david elginbrod-第40章

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〃We　will　go　and　look　for　a　place　at　once；　but　I　am　not　quite　sure
when　we　shall　begin　yet。　　I　shall　find　out　to…night；　though。〃

They　left　the　fields；　and　went　into　the　woods　in　the　neighbourhood
of　the　house；　at　the　back。　　Here　the　trees　had　grown　to　a　great
size；　some　of　them　being　very　old　indeed。　　They　soon　fixed　upon　a
grotesque　old　oak　as　a　proper　tree　in　which　to　build　their　nest；　and
Harry；　who；　as　well　as　Hugh；　had　a　good　deal　of　constructiveness　in
his　nature；　was　so　delighted；　that　the　heat　seemed　to　have　no　more
influence　upon　him；　and　Hugh；　fearful　of　the　reaction；　was　compelled
to　restrain　his　gambols。

Pursuing　their　way　through　the　dark　warp　of　the　wood；　with　its
golden　weft　of　crossing　sunbeams；　Hugh　began　to　tell　Harry　the　story
of　the　killing　of　C鎠ar　by　Brutus　and　the　rest；　filling　up　the
account　with　portions　from　Shakspere。　　Fortunately；　he　was　able　to
give　the　orations　of　Brutus　and　Antony　in　full。　　Harry　was　in
ecstasy　over　the　eloquence　of　the　two　men。

〃Well；　what　language　do　you　think　they　spoke；　Harry？〃　said　Hugh。

〃Why；〃　said　Harry；　hesitating；　〃I　suppose〃　then；　as　if　a　sudden
light　broke　upon　him〃Latin　of　course。　　How　strange！〃

〃Why　strange？〃

〃That　such　men　should　talk　such　a　dry；　unpleasant　language。〃

〃I　allow　it　is　a　difficult　language；　Harry；　and　very　ponderous　and
mechanical；　but　not　necessarily　dry　or　unpleasant。　　The　Romans；　you
know；　were　particularly　fond　of　law　in　everything；　and　so　they　made
a　great　many　laws　for　their　language；　or　rather；　it　grew　so；　because
they　were　of　that　sort。　　It　was　like　their　swords　and　armour
generally；　not　very　graceful；　but　very　strong；like　their
architecture　too；　Harry。　　Nobody　can　ever　understand　what　a　people
is；　without　knowing　its　language。　　It　is　not　only　that　we　find　all
these　stories　about　them　in　their　language；　but　the　language　itself
is　more　like　them　than　anything　else　can　be。　　Besides；　Harry；　I
don't　believe　you　know　anything　about　Latin　yet。〃

〃I　know　all　the　declensions　and　conjugations。〃

〃But　don't　you　think　it　must　have　been　a　very　different　thing　to
hear　it　spoken？〃

〃Yes；　to　be　sureand　by　such　men。　　But　how　ever　could　they　speak
it？〃

〃They　spoke　it　just　as　you　do　English。　　It　was　as　natural　to　them。
But　you　cannot　say　you　know　anything　about　it；　till　you　read　what
they　wrote　in　it；　till　your　ears　delight　in　the　sound　of　their
poetry；〃

〃Poetry？〃

〃Yes；　and　beautiful　letters；　and　wise　lessons；　and　histories　and
plays。〃

〃Oh！　　I　should　like　you　to　teach　me。　　Will　it　be　as　hard　to　learn
always　as　it　is　now？〃

〃Certainly　not。　　I　am　sure　you　will　like　it。〃

〃When　will　you　begin　me？〃

〃To…morrow。　　And　if　you　get　on　pretty　well；　we　will　begin　our　nest；
too；　in　the　afternoon。〃

〃Oh；　how　kind　you　are！　　I　will　try　very　hard。〃

〃I　am　sure　you　will；　Harry。〃

Next　morning；　accordingly；　Hugh　did　begin　him；　after　a　fashion　of
his　own；　namely；　by　giving　him　a　short　simple　story　to　read；　finding
out　all　the　words　with　him　in　the　dictionary；　and　telling　him　what
the　terminations　of　the　words　signified；　for　he　found　that　he　had
already　forgotten　a　very　great　deal　of　what；　according　to　Euphra；　he
had　been　thoroughly　taught。　　No　one　can　remember　what　is　entirely
uninteresting　to　him。

Hugh　was　as　precise　about　the　grammar　of　a　language　as　any　Scotch
Professor　of　Humanity；　old　Prosody　not　excepted；　but　he　thought　it
time　enough　to　begin　to　that；　when　some　interest　in　the　words
themselves　should　have　been　awakened　in　the　mind　of　his　pupil。　　He
hated　slovenliness　as　much　as　any　one；　but　the　question　was；　how
best　to　arrive　at　thoroughness　in　the　end；　without　losing　the　higher
objects　of　study；　and　not　how；　at　all　risks；　to　commence　teaching
the　lesson　of　thoroughness　at　once；　and　so　waste　on　the　shape　of　a
pin…head　the　intellect　which；　properly　directed；　might　arrive　at　the
far　more　minute　accuracies　of　a　steam…engine。　　The　fault　of　Euphra
in　teaching　Harry；　had　been　that；　with　a　certain　kind　of　tyrannical
accuracy；　she　had　determined　to　have　the　thing　donenot　merely
decently　and　in　order；　but　prudishly　and　pedantically；　so　that　she
deprived　progress　of　the　pleasure　which　ought　naturally　to　attend
it。　　She　spoiled　the　walk　to　the　distant　outlook；　by　stopping　at
every　step；　not　merely　to　pick　flowers；　but　to　botanise　on　the
weeds；　and　to　calculate　the　distance　advanced。　　It　is　quite　true
that　we　ought　to　learn　to　do　things　irrespective　of　the　reward；　but
plenty　of　opportunities　will　be　given　in　the　progress　of　life；　and
in　much　higher　kinds　of　action；　to　exercise　our　sense　of　duty　in
severe　loneliness。　　We　have　no　right　to　turn　intellectual　exercises
into　pure　operations　of　conscience：　these　ought　to　involve　essential
duty；　although　no　doubt　there　is　plenty　of　room　for　mingling　duty
with　those；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　the　highest　act　of　suffering
self…denial　is　not　without　its　accompanying　reward。　　Neither　is
there　any　exercise　of　the　higher　intellectual　powers　in　learning　the
mere　grammar　of　a　language；　necessary　as　it　is　for　a　means。　　And
language　having　been　made　before　grammar；　a　language　must　be　in　some
measure　understood；　before　its　grammar　can　become　intelligible。

Harry's　weak　（though　true　and　keen）　life　could　not　force　its　way
into　any　channel。　　His　was　a　nature　essentially　dependent　on
sympathy。　　It　could　flow　into　truth　through　another　loving　mind：
left　to　itself；　it　could　not　find　the　way；　and　sank　in　the　dry　sand
of　ennui　and　self…imposed　obligations。　　Euphra　was　utterly　incapable
of　understanding　him；　and　the　boy　had　been　dying　for　lack　of
sympathy；　though　neither　he　nor　any　one　about　him　had　suspected　the
fact。

There　was　a　strange　disproportion　between　his　knowledge　and　his
capacity。　　He　was　able；　when　his　attention　was　directed；　his　gaze
fixed；　and　his　whole　nature　supported　by　Hugh；　to　see　deep　into　many
things；　and　his　remarks　were　often　strikingly　original；　but　he　was
one　of　the　most　ignorant　boys；　for　his　years；　that　Hugh　had　ever
come　across。　　A　long　and　severe　illness；　when　he　was　just　passing
into　boyhood；　had　thrown　him　back　far　into　his　childhood；　and　he　was
only　now　beginning　to　show　that　he　had　anything　of　the　boy…life　in
him。　　Hence　arose　that　unequal　development　which　has　been
sufficiently　evident　in　the　story。

In　the　afternoon；　they　went　to　the　wood；　and　found　the　tree　they　had
chosen　for　their　nest。　　To　Harry's　intense　admiration；　Hugh；　as　he
said；　went　up　the　tree　like　a　squirrel；　only　he　was　too　big　for　a
bear　even。　　Just　one　layer　of　foliage　above　the　lowest　branches；　he
came　to　a　place　where　he　thought　there　was　a　suitable　foundation　for
the　nest。　　From　the　ground　Harry　could　scarcely　see　him；　as；　with　an
axe　which　he　had　borrowed　for　the　purpose　（for　there　was　a
carpenter's　work…shop　on　the　premises）；　he　cut　away　several　small
branches　from　three　of　the　principal　ones；　and　so　had　these　three　as
rafters；　ready　dressed　and　placed；　for　the　foundation　of　the　nest。
Having　made　some　measurements；　he　descended；　and　repairing　with
Harry　to　the　work…shop；　procured　some　boarding　and　some　tools；　which
Harry　assisted　in　carrying　to　the　tree。　　Ascending　again；　and
drawing　up　his　materials；　by　the　help　of　Harry；　with　a　piece　of
string；　Hugh　in　a　very　little　while　had　a　level　floor；　four　feet
square；　in　the　heart　of　the　oak　tree；　quite　invisible　from
belowburied　in　a　cloud　of　green　leaves。　　For　greater　safety；　he
fastened　ropes　as　handrails　all　around　it　from　one　branch　to
another。　　And　now　nothing　remained　but　to　construct　a　bench　to　sit
on；　and　such　a　stair　as　Harry　could　easily　climb。　　The　boy　was　quite
restless　with　anxiety　to　get　up　and　see　the　nest；　and　kept　calling
out　constantly　to　know　if　he　might　not　come　up　yet。　　At　length　Hugh
allowed　him　to　try；　but　the　poor　boy　was　not　half　strong　enough　to
climb　the　tree　without　help。　　So　Hugh　descended；　and　with　his　aid
Harry　was　soon　standing　on　the　new…built　platform。

〃I　feel　just　like　an　eagle；〃　he　cried；　but　here　his　voice　faltered；
and　he　was　silent。

〃What　is　the　matter；　Harry？〃　said　his　tutor。

〃Oh；　nothing；〃　replied　he；　〃only　I　didn't　exactly　know　whereabouts
we　were　till　I　got　up　here。〃

〃Whereabouts　are　we；　then？〃

〃Cl