madam how and lady why(豪夫人和怀女士)-第20章
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place where I have traced them； and written a little； too； about them in
years gone by。 And so I treasure this； as a sign that Madam How's ways
do not change nor her laws become broken； that； as that great philosopher
Sir Charles Lyell will tell you； when you read his books； Madam How is
making and unmaking the surface of the earth now； by exactly the same
means as she was making and unmaking ages and ages since； and that
what is going on slowly and surely in the Alps in Switzerland was going
on once here where we stand。
It is very difficult； I know； for a little boy like you to understand how
ice； and much more how soft snow； should have such strength that it can
grind this little stone； much more such strength as to grind whole
mountains into plains。 You have never seen ice and snow do harm。 You
cannot even recollect the Crimean Winter； as it was called then； and well
for you you cannot； considering all the misery it brought at home and
abroad。 You cannot； I say； recollect the Crimean Winter； when the
Thames was frozen over above the bridges； and the ice piled in little bergs
ten to fifteen feet high； which lay； some of them； stranded on the shores；
about London itself； and did not melt； if I recollect； until the end of May。
You never stood； as I stood； in the great winter of 1837…8 on Battersea
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Bridge； to see the ice break up with the tide； and saw the great slabs and
blocks leaping and piling upon each other's backs； and felt the bridge
tremble with their shocks； and listened to their horrible grind and roar； till
one got some little picture in one's mind of what must be the breaking up
of an ice…floe in the Arctic regions； and what must be the danger of a ship
nipped in the ice and lifted up on high； like those in the pictures of Arctic
voyages which you are so fond of looking through。 You cannot recollect
how that winter even in our little Blackwater Brook the alder stems were
all peeled white； and scarred； as if they had been gnawed by hares and
deer； simply by the rushing and scraping of the ice；a sight which gave
me again a little picture of the destruction which the ice makes of quays；
and stages； and houses along the shore upon the coasts of North America；
when suddenly setting in with wind and tide； it jams and piles up high
inland； as you may read for yourself some day in a delightful book called
Frost and Fire。 You recollect none of these things。 Ice and snow are to
you mere playthings； and you long for winter； that you may make
snowballs and play hockey and skate upon the ponds； and eat ice like a
foolish boy till you make your stomach ache。 And I dare say you have
said； like many another boy； on a bright cheery ringing frosty day； 〃Oh；
that it would be always winter！〃 You little knew for what you asked。
You little thought what the earth would soon be like； if it were always
winter；if one sheet of ice on the pond glued itself on to the bottom of the
last sheet； till the whole pond was a solid mass；if one snow…fall lay upon
the top of another snow…fall till the moor was covered many feet deep and
the snow began sliding slowly down the glen from Coombs's； burying the
green fields； tearing the trees up by their roots； burying gradually house；
church； and village； and making this place for a few thousand years what it
was many thousand years ago。 Good…bye then； after a very few winters；
to bees； and butterflies； and singing…birds； and flowers； and good…bye to all
vegetables； and fruit； and bread； good…bye to cotton and woollen clothes。
You would have； if you were left alive； to dress in skins； and eat fish and
seals； if any came near enough to be caught。 You would have to live in a
word； if you could live at all； as Esquimaux live now in Arctic regions；
and as people had to live in England ages since； in the times when it was
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always winter； and icebergs floated between here and Finchampstead。
Oh no； my child： thank Heaven that it is not always winter； and
remember that winter ice and snow； though it is a very good tool with
which to make the land； must leave the land year by year if that land is to
be fit to live in。
I said that if the snow piled high enough upon the moor； it would come
down the glen in a few years through Coombs's Wood； and I said then you
would have a small glacier heresuch a glacier （to compare small things
with great） as now comes down so many valleys in the Alps； or has come
down all the valleys of Greenland and Spitzbergen till they reach the sea；
and there end as cliffs of ice； from which great icebergs snap off
continually； and fall and float away； wandering southward into the Atlantic
for many a hundred miles。 You have seen drawings of such glaciers in
Captain Cook's Voyages； and you may see photographs of Swiss glaciers
in any good London print…shop； and therefore you have seen almost as
much about them as I have seen； and may judge for yourself how you
would like to live where it is always winter。
Now you must not ask me to tell you what a glacier is like； for I have
never seen one； at least； those which I have seen were more than fifty
miles away； looking like white clouds hanging on the gray mountain sides。
And it would be an impertinencethat means a meddling with things
which I have no businessto picture to you glaciers which have been
pictured so well and often by gentlemen who escape every year from their
hard work in town to find among the glaciers of the Alps health and
refreshment； and sound knowledge； and that most wholesome and
strengthening of all medicines； toil。
So you must read of them in such books as Peaks； Passes； and Glaciers；
and Mr。 Willes's Wanderings in the High Alps； and Professor Tyndall's
different works； or you must look at them （as I just now said） in
photographs or in pictures。 But when you do that； or when you see a
glacier for yourself； you must bear in mind what a glacier meansthat it is
a river of ice； fed by a lake of snow。 The lake from which it springs is
the eternal snow… field which stretches for miles and miles along the
mountain tops； fed continually by fresh snow…storms falling from the sky。
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That snow slides off into the valleys hour by hour； and as it rushes down is
ground and pounded； and thawed and frozen again into a sticky paste of
ice； which flows slowly but surely till it reaches the warm valley at the
mountain foot； and there melts bit by bit。 The long black lines which you
see winding along the white and green ice of the glacier are the stones
which have fallen from the cliffs above。 They will be dropped at the end
of the glacier； and mixed with silt
