When this low pile a Gospel Teacher knew,
Whose good works form’d an endless retinue1:
Such priest as Chaucer sang in fervent2 lays;
Such as the heaven-taught skill of Herbert drew;
And tender Goldsmith crown’d with deathless praise!
Wordsworth.
“I AM now,” the old man continued, “approaching the most important period of my life. My school-days glided3 away peaceably, and in some measure, profitably. I was quite able and willing to learn every thing required of me by my masters, and had plenty of time to spare to follow all those various sports and amusements which occupy the time and thoughts of rustic4 lads in mountain regions. Bird-nesting, fishing, wrestling, hunting, came each in their turn with the change of the seasons; and I was growing up a hale, strong youth, happy in my home, and in good humour with myself and all the world: and, sir, I cannot help remarking, by the way, that good humour, like charity, ‘begins at home;’ for I never knew any one yet who was dissatisfied and out of sorts with persons or things around him, who had not first quarrelled with himself.”
“I really think there is much truth in that remark of yours,” said I.
“Depend upon it there is,” he continued. “Well, my happiness at that period of my life might be said, as far as human happiness could be,—to be perfect. But yet the religious state of my mind was not quite satisfactory. I had learned, and not only well remembered, but understood, every thing with regard to religion which p. 30was taught us at school; and that, believe me, was not little. We were taught to repeat our Catechism, with Archbishop Wake’s explanation of it, every week. We read the Bible as a school-book, till we could almost repeat it from beginning to end; and every story in it was as familiar to my mind as the Lord’s Prayer. I know many have a strong objection to the use of the Bible as a school-book, but I confess I am not among the number. On the contrary, I hold that familiarity with the Scriptures6 in childhood is the only way in which a knowledge of them can be so deeply impressed upon the memory, as that the passages which we want shall always be at hand to serve us at every turn. As we get older we may understand what we read better, but we do not remember it so clearly or so long. What I read now, slips away almost as soon as the book is laid down; but what I learned then, is as fresh in my memory as my school-day sports, or my first companions in life. I know it is objected, that an early familiarity with the Scriptures is apt to bring them into contempt, and that we are liable to attach false meanings to passages, which sometimes cling to us through the rest of our lives. But surely, if this be the effect, the fault is rather in those who put the Scriptures into our hands, than in our early youth, in which we first begin to read them. I only know that I learned to reverence8 even the outside of the book of God’s Word from my poor mother’s reverent9 manner of using it. She never opened the volume without an expression of countenance10 which showed that she felt herself at that moment to be in the more immediate11 presence of her Maker12; and I still look upon the corner in which it was always put aside, and call to mind its black cover, with her horn spectacles resting upon it, with as much respect as the Roman Catholic is said to regard the image of his saint. Mine, however, is no superstitious13 reverence, but a pious14 regard for the Word of God, and her from whose lips I was first taught it; and, sir, when I read my Bible now, which I hope I do not much neglect, I combine pleasure as well as well as profit,—it p. 31brings back to me the happy recollections of my youth, as well as affords the consolations16 of old age.”
“I quite agree with you,” said I, “as to the advantages of an early acquaintance with the Bible. Whether it should be made a school-book or not, depends entirely17 upon the capabilities18 and sound principles of the teacher.”
“There you are right,” said he; “but mine were like the ‘words of king Lemuel, which his mother taught him:’ and old Bowman, to do him justice, drilled the somewhat dry catechism of the good Archbishop pretty soundly into my memory. Yet, as far as I can recollect15, I had not at that time any very distinct notions of the value of the Gospel, as distinct from natural religion, and the obvious duty of doing as I was taught. I knew all the facts of Christianity perfectly19. I could tell all the events of our Saviour’s life, and enumerate20 accurately21 every doctrine22 taught by Himself and His apostles. I knew the necessity of unity23 in the Catholic Church, and understood the Creeds24 by which that unity was intended to be secured. But I did not see how these things applied25 to myself, as guides for my own thoughts and actions. My real religion, I believe, as far as I can call back my thoughts at this distance of time, consisted a good deal in fear, both of God and man. My father, as I have said, was a strict disciplinarian; his word was law: and my fear of God, I cannot help thinking, arose almost naturally out of the situation in which nature had placed me. In very early life,—as far back as I can recollect anything,—I underwent great alarm from what is a common occurrence in that mountain range—a terrific thunder storm. The effect of the lightning in that land of hill and valley, is very striking; and was never more so than on that well-remembered day! Sometimes it seemed to dance in wanton playfulness on the side of the mountain, and sometimes to split it from the top to the bottom. Then the echoing thunder ran up one valley and down another in that land of seams and ridges26, coming back again to the place which it had left, with a voice hardly weakened by its circuit; and there, joining p. 32a new and equally loud report, the bellowing27 became as confused and endless as it was startling. Then came the thunder-shower, not in drops of rain, but solid sheets of water. The white cataracts28 began foaming29 and rushing down the side of every hill, and gushing30 out of every opening in the valleys, till they swelled31 our little stream that winds beneath the house into a mighty32 and irresistible33 torrent34, sweeping35 every thing before it towards the lake with rapid and resistless fury. But what most impressed my mind at the moment, was to see a poor innocent sheep, as well known to me by face as Dash himself, hurled36 down by the current, and bleating37 piteously, but in vain, for help! This scene, and scenes like these, made a deep impression on my mind; and I began to entertain a constant and solemn feeling of the continual presence and irresistible power of God. This thought was uppermost in my mind from morning till night; in the fields and on my bed. It was doubtless valuable to me as a guide to duty, but it gave a gloomy turn to my thoughts which was inconsistent with the buoyant feelings of youth, and, as I have since discovered, not in harmony with the true spirit of the Gospel.”
But I must now introduce to you another member of our family, to whom I have as yet hardly alluded38, for many painful reasons, but whose history now begins to be blended with mine in a manner which renders all farther avoidance of her tale impossible. I refer to my poor sister Martha! She was several years older than myself; and at the time I am now speaking of, had arrived at woman’s estate. She was a splendid specimen39 of a fine well-grown mountain girl, except that she was rather paler than exactly suits the taste of the hardy40 mountaineer; her paleness, however, arose, I believe, not from any delicacy41 of frame, but from habitual42 thoughtfulness. How she was admired and sought after by the shy rustics43 of the neighbourhood! and, above all, how she was beloved by myself! Alas44!—in the language of a friend of mine, who, though unknown to fame, is a true poet—at that period of her short life,
p. 33‘The liquid lustre45 of her eye
Had ne’er been dimm’d by fond hopes blighted46;
The halo of serenity47
Still kept her marble forehead lighted!’
“Her kindness to me seemed to arise from her having united the feelings of a sister and a mother towards me. She was so much older than myself as to be justified48 in using, as she sometimes did, the language of authority; and yet not so far removed from me in years, but that she could look upon me as a brother, and that I could treat her (as I too often did) with at least a brother’s freedom. Thus, as I grew older, and my mind expanded from the instruction I received at Hawkshead, I became more and more to be regarded by her as a companion and less as a child. Thus she, who had been a check upon me and a teacher, now began at times to learn something from me, of which you may well suppose that I was very proud; whilst I was daily growing in admiration49 of her industry, piety50, and patience. She assisted her mother in all the female labours of the house and the little farm, and yet always kept herself as neat and nice as if she had nothing else to do. All at once, her manner began to change. Instead of her constant cheerfulness, she became anxious and absent, though by no means fretful or impatient. Her paleness visibly increased, and her step grew less elastic51 and light. She occasionally absented herself from home without mentioning where she had been, or asking me, as she used formerly52 to do, to accompany her. This was noticed by myself long before it was perceived, or at least mentioned, by either my father or my mother; for I began to entertain a jealous feeling that her affections were, from some cause or other, weakening towards me; yet, as she never mentioned the subject herself, a feeling of pride or obstinacy53 checked me from being the first to seek an explanation.
“We stood in this situation with regard to each other just at the time when I was approaching fourteen years of age, and a rumour54 ran through the country that the Bishop5 was about to visit Ulverston for the purpose of p. 34holding a Confirmation55. This, as you may suppose, caused a great sensation among the youths of my age in that retired56 neighbourhood, for visitations were not so frequent then as they fortunately are now, though surely if they were still more frequent, it would be a great blessing57 to the country. For this solemn rite58 it was necessary that I should be prepared. But we were a long way from our parish church of Seathwaite, and we had been in the habit, for nearness, of frequenting Torver chapel59, though not resident in the district. I confess I looked forward to this preparation with a mixed feeling of alarm and curiosity. I was alarmed for fear that I should be found sadly deficient60 in the information necessary to justify61 me in appearing before the Bishop; and I was curious to know what steps my parents proposed to take to have me trained for the proper participation62 in this solemn rite. I confess that a willingness to postpone63 what I considered a somewhat evil day prevented me from asking any questions on this subject. At last I overheard a conversation between my parents one night after we had retired to rest (for our rooms were so near, and the doors and walls so full of chinks, that everything that passed was distinctly heard from one room to another) which led me to expect that the very day after, I was to be put in a train for preparation; but how, I had no means of gathering64. Accordingly, after the usual morning’s work of the farm was over, my father (which was very unusual with him) went to his room to put on his Sunday’s clothes; and my mother, with a pleased yet anxious expression on her countenance, directed me to do the same. I asked no questions, for the reason I have just mentioned, but quietly obeyed. We were soon on the way together.
“It was a fine bright autumn morning, when we set off on this remarkable65 pilgrimage; I feeling that nothing but a most important matter could have induced my father to lose a day’s work at this season of the year; and my father and mother observing a perfect silence, both apparently66 wrapped up in their own thoughts. p. 35Our way lay by a cart-track that led right up to the top of Walna Scar, a fine bold cliff, which I dare say you have climbed, for sight-seers find it a noble point for a prospect67 on their way between Coniston and Seathwaite. It was the time of the year when the farmers in that country cut their turf for their winter stock of firing, and all the able-bodied population are then to be found assembled at their work on the hills. I felt assured therefore, that my parents were seeking some labourer in the place where he was sure, at that season, to be found; but how this could possibly concern me, I could not conjecture68. At last, after a toilsome climb, we reached to the top of Walna; and there lay before us a prospect, such as the eye can command, I should think, in few other regions of the globe! Mountains of all shapes and sizes lay tossed in wild confusion around us, like the billows of a stormy sea! Lakes sparkled at our feet like looking-glasses for the giants; while the mighty western ocean bounded almost half the prospect round, as with a silver girdle. But this prospect had nothing to do with our visit here; nor I believe did it once cross the mind of either my father or my mother.
“They were anxiously looking out among the groups of turf-getters with which the top of the hill was dotted, for some one who was apparently the object of this unusual visit. As we went along, the labourers stopped to speak and to gaze, for a country man in a holiday dress at that busy season, was to them a rare sight. A few enquiries directed my father to the object of his search: and we soon approached a group of labourers who seemed so intent upon their work, that we stood close to them before we were observed. They differed little from the little bands that were toiling69 around them, except that the eye at once detected that they were all of one family. There were four able-bodied men who wheeled the turf, when cut, in barrows, to the ground where they were spread out to dry, and three girls, somewhat younger, who laid them flat on the ground for that purpose. The turf-cutter was evidently the father of all the rest. He p. 36was a short and stout70 man, with ruddy cheeks, and hair as white as snow. He was obviously very far advanced in years, but as active in his occupation as if he had been a much younger man. He had on a check shirt, and a coarse blue frock trimmed with black horn buttons, something like the dress of a charity boy at Chetham’s Hospital, and not very unlike a parson’s cassock. He was so intent upon his work that he did not perceive our approach till my father spoke71 to him, when the little old man turned suddenly round, with his spade uplifted in the air, as if he was impatient of being interrupted in his labour. To my surprise, my father immediately took off his hat, and my mother made a curtsey, actions so unusual that I began to feel an involuntary respect for him to whom such honours were paid. He returned the salute72 with a friendly bow and smile which showed that such attentions were not new to him: and my father taking me by the hand said, almost in the words of Scripture7, ‘Sir, this is our son of whom I spake unto you.’ The old man stepped forward, and laid his hand on my head, and said, with an expression of countenance which I shall never forget—‘God be gracious unto thee, my son!’ Had the hand of a patriarch of old been then upon me, it could not have affected73 me more. It was ‘Wonderful Walker;’ did you ever hear, sir, of Wonderful Walker?”
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1
retinue
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| n.侍从；随员 | |
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fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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6
scriptures
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| 经文，圣典( scripture的名词复数 )； 经典 | |
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scripture
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| n.经文，圣书，手稿；Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》，《圣经》中的一段 | |
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8
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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9
reverent
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| adj.恭敬的，虔诚的 | |
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10
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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maker
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| n.制造者，制造商 | |
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13
superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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14
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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consolations
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| n.安慰，慰问( consolation的名词复数 )；起安慰作用的人（或事物） | |
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17
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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capabilities
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| n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力 | |
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19
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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enumerate
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| v.列举，计算，枚举，数 | |
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21
accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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unity
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| n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调 | |
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creeds
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| （尤指宗教）信条，教条( creed的名词复数 ) | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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27
bellowing
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的现在分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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28
cataracts
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| n.大瀑布( cataract的名词复数 )；白内障 | |
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29
foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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30
gushing
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| adj.迸出的；涌出的；喷出的；过分热情的v.喷，涌( gush的现在分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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31
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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37
bleating
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| v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说 | |
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38
alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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42
habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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43
rustics
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| n.有农村或村民特色的( rustic的名词复数 )；粗野的；不雅的；用粗糙的木材或树枝制作的 | |
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44
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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45
lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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46
blighted
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| adj.枯萎的，摧毁的 | |
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47
serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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50
piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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51
elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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52
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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53
obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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54
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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55
confirmation
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| n.证实，确认，批准 | |
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56
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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57
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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58
rite
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| n.典礼，惯例，习俗 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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participation
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| n.参与，参加，分享 | |
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postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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69
toiling
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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71
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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72
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
参考例句： |
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