father and son-第21节

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immensity　of　nature。　Certain　senses　were　absent　in　him；　I　think　that；　with　all　his　justice；　he　had　no　conception　of　the　importance　of　liberty；　with　all　his　intelligence；　the　boundaries　of　the　atmosphere　in　which　his　mind　could　think　at　all　were　always　close　about　him；　with　all　his　faith　in　the　Word　of　God；　he　had　no　confidence　in　the　Divine　Benevolence；　and　with　all　his　passionate　piety；　he　habitually　mistook　fear　for　love。

It　was　down　on　the　shore；　tramping　along　the　pebbled　terraces　of　the　beach；　clambering　over　the　great　blocks　of　fallen　conglomerate　which　broke　the　white　curve　with　rufous　promontories　that　jutted　into　the　sea；　or；　finally；　bending　over　those　shallow　tidal　pools　in　the　limestone　rocks　which　were　our　proper　hunting…　ground；it　was　in　such　circumstances　as　these　that　my　Father　became　most　easy；　most　happy；　most　human。　That　hard　look　across　his　brows；　which　it　wearied　me　to　see；　the　look　that　came　from　sleepless　anxiety　of　conscience；　faded　away；　and　left　the　dark　countenance　still　always　stern　indeed；　but　serene　and　unupbraiding。　Those　pools　were　our　mirrors；　in　which；　reflected　in　the　dark　hyaline　and　framed　by　the　sleek　and　shining　fronds　of　oar…weed　there　used　to　appear　the　shapes　of　a　middle…aged　man　and　a　funny　little　boy；　equally　eager；　and；　I　almost　find　the　presumption　to　say；　equally　well　prepared　fog　business。

If　anyone　goes　down　to　those　shores　now；　if　man　or　boy　seeks　to　follow　in　our　traces；　let　him　realize　at　once；　before　he　takes　the　trouble　to　roll　up　his　sleeves；　that　his　zeal　will　end　in　labour　lost。　There　is　nothing；　now；　where　in　our　days　there　was　so　much。　Then　the　rocks　between　tide　and　tide　were　submarine　gardens　of　a　beauty　that　seemed　often　to　be　fabulous；　and　was　positively　delusive；　since；　if　we　delicately　lifted　the　weedcurtains　of　a　windless　pool；　though　we　might　for　a　moment　see　its　sides　and　floor　paven　with　living　blossoms；　ivory…white；　rosy…red；　grange　and　amethyst；　yet　all　that　panoply　would　melt　away；　furled　into　the　hollow　rock；　if　we　so　much　as　dropped　a　pebble　in　to　disturb　the　magic　dream。

Half　a　century　ago；　in　many　parts　of　the　coast　of　Devonshire　and　Cornwall；　where　the　limestone　at　the　water's　edge　is　wrought　into　crevices　and　hollows；　the　tideline　was；　like　Keats'　Grecian　vase；　'a　still　unravished　bride　of　quietness'。　These　cups　and　basins　were　always　full；　whether　the　tide　was　high　or　low；　and　the　only　way　in　which　they　were　affected　was　that　twice　in　the　twenty…four　hours　they　were　replenished　by　cold　streams　from　the　great　sea；　and　then　twice　were　left　brimming　to　be　vivified　by　the　temperate　movement　of　the　upper　air。　They　were　living　flower…beds；　so　exquisite　in　their　perfection；　that　my　Father；　in　spite　of　his　scientific　requirements；　used　not　seldom　to　pause　before　he　began　to　rifle　them；　ejaculating　that　it　was　indeed　a　pity　to　disturb　such　congregated　beauty。　The　antiquity　of　these　rock…pools；　and　the　infinite　succession　of　the　soft　and　radiant　forms；　sea…　anemones；　seaweeds；　shells；　fishes；　which　had　inhabited　them；　undisturbed　since　the　creation　of　the　world；　used　to　occupy　my　Father's　fancy。　We　burst　in；　he　used　to　say；　where　no　one　had　ever　thought　of　intruding　before；　and　if　the　Garden　of　Eden　had　been　situate　in　Devonshire；　Adam　and　Eve；　stepping　lightly　down　to　bathe　in　the　rainbow…coloured　spray；　would　have　seen　the　identical　sights　that　we　now　saw；the　great　prawns　gliding　like　transparent　launches；　anthea　waving　in　the　twilight　its　thick　white　waxen　tentacles；　and　the　fronds　of　the　duke　faintly　streaming　on　the　water　like　huge　red　banners　in　some　reverted　atmosphere。

All　this　is　long　over　and　done　with。　The　ring　of　living　beauty　drawn　about　our　shores　was　a　very　thin　and　fragile　one。　It　had　existed　all　those　centuries　solely　in　consequence　of　the　indifference；　the　blissful　ignorance　of　man。　These　rockbasins；　fringed　by　corallines；　filled　with　still　water　almost　as　pellucid　as　the　upper　air　itself；　thronged　with　beautiful　sensitive　forms　of　life；　they　exist　no　longer；　they　are　all　profaned；　and　emptied；　and　vulgarized。　An　army　of　'collectors'　has　passed　over　them；　and　ravaged　every　corner　of　them。　The　fairy　paradise　has　been　violated；　the　exquisite　product　of　centuries　of　natural　selection　has　been　crushed　under　the　rough　paw　of　well…meaning；　idle…minded　curiosity。　That　my　Father；　himself　so　reverent；　so　conservative；　had　by　the　popularity　of　his　books　acquired　the　direct　responsibility　for　a　calamity　that　he　had　never　anticipated　became　clear　enough　to　himself　before　many　years　had　passed；　and　cost　him　great　chagrin。　No　one　will　see　again　on　the　shore　of　England　what　I　saw　in　my　early　childhood；　the　submarine　vision　of　dark　rocks；　speckled　and　starred　with　an　infinite　variety　of　colour；　and　streamed　over　by　silken　flags　of　royal　crimson　and　purple。

In　reviving　these　impressions；　I　am　unable　to　give　any　exact　chronological　sequence　to　them。　These　particular　adventures　began　early　in　1858；　they　reached　their　greatest　intensity　in　the　summer　of　1859；　and　they　did　not　altogether　cease；　so　far　as　my　Father　was　concerned；　until　nearly　twenty　years　later。　But　it　was　while　he　was　composing　what；　as　I　am　told　by　scientific　men　of　today；　continues　to　be　his　most　valuable　contribution　to　knowledge；　his　History　of　the　British　Sea…Anemones　and　Corals；　that　we　worked　together　on　the　shore　for　a　definite　purpose；　and　the　last　instalment　of　that　still…classic　volume　was　ready　for　press　by　the　close　of　1859。

The　way　in　which　my　Father　worked；　in　his　most　desperate　escapades；　was　to　wade　breast…high　into　one　of　the　huge　pools；　and　examine　the　worm…eaten　surface　of　the　rock　above　and　below　the　brim。　In　such　remote　places　spots　where　I　could　never　venture　being　left；　a　slightly　timorous　Andromeda；　chained　to　a　safer　level　of　the　cliff　in　these　extreme　basins；　there　used　often　to　lurk　a　marvellous　profusion　of　animal　and　vegetable　forms。　My　Father　would　search　for　the　roughest　and　most　corroded　points　of　rock；　those　offering　the　best　refuge　for　a　variety　of　creatures；　and　would　then　chisel　off　fragments　as　low　down　in　the　water　as　he　could。　These　pieces　of　rock　were　instantly　plunged　in　the　saltwater　of　jars　which　we　had　brought　with　us　for　the　purpose。　When　as　much　had　been　collected　as　we　could　carry　away　my　Father　always　dragged　about　an　immense　square　basket；　the　creak　of　whose　handles　I　can　still　fancy　that　I　hearwe　turned　to　trudge　up　the　long　climb　home。　Then　all　our　prizes　were　spread　out；　face　upward；　in　shallow　pans　of　clean　sea…water。

In　a　few　hours；　when　all　dirt　had　subsided；　and　what　living　creatures　we　had　brought　seemed　to　have　recovered　their　composure；　my　work　began。　My　eyes　were　extremely　keen　and　powerful；　though　they　were　vexatiously　near…sighted。　Of　no　use　in　examining　objects　at　any　distance；　in　investigating　a　minute　surface；　my　vision　was　trained　to　be　invaluable。　The　shallow　pan；　with　our　spoils；　would　rest　on　a　table　near　the　window；　and　I；　kneeling　on　a　chair　opposite　the　light；　would　lean　over　the　surface　until　everything　was　within　an　inch　or　two　of　my　eyes。　Often　I　bent；　in　my　zeal；　so　far　forward　that　the　water　touched　the　tip　of　my　nose　and　gave　me　a　little　icy　shock。　In　this　attitude；　an　idle　spectator　might　have　formed　the　impression　that　I　was　trying　to　wash　my　head　and　could　not　quite　summon　up　resolution　enough　to　plunge。　In　this　odd　pose　I　would　remain　for　a　long　time；　holding　my　breath　and　examining　with　extreme　care　every　atom　of　rock；　every　swirl　of　detritus。　This　was　a　task　which　my　Father　could　only　perform　by　the　help　of　a　lens；　with　which；　of　course；　he　took　care　to　supplement　my　examination。　But　that　my　survey　was　of　use；　he　has　himself　most　handsomely　testified　in　his　Actinologia　Britannica；　where　he　expresses　his　debt　to　the　'keen　and　well…practised　eye　of　my　little　son'。　Nor；　if　boasting　is　not　to　be　excluded；　is　it　every　eminent　biologist；　every　proud　and　masterful　F。R。S。；　who　can　lay　his　hand　on　his　heart　and　swear　that；　before　reaching　the　age　of　ten　years；　he　had　added；　not　merely　a　new　species；　but　a　new　genus　to　the　British　fauna。　That　however；　the　author　of　these　pages　can　do；　who；　on　29　June　1859；　discovered　a　tiny　atom；and　ran　in　the　greatest　agitation　to　announce　the　discovery　of　that　object　'as　a　form　with　which　he　was　unacquainted'；which　figures　since　then　on　all　lists　of　sea…anemones　as　phellia　murocincta；　or　the　walled　corklet。　Alas！　that　so　fair　a　swallow　should　have　made　no　biological　summer　in　after…life。

These　delicious　agitations　by　the　edge　of　the　salt…sea　wave　must　have　greatly　improved　my　health；　which　however　was　still　looked　upon　as　fragile。　I　was　loaded　with　coats　and　comforters；　and　strolled　out　between　Miss　Marks　and　Mary　Grace　Burmington；　a　muffled　ball　of　flannel。　This　alone　was　enough　to　give　me　a　look　of　delicacy　which　the　'saints'；　in　their　blunt　way；　made　no　scruple　of　commenting　upon　to　my　face。　I　was　greatly　impressed　by　a　conversation　held　over　my　bed　one　evening　by　the　servants。　Our　cook；　Susan；　a　person　of　enormous　size；　and　Kate；　the　tattling；　tiresome　parlour…maid　who　waited　upon　us；　on　the　summer　evening　I　speak　of　were　standingI　cannot　tell　whyon　each　side　of　my　bed。　I　shut　my　eyes；　and　lay　quite　still；　in　order　to　escape　conversing　with　them；　and　they　spoke　to　one　an