the uncommercial traveller-第9节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



usually　is　out　of　doors；　and　indeed　I　thought　rather　more　so。　　We

all　agreed　（for　the　time）　that　honesty　was　the　best　policy；　and　we

were　as　hard　as　iron　upon　Vice；　and　we　wouldn't　hear　of　Villainy

getting　on　in　the　world　…　no；　not　on　any　consideration　whatever。



Between　the　pieces；　we　almost　all　of　us　went　out　and　refreshed。

Many　of　us　went　the　length　of　drinking　beer　at　the　bar　of　the

neighbouring　public…house；　some　of　us　drank　spirits；　crowds　of　us

had　sandwiches　and　ginger…beer　at　the　refreshment…bars　established

for　us　in　the　Theatre。　　The　sandwich　…　as　substantial　as　was

consistent　with　portability；　and　as　cheap　as　possible　…　we　hailed

as　one　of　our　greatest　institutions。　　It　forced　its　way　among　us　at

all　stages　of　the　entertainment；　and　we　were　always　delighted　to

see　it；　its　adaptability　to　the　varying　moods　of　our　nature　was

surprising；　we　could　never　weep　so　comfortably　as　when　our　tears

fell　on　our　sandwich；　we　could　never　laugh　so　heartily　as　when　we

choked　with　sandwich；　Virtue　never　looked　so　beautiful　or　Vice　so

deformed　as　when　we　paused；　sandwich　in　hand；　to　consider　what

would　come　of　that　resolution　of　Wickedness　in　boots；　to　sever

Innocence　in　flowered　chintz　from　Honest　Industry　in　striped

stockings。　　When　the　curtain　fell　for　the　night；　we　still　fell　back

upon　sandwich；　to　help　us　through　the　rain　and　mire；　and　home　to

bed。



This；　as　I　have　mentioned；　was　Saturday　night。　　Being　Saturday

night；　I　had　accomplished　but　the　half　of　my　uncommercial　journey；

for；　its　object　was　to　compare　the　play　on　Saturday　evening　with

the　preaching　in　the　same　Theatre　on　Sunday　evening。



Therefore；　at　the　same　hour　of　half…past　six　on　the　similarly　damp

and　muddy　Sunday　evening；　I　returned　to　this　Theatre。　　I　drove　up

to　the　entrance　（fearful　of　being　late；　or　I　should　have　come　on

foot）；　and　found　myself　in　a　large　crowd　of　people　who；　I　am　happy

to　state；　were　put　into　excellent　spirits　by　my　arrival。　　Having

nothing　to　look　at　but　the　mud　and　the　closed　doors；　they　looked　at

me；　and　highly　enjoyed　the　comic　spectacle。　　My　modesty　inducing　me

to　draw　off；　some　hundreds　of　yards；　into　a　dark　corner；　they　at

once　forgot　me；　and　applied　themselves　to　their　former　occupation

of　looking　at　the　mud　and　looking　in　at　the　closed　doors：　　which；

being　of　grated　ironwork；　allowed　the　lighted　passage　within　to　be

seen。　　They　were　chiefly　people　of　respectable　appearance；　odd　and

impulsive　as　most　crowds　are；　and　making　a　joke　of　being　there　as

most　crowds　do。



In　the　dark　corner　I　might　have　sat　a　long　while；　but　that　a　very

obliging　passer…by　informed　me　that　the　Theatre　was　already　full；

and　that　the　people　whom　I　saw　in　the　street　were　all　shut　out　for

want　of　room。　　After　that；　I　lost　no　time　in　worming　myself　into

the　building；　and　creeping　to　a　place　in　a　Proscenium　box　that　had

been　kept　for　me。



There　must　have　been　full　four　thousand　people　present。　　Carefully

estimating　the　pit　alone；　I　could　bring　it　out　as　holding　little

less　than　fourteen　hundred。　　Every　part　of　the　house　was　well

filled；　and　I　had　not　found　it　easy　to　make　my　way　along　the　back

of　the　boxes　to　where　I　sat。　　The　chandeliers　in　the　ceiling　were

lighted；　there　was　no　light　on　the　stage；　the　orchestra　was　empty。

The　green　curtain　was　down；　and；　packed　pretty　closely　on　chairs　on

the　small　space　of　stage　before　it；　were　some　thirty　gentlemen；　and

two　or　three　ladies。　　In　the　centre　of　these；　in　a　desk　or　pulpit

covered　with　red　baize；　was　the　presiding　minister。　　The　kind　of

rostrum　he　occupied　will　be　very　well　understood；　if　I　liken　it　to

a　boarded…up　fireplace　turned　towards　the　audience；　with　a

gentleman　in　a　black　surtout　standing　in　the　stove　and　leaning

forward　over　the　mantelpiece。



A　portion　of　Scripture　was　being　read　when　I　went　in。　　It　was

followed　by　a　discourse；　to　which　the　congregation　listened　with

most　exemplary　attention　and　uninterrupted　silence　and　decorum。　　My

own　attention　comprehended　both　the　auditory　and　the　speaker；　and

shall　turn　to　both　in　this　recalling　of　the　scene；　exactly　as　it

did　at　the　time。



'A　very　difficult　thing；'　I　thought；　when　the　discourse　began；　'to

speak　appropriately　to　so　large　an　audience；　and　to　speak　with

tact。　　Without　it；　better　not　to　speak　at　all。　　Infinitely　better；

to　read　the　New　Testament　well；　and　to　let　THAT　speak。　　In　this

congregation　there　is　indubitably　one　pulse；　but　I　doubt　if　any

power　short　of　genius　can　touch　it　as　one；　and　make　it　answer　as

one。'



I　could　not　possibly　say　to　myself　as　the　discourse　proceeded；　that

the　minister　was　a　good　speaker。　　I　could　not　possibly　say　to

myself　that　he　expressed　an　understanding　of　the　general　mind　and

character　of　his　audience。　　There　was　a　supposititious　working…man

introduced　into　the　homily；　to　make　supposititious　objections　to

our　Christian　religion　and　be　reasoned　down；　who　was　not　only　a

very　disagreeable　person；　but　remarkably　unlike　life　…　very　much

more　unlike　it　than　anything　I　had　seen　in　the　pantomime。　　The

native　independence　of　character　this　artisan　was　supposed　to

possess；　was　represented　by　a　suggestion　of　a　dialect　that　I

certainly　never　heard　in　my　uncommercial　travels；　and　with　a　coarse

swing　of　voice　and　manner　anything　but　agreeable　to　his　feelings；　I

should　conceive；　considered　in　the　light　of　a　portrait；　and　as　far

away　from　the　fact　as　a　Chinese　Tartar。　　There　was　a　model　pauper

introduced　in　like　manner；　who　appeared　to　me　to　be　the　most

intolerably　arrogant　pauper　ever　relieved；　and　to　show　himself　in

absolute　want　and　dire　necessity　of　a　course　of　Stone　Yard。　　For；

how　did　this　pauper　testify　to　his　having　received　the　gospel　of

humility？　　A　gentleman　met　him　in　the　workhouse；　and　said　（which　I

myself　really　thought　good…natured　of　him）；　'Ah；　John？　　I　am　sorry

to　see　you　here。　　I　am　sorry　to　see　you　so　poor。'　　'Poor；　sir！'

replied　that　man；　drawing　himself　up；　'I　am　the　son　of　a　Prince！

MY　father　is　the　King　of　Kings。　　MY　father　is　the　Lord　of　Lords。

MY　father　is　the　ruler　of　all　the　Princes　of　the　Earth！'　&c。　　And

this　was　what　all　the　preacher's　fellow…sinners　might　come　to；　if

they　would　embrace　this　blessed　book　…　which　I　must　say　it　did　some

violence　to　my　own　feelings　of　reverence；　to　see　held　out　at　arm's

length　at　frequent　intervals　and　soundingly　slapped；　like　a　slow

lot　at　a　sale。　　Now；　could　I　help　asking　myself　the　question；

whether　the　mechanic　before　me；　who　must　detect　the　preacher　as

being　wrong　about　the　visible　manner　of　himself　and　the　like　of

himself；　and　about　such　a　noisy　lip…server　as　that　pauper；　might

not；　most　unhappily　for　the　usefulness　of　the　occasion；　doubt　that

preacher's　being　right　about　things　not　visible　to　human　senses？



Again。　　Is　it　necessary　or　advisable　to　address　such　an　audience

continually　as　'fellow…sinners'？　　Is　it　not　enough　to　be　fellow…

creatures；　born　yesterday；　suffering　and　striving　to…day；　dying　to…

morrow？　　By　our　common　humanity；　my　brothers　and　sisters；　by　our

common　capacities　for　pain　and　pleasure；　by　our　common　laughter　and

our　common　tears；　by　our　common　aspiration　to　reach　something

better　than　ourselves；　by　our　common　tendency　to　believe　in

something　good；　and　to　invest　whatever　we　love　or　whatever　we　lose

with　some　qualities　that　are　superior　to　our　own　failings　and

weaknesses　as　we　know　them　in　our　own　poor　hearts　…　by　these；　Hear

me！　…　Surely；　it　is　enough　to　be　fellow…creatures。　　Surely；　it

includes　the　other　designation；　and　some　touching　meanings　over　and

above。



Again。　　There　was　a　personage　introduced　into　the　discourse　（not　an

absolute　novelty；　to　the　best　of　my　remembrance　of　my　reading）；　who

had　been　personally　known　to　the　preacher；　and　had　been　quite　a

Crichton　in　all　the　ways　of　philosophy；　but　had　been　an　infidel。

Many　a　time　had　the　preacher　talked　with　him　on　that　subject；　and

many　a　time　had　he　failed　to　convince　that　intelligent　man。　　But　he

fell　ill；　and　died；　and　before　he　died　he　recorded　his　conversion　…

in　words　which　the　preacher　had　taken　down；　my　fellow…sinners；　and

would　read　to　you　from　this　piece　of　paper。　　I　must　confess　that　to

me；　as　one　of　an　uninstructed　audience；　they　did　not　appear

particularly　edifying。　　I　thought　their　tone　extremely　selfish；　and

I　thought　they　had　a　spiritual　vanity　in　them　which　was　of　the

before…mentioned　refractory　pauper's　family。



All　slangs　and　twangs　are　objectionable　everywhere；　but　the　slang

and　twang　of　the　conventicle　…　as　bad　in　its　way　as　that　of　the

House　of　Commons；　and　nothing　worse　can　be　said　of　it　…　should　be

studiously　avoided　under　such　circumstances　as　I　describe。　　The

avoidance　was　not　complete　on　this　occasion。　　Nor　was　it　quite

agreeable　to　see　the　preacher　addressing　his　pet　'points'　to　his

backers　on　the　stage；　as　if　appealing　to　those　disciples　to　show

him　up；　and　testify　to　the　multitude　that　each　of　those　points　was

a　clincher。



But；