glaucus-第24章

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exquisite　sea…anemones；　of　quite　different　forms　from　any　which　we　

have　found　along　the　rocks。　　One　of　them　will　certainly　be　the　

Dianthus；　（27）　which　will　open　into　a　furbelowed　flower；　furred　

with　innumerable　delicate　tentacula；　and　in　the　centre　a　mouth　of　

the　most　delicate　orange；　the　size　of　the　whole　animal　being　

perhaps　eight　inches　high　and　five　across。　　Perhaps　it　will　be　of　a　

satiny　grey；　perhaps　pale　rose；　perhaps　pure　white；　whatever　its　

colour；　it　is　the　very　maiden　queen　of　all　the　beautiful　tribe；　and　

one　of　the　loveliest　gems　with　which　it　has　pleased　God　to　bedeck　

this　lower　world。



These　and　much　more　you　will　find　on　the　scallops；　or　even　more　

plentifully　on　any　lump　of　ancient　oysters；　and　if　you　do　not　

dredge；　it　would　be　well　worth　your　while　to　make　interest　with　the　

fish…monger　for　a　few　oyster　lumps；　put　into　water　the　moment　they　

are　taken　out　of　the　trawl。　　Divide　them　carefully；　clear　out　the　

oysters　with　a　knife；　and　put　the　shells　into　your　aquarium；　and　

you　will　find　that　an　oyster　at　home　is　a　very　different　thing　from　

an　oyster　on　a　stall。



You　ought；　besides；　to　dredge　many　handsome　species　of　shells；　

which　you　would　never　pick　up　along　the　beach；　and　if　you　are　

conchologizing　in　earnest；　you　must　not　forget　to　bring　home　a　tin　

box　of　shell　sand；　to　be　washed　and　picked　over　in　a　dish　at　your　

leisure；　or　forget　either　to　wash　through　a　fine　sieve；　over　the　

boat's　side；　any　sludge　and　ooze　which　the　dredge　brings　up。　　Many　

…　I　may　say；　hundreds　…　rare　and　new　shells　are　found　in　this　way；　

and　in　no　other。



But　if　you　cannot　afford　the　expense　of　your　own　dredge　and　boat；　

and　the　time　and　trouble　necessary　to　follow　the　occupation　

scientifically；　yet　every　trawler　and　oyster…boat　will　afford　you　a　

tolerable　satisfaction。　　Go　on　board　one　of　these；　and　while　the　

trawl　is　down；　spend　a　pleasant　hour　or　two　in　talking　with　the　

simple；　honest；　sturdy　fellows　who　work　it；　from　whom　（if　you　are　

as　fortunate　as　I　have　been　for　many　a　year　past）　you　may　get　many　

a　moving　story　of　danger　and　sorrow；　as　well　as　many　a　shrewd　

practical　maxim；　and　often；　too；　a　living　recognition　of　God；　and　

the　providence　of　God；　which　will　send　you　home；　perhaps；　a　wiser　

and　more　genial　man。　　And　when　the　trawl　is　hauled；　wait　till　the　

fish　are　counted　out；　and　packed　away；　and　then　kneel　down　and　

inspect　（in　a　pair　of　Mackintosh　leggings；　and　your　oldest　coat）　

the　crawling　heap　of　shells　and　zoophytes　which　remains　behind　

about　the　decks；　and　you　will　find；　if　a　landsman；　enough　to　occupy　

you　for　a　week　to　come。　　Nay；　even　if　it　be　too　calm　for　trawling；　

condescend　to　go　out　in　a　dingy；　and　help　to　haul　some　honest　

fellow's　deep…sea　lines　and　lobster…pots；　and　you　will　find　more　

and　stranger　things　about　them　than　even　fish　or　lobsters：　　though　

they；　to　him　who　has　eyes　to　see；　are　strange　enough。



I　speak　from　experience；　for　it　was　not　so　very　long　ago　that；　in　

the　north　of　Devon；　I　found　sermons；　not　indeed　in　stones；　but　in　a　

creature　reputed　among　the　most　worthless　of　sea…vermin。　　I　had　

been　lounging　about　all　the　morning　on　the　little　pier；　waiting；　

with　the　rest　of　the　village；　for　a　trawling　breeze　which　would　not　

come。　　Two　o'clock　was　past；　and　still　the　red　mainsails　of　the　

skiffs　hung　motionless；　and　their　images　quivered　head　downwards　in　

the　glassy　swell；





〃As　idle　as　a　painted　ship

Upon　a　painted　ocean。〃





It　was　neap…tide；　too；　and　therefore　nothing　could　be　done　among　

the　rocks。　　So；　in　despair；　finding　an　old　coast…guard　friend　

starting　for　his　lobster…pots；　I　determined　to　save　the　old　man's　

arms；　by　rowing　him　up　the　shore；　and　then　paddled　homeward　again；　

under　the　high　green　northern　wall；　five　hundred　feet　of　cliff　

furred　to　the　water's　edge　with　rich　oak　woods；　against　whose　base　

the　smooth　Atlantic　swell　died　whispering；　as　if　curling　itself　up　

to　sleep　at　last　within　that　sheltered　nook；　tired　with　its　weary　

wanderings。　　The　sun　sank　lower　and　lower　behind　the　deer…park　

point；　the　white　stair　of　houses　up　the　glen　was　wrapped　every　

moment　deeper　and　deeper　in　hazy　smoke　and　shade；　as　the　light　

faded；　the　evening　fires　were　lighted　one　by　one；　the　soft　murmur　

of　the　waterfall；　and　the　pleasant　laugh　of　children；　and　the　

splash　of　homeward　oars；　came　clearer　and　clearer　to　the　ear　at　

every　stroke：　　and　as　we　rowed　on；　arose　the　recollection　of　many　a　

brave　and　wise　friend；　whose　lot　was　cast　in　no　such　western　

paradise；　but　rather　in　the　infernos　of　this　sinful　earth；　toiling　

even　then　amid　the　festering　alleys　of　Bermondsey　and　Bethnal　

Green；　to　palliate　death　and　misery　which　they　had　vainly　laboured　

to　prevent；　watching　the　strides　of　that　very　cholera　which　they　

had　been　striving　for　years　to　ward　off；　now　re…admitted　in　spite　

of　all　their　warnings；　by　the　carelessness；　and　laziness；　and　greed　

of　sinful　man。　　And　as　I　thought　over　the　whole　hapless　question　of　

sanitary　reform；　proved　long　since　a　moral　duty　to　God　and　man；　

possible；　easy；　even　pecuniarily　profitable；　and　yet　left　undone；　

there　seemed　a　sublime　irony；　most　humbling　to　man；　in　some　of　

Nature's　processes；　and　in　the　silent　and　unobtrusive　perfection　

with　which　she　has　been　taught　to　anticipate；　since　the　foundation　

of　the　world；　some　of　the　loftiest　discoveries　of　modern　science；　

of　which　we　are　too　apt　to　boast　as　if　we　had　created　the　method　by　

discovering　its　possibility。　　Created　it？　　Alas　for　the　pride　of　

human　genius；　and　the　autotheism　which　would　make　man　the　measure　

of　all　things；　and　the　centre　of　the　universe！　　All　the　invaluable　

laws　and　methods　of　sanitary　reform　at　best　are　but　clumsy　

imitations　of　the　unseen　wonders　which　every　animalcule　and　leaf　

have　been　working　since　the　world's　foundation；　with　this　slight　

difference　between　them　and　us；　that　they　fulfil　their　appointed　

task；　and　we　do　not。



The　sickly　geranium　which　spreads　its　blanched　leaves　against　the　

cellar　panes；　and　peers　up；　as　if　imploringly；　to　the　narrow　slip　

of　sunlight　at　the　top　of　the　narrow　alley；　had　it　a　voice；　could　

tell　more　truly　than　ever　a　doctor　in　the　town；　why　little　Bessy　

sickened　of　the　scarlatina；　and　little　Johnny　of　the　hooping…cough；　

till　the　toddling　wee　things　who　used　to　pet　and　water　it　were　

carried　off　each　and　all　of　them　one　by　one　to　the　churchyard　

sleep；　while　the　father　and　mother　sat　at　home；　trying　to　supply　by　

gin　that　very　vital　energy　which　fresh　air　and　pure　water；　and　the　

balmy　breath　of　woods　and　heaths；　were　made　by　God　to　give；　and　how　

the　little　geranium　did　its　best；　like　a　heaven…sent　angel；　to　

right　the　wrong　which　man's　ignorance　had　begotten；　and　drank　in；　

day　by　day；　the　poisoned　atmosphere；　and　formed　it　into　fair　green　

leaves；　and　breathed　into　the　children's　faces　from　every　pore；　

whenever　they　bent　over　it；　the　life…giving　oxygen　for　which　their　

dulled　blood　and　festered　lungs　were　craving　in　vain；　fulfilling　

God's　will　itself；　though　man　would　not；　too　careless　or　too　

covetous　to　see；　after　thousands　of　years　of　boasted　progress；　why　

God　had　covered　the　earth　with　grass；　herb；　and　tree；　a　living　and　

life…giving　garment　of　perpetual　health　and　youth。



It　is　too　sad　to　think　long　about；　lest　we　become　very　

Heraclituses。　　Let　us　take　the　other　side　of　the　matter　with　

Democritus；　try　to　laugh　man　out　of　a　little　of　his　boastful　

ignorance　and　self…satisfied　clumsiness；　and　tell　him；　that　if　the　

House　of　Commons　would　but　summon　one　of　the　little　Paramecia　from　

any　Thames'　sewer…mouth；　to　give　his　evidence　before　their　next　

Cholera　Committee；　sanitary　blue…books；　invaluable　as　they　are；　

would　be　superseded　for　ever　and　a　day；　and　sanitary　reformers　

would　no　longer　have　to　confess；　that　they　know　of　no　means　of　

stopping　the　smells　which　in　past　hot　summers　drove　the　members　out　

of　the　House；　and　the