To me it was like the calm of the New Jerusalem. And, indeed, no place that ever I have seen can be so blessedly quiet as the bonnie kirk-knowe of Balmaghie, mirrored on a windless day in the encircling stillness of the Water of Dee.
The folk gathered early, clouds upon clouds of them, so that I think every man, woman, and child in the parish must have save the children that could not walk, and the aged5 who dwelt too far away to be carried.
Alexander Gordon sat at my right hand, immediately beneath the pulpit.{332}
There seemed an extraordinary graciousness in the singing that day, a special fervour in the upward swell6 of the voices, a more excellent, sober sweetness in the Sabbath air. And of that I must not think, for I was to leave all this—to leave for ever the vale of blessing7 wherein I had hoped to spend my days.
Yes, I would adventure forth8 alone rather than that a loyal folk should suffer any more because of me. But first, so far as in me lay, I would set right the matter of Alexander Gordon and his trouble.
It was the forty-sixth Psalm9 that they were singing, and as they sang the people tell that herds10 on the hill stood still to listen to the chorus of that mighty11 singing, and, without knowing why, the water stood in their eyes that day. There seemed to be something by-ordinarily moving in all that was done. Thuswise it went:
God is our refuge and our strength,
In straits a present aid,
Therefore although the earth remove,
We will not be afraid.
And as she sang I saw Mary Gordon looking past me with the glory of the New Song in her eyes. And I knew that her heart, too, was touched.{333}
By the pillar in the arched nook at the door stood Hob my brother, and by him Alexander-Jonita. They looked sedately12 down upon one psalm-book. And in that day I was glad to think that one man was happy.
Poor lad! That which it was laid upon me to do came as a sad surprise to him. Out of the window, as I stood up to the sermon, I could see the river slowly take its way. It glinted back more blue and sparkling than ever I had seen it, and my heart gave a great stound that never more was I to abide13 by the side of that quiet water, and in the sheltered nook where I had known such strange providences. Once I had thought it would be gladsome for me to leave it, but now, when the time came, I thought so no more.
Even the little glimpses I had of that fair landscape through the narrow kirk windows brought back a thousand memories. Yonder, by the thorn, I had seen a weak one made nobler than I by the mighty power of love.
Down there beside the dark still waters I had watched the lights glimmer14 in the Kirk of Crossmichael, where sat my foes15, angry-eager to make an end. But the psalm again seized my heart and held it.{334}
A river is, whose streams do glad
The city of our God,
The Holy Place wherein the Lord
Most High hath His abode16.
And in a moment the Dee Water and its memories of malice17 were blotted18 out. The ripples19 played instead over the River that flows from about the Throne of God. I saw all the warrings of earth, the heart-burnings, the strifes, the little days and evil nights washed away in a broad flood of grace and mercy.
I was ready to go I knew not whither. It might be that there was a work greater and more enduring for me to do, my pilgrim staff in my hand, among the flowe-mosses and peaty wildernesses20 of the South-west than here in the well-sheltered strath of Dee.
Now, at all events, I must face the blast, the bluster21 and the bite of it. But though I was to look no more on these well-kenned, kindly22 faces as their minister, I knew that their hearts would hold by me, and their lips breathe a prayer for me each day at eventide.
And so I bade them farewell. What I said to them is no man’s business but theirs and mine, and shall not be written here. But the tears flowed down and the voice of mourning was heard.{335}
Then, ere I pronounced the benediction23, I told them how that one dear to me and well known to them had a certain matter to set before them.
With that uprose Alexander Gordon in the midst, looming24 great like a hero seen in the morning mist.
I put him to the solemn oath, and then and there he declared before them his innocence25 of the greater evil, purging26 himself, as the manner was, by solemn and binding27 oath, which purgation had been refused him by the Presbytery.
“By the grace and kindness of your minister, I, Alexander Gordon of Earlstoun, being known to you all, declare myself wholly innocent of the crime laid to my charge by the Presbytery of Kirkcudbright. May the Lord in whom I believe have no mercy on my soul if I speak not the truth.
“But as for the lesser28 shame,” so he continued, “that I brought on myself and on the cause for which I have been in time past privileged to suffer, in that I was overcome with wine in the change-house of St. John’s, Clachan—that much is true. With contrition29 do I confess it. And I confess also to the unholy and hellish anger that descended30 on my spirit, from{336} which blackness of darkness I was brought by your minister. For which I, unworthy, shall ever continue to praise the Lord of mercies, who did not cut me off with my sin unconfessed or my innocence unproclaimed.”
Alexander Gordon sat down, and there went a sigh and a murmur31 over all the folk like the wind over ripe wheat in a large field.
Then I told them how that my resolve was taken, and that it was necessary that I should depart from the midst of them in order that there might be peace.
But one and another throughout the kirk cried, “Nay, we will not let you go! We have fought for you; desert us not now. The bitterness of the blast is surely over; now they will let us alone!”
Thus one and another cried out there in the kirk, but the most part only groaned32 in spirit and were troubled.
“Ye shall not be less my people that another is set in my place. I go indeed to seek a wider ministry33. I have been called by the remnant of the Hill-folk that have so long been without a pastor34. Whether I am fitted to be their minister I do not know, but in weakness and the acknowledgment of it there is ever the{337} beginning of strength. I have loved your parish and you. Dear dust lies in that kirkyard out there, and when for me the Angel of the Presence comes who calls not twice, that is where I should like to lie, under the blossoming hawthorn35 trees near by where the waters of Dee flow largely and quietly about the bonny kirk-knowe of Balmaghie.”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
martyr
|
|
| n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
bleating
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
mellow
|
|
| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
azure
|
|
| adj.天蓝色的，蔚蓝色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
aged
|
|
| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
swell
|
|
| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
blessing
|
|
| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
psalm
|
|
| n.赞美诗，圣诗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
herds
|
|
| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
mighty
|
|
| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
sedately
|
|
| adv.镇静地，安详地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
abide
|
|
| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
glimmer
|
|
| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
foes
|
|
| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
abode
|
|
| n.住处，住所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
malice
|
|
| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
blotted
|
|
| 涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
ripples
|
|
| 逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
wildernesses
|
|
| 荒野( wilderness的名词复数 )； 沙漠； （政治家）在野； 不再当政（或掌权） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
bluster
|
|
| v.猛刮；怒冲冲的说；n.吓唬，怒号；狂风声 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
benediction
|
|
| n.祝福；恩赐 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
looming
|
|
| n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
innocence
|
|
| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
purging
|
|
| 清洗； 清除； 净化； 洗炉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
binding
|
|
| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
lesser
|
|
| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
contrition
|
|
| n.悔罪，痛悔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
descended
|
|
| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
murmur
|
|
| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
groaned
|
|
| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
ministry
|
|
| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
pastor
|
|
| n.牧师，牧人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
hawthorn
|
|
| 山楂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |