首页 >出版文学> The Way of All Flesh>第44章
  Others,ofcourse,andnotI,mustdecidethis;butamancandoanythingifhegiveshismindtoit,andthoughIshouldnotcareabouthavingmoremoneyformyownsake,IcareaboutitverymuchwhenIthinkofthegoodIcoulddowithitbysavingsoulsfromsuchhorribletorturehereafter。Why,ifthethingsucceeds,andI
  reallycannotseewhatistohinderit,itishardlypossibletoexaggerateitsimportance,northeproportionswhichitmayultimatelyassume。”etc。,etc。
  AgainIaskedErnestwhetherhemindedmyprintingthis。Hewinced,butsaid“No,notifithelpsyoutotellyourstory:butdon’tyouthinkitistoolong?”
  Isaiditwouldletthereaderseeforhimselfhowthingsweregoinginhalfthetimethatitwouldtakemetoexplainthemtohim。
  “Verywellthen,keepitbyallmeans。”
  IcontinueturningovermyfileofErnest’slettersandfindasfollows-
  “Thanksforyourlast,inanswertowhichIsendyouaroughcopyofaletterIsenttotheTimesadayortwoback。Theydidnotinsertit,butitembodiesprettyfullymyideasontheparochialvisitationquestion,andPryerfullyapprovesoftheletter。Thinkitcarefullyoverandsenditbacktomewhenread,foritissoexactlymypresentcreedthatIcannotaffordtoloseit。
  “Ishouldverymuchliketohaveavivavocediscussiononthesematters:Icanonlyseeforcertainthatwehavesufferedadreadfullossinbeingnolongerabletoexcommunicate。Weshouldexcommunicaterichandpooralike,andprettyfreelytoo。Ifthispowerwererestoredtouswecould,Ithink,soonputastoptobyfarthegreaterpartofthesinandmiserywithwhichwearesurrounded。”
  TheseletterswerewrittenonlyafewweeksafterErnesthadbeenordained,buttheyarenothingtoothersthathewrotealittlelateron。
  InhiseagernesstoregeneratetheChurchofEnglandandthroughthistheuniversebythemeanswhichPryerhadsuggestedtohim,itoccurredtohimtotrytofamiliarisehimselfwiththehabitsandthoughtsofthepoorbygoingandlivingamongthem。IthinkhegotthisnotionfromKingsley’s“AltonLocke。”which,HighChurchmanthoughheforthenoncewas,hehaddevouredashehaddevouredStanley’sLifeofArnold,Dickens’snovels,andwhateverotherliterarygarbageofthedaywasmostlikelytodohimharm;atanyrateheactuallyputhisschemeintopractice,andtooklodgingsinAshpitPlace,asmallstreetintheneighbourhoodofDruryLaneTheatre,inahouseofwhichthelandladywasthewidowofacabman。
  Thisladyoccupiedthewholegroundfloor。Inthefrontkitchentherewasatinker。Thebackkitchenwaslettoabellows-mender。
  OnthefirstfloorcameErnest,withhistworoomswhichhefurnishedcomfortably,foronemustdrawthelinesomewhere。Thetwoupperfloorswereparcelledoutamongfourdifferentsetsoflodgers:therewasatailornamedHolt,adrunkenfellowwhousedtobeathiswifeatnighttillherscreamswokethehouse;abovehimtherewasanothertailorwithawifebutnochildren;thesepeoplewereWesleyans,giventodrinkbutnotnoisy。Thetwobackroomswereheldbysingleladies,whoitseemedtoErnestmustberespectablyconnected,forwell-dressedgentlemanly-lookingyoungmenusedtogoupanddownstairspastErnest’sroomstocallatanyrateonMissSnow——Ernesthadheardherdoorslamaftertheyhadpassed。Hethought,too,thatsomeofthemwentuptoMissMaitland’s。MrsJupp,thelandlady,toldErnestthatthesewerebrothersandcousinsofMissSnow’s,andthatshewasherselflookingoutforasituationasagoverness,butatpresenthadanengagementasanactressattheDruryLaneTheatre。ErnestaskedwhetherMissMaitlandinthetopbackwasalsolookingoutforasituation,andwastoldshewaswantinganengagementasamilliner。
  HebelievedwhateverMrsJupptoldhim。
  ThismoveonErnest’spartwasvariouslycommenteduponbyhisfriends,thegeneralopinionbeingthatitwasjustlikePontifex,whowassuretodosomethingunusualwhereverhewent,butthatonthewholetheideawascommendable。Christinacouldnotrestrainherselfwhenonsoundingherclericalneighboursshefoundtheminclinedtoapplaudhersonforconductwhichtheyidealisedintosomethingmuchmoreself-denyingthanitreallywas。Shedidnotquitelikehislivinginsuchanunaristocraticneighbourhood;butwhathewasdoingwouldprobablygetintothenewspapers,andthengreatpeoplewouldtakenoticeofhim。Besides,itwouldbeverycheap;downamongthesepoorpeoplehecouldlivefornexttonothing,andmightputbyagreatdealofhisincome。Asfortemptations,therecouldbefewornoneinsuchaplaceasthat。
  ThisargumentaboutcheapnesswastheonewithwhichshemostsuccessfullymetTheobald,whogrumbledmoresuothathehadnosympathywithhisson’sextravaganceandconceit。WhenChristinapointedouttohimthatitwouldbecheapherepliedthattherewassomethinginthat。
  OnErnesthimselftheeffectwastoconfirmthegoodopinionofhimselfwhichhadbeengrowinguponhimeversincehehadbeguntoreadfororders,andtomakehimflatterhimselfthathewasamongthefewwhowerereadytogiveupALLforChrist。Erelonghebegantoconceiveofhimselfasamanwithamissionandagreatfuture。
  Hislightestandmosthastilyformedopinionsbegantobeofmomentousimportancetohim,andheinflictedthem,asIhavealreadyshown,onhisoldfriends,weekbyweekbecomingmoreandmoreentetewithhimselfandhisowncrotchets。Ishouldlikewellenoughtodrawaveiloverthispartofmyhero’scareer,butcannotdosowithoutmarringmystory。
  Inthespringof1859Ifindhimwriting-
  “IcannotcallthevisibleChurchChristiantillitsfruitsareChristian,thatisuntilthefruitsofthemembersoftheChurchofEnglandareinconformity,orsomethinglikeconformity,withherteaching。IcordiallyagreewiththeteachingoftheChurchofEnglandinmostrespects,butshesaysonethinganddoesanother,anduntilexcommunication——yes,andwholesaleexcommunication——beresortedto,IcannotcallheraChristianinstitution。IshouldbeginwithourRector,andifIfounditnecessarytofollowhimupbyexcommunicatingtheBishop,Ishouldnotflinchevenfromthis。
  “ThepresentLondonRectorsarehopelesspeopletodealwith。Myownisoneofthebestofthem,butthemomentPryerandIshowsignsofwantingtoattackanevilinawaynotrecognisedbyroutine,orofremedyinganythingaboutwhichnooutcryhasbeenmade,wearemetwith,’Icannotthinkwhatyoumeanbyallthisdisturbance;nobodyelseamongtheclergyseesthesethings,andI
  havenowishtobethefirsttobeginturningeverythingtopsy-
  turvy。’Andthenpeoplecallhimasensibleman。Ihavenopatiencewiththem。However,weknowwhatwewant,and,asIwrotetoDawsontheotherday,haveaschemeonfootwhichwill,Ithink,fairlymeettherequirementsofthecase。Butwewantmoremoney,andmyfirstmovetowardsgettingthishasnotturnedoutquitesosatisfactorilyasPryerandIhadhoped;weshall,however,Idoubtnot,retrieveitshortly。”
  WhenErnestcametoLondonheintendeddoingagooddealofhouse-
  to-housevisiting,butPryerhadtalkedhimoutofthisevenbeforehesettleddowninhisnewandstrangely-chosenapartments。ThelinehenowtookwasthatifpeoplewantedChrist,theymustprovetheirwantbytakingsomelittletrouble,andthetroublerequiredofthemwasthattheyshouldcomeandseekhim,Ernest,out;therehewasinthemidstofthemreadytoteach;ifpeopledidnotchoosetocometohimitwasnofaultofhis。
  “Mygreatbusinesshere。”hewritesagaintoDawson,“istoobserve。
  Iamnotdoingmuchinparishworkbeyondmyshareofthedailyservices。Ihaveaman’sBibleClass,andaboy’sBibleClass,andagoodmanyyoungmenandboystowhomIgiveinstructiononewayoranother;thentherearetheSundaySchoolchildren,withwhomIfillmyroomonaSundayeveningasfullasitwillhold,andletthemsinghymnsandchants。Theylikethis。Idoagreatdealofreading——chieflyofbookswhichPryerandIthinkmostlikelytohelp;wefindnothingcomparabletotheJesuits。Pryerisathoroughgentleman,andanadmirablemanofbusiness——nolessobservantofthethingsofthisworld,infact,thanofthethingsabove;byabrilliantcouphehasretrieved,ornearlyso,aratherseriouslosswhichthreatenedtodelayindefinitelytheexecutionofourgreatscheme。HeandIdailygatherfreshprinciples。I
  believegreatthingsarebeforeme,andamstronginthehopeofbeingablebyandbytoeffectmuch。
  “AsforyouIbidyouGodspeed。Beboldbutlogical,speculativebutcautious,daringlycourageous,butproperlycircumspectwithal。”
  etc。,etc。
  Ithinkthismaydoforthepresent。
  IhadcalledonErnestasamatterofcoursewhenhefirstcametoLondon,buthadnotseenhim。Ihadbeenoutwhenhereturnedmycall,sothathehadbeenintownforsomeweeksbeforeIactuallysawhim,whichIdidnotverylongafterhehadtakenpossessionofhisnewrooms。Ilikedhisface,butexceptforthecommonbondofmusic,inrespectofwhichourtastesweresingularlyalike,I
  shouldhardlyhaveknownhowtogetonwithhim。TodohimjusticehedidnotairanyofhisschemestomeuntilIhaddrawnhimoutconcerningthem。I,toborrowthewordsofErnest’slandlady,MrsJupp,“amnotaveryregularchurch-goer“——Idiscovereduponcross-