david elginbrod-第103节

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of　God；　else　whence　the　light　and　loveliness　and　bloom；　the　smile
and　the　laugh　of　their　youth？　　But　Margaret　not　only　walked　in　this
light：　she　knew　it　and　whence　it　came。　　She　looked　up　to　its　source；
and　it　illuminated　her　face。

The　silent　girl　of　old　days；　whose　countenance　wore　the　stillness　of
an　unsunned　pool；　as　she　listened　with　reverence　to　his　lessons；　had
blossomed　into　the　calm；　stately　woman；　before　whose　presence　he
felt　rebuked　he　knew　not　why；　upon　whose　face　lay　slumbering
thought；　ever　ready　to　wake　into　life　and　motion。　　Dared　he　love
her？　　Dared　he　tell　her　that　he　loved　her？　　Dared　he；　so　poor；　so
worthless；　seek　for　himself　such　a　world's　treasure？He　might　have
known　that　worth　does　not　need　honour；　that　its　lowliness　is　content
with　ascribing　it。

Some　of　my　readers　may　be　inclined　to　think　that　I　hide；　for　the
sake　of　my　heropoor　little　hero；　one　of　God's　children；　learning
to　walkan　inevitable　struggle　between　his　love　and　his　pride；
inasmuch　as；　being　but　a　tutor；　he　might　be　expected　to　think　the
more　of　his　good　family；　and　the　possibility　of　his　one　day　coming
to　honour　without　the　drawback　of　having　done　anything　to　merit　it；
a　title　being　almost　within　his　grasp；　while　Margaret　was　a
ploughman's　daughter；　and　a　lady's　maid。　　But；　although　I　know　more
of　Hugh's　faults　than　I　have　thought　it　at　all　necessary　to　bring
out　in　my　story；　I　protest　that；　had　he　been　capable　of　giving　the
name　of　love　to　a　feeling　in　whose　presence　pride　dared　to　speak；　I
should　have　considered　him　unworthy　of　my　poor　pen。　　In　plain
language；　I　doubt　if　I　should　have　cared　to　write　his　story　at　all。

He　gathered　together；　as　I　have　said；　the　few　memorials　of　the　old
ship　gone　down　in　the　quiet　ocean　of　time；　paid　one　visit　of
sorrowful　gladness　to　his　parent's　grave；　over　which　he　raised　no
futile　stoneleaving　it；　like　the　forms　within　it；　in　the　hands　of
holy　decay；　and　took　his　roadwhither？　　To　Margaret's　hometo　see
old　Janet；　and　to　go　once　to　the　grave　of　his　second　father。　　Then
he　would　return　to　the　toil　and　hunger　and　hope　of　London。

What　made　Hugh　go　to　Turriepuffit？　　His　love　to　Margaret？　　No。　A
better　motive　even　than　that：Repentance。　　Better　I　mean　for　Hugh
as　to　the　individual　occasion；　not　in　itself；　for　love　is　deeper
than　repentance；　seeing　that　without　love　there　can　be　no
repentance。　　He　had　repented　before；　but　now　that　he　haunted　in
silence　the　regions　of　the　past；　the　whole　of　his　history　in
connection　with　David　returned　on　him　clear　and　vivid；　as　if　passing
once　again　before　his　eyes　and　through　his　heart；　and　he　repented
more　deeply　still。　　Perhaps　he　was　not　quite　so　much　to　blame　as　he
thought　himself。　　Perhaps　only　now　was　it　possible　for　the　seeds　of
truth；　which　David　had　sown　in　his　heart；　to　show　themselves　above
the　soil　of　lower；　yet　ministering　cares。　　They　had　needed　to　lie　a
winter　long　in　the　earth。　　Now　the　keen　blasts　and　griding　frosts
had　done　their　work；　and　they　began　to　grow　in　the　tearful　prime。
Sorrow　for　loss　brought　in　her　train　sorrow　for　wronga　sister
more　solemn　still；　and　with　a　deeper　blessing　in　the　voice　of　her
loving　farewell。It　is　a　great　mistake　to　suppose　that　sorrow　is　a
part　of　repentance。　　It　is　far　too　good　a　grace　to　come　so　easily。
A　man　may　repent；　that　is；　think　better　of　it；　and　change　his　way；
and　be　very　much　of　a　PhariseeI　do　not　say　a　hypocritefor　a　long
time　after：　it　needs　a　saint　to　be　sorrowful。　　Yet　repentance　is
generally　the　road　to　this　sorrow。And　now　that　in　the　gracious
time　of　grief；　his　eyesight　purified　by　tears；　he　entered　one　after
another　all　the　chambers　of　the　past；　he　humbly　renewed　once　more
his　friendship　with　the　noble　dead；　and　with　the　homely；　heartful
living。　　The　grey…headed　man　who　walked　with　God　like　a　child；　and
with　his　fellow…men　like　an　elder　brother　who　was　always　forgetting
his　birthright　and　serving　the　younger；　the　woman　who　believed　where
she　could　not　see；　and　loved　where　she　could　not　understand；　and　the
maiden　who　was　still　and　lustreless；　because　she　ever　absorbed　and
seldom　reflected　the　lightall　came　to　him；　as　if　to　comfort　him
once　more　in　his　loneliness；　when　his　heart　had　room　for　them；　and
need　of　them　yet　again。　　David　now　became；　after　his　departure；　yet
more　of　a　father　to　him　than　before；　for　that　spirit；　which　is　the
true　soul　of　all　this　body　of　things；　had　begun　to　recall　to　his
mind　the　words　of　David；　and　so　teach　him　the　things　that　David
knew；　the　everlasting　realities　of　God。　And　it　seemed　to　him　the
while；　that　he　heard　David　himself　uttering；　in　his　homely；　kingly
voice；　whatever　truth　returned　to　him　from　the　echo…cave　of　the
past。　　Even　when　a　quite　new　thought　arose　within　him；　it　came　to
him　in　the　voice　of　David；　or　at　least　with　the　solemn　music　of　his
tones　clinging　about　it　as　the　murmur　about　the　river's　course。
Experience　had　now　brought　him　up　to　the　point　where　he　could　begin
to　profit　by　David's　communion；　he　needed　the　things　which　David
could　teach　him；　and　David　began　forthwith　to　give　them　to　him。

That　birth　of　nature　in　his　soul；　which　enabled　him　to　understand
and　love　Margaret；　helped　him　likewise　to　contemplate　with
admiration　and　awe；　the　towering　peaks　of　David's　hopes；　trusts；　and
aspirations。　　He　had　taught　the　ploughman　mathematics；　but　that
ploughman　had　possessed　in　himself　all　the　essential　elements　of　the
grandeur　of　the　old　prophets；　glorified　by　the　faith　which　the　Son
of　Man　did　not　find　in　the　earth；　but　left　behind　him　to　grow　in　it；
and　which　had　grown　to　a　noble　growth　of　beauty　and　strength　in　this
peasant；　simple　and　patriarchal　in　the　midst　of　a　self…conceited
age。　　And；　oh！　how　good　he　had　been　to　him！　　He　had　built　a　house
that　he　might　take　him　in　from　the　cold；　and　make　life　pleasant　to
him；　as　in　the　presence　of　God。　He　had　given　him　his　heart　every
time　he　gave　him　his　great　manly　hand。　　And　this　man；　this　friend；
this　presence　of　Christ；　Hugh　had　forsaken；　neglected；　all　but
forgotten。　　He　could　not　go；　and；　like　the　prodigal；　fall　down
before　him；　and　say；　〃Father；　I　have　sinned　against　heaven　and
thee；〃　for　that　heaven　had　taken　him　up　out　of　his　sight。　　He　could
only　weep　instead；　and　bitterly　repent。　　Yes；　there　was　one　thing
more　he　could　do。　　Janet　still　lived。　　He　would　go　to　her；　and
confess　his　sin；　and　beg　her　forgiveness。　　Receiving　it；　he　would　be
at　peace。　　He　knew　David　forgave　him；　whether　he　confessed　or　not；
and　that；　if　he　were　alive；　David　would　seek　his　confession　only　as
the　casting　away　of　the　separation　from　his　heart；　as　the　banishment
of　the　worldly　spirit；　and　as　the　natural　sign　by　which　he　might
know　that　Hugh　was　one　with　him　yet。

Janet　was　David's　representative　on　earth：　he　would　go　to　her。

So　he　returned；　rich　and　great；　rich　in　knowing　that　he　was　the
child　of　Him　to　whom　all　the　gold　mines　belong；　and　great　in　that
humility　which　alone　recognizes　greatness；　and　in　the　beginnings　of
that　meekness　which　shall　inherit　the　earth。　　No　more　would　he　stunt
his　spiritual　growth　by　self…satisfaction。　　No　more　would　he　lay
aside；　in　the　cellars　of　his　mind；　poor　withered　bulbs　of　opinions；
which；　but　for　the　evil　ministrations　of　that　self…satisfaction；
seeking　to　preserve　them　by　drying　and　salting；　might　have　been
already　bursting　into　blossoms　of　truth；　of　infinite　loveliness。

He　knew　that　Margaret　thought　far　too　well　of　himhonoured　him
greatly　beyond　his　deserts。　　He　would　not　allow　her　to　be　any　longer
thus　deceived。　　He　would　tell　her　what　a　poor　creature　he　was。　　But
he　would　say；　too；　that　he　hoped　one　day　to　be　worthy　of　her　praise；
that　he　hoped　to　grow　to　what　she　thought　him。　　If　he　should　fail　in
convincing　her；　he　would　receive　all　the　honour　she　gave　him　humbly；
as　paid；　not　to　him；　but　to　what　he　ought　to　be。　　God　grant　it　might
be　as　to　his　future　self！

In　this　mood　he　went　to　Janet。




CHAPTER　XXIV。

THE　FIR…WOOD　AGAIN。

Er　stand　vor　der　himmlischen　Jungfrau。　　Da　hob　er　den　leichten；
gl鋘zenden　Schleir；　undRosenbl黷hchen　sank　in　seine
Arme。Novalis。Die　Lehrlinge　zu　Sais。

He　stood　before　the　heavenly　Virgin　（Isis；　the　Goddess　of　Nature）。
Then　lifted　he　the　light；　shining　veil；　andRosebud　（his　old　love）
sank　into　his　arms。

So　womanly；　so　benigne；　and　so　meek。

CHAUCER。Prol。　to　Leg。　of　Good　Women。


It　was　with　a　mingling　of　strange　emotions；　that　Hugh　approached　the
scene　of　those　not　very　old；　and　yet；　to　his　feeling；　quite　early
memories。　　The　dusk　was　beginning　to　gather。　　The　hoar…frost　lay
thick　on　the　ground。　　The　pine…trees　stood　up　in　the　cold；　looking；
in　their　garment　of　spikes；　as　if　the　frost　had　made　them。　　The　rime
on　the　gate　was　unfriendly；　and　chilled　his　hand。　　He　turned　into
the　footpath。　　He　say　the　room　David　had　built　for　him。　　Its　thatch
was　one　mass　of　mosses；　whose　colours　were　hidden　now　in　the
cuckoo…fruit　of　the　frost。　　Alas！　how　Death　had　cast　his　deeper
frost　over　all；　for　the　man　was　gone　from　the　hearth！　　But　neither
old　Winter　nor　skeleton　Death　can　withhold　the　feet　of　the　little
child　Spring。　　She　is　stronger　than　both。　　Love　shall　conquer　hate；
and　God　will　overcome　sin。

He　drew　night　to　the　door；　trembli