还乡The Return Of The Native-第33部分

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rtable　market…men；　who　were　habitual　callers　at　the　Quiet　Woman　as　they　passed　by　in　their　carts；　were　partial　to　the　topic。　　In　fact；　though　they　were　not　Egdon　men；　they　could　hardly　avoid　it　while　they　sucked　their　long　clay　tubes　and　regarded　the　heath　through　the　window。　　Clym　had　been　so　inwoven　with　the　heath　in　his　boyhood　that　hardly　anybody　could　look　upon　it　without　thinking　of　him。　　So　the　subject　recurred：　if　he　were　making　a　fortune　and　a　name；　so　much　the　better　for　him；　if　he　were　making　a　tragical　figure　in　the　world；　so　much　the　better　for　a　narrative。　
The　fact　was　that　Yeobright’s　fame　had　spread　to　an　awkward　extent　before　he　left　home。　　“It　is　bad　when　your　fame　outruns　your　means；”　said　the　Spanish　Jesuit　Gracian。　　At　the　age　of　six　he　had　asked　a　Scripture　riddle：　“Who　was　the　first　man　known　to　wear　breeches？”　and　applause　had　resounded　from　the　very　verge　of　the　heath。　　At　seven　he　painted　the　Battle　of　Waterloo　with　tiger…lily　pollen　and　black…currant　juice；　in　the　absence　of　water…colours。　By　the　time　he　reached　twelve　he　had　in　this　manner　been　heard　of　as　artist　and　scholar　for　at　least　two　miles　round。　　An　individual　whose　fame　spreads　three　or　four　thousand　yards　in　the　time　taken　by　the　fame　of　others　similarly　situated　to　travel　six　or　eight　hundred；　must　of　necessity　have　something　in　him。　　Possibly　Clym’s　fame；　like　Homer’s；　owed　something　to　the　accidents　of　his　situation；　nevertheless　famous　he　was。
He　grew　up　and　was　helped　out　in　life。　　That　waggery　of　fate　which　started　Clive　as　a　writing　clerk；　Gay　as　a　linen…draper；　Keats　as　a　surgeon；　and　a　thousand　others　in　a　thousand　other　odd　ways；　banished　the　wild　and　ascetic　heath　lad　to　a　trade　whose　sole　concern　was　with　the　especial　symbols　of　self…indulgence　and　vainglory。　
The　details　of　this　choice　of　a　business　for　him　it　is　not　necessary　to　give。　　At　the　death　of　his　father　a　neighbouring　gentleman　had　kindly　undertaken　to　give　the　boy　a　start；　and　this　assumed　the　form　of　sending　him　to　Budmouth。　　Yeobright　did　not　wish　to　go　there；　but　it　was　the　only　feasible　opening。　　Thence　he　went　to　London；　and　thence；　shortly　after；　to　Paris；　where　he　had　remained　till　now。　
Something　being　expected　of　him；　he　had　not　been　at　home　many　days　before　a　great　curiosity　as　to　why　he　stayed　on　so　long　began　to　arise　in　the　heath。　　The　natural　term　of　a　holiday　had　passed；　yet　he　still　remained。　　On　the　Sunday　morning　following　the　week　of　Thomasin’s　marriage　a　discussion　on　this　subject　was　in　progress　at　a　hair…cutting　before　Fairway’s　house。　　Here　the　local　barbering　was　always　done　at　this　hour　on　this　day；　to　be　followed　by　the　great　Sunday　wash　of　the　inhabitants　at　noon；　which　in　its　turn　was　followed　by　the　great　Sunday　dressing　an　hour　later。　　On　Egdon　Heath　Sunday　proper　did　not　begin　till　dinner…time；　and　even　then　it　was　a　somewhat　battered　specimen　of　the　day。　
These　Sunday…morning　hair…cuttings　were　performed　by　Fairway；　the　victim　sitting　on　a　chopping…block　in　front　of　the　house；　without　a　coat；　and　the　neighbours　gossiping　around；　idly　observing　the　locks　of　hair　as　they　rose　upon　the　wind　after　the　snip；　and　flew　away　out　of　sight　to　the　four　quarters　of　the　heavens。　　Summer　and　winter　the　scene　was　the　same；　unless　the　wind　were　more　than　usually　blusterous；　when　the　stool　was　shifted　a　few　feet　round　the　corner。　　To　plain　of　cold　in　sitting　out　of　doors；　hatless　and　coatless；　while　Fairway　told　true　stories　between　the　cuts　of　the　scissors；　would　have　been　to　pronounce　yourself　no　man　at　once。　　To　flinch；　exclaim；　or　move　a　muscle　of　the　face　at　the　small　stabs　under　the　ear　received　from　those　instruments；　or　at　scarifications　of　the　neck　by　the　b；　would　have　been　thought　a　gross　breach　of　good　manners；　considering　that　Fairway　did　it　all　for　nothing。　　A　bleeding　about　the　poll　on　Sunday　afternoons　was　amply　accounted　for　by　the　explanation。　　“I　have　had　my　hair　cut；　you　know。”
The　conversation　on　Yeobright　had　been　started　by　a　distant　view　of　the　young　man　rambling　leisurely　across　the　heath　before　them。　
“A　man　who　is　doing　well　elsewhere　wouldn’t　bide　here　two　or　three　weeks　for　nothing；”　said　Fairway。　　“He’s　got　some　project　in　‘s　head—depend　upon　that。”
“Well；　‘a　can’t　keep　a　diment　shop　here；”　said　Sam。　
“I　don’t　see　why　he　should　have　had　them　two　heavy　boxes　home　if　he　had　not　been　going　to　bide；　and　what　there　is　for　him　to　do　here　the　Lord　in　heaven　knows。”
Before　many　more　surmises　could　be　indulged　in　Yeobright　had　e　near；　and　seeing　the　hair…cutting　group　he　turned　aside　to　join　them。　　Marching　up；　and　looking　critically　at　their　faces　for　a　moment；　he　said；　without　introduction；　“Now；　folks；　let　me　guess　what　you　have　been　talking　about。”
“Ay；　sure；　if　you　will；”　said　Sam。　
“About　me。”
“Now；　it　is　a　thing　I　shouldn’t　have　dreamed　of　doing；　otherwise；”　said　Fairway　in　a　tone　of　integrity；　“but　since　you　have　named　it；　Master　Yeobright；　I’ll　own　that　we　was　talking　about　‘ee。　We　were　wondering　what　could　keep　you　home　here　mollyhorning　about　when　you　have　made　such　a　world…wide　name　for　yourself　in　the　nick…nack　trade—now；　that’s　the　truth　o’t。”
“I’ll　tell　you；”　said　Yeobright。　　with　unexpected　earnestness。　　“I　am　not　sorry　to　have　the　opportunity。　　I’ve　e　home　because；　all　things　considered；　I　can　be　a　trifle　less　useless　here　than　anywhere　else。　　But　I　have　only　lately　found　this　out。　　When　I　first　got　away　from　home　I　thought　this　place　was　not　worth　troubling　about。　　I　thought　our　life　here　was　contemptible。　　To　oil　your　boots　instead　of　blacking　them；　to　dust　your　coat　with　a　switch　instead　of　a　brush—was　there　ever　anything　more　ridiculous？　　I　said。”
“So　‘tis；　so　‘tis！”
“No；　no—you　are　wrong；　it　isn’t。”
“Beg　your　pardon；　we　thought　that　was　your　maning？”
“Well；　as　my　views　changed　my　course　became　very　depressing。　　I　found　that　I　was　trying　to　be　like　people　who　had　hardly　anything　in　mon　with　myself。　　I　was　endeavouring　to　put　off　one　sort　of　life　for　another　sort　of　life；　which　was　not　better　than　the　life　I　had　known　before。　　It　was　simply　different。”
“True；　a　sight　different；”　said　Fairway。
“Yes；　Paris　must　be　a　taking　place；”　said　Humphrey。　
“Grand　shop…winders；　trumpets；　and　drums；　and　here　be　we
out　of　doors　in　all　winds　and　weathers—“
“But　you　mistake　me；”　pleaded　Clym。　　“All　this　was　very　depressing。　　But　not　so　depressing　as　something　I　next　perceived—that　my　business　was　the　idlest；　vainest；　most　effeminate　business　that　ever　a　man　could　be　put　to。　　That　decided　me—I　would　give　it　up　and　try　to　follow　some　rational　occupation　among　the　people　I　knew　best；　and　to　whom　I　could　be　of　most　use。　　I　have　e　home；　and　this　is　how　I　mean　to　carry　out　my　plan。　　I　shall　keep　a　school　as　near　to　Egdon　as　possible；　so　as　to　be　able　to　walk　over　here　and　have　a　night…school　in　my　mother’s　house。　　But　I　must　study　a　little　at　first；　to　get　properly　qualified。　　Now；　neighbours；　I　must　go。”
And　Clym　resumed　his　walk　across　the　heath。　
“He’ll　never　carry　it　out　in　the　world；”　said　Fairway。
“In　a　few　weeks　he’ll　learn　to　see　things　otherwise。”
“’Tis　good…hearted　of　the　young　man；”　said　another。　
“But；　for　my　part；　I　think　he　had　better　mind　his　business。”


2　… The　New　Course　Causes　Disappointment


Yeobright　loved　his　kind。　　He　had　a　conviction　that　the　want　of　most　men　was　knowledge　of　a　sort　which　brings　wisdom　rather　than　affluence。　　He　wished　to　raise　the　class　at　the　expense　of　individuals　rather　than　individuals　at　the　expense　of　the　class。　　What　was　more；　he　was　ready　at　once　to　be　the　first　unit　sacrificed。
In　passing　from　the　bucolic　to　the　intellectual　life　the　intermediate　stages　are　usually　two　at　least；　frequently　many　more；　and　one　of　those　stages　is　almost　sure　to　be　worldly　advanced。　　We　can　hardly　imagine　bucolic　placidity　quickening　to　intellectual　aims　without　imagining　social　aims　as　the　transitional　phase。　　Yeobright’s　local　peculiarity　was　that　in　striving　at　high　thinking　he　still　cleaved　to　plain　living—nay；　wild　and　meagre　living　in　many　respects；　and　brotherliness　with　clowns。　
He　was　a　John　the　Baptist　who　took　ennoblement　rather　than　repentance　for　his　text。　　Mentally　he　was　in　a　provincial　future；　that　is；　he　was　in　many　points　abreast　with　the　central　town　thinkers　of　his　date。　　Much　of　this　development　he　may　have　owed　to　his　studious　life　in　Paris；　where　he　had　bee　acquainted　with　ethical　systems　popular　at　the　time。　
In　consequence　of　this　relatively　advanced　position；　Yeobright　might　have　been　called　unfortunate。　　The　rural　world　was　not　ripe　for　him。　　A　man　should　be　only　partially　before　his　time—to　be　pletely　to　the　vanward　in　aspirations　is　fatal　to　fame。　　Had　Philip’s　warlike　son　been　intellectually　so　far　ahead　as　to　have　attempted　civilization　without　bloodshed；　he　would　have　been　twice　the　godlike　hero　that　he　seemed；　but　nobody　would　have　heard　of　an　Alexander。　
In　the　interests　of　renown　the　forwardness　should　lie　chiefly　in　the　capacity　to　handle　things。　　Successful　propagandists　have　succeeded　because　the　doctrine　they　bring　into　form　is　that　which　their　listeners　have　for　some　time　felt　without　being　able　to　shape。　　A　man　who　advocates　aesthetic　effort　and　deprecates　social　effort　is　only　likely　to　be　understood　by　a　class　to　which　social　effort　has　bee　a　stale　matter。　　To　argue　upon　the　possibility　of　culture　before　luxury　to　the　bucolic　world　may　be　to　argue　truly；　but　it　is　an　attempt　to　disturb　a　sequence　to　which　humanity　has　been　long　accustomed。　　Yeobright　preaching　to　the　Egdon　eremites　that　they　might　rise　to　a　serene　prehensiveness　without　going　through　the　process　of　enriching　themselves　was　not　unlike　arguing　to　ancient　Chaldeans　that　in　ascending　from　earth　to　the　pure　empyrean　it　was　not　necessary　to　pass　first　into　the　intervening　heaven　of　ether。
Was　Yeobright’s　mind　well…proportioned？　　No。　A　well　proportioned　mind　is　one　which　shows　no　particular　bias；　one　of　which　we　may　safely　say　that　it　will　never　cause　its　owner　to　be　confined　as　a　madman；　tortured　as　a　heretic；　or　crucified　as　a　blasphemer。　　Also；　on　the　other　hand；　that　it　will　never　cause　him　to　be　applauded　as　a　prophet；　revered　as　a　priest；　or　exalted　as　a　king。　　Its　usual　blessings　a