the way of all flesh-第26节

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upon　them　was　one　of　suspicion。　　But　there　was　no　suspicion　of
Theobald；　that　he　should　have　devoted　his　life　to　his　childrenwhy
this　was　such　a　mere　platitude；　as　almost　to　go　without　saying。

How；　let　me　ask；　was　it　possible　that　a　child　only　a　little　past
five　years　old；　trained　in　such　an　atmosphere　of　prayers　and　hymns
and　sums　and　happy　Sunday　eveningsto　say　nothing　of　daily　repeated
beatings　over　the　said　prayers　and　hymns；　etc。；　about　which　our
authoress　is　silenthow　was　it　possible　that　a　lad　so　trained
should　grow　up　in　any　healthy　or　vigorous　development；　even　though
in　her　own　way　his　mother　was　undoubtedly　very　fond　of　him；　and
sometimes　told　him　stories？　　Can　the　eye　of　any　reader　fail　to
detect　the　coming　wrath　of　God　as　about　to　descend　upon　the　head　of
him　who　should　be　nurtured　under　the　shadow　of　such　a　letter　as　the
foregoing？

I　have　often　thought　that　the　Church　of　Rome　does　wisely　in　not
allowing　her　priests　to　marry。　　Certainly　it　is　a　matter　of　common
observation　in　England　that　the　sons　of　clergymen　are　frequently
unsatisfactory。　　The　explanation　is　very　simple；　but　is　so　often
lost　sight　of　that　I　may　perhaps　be　pardoned　for　giving　it　here。

The　clergyman　is　expected　to　be　a　kind　of　human　Sunday。　　Things　must
not　be　done　in　him　which　are　venial　in　the　week…day　classes。　　He　is
paid　for　this　business　of　leading　a　stricter　life　than　other　people。
It　is　his　raison　d'etre。　　If　his　parishioners　feel　that　he　does
this；　they　approve　of　him；　for　they　look　upon　him　as　their　own
contribution　towards　what　they　deem　a　holy　life。　　This　is　why　the
clergyman　is　so　often　called　a　vicarhe　being　the　person　whose
vicarious　goodness　is　to　stand　for　that　of　those　entrusted　to　his
charge。　　But　his　home　is　his　castle　as　much　as　that　of　any　other
Englishman；　and　with　him；　as　with　others；　unnatural　tension　in
public　is　followed　by　exhaustion　when　tension　is　no　longer
necessary。　　His　children　are　the　most　defenceless　things　he　can
reach；　and　it　is　on　them　in　nine　cases　out　of　ten　that　he　will
relieve　his　mind。

A　clergyman；　again；　can　hardly　ever　allow　himself　to　look　facts
fairly　in　the　face。　　It　is　his　profession　to　support　one　side；　it　is
impossible；　therefore；　for　him　to　make　an　unbiassed　examination　of
the　other。

We　forget　that　every　clergyman　with　a　living　or　curacy；　is　as　much　a
paid　advocate　as　the　barrister　who　is　trying　to　persuade　a　jury　to
acquit　a　prisoner。　　We　should　listen　to　him　with　the　same　suspense
of　judgment；　the　same　full　consideration　of　the　arguments　of　the
opposing　counsel；　as　a　judge　does　when　he　is　trying　a　case。　　Unless
we　know　these；　and　can　state　them　in　a　way　that　our　opponents　would
admit　to　be　a　fair　representation　of　their　views；　we　have　no　right
to　claim　that　we　have　formed　an　opinion　at　all。　　The　misfortune　is
that　by　the　law　of　the　land　one　side　only　can　be　heard。

Theobald　and　Christina　were　no　exceptions　to　the　general　rule。　　When
they　came　to　Battersby　they　had　every　desire　to　fulfil　the　duties　of
their　position；　and　to　devote　themselves　to　the　honour　and　glory　of
God。　　But　it　was　Theobald's　duty　to　see　the　honour　and　glory　of　God
through　the　eyes　of　a　Church　which　had　lived　three　hundred　years
without　finding　reason　to　change　a　single　one　of　its　opinions。

I　should　doubt　whether　he　ever　got　as　far　as　doubting　the　wisdom　of
his　Church　upon　any　single　matter。　　His　scent　for　possible　mischief
was　tolerably　keen；　so　was　Christina's；　and　it　is　likely　that　if
either　of　them　detected　in　him　or　herself　the　first　faint　symptoms
of　a　want　of　faith　they　were　nipped　no　less　peremptorily　in　the　bud；
than　signs　of　self…will　in　Ernest　wereand　I　should　imagine　more
successfully。　　Yet　Theobald　considered　himself；　and　was　generally
considered　to　be；　and　indeed　perhaps　was；　an　exceptionally　truthful
person；　indeed　he　was　generally　looked　upon　as　an　embodiment　of　all
those　virtues　which　make　the　poor　respectable　and　the　rich
respected。　　In　the　course　of　time　he　and　his　wife　became　persuaded
even　to　unconsciousness；　that　no　one　could　even　dwell　under　their
roof　without　deep　cause　for　thankfulness。　　Their　children；　their
servants；　their　parishioners　must　be　fortunate　ipso　facto　that　they
were　theirs。　　There　was　no　road　to　happiness　here　or　hereafter；　but
the　road　that　they　had　themselves　travelled；　no　good　people　who　did
not　think　as　they　did　upon　every　subject；　and　no　reasonable　person
who　had　wants　the　gratification　of　which　would　be　inconvenient　to
themTheobald　and　Christina。

This　was　how　it　came　to　pass　that　their　children　were　white　and
puny；　they　were　suffering　from　HOME…SICKNESS。　　They　were　starving；
through　being　over…crammed　with　the　wrong　things。　　Nature　came　down
upon　them；　but　she　did　not　come　down　on　Theobald　and　Christina。　　Why
should　she？　　They　were　not　leading　a　starved　existence。　　There　are
two　classes　of　people　in　this　world；　those　who　sin；　and　those　who
are　sinned　against；　if　a　man　must　belong　to　either；　he　had　better
belong　to　the　first　than　to　the　second。



CHAPTER　XXVII



I　will　give　no　more　of　the　details　of　my　hero's　earlier　years。
Enough　that　he　struggled　through　them；　and　at　twelve　years　old　knew
every　page　of　his　Latin　and　Greek　Grammars　by　heart。　　He　had　read
the　greater　part　of　Virgil；　Horace　and　Livy；　and　I　do　not　know　how
many　Greek　plays：　　he　was　proficient　in　arithmetic；　knew　the　first
four　books　of　Euclid　thoroughly；　and　had　a　fair　knowledge　of　French。
It　was　now　time　he　went　to　school；　and　to　school　he　was　accordingly
to　go；　under　the　famous　Dr　Skinner　of　Roughborough。

Theobald　had　known　Dr　Skinner　slightly　at　Cambridge。　　He　had　been　a
burning　and　a　shining　light　in　every　position　he　had　filled　from　his
boyhood　upwards。　　He　was　a　very　great　genius。　　Everyone　knew　this；
they　said；　indeed；　that　he　was　one　of　the　few　people　to　whom　the
word　genius　could　be　applied　without　exaggeration。　　Had　he　not　taken
I　don't　know　how　many　University　Scholarships　in　his　freshman's
year？　　Had　he　not　been　afterwards　Senior　Wrangler；　First
Chancellor's　Medallist　and　I　do　not　know　how　many　more　things
besides？　　And　then；　he　was　such　a　wonderful　speaker；　at　the　Union
Debating　Club　he　had　been　without　a　rival；　and　had；　of　course；　been
president；　his　moral　character；a　point　on　which　so　many　geniuses
were　weakwas　absolutely　irreproachable；　foremost　of　all；　however；
among　his　many　great　qualities；　and　perhaps　more　remarkable　even
than　his　genius　was　what　biographers　have　called　〃the　simple…minded
and　child…like　earnestness　of　his　character；〃　an　earnestness　which
might　be　perceived　by　the　solemnity　with　which　he　spoke　even　about
trifles。　　It　is　hardly　necessary　to　say　he　was　on　the　Liberal　side
in　politics。

His　personal　appearance　was　not　particularly　prepossessing。　　He　was
about　the　middle　height；　portly；　and　had　a　couple　of　fierce　grey
eyes；　that　flashed　fire　from　beneath　a　pair　of　great　bushy　beetling
eyebrows　and　overawed　all　who　came　near　him。　　It　was　in　respect　of
his　personal　appearance；　however；　that；　if　he　was　vulnerable　at　all；
his　weak　place　was　to　be　found。　　His　hair　when　he　was　a　young　man
was　red；　but　after　he　had　taken　his　degree　he　had　a　brain　fever
which　caused　him　to　have　his　head　shaved；　when　he　reappeared；　he　did
so　wearing　a　wig；　and　one　which　was　a　good　deal　further　off　red　than
his　own　hair　had　been。　　He　not　only　had　never　discarded　his　wig；　but
year　by　year　it　had　edged　itself　a　little　more　and　a　little　more　off
red；　till　by　the　time　he　was　forty；　there　was　not　a　trace　of　red
remaining；　and　his　wig　was　brown。

When　Dr　Skinner　was　a　very　young　man；　hardly　more　than　five…and…
twenty；　the　head…mastership　of　Roughborough　Grammar　School　had
fallen　vacant；　and　he　had　been　unhesitatingly　appointed。　　The　result
justified　the　selection。　　Dr　Skinner's　pupils　distinguished
themselves　at　whichever　University　they　went　to。　　He　moulded　their
minds　after　the　model　of　his　own；　and　stamped　an　impression　upon
them　which　was　indelible　in　after…life；　whatever　else　a　Roughborough
man　might　be；　he　was　sure　to　make　everyone　feel　that　he　was　a　God…
fearing　earnest　Christian　and　a　Liberal；　if　not　a　Radical；　in
politics。　　Some　boys；　of　course；　were　incapable　of　appreciating　the
beauty　and　loftiness　of　Dr　Skinner's　nature。　　Some　such　boys；　alas！
there　will　be　in　every　school；　upon　them　Dr　Skinner's　hand　was　very
properly　a　heavy　one。　　His　hand　was　against　them；　and　theirs　against
him　during　the　whole　time　of　the　connection　between　them。　　They　not
only　disliked　him；　but　they　hated　all　that　he　more　especially
embodied；　and　throughout　their　lives　disliked　all　that　reminded　them
of　him。　　Such　boys；　however；　were　in　a　minority；　the　spirit　of　the
place　being　decidedly　Skinnerian。

I　once　had　the　honour　of　playing　a　game　of　chess　with　this　great
man。　　It　was　during　the　Christmas　holidays；　and　I　had　come　down　to
Roughborough　for　a　few　days　to　see　Alethea　Pontifex　（who　was　then
living　there）　on　business。　　It　was　very　gracious　of　him　to　take
notice　of　me；　for　if　I　was　a　light　of　literature　at　all　it　was　of
the　very　lightest　kind。

It　is　true　that　in　the　intervals　of　business　I　had　written　a　good
deal；　but　my　works　had　been　almost　exclusively　for　the　stage；　and