the days of my life-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


he　would　rise　majestically；　announce　in　solemn　tones　that　he　refused　to　be　insulted　in　his　own　house；　and　depart；　banging　the　door　loudly　behind　him。　Across　the　hall　he　went　into　the　drawing…room　and　banged　that　door；　out　of　the　drawing…room　into　the　vestibule　（here　there　are　two　doors；　so　the　bang　was　double…barrelled）；　through　the　vestibule　into　the　garden；　if　the　row　was　of　the　first　magnitude。　If　not　he　banged　his　way　back　into　the　dining…room　by　the　serving　entrance；　and　very　probably　sat　doper；　the　exercise　having　relieved　his　feelings。　Especially　was　this　so　if　the　offending　son　had　banged　himself　out　of　the　house　by　some　other　route。
Only　the　other　day　I　examined　those　Bradenham　doors　and　their　hinges。　The　workmanship　of　them　is　really　wonderful。　After　half　a　century　of　banging　added　to　their　ordinary　wear；　they　are　as　good　as　when　they　were　made。　We　do　not　see　such　joinery　nowadays。
Considered　as　a　whole　it　would　have　been　difficult　to　find　a　more　jovial　party　than　we　were　at　Bradenham　in　the　days　of　my　youth；　especially　when　my　father　was　in　a　good　mood。　The　noise　of　course　was　tremendous；　because　everybody　had　plenty　to　say　and　was　fully　determined　that　it　should　not　be　hidden　from　the　world。　In　the　midst　of　all　this　hubbub　sat　my　dearest　mother　—　like　an　angel　that　had　lost　her　way　and　found　herself　in　pandemonium。　Not　being　blest　with　the　Haggard　voice；　though　she　had　a　very　sweet　one　of　her　own；　often　and　often　she　was　reduced　to　the　necessity　of　signifying　her　wishes　by　signs。　Indeed　it　became　a　habit　of　hers；　if　she　needed　the　salt　or　anything　else；　to　point　to　it；　and　beckon　it　towards　her。　One　of　her　daughters…inlaw　once　asked　my　mother　how　on　earth　she　made　herself　heard　in　the　midst　of　so　much　noise　at　table。
“My　dear；”　she　answered；　“I　whisper！　When　I　whisper　they　all　stop　talking；　because　they　wonder　what　is　the　matter。　Then　I　get　my　chance。”
Here　I　will　try　to　give　some　description　of　this　mother　with　whom　we　were　blest。　Twenty…two　years　have　passed　since　she　left　us；　but　I　can　say　honestly　that　every　one　of　those　years　has　brought　me　to　a　deeper　appreciation　of　her　beautiful　character。　Indeed　she　seems　to　be　much　nearer　to　me　now　that　she　is　dead　than　she　was　while　she　still　lived。　It　is　as　though　our　intimacy　and　mutual　understanding　has　grown　in　a　way　as　real　as　it　is　mysterious。　Someone　says　that　the　dead　are　never　dead　to　us　until　they　are　forgotten；　and　if　that　be　so；　in　my　case　my　mother　lives　indeed。　No　night　goes　by　that　I　do　not　think　of　her　and　pray　that　we　may　meet　again　to　part　no　more。　If　our　present　positions　were　reversed；　this　would　please　me；　could　I　know　of　it；　and　so　I　trust　that　this　offering　of　a　son’s　unalterable　gratitude　and　affection　may　please　her；　for　after　all　such　things　are　the　most　fragrant　flowers　that　we　can　lay　upon　the　graves　of　our　beloved。　The　Protestant　Faith　seems　vaguely　to　inculcate　that　we　should　not　pray　for　the　dead。　If　so；　I　differ　from　the　Protestant　Faith；　who　hold　that　we　should　not　only　pray　for　them　but　to　them；　that　they　will　judge　our　frailties　with　tenderness　and　will　not　forget　us　who　do　not　forget　them。　Even　if　the　message　is　delivered　only　after　ten　thousand　years；　it　will　still　be　a　message　that　most　of　us　would　be　glad　to　hear；　and　if　it　is　never　delivered　at　all；　still　it　will　have　been　sent；　and　what　can　man　do　more？
I　know　that　my　mother　believed　that　such　efforts　are　not　in　vain；　for　she　was　filled　with　a　very　earnest　faith。　After　her　death；　in　the　drawer　of　her　writing…table　were　found　four　lines；　feebly　inscribed　in　pencil；　which　are　believed　to　be　the　last　words　she　wrote。　They　are　before　me　now　and　I　transcribe　them：
Lo！　in　the　shadowy　valley　here　He　stands：
？My　soul　pale　sliding　down　Earth’s　icy　slope
Descends　to　meet　Him；　with　beseeching　hands
？Trembling　with　Fear　—　and　yet　upraised　in　Hope。
My　mother　was　married　when　she　was　twenty…five　years　of　age；　and　children　came　in　what　ladies　nowadays　would　consider　superabundance。　The　eldest；　my　sister　Ella；　was　born　in　Rome　in　March　1845；　while　they　were　still　upon　a　marriage　tour；　and　subsequently；　in　quick　succession；　the　others　followed。　The　last　of　us；　my　brother　Arthur；　appeared　in　November　1860　—　well　do　I　remember　my　father　in　a　flowered　dressing…gown　telling　us　to　be　quiet　because　we　had　a　little　brother。　This　allows　nearly　sixteen　years　between　the　eldest　and　the　youngest；　including　one　who　came　into　the　world　still…born。　Although　she　had　ten　children　living；　my　mother　never　ceased　to　regret　this　boy；　and　I　remember　her　crying；　when　she　pointed　out　to　me　where　he　was　buried　in　Bradenham　churchyard。
My　mother　never　was　a　beauty　in　the　ordinary　sense　of　the　word；　but　in　youth；　to　judge　by　the　pictures　which　I　have　seen　of　her　（photographs　were　not　then　known）；　she　must　have　been　very　refined　and　charming　in　appearance；　and　indeed　remained　so　all　her　life。　Her　abilities　were　great；　taking　her　all　in　all　she　was　perhaps　the　ablest　woman　whom　I　have　known；　though　she　had　no　iron　background　to　her　character；　for　that　she　was　too　gentle。　Her　bent　no　doubt　was　literary；　and　had　circumstances　permitted　I　am　sure　she　would　have　made　a　name　in　that　branch　of　art　to　which　in　the　intervals　of　her　crowded　life　she　gravitated　by　nature。　Also　she　was　a　good　musician；　and　drew　well。　Of　her　mental　abilities　I　have　however　spoken　in　a　brief　memoir　which　I　published　as　a　preface　to　a　new　edition　of　my　mother’s　poem；　“Life　and　its　Author。”
I　think　that　the　greatest　of　her　gifts；　however；　was　that　of　conversation。　No　more　charming　panion　could　be　imagined。　Also　she　had　the　art　of　drawing　the　best　out　of　anyone　with　whom　she　might　be　talking；　as　the　sympathetic　sometimes　can　do。　In　a　minute　or　two　she　would　find　which　was　his　or　her　strongest　point　and　to　this　turn　the　conversation。　Notwithstanding　the　tumultuous　nature　of　her　life；　her　illnesses　and　other　distractions；　she　contrived　to　read　a　great　deal；　and　to　keep　herself　au　courant　with　all　thought　movements　and　the　political　affairs　of　the　day。　Further　she　did　her　very　best　to　teach　her　numerous　children　the　truths　of　religion；　and　to　lead　them　into　the　ways　of　righteousness　and　peace。　I　fear；　however；　that　at　times　we　got　beyond　her。　It　is　not　easy　for　any　woman　to　follow　and　direct　all　the　physical　and　mental　developments　of　a　huge　and　vigorous　family　who　are　continually　ing　and　going；　first　from　schools　and　elsewhere；　and　later　from　every　quarter　of　the　world。
She　never　plained；　but　I　cannot　think　that　the　life　she　was　called　upon　to　lead　was　very　congenial　to　her。　When　young　in　India；　where　at　that　time　English　ladies　were　rare；　as　was　natural　in　the　case　of　one　of　her　charm　who　was　known　also　to　be　a　considerable　heiress；　she　was　much　sought　after　and　feted。　Then　she　returned　to　England　and　married；　and　for　her　the　responsibilities　of　life　began　with　a　vengeance；　to　cease　no　more　until　she　died。　These　indeed　were　plicated　by　the　fact　that　a　time　came　when　she　had　to　think　a　good　deal　about　ways　and　means；　especially　after　my　father；　who　had　the　passion　of　his　generation　for　land；　insisted　upon　investing　most　of　her　fortune　in　that　security　just　at　the　mencement　of　its　great　fall　in　value。　Her　various　duties；　including　that　of　housekeeping；　of　which　she　was　a　perfect　mistress；　left　her　scarcely　an　hour　to　follow　her　own　literary　and　artistic　tastes。　All　she　could　do　was　to　give　a　little　attention　to　gardening；　to　which　she　was　devoted。
On　the　whole　life　at　Bradenham　must　have　been　very　dull　for　her；　especially　after　the　London　house　was　sold　and　she　was　settled　there　more　or　less　permanently。　She　used　to　describe　to　me　the　wearisome　and　interminable　local　dinner…parties　to　which　she　was　obliged　to　go　in　her　early　married　life。　The　men　she　met　at　them　talked；　she　said；　chiefly　about　“roots；”　and　for　a　long　while　she　could　not　imagine　what　these　roots　might　be　and　why　they　were　so　interested　in　them；　until　at　length　she　discovered　that　they　referred　to　mangold…wurzel　and　to　turnips；　both　as　crops　and　as　a　shelter　for　the　birds　which　they　loved　to　shoot。　One　good　fortune　she　had；　however：　all　her　children　survived　her；　all　were　deeply　attached　to　her；　and；　what　is　strange　in　so　large　a　family；　none　of　them　went　to　the　bad。
Such　wa