robert falconer-第127节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



whence　all　the　sweet　visitings　of　the　grace　of　God　are　withdrawn；

and　the　man　has　not　a　chance；　so　to　speak；　of　growing　better。　　In

this　hell　of　theirs　they　will　even　pamper　his　beastly　body。'



'They　have　the　chaplain　to　visit　them。'



'I　pity　the　chaplain；　cut　off　in　his　labours　from　all　the　aids　which

God's　world　alone　can　give　for　the　teaching　of　these　men。　　Human

beings　have　not　the　right　to　inflict　such　cruel　punishment　upon

their　fellow…man。　　It　springs　from　a　cowardly　shrinking　from

responsibility；　and　from　mistrust　of　the　mercy　of　God；perhaps

first　of　all　from　an　over…valuing　of　the　mere　life　of　the　body。

Hanging　is　tenderness　itself　to　such　a　punishment。'



'I　think　you　are　hardly　fair；　though；　Falconer。　　It　is　the　fear　of

sending　them　to　hell　that　prevents　them　from　hanging　them。'



'Yes。　You　are　right；　I　dare　say。　　They　are　not　of　David's　mind；　who

would　rather　fall　into　the　hands　of　God　than　of　men。　　They　think

their　hell　is　not　so　hard　as　his；　and　may　be　better　for　them。　　But　I

must　not；　as　you　say；　forget　that　they　do　believe　their　everlasting

fate　hangs　upon　their　hands；　for　if　God　once　gets　his　hold　of　them

by　death；　they　are　lost　for　ever。'



'But　the　chaplain　may　awake　them　to　a　sense　of　their　sins。'



'I　do　not　think　it　is　likely　that　talk　will　do　what　the　discipline

of　life　has　not　done。　　It　seems　to　me；　on　the　contrary；　that　the

clergyman　has　no　commission　to　rouse　people　to　a　sense　of　their

sins。　　That　is　not　his　work。　　He　is　far　more　likely　to　harden　them

by　any　attempt　in　that　direction。　　Every　man　does　feel　his　sins；

though　he　often　does　not　know　it。　　To　turn　his　attention　away　from

what　he　does　feel　by　trying　to　rouse　in　him　feelings　which　are

impossible　to　him　in　his　present　condition；　is　to　do　him　a　great

wrong。　　The　clergyman　has　the　message　of　salvation；　not　of　sin；　to

give。　　Whatever　oppression　is　on　a　man；　whatever　trouble；　whatever

conscious　something　that　comes　between　him　and　the　blessedness　of

life；　is　his　sin；　for　whatever　is　not　of　faith　is　sin；　and　from　all

this　He　came　to　save　us。　　Salvation　alone　can　rouse　in　us　a　sense　of

our　sinfulness。　　One　must　have　got　on　a　good　way　before　he　can　be

sorry　for　his　sins。　　There　is　no　condition　of　sorrow　laid　down　as

necessary　to　forgiveness。　　Repentance　does　not　mean　sorrow：　it　means

turning　away　from　the　sins。　　Every　man　can　do　that；　more　or　less。

And　that　every　man　must　do。　　The　sorrow　will　come　afterwards；　all

in　good　time。　　Jesus　offers　to　take　us　out　of　our　own　hands　into

his；　if　we　will　only　obey　him。'



The　eyes　of　the　old　man　were　fixed　on　his　son　as　he　spoke；　He　did

seem　to　be　thinking。　　I　could　almost　fancy　that　a　glimmer　of

something　like　hope　shone　in　his　eyes。



It　was　time　to　go　home；　and　we　were　nearly　silent　all　the　way。



The　next　morning　was　so　wet　that　we　could　not　go　out；　and　had　to

amuse　ourselves　as　we　best　might　in…doors。　　But　Falconer's　resources

never　failed。　　He　gave　us　this　day　story　after　story　about　the　poor

people　he　had　known。　　I　could　see　that　his　object　was　often　to　get

some　truth　into　his　father's　mind　without　exposing　it　to　rejection

by　addressing　it　directly　to　himself；　and　few　subjects　could　be　more

fitted　for　affording　such　opportunity　than　his　experiences　among　the

poor。



The　afternoon　was　still　rainy　and　misty。　　In　the　evening　I　sought　to

lead　the　conversation　towards　the　gospel…story；　and　then　Falconer

talked　as　I　never　heard　him　talk　before。　　No　little　circumstance　in

the　narratives　appeared　to　have　escaped　him。　　He　had　thought　about

everything；　as　it　seemed　to　me。　　He　had　looked　under　the　surface

everywhere；　and　found　truthmines　of　itunder　all　the　upper　soil

of　the　story。　　The　deeper　he　dug　the　richer　seemed　the　ore。　　This

was　combined　with　the　most　pictorial　apprehension　of　every　outward

event；　which　he　treated　as　if　it　had　been　described　to　him　by　the

lips　of　an　eye…witness。　　The　whole　thing　lived　in　his　words　and

thoughts。



'When　anything　looks　strange；　you　must　look　the　deeper；'　he　would

say。



At　the　close　of　one　of　our　fits　of　talk；　he　rose　and　went　to　the

window。



'Come　here；'　he　said；　after　looking　for　a　moment。



All　day　a　dropping　cloud　had　filled　the　space　below；　so　that　the

hills　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　valley　were　hidden；　and　the　whole

of　the　sea；　near　as　it　was。　　But　when　we　went　to　the　window　we　found

that　a　great　change　had　silently　taken　place。　　The　mist　continued　to

veil　the　sky；　and　it　clung　to　the　tops　of　the　hills；　but；　like　the

rising　curtain　of　a　stage；　it　had　rolled　half…way　up　from　their

bases；　revealing　a　great　part　of　the　sea　and　shore；　and　half　of　a

cliff　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　valley：　this；　in　itself　of　a　deep

red；　was　now　smitten　by　the　rays　of　the　setting　sun；　and　glowed　over

the　waters　a　splendour　of　carmine。　　As　we　gazed；　the　vaporous

curtain　sank　upon　the　shore；　and　the　sun　sank　under　the　waves；　and

the　sad　gray　evening　closed　in　the　weeping　night；　and　clouds　and

darkness　swathed　the　weary　earth。　　For　doubtless　the　earth　needs　its

night　as　well　as　the　creatures　that　live　thereon。



In　the　morning　the　rain　had　ceased；　but　the　clouds　remained。　　But

they　were　high　in　the　heavens　now；　and；　like　a　departing　sorrow；

revealed　the　outline　and　form　which　had　appeared　before　as　an

enveloping　vapour　of　universal　and　shapeless　evil。　　The　mist　was　now

far　enough　off　to　be　seen　and　thought　about。　　It　was　clouds　nowno

longer　mist　and　rain。　　And　I　thought　how　at　length　the　evils　of　the

world　would　float　away；　and　we　should　see　what　it　was　that　made　it

so　hard　for　us　to　believe　and　be　at　peace。



In　the　afternoon　the　sky　had　partially　cleared；　but　clouds　hid　the

sun　as　he　sank　towards　the　west。　　We　walked　out。　　A　cold　autumnal

wind　blew；　not　only　from　the　twilight　of　the　dying　day；　but　from　the

twilight　of　the　dying　season。　　A　sorrowful　hopeless　wind　it　seemed；

full　of　the　odours　of　dead　leavesthose　memories　of　green　woods；

and　of　damp　earththe　bare　graves　of　the　flowers。　　Would　the　summer

ever　come　again？



We　were　pacing　in　silence　along　a　terraced　walk　which　overhung　the

shore　far　below。　　More　here　than　from　the　hilltop　we　seemed　to　look

immediately　into　space；　not　even　a　parapet　intervening　betwixt　us

and　the　ocean。　　The　sound　of　a　mournful　lyric；　never　yet　sung；　was

in　my　brain；　it　drew　nearer　to　my　mental　grasp；　but　ere　it　alighted；

its　wings　were　gone；　and　it　fell　dead　on　my　consciousness。　　Its

meaning　was　this：　'Welcome；　Requiem　of　Nature。　　Let　me　share　in　thy

Requiescat。　　Blow；　wind　of　mournful　memories。　　Let　us　moan　together。

No　one　taketh　from　us　the　joy　of　our　sorrow。　　We　may　mourn　as　we

will。'



But　while　I　brooded　thus；　behold　a　wonder！　　The　mass　about　the

sinking　sun　broke　up；　and　drifted　away　in　cloudy　bergs；　as　if

scattered　on　the　diverging　currents　of　solar　radiance　that　burst

from　the　gates　of　the　west；　and　streamed　east　and　north　and　south

over　the　heavens　and　over　the　sea。　　To　the　north；　these　masses　built

a　cloudy　bridge　across　the　sky　from　horizon　to　horizon；　and　beneath

it　shone　the　rosy…sailed　ships　floating　stately　through　their

triumphal　arch　up　the　channel　to　their　home。　　Other　clouds　floated

stately　too　in　the　upper　sea　over　our　heads；　with　dense　forms；

thinning　into　vaporous　edges。　　Some　were　of　a　dull　angry　red；　some

of　as　exquisite　a　primrose　hue　as　ever　the　flower　itself　bore　on　its

bosom；　and　betwixt　their　edges　beamed　out　the　sweetest；　purest；　most

melting；　most　transparent　blue；　the　heavenly　blue　which　is　the

symbol　of　the　spirit　as　red　is　of　the　heart。　　I　think　I　never　saw　a

blue　to　satisfy　me　before。　　Some　of　these　clouds　threw　shadows　of

many…shaded　purple　upon　the　green　sea；　and　from　one　of　the　shadows；

so　dark　and　so　far　out　upon　the　glooming　horizon　that　it　looked　like

an　island；　arose　as　from　a　pier；　a　wondrous　structure　of　dim；　fairy

colours；　a　multitude　of　rainbow…ends；　side　by　side；　that　would　have

spanned　the　heavens　with　a　gorgeous　arch；　but　failed　from　the　very

grandeur　of　the　idea；　and　grew　up　only　a　few　degrees　against　the

clouded　west。　　I　stood　rapt。　　The　two　Falconers　were　at　some

distance　before　me；　walking　arm　in　arm。　　They　stood　and　gazed

likewise。　　It　was　as　if　God　had　said　to　the　heavens　and　the　earth

and　the　chord　of　the　seven　colours；　'Comfort　ye；　comfort　ye　my

people。'　　And　I　said　to　my　soul；　'Let　the　tempest　rave　in　the　world；

let　sorrow　wail　like　a　sea…bird　in　the　midst　thereof；　and　let　thy

heart　respond　to　her　shivering　cry；　but　the　vault　of　heaven　encloses

the　tempest　and　the　shrieking　bird　and　the　echoing　heart；　and　the

sun　of　God's　countenance　can　with　one　glance　from　above　change　the

wildest　winter　day　into　a　summer　evening　compact　of　poets'　dreams。'



My　companions　were　walking　up　over　the　hill。　　I　could　see　that

Falconer　was　earnestly　speaking　in　his　father's　ear。　　The　old　man's

head　was　bent　towards　the　earth。　　I　kept　away。　　They　made　a　turn

from　home。　　I　still　follo