the uncommercial traveller-第16章

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to　notice；　we　civilians；　seated　in　outer　darkness　cheerfully

meditating　on　an　Income　Tax；　have　considered　the　matter　as　being

our　business；　and　have　shown　a　tendency　to　declare　that　we　would

rather　not　have　it　misregulated；　if　such　declaration　may；　without

violence　to　the　Church　Catechism；　be　hinted　to　those　who　are　put　in

authority　over　us。



Any　animated　description　of　a　modern　battle；　any　private　soldier's

letter　published　in　the　newspapers；　any　page　of　the　records　of　the

Victoria　Cross；　will　show　that　in　the　ranks　of　the　army；　there

exists　under　all　disadvantages　as　fine　a　sense　of　duty　as　is　to　be

found　in　any　station　on　earth。　　Who　doubts　that　if　we　all　did　our

duty　as　faithfully　as　the　soldier　does　his；　this　world　would　be　a

better　place？　　There　may　be　greater　difficulties　in　our　way　than　in

the　soldier's。　　Not　disputed。　　But；　let　us　at　least　do　our　duty

towards　HIM。



I　had　got　back　again　to　that　rich　and　beautiful　port　where　I　had

looked　after　Mercantile　Jack；　and　I　was　walking　up　a　hill　there；　on

a　wild　March　morning。　　My　conversation　with　my　official　friend

Pangloss；　by　whom　I　was　accidentally　accompanied；　took　this

direction　as　we　took　the　up…hill　direction；　because　the　object　of

my　uncommercial　journey　was　to　see　some　discharged　soldiers　who　had

recently　come　home　from　India。　　There　were　men　of　HAVELOCK's　among

them；　there　were　men　who　had　been　in　many　of　the　great　battles　of

the　great　Indian　campaign；　among　them；　and　I　was　curious　to　note

what　our　discharged　soldiers　looked　like；　when　they　were　done　with。



I　was　not　the　less　interested　（as　I　mentioned　to　my　official　friend

Pangloss）　because　these　men　had　claimed　to　be　discharged；　when

their　right　to　be　discharged　was　not　admitted。　　They　had　behaved

with　unblemished　fidelity　and　bravery；　but；　a　change　of

circumstances　had　arisen；　which；　as　they　considered；　put　an　end　to

their　compact　and　entitled　them　to　enter　on　a　new　one。　　Their

demand　had　been　blunderingly　resisted　by　the　authorities　in　India：

but；　it　is　to　be　presumed　that　the　men　were　not　far　wrong；　inasmuch

as　the　bungle　had　ended　in　their　being　sent　home　discharged；　in

pursuance　of　orders　from　home。　　（There　was　an　immense　waste　of

money；　of　course。）



Under　these　circumstances　…　thought　I；　as　I　walked　up　the　hill；　on

which　I　accidentally　encountered　my　official　friend　…　under　these

circumstances　of　the　men　having　successfully　opposed　themselves　to

the　Pagoda　Department　of　that　great　Circumlocution　Office　on　which

the　sun　never　sets　and　the　light　of　reason　never　rises；　the　Pagoda

Department　will　have　been　particularly　careful　of　the　national

honour。　　It　will　have　shown　these　men；　in　the　scrupulous　good

faith；　not　to　say　the　generosity；　of　its　dealing　with　them；　that

great　national　authorities　can　have　no　small　retaliations　and

revenges。　　It　will　have　made　every　provision　for　their　health　on

the　passage　home；　and　will　have　landed　them；　restored　from　their

campaigning　fatigues　by　a　sea…voyage；　pure　air；　sound　food；　and

good　medicines。　　And　I　pleased　myself　with　dwelling　beforehand；　on

the　great　accounts　of　their　personal　treatment　which　these　men

would　carry　into　their　various　towns　and　villages；　and　on　the

increasing　popularity　of　the　service　that　would　insensibly　follow。

I　almost　began　to　hope　that　the　hitherto…never…failing　deserters　on

my　railroad　would　by…and…by　become　a　phenomenon。



In　this　agreeable　frame　of　mind　I　entered　the　workhouse　of

Liverpool。　…　For；　the　cultivation　of　laurels　in　a　sandy　soil；　had

brought　the　soldiers　in　question　to　THAT　abode　of　Glory。



Before　going　into　their　wards　to　visit　them；　I　inquired　how　they

had　made　their　triumphant　entry　there？　　They　had　been　brought

through　the　rain　in　carts　it　seemed；　from　the　landing…place　to　the

gate；　and　had　then　been　carried　up…stairs　on　the　backs　of　paupers。

Their　groans　and　pains　during　the　performance　of　this　glorious

pageant；　had　been　so　distressing；　as　to　bring　tears　into　the　eyes

of　spectators　but　too　well　accustomed　to　scenes　of　suffering。　　The

men　were　so　dreadfully　cold；　that　those　who　could　get　near　the

fires　were　hard　to　be　restrained　from　thrusting　their　feet　in　among

the　blazing　coals。　　They　were　so　horribly　reduced；　that　they　were

awful　to　look　upon。　　Racked　with　dysentery　and　blackened　with

scurvy；　one　hundred　and　forty　wretched　soldiers　had　been　revived

with　brandy　and　laid　in　bed。



My　official　friend　Pangloss　is　lineally　descended　from　a　learned

doctor　of　that　name；　who　was　once　tutor　to　Candide；　an　ingenious

young　gentleman　of　some　celebrity。　　In　his　personal　character；　he

is　as　humane　and　worthy　a　gentleman　as　any　I　know；　in　his　official

capacity；　he　unfortunately　preaches　the　doctrines　of　his　renowned

ancestor；　by　demonstrating　on　all　occasions　that　we　live　in　the

best　of　all　possible　official　worlds。



'In　the　name　of　Humanity；'　said　I；　'how　did　the　men　fall　into　this

deplorable　state？　　Was　the　ship　well　found　in　stores？'



'I　am　not　here　to　asseverate　that　I　know　the　fact；　of　my　own

knowledge；'　answered　Pangloss；　'but　I　have　grounds　for　asserting

that　the　stores　were　the　best　of　all　possible　stores。'



A　medical　officer　laid　before　us；　a　handful　of　rotten　biscuit；　and

a　handful　of　split　peas。　　The　biscuit　was　a　honeycombed　heap　of

maggots；　and　the　excrement　of　maggots。　　The　peas　were　even　harder

than　this　filth。　　A　similar　handful　had　been　experimentally　boiled

six　hours；　and　had　shown　no　signs　of　softening。　　These　were　the

stores　on　which　the　soldiers　had　been　fed。



'The　beef　…　'　I　began；　when　Pangloss　cut　me　short。



'Was　the　best　of　all　possible　beef；'　said　he。



But；　behold；　there　was　laid　before　us　certain　evidence　given　at　the

Coroner's　Inquest；　holden　on　some　of　the　men　（who　had　obstinately

died　of　their　treatment）；　and　from　that　evidence　it　appeared　that

the　beef　was　the　worst　of　possible　beef！



'Then　I　lay　my　hand　upon　my　heart；　and　take　my　stand；'　said

Pangloss；　'by　the　pork；　which　was　the　best　of　all　possible　pork。'



'But　look　at　this　food　before　our　eyes；　if　one　may　so　misuse　the

word；'　said　I。　　'Would　any　Inspector　who　did　his　duty；　pass　such

abomination？'



'It　ought　not　to　have　been　passed；'　Pangloss　admitted。



'Then　the　authorities　out　there　…　'　I　began；　when　Pangloss　cut　me

short　again。



'There　would　certainly　seem　to　have　been　something　wrong

somewhere；'　said　he；　'but　I　am　prepared　to　prove　that　the

authorities　out　there；　are　the　best　of　all　possible　authorities。'



I　never　heard　of　any　impeached　public　authority　in　my　life；　who　was

not　the　best　public　authority　in　existence。



'We　are　told　of　these　unfortunate　men　being　laid　low　by　scurvy；'

said　I。　　'Since　lime…juice　has　been　regularly　stored　and　served　out

in　our　navy；　surely　that　disease；　which　used　to　devastate　it；　has

almost　disappeared？　　Was　there　lime…juice　aboard　this　transport？'



My　official　friend　was　beginning　'the　best　of　all　possible　…　'　when

an　inconvenient　medical　forefinger　pointed　out　another　passage　in

the　evidence；　from　which　it　appeared　that　the　lime…juice　had　been

bad　too。　　Not　to　mention　that　the　vinegar　had　been　bad　too；　the

vegetables　bad　too；　the　cooking　accommodation　insufficient　（if

there　had　been　anything　worth　mentioning　to　cook）；　the　water　supply

exceedingly　inadequate；　and　the　beer　sour。



'Then　the　men；'　said　Pangloss；　a　little　irritated；　'Were　the　worst

of　all　possible　men。'



'In　what　respect？'　I　asked。



'Oh！　　Habitual　drunkards；'　said　Pangloss。



But；　again　the　same　incorrigible　medical　forefinger　pointed　out

another　passage　in　the　evidence；　showing　that　the　dead　men　had　been

examined　after　death；　and　that　they；　at　least；　could　not　possibly

have　been　habitual　drunkards；　because　the　organs　within　them　which

must　have　shown　traces　of　that　habit；　were　perfectly　sound。



'And　besides；'　said　the　three　doctors　present；　'one　and　all；

habitual　drunkards　brought　as　low　as　these　men　have　been；　could　not

recover　under　care　and　food；　as　the　great　majority　of　these　men　are

recovering。　　They　would　not　have　strength　of　constitution　to　do

it。'



'Reckless　and　improvident　dogs；　then；'　said　Pangloss。　　'Always　are

…　nine　times　out　of　ten。'



I　turned　to　the　master　of　the　workhouse；　and　asked　him　whether　the

men　had　any　money？



'Money？'　said　he。　　'I　have　in　my　iron　safe；　nearly　four　hundred

pounds　of　theirs；　the　agents　have　nearly　a　hundred　pounds　more　and

many　of　them　have　left　money　in　Indian　banks　besides。'



'Hah！'　said　I　to　myself；　as　we　went　up…stairs；　'this　is　not　the

best　of　all　possible　stories；　I　doubt！'



We　went　into　a　large　ward；　containing　some　twenty　or　five…and…

twenty　beds。　　We　went　into　several　such　wards；　one　after　another。

I　find　it　very　difficult　to　indicate　what　a　shocking　sight　I　saw　in

them；　without　frightening　the　reader　from　the　perusal　of　these

lines；　and　defeating　my　object　of　making　it　known。



O　the　sunken　eyes　that　turned　to　me　as　I　walked　between　the　rows　of

beds；　or　…　worse　still　…　that　glazedly　looked　at　the　white　ceiling；

and　saw　nothing　and　cared　for　nothing！　　Here；　lay　the　skeleton　of　a

man；　so　lightly　covered　with　a　thin　unwholesome　skin；　that　not　a

bone　in　the　anatomy　was　clothed；　and　I　could　clasp　the　arm　above

the　elbow；　in　my　finger　and　thumb。　　Here；　lay　a　man　with　the　black

scurvy　eating　his　legs　away；　his　gums　gone；　and　his　teeth　all　gaunt

and　bare。　　This　bed　was　empty；　because　gangrene　had　set　in；　and　the

patient　had　died　but　yesterday。　　That　bed　was　a　hopeless　one；

because　its　occupant　was　sinking　fast；　and　could　only　be　roused　to

turn　the　poor　pinched　mask　of　face　upon　the　pillow；　with　a　feeble

moan。　　The　awful　thinness　of　the　fallen　cheeks；　the　awful

brightness　of　the　deep　set　eyes；　the　lips　of　lead；　the　hands　of

ivory；　the　recumbent　human　images　lying　in　the　shadow　of　death　with

a　kind　of　solemn　twilight　on　them；　like　the　sixty　who　had　died

aboard　the　ship　and　were　lying　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　O

Pangloss；　GOD　forgive　you！



In　one　bed；　lay　a　man　whose　life　had　been　saved　（as　it　was　hoped）

by　deep　incisions　in　the　feet　and　legs。　　While　I　was　speaking　to

him；　a　nurse　came　up　to　change　the　poultices　which　this　operation

had　rendered　necessary；　and　I　had　an　instinctive　feeling　that　it

was　not　well　to　turn　away；　merely　to　spare　myself。　　He　was　sorely

wasted　and　keenly　susceptible；　but　the　efforts　he　made　to　subdue

any　expression　of　impatience　or　suffering；　were　quite　heroic。　　It

was　easy　to　see；　in　the　shrinking　of　the　figure；　and　the　drawing　of

the　bed…clothes　over　the　head；　how　acute　the　endurance　was；　and　it

made　me　shrink　too；　as　if　I　were　in　pain；　but；　when　the　new

bandages　were　on；　and　the　poor　feet　were　composed　again；　he　made　an

apology　for　himself　（though　he　had　not　uttered　a　word）；　and　said

plaintively；　'I　am　so　tender　and　weak；　you　see；　sir！'　　Neither　from

him　nor　from　any　one　sufferer　of　the　whole　ghastly　n