character-第36章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



another　striking　instance　of　heroic　bravery　on　the　part　of　a　noble

woman。　　When　summoned　by　the　Parliamentary　forces　to　surrender；

she　declared　that　she　had　been　entrusted　by　her　husband　with　the

defence　of　the　house；　and　that　she　could　not　give　it　up　without

her　dear　lord's　orders；　but　trusted　in　God　for　protection　and

deliverance。　　In　her　arrangements　for　the　defence；　she　is

described　as　having　〃left　nothing　with　her　eye　to　be　excused

afterwards　by　fortune　or　negligence；　and　added　to　her　former

patience　a　most　resolved　fortitude。〃　　The　brave　lady　held　her

house　and　home　good　against　the　enemy　for　a　whole　yearduring

three　months　of　which　the　place　was　strictly　besieged　and

bombardeduntil　at　length　the　siege　was　raised；　after　a　most

gallant　defence；　by　the　advance　of　the　Royalist　army。



Nor　can　we　forget　the　courage　of　Lady　Franklin；　who　persevered　to

the　last；　when　the　hopes　of　all　others　had　died　out；　in

prosecuting　the　search　after　the　Franklin　Expedition。　　On　the

occasion　of　the　Royal　Geographical　Society　determining　to　award

the　Founder's　Medal　to　Lady　Franklin；　Sir　Roderick　Murchison

observed；　that　in　the　course　of　a　long　friendship　with　her；　he　had

abundant　opportunities　of　observing　and　testing　the　sterling

qualities　of　a　woman　who　had　proved　herself　worthy　of　the

admiration　of　mankind。　　〃Nothing　daunted　by　failure　after　failure；

through　twelve　long　years　of　hope　deferred；　she　had　persevered；

with　a　singleness　of　purpose　and　a　sincere　devotion　which　were

truly　unparalleled。　　And　now　that　her　one　last　expedition　of　the

FOX；　under　the　gallant　M'Clintock；　had　realised　the　two　great

factsthat　her　husband　had　traversed　wide　seas　unknown　to　former

navigators；　and　died　in　discovering　a　north…west　passagethen；

surely；　the　adjudication　of　the　medal　would　be　hailed　by　the

nation　as　one　of　the　many　recompences　to　which　the　widow　of　the

illustrious　Franklin　was　so　eminently　entitled。〃



But　that　devotion　to　duty　which　marks　the　heroic　character　has

more　often　been　exhibited　by　women　in　deeds　of　charity　and　mercy。

The　greater　part　of　these　are　never　known；　for　they　are　done　in

private；　out　of　the　public　sight；　and　for　the　mere　love　of　doing

good。　　Where　fame　has　come　to　them；　because　of　the　success　which

has　attended　their　labours　in　a　more　general　sphere；　it　has　come

unsought　and　unexpected；　and　is　often　felt　as　a　burden。　　Who　has

not　heard　of　Mrs。　Fry　and　Miss　Carpenter　as　prison　visitors　and

reformers；　of　Mrs。　Chisholm　and　Miss　Rye　as　promoters　of

emigration；　and　of　Miss　Nightingale　and　Miss　Garrett　as　apostles

of　hospital　nursing？



That　these　women　should　have　emerged　from　the　sphere　of　private

and　domestic　life　to　become　leaders　in　philanthropy；　indicates　no

small；　degree　of　moral　courage　on　their　part；　for　to　women；　above

all　others；　quiet　and　ease　and　retirement　are　most　natural　and

welcome。　　Very　few　women　step　beyond　the　boundaries　of　home　in

search　of　a　larger　field　of　usefulness。　　But　when　they　have

desired　one；　they　have　had　no　difficulty　in　finding　it。　　The　ways

in　which　men　and　women　can　help　their　neighbours　are　innumerable。

It　needs　but　the　willing　heart　and　ready　hand。　　Most　of　the

philanthropic　workers　we　have　named；　however；　have　scarcely　been

influenced　by　choice。　　The　duty　lay　in　their　wayit　seemed

to　be　the　nearest　to　themand　they　set　about　doing　it

without　desire　for　fame；　or　any　other　reward　but　the　approval

of　their　own　conscience。



Among　prison…visitors；　the　name　of　Sarah　Martin　is　much　less　known

than　that　of　Mrs。　Fry；　although　she　preceded　her　in　the　work。　　How

she　was　led　to　undertake　it；　furnishes　at　the　same　time

an　illustration　of　womanly　trueheartedness　and　earnest

womanly　courage。



Sarah　Martin　was　the　daughter　of　poor　parents；　and　was　left　an

orphan　at　an　early　age。　　She　was　brought　up　by　her　grandmother；　at

Caistor；　near　Yarmouth；　and　earned　her　living　by　going　out　to

families　as　assistant…dressmaker；　at　a　shilling　a　day。　　In　1819；　a

woman　was　tried　and　sentenced　to　imprisonment　in　Yarmouth　Gaol；

for　cruelly　beating　and　illusing　her　child；　and　her　crime　became

the　talk　of　the　town。　　The　young　dressmaker　was　much　impressed　by

the　report　of　the　trial；　and　the　desire　entered　her　mind　of

visiting　the　woman　in　gaol；　and　trying　to　reclaim　her。　　She　had

often　before；　on　passing　the　walls　of　the　borough　gaol；　felt

impelled　to　seek　admission；　with　the　object　of　visiting　the

inmates；　reading　the　Scriptures　to　them；　and　endeavouring　to　lead

them　back　to　the　society　whose　laws　they　had　violated。



At　length　she　could　not　resist　her　impulse　to　visit　the　mother。

She　entered　the　gaol…porch；　lifted　the　knocker；　and　asked　the

gaoler　for　admission。　　For　some　reason　or　other　she　was　refused；

but　she　returned；　repeated　her　request；　and　this　time　she　was

admitted。　　The　culprit　mother　shortly　stood　before　her。　　When

Sarah　Martin　told　the　motive　of　her　visit；　the　criminal　burst　into

tears；　and　thanked　her。　　Those　tears　and　thanks　shaped　the　whole

course　of　Sarah　Martin's　after…life；　and　the　poor　seamstress；

while　maintaining　herself　by　her　needle；　continued　to　spend　her

leisure　hours　in　visiting　the　prisoners；　and　endeavouring　to

alleviate　their　condition。　　She　constituted　herself　their　chaplain

and　schoolmistress；　for　at　that　time　they　had　neither；　she　read　to

them　from　the　Scriptures；　and　taught　them　to　read　and　write。　　She

gave　up　an　entire　day　in　the　week　for　this　purpose；　besides

Sundays；　as　well　as　other　intervals　of　spare　time；　〃feeling；〃　she

says；　〃that　the　blessing　of　God　was　upon　her。〃　　She　taught　the

women　to　knit；　to　sew；　and　to　cut　out；　the　sale　of　the　articles

enabling　her　to　buy　other　materials；　and　to　continue　the

industrial　education　thus　begun。　　She　also　taught　the　men　to

make　straw　hats；　men's　and　boys'　caps；　gray　cotton　shirts；

and　even　patchworkanything　to　keep　them　out　of　idleness；

and　from　preying　on　their　own　thoughts。　　Out　of　the　earnings

of　the　prisoners　in　this　way；　she　formed　a　fund；　which　she

applied　to　furnishing　them　with　work　on　their　discharge；

thus　enabling　them　again　to　begin　the　world　honestly；

and　at　the　same　time　affording　her；　as　she　herself　says；

〃the　advantage　of　observing　their　conduct。〃



By　attending　too　exclusively　to　this　prison…work；　however；　Sarah

Martin's　dressmaking　business　fell　off；　and　the　question　arose

with　her；　whether　in　order　to　recover　her　business　she　was　to

suspend　her　prison…work。　　But　her　decision　had　already　been　made。

〃I　had　counted　the　cost；〃　she　said；　〃and　my　mind；　was　made　up。

If；　whilst　imparting　truth　to　others；　I　became　exposed　to　temporal

want；　the　privations　so　momentary　to　an　individual　would　not　admit

of　comparison　with　following　the　Lord；　in　thus　administering　to

others。〃　　She　now　devoted　six　or　seven　hours　every　day　to　the

prisoners；　converting　what　would　otherwise　have　been　a　scene　of

dissolute　idleness　into　a　hive　of　orderly　industry。　　Newly…

admitted　prisoners　were　sometimes　refractory；　but　her　persistent

gentleness　eventually　won　their　respect　and　co…operation。　　Men　old

in　years　and　crime；　pert　London　pickpockets；　depraved　boys　and

dissolute　sailors；　profligate　women；　smugglers；　poachers；　and　the

promiscuous　horde　of　criminals　which　usually　fill　the　gaol　of　a

seaport　and　county　town；　all　submitted　to　the　benign　influence　of

this　good　woman；　and　under　her　eyes　they　might　be　seen；　for　the

first　time　in　their　lives；　striving　to　hold　a　pen；　or　to　master

the　characters　in　a　penny　primer。　　She　entered　into　their

confidenceswatched；　wept；　prayed；　and　felt　for　all　by　turns。

She　strengthened　their　good　resolutions；　cheered　the　hopeless　and

despairing；　and　endeavoured　to　put　all；　and　hold　all；　in　the　right

road　of　amendment。



For　more　than　twenty　years　this　good　and　truehearted　woman　pursued

her　noble　course；　with　little　encouragement；　and　not　much　help；

almost　her　only　means　of　subsistence　consisting　in　an　annual

income　of　ten　or　twelve　pounds　left　by　her　g