the way of all flesh-第9节

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expense　of　sending　you　to　the　University；　which　I　should　never　have
done　unless　I　had　believed　you　to　have　made　up　your　mind　about
taking　orders？　　I　have　letters　from　you　in　which　you　express　the
most　perfect　willingness　to　be　ordained；　and　your　brother　and
sisters　will　bear　me　out　in　saying　that　no　pressure　of　any　sort　has
been　put　upon　you。　　You　mistake　your　own　mind；　and　are　suffering
from　a　nervous　timidity　which　may　be　very　natural　but　may　not　the
less　be　pregnant　with　serious　consequences　to　yourself。　　I　am　not　at
all　well；　and　the　anxiety　occasioned　by　your　letter　is　naturally
preying　upon　me。　　May　God　guide　you　to　a　better　judgement。Your
affectionate　father；　G。　PONTIFEX。〃


On　the　receipt　of　this　letter　Theobald　plucked　up　his　spirits。　　〃My
father；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃tells　me　I　need　not　be　ordained　if　I
do　not　like。　　I　do　not　like；　and　therefore　I　will　not　be　ordained。
But　what　was　the　meaning　of　the　words　'pregnant　with　serious
consequences　to　yourself'？　　Did　there　lurk　a　threat　under　these
wordsthough　it　was　impossible　to　lay　hold　of　it　or　of　them？　　Were
they　not　intended　to　produce　all　the　effect　of　a　threat　without
being　actually　threatening？〃

Theobald　knew　his　father　well　enough　to　be　little　likely　to
misapprehend　his　meaning；　but　having　ventured　so　far　on　the　path　of
opposition；　and　being　really　anxious　to　get　out　of　being　ordained　if
he　could；　he　determined　to　venture　farther。　　He　accordingly　wrote
the　following：


〃My　dear　father；You　tell　meand　I　heartily　thank　youthat　no　one
will　compel　me　to　be　ordained。　　I　knew　you　would　not　press
ordination　upon　me　if　my　conscience　was　seriously　opposed　to　it；　I
have　therefore　resolved　on　giving　up　the　idea；　and　believe　that　if
you　will　continue　to　allow　me　what　you　do　at　present；　until　I　get　my
fellowship；　which　should　not　be　long；　I　will　then　cease　putting　you
to　further　expense。　　I　will　make　up　my　mind　as　soon　as　possible　what
profession　I　will　adopt；　and　will　let　you　know　at　once。Your
affectionate　son；　THEOBALD　PONTIFEX。〃


The　remaining　letter；　written　by　return　of　post；　must　now　be　given。
It　has　the　merit　of　brevity。


〃Dear　Theobald；I　have　received　yours。　　I　am　at　a　loss　to　conceive
its　motive；　but　am　very　clear　as　to　its　effect。　　You　shall　not
receive　a　single　sixpence　from　me　till　you　come　to　your　senses。
Should　you　persist　in　your　folly　and　wickedness；　I　am　happy　to
remember　that　I　have　yet　other　children　whose　conduct　I　can　depend
upon　to　be　a　source　of　credit　and　happiness　to　me。Your
affectionate　but　troubled　father；　G。　PONTIFEX。〃


I　do　not　know　the　immediate　sequel　to　the　foregoing　correspondence；
but　it　all　came　perfectly　right　in　the　end。　　Either　Theobald's　heart
failed　him；　or　he　interpreted　the　outward　shove　which　his　father
gave　him；　as　the　inward　call　for　which　I　have　no　doubt　he　prayed
with　great　earnestnessfor　he　was　a　firm　believer　in　the　efficacy
of　prayer。　　And　so　am　I　under　certain　circumstances。　　Tennyson　has
said　that　more　things　are　wrought　by　prayer　than　this　world　dreams
of；　but　he　has　wisely　refrained　from　saying　whether　they　are　good
things　or　bad　things。　　It　might　perhaps　be　as　well　if　the　world　were
to　dream　of；　or　even　become　wide　awake　to；　some　of　the　things　that
are　being　wrought　by　prayer。　　But　the　question　is　avowedly
difficult。　　In　the　end　Theobald　got　his　fellowship　by　a　stroke　of
luck　very　soon　after　taking　his　degree；　and　was　ordained　in　the
autumn　of　the　same　year；　1825。



CHAPTER　IX



Mr　Allaby　was　rector　of　Crampsford；　a　village　a　few　miles　from
Cambridge。　　He；　too；　had　taken　a　good　degree；　had　got　a　fellowship；
and　in　the　course　of　time　had　accepted　a　college　living　of　about　400
pounds　a　year　and　a　house。　　His　private　income　did　not　exceed　200
pounds　a　year。　　On　resigning　his　fellowship　he　married　a　woman　a
good　deal　younger　than　himself　who　bore　him　eleven　children；　nine　of
whomtwo　sons　and　seven　daughterswere　living。　　The　two　eldest
daughters　had　married　fairly　well；　but　at　the　time　of　which　I　am　now
writing　there　were　still　five　unmarried；　of　ages　varying　between
thirty　and　twenty…twoand　the　sons　were　neither　of　them　yet　off
their　father's　hands。　　It　was　plain　that　if　anything　were　to　happen
to　Mr　Allaby　the　family　would　be　left　poorly　off；　and　this　made　both
Mr　and　Mrs　Allaby　as　unhappy　as　it　ought　to　have　made　them。

Reader；　did　you　ever　have　an　income　at　best　none　too　large；　which
died　with　you　all　except　200　pounds　a　year？　　Did　you　ever　at　the
same　time　have　two　sons　who　must　be　started　in　life　somehow；　and
five　daughters　still　unmarried　for　whom　you　would　only　be　too
thankful　to　find　husbandsif　you　knew　how　to　find　them？　　If
morality　is　that　which；　on　the　whole；　brings　a　man　peace　in　his
declining　yearsif；　that　is　to　say；　it　is　not　an　utter　swindle；　can
you　under　these　circumstances　flatter　yourself　that　you　have　led　a
moral　life？

And　this；　even　though　your　wife　has　been　so　good　a　woman　that　you
have　not　grown　tired　of　her；　and　has　not　fallen　into　such　ill…health
as　lowers　your　own　health　in　sympathy；　and　though　your　family　has
grown　up　vigorous；　amiable；　and　blessed　with　common　sense。　　I　know
many　old　men　and　women　who　are　reputed　moral；　but　who　are　living
with　partners　whom　they　have　long　ceased　to　love；　or　who　have　ugly
disagreeable　maiden　daughters　for　whom　they　have　never　been　able　to
find　husbandsdaughters　whom　they　loathe　and　by　whom　they　are
loathed　in　secret；　or　sons　whose　folly　or　extravagance　is　a
perpetual　wear　and　worry　to　them。　　Is　it　moral　for　a　man　to　have
brought　such　things　upon　himself？　　Someone　should　do　for　morals　what
that　old　Pecksniff　Bacon　has　obtained　the　credit　of　having　done　for
science。

But　to　return　to　Mr　and　Mrs　Allaby。　　Mrs　Allaby　talked　about　having
married　two　of　her　daughters　as　though　it　had　been　the　easiest　thing
in　the　world。　　She　talked　in　this　way　because　she　heard　other
mothers　do　so；　but　in　her　heart　of　hearts　she　did　not　know　how　she
had　done　it；　nor　indeed；　if　it　had　been　her　doing　at　all。　　First
there　had　been　a　young　man　in　connection　with　whom　she　had　tried　to
practise　certain　manoeuvres　which　she　had　rehearsed　in　imagination
over　and　over　again；　but　which　she　found　impossible　to　apply　in
practice。　　Then　there　had　been　weeks　of　a　wurra　wurra　of　hopes　and
fears　and　little　stratagems　which　as　often　as　not　proved
injudicious；　and　then　somehow　or　other　in　the　end；　there　lay　the
young　man　bound　and　with　an　arrow　through　his　heart　at　her
daughter's　feet。　　It　seemed　to　her　to　be　all　a　fluke　which　she　could
have　little　or　no　hope　of　repeating。　　She　had　indeed　repeated　it
once；　and　might　perhaps　with　good　luck　repeat　it　yet　once　againbut
five　times　over！　　It　was　awful：　　why　she　would　rather　have　three
confinements　than　go　through　the　wear　and　tear　of　marrying　a　single
daughter。

Nevertheless　it　had　got　to　be　done；　and　poor　Mrs　Allaby　never　looked
at　a　young　man　without　an　eye　to　his　being　a　future　son…in…law。
Papas　and　mammas　sometimes　ask　young　men　whether　their　intentions
are　honourable　towards　their　daughters。　　I　think　young　men　might
occasionally　ask　papas　and　mammas　whether　their　intentions　are
honourable　before　they　accept　invitations　to　houses　where　there　are
still　unmarried　daughters。

〃I　can't　afford　a　curate；　my　dear；〃　said　Mr　Allaby　to　his　wife　when
the　pair　were　discussing　what　was　next　to　be　done。　　〃It　will　be
better　to　get　some　young　man　to　come　and　help　me　for　a　time　upon　a
Sunday。　　A　guinea　a　Sunday　will　do　this；　and　we　can　chop　and　change
till　we　get　someone　who　suits。〃　　So　it　was　settled　that　Mr　Allaby's
health　was　not　so　strong　as　it　had　been；　and　that　he　stood　in　need
of　help　in　the　performance　of　his　Sunday　duty。

Mrs　Allaby　had　a　great　frienda　certain　Mrs　Cowey；　wife　of　the
celebrated　Professor　Cowey。　　She　was　what　was　called　a　truly
spiritually　minded　woman；　a　trifle　portly；　with　an　incipient　beard；
and　an　extensive　connection　among　undergraduates；　more　especially
among　those　who　were　inclined　to　take　part　in　the　great　evangelical
movement　which　was　then　at　its　height。　　She　gave　evening　parties
once　a　fortnight　at　which　prayer　was　part　of　the　entertainment。　　She
was　not　only　spiritually　minded；　but；　as　enthusiastic　Mrs　Allaby
used　to　exclaim；　she　was　a　thorough　woman　of　the　world　at　the　same
time　and　had　such　a　fund　of　strong　masculine　good　sense。　　She　too
had　daughters；　but；　as　she　used　to　say　to　Mrs　Allaby；　she　had　been
less　fortunate　than　Mrs　Allaby　herself；　for　one　by　one　they　had
married　and　left　her　so　that　her　old　age　would　have　been　desolate
indeed　if　her　Professor　had　not　been　spared　to　her。

Mrs　Cowey；　of　course；　knew　the　run　of　all　the　bachelor　clergy　in　the
University；　and　was　the　very　person　to　assist　Mrs　Allaby　in　finding
an　eligible　assistant　for　her　husband；　so　this　last　named　lady　drove
over　one　morning　in　the　November　of　1825；　by　arrangement；　to　take　an
early　dinner　with　Mrs　Cowey　and　spend　the　afternoon。　　After　dinner
the　two　ladies　retired　together；　and　the　business　of　the　day　began。
How　they　fenced；　how　they　saw　through　one　another；　with　what　loyalty
they　pretended　not　to　see　through　one　another；　with　what　gentle
dalliance　they　prolonged　the　conversation　discussing　the　spirit