登陆注册
5419600000059

第59章

S-told me,as he was engaged in close conversation with one of his principal clients,the boy came to tell him that a person wanted particularly to speak with him;and,on going out,he found a lamentable figure with one eye,who came to ask for charity;whom,nevertheless,the lad had ushered into a private room,and installed in an arm-chair,like a justice of the peace,instead of telling him to go about his business-now what did that show,but a total want of discrimination?'

'I wish we may never have anything worse to reproach him with,'

said my mother.

'I don't know what worse we could reproach him with,'said my father;'I mean of course as far as his profession is concerned;discrimination is the very keystone;if he treated all people alike,he would soon become a beggar himself;there are grades in society as well as in the army;and according to those grades we should fashion our behaviour,else there would instantly be an end of all order and discipline.I am afraid that the child is too condescending to his inferiors,whilst to his superiors he is apt to be unbending enough;I don't believe that would do in the world;I am sure it would not in the army.He told me another anecdote with respect to his behaviour,which shocked me more than the other had done.It appears that his wife,who by the bye,is a very fine woman,and highly fashionable,gave him permission to ask the boy to tea one evening,for she is herself rather partial to the lad;there had been a great dinner party there that day,and there were a great many fashionable people,so the boy went and behaved very well and modestly for some time,and was rather noticed,till,unluckily,a very great gentleman,an archdeacon I think,put some questions to him,and,finding that he understood the languages,began talking to him about the classics.What do you think?the boy had the impertinence to say that the classics were much overvalued,and amongst other things that some horrid fellow or other,some Welshman I think (thank God it was not an Irishman),was a better poet than Ovid;the company were of course horrified;the archdeacon,who is seventy years of age,and has seven thousand a year,took snuff and turned away.Mrs.S-turned up her eyes,Mr.S-,however,told me with his usual good-nature (I suppose to spare my feelings)that he rather enjoyed the thing,and thought it a capital joke.'

'I think so too,'said my mother.

'I do not,'said my father;'that a boy of his years should entertain an opinion of his own-I mean one which militates against all established authority-is astounding;as well might a raw recruit pretend to offer an unfavourable opinion on the manual and platoon exercise;the idea is preposterous;the lad is too independent by half.I never yet knew one of an independent spirit get on in the army,the secret of success in the army is the spirit of subordination.'

'Which is a poor spirit after all,'said my mother;'but the child is not in the army.'

'And it is well for him that he is not,'said my father;'but you do not talk wisely,the world is a field of battle,and he who leaves the ranks,what can he expect but to be cut down?I call his present behaviour leaving the ranks,and going vapouring about without orders;his only chance lies in falling in again as quick as possible;does he think he can carry the day by himself?an opinion of his own at these years-I confess I am exceedingly uneasy about the lad.'

'You make me uneasy too,'said my mother;'but I really think you are too hard upon the child;he is not a bad child,after all,though not,perhaps,all you could wish him;he is always ready to read the Bible.Let us go in;he is in the room above us;at least he was two hours ago,I left him there bending over his books;I wonder what he has been doing all this time,it is now getting late;let us go in,and he shall read to us.'

'I am getting old,'said my father;'and I love to hear the Bible read to me,for my own sight is something dim;yet I do not wish the child to read to me this night,I cannot so soon forget what I have heard;but I hear my eldest son's voice,he is now entering the gate;he shall read the Bible to us this night.What say you?'

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 这儿有个影帝

    这儿有个影帝

    重生九八年,从电视电影开始,逐渐成为华语电影史上的旗帜人物。
  • 重生之二世重影

    重生之二世重影

    一次死亡,让上官凡希突然领悟,前世被各种原因阻挠而无法说出的话,凡希表示再也不要忍在心里,当她重生回到16岁,必要让那些恶人受到应有的惩罚……当她坦诚,当她懂得珍惜,青春将变得更精彩!上官凡希:“你很完美,但我们,不合适。”尚白:“不,你错了,我有个很大的缺点。”上官凡希:“??”尚白:“我命里缺你”男女主1V1,绝对身心干净^
  • 处女的情人

    处女的情人

    “处子女王”伊利莎白一世或许并非处子,她与宠臣的一生纠缠是利益还是真情?《处女的情人》以都铎王朝最后一位君主、开创了“黄金时代”的伊利莎白一世及其情人罗伯特·达德利为主角,许多正史中一笔带过的事件通过他们的眼睛展现出了不同的风貌,而为后人所津津乐道的两人的暧昧关系也得到了全新的解读。
  • 余身祭山海

    余身祭山海

    这是一个关于成长的故事,两个一同出生身份却天差地别的少女,她们的命运又会去向何方?命运从来都不是只有一种选择,但在选择时,你只会选那一个。为天下苍生,为我所爱之人,愿以余身祭山海!
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 半亩荷塘留清梦

    半亩荷塘留清梦

    《半亩荷塘留清梦》收录了朱自清先生的46篇经典散文。这些散文在内容上或是写亲友间的交往、家庭里的琐事,或是写真实的见闻和感受,或是发表真实的议论,虽然题材上较为狭窄,但是思想内涵极为丰富,包含了作者对社会与时事的思索以及对生活的独特理解。《半亩荷塘留清梦》中作品构思精巧,文笔秀丽,语言质朴,一定程度上反映了作者的创作面貌,具有较高的艺术性和可读性。
  • 活得有趣,就是一个人永远的好天气

    活得有趣,就是一个人永远的好天气

    这是一本现当代名家幽默有趣的散文作品集,作家们在书中贪吃、贪看、贪玩儿,在他们的笔下,所有的吃食都是人间至味,所有的花草树木天气都渗透着诗意与情味,忽然发现,原来那个年代的人,并不是“老古董”,他们是文学家,更是“生活家”。他们的故事,告诉我们:人这一辈子,要永远保持对生活的好奇心,永远有一分任性,生活才会永远有趣。书中精选了汪曾祺、梁实秋、丰子恺、老舍、朱自清等文学大家的经典散文,弄猫、养花、喝茶、散步……明明是很普通的事情,却被他们写出了盎然的趣味,读一些他们的散文,你会更爱这个世界。
  • 辰少,娇妻慢慢哄

    辰少,娇妻慢慢哄

    她们是亲姐妹?还是情敌?所有的恩怨都是出生时被抱走,失散多年后再相遇的结果……
  • 宸少娇宠妻:盲妻十八岁

    宸少娇宠妻:盲妻十八岁

    十四岁的傅唯一,亲人不仁,父母双亡,留下巨大的家业给她继承,却三天两头被所谓的亲人们美曰其名为她代为打理的名头,逼迫她交出父母打下的基业,傅唯一承受不住世界满满的恶意,留下一纸遗书,轻生于大海。十七岁的傅唯一,双目失明,没有朋友,没有亲人,可她也是幸运的,她身边有一个叫傅于的男人,在她有任何需要的时候,给与她最贴心的守护。段一:“傅于,我给不了你想要的。”她的心,早已千疮百孔,满心的只有仇恨。他说:“没关系,我可以等,”男人一双凌厉的双眸此刻盛满了柔情,“哪怕是一辈子。”“傅于,不值得的。”她什么都没有,还行动不便,怎么能拖累他。“只要是你,值得。”段二:“傅唯一,你逃不出我的手掌心,”司懿宸紧紧攥着女子柔若无骨的小手,拇指摩擦着她娇嫩的肌肤。“司懿宸,放过我吧,我给不了你想要的,”傅唯一说。“没关系,我可以等,”他顿了顿,“哪怕是一辈子。”十年他都等了,不差在多几个十年。傅唯一一愣,随即嘲笑,“是不是你们男人都喜欢说这样的情话,给了人希望,说完了又消失不见?”“嫁给我,我帮你报仇。”他答非所问。直到有一天,男人紧紧抱着她,“一一,你找到我了。”她才知,他们重来都是一个人。
  • 人中北斗

    人中北斗

    北斗军团的大将夜风,重回地球,却发现人类文明已经陷入了一场危机之中......生物机甲文明,射手座文明,武仙座文明等等,众多宇宙文明,百花齐放!