the uncommercial traveller-第9部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



Many　a　time　had　the　preacher　talked　with　him　on　that　subject；　and

many　a　time　had　he　failed　to　convince　that　intelligent　man。　　But　he

fell　ill；　and　died；　and　before　he　died　he　recorded　his　conversion　…

in　words　which　the　preacher　had　taken　down；　my　fellow…sinners；　and

would　read　to　you　from　this　piece　of　paper。　　I　must　confess　that　to

me；　as　one　of　an　uninstructed　audience；　they　did　not　appear

particularly　edifying。　　I　thought　their　tone　extremely　selfish；　and

I　thought　they　had　a　spiritual　vanity　in　them　which　was　of　the

before…mentioned　refractory　pauper's　family。



All　slangs　and　twangs　are　objectionable　everywhere；　but　the　slang

and　twang　of　the　conventicle　…　as　bad　in　its　way　as　that　of　the

House　of　Commons；　and　nothing　worse　can　be　said　of　it　…　should　be

studiously　avoided　under　such　circumstances　as　I　describe。　　The

avoidance　was　not　complete　on　this　occasion。　　Nor　was　it　quite

agreeable　to　see　the　preacher　addressing　his　pet　'points'　to　his

backers　on　the　stage；　as　if　appealing　to　those　disciples　to　show

him　up；　and　testify　to　the　multitude　that　each　of　those　points　was

a　clincher。



But；　in　respect　of　the　large　Christianity　of　his　general　tone；　of

his　renunciation　of　all　priestly　authority；　of　his　earnest　and

reiterated　assurance　to　the　people　that　the　commonest　among　them

could　work　out　their　own　salvation　if　they　would；　by　simply；

lovingly；　and　dutifully　following　Our　Saviour；　and　that　they　needed

the　mediation　of　no　erring　man；　in　these　particulars；　this

gentleman　deserved　all　praise。　　Nothing　could　be　better　than　the

spirit；　or　the　plain　emphatic　words　of　his　discourse　in　these

respects。　　And　it　was　a　most　significant　and　encouraging

circumstance　that　whenever　he　struck　that　chord；　or　whenever　he

described　anything　which　Christ　himself　had　done；　the　array　of

faces　before　him　was　very　much　more　earnest；　and　very　much　more

expressive　of　emotion；　than　at　any　other　time。



And　now；　I　am　brought　to　the　fact；　that　the　lowest　part　of　the

audience　of　the　previous　night；　WAS　NOT　THERE。　　There　is　no　doubt

about　it。　　There　was　no　such　thing　in　that　building；　that　Sunday

evening。　　I　have　been　told　since；　that　the　lowest　part　of　the

audience　of　the　Victoria　Theatre　has　been　attracted　to　its　Sunday

services。　　I　have　been　very　glad　to　hear　it；　but　on　this　occasion

of　which　I　write；　the　lowest　part　of　the　usual　audience　of　the

Britannia　Theatre；　decidedly　and　unquestionably　stayed　away。　　When

I　first　took　my　seat　and　looked　at　the　house；　my　surprise　at　the

change　in　its　occupants　was　as　great　as　my　disappointment。　　To　the

most　respectable　class　of　the　previous　evening；　was　added　a　great

number　of　respectable　strangers　attracted　by　curiosity；　and　drafts

from　the　regular　congregations　of　various　chapels。　　It　was

impossible　to　fail　in　identifying　the　character　of　these　last；　and

they　were　very　numerous。　　I　came　out　in　a　strong；　slow　tide　of　them

setting　from　the　boxes。　　Indeed；　while　the　discourse　was　in

progress；　the　respectable　character　of　the　auditory　was　so　manifest

in　their　appearance；　that　when　the　minister　addressed　a

supposititious　'outcast；'　one　really　felt　a　little　impatient　of　it；

as　a　figure　of　speech　not　justified　by　anything　the　eye　could

discover。



The　time　appointed　for　the　conclusion　of　the　proceedings　was　eight

o'clock。　　The　address　having　lasted　until　full　that　time；　and　it

being　the　custom　to　conclude　with　a　hymn；　the　preacher　intimated　in

a　few　sensible　words　that　the　clock　had　struck　the　hour；　and　that

those　who　desired　to　go　before　the　hymn　was　sung；　could　go　now；

without　giving　offence。　　No　one　stirred。　　The　hymn　was　then　sung；

in　good　time　and　tune　and　unison；　and　its　effect　was　very　striking。

A　comprehensive　benevolent　prayer　dismissed　the　throng；　and　in

seven　or　eight　minutes　there　was　nothing　left　in　the　Theatre　but　a

light　cloud　of　dust。



That　these　Sunday　meetings　in　Theatres　are　good　things；　I　do　not

doubt。　　Nor　do　I　doubt　that　they　will　work　lower　and　lower　down　in

the　social　scale；　if　those　who　preside　over　them　will　be　very

careful　on　two　heads：　　firstly；　not　to　disparage　the　places　in

which　they　speak；　or　the　intelligence　of　their　hearers；　secondly；

not　to　set　themselves　in　antagonism　to　the　natural　inborn　desire　of

the　mass　of　mankind　to　recreate　themselves　and　to　be　amused。



There　is　a　third　head；　taking　precedence　of　all　others；　to　which　my

remarks　on　the　discourse　I　heard；　have　tended。　　In　the　New

Testament　there　is　the　most　beautiful　and　affecting　history

conceivable　by　man；　and　there　are　the　terse　models　for　all　prayer

and　for　all　preaching。　　As　to　the　models；　imitate　them；　Sunday

preachers　…　else　why　are　they　there；　consider？　　As　to　the　history；

tell　it。　　Some　people　cannot　read；　some　people　will　not　read；　many

people　（this　especially　holds　among　the　young　and　ignorant）　find　it

hard　to　pursue　the　verse…form　in　which　the　book　is　presented　to

them；　and　imagine　that　those　breaks　imply　gaps　and　want　of

continuity。　　Help　them　over　that　first　stumbling…block；　by　setting

forth　the　history　in　narrative；　with　no　fear　of　exhausting　it。　　You

will　never　preach　so　well；　you　will　never　move　them　so　profoundly；

you　will　never　send　them　away　with　half　so　much　to　think　of。　　Which

is　the　better　interest：　　Christ's　choice　of　twelve　poor　men　to　help

in　those　merciful　wonders　among　the　poor　and　rejected；　or　the　pious

bullying　of　a　whole　Union…full　of　paupers？　　What　is　your　changed

philosopher　to　wretched　me；　peeping　in　at　the　door　out　of　the　mud

of　the　streets　and　of　my　life；　when　you　have　the　widow's　son　to

tell　me　about；　the　ruler's　daughter；　the　other　figure　at　the　door

when　the　brother　of　the　two　sisters　was　dead；　and　one　of　the　two

ran　to　the　mourner；　crying；　'The　Master　is　come　and　calleth　for

thee'？　…　Let　the　preacher　who　will　thoroughly　forget　himself　and

remember　no　individuality　but　one；　and　no　eloquence　but　one；　stand

up　before　four　thousand　men　and　women　at　the　Britannia　Theatre　any

Sunday　night；　recounting　that　narrative　to　them　as　fellow

creatures；　and　he　shall　see　a　sight！







CHAPTER　V　…　POOR　MERCANTILE　JACK







Is　the　sweet　little　cherub　who　sits　smiling　aloft　and　keeps　watch

on　life　of　poor　Jack；　commissioned　to　take　charge　of　Mercantile

Jack；　as　well　as　Jack　of　the　national　navy？　　If　not；　who　is？　　What

is　the　cherub　about；　and　what　are　we　all　about；　when　poor



Mercantile　Jack　is　having　his　brains　slowly　knocked　out　by　penny…

weights；　aboard　the　brig　Beelzebub；　or　the　barque　Bowie…knife　…

when　he　looks　his　last　at　that　infernal　craft；　with　the　first

officer's　iron　boot…heel　in　his　remaining　eye；　or　with　his　dying

body　towed　overboard　in　the　ship's　wake；　while　the　cruel　wounds　in

it　do　'the　multitudinous　seas　incarnadine'？



Is　it　unreasonable　to　entertain　a　belief　that　if；　aboard　the　brig

Beelzebub　or　the　barque　Bowie…knife；　the　first　officer　did　half　the

damage　to　cotton　that　he　does　to　men；　there　would　presently　arise

from　both　sides　of　the　Atlantic　so　vociferous　an　invocation　of　the

sweet　little　cherub　who　sits　calculating　aloft；　keeping　watch　on

the　markets　that　pay；　that　such　vigilant　cherub　would；　with　a

winged　sword；　have　that　gallant　officer's　organ　of　destructiveness

out　of　his　head　in　the　space　of　a　flash　of　lightning？



If　it　be　unreasonable；　then　am　I　the　most　unreasonable　of　men；　for

I　believe　it　with　all　my　soul。



This　was　my　thought　as　I　walked　the　dock…quays　at　Liverpool；

keeping　watch　on　poor　Mercantile　Jack。　　Alas　for　me！　　I　have　long

outgrown　the　state　of　sweet　little　cherub；　but　there　I　was；　and

there　Mercantile　Jack　was；　and　very　busy　he　was；　and　very　cold　he

was：　　the　snow　yet　lying　in　the　frozen　furrows　of　the　land；　and　the

north…east　winds　snipping　off　the　tops　of　the　little　waves　in　the

Mersey；　and　rolling　them　into　hailstones　to　pelt　him　with。

Mercantile　Jack　was　hard　at　it；　in　the　hard　weather：　　as　he　mostly

is　in　all　weathers；　poor　Jack。　　He　was　girded　to　ships'　masts　and

funnels　of　steamers；　like　a　forester　to　a　great　oak；　scraping　and

painting；　he　was　lying　out　on　yards；　furling　sails　that　tried　to

beat　him　off；　he　was　dimly　discernible　up　in　a　world　of　giant

cobwebs；　reefing　and　splicing；　he　was　faintly　audible　down　in

holds；　stowing　and　unshipping　cargo；　he　was　winding　round　and　round

at　capstans　melodious；　monotonous；　and　drunk；　he　was　of　a

diabolical　aspect；　with　coaling　for　the　Antipodes；　he　was　washing

decks　barefoot；　with　the　breast　of　his　red　shirt　open　to　the　blast；

though　it　was　sharper　than　the　knife　in　his　leathern　girdle；　he　was

looking　over　bulwarks；　all　eyes　and　hair；　he　was　standing　by　at　the

shoot　of　the　Cunard　steamer；　off　to…morrow；　as　the　stocks　in　trade

of　several　butchers；　poulterers；　and　fishmongers；　poured　down　into

the　ice…house；　he　was　coming　aboard　of　other　vessels；　with　his　kit

in　a　tarpaulin　bag；　attended　by　plunderers　to　the　very　last　moment

of　his　shore…going　existence。　　As　though　his　senses；　when　released

from　the　uproar　of　the　elements；　were　under　obligation　to　be

confused　by　other　turmoil；　there　was　a　rattling　of　wheels；　a

clattering　of　hoofs；　a　clashing　of　iron；　a　jolting　of　cotton　and

hides　and　casks　and　timber；　an　incessant　deafening　disturbance　on

the　quays；　that　was　the　very　madness　of　sound。　　And　as；　in　the

midst　of　it；　he　stood　swaying　about；　with　his　hair　blown　all　manner

of　wild　ways；　rather　crazedly　taking　leave　of　his　plunderers；　all

the　rigging　in　the　docks　was　shrill　in　the　wind；　and　every　little

steamer　coming　and　going　across　the　Mersey　was　sharp　in　its　blowing

off；　and　every　buoy　in　the　river　bobbed　spitefully　up　and　down；　as

if　there　were　a　general　taunting　chorus　of　'Come　along；　Mercantile

Jack！　　Ill…lodged；　ill…fed；　ill…used；　hocussed；　entrapped；

anticipated；　cleaned　out。　　Come　along；　Poor　Mercantile　Jack；　and　be

tempest…tossed　till　you　are　drowned！'



The　uncommercial　transaction　which　had　brought　me　and　Jack

together；　was