四季随笔-the private papers of henry ryecroft(英文版)-第8章

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XV
Midway　in　my　long　walk　yesterday；　I　lunched　at　a　wayside　inn。　On　the　table　lay　a　copy　of　a　popular　magazine。　Glancing　over　this　miscellany；　I　found　an　article；　by　a　woman；　on　〃Lion　Hunting；〃　and　in　this　article　I　came　upon　a　passage　which　seemed　worth　copying。
〃As　I　woke　my　husband；　the　lion……which　was　then　about　forty　yards　off……charged　straight　towards　us；　and　with　my　。303　I　hit　him　full　in　the　chest；　as　we　afterwards　discovered；　tearing　his　windpipe　to　pieces　and　breaking　his　spine。　He　charged　a　second　time；　and　the　next　shot　hit　him　through　the　shoulder；　tearing　his　heart　to　ribbons。〃
It　would　interest　me　to　look　upon　this　heroine　of　gun　and　pen。　She　is　presumably　quite　a　young　woman；　probably；　when　at　home；　a　graceful　figure　in　drawing…rooms。　I　should　like　to　hear　her　talk；　to　exchange　thoughts　with　her。　She　would　give　one　a　very　good　idea　of　the　matron　of　old　Rome　who　had　her　seat　in　the　amphitheatre。　Many　of　those　ladies；　in　private　life；　must　have　been　bright　and　gracious；　high…bred　and　full　of　agreeable　sentiment；　they　talked　of　art　and　of　letters；　they　could　drop　a　tear　over　Lesbia's　sparrow；　at　the　same　time；　they　were　connoisseurs　in　torn　windpipes；　shattered　spines　and　viscera　rent　open。　It　is　not　likely　that　many　of　them　would　have　cared　to　turn　their　own　hands　to　butchery；　and；　for　the　matter　of　that；　I　must　suppose　that　our　Lion　Huntress　of　the　popular　magazine　is　rather　an　exceptional　dame；　but　no　doubt　she　and　the　Roman　ladies　would　get　on　very　well　together；　finding　only　a　few　superficial　differences。　The　fact　that　her　gory　reminiscences　are　weled　by　an　editor　with　the　popular　taste　in　view　is　perhaps　more　significant　than　appears　either　to　editor　or　public。　Were　this　lady　to　write　a　novel　（the　chances　are　she　will）　it　would　have　the　true　note　of　modern　vigour。　Of　course　her　style　has　been　formed　by　her　favourite　reading；　more　than　probably；　her　ways　of　thinking　and　feeling　owe　much　to　the　same　source。　If　not　so　already；　this　will　soon；　I　daresay；　be　the　typical　Englishwoman。　Certainly；　there　is　〃no　nonsense　about　her。〃　Such　women　should　breed　a　remarkable　race。
I　left　the　inn　in　rather　a　turbid　humour。　Moving　homeward　by　a　new　way；　I　presently　found　myself　on　the　side　of　a　little　valley；　in　which　lay　a　farm　and　an　orchard。　The　apple　trees　were　in　full　bloom；　and；　as　I　stood　gazing；　the　sun；　which　had　all　that　day　been　niggard　of　its　beams；　burst　forth　gloriously。　For　what　I　then　saw；　I　have　no　words；　I　can　but　dream　of　the　still　loveliness　of　that　blossomed　valley。　Near　me；　a　bee　was　humming；　not　far　away；　a　cuckoo　called；　from　the　pasture　of　the　farm　below　came　a　bleating　of　lambs。
XVI
I　am　no　friend　of　the　people。　As　a　force；　by　which　the　tenor　of　the　time　is　conditioned；　they　inspire　me　with　distrust；　with　fear；　as　a　visible　multitude；　they　make　me　shrink　aloof；　and　often　move　me　to　abhorrence。　For　the　greater　part　of　my　life；　the　people　signified　to　me　the　London　crowd；　and　no　phrase　of　temperate　meaning　would　utter　my　thoughts　of　them　under　that　aspect。　The　people　as　country…　folk　are　little　known　to　me；　such　glimpses　as　I　have　had　of　them　do　not　invite　to　nearer　acquaintance。　Every　instinct　of　my　being　is　anti…democratic；　and　I　dread　to　think　of　what　our　England　may　bee　when　Demos　rules　irresistibly。
Right　or　wrong；　this　is　my　temper。　But　he　who　should　argue　from　it　that　I　am　intolerant　of　all　persons　belonging　to　a　lower　social　rank　than　my　own　would　go　far　astray。　Nothing　is　more　rooted　in　my　mind　than　the　vast　distinction　between　the　individual　and　the　class。　Take　a　man　by　himself；　and　there　is　generally　some　reason　to　be　found　in　him；　some　disposition　for　good；　mass　him　with　his　fellows　in　the　social　organism；　and　ten　to　one　he　bees　a　blatant　creature；　without　a　thought　of　his　own；　ready　for　any　evil　to　which　contagion　prompts　him。　It　is　because　nations　tend　to　stupidity　and　baseness　that　mankind　moves　so　slowly；　it　is　because　individuals　have　a　capacity　for　better　things　that　it　moves　at　all。
In　my　youth；　looking　at　this　man　and　that；　I　marvelled　that　humanity　had　made　so　little　progress。　Now；　looking　at　men　in　the　multitude；　I　marvel　that　they　have　advanced　so　far。
Foolishly　arrogant　as　I　was；　I　used　to　judge　the　worth　of　a　person　by　his　intellectual　power　and　attainment。　I　could　see　no　good　where　there　was　no　logic；　no　charm　where　there　was　no　learning。　Now　I　think　that　one　has　to　distinguish　between　two　forms　of　intelligence；　that　of　the　brain；　and　that　of　the　heart；　and　I　have　e　to　regard　the　second　as　by　far　the　more　important。　I　guard　myself　against　saying　that　intelligence　does　not　matter；　the　fool　is　ever　as　noxious　as　he　is　wearisome。　But　assuredly　the　best　people　I　have　known　were　saved　from　folly　not　by　the　intellect　but　by　the　heart。　They　e　before　me；　and　I　see　them　greatly　ignorant；　strongly　prejudiced；　capable　of　the　absurdest　mis…reasoning；　yet　their　faces　shine　with　the　supreme　virtues；　kindness；　sweetness；　modesty；　generosity。　Possessing　these　qualities；　they　at　the　same　time　understand　how　to　use　them；　they　have　the　intelligence　of　the　heart。
This　poor　woman　who　labours　for　me　in　my　house　is　even　such　a　one。　From　the　first　I　thought　her　an　unusually　good　servant；　after　three　years　of　acquaintance；　I　find　her　one　of　the　few　women　I　have　known　who　merit　the　term　of　excellent。　She　can　read　and　write……that　is　all。　More　instruction　would；　I　am　sure；　have　harmed　her；　for　it　would　have　confused　her　natural　motives；　without　supplying　any　clear　ray　of　mental　guidance。　She　is　fulfilling　the　offices　for　which　she　was　born；　and　that　with　a　grace　of　contentment；　a　joy　of　conscientiousness；　which　puts　her　high　among　civilized　beings。　Her　delight　is　in　order　and　in　peace；　what　greater　praise　can　be　given　to　any　of　the　children　of　men？
The　other　day　she　told　me　a　story　of　the　days　gone　by。　Her　mother；　at　the　age　of　twelve；　went　into　domestic　service；　but　on　what　conditions；　think　you？　The　girl's　father；　an　honest　labouring　man；　PAID　the　person　whose　house　she　entered　one　shilling　a　week　for　her　instruction　in　the　duties　she　wished　to　undertake。　What　a　grinning　stare　would　e　to　the　face　of　any　labourer　nowadays；　who　should　be　asked　to　do　the　like！　I　no　longer　wonder　that　my　housekeeper　so　little　resembles　the　average　of　her　kind。
XVII
A　day　of　almost　continuous　rain；　yet　for　me　a　day　of　delight。　I　had　breakfasted；　and　was　poring　over　the　map　of　Devon　（how　I　love　a　good　map！）　to　trace　an　expedition　that　I　have　in　view；　when　a　knock　came　at　my　door；　and　Mrs。　M。　bore　in　a　great　brown…paper　parcel；　which　I　saw　at　a　glance　must　contain　books。　The　order　was　sent　to　London　a　few　days　ago；　I　had　not　expected　to　have　my　books　so　soon。　With　throbbing　heart　I　set　the　parcel　on　a　clear　table；　eyed　it　whilst　I　mended　the　fire；　then　took　my　pen…knife；　and　gravely；　deliberately；　though　with　hand　that　trembled；　began　to　unpack。
It　is　a　joy　to　go　through　booksellers'　catalogues；　ticking　here　and　there　a　possible　purchase。　Formerly；　when　I　could　seldom　spare　money；　I　kept　catalogues　as　much　as　possible　out　of　sight；　now　I　savour　them　page　by　page；　and　make　a　pleasant　virtue　of　the　discretion　I　must　needs　impose　upon　myself。　But　greater　still　is　the　happiness　of　unpacking　volumes　which　one　has　bought　without　seeing　them。　I　am　no　hunter　of　rarities；　I　care　nothing　for　first　editions　and　for　tall　copies；　what　I　buy　is　literature；　food　for　the　soul　of　man。　The　first　glimpse　of　bindings　when　the　inmost　protective　wrapper　has　been　folded　back！　The　first　scent　of　BOOKS！　The　first　gleam　of　a　gilded　title！　Here　is　a　work　the　name　of　which　has　been　known　to　me　for　half　a　lifetime；　but　which　I　never　yet　saw；　I　take　it　reverently　in　my　hand；　gently　I　open　it；　my　eyes　are　dim　with　excitement　as　I　glance　over　chapter…headings；　and　anticipate　the　treat　which　awaits　me。　Who；　more　than　I；　has　taken　to　heart　that　sentence　of　the　Imitatio……〃In　omnibus　requiem　quaesivi；　et　nusquam　inveni　nisi　in　angulo　cum　libro〃？
I　had　in　me　the　making　of　a　scholar。　ind；　I　should　have　amassed　learning。　Within　the　walls　of　a　college；　I　should　have　lived　so　happily；　so　harmlessly；　my　imagination　ever　busy　with　the　old　world。　In　the　introduction　to　his　History　of　France；　Michelet　says：　〃J'ai　passe　e　cote　du　monde；　et　j'ai　pris　l'histoire　pou