the way of all flesh-第102章

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a　very　distinguished　one。〃

At　these　words　Christina　brightened。　　〃You　give　me　hope；　you　give　me
hope；〃　she　cried；　and　dried　her　eyes。　　She　made　him　assure　her　over
and　over　again　that　this　was　his　solemn　conviction；　she　did　not　care
about　being　a　distinguished　saint　now；　she　would　be　quite　content　to
be　among　the　meanest　who　actually　got　into　heaven；　provided　she
could　make　sure　of　escaping　that　awful　Hell。　　The　fear　of　this
evidently　was　omnipresent　with　her；　and　in　spite　of　all　Ernest　could
say　he　did　not　quite　dispel　it。　　She　was　rather　ungrateful；　I　must
confess；　for　after　more　than　an　hour's　consolation　from　Ernest　she
prayed　for　him　that　he　might　have　every　blessing　in　this　world；
inasmuch　as　she　always　feared　that　he　was　the　only　one　of　her
children　whom　she　should　never　meet　in　heaven；　but　she　was　then
wandering；　and　was　hardly　aware　of　his　presence；　her　mind　in　fact
was　reverting　to　states　in　which　it　had　been　before　her　illness。

On　Sunday　Ernest　went　to　church　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　noted
that　the　ever　receding　tide　of　Evangelicalism　had　ebbed　many　a　stage
lower；　even　during　the　few　years　of　his　absence。　　His　father　used　to
walk　to　the　church　through　the　Rectory　garden；　and　across　a　small
intervening　field。　　He　had　been　used　to　walk　in　a　tall　hat；　his
Master's　gown；　and　wearing　a　pair　of　Geneva　bands。　　Ernest　noticed
that　the　bands　were　worn　no　longer；　and　lo！　greater　marvel　still；
Theobald　did　not　preach　in　his　Master's　gown；　but　in　a　surplice。
The　whole　character　of　the　service　was　changed；　you　could　not　say　it
was　high　even　now；　for　high…church　Theobald　could　never　under　any
circumstances　become；　but　the　old　easy…going　slovenliness；　if　I　may
say　so；　was　gone　for　ever。　　The　orchestral　accompaniments　to　the
hymns　had　disappeared　while　my　hero　was　yet　a　boy；　but　there　had
been　no　chanting　for　some　years　after　the　harmonium　had　been
introduced。　　While　Ernest　was　at　Cambridge；　Charlotte　and　Christina
had　prevailed　on　Theobald　to　allow　the　canticles　to　be　sung；　and
sung　they　were　to　old…fashioned　double　chants　by　Lord　Mornington　and
Dr　Dupuis　and　others。　　Theobald　did　not　like　it；　but　he　did　it；　or
allowed　it　to　be　done。

Then　Christina　said：　　〃My　dear；　do　you　know；　I　really　think〃
（Christina　always　〃really〃　thought）　〃that　the　people　like　the
chanting　very　much；　and　that　it　will　be　a　means　of　bringing　many　to
church　who　have　stayed　away　hitherto。　　I　was　talking　about　it　to　Mrs
Goodhew　and　to　old　Miss　Wright　only　yesterday；　and　they　QUITE　agreed
with　me；　but　they　all　said　that　we　ought　to　chant　the　'Glory　be　to
the　Father'　at　the　end　of　each　of　the　psalms　instead　of　saying　it。〃

Theobald　looked　blackhe　felt　the　waters　of　chanting　rising　higher
and　higher　upon　him　inch　by　inch；　but　he　felt　also；　he　knew　not　why；
that　he　had　better　yield　than　fight。　　So　he　ordered　the　〃Glory　be　to
the　Father〃　to　be　chanted　in　future；　but　he　did　not　like　it。

〃Really；　mamma　dear；〃　said　Charlotte；　when　the　battle　was　won；　〃you
should　not　call　it　the　'Glory　be　to　the　Father'　you　should　say
'Gloria。'〃

〃Of　course；　my　dear；〃　said　Christina；　and　she　said　〃Gloria〃　for　ever
after。　　Then　she　thought　what　a　wonderfully　clever　girl　Charlotte
was；　and　how　she　ought　to　marry　no　one　lower　than　a　bishop。　　By…and…
by　when　Theobald　went　away　for　an　unusually　long　holiday　one　summer；
he　could　find　no　one　but　a　rather　high…church　clergyman　to　take　his
duty。　　This　gentleman　was　a　man　of　weight　in　the　neighbourhood；
having　considerable　private　means；　but　without　preferment。　　In　the
summer　he　would　often　help　his　brother　clergymen；　and　it　was　through
his　being　willing　to　take　the　duty　at　Battersby　for　a　few　Sundays
that　Theobald　had　been　able　to　get　away　for　so　long。　　On　his　return；
however；　he　found　that　the　whole　psalms　were　being　chanted　as　well
as　the　Glorias。　　The　influential　clergyman；　Christina；　and　Charlotte
took　the　bull　by　the　horns　as　soon　as　Theobald　returned；　and　laughed
it　all　off；　and　the　clergyman　laughed　and　bounced；　and　Christina
laughed　and　coaxed；　and　Charlotte　uttered　unexceptionable
sentiments；　and　the　thing　was　done　now；　and　could　not　be　undone；　and
it　was　no　use　grieving　over　spilt　milk；　so　henceforth　the　psalms
were　to　be　chanted；　but　Theobald　grisled　over　it　in　his　heart；　and
he　did　not　like　it。

During　this　same　absence　what　had　Mrs　Goodhew　and　old　Miss　Wright
taken　to　doing　but　turning　towards　the　east　while　repeating　the
Belief？　　Theobald　disliked　this　even　worse　than　chanting。　　When　he
said　something　about　it　in　a　timid　way　at　dinner　after　service；
Charlotte　said；　〃Really；　papa　dear；　you　MUST　take　to　calling　it　the
'Creed'　and　not　the　'Belief'〃；　and　Theobald　winced　impatiently　and
snorted　meek　defiance；　but　the　spirit　of　her　aunts　Jane　and　Eliza
was　strong　in　Charlotte；　and　the　thing　was　too　small　to　fight　about；
and　he　turned　it　off　with　a　laugh。　　〃As　for　Charlotte；〃　thought
Christina；　〃I　believe　she　knows　EVERYTHING。〃　　So　Mrs　Goodhew　and　old
Miss　Wright　continued　to　turn　to　the　east　during　the　time　the　Creed
was　said；　and　by…and…by　others　followed　their　example；　and　ere　long
the　few　who　had　stood　out　yielded　and　turned　eastward　too；　and　then
Theobald　made　as　though　he　had　thought　it　all　very　right　and　proper
from　the　first；　but　like　it　he　did　not。　　By…and…by　Charlotte　tried
to　make　him　say　〃Alleluia〃　instead　of　〃Hallelujah；〃　but　this　was
going　too　far；　and　Theobald　turned；　and　she　got　frightened　and　ran
away。

And　they　changed　the　double　chants　for　single　ones；　and　altered　them
psalm　by　psalm；　and　in　the　middle　of　psalms；　just　where　a　cursory
reader　would　see　no　reason　why　they　should　do　so；　they　changed　from
major　to　minor　and　from　minor　back　to　major；　and　then　they　got
〃Hymns　Ancient　and　Modern；〃　and；　as　I　have　said；　they　robbed　him　of
his　beloved　bands；　and　they　made　him　preach　in　a　surplice；　and　he
must　have　celebration　of　the　Holy　Communion　once　a　month　instead　of
only　five　times　in　the　year　as　heretofore；　and　he　struggled　in　vain
against　the　unseen　influence　which　he　felt　to　be　working　in　season
and　out　of　season　against　all　that　he　had　been　accustomed　to
consider　most　distinctive　of　his　party。　　Where　it　was；　or　what　it
was；　he　knew　not；　nor　exactly　what　it　would　do　next；　but　he　knew
exceedingly　well　that　go　where　he　would　it　was　undermining　him；　that
it　was　too　persistent　for　him；　that　Christina　and　Charlotte　liked　it
a　great　deal　better　than　he　did；　and　that　it　could　end　in　nothing
but　Rome。　　Easter　decorations　indeed！　　Christmas　decorationsin
reasonwere　proper　enough；　but　Easter　decorations！　well；　it　might
last　his　time。

This　was　the　course　things　had　taken　in　the　Church　of　England　during
the　last　forty　years。　　The　set　has　been　steadily　in　one　direction。
A　few　men　who　knew　what　they　wanted　made　cats'　paws　of　the　Christmas
and　the　Charlottes；　and　the　Christmas　and　the　Charlottes　made　cats'
paws　of　the　Mrs　Goodhews　and　the　old　Miss　Wrights；　and　Mrs　Goodhews
and　old　Miss　Wrights　told　the　Mr　Goodhews　and　young　Miss　Wrights
what　they　should　do；　and　when　the　Mr　Goodhews　and　the　young　Miss
Wrights　did　it　the　little　Goodhews　and　the　rest　of　the　spiritual
flock　did　as　they　did；　and　the　Theobalds　went　for　nothing；　step　by
step；　day　by　day；　year　by　year；　parish　by　parish；　diocese　by　diocese
this　was　how　it　was　done。　　And　yet　the　Church　of　England　looks　with
no　friendly　eyes　upon　the　theory　of　Evolution　or　Descent　with
Modification。

My　hero　thought　over　these　things；　and　remembered　many　a　ruse　on　the
part　of　Christina　and　Charlotte；　and　many　a　detail　of　the　struggle
which　I　cannot　further　interrupt　my　story　to　refer　to；　and　he
remembered　his　father's　favourite　retort　that　it　could　only　end　in
Rome。　　When　he　was　a　boy　he　had　firmly　believed　this；　but　he　smiled
now　as　he　thought　of　another　alternative　clear　enough　to　himself；
but　so　horrible　that　it　had　not　even　occurred　to　TheobaldI　mean
the　toppling　over　of　the　whole　system。　　At　that　time　he　welcomed　the
hope　that　the　absurdities　and　unrealities　of　the　Church　would　end　in
her　downfall。　　Since　then　he　has　come　to　think　very　differently；　not
as　believing　in　the　cow　jumping　over　the　moon　more　than　he　used　to；
or　more；　probably；　than　nine…tenths　of　the