david elginbrod-第84章

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compulsionthat　if　Mr。　Sutherland　wanted　to　speak　to　her；　he　would
find　her　in　the　back　parlour。　　Hugh　went　down　instantly；　and　found
Miss　Talbot　in　a　doubly　frozen　condition；　her　face　absolutely　blue
with　physical　and　mental　cold　combined。　　She　waited　for　him　to
speak。　　Hugh　began：

〃Miss　Talbot；　it　seems　something　is　wrong　between　you　and　me。〃

〃Yes；　Mr。　Sutherland。〃

〃Is　it　because　I　was　rather　late　last　night。〃

〃Rather　late；　Mr。　Sutherland？〃

Miss　Talbot　showed　no　excitement。　　With　her；　the　thermometer；　in
place　of　rising　under　the　influence　of　irritation；　steadily　sank。

〃I　cannot　make　myself　a　prisoner　on　parole；　you　know；　Miss　Talbot。
You　must　leave　me　my　liberty。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　Mr。　Sutherland。　　Take　your　liberty。　　You'll　go　the　way　of
all　the　rest。　　It's　no　use　trying　to　save　any　of　you。〃

〃But　I'm　not　aware　that　I　am　in　any　particular　want　of　saving；　Miss
Talbot。〃

〃There　it　is！Well；　till　a　sinner　is　called　and　awakened；　of　course
it's　no　use。　　So　I'll　just　do　the　best　I　can　for　you。　　Who　can　tell
when　the　Spirit　may　be　poured　from　on　high？　　But　it's　very　sad　to
me；　Mr。　Sutherland；　to　see　an　amiable　young　man　like　you　going　the
way　of　transgressors；　which　is　hard。　　I　am　sorry　for　you；　Mr。
Sutherland。〃

Though　the　ice　was　not　gone　yet；　it　had　begun　to　melt　under　the
influences　of　Hugh's　good…temper；　and　Miss　Talbot's　sympathy　with
his　threatening　fate。　　Conscience；　too；　had　something　to　do　with　the
change；　for；　much　as　one　of　her　temperament　must　have　disliked
making　such　a　confession；　she　ended　by　adding；　after　a　pause：

〃And　very　sorry；　Mr。　Sutherland；　that　I　showed　you　any　bad　temper
last　night。〃

Poor　Miss　Talbot！　　Hugh　saw　that　she　was　genuinely　troubled　about
him；　and　resolved　to　offend　but　seldom；　while　he　was　under　her　roof。

〃Perhaps；　when　you　know　me　longer；　you　will　find　I　am　steadier　than
you　think。〃

〃Well；　it　may　be。　　But　steadiness　won't　make　a　Christian　of　you。〃

〃It　may　make　a　tolerable　lodger　of　me；　though；〃　answered　Hugh；　〃and
you　wouldn't　turn　me　into　the　street　because　I　am　steady　and　nothing
more；　would　you？〃

〃I　said　I　was　sorry；　Mr。　Sutherland。　　Do　you　wish　me　to　say　more？〃

〃Bless　your　kind　heart！〃　said　Hugh。　〃I　was　only　joking。〃

He　held　out　his　hand　to　Miss　Talbot；　and　her　eyes　glistened　as　she
took　it。　　She　pressed　it　kindly；　and　abandoned　it　instantly。

So　all　was　right　between　them　once　more。

〃Who　knows；〃　murmured　Miss　Talbot；　〃but　the　Lord　may　save　him？　　He's
surely　not　far　from　the　kingdom　of　heaven。　　I'll　do　all　I　can　to
make　him　comfortable。〃




CHAPTER　VI。

A　SUNDAY'S　DINNER。

Some　books　are　lies　frae　end　to　end；
And　some　great　lies　were　never　penned：
Even　ministers；　they　hae　been　kenned；
　　　　　In　holy　rapture；
Great　lies　and　nonsense　baith　to　vend；
　　　　　And　nail't　wi'　Scripture。

BURNS。


To　the　great　discomposure　of　Hugh；　Sunday　was　inevitable；　and　he　had
to　set　out　for　Salem　Chapel。　　He　found　it　a　neat　little　Noah's　Ark
of　a　place；　built　in　the　shape　of　a　cathedral；　and　consequently
sharing　in　the　general　disadvantages　to　which　dwarfs　of　all　kinds
are　subjected；　absurdity　included。　　He　was　shown　to　Mr。　Appleditch's
pew。　　That　worthy　man　received　him　in　sleek　black　clothes；　with
white　neck…cloth；　and　Sunday　face　composed　of　an　absurd　mixture　of
stupidity　and　sanctity。　　He　stood　up；　and　Mrs。　Appleditch　stood　up；
and　Master　Appleditch　stood　up；　and　Hugh　saw　that　the　ceremony　of
the　place　required　that　he　should　force　his　way　between　the　front　of
the　pew　and　the　person　of　each　of　the　human　beings　occupying　it；
till　he　reached　the　top；　where　there　was　room　for　him　to　sit　down。
No　other　recognition　was　taken　till　after　service。

Meantime　the　minister　ascended　the　pulpit　stair；　with　all　the
solemnity　of　one　of　the　self…elect；　and　a　priest　besides。　　He　was
just　old　enough　for　the　intermittent　attacks　of　self…importance　to
which　all　youth　is　exposed；　to　have　in　his　case　become　chronic。　　He
stood　up　and　worshipped　his　creator　aloud；　after　a　manner　which
seemed　to　say　in　every　tone：　〃Behold　I　am　he　that　worshippeth　Thee！
How　mighty　art　Thou！〃　　Then　he　read　the　Bible　in　a　quarrelsome　sort
of　way；　as　if　he　were　a　bantam；　and　every　verse　were　a　crow　of
defiance　to　the　sinner。　　Then　they　sang　a　hymn　in　a　fashion　which
brought　dear　old　Scotland　to　Hugh's　mind；　which　has　the　sweetest
songs　in　its　cottages；　and　the　worst　singing　in　its　churches；　of　any
country　in　the　world。　　But　it　was　almost　equalled　here；　the　chief
cause　of　its　badness　being　the　absence　of　a　modest　self…restraint；
and　consequent　tempering　of　the　tones；　on　the　part　of　the　singers；
so　that　the　result　was　what　Hugh　could　describe　only　as　scraichin。1

I　was　once　present　at　the　worship　of　some　being　who　is　supposed　by
negroes　to　love　drums　and　cymbals；　and　all　clangorous　noises。　　The
resemblance；　according　to　Hugh's　description；　could　not　have　been　a
very　distant　one。　　And　yet　I　doubt　not　that　some　thoughts　of
worshipping　love　mingled　with　the　noise；　and　perhaps　the　harmony　of
these　with　the　spheric　melodies；　sounded　the　sweeter　to　the　angels；
from　the　earthly　discord　in　which　they　were　lapped。

Then　came　the　sermon。　　The　text　was　the　story　of　the　good　Samaritan。
Some　idea；　if　not　of　the　sermon；　yet　of　the　value　of　it；　may　be
formed　from　the　fact；　that　the　first　thing　to　be　considered；　or；　in
other　words；　the　first　head　was；　〃The　culpable　imprudence　of　the　man
in　going　from　Jerusalem　to　Jericho　without　an　escort。〃

It　was　in　truth　a　strange；　grotesque；　and　somewhat　awful　medleynot
unlike　a　dance　of　death；　in　which　the　painter　has　given　here　a
lovely　face；　and　there　a　beautiful　arm　or　an　exquisite　foot；　to　the
wild…prancing　and　exultant　skeletons。　　But　the　parts　of　the　sermon
corresponding　to　the　beautiful　face　or　arm　or　foot；　were　but　the
fragments　of　Scripture；　shining　like　gold　amidst　the　worthless　ore
of　the　man's　own　productionworthless；　save　as　gravel　or　chaff　or
husks　have　worth；　in　a　world　where　dilution；　and　not　always
concentration；　is　necessary　for　healthfulness。

But　there　are　Indians　who　eat　clay；　and　thrive　on　it　more　or　less；　I
suppose。　　The　power　of　assimilation　which　a　growing　nature　must
possess　is　astonishing。　　It　will　find　its　food；　its　real　Sunday
dinner；　in　the　midst　of　a　whole　cartload　of　refuse；　and　it　will　do
the　whole　week's　work　on　it。　　On　no　other　supposition　would　it　be
possible　to　account　for　the　earnest　face　of　Miss　Talbot；　which　Hugh
espied　turned　up　to　the　preacher；　as　if　his　face　were　the　very　star
in　the　east；　shining　to　guide　the　chosen　kings。　　It　was　well　for
Hugh's　power　of　endurance；　that　he　had　heard　much　the　same　thing　in
Scotland；　and　the　same　thing　better　dressed；　and　less　grotesque；　but
more　lifeless；　and　at　heart　as　ill…mannered；　in　the　church　of
Arnstead。

Just　before　concluding　the　service；　the　pastor　made　an　announcement
in　the　following　terms：　〃After　the　close　of　the　present　service；　I
shall　be　found　in　the　adjoining　vestry　by　all　persons　desirous　of
communicating　with　me　on　the　state　of　their　souls；　or　of　being
admitted　to　the　privileges　of　church…fellowship。　　Brethren；　we　have
this　treasure　in　earthen　vessels；　and　so　long　as　this　vessel
lasts〃here　he　struck　his　chest　so　that　it　resounded〃it　shall　be
faithfully　and　liberally　dispensed。　　Let　us　pray。〃

After　the　prayer；　he　spread　abroad　his　arms　and　hands　as　if　he　would
clasp　the　world　in　his　embrace；　and　pronounced　the　benediction　in　a
style　of　arrogance　that　the　pope　himself　would　have　been　ashamed　of。

The　service　being　thus　concluded；　the　organ　absolutely　blasted　the
congregation　out　of　the　chapel；　so　did　it　storm　and　rave　with　a
fervour　anything　but　divine。

My　readers　must　not　suppose　that　I　give　this　chapel　as　the　type　of
orthodox　dissenting　chapels。　　I　give　it　only　as　an　approximate
specimen　of　a　large　class　of　them。　　The　religious　life　which　these
communities　once　possessed；　still　lingers　in　those　of　many　country
districts　and　small　towns；　but　is；　I　fear；　all　but　gone　from　those
of　the　cities　and　larger　towns。　　What　of　it　remains　in　these；　has
its　chief　manifestation　in　the　fungous　growth　of　such　chapels　as　the
one　I　have　described；　the　congregations　themselves　taking