the story of a pioneer-第18节

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Dr。　Blank　has　just　said。　　It　is　true　that　I　am　a

minister；　and　that　I　came　here　to　preach。　　But　now

I　do　not　intend　to　preachonly　to　have　a　friendly

talk；　on　a　text　which　is　not　in　the　Bible。　　I　am　very

far　from　home；　and　I　feel　as　homesick　as　some　of

you　men　look。　　So　my　text　is；　‘Blessed　are　the　home…

sick；　for　they　shall　go　home。'　''



In　my　summers　at　Cape　Cod　I　had　learned　some…

thing　about　sailors。　　I　knew　that　in　the　inprepos…

sessing　congregation　before　me　there　were　many

boys　who　had　run　away　from　home；　and　men　who

had　left　home　because　of　family　troubles。　　I　talked

to　the　young　men　first；　to　those　who　had　forgotten

their　mothers　and　thought　their　mothers　had　for…

gotten　them；　and　I　told　of　my　experiences　with

waiting；　heavy…hearted　mothers　who　had　sons　at

sea。　　Some　heads　went　down　at　that；　and　here　and

there　I　saw　a　boy　gulp；　but　the　old　fellow　I　was　par…

ticularly　anxious　to　move　still　grinned　up　at　me　like

a　malicious　monkey。　　Then　I　talked　of　the　sailor's

wife；　and　of　her　double　burden　of　homemaking　and

anxiety；　and　soon　I　could　pick　out　some　of　the　hus…

bands　by　their　softened　faces。　　But　still　my　old

man　grinned　and　squinted。　　Last　of　all　I　described

the　whalers　who　were　absent　from　home　for　years；

and　who　came　back　to　find　their　children　and　their

grandchildren　waiting　for　them。　　I　told　how　I　had

seen　them；　in　our　New　England　coast　towns；　covered；

as　a　ship　is　covered　with　barnacles；　by　grandchildren

who　rode　on　their　shoulders　and　sat　astride　of　their

necks　as　they　walked　down　the　village　streets。　　And

now　at　last　the　sneer　left　my　old　man's　loose　lips。　

He　had　grandchildren　somewhere。　　He　twisted　un…

easily　in　his　seat；　coughed；　and　finally　took　out　a　big

red　handkerchief　and　wiped　his　eyes。　　The　episode

encouraged　me。



‘‘When　I　came　here；''　I　added；　‘‘I　intended　to

preach　a　sermon　on　‘The　Heavenly　Vision。'　　Now　I

want　to　give　you　a　glimpse　of　that　in　addition　to

the　vision　we　have　had　of　home。''



I　ended　with　a　bit　of　the　sermon　and　a　prayer；

and　when　I　raised　my　head　the　old　man　of　the　sar…

donic　grin　was　standing　before　me。



‘‘Missus；''　he　said　in　a　husky　whisper；　‘‘I'd　like

to　shake　your　hand。''



I　took　his　hard　old　fist；　and　then；　seeing　that

many　of　the　other　sailors　were　beginning　to　move

hospitably　but　shyly　toward　me；　I　said：



‘‘I　would　like　to　shake　hands　with　every　man

here。''



At　the　words　they　surged　forward；　and　the　affair

became　a　reception；　during　which　I　shook　hands

with　every　sailor　of　my　congregation。　　The　next　day

my　hand　was　swollen　out　of　shape；　for　the　sailors　had

gripped　it　as　if　they　were　hauling　on　a　hawser；　but

the　experience　was　worth　the　discomfort。　　The　best

moment　of　the　morning　came；　however；　when　the

pastor　of　the　ship　faced　me；　goggle…eyed　and　mar…

veling。



‘‘I　wouldn't　have　believed　it；''　was　all　he　could

say。　　‘‘I　thought　the　men　would　mob　you。''



‘‘Why　should　they　mob　me？''　I　wanted　to　know。



‘‘Why；''　he　stammered；　‘‘because　the　thing　is　so

sounnatural。''



‘‘Well；''　I　said；　‘‘if　it　is　unnatural　for　women　to

talk　to　men；　we　have　been　living　in　an　unnatural

world　for　a　long　time。　　Moreover；　if　it　is　unnatural；

why　did　Jesus　send　a　woman　out　as　the　first　preach…

er？''



He　waived　a　discussion　of　that　question　by　invit…

ing　us　all　to　his　cabin　to　drink　wine　with　himand

as　we　were　‘‘total　abstainers；''　it　seemed　as　un…

natural　to　us　to　have　him　offer　us　wine　as　a　woman's

preaching　had　seemed　to　him。



The　next　European　incident　on　which　memory

throws　a　high…light　was　our　audience　with　Pope

Leo　XIII。　　As　there　were　several　distinguished

Americans　in　our　party；　a　private　audience　was　ar…

ranged　for　us；　and　for　days　before　the　time　appointed

we　nervously　rehearsed　the　etiquette　of　the　oc…

casion。　　When　we　reached　the　Vatican　we　were

marched　between　rows　of　Swiss　Guards　to　the

Throne　Room；　only　to　learn　there　that　we　were　to

be　received　in　the　Tapestry　Room。　　Here　we　found

a　very　impressive　assemblage　of　cardinals　and

Vatican　officials；　and　while　we　were　still　lost　in　the

beauty　of　the　picture　they　made　against　the　room's

superb　background；　the　approach　of　the　Pope　was

announced。　　Every　one　immediately　knelt；　except　a

few　persons　who　tried　to　show　their　democracy　by

standing；　but　I　am　sure　that　even　these　individuals

felt　a　thrill　when　the　slight；　exquisite　figure　appeared

at　the　door　and　gave　us　a　general　benediction。　　Then

the　Pope　passed　slowly　down　the　line；　offering　his

hand　to　each　of　us；　and　radiating　a　charm　so　gracious

and　so　human　that　few　failed　to　respond　to　the

appeal　of　his　engaging　personality。　　There　was

nothing　fleshly　about　Leo　XIII。　　His　body　was　so

frail；　so　wraithlike；　that　one　almost　expected　to　see

through　it　the　magnificent　tapestries　on　the　walls。　

But　from　the　moment　he　appeared　every　eye　clung

to　him；　every　thought　was　concentrated　upon　him。　

This　effect　I　think　he　would　have　produced　even　if

he　had　come　among　us　unrecognized；　for　through

the　thin　shell　that　housed　it　shone　the　steady　flame

of　a　wonderful　spirit。



I　had　previously　remarked　to　my　friends　that

kissing　the　Pope's　ring　after　so　many　other　lips　had

touched　it　did　not　appeal　to　me　as　hygienic；　and　that

I　intended　to　kiss　his　hand　instead。　　When　my　op…

portunity　came　I　kept　my　word；　but　after　I　had

kissed　the　venerable　hand　I　remained　kneeling　for

an　instant　with　bowed　head；　a　little　aghast　at　my

daring。　　The　gentle　Father　thought；　however；　that

I　was　waiting　for　a　special　blessing。　　He　gave　it　to

me　gravely　and　passed　on；　and　I　devoted　the　next

few　hours　to　ungodly　crowing　over　the　associ…

ates　who　had　received　no　such　individual　atten…

tion。



In　Venice　we　attended　the　great　fete　celebrating

the　first　visit　of　King　Humbert　and　Queen　Mar…

gherita。　　It　was　also　the　first　time　Venice　had　en…

tertained　a　queen　since　the　Italian　union；　and　the

sea…queen　of　the　Adriatic　outdid　herself　in　the　gor…

geousness　and　the　beauty　of　her　preparations。　　The

Grand　Canal　was　like　a　flowing　rainbow；　reflecting

the　brilliant　decorations　on　every　side；　and　at　night

the　moonlight；　the　music；　the　chiming　church…bells；

the　colored　lanterns；　the　gay　voices；　the　lapping

waters　against　the　sides　of　countless　gondolas　made

the　experience　seem　like　a　dream　of　a　new　and　un…

believably　beautiful　world。　　Forty　thousand　per…

sons　were　gathered　in　the　Square　of　St。　Mark　and

in　front　of　the　Palace；　and　I　recall　a　pretty　incident

in　which　the　gracious　Queen　and　a　little　street

urchin　figured。　　The　small；　ragged　boy　had　crept

as　close　to　the　royal　balcony　as　he　dared；　and　then；

unobserved；　had　climbed　up　one　of　its　pillars。　　At

the　moment　when　a　sudden　hush　had　fallen　on　the

crowd　this　infant；　overcome　by　patriotism　and　a

glimpse　of　the　royal　lady　on　the　balcony　above　him；

suddenly　piped　up　shrilly　in　the　silence。　　‘‘　Long　live

the　Queen！''　he　cried。　　‘‘Long　live　the　Queen！''



The　gracious　Margherita　heard　the　childish　voice；

and；　amused　and　interested；　leaned　over　the　bal…

cony　to　see　where　it　came　from。　　What　she　saw

doubtless　touched　the　mother…heart　in　her。　　She

caught　the　eye　of　the　tattered　urchin　clinging　to　the

pillar；　and　radiantly　smiled　on　him。　　Then；　prob…

ably　thinking　that　the　King　was　absorbing　the　at…

tention　of　the　great　assemblage；　she　indulged　in　a

little　diversion。　　Leaning　far　forward；　she　kissed　the

tip　of　her　lace　handkerchief　and　swept　it　caressingly

across　the　boy's　brown　cheek；　smiling　down　at　him

as　unconsciously　as　if　she　and　the　enraptured　young…

ster　were　alone　together　in　the　world。　　The　next

instant　she　had　straightened　up　and　flushed；　for　the

watchful　crowd　had　seen　the　episode　and　was　wild

with　enthusiasm。　　For　ten　minutes　the　people

cheered　the　Queen　without　ceasing；　and　for　the　next

few　days　they　talked　of　little　but　the　spontaneous；

girlish　action　which　had　delighted　them　all。



One　more　sentimental　record；　and　I　shall　have

reached　another　mile…stone。　　As　I　have　said；　my

friend　Mrs。　Addy　left　me　in　her　will　fifteen　hundred

dollars　for　my　visit　to　Europe；　and　before　I　sailed

her　father；　who　was　one　of　the　best　friends　I　have

ever　had；　made　a　characteristically　kind　proposition

in　connection　with　the　little　fund。　　Instead　of　giving

me　the　money；　he　gave　me　two　railroad　bonds；　one

for　one　thousand　dollars；　the　other　for　five　hundred

dollars；　and　each　drawing　seven　per　cent。　interest。　

He　suggested　that　I　deposit　these　bonds　in　the　bank

of　which　he　was　president；　and　borrow　from　the

bank　the　money　to　go　abroad。　　Then；　when　I　re…

turned　and　went　into　my　new　parish；　I　could　use

some　of　my　salary　every　month　toward　repaying

the　loan。　　These　monthly　payments；　he　explained；

could　be　as　small　as　I　wished；　but　each　month　the

interest　on　the　amount　I　paid　would　cease。　　I　glad…

ly　took　his　advice　and　borrowed　seven　hundred

dollars。　　After