father and son-第28节

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Bere；　the　carpenter；　a　long；　thin　and　dry　man；　with　a　curiously　immobile　eye；　did　not　fall　so　easily　a　prey　to　my　fascinations。　He　put　me　through　my　paces　very　sharply；　for　he　had　something　of　the　temper　of　an　attorney　mingled　with　his　religiousness。　However；　I　was　equal　to　him；　and　he；　too；　though　he　held　his　own　head　higher；　was　not　less　impressed　than　Fawkes　had　been；　by　the　surroundings　of　the　occasion。　Neither　of　them　had　ever　been　in　our　drawing…room　since　it　was　furnished；　and　I　thought　that　each　of　them　noticed　how　smart　the　wallpaper　was。　Indeed；　I　believe　I　drew　their　attention　to　it。　After　the　two　solitary　examinations　were　over；　the　elders　came　in　again；　as　I　have　said；　and　they　prayed　for　a　long　time。　We　all　three　knelt　at　the　sofa；　I　between　them。　But　by　this　time；　to　my　great　exaltation　of　spirits　there　had　succeeded　an　equally　dismal　depression。　It　was　my　turn　now　to　weep；　and　I　dimly　remember　any　Father　coming　into　the　room；　and　my　being　carried　up　to　bed；　in　a　state　of　collapse　and　fatigue；　by　the　silent　and　kindly　Miss　Marks。

On　the　following　Sunday　morning；　I　was　the　principal　subject　which　occupied　an　unusually　crowded　meeting。　My　Father；　looking　whiter　and　yet　darker　than　usual；　called　upon　Brother　Fawkes　and　Brother　Bere　to　state　to　the　assembled　saints　what　their　experiences　had　been　in　connexion　with　their　visits　to　'one'　who　desired　to　be　admitted　to　the　breaking　of　bread。　It　was　tremendously　exciting　to　me　to　hear　myself　spoken　of　with　this　impersonal　publicity；　and　I　had　no　fear　of　the　result。

Events　showed　that　I　had　no　need　of　fear。　Fawkes　and　Bere　were　sometimes　accused　of　a　rivalry；　which　indeed　broke　out　a　few　years　later；　and　gave　my　Father　much　anxiety　and　pain。　But　on　this　occasion　their　unanimity　was　wonderful。　Each　strove　to　exceed　the　other　in　the　tributes　which　they　paid　to　any　piety。　My　answers　had　been　so　full　and　clear；　my　humility　（save　the　mark！）　had　been　so　sweet；　my　acquaintance　with　Scripture　so　amazing；　my　testimony　to　all　the　leading　principles　of　salvation　so　distinct　and　exhaustive；　that　they　could　only　say　that　they　had　felt　confounded；　and　yet　deeply　cheered　and　led　far　along　their　own　heavenly　path；　by　hearing　such　accents　fall　from　the　lips　of　a　babe　and　a　suckling。　I　did　not　like　being　described　as　a　suckling；　but　every　lot　has　its　crumpled　rose…leaf；　and　in　all　other　respects　the　report　of　the　elders　was　a　triumph。　My　Father　then　clenched　the　whole　matter　by　rising　and　announcing　that　I　had　expressed　an　independent　desire　to　confess　the　Lord　by　the　act　of　public　baptism；　immediately　after　which　I　should　be　admitted　to　communion　'as　an　adult'。　Emotion　ran　so　high　at　this；　that　a　large　portion　of　the　congregation　insisted　on　walking　with　us　back　to　our　garden…gate；　to　the　stupefaction　of　the　rest　of　the　villagers。

My　public　baptism　was　the　central　event　of　my　whole　childhood。　Everything；　since　the　earliest　dawn　of　consciousness；　seemed　to　have　been　leading　up　to　it。　Everything；　afterwards；　seemed　to　be　leading　down　and　away　from　it。　The　practice　of　immersing　communicants　on　the　sea…beach　at　Oddicombe　had　now　been　completely　abandoned；　but　we　possessed　as　yet　no　tank　for　a　baptismal　purpose　in　our　own　Room。　The　Room　in　the　adjoining　town；　however；　was　really　quite　a　large　chapel；　and　it　was　amply　provided　with　the　needful　conveniences。　It　was　our　practice；　therefore；　at　this　time；　to　claim　the　hospitality　of　our　neighbours。　Baptisms　were　made　an　occasion　for　friendly　relations　between　the　two　congregations；　and　led　to　pleasant　social　intercourse。　I　believe　that　the　ministers　and　elders　of　the　two　meetings　arranged　to　combine　their　forces　at　these　times；　and　to　baptize　communicants　from　both　congregations。

The　minister　of　the　town　meeting　was　Mr。　S。；　a　very　handsome　old　gentleman；　of　venerable　and　powerful　appearance。　He　had　snowy　hair　and　a　long　white　beard；　but　from　under　shaggy　eyebrows　there　blazed　out　great　black　eyes　which　warned　the　beholder　that　the　snow　was　an　ornament　and　not　a　sign　of　decrepitude。　The　eve　of　my　baptism　at　length　drew　near；　it　was　fixed　for　October　12；　almost　exactly　three　weeks　after　my　tenth　birthday。　I　was　dressed　in　old　clothes；　and　a　suit　of　smarter　things　was　packed　up　in　a　carpet…　bag。　After　nightfall；　this　carpet…bag；　accompanied　by　my　Father；　myself；　Miss　Marks　and　Mary　Grace；　was　put　in　a　four…wheeled　cab；　and　driven；　a　long　way　in　the　dark；　to　the　chapel　of　our　friends。　There　we　were　received；　in　a　blaze　of　lights；　with　a　pressure　of　hands；　with　a　murmur　of　voices；　with　ejaculations　and　even　with　tears；　and　were　conducted；　amid　unspeakable　emotion；　to　places　of　honour　in　the　front　row　of　the　congregation。

The　scene　was　one　which　would　have　been　impressive；　not　merely　to　such　hermits　as　we　were；　but　even　to　worldly　persons　accustomed　to　life　and　to　its　curious　and　variegated　experiences。　To　me　it　was　dazzling　beyond　words；　inexpressibly　exciting；　an　initiation　to　every　kind　of　publicity　and　glory。　There　were　many　candidates；　but　the　rest　of　them；mere　grownup　men　and　women；gave　thanks　aloud　that　it　was　their　privilege　to　follow　where　I　led。　I　was　the　acknowledged　hero　of　the　hour。　Those　were　days　when　newspaper　enterprise　was　scarcely　in　its　infancy；　and　the　event　owed　nothing　to　journalistic　effort；　in　spite　of　that；　the　news　of　this　remarkable　ceremony；　the　immersion　of　a　little　boy　of　ten　years　old　'as　an　adult'；　had　spread　far　and　wide　through　the　county　in　the　course　of　three　weeks。　The　chapel　of　our　hosts　was；　as　I　have　said；　very　large；　it　was　commonly　too　large　for　their　needs；　but　on　this　night　it　was　crowded　to　the　ceiling；　and　the　crowd　had　comeas　every　soft　murmur　assured　meto　see　me。

There　were　people　there　who　had　travelled　from　Exeter；　from　Dartmouth；　from　Totnes；　to　witness　so　extraordinary　a　ceremony。　There　was　one　old　woman　of　eighty…five　who　had　come；　my　neighbours　whispered　to　me；　all　the　way　from　Moreton…Hampstead；　on　purpose　to　see　me　baptized。　I　looked　at　her　crumpled　countenance　with　amazement；　for　there　was　no　curiosity；　no　interest　visible　in　it。　She　sat　there　perfectly　listless；　looking　at　nothing；　but　chewing　between　her　toothless　gums　what　appeared　to　be　a　jujube。

In　the　centre　of　the　chapel…floor　a　number　of　planks　had　been　taken　up　and　revealed　a　pool　which　might　have　been　supposed　to　be　a　small　swimming…bath。　We　gazed　down　into　this　dark　square　of　mysterious　waters；　from　the　tepid　surface　of　which　faint　swirls　of　vapour　rose。　The　whole　congregation　vas　arranged；　tier　above　tier；　about　the　four　straight　sides　of　this　pool；　every　person　was　able　to　see　what　happened　in　it　without　any　unseemly　struggling　or　standing　on　forms。　Mr。　S。　now　rose；　an　impressive　hieratic　figure；　commanding　attention　and　imploring　perfect　silence。　He　held　a　small　book　in　his　hand；　and　he　vas　preparing　to　give　out　the　number　of　a　hymn；　when　an　astounding　incident　took　place。

There　was　a　great　splash；　and　a　tall　young　woman　was　perceived　to　be　in　the　baptismal　pool；　her　arms　waving　above　her　head；　and　her　figure　held　upright　in　the　water　by　the　inflation　of　the　air　underneath　her　crinoline　which　was　blown　out　like　a　bladder；　as　in　some　extravagant　old　fashion…plate。　Whether　her　feet　touched　the　bottom　of　the　font　I　cannot　say；　but　I　suppose　they　did　so。　An　indescribable　turmoil　of　shrieks　and　cries　followed　on　this　extraordinary　apparition。　A　great　many　people　excitedly　called　upon　other　people　to　be　calm；　and　an　instance　was　given　of　the　remark　of　James　Smith　that

He　who；　in　quest　of　quiet；　'Silence！'　hoots　Is　apt　to　make　the　hubbub　he　imputes。

The　young　woman；　in　a　more　or　less　fainting　condition；　was　presently　removed　from　the　water；　and　taken　into　the　sort　of　tent　which　was　prepared　for　candidates。　It　was　found　that　she　herself　had　wished　to　be　a　candidate　and　had　earnestly　desired　to　be　baptized；　but　that　this　had　been　forbidden　by　her　parents。　On　the　supposition　that　she　fell　in　by　accident；　a　pious　coincidence　was　detected　in　this　affair；　the　Lord　had　pre…ordained　that　she　should　be　baptized　in　spite　of　all　opposition。　But　my　Father；　in　his　shrewd　way；　doubted。　He　pointed　out　to　us；　next　morning；　that；　in　the　first　place；　she　had　not；　in　any　sense；　been　baptized；　as　her　head　had　not　been　immersed；　and　that；　in　the　second　place；　she　must　have　deliberately　jumped　in；　since；　had　she　stumbled　and　fallen　forward；　her　hands　and　face　would　have　struck　the　water；　whereas　they　remained　quite　dry。　She　belonged；　however；　to　the　neighbour　congregation；　and　we　had　no　responsibility　to　pursue　the　inquiry　any　further。

Decorum　being　again　secured；　Mr。　S。；　with　unimpaired　dignity；　proposed　to　the　congregation　a　hymn；　which　was　long　enough　to　occupy　them　during　the　preparations　for　the　actual　baptism。　He　then　retired　to　the　vestry；　and　I　（for　I　was　to　be　the　first　to　testify）　was　led　by　Miss　Marks　and　Mary　Grace　into　the　species　of　tent　of　which　I　have　just　spoken。　Its　pale　sides　seemed　to　shake　with　the　jubilant　singing　of　the　saints　outside；　while　part　of　my　clothing　was　removed　and　I　was　prepared　for　immersion。　A　sudden　cessation　of　the　hymn　warned　us　that　to　Minister　was　now　ready；　and　we　emerged　into　the　glare　of　lights　and　faces　to　find　Mr。　S。　already　standing　in　the　water　up　to　his　knees。　Feeling　as　small　as　one　of　o