david elginbrod-第84章

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judgment　of　the　everlasting　hills。　　She　spoke　to　him　from　the　depths
of　air；　from　the　winds　that　harp　upon　the　boughs；　and　trumpet　upon
the　great　caverns；　and　from　the　streams　that　sing　as　they　go　to　be
lost　in　rest。　　She　would　have　shone　upon　him　out　of　the　eyes　of　her
infants；　the　flowers；　but　they　had　their　faces　turned　to　her　breast
now；　hiding　from　the　pale　blue　eyes　and　the　freezing　breath　of　old
Winter；　who　was　looking　for　them　with　his　face　bent　close　to　their
refuge。　　And　he　felt　that　she　had　a　power　to　heal　and　to　instruct；
yea；　that　she　was　a　power　of　life；　and　could　speak　to　the　heart　and
conscience　mighty　words　about　God　and　Truth　and　Love。

For　he　did　not　forsake　his　dead　home　in　haste。　　He　lingered　over　it；
and　roamed　about　its　neighbourhood。　　Regarding　all　about　him　with
quiet；　almost　passive　spirit；　he　was　astonished　to　find　how　his　eyes
opened　to　see　nature　in　the　mass。　　Before；　he　had　beheld　only
portions　and　beauties。　　When　or　how　the　change　passed　upon　him　he
could　not　tell。　　But　he　no　longer　looked　for　a　pretty　eyebrow　or　a
lovely　lip　on　the　face　of　nature：　the　soul　of　nature　looked　out　upon
him　from　the　harmony　of　all；　guiding　him　unsought　to　the　discovery
of　a　thousand　separate　delights；　while　from　the　expanded　vision　new
meanings　flashed　upon　him　every　day。　　He　beheld　in　the　great　All　the
expression　of　the　thoughts　and　feelings　of　the　maker　of　the　heavens
and　the　earth　and　the　sea　and　the　fountains　of　water。　　The　powers　of
the　world　to　come；　that　is；　the　world　of　unseen　truth　and　ideal
reality；　were　upon　him　in　the　presence　of　the　world　that　now　is。
For　the　first　time　in　his　life；　he　felt　at　home　with　nature；　and
while　he　could　moan　with　the　wintry　wind；　he　no　longer　sighed　in　the
wintry　sunshine；　that　foretold；　like　the　far…off　flutter　of　a
herald's　banner；　the　approach　of　victorious　lady…spring。

With　the　sorrow　and　loneliness　of　loss　within　him；　and　Nature　around
him　seeming　to　sigh　for　a　fuller　expression　of　the　thought　that
throbbed　within　her；　it　is　no　wonder　that　the　form　of　Margaret；　the
gathering　of　the　thousand　forms　of　nature　into　one　intensity　and
harmony　of　loveliness；　should　rise　again　upon　the　world　of　his
imagination；　to　set　no　more。　　Father　and　mother　were　gone。　　Margaret
remained　behind。　　Nature　lay　around　him　like　a　shining　disk；　that
needed　a　visible　centre　of　intensest　lighta　shield　of　silver；　that
needed　but　a　diamond　boss：　Margaret　alone　could　be　that　centrethat
diamond　light…giver；　for　she　alone；　of　all　the　women　he　knew；　seemed
so　to　drink　of　the　sun…rays　of　God；　as　to　radiate　them　forth；　for
very　fulness；　upon　the　clouded　world。

She　had　dawned　on　him　like　a　sweet　crescent　moon；　hanging　far…off　in
a　cold　and　low　horizon：　now；　lifting　his　eyes；　he　saw　that　same　moon
nearly　at　the　full；　and　high　overhead；　yet　leaning　down　towards　him
through　the　deep　blue　air；　that　overflowed　with　her　calm　triumph　of
light。　　He　knew　that　he　loved　her　now。　　He　knew　that　every　place　he
went　through；　caught　a　glimmer　of　romance　the　moment　he　thought　of
her；　that　every　most　trifling　event　that　happened　to　himself；　looked
like　a　piece　of　a　story…book　the　moment　he　thought　of　telling　it　to
her。　　But　the　growth　of　these　feelings　had　been　gradualso　slow　and
gradual；　that　when　he　recognized　them；　it　seemed　to　him　as　if　he　had
felt　them　from　the　first。　　The　fact　was；　that　as　soon　as　he　began　to
be　capable　of　loving　Margaret；　he　had　begun　to　love　her。　　He　had
never　been　able　to　understand　her　till　he　was　driven　into　the
desert。　　But　now　that　Nature　revealed　herself　to　him　full　of　Life；
yea；　of　the　Life　of　Life；　namely；　of　God　himself；　it　was　natural
that　he　should　honour　and　love　that　'lady　of　her　own'；　that　he
should　recognize　Margaret　as　greater　than　himself；　as　nearer　to　the
heart　of　Natureyea；　of　God　the　father　of　all。　　She　had　been　one
with　Nature　from　childhood；　and　when　he　began　to　be　one　with　nature
too；　he　must　become　one　with　her。

And　now；　in　absence；　he　began　to　study　the　character　of　her　whom；　in
presence；　he　had　thought　he　knew　perfectly。　　He　soon　found　that　it
was　a　Manoa；　a　golden　city　in　a　land　of　Paradisetoo　good　to　be
believed　in；　except　by　him　who　was　blessed　with　the　beholding　of　it。
He　knew　now　that　she　had　always　understood　what　he　was　only　just
waking　to　recognize。　　And　he　felt　that　the　scholar　had　been　very
patient　with　the　stupidity　of　the　master；　and　had　drawn　from　his
lessons　a　nourishment　of　which　he　had　known　nothing　himself。

But　dared　he　think　of　marrying　her；　a　creature　inspired　with　a
presence　of　the　Spirit　of　God　which　none　but　the　saints　enjoy；　and
thence　clothed　with　a　garment　of　beauty；　which　her　spirit　wove　out
of　its　own　loveliness？　　She　was　a　being　to　glorify　any　man　merely　by
granting　him　her　habitual　presence：　what；　then；　if　she　gave　her
love！　　She　would　bring　with　her　the　presence　of　God　himself；　for　she
walked　ever　in　his　light；　and　that　light　clung　to　her　and　radiated
from　her。　　True；　many　young　maidens　must　be　walking　in　the　sunshine
of　God；　else　whence　the　light　and　loveliness　and　bloom；　the　smile
and　the　laugh　of　their　youth？　　But　Margaret　not　only　walked　in　this
light：　she　knew　it　and　whence　it　came。　　She　looked　up　to　its　source；
and　it　illuminated　her　face。

The　silent　girl　of　old　days；　whose　countenance　wore　the　stillness　of
an　unsunned　pool；　as　she　listened　with　reverence　to　his　lessons；　had
blossomed　into　the　calm；　stately　woman；　before　whose　presence　he
felt　rebuked　he　knew　not　why；　upon　whose　face　lay　slumbering
thought；　ever　ready　to　wake　into　life　and　motion。　　Dared　he　love
her？　　Dared　he　tell　her　that　he　loved　her？　　Dared　he；　so　poor；　so
worthless；　seek　for　himself　such　a　world's　treasure？He　might　have
known　that　worth　does　not　need　honour；　that　its　lowliness　is　content
with　ascribing　it。

Some　of　my　readers　may　be　inclined　to　think　that　I　hide；　for　the
sake　of　my　heropoor　little　hero；　one　of　God's　children；　learning
to　walkan　inevitable　struggle　between　his　love　and　his　pride；
inasmuch　as；　being　but　a　tutor；　he　might　be　expected　to　think　the
more　of　his　good　family；　and　the　possibility　of　his　one　day　coming
to　honour　without　the　drawback　of　having　done　anything　to　merit　it；
a　title　being　almost　within　his　grasp；　while　Margaret　was　a
ploughman's　daughter；　and　a　lady's　maid。　　But；　although　I　know　more
of　Hugh's　faults　than　I　have　thought　it　at　all　necessary　to　bring
out　in　my　story；　I　protest　that；　had　he　been　capable　of　giving　the
name　of　love　to　a　feeling　in　whose　presence　pride　dared　to　speak；　I
should　have　considered　him　unworthy　of　my　poor　pen。　　In　plain
language；　I　doubt　if　I　should　have　cared　to　write　his　story　at　all。

He　gathered　together；　as　I　have　said；　the　few　memorials　of　the　old
ship　gone　down　in　the　quiet　ocean　of　time；　paid　one　visit　of
sorrowful　gladness　to　his　parent's　grave；　over　which　he　raised　no
futile　stoneleaving　it；　like　the　forms　within　it；　in　the　hands　of
holy　decay；　and　took　his　roadwhither？　　To　Margaret's　hometo　see
old　Janet；　and　to　go　once　to　the　grave　of　his　second　father。　　Then
he　would　return　to　the　toil　and　hunger　and　hope　of　London。

What　made　Hugh　go　to　Turriepuffit？　　His　love　to　Margaret？　　No。　A
better　motive　even　than　that：Repentance。　　Better　I　mean　for　Hugh
as　to　the　individual　occasion；　not　in　itself；　for　love　is　deeper
than　repentance；　seeing　that　without　love　there　can　be　no
repentance。　　He　had　repented　before；　but　now　that　he　haunted　in
silence　the　regions　of　the　past；　the　whole　of　his　history　in
connection　with　David　returned　on　him　clear　and　vivid；　as　if　passing
once　again　before　his　eyes　and　through　his　heart；　and　he　repented
more　deeply　still。　　Perhaps　he　was　not　quite　so　much　to　blame　as　he
thought　himself。　　Perhaps　only　now　was　it　possible　for　the　seeds　of
truth；　which　David　had　sown　in　his　heart；　to　show　themselves　above
the　soil　of　lower；　yet　ministering　cares。　　They　had　needed　to　lie　a
winter　long　in　the　earth。　　Now　the　keen　blasts　and　griding　frosts
had　done　their　work；　and　they　began　to　grow　in　the　tearful　prime。
Sorrow　for　loss　brought　in　her　train　sorrow　for　wronga　sister
more　solemn　still；　and　with　a　deeper　blessing　in　the　voice　of　her
loving　farewell。It　is　a　great　mistake　to　suppose　that　sorrow　is　a
part　of　repentance。　　It　is　far　too　good　a　grace　to　come　so　easily。
A　man　may　repent；　that　is；　think　better　of　it；　and　change　his　way；
and　be　very　much　of　a　PhariseeI　do　not　say　a　hypocritefor　a　long
time　after：　it　needs　a　saint　to　be　sorrowful。　　Yet　repentance　is
generally　the　road　to　this　sorrow。And　now　that　in　the　gracious
time　of　grief；　his　eyesight　purified　by　tears；　he　entered　one　after
another　all　the　chambers　of　the　past；　he　humbly　renewed　once　more
his　friendship　with　the　noble　dead；　and　with　the　homely；　heartful
living。　　The　grey…headed　man　who　walked　with　God　like　a　child；　and
with　his　fellow…men　like　an　elder　brother　who　was　always　forgetting
his　birthright　and　serving　the　younger；　the　woman　who　believed　where
she　could　not　see；　and　loved　where　she　could　not　understand；　and　the
maiden　who　was　still　and　lustreless；　because　she　ever　absorbed　and
seldom　reflected　the　lightall　came　to　him；　as　if　to　comfort　him
once　more　in　his　loneliness；　when　his　heart　had　room　for　them；　and
need　of　them　yet　again。　　David　now　became；　after　his　departure；　yet
more　of　a　father　to　him　than　before；　for　that　spirit；　which　is　the
true　soul　of　all　this　body　of　things；　had　begun　to　recall　to　his
mind　the　words　of　David；　and　so　teach　him　the　things　that　David
knew；　the　everlasting　realities　of　God。　And　it　seemed　to　him　the
while；　that　he　heard　David　himself　uttering；　in　his　homely；　kingly
voice；　whatever　truth　returned　to　him　from　the　echo…cave　of　the
past。　　Even　when　a　quite　new　thought　arose　within　him；　it　came　to
him　in　the　voice　of　David；　or　at　least　with　the　solemn　music　of　his
tones　clinging　about　it　as　the　murmur　about　the　river's　course。
Experience　had　now　brought　him　up　to　the　point　where　he　could　begin
to　profit　by　David's　communion；　he　needed　the　things　which　David
could　teach　him；　and　David　began　forthwith　to　give　them　to　him。

That　birth　of　nature　in　his　soul；　which　enabled　him　to　understand
and　love　Margaret；　helped　him　likewise　to　contemplate　with
admiration　and　awe；　the　towering　peaks　of　David's　hopes；　trusts；　and
aspirations。　　He　had　taught　the　ploughman　mathematics；　but　that
ploughman　had　possessed　in　himself　all　the　essential　elements　of　the
grandeur　of　the　old　prophets；　glorified　by　the　faith　which　the　Son
of　Man　did　not　find　in　the　earth；　but　left　behind　him　to　grow　in　it；
and　which　had　grown　to　a　noble　growth　of　beauty　and　strength　in　this
peasant；　simple　and　patriarchal　in　the　midst　of　a　self…conceited
age。　　And；　oh！　how　good　he　had　been　to　him！　　He　had　built　a　house
that　he　might　take　him　in　from　the　cold；　and　make　life　pleasant　to
him；　as　in　the　presence　of　God。　He　had　given　him　his　heart　every
time　he　gave　him　his　great　manly　hand。　　And　this　man；　this　friend；
this　presence　of　Christ；　Hugh　had　forsaken；　neglected；　all　but
forgotten。　　He　could　not　go；　and；　like　the　prodigal；　fall　down
before　him；　and　say；　〃Father；　I　have　sinned　against　heaven　and
thee；〃　for　that　heaven　had　taken　him　up　out　of　his　sight。　　He　could
only　weep　instead；