robert falconer-第35节

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in　the　white　and　green　of　a　little　boat；　as　we　lay；　one　bright

morning；　on　the　banks　of　the　Thames　between　Richmond　and　Twickenham；

led　to　such　a　description　of　the　bleachfield　that　I　can　write　about

it　as　if　I　had　known　it　myself。



One　Saturday　afternoon　in　the　end　of　July；　when　the　westering　sun

was　hotter　than　at　midday；　he　went　down　to　the　lower　end　of　the

field；　where　the　river　was　confined　by　a　dam；　and　plunged　from　the

bank　into　deep　water。　　After　a　swim　of　half…an…hour；　he　ascended　the

higher　part　of　the　field；　and　lay　down　upon　a　broad　web　to　bask　in

the　sun。　　In　his　ears　was　the　hush　rather　than　rush　of　the　water

over　the　dam；　the　occasional　murmur　of　a　belt　of　trees　that　skirted

the　border　of　the　field；　and　the　dull　continuous　sound　of　the

beatles　at　their　work　below；　like　a　persistent　growl　of　thunder　on

the　horizon。



Had　Robert　possessed　a　copy　of　Robinson　Crusoe；　or　had　his

grandmother　not　cast　The　Lady　of　the　Lake；　mistaking　it　for　an　idol；

if　not　to　the　moles　and　the　bats；　yet　to　the　mice　and　the

black…beetles；　he　might　have　been　lying　reading　it；　blind　and　deaf

to　the　face　and　the　voice　of　Nature；　and　years　might　have　passed

before　a　response　awoke　in　his　heart。　　It　is　good　that　children　of

faculty；　as　distinguished　from　capacity；　should　not　have　too　many

books　to　read；　or　too　much　of　early　lessoning。　　The　increase　of

examinations　in　our　country　will　increase　its　capacity　and　diminish

its　faculty。　　We　shall　have　more　compilers　and　reducers　and　fewer

thinkers；　more　modifiers　and　completers；　and　fewer　inventors。



He　lay　gazing　up　into　the　depth　of　the　sky；　rendered　deeper　and

bluer　by　the　masses　of　white　cloud　that　hung　almost　motionless　below

it；　until　he　felt　a　kind　of　bodily　fear　lest　he　should　fall　off　the

face　of　the　round　earth　into　the　abyss。　　A　gentle　wind；　laden　with

pine　odours　from　the　sun…heated　trees　behind　him；　flapped　its　light

wing　in　his　face：　the　humanity　of　the　world　smote　his　heart；　the

great　sky　towered　up　over　him；　and　its　divinity　entered　his　soul；　a

strange　longing　after　something　'he　knew　not　nor　could　name'　awoke

within　him；　followed　by　the　pang　of　a　sudden　fear　that　there　was　no

such　thing　as　that　which　he　sought；　that　it　was　all　a　fancy　of　his

own　spirit；　and　then　the　voice　of　Shargar　broke　the　spell；　calling

to　him　from　afar　to　come　and　see　a　great　salmon　that　lay　by　a　stone

in　the　water。　　But　once　aroused；　the　feeling　was　never　stilled；　the

desire　never　left　him；　sometimes　growing　even　to　a　passion　that　was

relieved　only　by　a　flood　of　tears。



Strange　as　it　may　sound　to　those　who　have　never　thought　of　such

things　save　in　connection　with　Sundays　and　Bibles　and　churches　and

sermons；　that　which　was　now　working　in　Falconer's　mind　was　the　first

dull　and　faint　movement　of　the　greatest　need　that　the　human　heart

possessesthe　need　of　the　God…Man。　There　must　be　truth　in　the　scent

of　that　pine…wood：　some　one　must　mean　it。　　There　must　be　a　glory　in

those　heavens　that　depends　not　upon　our　imagination：　some　power

greater　than　they　must　dwell　in　them。　　Some　spirit　must　move　in　that

wind　that　haunts　us　with　a　kind　of　human　sorrow；　some　soul　must　look

up　to　us　from　the　eye　of　that　starry　flower。　　It　must　be　something

human；　else　not　to　us　divine。



Little　did　Robert　think　that　such　was　his　needthat　his　soul　was

searching　after　One　whose　form　was　constantly　presented　to　him；　but

as　constantly　obscured　and　made　unlovely　by　the　words　without

knowledge　spoken　in　the　religious　assemblies　of　the　land；　that　he

was　longing　without　knowing　it　on　the　Saturday　for　that　from　which

on　the　Sunday　he　would　be　repelled　without　knowing　it。　　Years　passed

before　he　drew　nigh　to　the　knowledge　of　what　he　sought。



For　weeks　the　mood　broken　by　the　voice　of　his　companion　did　not

return；　though　the　forms　of　Nature　were　henceforth　full　of　a

pleasure　he　had　never　known　before。　　He　loved　the　grass；　the　water

was　more　gracious　to　him；　he　would　leave　his　bed　early；　that　he

might　gaze　on　the　clouds　of　the　east；　with　their　borders

gold…blasted　with　sunrise；　he　would　linger　in　the　fields　that　the

amber　and　purple；　and　green　and　red；　of　the　sunset；　might　not　escape

after　the　sun　unseen。　　And　as　long　as　he　felt　the　mystery；　the

revelation　of　the　mystery　lay　before　and　not　behind　him。



And　Shargarhad　he　any　soul　for　such　things？　　Doubtless；　but　how

could　he　be　other　than　lives　behind　Robert？　　For　the　latter　had

ancestorsthat　is；　he　came　of　people　with　a　mental　and　spiritual

history；　while　the　former　had　been　born　the　birth　of　an　animal；　of　a

noble　sire；　whose　family　had　for　generations　filled　the　earth　with

fire；　famine；　slaughter；　and　licentiousness；　and　of　a　wandering

outcast　mother；　who　blindly　loved　the　fields　and　woods；　but　retained

her　affection　for　her　offspring　scarcely　beyond　the　period　while　she

suckled　them。　　The　love　of　freedom　and　of　wild　animals　that　she　had

given　him；　however；　was　far　more　precious　than　any　share　his　male

ancestor　had　borne　in　his　mental　constitution。　　After　his　fashion　he

as　well　as　Robert　enjoyed　the　sun　and　the　wind　and　the　water　and　the

sky；　but　he　had　sympathies　with　the　salmon　and　the　rooks　and　the

wild　rabbits　even　stronger　than　those　of　Robert。









CHAPTER　XIX。



ROBERT　STEALS　HIS　OWN。



The　period　of　the　hairst…play；　that　is；　of　the　harvest　holiday　time；

drew　near；　and　over　the　north　of　Scotland　thousands　of　half…grown

hearts　were　beating　with　glad　anticipation。　　Of　the　usual　devices　of

boys　to　cheat　themselves　into　the　half…belief　of　expediting　a

blessed　approach　by　marking　its　rate；　Robert　knew　nothing：　even　the

notching　of　sticks　was　unknown　at　Rothieden；　but　he　had　a　mode

notwithstanding。　　Although　indifferent　to　the　games　of　his

school…fellows；　there　was　one　amusement；　a　solitary　one　nearly；　and

therein　not　so　good　as　most　amusements；　into　which　he　entered　with

the　whole　energy　of　his　nature：　it　was　kite…flying。　　The　moment　that

the　hairst…play　approached　near　enough　to　strike　its　image　through

the　eyes　of　his　mind；　Robert　proceeded　to　make　his　kite；　or　draigon；

as　he　called　it。　　Of　how　many　pleasures　does　pocket…money　deprive

the　unfortunate　possessor！　　What　is　the　going　into　a　shop　and　buying

what　you　want；　compared　with　the　gentle　delight　of　hours　and　days

filled　with　gaining　effort　after　the　attainment　of　your　end？　　Never

boy　that　bought　his　kite；　even　if　the　adornment　thereafter　lay　in

his　own　hands；　and　the　pictures　were　gorgeous　with　colour　and

gilding；　could　have　half　the　enjoyment　of　Robert　from　the　moment　he

went　to　the　cooper's　to　ask　for　an　old　gird　or　hoop；　to　the　moment

when　he　said　'Noo；　Shargar！'　and　the　kite　rose　slowly　from　the　depth

of　the　a？rial　flood。　　The　hoop　was　carefully　examined；　the　best

portion　cut　away　from　it；　that　pared　to　a　light　strength；　its　ends

confined　to　the　proper　curve　by　a　string；　and　then　away　went　Robert

to　the　wright's　shop。　　There　a　slip　of　wood；　of　proper　length　and

thickness；　was　readily　granted　to　his　request；　free　as　the　daisies

of　the　field。　　Oh！　those　horrid　town　conditions；　where　nothing　is

given　for　the　asking；　but　all　sold　for　money！　　In　Robert's　kite　the

only　thing　that　cost　money　was　the　string　to　fly　it　with；　and　that

the　grandmother　willingly　provided；　for　not　even　her　ingenuity　could

discover　any　evil；　direct　or　implicated；　in　kite…flying。　　Indeed；　I

believe　the　old　lady　felt　not　a　little　sympathy　with　the　exultation

of　the　boy　when　he　saw　his　kite　far　aloft；　diminished　to　a　speck　in

the　vast　blue；　a　sympathy；　it　may　be；　rooted　in　the　religious

aspirations　which　she　did　so　much　at　once　to　rouse　and　to　suppress

in　the　bosom　of　her　grandchild。　　But　I　have　not　yet　reached　the

kite…flying；　for　I　have　said　nothing　of　the　kite's　tail；　for　the

sake　of　which　principally　I　began　to　describe　the　process　of　its

growth。



As　soon　as　the　body　of　the　dragon　was　completed；　Robert　attached　to

its　spine　the　string　which　was　to　take　the　place　of　its　caudal

elongation；　and　at　a　proper　distance　from　the　body　joined　to　the

string　the　first　of　the　cross…pieces　of　folded　paper　which　in　this

animal　represent　the　continued　vertebral　processes。　　Every　morning；

the　moment　he　issued　from　his　chamber；　he　proceeded　to　the　garret

where　the　monster　lay；　to　add　yet　another　joint　to　his　tail；　until

at　length　the　day　should　arrive　when；　the　lessons　over　for　a　blessed

eternity　of　five　or　six　weeks；　he　would　tip　the　whole　with　a　piece

of　wood；　to　which　grass；　quantum　suff。；　might　be　added　from　the

happy　fields。



Upon　this　occasion　the　dragon　was　a　monster　one。　　With　a　little　help

from　Shargar；　he　had　laid　the　skeleton　of　a　six…foot　specimen；　and

had　carried　the　body　to　a　satisfactory　completion。



The　tail　was　still　growing；　having　as　yet　only　sixteen　joints；　when

Mr。　Lammie　called　with　an　invitation　for　the　boys　to　spend　their

holidays　with　him。　　It　was　fortunate　for　Robert　that　he　was　in　the

room　when　Mr。　Lammie　presented　his