robert falconer-第104节

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The　man's　only　answer　was　a　shake　that　made　the　woman　cry　out。



'I　shall　get　into　trouble　if　you　get　off；'　said　Falconer　to　her。

'Will　you　promise　me；　on　your　word；　to　go　with　me　to　the　station；　if

I　rid　you　of　the　fellow？'



'I　will；　I　will；'　said　the　woman。



'Then；　look　out；'　said　Falconer　to　the　policeman；　'for　I'm　going　to

give　you　that　lesson。'



The　officer　let　the　woman　go；　took　his　baton；　and　made　a　blow　at

Falconer。　　In　another　momentI　could　hardly　see　howhe　lay　in　the

street。



'Now；　my　poor　woman；　come　along；'　said　Falconer。



She　obeyed；　crying　gently。　　Two　other　policemen　came　up。



'Do　you　want　to　give　that　woman　in　charge；　Mr。　Falconer？'　asked　one

of　them。



'I　give　that　man　in　charge；'　cried　his　late　antagonist；　who　had　just

scrambled　to　his　feet。　'Assaulting　the　police　in　discharge　of　their

duty。'



'Very　well；'　said　the　other。　'But　you're　in　the　wrong　box；　and　that

you'll　find。　　You　had　better　come　along　to　the　station；　sir。'



'Keep　that　fellow　from　getting　hold　of　the　womanyou　two；　and　we'll

go　together；'　said　Falconer。



Bewildered　with　the　rapid　sequence　of　events；　I　was　following　in　the

crowd。　　Falconer　looked　about　till　he　saw　me；　and　gave　me　a　nod

which　meant　come　along。　　Before　we　reached　Bow　Street。　however；　the

offending　policeman；　who　had　been　walking　a　little　behind　in

conversation　with　one　of　the　others；　advanced　to　Falconer；　touched

his　hat；　and　said　something；　to　which　Falconer　replied。



'Remember；　I　have　my　eye　upon　you；'　was　all　I　heard；　however；　as　he

left　the　crowd　and　rejoined　me。　　We　turned　and　walked　eastward

again。



The　storm　kept　on　intermittently；　but　the　streets　were　rather　more

crowded　than　usual　notwithstanding。



'Look　at　that　man　in　the　woollen　jacket；'　said　Falconer。　'What　a

beautiful　outline　of　face！　　There　must　be　something　noble　in　that

man。'



'I　did　not　see　him；'　I　answered；　'I　was　taken　up　with　a　woman's

face；　like　that　of　a　beautiful　corpse。　　It's　eyes　were　bright。

There　was　gin　in　its　brain。'



The　streets　swarmed　with　human　faces　gleaming　past。　　It　was　a　night

of　ghosts。



There　stood　a　man　who　had　lost　one　arm；　earnestly　pumping

bilge…music　out　of　an　accordion　with　the　other；　holding　it　to　his

body　with　the　stump。　　There　was　a　woman；　pale　with　hunger　and　gin；

three　match…boxes　in　one　extended　hand；　and　the　other　holding　a　baby

to　her　breast。　　As　we　looked；　the　poor　baby　let　go　its　hold；　turned

its　little　head；　and　smiled　a　wan；　shrivelled；　old…fashioned　smile

in　our　faces。



Another　happy　baby；　you　see；　Mr。　Gordon；'　said　Falconer。　'A　child；

fresh　from　God；　finds　its　heaven　where　no　one　else　would。　　The　devil

could　drive　woman　out　of　Paradise；　but　the　devil　himself　cannot

drive　the　Paradise　out　of　a　woman。'



'What　can　be　done　for　them？'　　I　said；　and　at　the　moment；　my　eye　fell

upon　a　row　of　little　children；　from　two　to　five　years　of　age；　seated

upon　the　curb…stone。



They　were　chattering　fast；　and　apparently　carrying　on　some　game；　as

happy　as　if　they　had　been　in　the　fields。



'Wouldn't　you　like　to　take　all　those　little　grubby　things；　and　put

them　in　a　great　tub　and　wash　them　clean？'　　I　said。



'They'd　fight　like　spiders；'　rejoined　Falconer。



'They're　not　fighting　now。'



'Then　don't　make　them。　　It　would　be　all　useless。　　The　probability　is

that　you　would　only　change　the　forms　of　the　various　evils；　and

possibly　for　worse。　　You　would　buy　all　that　man's　glue…lizards；　and

that　man's　three…foot　rules；　and　that　man's　dog…collars　and　chains；

at　three　times　their　value；　that　they　might　get　more　drink　than

usual；　and　do　nothing　at　all　for　their　living　to…morrow。What　a

happy　London　you　would　make　if　you　were　Sultan　Haroun！'　he　added；

laughing。　'You　would　put　an　end　to　poverty　altogether；　would　you

not？'



I　did　not　reply　at　once。



'But　I　beg　your　pardon；'　he　resumed；　'I　am　very　rude。'



'Not　at　all；'　I　returned。　'I　was　only　thinking　how　to　answer　you。

They　would　be　no　worse　after　all　than　those　who　inherit　property

and　lead　idle　lives。'



'True；　but　they　would　be　no　better。　　Would　you　be　content　that　your

quondam　poor　should　be　no　better　off　than　the　rich？　　What　would　be

gained　thereby？　　Is　there　no　truth　in　the　words　〃Blessed　are　the

poor〃？　　A　deeper　truth　than　most　Christians　dare　to　see。Did　you

ever　observe　that　there　is　not　one　word　about　the　vices　of　the　poor

in　the　Biblefrom　beginning　to　end？'



'But　they　have　their　vices。'



'Indubitably。　　I　am　only　stating　a　fact。　　The　Bible　is　full　enough

of　the　vices　of　the　rich。　　I　make　no　comment。'



'But　don't　you　care　for　their　sufferings？'



'They　are　of　secondary　importance　quite。　　But　if　you　had　been　as

much　amongst　them　as　I；　perhaps　you　would　be　of　my　opinion；　that　the

poor　are　not；　cannot　possibly　feel　so　wretched　as　they　seem　to　us。

They　live　in　a　climate；　as　it　were；　which　is　their　own；　by　natural

law　comply　with　it；　and　find　it　not　altogether　unfriendly。　　The

Laplander　will　prefer　his　wastes　to　the　rich　fields　of　England；　not

merely　from　ignorance；　but　for　the　sake　of　certain　blessings　amongst

which　he　has　been　born　and　brought　up。　　The　blessedness　of　life

depends　far　more　on　its　interest　than　upon　its　comfort。　　The　need　of

exertion　and　the　doubt　of　success；　renders　life　much　more

interesting　to　the　poor　than　it　is　to　those　who；　unblessed　with

anxiety　for　the　bread　that　perisheth；　waste　their　poor　hearts　about

rank　and　reputation。'



'I　thought　such　anxiety　was　represented　as　an　evil　in　the　New

Testament。'



'Yes。　But　it　is　a　still　greater　evil　to　lose　it　in　any　other　way

than　by　faith　in　God。　You　would　remove　the　anxiety　by　destroying　its

cause：　God　would　remove　it　by　lifting　them　above　it；　by　teaching

them　to　trust　in　him；　and　thus　making　them　partakers　of　the　divine

nature。　　Poverty　is　a　blessing　when　it　makes　a　man　look　up。'



'But　you　cannot　say　it　does　so　always。'



'I　cannot　determine　when；　where；　and　how　much；　but　I　am　sure　it

does。　　And　I　am　confident　that　to　free　those　hearts　from　it　by　any

deed　of　yours　would　be　to　do　them　the　greatest　injury　you　could。

Probably　their　want　of　foresight　would　prove　the　natural　remedy；

speedily　reducing　them　to　their　former　conditionnot　however

without　serious　loss。'



'But　will　not　this　theory　prove　at　last　an　an？sthetic　rather　than　an

anodyne？　　I　mean　that；　although　you　may　adopt　it　at　first　for　refuge

from　the　misery　the　sight　of　their　condition　occasions　you；　there　is

surely　a　danger　of　its　rendering　you　at　last　indifferent　to　it。'



'Am　I　indifferent？　　But　you　do　not　know　me　yet。　　Pardon　my　egotism。

There　may　be　such　danger。　　Every　truth　has　its　own　danger　or

shadow。　　Assuredly　I　would　have　no　less　labour　spent　upon　them。　　But

there　can　be　no　true　labour　done；　save　in　as　far　as　we　are

fellow…labourers　with　God。　We　must　work　with　him；　not　against　him。

Every　one　who　works　without　believing　that　God　is　doing　the　best；

the　absolute　good　for　them；　is；　must　be；　more　or　less；　thwarting

God。　He　would　take　the　poor　out　of　God's　hands。　　For　others；　as　for

ourselves；　we　must　trust　him。　　If　we　could　thoroughly　understand

anything；　that　would　be　enough　to　prove　it　undivine；　and　that　which

is　but　one　step　beyond　our　understanding　must　be　in　some　of　its

relations　as　mysterious　as　if　it　were　a　hundred。　　But　through　all

this　darkness　about　the　poor；　at　least　I　can　see　wonderful　veins　and

fields　of　light；　and　with　the　help　of　this　partial　vision；　I　trust

for　the　rest。　　The　only　and　the　greatest　thing　man　is　capable　of　is

Trust　in　God。'



'What　then　is　a　man　to　do　for　the　poor？　　How　is　he　to　work　with

God？'　　I　asked。



'He　must　be　a　man　amongst　thema　man　breathing　the　air　of　a　higher

life；　and　therefore　in　all　natural　ways　fulfilling　his　endless　human

relations　to　them。　　Whatever　you　do　for　them；　let　your　own　being；

that　is　you　in　relation　to　them；　be　the　background；　that　so　you　may

be　a　link　between　them　and　God；　or　rather　I　should　say；　between　them

and　the　knowledge　of　God。'



While　Falconer　spoke；　his　face　grew　grander　and　grander；　till　at

last　it　absolutely　shone。　　I　felt　that　I　walked　with　a　man　whose

faith　was　his　genius。



'Of　one　thing　I　am　pretty　sure；'　he　resumed；　'that　the　same　recipe

Goethe　gave　for　the　enjoyment　of　life；　applies　equally　to　all　work：

〃Do　the　thing　that　lies　next　you。〃　　That　is　all　our　business。

Hurried　results　are　worse　than　none。　　We　must　force　nothing；　but　be

partakers　of　the　divine　patience。　　How　long　it　took　to　make　the

cradle！　and　we　fret　that　the　baby　Humanity　is　not　reading　Euclid　and

Plato；　even　that　it　is　not　understanding　the　Gospel　of　St。　John！　　If

there　is　one　thing　evident　in　the　world's　history；　it　is　that　God

hasteneth　not。　　All　haste　implies　weakness。　　Time　is　as　cheap　as

space　and　matter。　　What　they　call　the　church　militant　is　only　at

drill　yet；　and　a　good　many　of　the　officers　too　not　out　of　the

awkward　squad。　　I　am　su