madam how and lady why(豪夫人和怀女士)-第1章
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MADAM HOW AND LADY WHY
MADAM HOW AND
LADY WHY
By Charles Kingsley
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MADAM HOW AND LADY WHY
CHAPTER I
—THE GLEN
You find it dull walking up here upon Hartford Bridge Flat this sad
November day？ Well； I do not deny that the moor looks somewhat
dreary； though dull it need never be。 Though the fog is clinging to the
fir…trees； and creeping among the heather； till you cannot see as far as
Minley Corner； hardly as far as Bramshill woodsand all the Berkshire
hills are as invisible as if it was a dark midnightyet there is plenty to be
seen here at our very feet。 Though there is nothing left for you to pick；
and all the flowers are dead and brown； except here and there a poor half…
withered scrap of bottle…heath； and nothing left for you to catch either； for
the butterflies and insects are all dead too； except one poor old Daddy…
long…legs； who sits upon that piece of turf； boring a hole with her tail to
lay her eggs in； before the frost catches her and ends her like the rest：
though all things； I say； seem dead； yet there is plenty of life around you；
at your feet； I may almost say in the very stones on which you tread。 And
though the place itself be dreary enough； a sheet of flat heather and a little
glen in it； with banks of dead fern； and a brown bog between them； and a
few fir…trees struggling upyet； if you only have eyes to see it； that little
bit of glen is beautiful and wonderful；so beautiful and so wonderful and
so cunningly devised； that it took thousands of years to make it； and it is
not； I believe； half finished yet。
How do I know all that？ Because a fairy told it me； a fairy who lives
up here upon the moor； and indeed in most places else； if people have but
eyes to see her。 What is her name？ I cannot tell。 The best name that I
can give her （and I think it must be something like her real name； because
she will always answer if you call her by it patiently and reverently） is
Madam How。 She will come in good time； if she is called； even by a
little child。 And she will let us see her at her work； and； what is more；
teach us to copy her。 But there is another fairy here likewise； whom we
can hardly hope to see。 Very thankful should we be if she lifted even the
smallest corner of her veil； and showed us but for a moment if it were but
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her finger tipso beautiful is she； and yet so awful too。 But that sight； I
believe； would not make us proud； as if we had had some great privilege。
No； my dear child： it would make us feel smaller； and meaner； and more
stupid and more ignorant than we had ever felt in our lives before； at the
same time it would make us wiser than ever we were in our lives before… …
that one glimpse of the great glory of her whom we call Lady Why。
But I will say more of her presently。 We must talk first with Madam
How； and perhaps she may help us hereafter to see Lady Why。 For she is
the servant； and Lady Why is the mistress； though she has a Master over
her againwhose name I leave for you to guess。 You have heard it often
already； and you will hear it again； for ever and ever。
But of one thing I must warn you； that you must not confound Madam
How and Lady Why。 Many people do it； and fall into great mistakes
thereby；mistakes that even a little child； if it would think； need not
commit。 But really great philosophers sometimes make this mistake
about Why and How； and therefore it is no wonder if other people make it
too； when they write children's books about the wonders of nature； and
call them 〃Why and Because；〃 or 〃The Reason Why。〃 The books are
very good books； and you should read and study them： but they do not
tell you really 〃Why and Because；〃 but only 〃How and So。〃 They do not
tell you the 〃Reason Why〃 things happen； but only 〃The Way in which
they happen。〃 However； I must not blame these good folks； for I have
made the same mistake myself often； and may do it again： but all the
more shame to me。 For seeyou know perfectly the difference between
How and Why； when you are talking about yourself。 If I ask you； 〃Why
did we go out to…day？〃 You would not answer； 〃Because we opened the
door。〃 That is the answer to 〃How did we go out？〃 The answer to Why
did we go out is； 〃Because we chose to take a walk。〃 Now when we talk
about other things beside ourselves； we must remember this same
difference between How and Why。 If I ask you； 〃Why does fire burn
you？〃 you would answer； I suppose； being a little boy； 〃Because it is hot；〃
which is all you know about it。 But if you were a great chemist； instead of
a little boy； you would be apt to answer me； I am afraid； 〃Fire burns
because the vibratory motion of the molecules of the heated substance
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communicates itself to the molecules of my skin； and so destroys their
tissue；〃 which is； I dare say； quite true： but it only tells us how fire burns；
the way or means by which it burns； it does not tell us the reason why it
burns。
But you will ask； 〃If that is not the reason why fire burns； what is？〃
My dear child； I do not know。 That is Lady Why's business； who is
mistress of Mrs。 How； and of you and of me； and； as I think； of all things
that you ever saw； or can see； or even dream。 And what her reason for
making fire burn may be I cannot tell。 But I believe on excellent grounds
that her reason is a very good one。 If I dare to guess； I should say that
one reason； at least； why fire burns； is that you may take care not to play
with it； and so not only scorch your finger； but set your whole bed on fire；
and perhaps the house into the bargain； as you might be tempted to do if
putting your finger in the fire were as pleasant as putting sugar in your
mouth。
My dear child； if I could once get clearly into your head this difference
between Why and How； so that you should remember them steadily in
after life； I should have done you more good than if I had given you a
thousand pounds。
But now that we know that How and Why are two very different
matters； and must not be confounded with each other； let us look for
Madam How； and see her at work making this little glen； for； as I told you；
it is not half made yet。 One thing we shall see at once； and see it more
and more clearly the older we grow； I mean her wonderful patience and
diligence。 Madam How is never idle for an instant。 Nothing is too
great or too small for her； and she keeps her work before her eye in the
same moment； and makes every separate bit of it help every other bit。
She will keep the sun and stars in order； while she looks after poor old Mrs。
Daddy… long…legs there and her eggs。 She will spend thousands of years
in building up a mountain； and thousands of years in grinding it down
again； and then carefully polish every grain of sand which falls from that
mountain； and put it in its right place； where it will be wanted thousands of
years hence； and she will take just as much trouble about that one grain of
sand as she did about the whole mountain。 She will settle the exact place
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where Mrs。 Daddy… long…legs shall lay her eggs； at the very same time that
she is settling what shall happen hundreds of years hence in a stair
millions of miles away。 And I really believe that Madam How knows her
work so thoroughly； that the grain of sand which sticks now to your shoe；
and the weight of Mrs。 Daddy…long…legs' eggs at the bottom of her hole；
will have an effect upon suns and stars ages after you and I are dead and
gone。 Most patient indeed is Madam How。 She does not mind the least
seeing her own work destroyed； she knows that it must be destroyed。
There is a spell upon her； and a fate； that everything she makes she must
unmake again： and yet； good and wise woman as she is； she never frets；
nor tires； nor fudges her work； as we say at school。 She takes just as
much pains to make an acorn as to make a peach。 She takes just as much
pains about the acorn which the pig eats； as about the acorn which will
grow into a tall oak； and help to build a great ship。 She took just as much
pains； again； about the acorn which you crushed under your foot just now；
and which you fancy will never come to anything。 Madam How is wiser
than that。 She knows that it will come to something。 She will find
some use for it； as she finds a use for everything。 That acorn which you
crushed will turn into mould； and that mould will go to feed the roots of
some plant； perhaps next year； if it lies where it is； or perhaps it will be
washed into the brook； and then into the river； and go down to the sea； and
will feed the roots of some plant in some new continent ages and ages
hence： and so Madam How will have her own again。 You dropped your
stick into the river yesterday； and it floated away。 You were sorry；
because it had cost you a great deal of trouble to cut it； and peel it； and
carve a head and your name on it。 Madam How was not sorry； though
she had taken a great deal more troub
