marm lisa-第8部分

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she　was　ever　receiving。

As　for　theories；　she　had　small　choice。　　She　had　looked　into　almost　every　device　for　increasing　the　sum　of　human　knowledge　and　hastening　the　millennium；　and　she　thought　them　all　more　or　less　valuable。　　Her　memory；　mercifully；　was　not　a　retentive　one；　therefore　she　remembered　little　of　the　beliefs　she　had　outgrown；　they　never　left　even　a　deposit　in　the　stretch　of　wet　sand　in　which　they　had　written　themselves。

She　had　investigated；　or　at　any　rate　taught；　Delsarte；　Physical　Culture；　Dress…Reform；　the　Blue…glass　Cure；　Scientific　Physiognomy；　Phrenology；　Cheiromancy；　Astrology；　Vegetarianism；　Edenic　Diet；　Single　Tax；　Evolution；　Mental　Healing；　Christian　Science；　Spiritualism；　Theosophy；　and　Hypnotism。　　All　these　metamorphoses　of　thought　had　Mrs。　S。　Cora　Grubb　passed　through；　and　was　not　yet　a　finished　butterfly。　　Some　of　the　ideas　she　had　left　far　behind；　but　she　still　believed　in　them　as　fragments　of　truth　suitable　for　feeble　growing　souls　that　could　not　bear　the　full　light　of　revelation　in　one　burst。　　She　held　honorary　memberships　in　most　of　the　outgrown　societies；　attended　annual　meetings　of　others；　and　kept　in　touch　with　all　the　rest　by　being　present　at　their　social　reunions。

One　of　her　present　enthusiasms　was　her　'Kipling　Brothers；'　the　boys'　band　enlisted　under　the　motto；　'I　saw　a　hundred　men　on　the　road　to　Delhi；　and　they　were　all　my　brothers。'　　She　believed　that　there　was　no　salvation　for　a　boy　outside　of　a　band。　　Banded　somehow　he　must　be；　then　badged；　beribboned；　bannered；　and　bye…lawed。　　From　the　moment　a　boy's　mother　had　left　off　her　bye…lows；　Mrs。　Grubb　wanted　him　put　under　bye…laws。　　She　often　visited　Mistress　Mary　with　the　idea　that　some　time　she　could　interest　her　in　one　of　her　thousand　schemes；　but　this　special　call　was　to　see　if　the　older　children；　whose　neat　handiwork　she　had　seen　and　admired；　could　embroider　mottoes　on　cardboard　to　adorn　the　Kipling　room　at　an　approaching　festival。　　She　particularly　wanted　'Look　not　upon　the　Wine'　done　in　blood…red　upon　black；　and　'Shun　the　Filthy　Weed'　in　smoke…colour　on　bright　green。　She　had　in　her　hand　a　card　with　the　points　for　her　annual　address　noted　upon　it；　for　this　sort　of　work　she　ordinarily　did　in　the　horse…　cars。　　These　ran：

1st。　　Value　of　individuality。　　'_I_　saw。'

2nd。　　Value　of　observation。　　'I　SAW。'

3rd。　　Value　of　numbers。　　'I　saw　a　HUNDRED　men。'

4th。　　Importance　of　belonging　to　the　male　sex。　　It　was　MEN　who　were　seen　on　the　road。

5th。　　What　and　where　is　Delhi？

6th。　　Description　of　the　road　thither。

7th。　　Every　boy　has　his　Delhi。

8th。　　Are　you　'on　the　road'？

9th。　　The　brotherhood　of　man。

10th。　　The　Kipling　Brothers'　Call　to　Arms。

She　intended　to　run　through　the　heads　of　this　impassioned　oration　to　Mistress　Mary；　whom　she　rather　liked；　and；　in　truth；　Mary　had　difficulty　in　disliking　her；　though　she　thoroughly　disapproved　of　her。　　She　was　so　amiable；　and　apparently　so　susceptible　to　teaching；　that　Mary　always　fancied　her　on　the　verge　of　something　better。　　Her　vagaries；　her　neglects；　and　what　to　Mary's　mind　were　positive　inhumanities；　seemed　in　a　way　unconscious。　　'If　I　can　only　get　into　sufficiently　friendly　relations；'　thought　Mary；　'so　that　I　can　convince　her　that　her　first　and　highest　duty　lies　in　the　direction　of　the　three　children；　I　believe　she　will　have　the　heroism　to　do　it！'　But　in　this　Mistress　Mary's　instinct　was　at　fault。　　Mrs。　Grubb　took　indeed　no　real　cognisance　of　her　immediate　surroundings；　but　she　would　not　have　wished　to　see　near　duties　any　more　clearly。　　Neither　had　she　any　sane　and　healthy　interest　in　good　works　of　any　kind；　she　simply　had　a　sort　of　philanthropic　hysteria；　and　her　most　successful　speeches　were　so　many　spasms。



CHAPTER　VIITHE　COMET　AND　THE　FIXED　STAR



'I　don't　feel　that　I　can　part　with　Lisa　now；　just　as　she's　beginning　to　be　a　help　to　me；'　argued　Mrs。　Grubb；　shortly　after　she　had　been　welcomed　and　ensconced　in　a　rocking…chair。　　'As　Madame　Goldmarker　says；　nobody　else　in　the　world　would　have　given　her　a　home　these　four　years；　and　a　good　many　wouldn't　have　had　her　round　the　house。'

'That　is　true；'　replied　Mary；　'and　your　husband　must　have　been　a　very　good　man　from　all　you　tell　me；　Mrs。　Grubb。'

'Good　enough；　but　totally　uninteresting；'　said　that　lady　laconically。

'Well；　putting　aside　the　question　as　to　whether　goodness　ought　to　be　totally　uninteresting；　you　say　that　Lisa's　mother　left　Mr。　Grubb　three　hundred　dollars　for　her　food　and　clothing；　and　that　she　has　been　ever　since　a　willing　servant；　absolutely　devoted　to　your　interests。'

'We　never　put　a　cent　of　the　three　hundred　dollars　into　our　own　pockets；'　explained　Mrs。　Grubb。　　'Mr。　Grubb　was　dreadfully　opposed　to　my　doing　it；　but　every　penny　of　it　went　to　freeing　our　religious　society　from　debt。　　It　was　a　case　of　the　greatest　good　of　the　greatest　number；　and　I　didn't　flinch。　　I　thought　it　was　a　good　deal　more　important　that　the　Army　of　Present　Perfection　should　have　a　roof　over　its　head　than　that　Lisa　Bennett　should　be　fed　and　clothed；　that　is；　if　both　could　not　be　done。'

'I　don't　know　the　creed　of　the　Army；　but　it　seems　to　me　your　Presently　Perfect　soldiers　would　have　been　rather　uncomfortable　under　their　roof　if　Lisa　Bennett　had　been　naked　and　starving　outside。'

'Oh；　it　would　never　have　come　to　that；'　responded　Mrs。　Grubb　easily。　'There　is　plenty　of　money　in　the　world；　and　it　belongs　equally　to　the　whole　human　race。　　I　don't　recognise　anybody's　right　to　have　a　dollar　more　than　I　have；　but　Mr。　Grubb　could　never　accept　any　belief　that　had　been　held　less　than　a　thousand　years；　and　before　he　died　he　gave　some　money　to　a　friend　of　his；　and　told　him　to　pay　me　ten　dollars　every　month　towards　Lisa's　board。　　Untold　gold　could　never　pay　for　what　my　pride　has　suffered　in　having　her；　and　if　she　hadn't　been　so　useful　I　couldn't　have　done　it；I　don't　pretend　that　I　could。　　She's　an　offence　to　the　eye。'

'Not　any　longer；'　said　Mary　proudly。

'Well；　she　was　up　to　a　few　months　ago；　but　she　would　always　do　anything　for　the　twins；　and　though　they　are　continually　getting　into　mischief　she　never　lets　any　harm　come　to　them；　not　so　much　as　a　scratch。　　If　I　had　taken　a　brighter　child；　she　would　have　been　for　ever　playing　on　her　own　account　and　thinking　of　her　own　pleasure；　but　if　you　once　get　an　idea　into　Lisa's　head　of　what　you　expect　her　to　do；　she　will　go　on　doing　it　to　the　end　of　the　world；　and　wild　horses　couldn't　keep　her　from　it。'

'It's　a　pity　more　of　us　hadn't　that　virtue　of　obedience　to　a　higher　law。'

'Well；　perhaps　it　is；　and　perhaps　it　isn't；　it's　a　sign　of　a　very　weak　mind。'

'Or　a　very　strong　one；'　retorted　Mary。

'There　are　natural　leaders　and　natural　followers；'　remarked　Mrs。　Grubb　smilingly；　as　she　swayed　to　and　fro　in　Mary's　rocking…chair。　Her　smile；　like　a　ballet…dancer's；　had　no　connection　with；　nor　relation　to；　the　matter　of　her　speech　or　her　state　of　feeling；　it　was　what　a　watchmaker　would　call　a　detached　movement。　　'I　can't　see；'　said　she；　'that　it　is　my　duty　to　send　Lisa　away　to　be　taught；　just　when　I　need　her　most。　　My　development　is　a　good　deal　more　important　than　hers。'

'Why？'

'Why？　　Because　I　have　a　vocation　and　a　mission；　because；　if　I　should　falter　or　faint　by　the　wayside；　hundreds　of　women　who　depend　on　me　for　inspiration　would　fall　back　into　error　and　suffer　permanent　loss　and　injury。'

'Do　you　suppose　they　really　would？'　asked　Mary　rather　maliciously；　anxious　if　possible　to　ruffle　the　surface　of　Mrs。　Grubb's　exasperating　placidity。　　'Or　would　they；　of　course　after　a　long　period　of　grief…stricken　apathy；　attach　themselves　to　somebody　else's　classes？'

'They　might；'　allowed　Mrs。　Grubb；　in　a　tone　of　hurt　self…respect；　'though　you　must　know；　little　as　you've　seen　of　the　world；　that　no　woman　has　just　the　same　revelation　as　any　other；　and　that　there　are　some　who　are　born　to　interpret　truth　to　the　multitude。　　I　can　say　in　all　humility　that　it　has　been　so　with　me　from　a　child。　　I've　always　had　a　burning　desire　to　explore　the　secret　chambers　of　Thought；　always　yearned　to　understand　and　explain　the　universe。'

'I　have　never　tried　to　explain　it；'　sighed　Mary　a　little　wearily；　'one　is　so　busy　trying　to　keep　one's　little　corner　clean　and　sweet　and　pleasant；　a　helpful　place　where　sad　and　tired　souls　can　sit　down　and　rest。'

'Who　wants　to　sit　down　and　rest？　　Not　I！'　exclaimed　Mrs。　Grubb。　　'But　then；　I'm　no　criterion；　I　have　such　an　active　mind。'

'There　are　just　a　few　passive　virtues；'　said　Mary　teasingly。　　'We　must　remember　that　activity　doesn't　always　make　for　good；　sometimes　it　is　unrest；　disintegration；　not　growth；　Mrs。　Grubb；　but　fermentation。'

Mrs。　Grubb　took　out　a　small　blank…book　and　made　a　note；　for　she　had　an　ear　for　any　sentence　that　might　be　used　in　a　speech。

'That　is　true。　　〃DISTRUST　THE　ACTIVITY　WHICH　IS　NOT　GROWTH；　BUT　FERMENTATION〃　that　will　just　hit　some　ladies　in　my　classes；　and　it　comes　right　in　with　something　I　am　going　to　say　this　evening。　　We　have　a　Diet　Congress　here　this　week；　and　there's　a　good　deal　of　feeling　and　dispute　between　the　various　branches。　　I　have　two　delegates　stopping　with　me；　and　they　haven't　spoken　to　each　other　since　yesterday　morning；　nor　sat　down　to　eat　at　the　same　table。　　I　shall　do　all　I　can；　as　the　presiding　officer；　to　keep　things　pleasant　at　the　meetings；　but　it　will　be　difficult。　　You've　never　been　in　public　life　and　can't　understand　it；　but　you　see　there　are　women　among　the　delegates　who've　suffered　the　tyranny　of　man　so　long　that　they　will　cook　anything　their　husbands　demand；　women　who　believe　in　eating　any　kind　of　food；　and　hold　that　the　principal　trouble　lies　in　bad　cooking；　women　who　will　give　up　meat；　but　still　indulge　in　all　sorts　of　cakes；　pastries；　and　kickshaws；　and　women　who　are　strong　on　temperance　in　drink；　but　who　see　no　need　of　temperance　in　food。　　The　whole　question　of　diet　reform　is　in　an　awful　state；　and　a　Congress　is　the　only　way　to　settle　it。'

'How　do　men　stand　on　the　diet　question？'　asked　Mary；　with　a　twinkle　in　her　eye。

'They　don't　stand　at　all；'　answered　Mrs。　Grubb　promptly。　　'They　sit　right　still；　and　some　of　them　lie　down　flat；　you　might　say；　whenever　it's　mentioned。　　They'll　do　even　more　for　temperance　than　they　will　for　reformed　diet；　though　goodness　knows　they're　fond　enough　of　drinking。　　The　Ed