第 54 节
作者:
旅游巴士 更新:2021-02-20 14:19 字数:9322
then taking rather a mean advantage of the Apostle to stand on his
not having actually forbidden it? On the other hand; it was
possible that God knew Paul would have forbidden smoking; and had
purposely arranged the discovery of tobacco for a period at which
Paul should be no longer living。 This might seem rather hard on
Paul; considering all he had done for Christianity; but it would be
made up to him in other ways。
These reflections satisfied Ernest that on the whole he had better
smoke; so he sneaked to his portmanteau and brought out his pipes
and tobacco again。 There should be moderation he felt in all
things; even in virtue; so for that night he smoked immoderately。
It was a pity; however; that he had bragged to Dawson about giving
up smoking。 The pipes had better be kept in a cupboard for a week
or two; till in other and easier respects Ernest should have proved
his steadfastness。 Then they might steal out again little by
littleand so they did。
Ernest now wrote home a letter couched in a vein different from his
ordinary ones。 His letters were usually all common form and
padding; for as I have already explained; if he wrote about anything
that really interested him; his mother always wanted to know more
and more about itevery fresh answer being as the lopping off of a
hydra's head and giving birth to half a dozen or more new questions…
…but in the end it came invariably to the same result; namely; that
he ought to have done something else; or ought not to go on doing as
he proposed。 Now; however; there was a new departure; and for the
thousandth time he concluded that he was about to take a course of
which his father and mother would approve; and in which they would
be interested; so that at last he and they might get on more
sympathetically than heretofore。 He therefore wrote a gushing
impulsive letter; which afforded much amusement to myself as I read
it; but which is too long for reproduction。 One passage ran: 〃I am
now going towards Christ; the greater number of my college friends
are; I fear; going away from Him; we must pray for them that they
may find the peace that is in Christ even as I have myself found
it。〃 Ernest covered his face with his hands for shame as he read
this extract from the bundle of letters he had put into my hands
they had been returned to him by his father on his mother's death;
his mother having carefully preserved them。
〃Shall I cut it out?〃 said I; 〃I will if you like。〃
〃Certainly not;〃 he answered; 〃and if good…natured friends have kept
more records of my follies; pick out any plums that may amuse the
reader; and let him have his laugh over them。〃 But fancy what
effect a letter like thisso unled up tomust have produced at
Battersby! Even Christina refrained from ecstasy over her son's
having discovered the power of Christ's word; while Theobald was
frightened out of his wits。 It was well his son was not going to
have any doubts or difficulties; and that he would be ordained
without making a fuss over it; but he smelt mischief in this sudden
conversion of one who had never yet shown any inclination towards
religion。 He hated people who did not know where to stop。 Ernest
was always so outre and strange; there was never any knowing what he
would do next; except that it would be something unusual and silly。
If he was to get the bit between his teeth after he had got ordained
and bought his living; he would play more pranks than ever he;
Theobald; had done。 The fact; doubtless; of his being ordained and
having bought a living would go a long way to steady him; and if he
married; his wife must see to the rest; this was his only chance
and; to do justice to his sagacity; Theobald in his heart did not
think very highly of it。
When Ernest came down to Battersby in June; he imprudently tried to
open up a more unreserved communication with his father than was his
wont。 The first of Ernest's snipe…like flights on being flushed by
Mr Hawke's sermon was in the direction of ultra…evangelicalism。
Theobald himself had been much more Low than High Church。 This was
the normal development of the country clergyman during the first
years of his clerical life; between; we will say; the years 1825 to
1850; but he was not prepared for the almost contempt with which
Ernest now regarded the doctrines of baptismal regeneration and
priestly absolution (Hoity toity; indeed; what business had he with
such questions?); nor for his desire to find some means of
reconciling Methodism and the Church。 Theobald hated the Church of
Rome; but he hated dissenters too; for he found them as a general
rule troublesome people to deal with; he always found people who did
not agree with him troublesome to deal with: besides; they set up
for knowing as much as he did; nevertheless if he had been let alone
he would have leaned towards them rather than towards the High
Church party。 The neighbouring clergy; however; would not let him
alone。 One by one they had come under the influence; directly or
indirectly; of the Oxford movement which had begun twenty years
earlier。 It was surprising how many practices he now tolerated
which in his youth he would have considered Popish; he knew very
well therefore which way things were going in Church matters; and
saw that as usual Ernest was setting himself the other way。 The
opportunity for telling his son that he was a fool was too
favourable not to be embraced; and Theobald was not slow to embrace
it。 Ernest was annoyed and surprised; for had not his father and
mother been wanting him to be more religious all his life? Now that
he had become so they were still not satisfied。 He said to himself
that a prophet was not without honour save in his own country; but
he had been latelyor rather until latelygetting into an odious
habit of turning proverbs upside down; and it occurred to him that a
country is sometimes not without honour save for its own prophet。
Then he laughed; and for the rest of the day felt more as he used to
feel before he had heard Mr Hawke's sermon。
He returned to Cambridge for the Long Vacation of 1858none too
soon; for he had to go in for the Voluntary Theological Examination;
which bishops were now beginning to insist upon。 He imagined all
the time he was reading that he was storing himself with the
knowledge that would best fit him for the work he had taken in hand。
In truth; he was cramming for a pass。 In due time he did pass
creditably; and was ordained Deacon with half…a…dozen others of his
friends in the autumn of 1858。 He was then just twenty…three years
old。
CHAPTER LI
Ernest had been ordained to a curacy in one of the central parts of
London。 He hardly knew anything of London yet; but his instincts
drew him thither。 The day after he was ordained he entered upon his
dutiesfeeling much as his father had done when he found himself
boxed up in the carriage with Christina on the morning of his
marriage。 Before the first three days were over; he became aware
that the light of the happiness which he had known during his four
years at Cambridge had been extinguished; and he was appalled by the
irrevocable nature of the step which he now felt that he had taken
much too hurriedly。
The most charitable excuse that I can make for the vagaries which it
will now be my duty to chronicle is that the shock of change
consequent upon his becoming suddenly religious; being ordained and
leaving Cambridge; had been too much for my hero; and had for the
time thrown him off an equilibrium which was yet little supported by
experience; and therefore as a matter of course unstable。
Everyone has a mass of bad work in him which he will have to work
off and get rid of before he can do betterand indeed; the more
lasting a man's ultimate good work is; the more sure he is to pass
through a time; and perhaps a very long one; in which there seems
very little hope for him at all。 We must all sow our spiritual wild
oats。 The fault I feel personally disposed to find with my godson
is not that he had wild oats to sow; but that they were such an
exceedingly tame and uninteresting crop。 The sense of humour and
tendency to think for himself; of which till a few months previously
he had been showing fair promise; were nipped as though by a late
frost; while his earlier habit of taking on trust everything that
was told him by those in authority; and following everything out to
the bitter end; no matter how preposterous; returned with redoubled
strength。 I suppose this was what might have been expected from
anyone placed as Ernest now was; especially when his antecedents are
remembered; but it surprised and disappointed some of his cooler…
headed Cambridge friends who had begun to think well of his ability。
To himself it seemed that religion was incompatible with half
measures; or even with compromise。 Circumstances had led to his
being ordained; for the moment he was sorry they had; but he had
done it and must go through with it。 He therefore set himself to
find out what was expected of him; and to act accordingly。
His rector was a moderate High Churchman of no very pronounced
viewsan elderly man who had had too many cu