　boy；　nor　yet　as　to　the
continual　whippings　that　were　found　necessary　at　lesson　times。
Indeed；　when　during　any　absence　of　Theobald's　the　lessons　were
entrusted　to　her；　she　found　to　her　sorrow　that　it　was　the　only　thing
to　do；　and　she　did　it　no　less　effectually　than　Theobald　himself；
nevertheless　she　was　fond　of　her　boy；　which　Theobald　never　was；　and
it　was　long　before　she　could　destroy　all　affection　for　herself　in
the　mind　of　her　first…born。　　But　she　persevered。



CHAPTER　XXI



Strange！　for　she　believed　she　doted　upon　him；　and　certainly　she
loved　him　better　than　either　of　her　other　children。　　Her　version　of
the　matter　was　that　there　had　never　yet　been　two　parents　so　self…
denying　and　devoted　to　the　highest　welfare　of　their　children　as
Theobald　and　herself。　　For　Ernest；　a　very　great　futureshe　was
certain　of　itwas　in　store。　　This　made　severity　all　the　more
necessary；　so　that　from　the　first　he　might　have　been　kept　pure　from
every　taint　of　evil。　　She　could　not　allow　herself　the　scope　for
castle　building　which；　we　read；　was　indulged　in　by　every　Jewish
matron　before　the　appearance　of　the　Messiah；　for　the　Messiah　had　now
come；　but　there　was　to　be　a　millennium　shortly；　certainly　not　later
than　1866；　when　Ernest　would　be　just　about　the　right　age　for　it；　and
a　modern　Elias　would　be　wanted　to　herald　its　approach。　　Heaven　would
bear　her　witness　that　she　had　never　shrunk　from　the　idea　of
martyrdom　for　herself　and　Theobald；　nor　would　she　avoid　it　for　her
boy；　if　his　life　was　required　of　her　in　her　Redeemer's　service。　　Oh；
no！　　If　God　told　her　to　offer　up　her　first…born；　as　He　had　told
Abraham；　she　would　take　him　up　to　Pigbury　Beacon　and　plunge　theno；
that　she　could　not　do；　but　it　would　be　unnecessarysome　one　else
might　do　that。　　It　was　not　for　nothing　that　Ernest　had　been　baptised
in　water　from　the　Jordan。　　It　had　not　been　her　doing；　nor　yet
Theobald's。　　They　had　not　sought　it。　　When　water　from　the　sacred
stream　was　wanted　for　a　sacred　infant；　the　channel　had　been　found
through　which　it　was　to　flow　from　far　Palestine　over　land　and　sea　to
the　door　of　the　house　where　the　child　was　lying。　　Why；　it　was　a
miracle！　　It　was！　　It　was！　　She　saw　it　all　now。　　The　Jordan　had　left
its　bed　and　flowed　into　her　own　house。　　It　was　idle　to　say　that　this
was　not　a　miracle。　　No　miracle　was　effected　without　means　of　some
kind；　the　difference　between　the　faithful　and　the　unbeliever
consisted　in　the　very　fact　that　the　former　could　see　a　miracle　where
the　latter　could　not。　　The　Jews　could　see　no　miracle　even　in　the
raising　of　Lazarus　and　the　feeding　of　the　five　thousand。　　The　John
Pontifexes　would　see　no　miracle　in　this　matter　of　the　water　from　the
Jord