memories and portraits-第4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！



like　the　name　of　a　man　of　ninety；　I　was　conscious　of　some　of　the　

dignity　of　years。　　This　kind　of　dignity　of　temporal　precession　is　

likely；　with　prolonged　life；　to　become　more　familiar；　possibly　less　

welcome；　but　I　felt　it　strongly　then；　it　is　strongly　on　me　now；　and　

I　am　the　more　emboldened　to　speak　with　my　successors　in　the　tone　of　

a　parent　and　a　praiser　of　things　past。



For；　indeed；　that　which　they　attend　is　but　a　fallen　University；　it　

has　doubtless　some　remains　of　good；　for　human　institutions　decline　

by　gradual　stages；　but　decline；　in　spite　of　all　seeming　

embellishments；　it　does；　and　what　is　perhaps　more　singular；　began　

to　do　so　when　I　ceased　to　be　a　student。　　Thus；　by　an　odd　chance；　I　

had　the　very　last　of　the　very　best　of　ALMA　MATER；　the　same　thing；　I　

hear　（which　makes　it　the　more　strange）；　had　previously　happened　to　

my　father；　and　if　they　are　good　and　do　not　die；　something　not　at　

all　unsimilar　will　be　found　in　time　to　have　befallen　my　successors　

of　to…day。　　Of　the　specific　points　of　change；　of　advantage　in　the　

past；　of　shortcoming　in　the　present；　I　must　own　that；　on　a　near　

examination；　they　look　wondrous　cloudy。　　The　chief　and　far　the　most　

lamentable　change　is　the　absence　of　a　certain　lean；　ugly；　idle；　

unpopular　student；　whose　presence　was　for　me　the　gist　and　heart　of　

the　whole　matter；　whose　changing　humours；　fine　occasional　purposes　

of　good；　flinching　acceptance　of　evil；　shiverings　on　wet；　east…

windy；　morning　journeys　up　to　class；　infinite　yawnings　during　

lecture　and　unquenchable　gusto　in　the　delights　of　truantry；　made　up　

the　sunshine　and　shadow　of　my　college　life。　　You　cannot　fancy　what　

you　missed　in　missing　him；　his　virtues；　I　make　sure；　are　

inconceivable　to　his　successors；　just　as　they　were　apparently　

concealed　from　his　contemporaries；　for　I　was　practically　alone　in　

the　pleasure　I　had　in　his　society。　　Poor　soul；　I　remember　how　much　

he　was　cast　down　at　times；　and　how　life　（which　had　not　yet　begun）　

seemed　to　be　already　at　an　end；　and　hope　quite　dead；　and　misfortune　

and　dishonour；　like　physical　presences；　dogging　him　as　he　went。　　

And　it　may　be　worth　while　to　add　that　these　clouds　rolled　away　in　

their　season；　and　that　all　clouds　roll　away　at　last；　and　the　

troubles　of　youth　in　particular　are　things　but　of　a　moment。　　So　

this　student；　whom　I　have　in　my　eye；　took　his　full　share　of　these　

concerns；　and　that　very　largely　by　his　own　fault；　but　he　still　

clung　to　his　fortune；　and　in　the　midst　of　much　misconduct；　kept　on　

in　his　own　way　learning　how　to　work；　and　at　last；　to　his　wonder；　

escaped　out　of　the　stage　of　studentship　not　openly　shamed；　leaving　

behind　him　the　University　of　Edinburgh　shorn　of　a　good　deal　of　its　

interest　for　myself。



But　while　he　is　（in　more　senses　than　one）　the　first　person；　he　is　

by　no　means　the　only　one　whom　I　regret；　or　whom　the　students　of　to…

day；　if　they　knew　what　they　had　lost；　would　regret　also。　　They　have　

still　Tait；　to　be　sure　…　long　may　they　have　him！　…　and　they　have　

still　Tait's　class…room；　cupola　and　all；　but　think　of　what　a　

different　place　it　was　when　this　youth　of　mine　（at　least　on　roll　

days）　would　be　present　on　the　benches；　and；　at　the　near　end　of　the　

platform；　Lindsay　senior　（3）　was　airing　his　robust　old　age。　　It　is　

possible　my　successors　may　have　never　even　heard　of　Old　Lindsay；　

but　when　he　went；　a　link　snapped　with　the　last　century。　　He　had　

something　of　a　rustic　air；　sturdy　and　fresh　and　plain；　he　spoke　

with　a　ripe　east…country　accent；　which　I　used　to　admire；　his　

reminiscences　were　all　of　journeys　on　foot　or　highways　busy　with　

post…chaises　…　a　Scotland　before　steam；　he　had　seen　the　coal　fire　

on　the　Isle　of　May；　and　he　regaled　me　with　tales　of　my　own　

grandfather。　　Thus　he　was　for　me　a　mirror　of　things　perished；　it　

was　only　in　his　memory　that　I　could　see　the　huge　shock　of　flames　of　

the　May　beacon　stream　to　leeward；　and　the　watchers；　as　they　fed　the　

fire；　lay　hold　unscorched　of　the　windward　bars　of　the　furnace；　it　

was　only　thus　that　I　could　see　my　grandfather　driving　swiftly　in　a　

gig　along　the　seaboard　road　from　Pittenweem　to　Crail；　and　for　all　

his　business　hurry；　drawing　up　to　speak　good…humouredly　with　those　

he　met。　　And　now；　in　his　turn；　Lindsay　is　gone　also；　inhabits　only　

the　memories　of　other　men；　till　these　shall　follow　him；　and　figures　

in　my　reminiscences　as　my　grandfather　figured　in　his。



To…day；　again；　they　have　Professor　Butcher；　and　I　hear　he　has　a　

prodigious　deal　of　Greek；　and　they　have　Professor　Chrystal；　who　is　

a　man　filled　with　the　mathematics。　　And　doubtless　these　are　set…

offs。　　But　they　cannot　change　the　fact　that　Professor　Blackie　has　

retired；　and　that　Professor　Kelland　is　dead。　　No　man's　education　is　

complete　or　truly　liberal　who　knew　not　Kelland。　　There　were　

unutterable　lessons　in　the　mere　sight　of　that　frail　old　clerical　

gentleman；　lively　as　a　boy；　kind　like　a　fairy　godfather；　and　

keeping　perfect　order　in　his　class　by　the　spell　of　that　very　

kindness。　　I　have　heard　him　drift　into　reminiscences　in　class　time；　

though　not　for　long；　and　give　us　glimpses　of　old…world　life　in　out…

of…the…way　English　parishes　when　he　was　young；　thus　playing　the　

same　part　as　Lindsay　…　the　part　of　the　surviving　memory；　signalling　

out　of　the　dark　backward　and　abysm　of　time　the　images　of　perished　

things。　　But　it　was　a　part　that　scarce　became　him；　he　somehow　

lacked　the　means：　for　all　his　silver　hair　and　worn　face；　he　was　not　

truly　old；　and　he　had　too　much　of　the　unrest　and　petulant　fire　of　

youth；　and　too　much　invincible　innocence　of　mind；　to　play　the　

veteran　well。　　The　time　to　measure　him　best；　to　taste　（in　the　old　

phrase）　his　gracious　nature；　was　when　he　received　his　class　at　

home。　　What　a　pretty　simplicity　would　he　then　show；　trying　to　amuse　

us　like　children　with　toys；　and　what　an　engaging　nervousness　of　

manner；　as　fearing　that　his　efforts　might　not　succeed！　　Truly　he　

made　us　all　feel　like　children；　and　like　children　embarrassed；　but　

at　the　same　time　filled　with　sympathy　for　the　conscientious；　

troubled　elder…boy　who　was　working　so　hard　to　entertain　us。　　A　

theorist　has　held　the　view　that　there　is　no　feature　in　man　so　tell…

tale　as　his　spectacles；　that　the　mouth　may　be　compressed　and　the　

brow　smoothed　artificially；　but　the　sheen　of　the　barnacles　is　

diagnostic。　　And　truly　it　must　have　been　thus　with　Kelland；　for　as　

I　still　fancy　I　behold　him　frisking　actively　about　the　platform；　

pointer　in　hand；　that　which　I　seem　to　see　most　clearly　is　the　way　

his　glasses　glittered　with　affection。　　I　never　knew　but　one　other　

man　who　had　（if　you　will　permit　the　phrase）　so　kind　a　spectacle；　

and　that　was　Dr。　Appleton。　　But　the　light　in　his　case　was　tempered　

and　passive；　in　Kelland's　it　danced；　and　changed；　and　flashed　

vivaciously　among　the　students；　like　a　perpetual　challenge　to　

goodwill。



I　cannot　say　so　much　about　Professor　Blackie；　for　a　good　reason。　　

Kelland's　class　I　attended；　once　even　gained　there　a　certificate　of　

merit；　the　only　distinction　of　my　University　career。　　But　although　

I　am　the　holder　of　a　certificate　of　attendance　in　the　professor's　

own　hand；　I　cannot　remember　to　have　been　present　in　the　Greek　class　

above　a　dozen　times。　　Professor　Blackie　was　even　kind　enough　to　

remark　（more　than　once）　while　in　the　very　act　of　writing　the　

document　above　referred　to；　that　he　did　not　know　my　face。　　Indeed；　

I　denied　myself　many　opportunities；　acting　upon　an　extensive　and　

highly　rational　system　of　truantry；　which　cost　me　a　great　deal　of　

trouble　to　put　in　exercise　…　perhaps　as　much　as　would　have　taught　

me　Greek　…　and　sent　me　forth　into　the　world　and　the　profession　of　

letters　with　the　merest　shadow　of　an　education。　　But　they　say　it　is　

always　a　good　thing　to　have　taken　pains；　and　that　success　is　its　

own　reward；　whatever　be　its　nature；　so　that；　perhaps；　even　upon　

this　I　should　plume　myself；　that　no　one　ever　played　the　truant　with　

more　deliberate　care；　and　none　ever　had　more　certificates　for　less　

education。　　One　consequence；　however；　of　my　system　is　that　I　have　

much　less　to　say　of　Professor　Blackie　than　I　had　of　Professor　

Kelland；　and　as　he　is　still　alive；　and　will　long；　I　hope；　continue　

to　be　so；　it　will　not　surprise　you　very　much　that　I　have　no　

intention　of　saying　it。



Meanwhile；　how　many　others　have　gone　…　Jenkin；　Hodgson；　and　I　know　

not　who　besides；　and　of　that　tide　of　students　that　used　to　throng　

the　arch　and　blacken　the　quadrangle；　how　many　are　scattered　into　

the　remotest　parts　of　the　earth；　and　how　many　more　have　lain　down　

beside　their　fathers　in　their　〃resting…graves〃！　　And　again；　how　

many　of　these　last　have　not　found　their　way　there；　all　too　early；　

through　the　stress　of　education！　　That　was　one　thing；　at　least；　

from　which　my　truantry　protected　me。　　I　am　sorry　indeed　that　I　have　

no　Greek；　but　I　should　be　sorrier　still　if　I　were　dead；　nor　do　I　

know　the　name　of　that　branch　of　knowledge　which　is