We have it on the highest authority that it is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting. This fallen world does not readily believe that, but then the world is notoriously slow to believe the truth, and also rather apt to believe what is false. It was long before even the learned world could be got to believe that the world itself moves round the sun. Indeed it is more than probable that more than half the world does not believe that yet. On the other hand, much of it very likely believes still that the world is flat. A savage1 of the prairie would almost certainly entertain that fallacy, while a savage of the mountains would perhaps laugh him to scorn, yet neither would admit that it was a globe.
So, mankind is very unwilling2 to accept the truth that it is better to give than to receive, though such is certainly the case if there be truth in holy writ3.
John Gunter had been much impressed, and not a little softened4, by the recent catastrophe5 of the shipwreck6 and of his skipper’s death, but he had not yet been subdued8 to the point of believing that it would be better to spend an hour with widow Bright than to spend it in the public-house, even though his shipmate Joe Davidson did his best to persuade him of that truth.
“Come,” said Joe, as a last appeal, “come, John, what’ll our shipmates think of ’ee if you never go near the poor thing to offer her a word o’ comfort?”
“I can’t comfort nobody,” replied Gunter with a surly heave of his shoulder.
“Yes, you can,” said Joe, earnestly; “why, the very sight o’ you bein’ there, out o’ respect to David, would do her poor heart good.”
The idea of anybody deriving9 comfort from a sight of him so tickled10 Gunter that he only replied with a sarcastic11 laugh, nevertheless he followed his mate sulkily and, as it were, under protest.
On entering the humble12 dwelling13 they found Spivin, Trevor, and Zulu already there. Mrs Bright arose with tearful eyes to welcome the new guests. Billy rose with her. He had scarcely left his mother’s side for more than a few minutes since the dark night of the wreck7, though several days had elapsed.
It was a great era in the life of the fisher-boy—a new departure. It had brought him for the first time in his young life into personal contact as it were, with the dark side of life, and had made an indelible impression on his soul. It did not indeed abate14 the sprightly15 activity of his mind or body, but it sobered his spirit and, in one day, made him more of a man than several years of ordinary life could have accomplished16. The most visible result was a manly17 consideration of, and a womanly tenderness towards, his mother, which went a long way to calm Mrs Bright’s first outbreak of sorrow.
These rough fishermen—rough only in outward appearance—had their own method of comforting the widow. They did not attempt anything like direct consolation18, however, but they sat beside her and chatted in quiet undertones—through which there ran an unmistakable sound of sympathy. Their talk was about incidents and events of a pleasant or cheering kind in their several experiences. And occasionally, though not often, they referred to the absent David when anything particularly favourable19 to him could be said.
“We’ve got good news, Joe,” said Billy, when the former was seated.
“Ay, Billy, I’m glad o’ that. What may the good news be?”
“Another ‘Evening Star’ has been raised up to us by the Lord,” said Mrs Bright, “but oh! it will never shine like the first one to me!” The poor woman could go no further, so Billy again took up the story.
“You know,” he said, “that our kind friend Miss Ruth Dotropy has been greatly taken up about us since father went—went home, and it seems that she’s bin20 writin’ to Lun’on about us, tellin’ all about the wreck, an’ about our mistake in goin’ to sea, last trip, without bein’ inspected, which lost us the insurance-money. An’ there’s a rich friend o’ hers as has sent her a thousand pound to buy mother another smack21!”
“You don’t say that’s true, Billy!” exclaimed Joe, with a look of surprise.
“That’s just what I do say, Joe. The smack is already bought, and is to be fitted out at once, an’ mother has made you her skipper, Joe, an’ the rest have all agreed to go—Zulu as cook—and Gunter too. Won’t you, John?”
The boy, who was somewhat excited by the news he had to tell, frankly22 held out his hand to Gunter, and that worthy23, grasping it with an unwonted display of frankness on his part growled—“I’m with ’ee, lad.”
“Yes, it’s all arranged,” resumed Billy, “and we’ll not be long o’ being ready for sea, so you won’t be left to starve, mother—”
Up to this point the poor boy had held on with his wonted vivacity24, but he stopped suddenly. The corners of his mouth began to twitch25, and, laying his head on his mother’s bosom26, he sobbed27 aloud.
It did the widow good to comfort him. The fishermen had an instinctive28 perception that their wisest course lay in taking no notice, and continuing their low-voiced intercourse29.
“Well, now,” said Joe, “I have read in story-books of folk bein’ as lib’ral sometimes as to give a thousand pounds, but I never thought I’d live to see ’em do it.”
“Why, Joe, where have your eyes and ears bin?” said Luke Trevor. “Don’t you know it was a lib’ral gentleman, if not two, or p’raps three, as lent the Ensign, our first gospel-ship, to the Mission?”
“That’s true, Luke; I forgot that when I spoke30, an’ there’s more gospel-smacks comin’, I’m told, presented in the same way by lib’ral folk.”
“It’s my belief,” said Luke, with emphasis, at the same time striking his right knee with his hand, “it’s my belief that afore long we’ll have a gospel-ship for every fleet on the North Sea.”
“Right you are, boy,” said Joe, “an’ the sooner the better. Moreover, I’ve heard say that there’s a talk about sellin’ baccy on board of the mission-ships cheaper than what they do aboard o’ the copers. Did any of ’ee hear o’ that?”
“I heard somethin’ about it,” answered Luke, “but it’s too good news to be true. If they do, it’ll drive the copers off the sea.”
“Of course it will. That’s just what they’re a-goin’ to do it for, I suppose.”
Reader, the mode of dealing31 with the abominable32 “coper” traffic referred to by these men has at last happily been adopted, and the final blow has been dealt by the simple expedient33 of underselling the floating grog-shops in the article of tobacco. Very considerable trouble and expense have to be incurred34 by the mission, however, for the tobacco has to be fetched from a foreign port; but the result amply repays the cost for the men naturally prefer paying only 1 shilling per pound on board the mission-ship, to paying 1 shilling 6 pence on board the “coper.” The smacksman’s advantages in this respect may be better understood when we say that on shore he has to pay 4 shillings per pound for tobacco. But his greatest advantage of all—that for which the plan has been adopted—is his being kept away from the vessel35 where, while purchasing tobacco, he is tempted36 to buy poisonous spirits. Of course the anti-smoker is entitled to say “it were better that the smacksman should be saved from tobacco as well as drink!” But of two evils it is wise to choose the less. Tobacco at 1 shilling 6 pence procured37 in the “coper,” with, to some, its irresistible38 temptation to get drunk on vile39 spirits, is a greater evil than the procuring40 of the same weed at 1 shilling in a vessel all whose surroundings and internal arrangements are conducive41 to the benefit of soul and body.
“D’ye mind the old Swan, boys?” asked an elderly man—a former friend of David Bright who had dropped in with his mite42 of genuine sympathy.
“What, the first gospel-ship as was sent afloat some thirty years ago? It would be hard to remember what existed before I was born!”
“Well, you’ve heard of her, anyhow. She was lent by the Admiralty for the work in the year eighteen hundred and something, not to go out like the Ensign to the North Sea fleets, but to cruise about an’ visit in the Thames. I was in the Swan myself for a few months when I was a young fellow, and we had grand times aboard of that wessel. It seemed to me like a sort o’ home to the sailors that they’d make for arter their woyages was over. Once, I reklect, we had a evenin’ service, an’ as several ships had come in from furrin parts that mornin’ we had the Swan chock-full o’ noo hands; but bless you, though they was noo to us they warn’t noo to each other. They had many of ’em met aboard the Swan years before. Some of ’em hadn’t met for seven and ten year, and sich a shakin’ o’ hands there was, an’ recognisin’ of each other!—I thought we’d never get the service begun. Many of ’em was Christian43 men, and felt like brothers, you see.”
“Did many of the masters an’ mates come to the services in those days?” asked Joe Davidson.
“Ay, a-many of ’em. W’y, I’ve seed lots o’ both masters an’ mates wolunteerin’ to indoose their men to come w’en some of ’em warn’t willin’—takin’ their own boats, too, to the neighbourin’ ships an’ bringin’ off the men as wanted to, w’en the Swan’s bell was a-ringin’ for service. I heard one man say he hadn’t bin to a place o’ worship for ten year, an’ if he’d know’d what the Swan was like he’d ha’ bin to her sooner.
“I mind meetin’ wery unexpected with a friend at that time,” continued the old fisherman, who saw that his audience was interested in his talk, and that the mind of poor Mrs Bright was being drawn44 from her great sorrow for a little. “I hadn’t met ’im for eight or ten years.
“‘Hallo! Abel,’ says I, ‘is that you?’
“‘That’s me,’ says he, ketchin’ hold o’ my grapnel, an’ givin’ it a shake that a’most unshipped the shoulder. ‘Leastwise it’s all that’s left o’ me.’
“‘What d’ee mean?’ says I.
“‘I mean,’ says he, ‘that I’ve just lost my wessel on the Gunfleet sands, but, thank God, I haven’t lost my life, nor none o’ my men, though it was a close shave.’
“‘How did it happen, Abel?’ says I.
“Says he, ‘It happened pretty much in the usual way. A gale45, wi’ sleet46 that thick we could hardly see the end o’ the jib-boom. The moment we struck I know’d it was all over wi’ the old wessel, but I didn’t see my way to go under without a struggle, so we made a desp’rit attemp’ to git out the boats, but a sea saved us the trouble, for it swept ’em all away before we got at ’em, as if they’d bin on’y chips o’ wood. Then, as if to mock us, another sea pitched us higher on the sands, so as the decks wasn’t washed by every wave quite so bad, but we knew that wouldn’t last for the tide was makin’ fast, so I calls the crew together, an’ says I, “Now, lads, I’ve often prayed with you an’ for you. In a few minutes we’ll have to take to the riggin’, an’ you know what the end o’ that’s likely to be. Before doin’ so, I’ll pray again, for nothin’ is impossible to the Lord, an’ it may be His will to spare us yet a while.” Well, I prayed. Then we took to the riggin’ to wait for death—or rescue. An’ sure enough, after we had bin six hours there, an’ was all but frozen, a fishin’-smack came past and took us off.’”
“Now, mates,” said Joe Davidson, after they had chatted thus in subdued tones for some time, “it do seem to me that as most of us are of one mind here, and we are, so to speak, of one fisher-family, it might do Mrs Bright good if we was to have a bit of the Word together, and a prayer or two.”
As every one agreed to this either heartily47 or by silence, a Bible was produced, and Joe,—being mate of the late Evening Star, and therefore a sort of natural head of the family—read the portion where God promises to be a Husband to the widow, and a Father to the fatherless.
Then they all knelt while he prayed in simple language for comfort and a blessing48 to the mourning household. He was followed with a very few but intensely earnest words by Luke. Even John Gunter put up an unpremeditated prayer in the words, “God help us!” uttered in a choking voice, and the old fisherman followed them all with a deep “Amen.”
After that they shook hands tenderly with the widow and Billy, and went out silently from the house of mourning.
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1
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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writ
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| n.命令状，书面命令 | |
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4
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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shipwreck
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| n.船舶失事，海难 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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8
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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9
deriving
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| v.得到( derive的现在分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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10
tickled
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| （使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐 | |
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11
sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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14
abate
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| vi.(风势，疼痛等)减弱，减轻，减退 | |
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15
sprightly
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| adj.愉快的，活泼的 | |
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16
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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20
bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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21
smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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22
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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24
vivacity
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| n.快活，活泼，精神充沛 | |
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25
twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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27
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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28
instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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29
intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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30
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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31
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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32
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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33
expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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34
incurred
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| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
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35
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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36
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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37
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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38
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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39
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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40
procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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41
conducive
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| adj.有益的，有助的 | |
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42
mite
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| n.极小的东西；小铜币 | |
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43
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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44
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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45
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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46
sleet
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| n.雨雪；v.下雨雪，下冰雹 | |
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47
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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48
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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