With the autumn began for the pastor1 the most pleasing duty of the year—the instruction of his class for confirmation2. He announced in church one Sunday that after the service he would be in the sacristy to take the names of any of the young people who wished to join the proposed class. He was sitting in the sacristy at the appointed time, with a group of young rustics3 standing4 about him, when Johanson came quietly in.
"I can wait; I am in no hurry," was the reply.
The waiting was long, as had been expected. When the boys and girls had all gone out, Johanson stepped to the pastor's side and said, "Please put down my name."[Pg 119]
"For what?" asked the pastor, in astonishment6.
"For the confirmation class," was the calm reply. "I have never been confirmed."
The pastor had noticed, naturally, that Johanson had not been forward to the Lord's Supper even when the cellar-master had been helped up the aisle7 from the poorhouse seat near the door, and Gull8 and the half-mad poet had decorously followed. At this he had hardly been surprised, for there were other members of the congregation who did not communicate more than once a year. The good man felt a sudden repulsion towards the stranger still without the Christian9 pale.
"You wish then to be confirmed?" said the pastor, looking Johanson directly in the eye.
"I wish to receive the instruction, and it will be your duty to judge of my fitness afterwards," was the reply.
"Perhaps I could find time to teach you privately10, though it is a busy season, with all the certificates of removal and that kind of thing," said the pastor doubtfully.
"I would rather be taught as you teach these young people," said Johanson. "Please try to forget that I am not a boy."
That was a hard duty to impose on the pastor,[Pg 120] who looked into the browned face and the troubled dark eyes. He did not promise, but simply said, "The class, as you heard, will meet in the dining-room at the parsonage on Wednesday afternoon. I hope the instructions may be blessed to you," and they parted.
Wednesday came. The available chairs in the pastor's simple home had been ranged in long rows on each side of the dining-room.
"May I sit here, dear, with my work?" said the pastor's wife, coming in with a basket of stockings in one hand, her needle and yarn13 for darning in the other.
She did not expect to be refused, nor was she, though a little girl of five years old, her only child, held pertinaciously14 on to her dress. "I may come too, papa; I am sure I may," said a sweet, cheery voice, and only a pleasant smile was the reply. The mother sat down in one of the chairs still at the table, and the little girl took joyously15 a place at her side.
"I always like to hear your confirmation instructions, for many reasons," said the wife. "I seem to take a fresh start in the right direction with the children."[Pg 121]
The pastor seated himself at the head of the table, with his books before him, laying near them the list of the names of the class.
The pastor was a stout16, sensible-looking man, with a plain, quiet face, and a modest, shy air. Indeed, he was hardly at ease anywhere, except in his home, or in the pulpit or chancel, where the sense of the sacredness of his official duties made him unmindful of earthly witnesses.
Now he thought it a stay to have his wife with him; for the informal nature of the meeting, and the beginning of something new, made the whole at first an effort for him.
Perhaps the pastor, in the presence of persons of high standing, found it impossible to forget his humble17 birth, and suspected that in some way there was always a lack of gentility about him; while with companions of more modest pretensions18 he must maintain the distant dignity which he fancied appertained to his profession.
He was a straightforward19, matter-of-fact man, who intended in all things, temporal and spiritual, to do his duty. He believed fully11 in the inspiration of the Bible from cover to cover, and was possibly convinced that every word, and almost every letter, in the[Pg 122] then authorized20 Swedish version had a sanction not to be disputed. In his view the sacraments, properly administered, were direct, undoubted channels of grace. The organization of his church was perfect, he was sure, to the least particular, and would have the approval of the apostles were they now on earth, though during their lives the circumstances of their surroundings might have made it impossible for them to have their ministrations conducted according to the admirable order so long established in Sweden. Martin Luther he looked upon as having a kind of supplemental apostleship, almost as incontestable as that of Peter himself. Luther's catechism was for him the best medium for imparting religious instruction to children, and for strengthening the Christian life of young people approaching maturity21. With this sound, hearty22 belief in what he was called on to teach, and with the rules for his ministrations, his work was simple and most agreeable.
The pastor was not an emotional man. He had never been deeply stirred by religious feelings of any kind. He had had no agonies of penitence23, no distressing24 doubts, no strong struggles with temper, no vivid thought of the possibility of his being excluded from eternal blessedness. His heavenly Father[Pg 123] was to him rather a theological abstraction than a near and ever-loving friend. The Saviour25 was to him more an element in a perfect creed26 than the Deliverer—the hand stretched out to the drowning man—the one hope of poor tempted27 humanity.
The pastor was, in his way, a good man, a kind man, an unselfish, true, sincere man. Peaceful he lived, peaceful he ministered, and yet heart to heart he came with no human brother. With no human brother, we say; but there was one woman whose life interpenetrated his, if they did not in all things come heart to heart. Her presence gave him a sense of sunshine and quiet happiness that was the greatest joy of which his nature was capable.
Merry, impulsive28, devoted29, self-sacrificing by nature, the whole existence of the pastor's wife was pervaded30 by a Christian life that exalted31 her naturally lovely traits, and made her shortcomings the source of a sweet, childlike penitence that was almost as lovely and attractive as her virtues32. She had soon found that the deep language of her inner soul was to her husband an unknown tongue. Of her spiritual struggles and joys and exaltations she did not speak to him or to any other human being. They were her secret with her God and Saviour. Yet her husband[Pg 124] stood to her on a pinnacle33, as rounded in character, blameless in life, and perfect in his ministrations. Almost angelic he seemed to her when he stood in the chancel, and in his deep, melodious34 voice sang all the parts of the service that the church rules allowed to be so given.
The pastor's sermons were excellent compositions. Compositions they were in the strictest sense of the word. The epistles and gospels for the ecclesiastical year were the authorized and usual subjects for the sermons, being called even in common parlance35 "the text for the day." These texts had been so elaborated and expounded36 by wise divines whose works were to be had in print, that when a sermon was to be written, our pastor but got out his books of sermons, studied, compared, compiled, extracted, transformed, and rewrote, until on Friday his sermon for the coming Sunday was always ready. He had made it his own by hard, conscientious37 work, and not without a deep sense that he was, in his way, to deliver a divine message as an authorized ambassador of the King of kings, accredited38 and appointed in an unimpeachable39 manner.
With his confirmation class the pastor was different. He was fond of young people. He had[Pg 125] been young himself, and had not forgotten the circumstance.
He was getting a little impatient to see the fresh faces he was expecting at the first meeting of the class, when Johanson made his appearance, bowed distantly, and took the seat nearest the door. He had passed through a knot of young people without, who were, with some cuffing40 and shoving, contending who should go in first on this to them august occasion. Johanson had left the door slightly ajar, and little Elsa, the pastor's child, having caught a glimpse of a familiar face, ran out, to come back immediately leading triumphantly41 a rosy-cheeked girl, who was all blushes as she was brought into the dining-room, made to her for the time sacred ground. Of course, the whole troop from without, boys and girls, followed, taking opposite sides of the room.
It proved that Johanson had taken his seat on the girls' side, and carefully away from him the skirts of those nearest to him were drawn42; for it had been whispered around the parish that the queer man at the poorhouse had never been confirmed. An outcast of the outcasts he must be, was the common conviction.
A hymn43 was to be sung, all sitting, to open the[Pg 126] meeting. Little Elsa went round with the "psalm-books" in a basket, and began with Johanson, who took one as he was requested. The pastor began, and the young voices joined him. There was a hush44 for a second, when a wonderful tenor45 came in, and seemed to fill the room with a strange melody.
But one verse was sung; then followed a short prayer from the church liturgy46, after which the lesson began.
Johanson sat alone in his corner, when Elsa tripped away from her mother, and giving a gleeful little hop12, she seated herself beside him, laid her small hand lightly on his knee, and looked up at him lovingly and protectingly as she did so. Now she felt she really owned him. He was her poor man, a kind of friend and relation to her.
Through all those long preparatory lessons Elsa kept her place by the side of the dark man, without word or comment from her parents.
The time for the confirmation was drawing near. "I do not know what I shall do about Johanson," said the pastor to his wife. "I get nothing from him in the class except plain, direct, and most correct answers to my questions. I suppose it must be all right, but we don't seem to come near to each other at[Pg 127] all. He is a wild, strange man. Perhaps you could somehow get on better with him."
"Maybe Elsa could," said the wife. "She loves him. Perhaps that is what he feels the need of among us who call ourselves Christians47."
"Call ourselves Christians!" repeated the pastor, in as severe a tone of reproach as he had ever addressed to his wife.
She did not seem to notice his manner, but went on: "Elsa might reach him. You know it says, 'A little child shall lead them.' I'll send her to the poorhouse this afternoon with a message to Johanson from me, and the book she likes so much. I know which is her favourite picture, and she will be sure to tell him about it."
"Send her to the poorhouse!" exclaimed the pastor.
"She's been there often with me when I've been there to wind up Gull's clock, which she is sure to get out of order if Gull touches it herself. Elsa is not afraid of any of them, even of the cellar-master. He really likes her."
The pastor was called away suddenly, and he was glad, for that was one of the occasions when he did not quite understand his wife.
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1
pastor
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| n.牧师，牧人 | |
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confirmation
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| n.证实，确认，批准 | |
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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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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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aisle
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| n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道 | |
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gull
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| n.鸥；受骗的人；v.欺诈 | |
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9
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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10
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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11
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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12
hop
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| n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过 | |
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13
yarn
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| n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事 | |
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pertinaciously
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| adv.坚持地；固执地；坚决地；执拗地 | |
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joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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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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pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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authorized
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| a.委任的，许可的 | |
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maturity
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| n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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penitence
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| n.忏悔，赎罪；悔过 | |
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distressing
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| a.使人痛苦的 | |
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saviour
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| n.拯救者，救星 | |
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creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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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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impulsive
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| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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30
pervaded
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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32
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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pinnacle
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| n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰 | |
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34
melodious
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| adj.旋律美妙的，调子优美的，音乐性的 | |
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parlance
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| n.说法；语调 | |
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36
expounded
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| 论述，详细讲解( expound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
conscientious
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| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
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38
accredited
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| adj.可接受的；可信任的；公认的；质量合格的v.相信( accredit的过去式和过去分词 )；委托；委任；把…归结于 | |
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unimpeachable
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| adj.无可指责的；adv.无可怀疑地 | |
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40
cuffing
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| v.掌打，拳打( cuff的现在分词 )；袖口状白血球聚集 | |
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41
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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42
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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43
hymn
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌 | |
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44
hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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45
tenor
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| n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意 | |
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46
liturgy
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| n.礼拜仪式 | |
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47
Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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