第 64 节
作者:套牢      更新:2021-02-20 15:34      字数:9322
  not away with music; or listen to the words of the New Testament。
  During one of these Robert had begun to read a chapter to him; in
  the faint hope that he might draw some comfort from it。
  'Shut the book;' he said。 'If it were the word of God to men; it
  would have brought its own proof with it。'
  'Are ye sure it hasna?' asked Robert。
  'No;' answered Ericson。 'But why should a fellow that would give his
  lifethat's not much; but it's all I've gotto believe in God; not
  be able?  Only I confess that God in the New Testament wouldn't
  satisfy me。  There's no help。  I must just die; and go and
  see。She'll be left without anybody。 'What does it matter?  She
  would not mind a word I said。  And the God they talk about will just
  let her take her own way。  He always does。'
  He had closed his eyes and forgotten that Robert heard him。  He
  opened them now; and fixed them on him with an expression that
  seemed to ask; 'Have I been saying anything I ought not?'
  Robert knelt by the bedside; and said; slowly; with strongly
  repressed emotion;
  'Mr。 Ericson; I sweir by God; gin there be ane; that gin ye dee;
  I'll tak up what ye lea' ahin' ye。  Gin there be onybody ye want
  luikit efter; I'll luik efter her。  I'll do what I can for her to
  the best o' my abeelity; sae help me Godaye savin' what I maun do
  for my ain father; gin he be in life; to fess (bring) him back to
  the richt gait; gin there be a richt gait。  Sae ye can think aboot
  whether there's onything ye wad like to lippen till me。'
  A something grew in Ericson's eyes as Robert spoke。  Before he had
  finished; they beamed on the boy。
  'I think there must be a God somewhere after all;' he said; half
  soliloquizing。 'I should be sorry you hadn't a God; Robert。  Why
  should I wish it for your sake?  How could I want one for myself if
  there never was one?  If a God had nothing to do with my making; why
  should I feel that nobody but God can set things right?  Ah! but he
  must be such a God as I could imaginealtogether; absolutely true
  and good。  If we came out of nothing; we could not invent the idea
  of a Godcould we; Robert?  Nothing would be our God。 If we come
  from God; nothing is more natural; nothing so natural; as to want
  him; and when we haven't got him; to try to find him。What if he
  should be in us after all; and working in us this way? just this
  very way of crying out after him?'
  'Mr。 Ericson;' cried Robert; 'dinna say ony mair 'at ye dinna
  believe in God。 Ye duv believe in 'immair; I'm thinkin'; nor
  onybody 'at I ken; 'cep'; maybe; my grannieonly hers is a some
  queer kin' o' a God to believe in。  I dinna think I cud ever manage
  to believe in him mysel'。'
  Ericson sighed and was silent。  Robert remained kneeling by his
  bedside; happier; clearer…headed; and more hopeful than he had ever
  been。  What if all was right at the heart of thingsright; even as
  a man; if he could understand; would say was right; right; so that a
  man who understood in part could believe it to be ten times more
  right than he did understand!  Vaguely; dimly; yet joyfully; Robert
  saw something like this in the possibility of things。  His heart was
  full; and the tears filled his eyes。  Ericson spoke again。
  'I have felt like that often for a few moments;' he said; 'but
  always something would come and blow it away。  I remember one spring
  morningbut if you will bring me that bundle of papers; I will show
  you what; if I can find it; will let you understand'
  Robert rose; went to the cupboard; and brought the pile of loose
  leaves。  Ericson turned them over; and; Robert was glad to see; now
  and then sorted them a little。  At length he drew out a sheet;
  carelessly written; carelessly corrected; and hard to read。
  'It is not finished; or likely to be;' he said; as he put the paper
  in Robert's hand。
  'Won't you read it to me yourself; Mr。 Ericson?' suggested Robert。
  'I would sooner put it in the fire;' he answered'it's fate;
  anyhow。  I don't know why I haven't burnt them all long ago。
  Rubbish; and diseased rubbish!  Read it yourself; or leave it。'
  Eagerly Robert took it; and read。  The following was the best he
  could make of it:
  Oh that a wind would call
  》From the depths of the leafless wood!
  Oh that a voice would fall
  On the ear of my solitude!
  Far away is the sea;
  With its sound and its spirit…tone:
  Over it white clouds flee;
  But I am alone; alone。
  Straight and steady and tall
  The trees stand on their feet;
  Fast by the old stone wall
  The moss grows green and sweet;
  But my heart is full of fears;
  For the sun shines far away;
  And they look in my face through tears;
  And the light of a dying day。
  My heart was glad last night;
  As I pressed it with my palm;
  Its throb was airy and light
  As it sang some spirit…psalm;
  But it died away in my breast
  As I wandered forth to…day
  As a bird sat dead on its nest;
  While others sang on the spray。
  O weary heart of mine;
  Is there ever a truth for thee?
  Will ever a sun outshine
  But the sun that shines on me?
  Away; away through the air
  The clouds and the leaves are blown;
  And my heart hath need of prayer;
  For it sitteth alone; alone。
  And Robert looked with sad reverence at Ericson;nor ever thought
  that there was one who; in the face of the fact; and in recognition
  of it; had dared say; 'Not a sparrow shall fall on the ground
  without your Father。'  The sparrow does fallbut he who sees it is
  yet the Father。
  And we know only the fall; and not the sparrow。
  CHAPTER XII。
  THE GRANITE CHURCH。
  The next day was Sunday。  Robert sat; after breakfast; by his
  friend's bed。
  'You haven't been to church for a long time; Robert: wouldn't you
  like to go to…day?' said Ericson。
  'I dinna want to lea' you; Mr。 Ericson; I can bide wi' ye a' day the
  day; an' that's better nor goin' to a' the kirks in Aberdeen。'
  'I should like you to go to…day; though; and see if; after all;
  there may not be a message for us。  If the church be the house of
  God; as they call it; there should be; now and then at least; some
  sign of a pillar of fire about it; some indication of the presence
  of God whose house it is。  I wish you would go and see。  I haven't
  been to church for a long time; except to the college…chapel; and I
  never saw anything more than a fog there。'
  'Michtna the fog be the torn…edge like; o' the cloody pillar?'
  suggested Robert。
  'Very likely;' assented Ericson; 'for; whatever truth there may be
  in Christianity; I'm pretty sure the mass of our clergy have never
  got beyond Judaism。  They hang on about the skirts of that cloud for
  ever。'
  'Ye see; they think as lang 's they see the fog; they hae a grup o'
  something。  But they canna get a grup o' the glory that excelleth;
  for it's not to luik at; but to lat ye see a' thing。'
  Ericson regarded him with some surprise。  Robert hastened to be
  honest。
  'It's no that I ken onything aboot it; Mr。 Ericson。  I was only
  bletherin' (talking nonsense)rizzonin' frae the twa symbols o' the
  cloud an' the firekennin' nothing aboot the thing itsel'。  I'll
  awa' to the kirk; an' see what it's like。  Will I gie ye a buik
  afore I gang?'
  'No; thank you。  I'll just lie quiet till you come backif I can。'
  Robert instructed Shargar to watch for the slightest sound from the
  sick…room; and went to church。
  As he approached the granite cathedral; the only one in the world; I
  presume; its stern solidity; so like the country and its men; laid
  hold of his imagination for the first time。  No doubt the necessity
  imposed by the unyielding material had its share; and that a large
  one; in the character of the building: whence else that simplest of
  west windows; seven lofty; narrow slits of light; parted by granite
  shafts of equal width; filling the space between the corner
  buttresses of the nave; and reaching from door to roof? whence else
  the absence of tracery in the windowsexcept the severely gracious
  curves into which the mullions divide?But this cause could not
  have determined those towers; so strong that they might have borne
  their granite weight soaring aloft; yet content with the depth of
  their foundation; and aspiring not。  The whole aspect of the
  building is an outcome; an absolute blossom of the northern nature。
  There is but the nave of the church remaining。  About 1680; more
  than a century after the Reformation; the great tower fell;
  destroying the choir; chancel; and transept; which have never been
  rebuilt。  May the reviving faith of the nation in its own history;
  and God at the heart of it; lead to the restoration of this grand
  old monument of the belief of their fathers。  Deformed as the
  interior then was with galleries; and with Gavin Dunbar's flat
  ceiling; an awe fell upon Robert as he entered it。  When in after
  years he looked down from between the pillars of the gallery; that
  creeps round the chu