the uncommercial traveller-第81节

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condition　to　arrange　affairs　with　flock。



There　was　another　Sunday；　when　an　officer　of　the　ship　read　the

service。　　It　was　quiet　and　impressive；　until　we　fell　upon　the

dangerous　and　perfectly　unnecessary　experiment　of　striking　up　a

hymn。　　After　it　was　given　out；　we　all　rose；　but　everybody　left　it

to　somebody　else　to　begin。　　Silence　resulting；　the　officer　（no

singer　himself）　rather　reproachfully　gave　us　the　first　line　again；

upon　which　a　rosy　pippin　of　an　old　gentleman；　remarkable　throughout

the　passage　for　his　cheerful　politeness；　gave　a　little　stamp　with

his　boot　（as　if　he　were　leading　off　a　country　dance）；　and　blithely

warbled　us　into　a　show　of　joining。　　At　the　end　of　the　first　verse

we　became；　through　these　tactics；　so　much　refreshed　and　encouraged；

that　none　of　us；　howsoever　unmelodious；　would　submit　to　be　left　out

of　the　second　verse；　while　as　to　the　third　we　lifted　up　our　voices

in　a　sacred　howl　that　left　it　doubtful　whether　we　were　the　more

boastful　of　the　sentiments　we　united　in　professing；　or　of

professing　them　with　a　most　discordant　defiance　of　time　and　tune。



'Lord　bless　us！'　thought　I；　when　the　fresh　remembrance　of　these

things　made　me　laugh　heartily　alone　in　the　dead　water…gurgling

waste　of　the　night；　what　time　I　was　wedged　into　my　berth　by　a

wooden　bar；　or　I　must　have　rolled　out　of　it；　'what　errand　was　I

then　upon；　and　to　what　Abyssinian　point　had　public　events　then

marched？　　No　matter　as　to　me。　　And　as　to　them；　if　the　wonderful

popular　rage　for　a　plaything　（utterly　confounding　in　its

inscrutable　unreason）　I　had　not　then　lighted　on　a　poor　young　savage

boy；　and　a　poor　old　screw　of　a　horse；　and　hauled　the　first　off　by

the　hair　of　his　princely　head　to　〃inspect〃　the　British　volunteers；

and　hauled　the　second　off　by　the　hair　of　his　equine　tail　to　the

Crystal　Palace；　why　so　much　the　better　for　all　of　us　outside

Bedlam！'



So；　sticking　to　the　ship；　I　was　at　the　trouble　of　asking　myself

would　I　like　to　show　the　grog　distribution　in　'the　fiddle'　at　noon

to　the　Grand　United　Amalgamated　Total　Abstinence　Society？　　Yes；　I

think　I　should。　　I　think　it　would　do　them　good　to　smell　the　rum；

under　the　circumstances。　　Over　the　grog；　mixed　in　a　bucket；

presides　the　boatswain's　mate；　small　tin　can　in　hand。　　Enter　the

crew；　the　guilty　consumers；　the　grown…up　brood　of　Giant　Despair；　in

contradistinction　to　the　band　of　youthful　angel　Hope。　　Some　in

boots；　some　in　leggings；　some　in　tarpaulin　overalls；　some　in

frocks；　some　in　pea…coats；　a　very　few　in　jackets；　most　with

sou'wester　hats；　all　with　something　rough　and　rugged　round　the

throat；　all；　dripping　salt　water　where　they　stand；　all　pelted　by

weather；　besmeared　with　grease；　and　blackened　by　the　sooty　rigging。



Each　man's　knife　in　its　sheath　in　his　girdle；　loosened　for　dinner。

As　the　first　man；　with　a　knowingly　kindled　eye；　watches　the　filling

of　the　poisoned　chalice　（truly　but　a　very　small　tin　mug；　to　be

prosaic）；　and；　tossing　back　his　head；　tosses　the　contents　into

himself；　and　passes　the　empty　chalice　and　passes　on；　so　the　second

man　with　an　anticipatory　wipe　of　his　mouth　on　sleeve　or

handkerchief；　bides　his　turn；　and　drinks　and　hands　and　passes　on；

in　whom；　and　in　each　as　his　turn　approaches；　beams　a　knowingly

kindled　eye；　a　brighter　temper；　and　a　suddenly　awakened　tendency　to

be　jocose　with　some　shipmate。　　Nor　do　I　even　observe　that　the　man

in　charge　of　the　ship's　lamps；　who　in　right　of　his　office　has　a

double　allowance　of　poisoned　chalices；　seems　thereby　vastly

degraded；　even　though　he　empties　the　chalices　into　himself；　one

after　the　other；　much　as　if　he　were　delivering　their　contents　at

some　absorbent　establishment　in　which　he　had　no　personal　interest。

But　vastly　comforted；　I　note　them　all　to　be；　on　deck　presently；

even　to　the　circulation　of　redder　blood　in　their　cold　blue

knuckles；　and　when　I　look　up　at　them　lying　out　on　the　yards；　and

holding　on　for　life　among　the　beating　sails；　I　cannot　for　MY　life

see　the　justice　of　visiting　on　them　…　or　on　me　…　the　drunken　crimes

of　any　number　of　criminals　arraigned　at　the　heaviest　of　assizes。



Abetting　myself　in　my　idle　humour；　I　closed　my　eyes；　and　recalled

life　on　board　of　one　of　those　mail…packets；　as　I　lay；　part　of　that

day；　in　the　Bay　of　New　York；　O！　　The　regular　life　began　…　mine

always　did；　for　I　never　got　to　sleep　afterwards　…　with　the　rigging

of　the　pump　while　it　was　yet　dark；　and　washing　down　of　decks。　　Any

enormous　giant　at　a　prodigious　hydropathic　establishment；

conscientiously　undergoing　the　water…cure　in　all　its　departments；

and　extremely　particular　about　cleaning　his　teeth；　would　make　those

noises。　　Swash；　splash；　scrub；　rub；　toothbrush；　bubble；　swash；

splash；　bubble；　toothbrush；　splash；　splash；　bubble；　rub。　　Then　the

day　would　break；　and；　descending　from　my　berth　by　a　graceful　ladder

composed　of　half…opened　drawers　beneath　it；　I　would　reopen　my　outer

dead…light　and　my　inner　sliding　window　（closed　by　a　watchman　during

the　water…cure）；　and　would　look　out　at　the　long…rolling；　lead…

coloured；　white　topped　waves　over　which　the　dawn；　on　a　cold　winter

morning；　cast　a　level；　lonely　glance；　and　through　which　the　ship

fought　her　melancholy　way　at　a　terrific　rate。　　And　now；　lying　down

again；　awaiting　the　season　for　broiled　ham　and　tea；　I　would　be

compelled　to　listen　to　the　voice　of　conscience；　…　the　screw。



It　might　be；　in　some　cases；　no　more　than　the　voice　of　stomach；　but

I　called　it　in　my　fancy　by　the　higher　name。　　Because　it　seemed　to

me　that　we　were　all　of　us；　all　day　long；　endeavouring　to　stifle　the

voice。　　Because　it　was　under　everybody's　pillow；　everybody's　plate；

everybody's　camp…stool；　everybody's　book；　everybody's　occupation。

Because　we　pretended　not　to　hear　it；　especially　at　meal…times；

evening　whist；　and　morning　conversation　on　deck；　but　it　was　always

among　us　in　an　under　monotone；　not　to　be　drowned　in　pea…soup；　not

to　be　shuffled　with　cards；　not　to　be　diverted　by　books；　not　to　be

knitted　into　any　pattern；　not　to　be　walked　away　from。　　It　was

smoked　in　the　weediest　cigar；　and　drunk　in　the　strongest　cocktail；

it　was　conveyed　on　deck　at　noon　with　limp　ladies；　who　lay　there　in

their　wrappers　until　the　stars　shone；　it　waited　at　table　with　the

stewards；　nobody　could　put　it　out　with　the　lights。　　It　was

considered　（as　on　shore）　ill…bred　to　acknowledge　the　voice　of

conscience。　　It　was　not　polite　to　mention　it。　　One　squally　day　an

amiable　gentleman　in　love　gave　much　offence　to　a　surrounding

circle；　including　the　object　of　his　attachment；　by　saying　of　it；

after　it　had　goaded　him　over　two　easy…chairs　and　a　skylight；

'Screw！'



Sometimes　it　would　appear　subdued。　　In　fleeting　moments；　when

bubbles　of　champagne　pervaded　the　nose；　or　when　there　was　'hot　pot'

in　the　bill　of　fare；　or　when　an　old　dish　we　had　had　regularly　every

day　was　described　in　that　official　document　by　a　new　name；　…　under

such　excitements；　one　would　almost　believe　it　hushed。　　The　ceremony

of　washing　plates　on　deck；　performed　after　every　meal　by　a　circle

as　of　ringers　of　crockery　triple…bob　majors　for　a　prize；　would　keep

it　down。　　Hauling　the　reel；　taking　the　sun　at　noon；　posting　the

twenty…four　hours'　run；　altering　the　ship's　time　by　the　meridian；

casting　the　waste　food　overboard；　and　attracting　the　eager　gulls

that　followed　in　our　wake；　…　these　events　would　suppress　it　for　a

while。　　But　the　instant　any　break　or　pause　took　place　in　any　such

diversion；　the　voice　would　be　at　it　again；　importuning　us　to　the

last　extent。　　A　newly　married　young　pair；　who　walked　the　deck

affectionately　some　twenty　miles　per　day；　would；　in　the　full　flush

of　their　exercise；　suddenly　become　stricken　by　it；　and　stand

trembling；　but　otherwise　immovable；　under　its　reproaches。



When　this　terrible　monitor　was　most　severe　with　us　was　when　the

time　approached　for　our　retiring　to　our　dens　for　the　night；　when

the　lighted　candles　in　the　saloon　grew　fewer　and　fewer；　when　the

deserted　glasses　with　spoons　in　them　grew　more　and　more　numerous；

when　waifs　of　toasted　cheese　and　strays　of　sardines　fried　in　batter

slid　languidly　to　and　fro　in　the　table…racks；　when　the　man　who

always　read　had　shut　up　his　book；　and　blown　out　his　candle；　when

the　man　who　always　talked　had　ceased　from　troubling；　when　the　man

who　was　always　medically　reported　as　going　to　have　delirium　tremens

had　put　it　off　till　to…morrow；　when　the　man　who　every　night　devoted

himself　to　a　midnight　smoke　on　deck　two　hours　in　length；　and　who

every　night　was　in　bed　within　ten　minutes　afterwards；　was　buttoning

himself　up　in　his　third　coat　for　his　hardy　vigil：　　for　then；　as　we

fell　off　one　by　one；　and；　entering　our　several　hutches；　came　into　a

peculiar　atmosphere　of　bilge…water　and　Windsor　soap；　the　voice

would　shake　us　to　the　centre。　　Woe　to　us　when　we　sat　down　on　our

sofa；　watching　the　swinging　candle　for　ever　trying　and　retrying　to

stand　upon　his　head！　or　our　coat　upon　its　peg；　imitating　us　as　we

appeared　in　our　gymnastic　days　by　sustaining