novel notes-第27章

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tember　massacres；〃　or　Western　mob　rule；　it　creeps　out　and　bites　and　tears　at　quivering　flesh；　or　plunges　its　hairy　arms　elbow　deep　in　blood；　or　dances　round　a　burning　nigger。

I　knew　a　man　onceor；　rather；　I　knew　of　a　manwho　was　a　confirmed　drunkard。　　He　became　and　continued　a　drunkard；　not　through　weakness；　but　through　will。　　When　his　friends　remonstrated　with　him；　he　told　them　to　mind　their　own　business；　and　to　let　him　mind　his。　　If　he　saw　any　reason　for　not　getting　drunk　he　would　give　it　up。　　Meanwhile　he　liked　getting　drunk；　and　he　meant　to　get　drunk　as　often　as　possible。

He　went　about　it　deliberately；　and　did　it　thoroughly。　　For　nearly　ten　years；　so　it　was　reported；　he　never　went　to　bed　sober。　　This　may　be　an　exaggerationit　would　be　a　singular　report　were　it　notbut　it　can　be　relied　upon　as　sufficiently　truthful　for　all　practical　purposes。

Then　there　came　a　day　when　he　did　see　a　reason　for　not　getting　drunk。　　He　signed　no　pledge；　he　took　no　oath。　　He　said；　〃I　will　never　touch　another　drop　of　drink；〃　and　for　twenty…six　years　he　kept　his　word。

At　the　end　of　that　time　a　combination　of　circumstances　occurred　that　made　life　troublesome　to　him；　so　that　he　desired　to　be　rid　of　it　altogether。　　He　was　a　man　accustomed；　when　he　desired　a　thing　within　his　reach；　to　stretch　out　his　hand　and　take　it。　　He　reviewed　the　case　calmly；　and　decided　to　commit　suicide。

If　the　thing　were　to　be　done　at　all；　it　would　be　best；　for　reasons　that　if　set　forth　would　make　this　a　long　story；　that　it　should　be　done　that　very　night；　and；　if　possible；　before　eleven　o'clock；　which　was　the　earliest　hour　a　certain　person　could　arrive　from　a　certain　place。

It　was　then　four　in　the　afternoon。　　He　attended　to　some　necessary　business；　and　wrote　some　necessary　letters。　　This　occupied　him　until　seven。　　He　then　called　a　cab　and　drove　to　a　small　hotel　in　the　suburbs；　engaged　a　private　room；　and　ordered　up　materials　for　the　making　of　the　particular　punch　that　had　been　the　last　beverage　he　had　got　drunk　on；　six…and…twenty　years　ago。

For　three　hours　he　sat　there　drinking　steadily；　with　his　watch　before　him。　　At　half…past　ten　he　rang　the　bell；　paid　his　bill；　came　home；　and　cut　his　throat。

For　a　quarter　of　a　century　people　had　been　calling　that　man　a　〃reformed　character。〃　　His　character　had　not　reformed　one　jot。　　The　craving　for　drink　had　never　died。　　For　twenty…six　years　he　had；　being　a　great　man；　held　it　gripped　by　the　throat。　　When　all　things　became　a　matter　of　indifference　to　him；　he　loosened　his　grasp；　and　the　evil　instinct　rose　up　within　him　as　strong　on　the　day　he　died　as　on　the　day　he　forced　it　down。

That　is　all　a　man　can　do；　pray　for　strength　to　crush　down　the　evil　that　is　in　him；　and　to　keep　it　held　down　day　after　day。　　I　never　hear　washy　talk　about　〃changed　characters〃　and　〃reformed　natures〃　but　I　think　of　a　sermon　I　once　heard　at　a　Wesleyan　revivalist　meeting　in　the　Black　Country。

〃Ah！　my　friends；　we've　all　of　us　got　the　devil　inside　us。　　I've　got　him；　you've　got　him；〃　cried　the　preacherhe　was　an　old　man；　with　long　white　hair　and　beard；　and　wild；　fighting　eyes。　　Most　of　the　preachers　who　came　〃reviving；〃　as　it　was　called；　through　that　district；　had　those　eyes。　　Some　of　them　needed　〃reviving〃　themselves；　in　quite　another　sense；　before　they　got　clear　out　of　it。　I　am　speaking　now　of　more　than　thirty　years　ago。

〃Ah！　so　us　haveso　us　have；〃　came　the　response。

〃And　you　carn't　get　rid　of　him；〃　continued　the　speaker。

〃Not　of　oursel's；〃　ejaculated　a　fervent　voice　at　the　end　of　the　room；　〃but　the　Lord　will　help　us。〃

The　old　preacher　turned　on　him　almost　fiercely：…

〃But　th'　Lord　woan't；〃　he　shouted；　〃doan't　'ee　reckon　on　that；　lad。　Ye've　got　him　an'　ye've　got　ta　keep　him。　　Ye　carn't　get　rid　of　him。　Th'　Lord　doan't　mean　'ee　to。〃

Here　there　broke　forth　murmurs　of　angry　disapproval；　but　the　old　fellow　went　on；　unheeding：…

〃It　arn't　good　for　'ee　to　get　rid　of　him。　　Ye've　just　got　to　hug　him　tight。　　Doan't　let　him　go。　　Hold　him　fast；　andLAM　INTO　HIM。　　I　tell　'ee　it's　good；　healthy　Christian　exercise。〃

We　had　been　discussing　the　subject　with　reference　to　our　hero。　　It　had　been　suggested　by　Brown　as　an　unhackneyed　idea；　and　one　lending　itself；　therefore；　to　comparative　freshness　of　treatment；　that　our　hero　should　be　a　thorough…paced　scamp。

Jephson　seconded　the　proposal；　for　the　reason　that　it　would　the　better　enable　us　to　accomplish　artistic　work。　　He　was　of　opinion　that　we　should　be　more　sure　of　our　ground　in　drawing　a　villain　than　in　attempting　to　portray　a　good　man。

MacShaughnassy　thirded　（if　I　may　coin　what　has　often　appeared　to　me　to　be　a　much…needed　word）　the　motion　with　ardour。　　He　was　tired；　he　said；　of　the　crystal…hearted；　noble…thinking　young　man　of　fiction。　Besides；　it　made　bad　reading　for　the　〃young　person。〃　　It　gave　her　false　ideas；　and　made　her　dissatisfied　with　mankind　as　he　really　is。

And；　thereupon；　he　launched　forth　and　sketched　us　his　idea　of　a　hero；　with　reference　to　whom　I　can　only　say　that　I　should　not　like　to　meet　him　on　a　dark　night。

Brown；　our　one　earnest　member；　begged　us　to　be　reasonable；　and　reminded　us；　not　for　the　first　time；　and　not；　perhaps；　altogether　unnecessarily；　that　these　meetings　were　for　the　purpose　of　discussing　business；　not　of　talking　nonsense。

Thus　adjured；　we　attacked　the　subject　conscientiously。

Brown's　idea　was　that　the　man　should　be　an　out…and…out　blackguard；　until　about　the　middle　of　the　book；　when　some　event　should　transpire　that　would　have　the　effect　of　completely　reforming　him。　　This　naturally　brought　the　discussion　down　to　the　question　with　which　I　have　commenced　this　chapter：　　Does　man　ever　reform？　　I　argued　in　the　negative；　and　gave　the　reasons　for　my　disbelief　much　as　I　have　set　them　forth　here。　　MacShaughnassy；　on　the　other　hand；　contended　that　he　did；　and　instanced　the　case　of　himselfa　man　who；　in　his　early　days；　so　he　asserted；　had　been　a　scatterbrained；　impracticable　person；　entirely　without　stability。

I　maintained　that　this　was　merely　an　example　of　enormous　will…power　enabling　a　man　to　overcome　and　rise　superior　to　the　defects　of　character　with　which　nature　had　handicapped　him。

〃My　opinion　of　you；〃　I　said；　〃is　that　you　are　naturally　a　hopelessly　irresponsible；　well…meaning　ass。　　But；〃　I　continued　quickly；　seeing　his　hand　reaching　out　towards　a　complete　Shakespeare　in　one　volume　that　lay　upon　the　piano；　〃your　mental　capabilities　are　of　such　extraordinary　power　that　you　can　disguise　this　fact；　and　make　yourself　appear　a　man　of　sense　and　wisdom。〃

Brown　agreed　with　me　that　in　MacShaughnassy's　case　traces　of　the　former　disposition　were　clearly　apparent；　but　pleaded　that　the　illustration　was　an　unfortunate　one；　and　that　it　ought　not　to　have　weight　in　the　discussion。

〃Seriously　speaking；〃　said　he；　〃don't　you　think　that　there　are　some　experiences　great　enough　to　break　up　and　re…form　a　man's　nature？〃

〃To　break　up；〃　I　replied；　〃yes；　but　to　re…form；　no。　　Passing　through　a　great　experience　may　shatter　a　man；　or　it　may　strengthen　a　man；　just　as　passing　through　a　furnace　may　melt　or　purify　metal；　but　no　furnace　ever　lit　upon　this　earth　can　change　a　bar　of　gold　into　a　bar　of　lead；　or　a　bar　of　lead　into　one　of　gold。〃

I　asked　Jephson　what　he　thought。　　He　did　not　consider　the　bar　of　gold　simile　a　good　one。　　He　held　that　a　man's　character　was　not　an　immutable　element。　　He　likened　it　to　a　drugpoison　or　elixir　compounded　by　each　man　for　himself　from　the　pharmacopoeia　of　all　things　known　to　life　and　time；　and　saw　no　impossibility；　though　some　improbability；　in　the　glass　being　flung　aside　and　a　fresh　draught　prepared　with　pain　and　labour。

〃Well；〃　I　said；　〃let　us　put　the　case　practically；　did　you　ever　know　a　man's　character　to　change？〃

〃Yes；〃　he　answered；　〃I　did　know　a　man　whose　character　seemed　to　me　to　be　completely　changed　by　an　experience　that　happened　to　him。　　It　may；　as　you　say；　only　have　been　that　he　was　shattered；　or　that　the　lesson　may　have　taught　him　to　keep　his　natural　disposition　ever　under　control。　　The　result；　in　any　case；　was　striking。〃

We　asked　him　to　give　us　the　history　of　the　case；　and　he　did　so。

〃He　was　a　friend　of　some　cousins　of　mine；〃　Jephson　began；　〃people　I　used　to　see　a　good　deal　of　in　my　undergraduate　days。　　When　I　met　him　first