the uncommercial traveller-第69章

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old　woman　in　it；　making　hay。　　Yes；　of　all　occupations　in　this

world；　making　hay！　　It　was　a　very　confined　patch　of　churchyard

lying　between　Gracechurch…street　and　the　Tower；　capable　of

yielding；　say　an　apronful　of　hay。　　By　what　means　the　old　old　man

and　woman　had　got　into　it；　with　an　almost　toothless　hay…making

rake；　I　could　not　fathom。　　No　open　window　was　within　view；　no

window　at　all　was　within　view；　sufficiently　near　the　ground　to　have

enabled　their　old　legs　to　descend　from　it；　the　rusty　churchyard…

gate　was　locked；　the　mouldy　church　was　locked。　　Gravely　among　the

graves；　they　made　hay；　all　alone　by　themselves。　　They　looked　like

Time　and　his　wife。　　There　was　but　the　one　rake　between　them；　and

they　both　had　hold　of　it　in　a　pastorally…loving　manner；　and　there

was　hay　on　the　old　woman's　black　bonnet；　as　if　the　old　man　had

recently　been　playful。　　The　old　man　was　quite　an　obsolete　old　man；

in　knee…breeches　and　coarse　grey　stockings；　and　the　old　woman　wore

mittens　like　unto　his　stockings　in　texture　and　in　colour。　　They

took　no　heed　of　me　as　I　looked　on；　unable　to　account　for　them。　　The

old　woman　was　much　too　bright　for　a　pew…opener；　the　old　man　much

too　meek　for　a　beadle。　　On　an　old　tombstone　in　the　foreground

between　me　and　them；　were　two　cherubim；　but　for　those　celestial

embellishments　being　represented　as　having　no　possible　use　for

knee…breeches；　stockings；　or　mittens；　I　should　have　compared　them

with　the　hay…makers；　and　sought　a　likeness。　　I　coughed　and　awoke

the　echoes；　but　the　hay…makers　never　looked　at　me。　　They　used　the

rake　with　a　measured　action；　drawing　the　scanty　crop　towards　them；

and　so　I　was　fain　to　leave　them　under　three　yards　and　a　half　of

darkening　sky；　gravely　making　hay　among　the　graves；　all　alone　by

themselves。　　Perhaps　they　were　Spectres；　and　I　wanted　a　Medium。



In　another　City　churchyard　of　similar　cramped　dimensions；　I　saw；

that　selfsame　summer；　two　comfortable　charity　children。　　They　were

making　love　…　tremendous　proof　of　the　vigour　of　that　immortal

article；　for　they　were　in　the　graceful　uniform　under　which　English

Charity　delights　to　hide　herself　…　and　they　were　overgrown；　and

their　legs　（his　legs　at　least；　for　I　am　modestly　incompetent　to

speak　of　hers）　were　as　much　in　the　wrong　as　mere　passive　weakness

of　character　can　render　legs。　　O　it　was　a　leaden　churchyard；　but　no

doubt　a　golden　ground　to　those　young　persons！　　I　first　saw　them　on

a　Saturday　evening；　and；　perceiving　from　their　occupation　that

Saturday　evening　was　their　trysting…time；　I　returned　that　evening

se'nnight；　and　renewed　the　contemplation　of　them。　　They　came　there

to　shake　the　bits　of　matting　which　were　spread　in　the　church

aisles；　and　they　afterwards　rolled　them　up；　he　rolling　his　end；　she

rolling　hers；　until　they　met；　and　over　the　two　once　divided　now

united　rolls　…　sweet　emblem！　…　gave　and　received　a　chaste　salute。

It　was　so　refreshing　to　find　one　of　my　faded　churchyards　blooming

into　flower　thus；　that　I　returned　a　second　time；　and　a　third；　and

ultimately　this　befell：…　They　had　left　the　church　door　open；　in

their　dusting　and　arranging。　　Walking　in　to　look　at　the　church；　I

became　aware；　by　the　dim　light；　of　him　in　the　pulpit；　of　her　in　the

reading…desk；　of　him　looking　down；　of　her　looking　up；　exchanging

tender　discourse。　　Immediately　both　dived；　and　became　as　it　were

non…existent　on　this　sphere。　　With　an　assumption　of　innocence　I

turned　to　leave　the　sacred　edifice；　when　an　obese　form　stood　in　the

portal；　puffily　demanding　Joseph；　or　in　default　of　Joseph；　Celia。

Taking　this　monster　by　the　sleeve；　and　luring　him　forth　on　pretence

of　showing　him　whom　he　sought；　I　gave　time　for　the　emergence　of

Joseph　and　Celia；　who　presently　came　towards　us　in　the　churchyard；

bending　under　dusty　matting；　a　picture　of　thriving　and　unconscious

industry。　　It　would　be　superfluous　to　hint　that　I　have　ever　since

deemed　this　the　proudest　passage　in　my　life。



But　such　instances；　or　any　tokens　of　vitality；　are　rare　indeed　in

my　City　churchyards。　　A　few　sparrows　occasionally　try　to　raise　a

lively　chirrup　in　their　solitary　tree　…　perhaps；　as　taking　a

different　view　of　worms　from　that　entertained　by　humanity　…　but

they　are　flat　and　hoarse　of　voice；　like　the　clerk；　the　organ；　the

bell；　the　clergyman；　and　all　the　rest　of　the　Church…works　when　they

are　wound　up　for　Sunday。　　Caged　larks；　thrushes；　or　blackbirds；

hanging　in　neighbouring　courts；　pour　forth　their　strains

passionately；　as　scenting　the　tree；　trying　to　break　out；　and　see

leaves　again　before　they　die；　but　their　song　is　Willow；　Willow　…　of

a　churchyard　cast。　　So　little　light　lives　inside　the　churches　of　my

churchyards；　when　the　two　are　co…existent；　that　it　is　often　only　by

an　accident　and　after　long　acquaintance　that　I　discover　their

having　stained　glass　in　some　odd　window。　　The　westering　sun　slants

into　the　churchyard　by　some　unwonted　entry；　a　few　prismatic　tears

drop　on　an　old　tombstone；　and　a　window　that　I　thought　was　only

dirty；　is　for　the　moment　all　bejewelled。　　Then　the　light　passes　and

the　colours　die。　　Though　even　then；　if　there　be　room　enough　for　me

to　fall　back　so　far　as　that　I　can　gaze　up　to　the　top　of　the　Church

Tower；　I　see　the　rusty　vane　new　burnished；　and　seeming　to　look　out

with　a　joyful　flash　over　the　sea　of　smoke　at　the　distant　shore　of

country。



Blinking　old　men　who　are　let　out　of　workhouses　by　the　hour；　have　a

tendency　to　sit　on　bits　of　coping　stone　in　these　churchyards；

leaning　with　both　hands　on　their　sticks　and　asthmatically　gasping。

The　more　depressed　class　of　beggars　too；　bring　hither　broken　meats；

and　munch。　　I　am　on　nodding　terms　with　a　meditative　turncock　who

lingers　in　one　of　them；　and　whom　I　suspect　of　a　turn　for　poetry；

the　rather；　as　he　looks　out　of　temper　when　he　gives　the　fire…plug　a

disparaging　wrench　with　that　large　tuning…fork　of　his　which　would

wear　out　the　shoulder　of　his　coat；　but　for　a　precautionary　piece　of

inlaid　leather。　　Fire…ladders；　which　I　am　satisfied　nobody　knows

anything　about；　and　the　keys　of　which　were　lost　in　ancient　times；

moulder　away　in　the　larger　churchyards；　under　eaves　like　wooden

eyebrows；　and　so　removed　are　those　corners　from　the　haunts　of　men

and　boys；　that　once　on　a　fifth　of　November　I　found　a　'Guy'　trusted

to　take　care　of　himself　there；　while　his　proprietors　had　gone　to

dinner。　　Of　the　expression　of　his　face　I　cannot　report；　because　it

was　turned　to　the　wall；　but　his　shrugged　shoulders　and　his　ten

extended　fingers；　appeared　to　denote　that　he　had　moralised　in　his

little　straw　chair　on　the　mystery　of　mortality　until　he　gave　it　up

as　a　bad　job。



You　do　not　come　upon　these　churchyards　violently；　there　are　shapes

of　transition　in　the　neighbourhood。　　An　antiquated　news　shop；　or

barber's　shop；　apparently　bereft　of　customers　in　the　earlier　days

of　George　the　Third；　would　warn　me　to　look　out　for　one；　if　any

discoveries　in　this　respect　were　left　for　me　to　make。　　A　very　quiet

court；　in　combination　with　an　unaccountable　dyer's　and　scourer's；

would　prepare　me　for　a　churchyard。　　An　exceedingly　retiring　public…

house；　with　a　bagatelle…board　shadily　visible　in　a　sawdusty　parlour

shaped　like　an　omnibus；　and　with　a　shelf　of　punch…bowls　in　the　bar；

would　apprise　me　that　I　stood　near　consecrated　ground。　　A　'Dairy；'

exhibiting　in　its　modest　window　one　very　little　milk…can　and　three

eggs；　would　suggest　to　me　the　certainty　of　finding　the　poultry　hard

by；　pecking　at　my　forefathers。　　I　first　inferred　the　vicinity　of

Saint　Ghastly　Grim；　from　a　certain　air　of　extra　repose　and　gloom

pervading　a　vast　stack　of　warehouses。



From　the　hush　of　these　places；　it　is　congenial　to　pass　into　the

hushed　resorts　of　business。　　Down　the　lanes　I　like　to　see　the　carts

and　waggons　huddled　together　in　repose；　the　cranes　idle；　and　the

warehouses　shut。　　Pausing　in　the　alleys　behind　the　closed　Banks　of

mighty　Lombard…street；　it　gives　one　as　good　as　a　rich　feeling　to

think　of　the　broad　counters　with　a　rim　along　the　edge；　made　for

t