father and son-第24章

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ollectors'　has　passed　over　them；　and　ravaged　every　corner　of　them。　The　fairy　paradise　has　been　violated；　the　exquisite　product　of　centuries　of　natural　selection　has　been　crushed　under　the　rough　paw　of　well…meaning；　idle…minded　curiosity。　That　my　Father；　himself　so　reverent；　so　conservative；　had　by　the　popularity　of　his　books　acquired　the　direct　responsibility　for　a　calamity　that　he　had　never　anticipated　became　clear　enough　to　himself　before　many　years　had　passed；　and　cost　him　great　chagrin。　No　one　will　see　again　on　the　shore　of　England　what　I　saw　in　my　early　childhood；　the　submarine　vision　of　dark　rocks；　speckled　and　starred　with　an　infinite　variety　of　colour；　and　streamed　over　by　silken　flags　of　royal　crimson　and　purple。

In　reviving　these　impressions；　I　am　unable　to　give　any　exact　chronological　sequence　to　them。　These　particular　adventures　began　early　in　1858；　they　reached　their　greatest　intensity　in　the　summer　of　1859；　and　they　did　not　altogether　cease；　so　far　as　my　Father　was　concerned；　until　nearly　twenty　years　later。　But　it　was　while　he　was　composing　what；　as　I　am　told　by　scientific　men　of　today；　continues　to　be　his　most　valuable　contribution　to　knowledge；　his　History　of　the　British　Sea…Anemones　and　Corals；　that　we　worked　together　on　the　shore　for　a　definite　purpose；　and　the　last　instalment　of　that　still…classic　volume　was　ready　for　press　by　the　close　of　1859。

The　way　in　which　my　Father　worked；　in　his　most　desperate　escapades；　was　to　wade　breast…high　into　one　of　the　huge　pools；　and　examine　the　worm…eaten　surface　of　the　rock　above　and　below　the　brim。　In　such　remote　places　spots　where　I　could　never　venture　being　left；　a　slightly　timorous　Andromeda；　chained　to　a　safer　level　of　the　cliff　in　these　extreme　basins；　there　used　often　to　lurk　a　marvellous　profusion　of　animal　and　vegetable　forms。　My　Father　would　search　for　the　roughest　and　most　corroded　points　of　rock；　those　offering　the　best　refuge　for　a　variety　of　creatures；　and　would　then　chisel　off　fragments　as　low　down　in　the　water　as　he　could。　These　pieces　of　rock　were　instantly　plunged　in　the　saltwater　of　jars　which　we　had　brought　with　us　for　the　purpose。　When　as　much　had　been　collected　as　we　could　carry　away　my　Father　always　dragged　about　an　immense　square　basket；　the　creak　of　whose　handles　I　can　still　fancy　that　I　hearwe　turned　to　trudge　up　the　long　climb　home。　Then　all　our　prizes　were　spread　out；　face　upward；　in　shallow　pans　of　clean　sea…water。

In　a　few　hours；　when　all　dirt　had　subsided；　and　what　living　creatures　we　had　brought　seemed　to　have　recovered　their　composure；　my　work　began。　My　eyes　were　extremely　keen　and　powerful；　though　they　were　vexatiously　near…sighted。　Of　no　use　in　examining　objects　at　any　distance；　in　investigating　a　minute　surface；　my　vision　was　trained　to　be　invaluable。　The　shallow　pan；　with　our　spoils；　would　rest　on　a　table　near　the　window；　and　I；　kneeling　on　a　chair　opposite　the　light；　would　lean　over　the　surface　until　everything　was　within　an　inch　or　two　of　my　eyes。　Often　I　bent；　in　my　zeal；　so　far　forward　that　the　water　touched　the　tip　of　my　nose　and　gave　me　a　little　icy　shock。　In　this　attitude；　an　idle　spectator　might　have　formed　the　impression　that　I　was　trying　to　wash　my　head　and　could　not　quite　summon　up　resolution　enough　to　plunge。　In　this　odd　pose　I　would　remain　for　a　long　time；　holding　my　breath　and　examining　with　extreme　care　every　atom　of　rock；　every　swirl　of　detritus。　This　was　a　task　which　my　Father　could　only　perform　by　the　help　of　a　lens；　with　which；　of　course；　he　took　care　to　supplement　my　examination。　But　that　my　survey　was　of　use；　he　has　himself　most　handsomely　testified　in　his　Actinologia　Britannica；　where　he　expresses　his　debt　to　the　'keen　and　well…practised　eye　of　my　little　son'。　Nor；　if　boasting　is　not　to　be　excluded；　is　it　every　eminent　biologist；　every　proud　and　masterful　F。R。S。；　who　can　lay　his　hand　on　his　heart　and　swear　that；　before　reaching　the　age　of　ten　years；　he　had　added；　not　merely　a　new　species；　but　a　new　genus　to　the　British　fauna。　That　however；　the　author　of　these　pages　can　do；　who；　on　29　June　1859；　discovered　a　tiny　atom；and　ran　in　the　greatest　agitation　to　announce　the　discovery　of　that　object　'as　a　form　with　which　he　was　unacquainted'；which　figures　since　then　on　all　lists　of　sea…anemones　as　phellia　murocincta；　or　the　walled　corklet。　Alas！　that　so　fair　a　swallow　should　have　made　no　biological　summer　in　after…life。

These　delicious　agitations　by　the　edge　of　the　salt…sea　wave　must　have　greatly　improved　my　health；　which　however　was　still　looked　upon　as　fragile。　I　was　loaded　with　coats　and　comforters；　and　strolled　out　between　Miss　Marks　and　Mary　Grace　Burmington；　a　muffled　ball　of　flannel。　This　alone　was　enough　to　give　me　a　look　of　delicacy　which　the　'saints'；　in　their　blunt　way；　made　no　scruple　of　commenting　upon　to　my　face。　I　was　greatly　impressed　by　a　conversation　held　over　my　bed　one　evening　by　the　servants。　Our　cook；　Susan；　a　person　of　enormous　size；　and　Kate；　the　tattling；　tiresome　parlour…maid　who　waited　upon　us；　on　the　summer　evening　I　speak　of　were　standingI　cannot　tell　whyon　each　side　of　my　bed。　I　shut　my　eyes；　and　lay　quite　still；　in　order　to　escape　conversing　with　them；　and　they　spoke　to　one　another。　'Ah；　poor　lamb；'　Kate　said　trivially；　'he's　not　long　for　this　world；　going　home　to　Jesus；　he　is；in　a　jiffy；　I　should　say　by　the　look　of　'un。'　But　Susan　answered：　'Not　so。　I　dreamed　about　'un；　and　I　know　for　sure　that　he　is　to　be　spared　for　missionary　service。'　'Missionary　service？'　repeated　Kate；　impressed。　'Yes；'　Susan　went　on；　with　solemn　emphasis；　'he'll　bleed　for　his　Lord　in　heathen　parts；　that's　what　the　future　have　in　store　for　'im。'　When　they　were　gone；　I　beat　upon　the　coverlid　with　my　fists；　and　I　determined　that　whatever　happened；　I　would　not；　not；　not；　go　out　to　preach　the　Gospel　among　horrid；　tropical　niggers。

CHAPTER　VII

IN　the　history　of　an　infancy　so　cloistered　and　uniform　as　mine；　such　a　real　adventure　as　my　being　publicly　and　successfully　kidnapped　cannot　be　overlooked。　There　were　several　'innocents'　in　our　village　harmless　eccentrics　who　had　more　or　less　unquestionably　crossed　the　barrier　which　divides　the　sane　from　the　insane。　They　were　not　discouraged　by　public　opinion；　indeed；　several　of　them　were　favoured　beings；　suspected　by　my　Father　of　exaggerating　their　mental　density　in　order　to　escape　having　to　work；　like　dogs；　who；　as　we　all　know；　could　speak　as　well　as　we　do；　were　they　not　afraid　of　being　made　to　fetch　and　carry。　Miss　Mary　Flaw　was　not　one　of　these　imbeciles。　She　was　what　the　French　call　a　detraquee；　she　had　enjoyed　good　intelligence　and　an　active　mind；　but　her　wits　had　left　the　rails　and　were　careening　about　the　country。　Miss　Flaw　was　the　daughter　of　a　retired　Baptist　minister；　and　she　lived；　with　I　remember　not　what　relations；　in　a　little　solitary　house　high　up　at　Barton　Cross；　whither　Mary　Grace　and　I　would　sometimes　struggle　when　our　pastoral　duties　were　over。　In　later　years；　when　I　met　with　those　celebrated　verses　in　which　the　philosopher　expresses　the　hope

In　the　downhill　of　life；　when　I　find　I'm　declining；　May　my　lot　no　less　fortunate　be　Than　a　snug　elbow…chair　can　afford　for　reclining；　And　a　cot　that　o'erlooks　the　wide　sea

my　thoughts　returned　instinctively；　and　they　still　return；　to　the　high　abode　of　Miss　Flaw。　There　was　a　porch　at　her　door；　both　for　shelter　and　shade；　and　it　was　covered　with　jasmine；　but　the　charm　of　the　place　was　a　summer…house　close　by；　containing　a　table；　encrusted　with　cowry…shells；　and　seats　from　which　one　saw　the　distant　waters　of　the　bay。　At　the　entrance　to　this　grotto　there　was　always　set　a　'snug　elbow…chair'；　destined；　I　suppose；　for　the　Rev。　Mr。　Flaw；　or　else　left　there　in　pious　memory　of　him；　since　I　cannot　recollect　whether　he　was　alive　or　dead。

I　delighted　in　these　visits　to　Mary　Flaw。　She　always　received　us　with　effusion；　tripping　forward　to　meet　us；　and　leading　us；　each　by　a　hand　held　high；　with　a　dancing　movement　which　I　thought　infinitely　graceful；　to　the　cowry…shell　bower；　where　she　would　regale　us　with　Devonshire　cream　and　with　small　hard　biscuits　that　were　like　pebbles。　The　conversation　of　Mary　Flaw　was　a　great　treat　to　me。　I　enjoyed　its　irregularities；　its　waywardness；　it　was　like　a　tune　that　wandered　into　several　keys。