erewhon revisited-第19节

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circumstances　the　boy　would　have　been　able　to　lie；　and　would　have
lied　accordingly。

〃There　is　no　occasion　for　you　to　send　your　child　to　a　deformatory。
I　am　always　averse　to　extreme　measures　when　I　can　avoid　them。
Moreover；　in　a　deformatory　she　would　be　almost　certain　to　fall　in
with　characters　as　intractable　as　her　own。　　Take　her　home　and　whip
her　next　time　she　so　much　as　pulls　about　the　salt。　　If　you　will　do
this　whenever　you　get　a　chance；　I　have　every　hope　that　you　will
have　no　occasion　to　come　to　me　again。〃

〃Very　well；　sir；〃　said　the　father；　〃I　will　do　my　best；　but　the
child　is　so　instinctively　truthful　that　I　am　afraid　whipping　will
be　of　little　use。〃

There　were　other　cases；　none　of　them　serious；　which　in　the　old　days
would　have　been　treated　by　a　straightener。　　My　father　had　already
surmised　that　the　straightener　had　become　extinct　as　a　class；
having　been　superseded　by　the　Managers　and　Cashiers　of　the　Musical
Banks；　but　this　became　more　apparent　as　he　listened　to　the　cases
that　next　came　on。　　These　were　dealt　with　quite　reasonably；　except
that　the　magistrate　always　ordered　an　emetic　and　a　strong　purge　in
addition　to　the　rest　of　his　sentence；　as　holding　that　all　diseases
of　the　moral　sense　spring　from　impurities　within　the　body；　which
must　be　cleansed　before　there　could　be　any　hope　of　spiritual
improvement。　　If　any　devils　were　found　in　what　passed　from　the
prisoner's　body；　he　was　to　be　brought　up　again；　for　in　this　case
the　rest　of　the　sentence　might　very　possibly　be　remitted。

When　the　Mayor　and　his　coadjutors　had　done　sitting；　my　father
strolled　round　the　Musical　Bank　and　entered　it　by　the　main
entrance；　which　was　on　the　top　of　a　flight　of　steps　that　went　down
on　to　the　principal　street　of　the　town。　　How　strange　it　is　that；　no
matter　how　gross　a　superstition　may　have　polluted　it；　a　holy　place；
if　hallowed　by　long　veneration；　remains　always　holy。　　Look　at
Delphi。　　What　a　fraud　it　was；　and　yet　how　hallowed　it　must　ever
remain。　　But　letting　this　pass；　Musical　Banks；　especially　when　of
great　age；　always　fascinated　my　father；　and　being　now　tired　with
his　walk；　he　sat　down　on　one　of　the　many　rush…bottomed　seats；　and
（for　there　was　no　service　at　this　hour）　gave　free　rein　to
meditation。

How　peaceful　it　all　was　with　its　droning　old…world　smell　of
ancestor；　dry　rot；　and　stale　incense。　　As　the　clouds　came　and　went；
the　grey…green；　cobweb…chastened；　light　ebbed　and　flowed　over　the
walls　and　ceiling；　to　watch　the　fitfulness　of　its　streams　was　a
sufficient　occupation。　　A　hen　laid　an　egg　outside　and　began　to
cackleit　was　an　event　of　magnitude；　a　peasant　sharpening　his
scythe；　a　blacksmith　hammering　at　his　anvil；　the　clack　of　a　wooden
shoe　upon　the　pavement；　the　boom　of　a　bumble…bee；　the　dripping　of
the　fountain；　all　these　things；　with　such　concert　as　they　kept；
invited　the　dewy…feathered　sleep　that　visited　him；　and　held　him　for
the　best　part　of　an　hour。

My　father　has　said　that　the　Erewhonians　never　put　up　monuments　or
write　epitaphs　for　their　dead；　and　this　he　believed　to　be　still
true；　but　it　was　not　so　always；　and　on　waking　his　eye　was　caught　by
a　monument　of　great　beauty；　which　bore　a　date　of　about　1550　of　our
era。　　It　was　to　an　old　lady；　who　must　have　been　very　loveable　if
the　sweet　smiling　face　of　her　recumbent　figure　was　as　faithful　to
the　original　as　its　strongly　marked　individuality　suggested。　　I
need　not　give　the　earlier　part　of　her　epitaph；　which　was
conventional　enough；　but　my　father　was　so　struck　with　the
concluding　lines；　that　he　copied　them　into　the　note…book　which　he
always　carried　in　his　pocket。　　They　ran：…


I　fall　asleep　in　the　full　and　certain　hope
That　my　slumber　shall　not　be　broken；
And　that　though　I　be　all…forgetting；
Yet　shall　I　not　be　all…forgotten；
But　continue　that　life　in　the　thoughts　and　deeds
Of　those　I　loved；
Into　which；　while　the　power　to　strive　was　yet　vouchsafed　me；
I　fondly　strove　to　enter。


My　father　deplored　his　inability　to　do　justice　to　the　subtle
tenderness　of　the　original；　but　the　above　was　the　nearest　he　could
get　to　it。

How　different　this　from　the　opinions　concerning　a　future　state
which　he　had　tried　to　set　before　the　Erewhonians　some　twenty　years
earlier。　　It　all　came　back　to　him；　as　the　storks　had　done；　now　that
he　was　again　in　an　Erewhonian　environment；　and　he　particularly
remembered　how　one　youth　had　inveighed　against　our　European　notions
of　heaven　and　hell　with　a　contemptuous　flippancy　that　nothing　but
youth　and　ignorance　could　even　palliate。

〃Sir；〃　he　had　said　to　my　father；　〃your　heaven　will　not　attract　me
unless　I　can　take　my　clothes　and　my　luggage。　　Yes；　and　I　must　lose
my　luggage　and　find　it　again。　　On　arriving；　I　must　be　told　that　it
has　unfortunately　been　taken　to　a　wrong　circle；　and　that　there　may
be　some　difficulty　in　recovering　itor　it　shall　have　been　sent　up
to　mansion　number　five　hundred　thousand　millions　nine　hundred
thousand　forty　six　thousand　eight　hundred　and　eleven；　whereas　it
should　have　gone　to　four　hundred　thousand　millions；　&c。；　&c。；　and
am　I　sure　that　I　addressed　it　rightly？　　Then；　when　I　am　just
getting　cross　enough　to　run　some　risk　of　being　turned　out；　the
luggage　shall　make　its　appearance；　hat…box；　umbrella；　rug；　golf…
sticks；　bicycle；　and　everything　else　all　quite　correct；　and　in　my
delight　I　shall　tip　the　angel　double　and　realise　that　I　am　enjoying
myself。

〃Or　I　must　have　asked　what　I　could　have　for　breakfast；　and　be　told
I　could　have　boiled　eggs；　or　eggs　and　bacon；　or　filleted　plaice。
'Filleted　plaice；'　I　shall　exclaim；　'no！　not　that。　　Have　you　any
red　mullets？'　　And　the　angel　will　say；　'Why　no；　sir；　the　gulf　has
been　so　rough　that　there　has　hardly　any　fish　come　in　this　three
days；　and　there　has　been　such　a　run　on　it　that　we　have　nothing　left
but　plaice。'

〃'Well；　well；'　I　shall　say；　'have　you　any　kidneys？'

〃'You　can　have　one　kidney；　sir'；　will　be　the　answer。

〃'One　kidney；　indeed；　and　you　call　this　heaven！　　At　any　rate　you
will　have　sausages？'

〃'Then　the　angel　will　say；　'We　shall　have　some　after　Sunday；　sir；
but　we　are　quite　out　of　them　at　present。'

〃And　I　shall　say；　somewhat　sulkily；　'Then　I　suppose　I　must　have
eggs　and　bacon。'

〃But　in　the　morning　there　will　come　up　a　red　mullet；　beautifully
cooked；　a　couple　of　kidneys　and　three　sausages　browned　to　a　turn；
and　seasoned　with　just　so　much　sage　and　thyme　as　will　savour
without　overwhelming　them；　and　I　shall　eat　everything。　　It　shall
then　transpire　that　the　angel　knew　about　the　luggage；　and　what　I
was　to　have　for　breakfast；　all　the　time；　but　wanted　to　give　me　the
pleasure　of　finding　things　turn　out　better　than　I　had　expected。
Heaven　would　be　a　dull　place　without　such　occasional　petty　false
alarms　as　these。〃

I　have　no　business　to　leave　my　father's　story；　but　the　mouth　of　the
ox　that　treadeth　out　the　corn　should　not　be　so　closely　muzzled　that
he　cannot　sometimes　filch　a　mouthful　for　himself；　and　when　I　had
copied　out　the　foregoing　somewhat　irreverent　paragraphs；　which　I
took　down　（with　no　important　addition　or　alteration）　from　my
father's　lips；　I　could　not　refrain　from　making　a　few　reflections　of
my　own；　which　I　will　ask　the　reader's　forbearance　if　I　lay　before
him。

Let　heaven　and　hell　alone；　but　think　of　Hades；　with　Tantalus；
Sisyphus；　Tityus；　and　all　the　rest　of　them。　　How　futile　were　the
attempts　of　the　old　Greeks　and　Romans　to　lay　before　us　any
plausible　conception　of　eternal　torture。　　What　were　the　Danaids
doing　but　that　which　each　one　of　us　has　to　do　during　his　or　her
whole　life？　　What　are　our　bodies　if　not　sieves　that　we　are　for　ever
trying　to　fill；　but　which　we　must　refill　continually　without　hope
of　being　able　to　keep　them　full　for　long　together？　　Do　we　mind
this？　　Not　so　long　as　we　can　get　the　wherewithal　to　fill　them；　and
the　Danaids　never　seem　to　have　run　short　of　water。　　They　would
probably　ere　long　take　to　clearing　out　any　obstruction　in　their
sieves　if　they　found　them　getting　choked。　　What　could　it　matter　to
them　whether　the　sieves　got　full　or　no？　　They　were　not　paid　for
filling　them。

Sisyphus；　again！　　Can　any　one　believe　that　he　would　go　on　rolling
that　stone　year　after　year　and　seeing　it　roll　down　again　unless　he
liked　seeing　it？　　We　are　not　told　that　there　was　a　dragon　which
attacked　him　whenever　he　tried　to　shirk。　　If　he　had　greatly　cared
about　getting　his　load　over　the　last　pinch；　experience　would　have
shown　him　some　way　of　doing　so。　　The　probability　is　that　he　got　to
enjoy　the　downward　rush　of　his　stone；　and　very　likely　amused
himself　by　so　timing　it　as　to　cause　the　greatest　scare　to　the
greatest　number　of　the　shades　that　were　below。

What　though　Tantalus　found　the　water　shun　him　and　the　fruits　fly
from　him　when　he　tried　to　seize　them？　　The　writer　of　the　〃Odyssey〃
gives　us　no　hint　that　he　was　dying　of　thirst　or　hunger。　　The　pores
of　his　skin　would　absorb　enough　water　to　prevent　the　first；　and　we
may　be　sure　that　he　got　fruit　enough；　one　way　or　another；　to　keep
him　going。

Tityus；　as　an　effort　after　the　conception　of　an　eternity　of
torture；　is　not　successful。　　What　could　an　eagle　matter　on　the
liver　of　a　man　whose　body　covered　nine　acres？　　Before　long　he　would
find　it　an　agreeable　stimulant。　　If；　then；　the　greatest　min