father and son-第40章
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ead those of Dickens。 I recollect that my stepmother showed some surprise at this； and that my Father explained to her that Dickens 'exposes the passion of love in a ridiculous light。' She did not seem to follow this recommendation； which indeed tends to the ultra…subtle； but she procured for me a copy of Pickwick； by which I was instantly and gloriously enslaved。 My shouts of laughing at the richer passages were almost scandalous； and led to my being reproved for disturbing my Father while engaged； in an upper room； in the study of God's Word。 I must have expended months on the perusal of Pickwick； for I used to rush through a chapter； and then read it over again very slowly； word for word； and then shut my eyes to realize the figures and the action。
I suppose no child will ever again enjoy that rapture of unresisting humorous appreciation of 'Pickwick'。 I felt myself to be in the company of a gentleman so extremely funny that I began to laugh before he began to speak； no sooner did he remark 'the sky was dark and gloomy； the air was damp and raw；' than I was in fits of hilarity。 My retirement in our sequestered corner of life made me； perhaps； even in this matter； somewhat old…fashioned； and possibly I was the latest of the generation who accepted Mr。 Pickwick with an unquestioning and hysterical abandonment。 Certainly few young people now seem sensitive； as I was； and as thousands before me had been； to the quality of his fascination。
It was curious that living in a household where a certain delicate art of painting was diligently cultivated； I had yet never seen a real picture； and was scarcely familiar with the design of one in engraving。 My stepmother； however； brought a flavour of the fine arts with her； a kind of aesthetic odour； like that of lavender； clung to her as she moved。 She had known authentic artists in her youth； she had watched Old Crome painting； and had taken a course of drawing…lessons from no less a person than Cotman。 She painted small watercolour landscapes herself； with a delicate economy of means and a graceful Norwich convention； her sketch…books were filled with abbeys gently washed in； river…banks in sepia by which the elect might be dimly reminded of Liber Studiorum； and woodland scenes over which the ghost of Creswick had faintly breathed。 It was not exciting art； but it was； so far as it went； in its lady…like reserve； the real thing。 Our seaanemones； our tropic birds； our bits of spongy rock filled and sprayed with corallines； had been very conscientious and skilful； but； essentially； so far as art was concerned； the wrong thing。
Thus I began to acquire； without understanding the value of it； some conception of the elegant phases of early English watercolour painting； and there was one singular piece of a marble well brimming with water； and a greyish…blue sky over it； and dark…green poplars； shaped like wet brooms； menacing the middle distance； which Cotman himself had painted； and this seemed beautiful and curious to me in its dim； flat frame； when it was hoisted to a place on our drawing…room wall。
But still I had never seen a subject…picture； although my stepmother used to talk of the joys of the Royal Academy； and it was therefore with a considerable sense of excitement that I went； with my Father； to examine Mr。 Holman Hunt's Finding of Christ in the Temple' which at this time was announced to be on public show at our neighbouring town。 We paid our shillings and ascended with others to an upper room； bare of every disturbing object； in which a strong top…light raked the large and uncompromising picture。 We looked at it for some time in silence； and then my Father pointed out to me various details； such as the phylacteries and the mitres； and the robes which distinguished the high priest。
Some of the other visitors； as I recollect； expressed astonishment and dislike of what they called the 'Preraphaelite' treatment； but we were not affected by that。 Indeed； if anything； the exact； minute and hard execution of Mr。 Hunt was in sympathy with the methods we ourselves were in the habit of using when we painted butterflies and seaweeds； placing perfectly pure pigments side by side； without any nonsense about chiaroscuro。 This large； bright； comprehensive picture made a very deep impression upon me； not exactly as a work of art； but as a brilliant natural specimen。 I was pleased to have seen it； as I was pleased to have seen the comet； and the whale which was brought to our front door on a truck。 It was a prominent addition to my experience。
The slender expansions of my interest which were now budding hither and thither do not seem to have alarmed my Father at all。 His views were short； if I appeared to be contented and obedient； if I responded pleasantly when he appealed to me； he was not concerned to discover the source of my cheerfulness。 He put it down to my happy sense of joy in Christ； a reflection of the sunshine of grace beaming upon me through no intervening clouds of sin or doubt。 The 'saints' were； as a rule； very easy to comprehend； their emotions lay upon the surface。 If they were gay； it was because they had no burden on their consciences； while； if they were depressed； the symptom might be depended upon as showing that their consciences were troubling them； and if they were indifferent and cold； it was certain that they were losing their faith and becoming hostile to godliness。 It was almost a mechanical matter with these simple souls。 But； although I was so much younger； I was more complex and more crafty than the peasant 'saints'。 My Father； not a very subtle psychologist； applied to me the same formulas which served him well at the chapel； but in my case the results were less uniformly successful。
The excitement of school…life and the enlargement of my circle of interests； combined to make Sunday； by contrast； a very tedious occasion。 The absence of every species of recreation on the Lord's Day grew to be a burden which might scarcely be borne。 I have said that my freedom during the week had now become considerable； if I was at home punctually at meal times； the rest of my leisure was not challenged。 But this liberty； which in the summer holidays came to surpass that of 'fishes that tipple in the deep'； was put into more and more painful contrast with the unbroken servitude of Sunday。
My Father objected very strongly to the expression Sabbath…day； as it is commonly used by Presbyterians and others。 He said； quite justly； that it was an inaccurate modern innovation； that Sabbath was Saturday； the Seventh day of the week； not the first； a Jewish festival and not a Christian commemoration。 Yet his exaggerated view with regard to the observance of the First Day； namely； that it must be exclusively occupied with public and private exercises of divine worship； was based much more upon a Jewish than upon a Christian law。 In fact； I do not remember that my Father ever produced a definite argument from the New Testament in support of his excessive passivity on the Lord's Day。 He followed the early Puritan practice； except that he did not extend his observance； as I believe the old Puritans did； from sunset on Saturday to sunset on Sunday。
The observance of the Lord's Day has already become universally so lax that I think there may be some value in preserving an accurate record of how our Sundays were spent five and forty years ago。 We came down to breakfast at the usual time。 My Father prayed briefly before we began the meal； after it； the bell was rung； and； before the breakfast was cleared away； we had a lengthy service of exposition and prayer with the servants。 If the weather was fine； we then walked about the garden； doing nothing； for about half an hour。 We then sat； each in a separate room； with our Bibles open and some commentary on the text beside us； and prepared our minds for the morning service。 A little before 11 a。m。 we sallied forth； carrying our Bibles and hymn… books； and went through the morning…service of two hours at the Room； this was the central event of Sunday。
We then came back to dinner；curiously enough to a hot dinner； always； with a joint； vegetables and puddings； so that the cook at least must have been busily at work；and after it my Fa
