trooper peter halket of mashonaland-第7部分

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not　know　only　too　bitterly　how　weak　is　my　voice；　and　that　that　which　I　can

do　is　as　nothing：　　but　shall　I　remain　silent？　　Shall　the　glow…worm　refuse

to　give　its　light；　because　it　is　not　a　star　set　up　on　high；　shall　the

broken　stick　refuse　to　burn　and　warm　one　frozen　man's　hands；　because　it　is

not　a　beacon…light　flaming　across　the　earth？　　Ever　a　voice　is　behind　my

shoulder；　that　whispers　to　me'Why　break　your　head　against　a　stone　wall？　

Leave　this　work　to　the　greater　and　larger　men　of　your　people；　they　who　will

do　it　better　than　you　can　do　it！　　Why　break　your　heart　when　life　could　be

so　fair　to　you？'　　But；　oh　my　wife；　the　strong　men　are　silent！　and　shall　I

not　speak；　though　I　know　my　power　is　as　nothing？'



〃He　laid　his　head　upon　his　hands。



〃And　she　said；　'I　cannot　understand　you。　　When　I　come　home　and　tell　you

that　this　man　drinks；　or　that　that　woman　has　got　into　trouble；　you　always

answer　me；　'Wife；　what　business　is　it　of　ours　if　so　be　that　we　cannot　help

them？'　　A　little　innocent　gossip　offends　you；　and　you　go　to　visit　people

and　treat　them　as　your　friends；　into　whose　house　I　would　not　go。　　Yet　when

the　richest　and　strongest　men　in　the　land；　who　could　crush　you　with　their

money；　as　a　boy　crushes　a　fly　between　his　finger　and　thumb；　take　a　certain

course；　you　stand　and　oppose　them。'



〃And　he　said；　'My　wife；　with　the　sins　of　the　private　man；　what　have　I　to

do；　if　so　be　I　have　not　led　him　into　them？　　Am　I　guilty？　　I　have　enough　to

do　looking　after　my　own　sins。　　The　sin　that　a　man　sins　against　himself　is

his　alone；　not　mine；　the　sin　that　a　man　sins　against　his　fellows　is　his　and

theirs；　not　mine：　　but　the　sins　that　a　man　sins；　in　that　he　is　taken　up　by

the　hands　of　a　people　and　set　up　on　high；　and　whose　hand　they　have　armed

with　their　sword；　whose　power　to　strike　is　their　powerhis　sins　are

theirs；　there　is　no　man　so　small　in　the　whole　nation　that　he　dares　say；　'I

have　no　responsibility　for　this　man's　action。'　　We　armed　him；　we　raised

him；　we　strengthened　him；　and　the　evil　he　accomplishes　is　more　ours　than

his。　　If　this　man's　end　in　South　Africa　should　be　accomplished；　and　the　day

should　come　when；　from　the　Zambezi　to　the　sea；　white　man　should　fly　at

white　man's　throat；　and　every　man's　heart　burn　with　bitterness　against　his

fellow；　and　the　land　be　bathed　with　blood　as　rainshall　I　then　dare　to

pray；　who　have　now　feared　to　speak？　　Do　not　think　I　wish　for　punishment

upon　these　men。　　Let　them　take　the　millions　they　have　wrung　out　of　this

land；　and　go　to　the　lands　of　their　birth；　and　live　in　wealth；　luxury；　and

joy；　but　let　them　leave　this　land　they　have　tortured　and　ruined。　　Let　them

keep　the　money　they　have　made　here；　we　may　be　the　poorer　for　it；　but　they

cannot　then　crush　our　freedom　with　it。　　Shall　I　ask　my　God　Sunday　by　Sunday

to　brood　across　the　land；　and　bind　all　its　children's　hearts　in　a　close…

knit　fellowship；yet；　when　I　see　its　people　betrayed；　and　their　jawbone

broken　by　a　stroke　from　the　hand　of　gold；　when　I　see　freedom　passing　from

us；　and　the　whole　land　being　grasped　by　the　golden　claw；　so　that　the

generation　after　us　shall　be　born　without　freedom；　to　labour　for　the　men

who　have　grasped　all；　shall　I　hold　my　peace？　　The　Boer　and　the　Englishman

who　have　been　in　this　land；　have　not　always　loved　mercy；　nor　have　they

always　sought　after　justice；　but　the　little　finger　of　the　speculator　and

monopolist　who　are　devouring　this　land　will　be　thicker　on　the　backs　of　the

children　of　this　land；　black　and　white；　than　the　loins　of　the　Dutchmen　and

Englishmen　who　have　been。'



〃And　she　said；　'I　have　heard　it　said　that　it　was　our　duty　to　sacrifice

ourselves　for　the　men　and　women　living　in　the　world　at　the　same　time　as

ourselves；　but　I　never　before　heard　that　we　had　to　sacrifice　ourselves　for

people　that　are　not　born。　　What　are　they　to　you？　　You　will　be　dust；　and

lying　in　your　grave；　before　that　time　comes。　　If　you　believe　in　God；'　she

said；　'why　cannot　you　leave　it　to　Him　to　bring　good　out　of　all　this　evil？　

Does　He　need　YOU　to　be　made　a　martyr　of？　or　will　the　world　be　lost　without

YOU？'



〃He　said；　'Wife；　if　my　right　hand　be　in　a　fire；　shall　I　not　pull　it　out？　

Shall　I　say；　'God　may　bring　good　out　of　this　evil；'　and　let　it　burn？　　That

Unknown　that　lies　beyond　us　we　know　of　no　otherwise　than　through　its

manifestation　in　our　own　hearts；　it　works　no　otherwise　upon　the　sons　of　men

than　through　man。　　And　shall　I　feel　no　bond　binding　me　to　the　men　to　come；

and　desire　no　good　or　beauty　for　themI；　who　am　what　I　am；　and　enjoy　what

I　enjoy；　because　for　countless　ages　in　the　past　men　have　lived　and

laboured；　who　lived　not　for　themselves　alone；　and　counted　no　costs？　　Would

the　great　statue；　the　great　poem；　the　great　reform　ever　be　accomplished；　if

men　counted　the　cost　and　created　for　their　own　lives　alone？　　And　no　man

liveth　to　himself；　and　no　man　dieth　to　himself。　　You　cannot　tell　me　not　to

love　the　men　who　shall　be　after　me；　a　soft　voice　within　me；　I　know　not

what；　cries　out　ever；　'Live　for　them　as　for　your　own　children。'　　When　in

the　circle　of　my　own　small　life　all　is　dark；　and　I　despair；　hope　springs　up

in　me　when　I　remember　that　something　nobler　and　fairer　may　spring　up　in　the

spot　where　I　now　stand。'



〃And　she　said；　'You　want　to　put　everyone　against　us！　　The　other　women　will

not　call　on　me；　and　our　church　is　more　and　more　made　up　of　poor　people。　

Money　holds　by　money。　　If　your　congregation　were　Dutchmen；　I　know　you　would

be　always　preaching　to　love　the　Englishmen；　and　be　kind　to　niggers。　　If

they　were　Kaffirs　you　would　always　be　telling　them　to　help　white　men。　　You

will　never　be　on　the　side　of　the　people　who　can　do　anything　for　us！　　You

know　the　offer　we　had　from'



〃And　he　said；　'Oh　my　wife；　what　are　the　Boer；　and　the　Russian；　and　the　Turk

to　me；　am　I　responsible　for　their　action？　　It　is　my　own　nation；　mine；　which

I　love　as　a　man　loves　his　own　soul；　whose　acts　touch　me。　　I　would　that

wherever　our　flag　was　planted　the　feeble　or　oppressed　peoples　of　earth

might　gather　under　it；　saying；　'Under　this　banner　is　freedom　and　justice

which　knows　no　race　or　colour。'　　I　wish　that　on　our　banner　were　blazoned　in

large　letters　〃Justice　and　Mercy〃；　and　that　in　every　new　land　which　our

feet　touch；　every　son　among　us　might　see　ever　blazoned　above　his　head　that

banner；　and　below　it　the　great　order：〃By　this　sign；　Conquer！〃and　that

the　pirate　flag　which　some　men　now　wave　in　its　place；　may　be　torn　down　and

furled　for　ever！　　Shall　I　condone　the　action　of　some；　simply　because　they

happen　to　be　of　my　own　race；　when　in　Bushman　or　Hottentot　I　would　condemn

it？　　Shall　men　belonging　to　one　of　the　mightiest　races　of　earth；　creep

softly　on　their　bellies；　to　attack　an　unwarned　neighbour；　when　even　the

Kaffir　has　again　and　again　given　notice　of　war；　saying；　'Be　ready；　on　such

and　such　a　day　I　come　to　fight　you？'　　Is　England's　power　so　broken；　and　our

race　so　enfeebled；　that　we　dare　no　longer　to　proclaim　war；　but　must　creep

silently　upon　our　bellies　in　the　dark　to　stab；　like　a　subject　people　to

whom　no　other　course　is　open？　　These　men　are　English；　but　not　English…MEN。　

When　the　men　of　our　race　fight；　they　go　to　war　with　a　blazoned　flag　and　the

loud　trumpet　before　them。　　It　is　because　I　am　an　Englishman　that　these

things　crush　me。　　Better　that　ten　thousand　of　us　should　lie　dead　and

defeated　on　one　battlefield；　fighting　for　some　great　cause；　and　my　own　sons

among　them；　than　that　those　twelve　poor　boys　should　have　fallen　at

Doornkop；　fighting　to　fill　up　the　pockets　of　those　already　oe'r…heavy　with

gold。'



〃And　she　said；　'YOU；　what　does　it　matter　what　you　feel　or　think；　YOU　will

never　be　able　to　do　anything！'



〃And　he　said；　'Oh　my　wife；　stand　by　me；　do　not　crush　me。　　For　me　in　this

matter　there　is　no　path　but　one　on　which　light　shines。'



〃And　she　said；　'You　are　very　unkind；　you　don't　care　what　the　people　say

about　us！'　and　she　wept　bitterly；　and　went　out　of　the　room。　　But　as　soon　as

the　door　was　shut；　she　dried　her　tears；　and　she　said　to　herself；　'Now　he

will　never　dare　to　preach　such　a　sermon　again。　　He　dares　never　oppose　me

when　once　I　have　set　down　my　foot。'



〃And　the　man　spoke　to　no　one；　and　went　out　alone　in　the　veld。　　All　the

afternoon　he　walked　up　and　down　among　the　sand　and　low　bushes；　and　I　walked

there　beside　him。



〃And　when　the　evening　came；　he　went　back　to　his　chapel。　　Many　were　absent；

but　the　elders　sat　in　their　places；　and　his　wife　also　was　there。　　And　the

light　shone　on　the　empty　benches。　　And　when　the　time　came　he　opened　the　old

book　of　the　Jews；　and　he　turned　the　leaves　and　read：'If　thou　forbear　to

deliver　them　that　are　drawn　unto　death；　and　those　that　are　ready　to　be

slain；　if　thou　sayest；　'Behold　we　knew　it　not！'　　Doth　not　he　that　pondereth

the　heart　consider　it？　and　he　that　keepeth　thy　soul；　doth　he　not　know　it？'



〃And　he　said；　'This　morning　we　considered　the　evils　this　land　is　suffering

under　at　the　hands　of　men　whose　aim　is　the　attainment　of　wealth　and　power。

Tonight　we　shall　look　at　our　own　share　in　the　matter。　　I　think　we　shall

realise　that　with　us；　and　not　with　the　men　we　have　lifted　up　on　high；　lies

the　condemnation。'　　Then　his　wife　rose　and　went　out；　and　others　followed

her；　and　the　little　man's　voice　rolled　among　the　empty　benches；　but　he

spoke　on。



〃And　when　the　service　was　over　he　went　out。　　No　elder　came　to　the　porch　to

greet　him；　but　as　he　stood　there　one；　he　saw　not　whom；　slipped　a　leaflet

into　his　hand。　　He　held　it　up；　and　read　in　the　lamplight　what　was　written

on　it　in　pencil。　　He　crushed　it　up　in　his　hand；　as　a　man　crushes　that　which

has　run　a　poisonous　sting　into　him；　then　he　dropped　it　on　the　earth　as　a

man　drops　that　he　would　forget。　　A　fine　drizzly　rain　was　falling；　and　he

walked　up　the　street　with　his　arms　folded　behind　him；　and　his　head　bent。　

The　people　walked　up　the　other　side；　and　it　seemed　to　him　he　was　alone。　

But　I　walked　behind　him。〃



〃And　then；〃　asked　Peter；　seeing　that　the　stranger　wa