the way of all flesh-第24章

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of　Rechab；　and　two　men　in　European　costume；　indeed；　but　speaking
English　with　a　broken　accent；　and　by　their　colour　evidently
Oriental；　had　come　begging　to　Battersby　soon　afterwards；　and
represented　themselves　as　belonging　to　this　people；　they　had　said
they　were　collecting　funds　to　promote　the　conversion　of　their　fellow
tribesmen　to　the　English　branch　of　the　Christian　religion。　　True；
they　turned　out　to　be　impostors；　for　when　he　gave　them　a　pound　and
Christina　five　shillings　from　her　private　purse；　they　went　and　got
drunk　with　it　in　the　next　village　but　one　to　Battersby；　still；　this
did　not　invalidate　the　story　of　the　Eastern　traveller。　　Then　there
were　the　Romanswhose　greatness　was　probably　due　to　the　wholesome
authority　exercised　by　the　head　of　a　family　over　all　its　members。
Some　Romans　had　even　killed　their　children；　this　was　going　too　far；
but　then　the　Romans　were　not　Christians；　and　knew　no　better。

The　practical　outcome　of　the　foregoing　was　a　conviction　in
Theobald's　mind；　and　if　in　his；　then　in　Christina's；　that　it　was
their　duty　to　begin　training　up　their　children　in　the　way　they
should　go；　even　from　their　earliest　infancy。　　The　first　signs　of
self…will　must　be　carefully　looked　for；　and　plucked　up　by　the　roots
at　once　before　they　had　time　to　grow。　　Theobald　picked　up　this　numb
serpent　of　a　metaphor　and　cherished　it　in　his　bosom。

Before　Ernest　could　well　crawl　he　was　taught　to　kneel；　before　he
could　well　speak　he　was　taught　to　lisp　the　Lord's　prayer；　and　the
general　confession。　　How　was　it　possible　that　these　things　could　be
taught　too　early？　　If　his　attention　flagged　or　his　memory　failed
him；　here　was　an　ill　weed　which　would　grow　apace；　unless　it　were
plucked　out　immediately；　and　the　only　way　to　pluck　it　out　was　to
whip　him；　or　shut　him　up　in　a　cupboard；　or　dock　him　of　some　of　the
small　pleasures　of　childhood。　　Before　he　was　three　years　old　he
could　read　and；　after　a　fashion；　write。　　Before　he　was　four　he　was
learning　Latin；　and　could　do　rule　of　three　sums。

As　for　the　child　himself；　he　was　naturally　of　an　even　temper；　he
doted　upon　his　nurse；　on　kittens　and　puppies；　and　on　all　things　that
would　do　him　the　kindness　of　allowing　him　to　be　fond　of　them。　　He
was　fond　of　his　mother；　too；　but　as　regards　his　father；　he　has　told
me　in　later　life　he　could　remember　no　feeling　but　fear　and
shrinking。　　Christina　did　not　remonstrate　with　Theobald　concerning
the　severity　of　the　tasks　imposed　upon　their　boy；　nor　yet　as　to　the
continual　whippings　that　were　found　necessary　at　lesson　times。
Indeed；　when　during　any　absence　of　Theobald's　the　lessons　were
entrusted　to　her；　she　found　to　her　sorrow　that　it　was　the　only　thing
to　do；　and　she　did　it　no　less　effectually　than　Theobald　himself；
nevertheless　she　was　fond　of　her　boy；　which　Theobald　never　was；　and
it　was　long　before　she　could　destroy　all　affection　for　herself　in
the　mind　of　her　first…born。　　But　she　persevered。



CHAPTER　XXI



Strange！　for　she　believed　she　doted　upon　him；　and　certainly　she
loved　him　better　than　either　of　her　other　children。　　Her　version　of
the　matter　was　that　there　had　never　yet　been　two　parents　so　self…
denying　and　devoted　to　the　highest　welfare　of　their　children　as
Theobald　and　herself。　　For　Ernest；　a　very　great　futureshe　was
certain　of　itwas　in　store。　　This　made　severity　all　the　more
necessary；　so　that　from　the　first　he　might　have　been　kept　pure　from
every　taint　of　evil。　　She　could　not　allow　herself　the　scope　for
castle　building　which；　we　read；　was　indulged　in　by　every　Jewish
matron　before　the　appearance　of　the　Messiah；　for　the　Messiah　had　now
come；　but　there　was　to　be　a　millennium　shortly；　certainly　not　later
than　1866；　when　Ernest　would　be　just　about　the　right　age　for　it；　and
a　modern　Elias　would　be　wanted　to　herald　its　approach。　　Heaven　would
bear　her　witness　that　she　had　never　shrunk　from　the　idea　of
martyrdom　for　herself　and　Theobald；　nor　would　she　avoid　it　for　her
boy；　if　his　life　was　required　of　her　in　her　Redeemer's　service。　　Oh；
no！　　If　God　told　her　to　offer　up　her　first…born；　as　He　had　told
Abraham；　she　would　take　him　up　to　Pigbury　Beacon　and　plunge　theno；
that　she　could　not　do；　but　it　would　be　unnecessarysome　one　else
might　do　that。　　It　was　not　for　nothing　that　Ernest　had　been　baptised
in　water　from　the　Jordan。　　It　had　not　been　her　doing；　nor　yet
Theobald's。　　They　had　not　sought　it。　　When　water　from　the　sacred
stream　was　wanted　for　a　sacred　infant；　the　channel　had　been　found
through　which　it　was　to　flow　from　far　Palestine　over　land　and　sea　to
the　door　of　the　house　where　the　child　was　lying。　　Why；　it　was　a
miracle！　　It　was！　　It　was！　　She　saw　it　all　now。　　The　Jordan　had　left
its　bed　and　flowed　into　her　own　house。　　It　was　idle　to　say　that　this
was　not　a　miracle。　　No　miracle　was　effected　without　means　of　some
kind；　the　difference　between　the　faithful　and　the　unbeliever
consisted　in　the　very　fact　that　the　former　could　see　a　miracle　where
the　latter　could　not。　　The　Jews　could　see　no　miracle　even　in　the
raising　of　Lazarus　and　the　feeding　of　the　five　thousand。　　The　John
Pontifexes　would　see　no　miracle　in　this　matter　of　the　water　from　the
Jordan。　　The　essence　of　a　miracle　lay　not　in　the　fact　that　means　had
been　dispensed　with；　but　in　the　adoption　of　means　to　a　great　end
that　had　not　been　available　without　interference；　and　no　one　would
suppose　that　Dr　Jones　would　have　brought　the　water　unless　he　had
been　directed。　　She　would　tell　this　to　Theobald；　and　get　him　to　see
it　in　the　。　。　。　and　yet　perhaps　it　would　be　better　not。　　The　insight
of　women　upon　matters　of　this　sort　was　deeper　and　more　unerring　than
that　of　men。　　It　was　a　woman　and　not　a　man　who　had　been　filled　most
completely　with　the　whole　fulness　of　the　Deity。　　But　why　had　they
not　treasured　up　the　water　after　it　was　used？　　It　ought　never；　never
to　have　been　thrown　away；　but　it　had　been。　　Perhaps；　however；　this
was　for　the　best　toothey　might　have　been　tempted　to　set　too　much
store　by　it；　and　it　might　have　become　a　source　of　spiritual　danger
to　themperhaps　even　of　spiritual　pride；　the　very　sin　of　all　others
which　she　most　abhorred。　　As　for　the　channel　through　which　the
Jordan　had　flowed　to　Battersby；　that　mattered　not　more　than　the
earth　through　which　the　river　ran　in　Palestine　itself。　　Dr　Jones　was
certainly　worldlyvery　worldly；　so；　she　regretted　to　feel；　had　been
her　father…in…law；　though　in　a　less　degree；　spiritual；　at　heart；
doubtless；　and　becoming　more　and　more　spiritual　continually　as　he
grew　older；　still　he　was　tainted　with　the　world；　till　a　very　few
hours；　probably；　before　his　death；　whereas　she　and　Theobald　had
given　up　all　for　Christ's　sake。　　THEY　were　not　worldly。　　At　least
Theobald　was　not。　　She　had　been；　but　she　was　sure　she　had　grown　in
grace　since　she　had　left　off　eating　things　strangled　and　bloodthis
was　as　the　washing　in　Jordan　as　against　Abana　and　Pharpar；　rivers　of
Damascus。　　Her　boy　should　never　touch　a　strangled　fowl　nor　a　black
puddingthat；　at　any　rate；　she　could　see　to。　　He　should　have　a
coral　from　the　neighbourhood　of　Joppathere　were　coral　insects　on
those　coasts；　so　that　the　thing　could　easily　be　done　with　a　little
energy；　she　would　write　to　Dr　Jones　about　it；　etc。　　And　so　on　for
hours　together　day　after　day　for　years。　　Truly；　Mrs　Theobald　loved
her　child　according　to　her　lights　with　an　exceeding　great　fondness；
but　the　dreams　she　had　dreamed　in　sleep　were　sober　realities　in
comparison　with　those　she　indulged　in　while　awake。

When　Ernest　was　in　his　second　year；　Theobald；　as　I　have　already
said；　began　to　teach　him　to　read。　　He　began　to　whip　him　two　days
after　he　had　begun　to　teach　him。

〃It　was　painful；〃　as　he　said　to　Christina；　but　it　was　the　only　thing
to　do　and　it　was　done。　　The　child　was　puny；　white　and　sickly；　so
they　sent　continually　for　the　doctor　who　dosed　him　with　calomel　and
James's　powder。　　All　was　done　in　love；　anxiety；　timidity；　stupidity；
and　impatience。　　They　were　stupid　in　little　things；　and　he　that　is
stupid　in　little　will　be　stupid　also　in　much。

Presently　old　Mr　Pontifex　died；　and　then　came　the　revelation　of　the
little　alteration　he　had　made　in　his　will　simultaneously　with　his
bequest　to　Ernest。　　It　was　rather　hard　to　bear；　especially　as