the water-babies-第6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！



The　heath　was　full　of　bilberries　and　whimberries；　but　they　were　only　in　flower　yet；　for　it　was　June。　　And　as　for　water；　who　can　find　that　on　the　top　of　a　limestone　rock？　　Now　and　then　he　passed　by　a　deep　dark　swallow…hole；　going　down　into　the　earth；　as　if　it　was　the　chimney　of　some　dwarfs　house　underground；　and　more　than　once；　as　he　passed；　he　could　hear　water　falling；　trickling；　tinkling；　many　many　feet　below。　　How　he　longed　to　get　down　to　it；　and　cool　his　poor　baked　lips！　　But；　brave　little　chimney…sweep　as　he　was；　he　dared　not　climb　down　such　chimneys　as　those。

So　he　went　on　and　on；　till　his　head　spun　round　with　the　heat；　and　he　thought　he　heard　church…bells　ringing　a　long　way　off。

〃Ah！〃　he　thought；　〃where　there　is　a　church　there　will　be　houses　and　people；　and；　perhaps；　some　one　will　give　me　a　bit　and　a　sup。〃　　So　he　set　off　again；　to　look　for　the　church；　for　he　was　sure　that　he　heard　the　bells　quite　plain。

And　in　a　minute　more；　when　he　looked　round；　he　stopped　again；　and　said；　〃Why；　what　a　big　place　the　world　is！〃

And　so　it　was；　for；　from　the　top　of　the　mountain　he　could　see　…　what　could　he　not　see？

Behind　him；　far　below；　was　Harthover；　and　the　dark　woods；　and　the　shining　salmon　river；　and　on　his　left；　far　below；　was　the　town；　and　the　smoking　chimneys　of　the　collieries；　and　far；　far　away；　the　river　widened　to　the　shining　sea；　and　little　white　specks；　which　were　ships；　lay　on　its　bosom。　　Before　him　lay；　spread　out　like　a　map；　great　plains；　and　farms；　and　villages；　amid　dark　knots　of　trees。　　They　all　seemed　at　his　very　feet；　but　he　had　sense　to　see　that　they　were　long　miles　away。

And　to　his　right　rose　moor　after　moor；　hill　after　hill；　till　they　faded　away；　blue　into　blue　sky。　　But　between　him　and　those　moors；　and　really　at　his　very　feet；　lay　something；　to　which；　as　soon　as　Tom　saw　it；　he　determined　to　go；　for　that　was　the　place　for　him。

A　deep；　deep　green　and　rocky　valley；　very　narrow；　and　filled　with　wood；　but　through　the　wood；　hundreds　of　feet　below　him；　he　could　see　a　clear　stream　glance。　　Oh；　if　he　could　but　get　down　to　that　stream！　　Then；　by　the　stream；　he　saw　the　roof　of　a　little　cottage；　and　a　little　garden　set　out　in　squares　and　beds。　　And　there　was　a　tiny　little　red　thing　moving　in　the　garden；　no　bigger　than　a　fly。　As　Tom　looked　down；　he　saw　that　it　was　a　woman　in　a　red　petticoat。　Ah！　perhaps　she　would　give　him　something　to　eat。　　And　there　were　the　church…bells　ringing　again。　　Surely　there　must　be　a　village　down　there。　　Well；　nobody　would　know　him；　or　what　had　happened　at　the　Place。　　The　news　could　not　have　got　there　yet；　even　if　Sir　John　had　set　all　the　policemen　in　the　county　after　him；　and　he　could　get　down　there　in　five　minutes。

Tom　was　quite　right　about　the　hue…and…cry　not　having　got　thither；　for　he　had　come　without　knowing　it；　the　best　part　of　ten　miles　from　Harthover；　but　he　was　wrong　about　getting　down　in　five　minutes；　for　the　cottage　was　more　than　a　mile　off；　and　a　good　thousand　feet　below。

However；　down　he　went；　like　a　brave　little　man　as　he　was；　though　he　was　very　footsore；　and　tired；　and　hungry；　and　thirsty；　while　the　church…bells　rang　so　loud；　he　began　to　think　that　they　must　be　inside　his　own　head；　and　the　river　chimed　and　tinkled　far　below；　and　this　was　the　song　which　it　sang：…


Clear　and　cool；　clear　and　cool；　By　laughing　shallow；　and　dreaming　pool；　Cool　and　clear；　cool　and　clear；　By　shining　shingle；　and　foaming　wear；　Under　the　crag　where　the　ouzel　sings；　And　the　ivied　wall　where　the　church…bell　rings；　Undefiled；　for　the　undefiled；　Play　by　me；　bathe　in　me；　mother　and　child。

Dank　and　foul；　dank　and　foul；　By　the　smoky　town　in　its　murky　cowl；　Foul　and　dank；　foul　and　dank；　By　wharf　and　sewer　and　slimy　bank；　Darker　and　darker　the　farther　I　go；　Baser　and　baser　the　richer　I　grow；　Who　dares　sport　with　the　sin…defiled？　Shrink　from　me；　turn　from　me；　mother　and　child。

Strong　and　free；　strong　and　free；　The　floodgates　are　open；　away　to　the　sea；　Free　and　strong；　free　and　strong；　Cleansing　my　streams　as　I　hurry　along；　To　the　golden　sands；　and　the　leaping　bar；　And　the　taintless　tide　that　awaits　me　afar。　As　I　lose　myself　in　the　infinite　main；　Like　a　soul　that　has　sinned　and　is　pardoned　again。　Undefiled；　for　the　undefiled；　Play　by　me；　bathe　in　me；　mother　and　child。


So　Tom　went　down；　and　all　the　while　he　never　saw　the　Irishwoman　going　down　behind　him。



CHAPTER　II



〃And　is　there　care　in　heaven？　and　is　there　love　In　heavenly　spirits　to　these　creatures　base　That　may　compassion　of　their　evils　move？　There　is：…　else　much　more　wretched　were　the　case　Of　men　than　beasts：　　But　oh！　the　exceeding　grace　Of　Highest　God　that　loves　His　creatures　so；　And　all　His　works　with　mercy　doth　embrace；　That　blessed　Angels　He　sends　to　and　fro；　To　serve　to　wicked　man；　to　serve　His　wicked　foe！〃

SPENSER。


A　mile　off；　and　a　thousand　feet　down。

So　Tom　found　it；　though　it　seemed　as　if　he　could　have　chucked　a　pebble　on　to　the　back　of　the　woman　in　the　red　petticoat　who　was　weeding　in　the　garden；　or　even　across　the　dale　to　the　rocks　beyond。　For　the　bottom　of　the　valley　was　just　one　field　broad；　and　on　the　other　side　ran　the　stream；　and　above　it；　gray　crag；　gray　down；　gray　stair；　gray　moor　walled　up　to　heaven。

A　quiet；　silent；　rich；　happy　place；　a　narrow　crack　cut　deep　into　the　earth；　so　deep；　and　so　out　of　the　way；　that　the　bad　bogies　can　hardly　find　it　out。　　The　name　of　the　place　is　Vendale；　and　if　you　want　to　see　it　for　yourself；　you　must　go　up　into　the　High　Craven；　and　search　from　Bolland　Forest　north　by　Ingleborough；　to　the　Nine　Standards　and　Cross　Fell；　and　if　you　have　not　found　it；　you　must　turn　south；　and　search　the　Lake　Mountains；　down　to　Scaw　Fell　and　the　sea；　and　then；　if　you　have　not　found　it；　you　must　go　northward　again　by　merry　Carlisle；　and　search　the　Cheviots　all　across；　from　Annan　Water　to　Berwick　Law；　and　then；　whether　you　have　found　Vendale　or　not；　you　will　have　found　such　a　country；　and　such　a　people；　as　ought　to　make　you　proud　of　being　a　British　boy。

So　Tom　went　to　go　down；　and　first　he　went　down　three　hundred　feet　of　steep　heather；　mixed　up　with　loose　brown　grindstone；　as　rough　as　a　file；　which　was　not　pleasant　to　his　poor　little　heels；　as　he　came　bump；　stump；　jump；　down　the　steep。　　And　still　he　thought　he　could　throw　a　stone　into　the　garden。

Then　he　went　down　three　hundred　feet　of　lime…stone　terraces；　one　below　the　other；　as　straight　as　if　a　carpenter　had　ruled　them　with　his　ruler　and　then　cut　them　out　with　his　chisel。　　There　was　no　heath　there；　but　…

First；　a　little　grass　slope；　covered　with　the　prettiest　flowers；　rockrose　and　saxifrage；　and　thyme　and　basil；　and　all　sorts　of　sweet　herbs。

Then　bump　down　a　two…foot　step　of　limestone。

Then　another　bit　of　grass　and　flowers。

Then　bump　down　a　one…foot　step。

Then　another　bit　of　grass　and　flowers　for　fifty　yards；　as　steep　as　the　house…roof；　where　he　had　to　slide　down　on　his　dear　little　tail。

Then　another　step　of　stone；　ten　feet　high；　and　there　he　had　to　stop　himself；　and　crawl　along　the　edge　to　find　a　crack；　for　if　he　had　rolled　over；　he　would　have　rolled　right　into　the　old　woman's　garden；　and　frightened　her　out　of　her　wits。

Then；　when　he　had　found　a　dark　narrow　crack；　full　of　green…stalked　fern；　such　as　hangs　in　the　basket　in　the　drawing…room；　and　had　crawled　down　through　it；　with　knees　and　elbows；　as　he　would　down　a　chimney；　there　was　another　grass　slope；　and　another　step；　and　so　on；　till　…　oh；　dear　me！　　I　wish　it　was　all　over；　and　so　did　he。　And　yet　he　thought　he　could　throw　a　stone　into　the　old　woman's　garden。

At　last　he　came　to　a　bank　of　beautiful　shrubs；　white…beam　with　its　great　silver…backed　leaves；　and　mountain…ash；　and　oak；　and　below　them　cliff　and　crag；　cliff　and　crag；　with　great　beds　of　crown…ferns　and　wood…sedge；　while　through　the　shrubs　he　could　see　the　stream　sparkling；　and　hear　it　murmur　on　the　white　pebbles。　　He　did　not　know　that　it　was　three　hundred　feet　below。

You　would　have　been　giddy；　perhaps；　at　looking　down：　　but　Tom　was　not。　　He　was　a　brave　little　chimney…sweep；　and　when　he　found　himself　on　the　top　of　a　high　cliff；　instead　of　sitting　down　and　crying　for　his　baba　（though　he　never　had　had　any　baba　to　cry　for）；　he　said；　〃Ah；　this　will　just　suit　me！〃　though　he　was　very　tired；　and