登陆注册
5434200000134

第134章 CHAPTER LXVIII(1)

When I think over all that Ernest told me about his prison meditations, and the conclusions he was drawn to, it occurs to me that in reality he was wanting to do the very last thing which it would have entered into his head to think of wanting. I mean that he was trying to give up father and mother for Christ's sake. He would have said he was giving them up because he thought they hindered him in the pursuit of his truest and most lasting happiness. Granted, but what is this if it is not Christ? What is Christ if He is not this? He who takes the highest and most self- respecting view of his own welfare which it is in his power to conceive, and adheres to it in spite of conventionality, is a Christian whether he knows it and calls himself one, or whether he does not. A rose is not the less a rose because it does not know its own name.

What if circumstances had made his duty more easy for him than it would be to most men? That was his luck, as much as it is other people's luck to have other duties made easy for them by accident of birth. Surely if people are born rich or handsome they have a right to their good fortune. Some I know, will say that one man has no right to be born with a better constitution than another; others again will say that luck is the only righteous object of human veneration. Both, I daresay, can make out a very good case, but whichever may be right surely Ernest had as much right to the good luck of finding a duty made easier as he had had to the bad fortune of falling into the scrape which had got him into prison. A man is not to be sneered at for having a trump card in his hand; he is only to be sneered at if he plays his trump card badly.

Indeed, I question whether it is ever much harder for anyone to give up father and mother for Christ's sake than it was for Ernest. The relations between the parties will have almost always been severely strained before it comes to this. I doubt whether anyone was ever yet required to give up those to whom he was tenderly attached for a mere matter of conscience: he will have ceased to be tenderly attached to them long before he is called upon to break with them; for differences of opinion concerning any matter of vital importance spring from differences of constitution, and these will already have led to so much other disagreement that the "giving up" when it comes, is like giving up an aching but very loose and hollow tooth.

It is the loss of those whom we are not required to give up for Christ's sake which is really painful to us. Then there is a wrench in earnest. Happily, no matter how light the task that is demanded from us, it is enough if we do it; we reap our reward, much as though it were a Herculean labour.

But to return, the conclusion Ernest came to was that he would be a tailor. He talked the matter over with the chaplain, who told him there was no reason why he should not be able to earn his six or seven shillings a day by the time he came out of prison, if he chose to learn the trade during the remainder of his term--not quite three months; the doctor said he was strong enough for this, and that it was about the only thing he was as yet fit for; so he left the infirmary sooner than he would otherwise have done and entered the tailor's shop, overjoyed at the thoughts of seeing his way again, and confident of rising some day if he could only get a firm foothold to start from.

Everyone whom he had to do with saw that he did not belong to what are called the criminal classes, and finding him eager to learn and to save trouble always treated him kindly and almost respectfully.

He did not find the work irksome: it was far more pleasant than making Latin and Greek verses at Roughborough; he felt that he would rather be here in prison than at Roughborough again--yes, or even at Cambridge itself. The only trouble he was ever in danger of getting into was through exchanging words or looks with the more decent- looking of his fellow-prisoners. This was forbidden, but he never missed a chance of breaking the rules in this respect.

Any man of his ability who was at the same time anxious to learn would of course make rapid progress, and before he left prison the warder said he was as good a tailor with his three months' apprenticeship as many a man was with twelve. Ernest had never before been so much praised by any of his teachers. Each day as he grew stronger in health and more accustomed to his surroundings he saw some fresh advantage in his position, an advantage which he had not aimed at, but which had come almost in spite of himself, and he marvelled at his own good fortune, which had ordered things so greatly better for him than he could have ordered them for himself.

His having lived six months in Ashpit Place was a case in point.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 常见疾病概念

    常见疾病概念

    临床上常常见到一些病人得了高血压之后,又陆续发现了血脂异常或糖尿病;也有人得了糖尿病后紧接着又患上了痛风、冠心病。这些现象在上个世纪初就引起了医学界的注意。到了80年代,有人提出了著名的“X综合征”的概念。90年代后,这种现象被正式命名为“胰岛素抵抗综合征”或“代谢综合征”。
  • 一九八四(世界文学名著典藏)

    一九八四(世界文学名著典藏)

    《一九八四》是乔治·奥威尔的传世之作,堪称世界文坛最著名的反 乌托邦、反极权的政治讽喻小说。他在小说中创造的“老大哥”、“双重思想”、“ 新话”等词汇都已收人权威的英语词典,甚至由他的姓衍生出 “奥威尔式”(Orwellian)、“奥威尔主义”(Orwellism)这样的通用词汇,不断出现在报道国际新闻的记者笔下,足见其作品在英语国家影响 之深远。
  • 九曜斋笔记

    九曜斋笔记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 删补文苑楂橘

    删补文苑楂橘

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 孤独情集

    孤独情集

    人生在世,富有各种情愫。本书含有三个部分,语录,富含哲理;随笔,情感小诗;故事,祝你成长(欢迎投稿至2810237622@pgsk.com。
  • 世界上最神奇的24堂业绩课

    世界上最神奇的24堂业绩课

    职场精英提高业绩的思维利器,企业创造利润的行动指南。公司要你不是因为你有高文凭高学历,不是因为你口吐莲花巧舌如簧,不是因为你外表俊朗漂亮看起来多么有精神,不是因为你能百般讨巧博得上司喜欢,也不是因为你工作努力天天加班到深夜几点,也不是……而是因为你能为公司——创造业绩。
  • 嫡女权色

    嫡女权色

    母死父续娶,苏云希带着幼弟,想要不被人欺负,就只能变强。有人谋算她的婚事还有亡母留下的嫁妆,狠狠打过去,打痛了就知道好歹。姨娘们生出异心,将她们狠狠的踩在脚下,才知道什么叫做规矩。老太太不想让她管家,她偏要管家,还让老太太无话可说。堂姐奇葩,她就让堂姐知道什么叫做后悔。新太太贪心,苏云希就让她知道什么叫做适可而止。参加宫中选秀,谋求一生富贵尊荣。嫡女权色,一世荣华。
  • 许卿长梦

    许卿长梦

    红颜再若容时,是就白发双鬓墓?她为情所困,晚风之夜杀进了天下的负心人!他无心一句:“公子长的像一位姑娘,是在下已过门的妻子。”道出了心中忏悔,使她放下了手中的杀人念。一壶美酿,一琴曲,一人独自奏情郎……公子许梦黄粱,只为遇卿一面。江湖除了侠义气胆,更多的是爱恨情仇!她本是一介女流辈,为报家仇,被人利用,知事过晚,情自由心,佳人相伴,偷服毒药……
  • 别让急脾气害了你

    别让急脾气害了你

    在生活和工作中,我们会经常遇到急脾气的人,很多人也许会觉得急脾气不算什么,是性格中的一种,习惯就好了。其实,急脾气是人们性格上的一种缺陷,是情绪上的一种误区,是心理上的一种病毒。如果我们不加以重视,它就会像病毒一样,快速地吞噬我们的健康情绪,让我们陷入浮躁的泥潭不能自拔,最终会影响到我们的生活、工作、学习,更严重的还会改变我们命运的轨迹。本书详尽地分析了急脾气对人生各方面的危害,结合实例进行论证,全面解读急脾气的产生与由来,同时阐述了远离急脾气的智慧与方法,帮助读者更好地认知急脾气的危害,更快地摆脱急脾气的影响,以更加理性、健康的情绪面对生活,成为主宰自己人生的强者。
  • 张晨曦,我喜欢你啊

    张晨曦,我喜欢你啊

    张晨曦的手机铃声响了起来,是张清言打来的。张清言说:“喂,老婆,你在哪儿呢?”张晨曦左右看了看说:“我在客厅啊?你去哪儿了?你刚刚不是还在厨房里吗?”张清言说:“噢……我在厕所,给我送一点纸……”张晨曦:“…………”…………张清言急匆匆的跑到张晨曦面前,一脸兴奋的对她说:“老婆,我想到了一件事,如果我们生的是女儿呢,就跟我姓,要是生的是男孩儿呢,就跟你姓!”张晨曦像看白痴一样看着张清言,“有什么区别吗?”…………两人坐在沙发上看电视。张清言突然问:“老婆,你看我像不像虹猫少侠?一样帅气,一样聪明!”张晨曦上下打量了一下张清言,“嗯,是挺像只猫的!不过我又不是蓝兔,你是虹猫少侠有什么用?”张清言拉着张晨曦的撒娇,“不行,你就是蓝兔,你就是蓝兔嘛!”