还乡The Return Of The Native-第37节

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！



“A　man　who　is　doing　well　elsewhere　wouldn’t　bide　here　two　or　three　weeks　for　nothing；”　said　Fairway。　　“He’s　got　some　project　in　‘s　head—depend　upon　that。”
“Well；　‘a　can’t　keep　a　diment　shop　here；”　said　Sam。　
“I　don’t　see　why　he　should　have　had　them　two　heavy　boxes　home　if　he　had　not　been　going　to　bide；　and　what　there　is　for　him　to　do　here　the　Lord　in　heaven　knows。”
Before　many　more　surmises　could　be　indulged　in　Yeobright　had　e　near；　and　seeing　the　hair…cutting　group　he　turned　aside　to　join　them。　　Marching　up；　and　looking　critically　at　their　faces　for　a　moment；　he　said；　without　introduction；　“Now；　folks；　let　me　guess　what　you　have　been　talking　about。”
“Ay；　sure；　if　you　will；”　said　Sam。　
“About　me。”
“Now；　it　is　a　thing　I　shouldn’t　have　dreamed　of　doing；　otherwise；”　said　Fairway　in　a　tone　of　integrity；　“but　since　you　have　named　it；　Master　Yeobright；　I’ll　own　that　we　was　talking　about　‘ee。　We　were　wondering　what　could　keep　you　home　here　mollyhorning　about　when　you　have　made　such　a　world…wide　name　for　yourself　in　the　nick…nack　trade—now；　that’s　the　truth　o’t。”
“I’ll　tell　you；”　said　Yeobright。　　with　unexpected　earnestness。　　“I　am　not　sorry　to　have　the　opportunity。　　I’ve　e　home　because；　all　things　considered；　I　can　be　a　trifle　less　useless　here　than　anywhere　else。　　But　I　have　only　lately　found　this　out。　　When　I　first　got　away　from　home　I　thought　this　place　was　not　worth　troubling　about。　　I　thought　our　life　here　was　contemptible。　　To　oil　your　boots　instead　of　blacking　them；　to　dust　your　coat　with　a　switch　instead　of　a　brush—was　there　ever　anything　more　ridiculous？　　I　said。”
“So　‘tis；　so　‘tis！”
“No；　no—you　are　wrong；　it　isn’t。”
“Beg　your　pardon；　we　thought　that　was　your　maning？”
“Well；　as　my　views　changed　my　course　became　very　depressing。　　I　found　that　I　was　trying　to　be　like　people　who　had　hardly　anything　in　mon　with　myself。　　I　was　endeavouring　to　put　off　one　sort　of　life　for　another　sort　of　life；　which　was　not　better　than　the　life　I　had　known　before。　　It　was　simply　different。”
“True；　a　sight　different；”　said　Fairway。
“Yes；　Paris　must　be　a　taking　place；”　said　Humphrey。　
“Grand　shop…winders；　trumpets；　and　drums；　and　here　be　we
out　of　doors　in　all　winds　and　weathers—“
“But　you　mistake　me；”　pleaded　Clym。　　“All　this　was　very　depressing。　　But　not　so　depressing　as　something　I　next　perceived—that　my　business　was　the　idlest；　vainest；　most　effeminate　business　that　ever　a　man　could　be　put　to。　　That　decided　me—I　would　give　it　up　and　try　to　follow　some　rational　occupation　among　the　people　I　knew　best；　and　to　whom　I　could　be　of　most　use。　　I　have　e　home；　and　this　is　how　I　mean　to　carry　out　my　plan。　　I　shall　keep　a　school　as　near　to　Egdon　as　possible；　so　as　to　be　able　to　walk　over　here　and　have　a　night…school　in　my　mother’s　house。　　But　I　must　study　a　little　at　first；　to　get　properly　qualified。　　Now；　neighbours；　I　must　go。”
And　Clym　resumed　his　walk　across　the　heath。　
“He’ll　never　carry　it　out　in　the　world；”　said　Fairway。
“In　a　few　weeks　he’ll　learn　to　see　things　otherwise。”
“’Tis　good…hearted　of　the　young　man；”　said　another。　
“But；　for　my　part；　I　think　he　had　better　mind　his　business。”


2　… The　New　Course　Causes　Disappointment


Yeobright　loved　his　kind。　　He　had　a　conviction　that　the　want　of　most　men　was　knowledge　of　a　sort　which　brings　wisdom　rather　than　affluence。　　He　wished　to　raise　the　class　at　the　expense　of　individuals　rather　than　individuals　at　the　expense　of　the　class。　　What　was　more；　he　was　ready　at　once　to　be　the　first　unit　sacrificed。
In　passing　from　the　bucolic　to　the　intellectual　life　the　intermediate　stages　are　usually　two　at　least；　frequently　many　more；　and　one　of　those　stages　is　almost　sure　to　be　worldly　advanced。　　We　can　hardly　imagine　bucolic　placidity　quickening　to　intellectual　aims　without　imagining　social　aims　as　the　transitional　phase。　　Yeobright’s　local　peculiarity　was　that　in　striving　at　high　thinking　he　still　cleaved　to　plain　living—nay；　wild　and　meagre　living　in　many　respects；　and　brotherliness　with　clowns。　
He　was　a　John　the　Baptist　who　took　ennoblement　rather　than　repentance　for　his　text。　　Mentally　he　was　in　a　provincial　future；　that　is；　he　was　in　many　points　abreast　with　the　central　town　thinkers　of　his　date。　　Much　of　this　development　he　may　have　owed　to　his　studious　life　in　Paris；　where　he　had　bee　acquainted　with　ethical　systems　popular　at　the　time。　
In　consequence　of　this　relatively　advanced　position；　Yeobright　might　have　been　called　unfortunate。　　The　rural　world　was　not　ripe　for　him。　　A　man　should　be　only　partially　before　his　time—to　be　pletely　to　the　vanward　in　aspirations　is　fatal　to　fame。　　Had　Philip’s　warlike　son　been　intellectually　so　far　ahead　as　to　have　attempted　civilization　without　bloodshed；　he　would　have　been　twice　the　godlike　hero　that　he　seemed；　but　nobody　would　have　heard　of　an　Alexander。　
In　the　interests　of　renown　the　forwardness　should　lie　chiefly　in　the　capacity　to　handle　things。　　Successful　propagandists　have　succeeded　because　the　doctrine　they　bring　into　form　is　that　which　their　listeners　have　for　some　time　felt　without　being　able　to　shape。　　A　man　who　advocates　aesthetic　effort　and　deprecates　social　effort　is　only　likely　to　be　understood　by　a　class　to　which　social　effort　has　bee　a　stale　matter。　　To　argue　upon　the　possibility　of　culture　before　luxury　to　the　bucolic　world　may　be　to　argue　truly；　but　it　is　an　attempt　to　disturb　a　sequence　to　which　humanity　has　been　long　accustomed。　　Yeobright　preaching　to　the　Egdon　eremites　that　they　might　rise　to　a　serene　prehensiveness　without　going　through　the　process　of　enriching　themselves　was　not　unlike　arguing　to　ancient　Chaldeans　that　in　ascending　from　earth　to　the　pure　empyrean　it　was　not　necessary　to　pass　first　into　the　intervening　heaven　of　ether。
Was　Yeobright’s　mind　well…proportioned？　　No。　A　well　proportioned　mind　is　one　which　shows　no　particular　bias；　one　of　which　we　may　safely　say　that　it　will　never　cause　its　owner　to　be　confined　as　a　madman；　tortured　as　a　heretic；　or　crucified　as　a　blasphemer。　　Also；　on　the　other　hand；　that　it　will　never　cause　him　to　be　applauded　as　a　prophet；　revered　as　a　priest；　or　exalted　as　a　king。　　Its　usual　blessings　are　happiness　and　mediocrity。　　It　produces　the　poetry　of　Rogers；　the　paintings　of　West；　the　statecraft　of　North；　the　spiritual　guidance　of　Tomline；　enabling　its　possessors　to　find　their　way　to　wealth；　to　wind　up　well；　to　step　with　dignity　off　the　stage；　to　die　fortably　in　their　beds；　and　to　get　the　decent　monument　which；　in　many　cases；　they　deserve。　　It　never　would　have　allowed　Yeobright　to　do　such　a　ridiculous　thing　as　throw　up　his　business　to　benefit　his　fellow…creatures。
He　walked　along　towards　home　without　attending　to　paths。　　If　anyone　knew　the　heath　well　it　was　Clym。　　He　was　permeated　with　its　scenes；　with　its　substance；　and　with　its　odours。　　He　might　be　said　to　be　its　product。　　His　eyes　had　first　opened　thereon；　with　its　appearance　all　the　first　images　；　of　his　memory　were　mingled；　his　estimate　of　life　had　been　coloured　by　it：　his　toys　had　been　the　flint　knives　and　arrow…heads　which　he　found　there；　wondering　why　stones　should　“grow”　to　such　odd　shapes；　his　flowers；　the　purple　bells　and　yellow　furze：　his　animal　kingdom；　the　snakes　and　croppers；　his　society；　its　human　haunters。　　Take　all　the　varying　hates　felt　by　Eustacia　Vye　towards　the　heath；　and　translate　them　into　loves；　and　you　have　the　heart　of　Clym。　　He　gazed　upon　the　wide　prospect　as　he　walked；　and　was　glad。　
To　many　persons　this　Egdon　was　a　place　which　had　slipped　out　of　its　century　generations　ago；　to　intrude　as　an　uncouth　object　into　this。　　It　was　an　obsolete　thing；　and　few　cared　to　study　it。　　How　could　this　be　otherwise　in　the　days　of　square　fields；　plashed　hedges；　and　meadows　watered　on　a　plan　so　rectangular　that　on　a　fine　day　they　looked　like　silver　gridirons？　　The　farmer；　in　his　ride；　who　could　smile　at　artificial　grasses；　look　with　solicitude　at　the　ing　corn；　and　sigh　with　sadness　at　the　fly…eaten　turnips；　bestowed　upon　the　distant　upland　of　heath　nothing　better　than　a　frown。　　But　as　for　Yeobright；　when　he　looked　from　the　heights　on　his　way　he　could　not　help　indulging　in　a　barbarous　satisfaction　at　observing　that；　in　some　of　the　attempts　at　reclamation　from　the　waste；　tillage；　after　holding　on　for　a　year　or　two；　had　receded　again　in　despair；　the　ferns　and　furze…tufts　stubbornly　reasserting　themselves。　
He　descended　into　the　valley；　and　soon　reached　his　home　at　Blooms…End。　His　mother　was　snipping　dead　leaves　from　the　window…plants。　She　looked　up　at　him　as　if　she　did　not　understand　the　meaning　of　his　long　stay　with　her；　her　face　had　worn　that　look　for　several　days。　　He　could　perceive　that　the　curiosity　which　had　been　shown　by　the　hair…cutting　group　amounted　in　his　mother　to　concern。　　But　she　had　asked　no　question　with　her　lips；　even　when　the　arrival　of　his　trunk　suggested　that　he　was　not　going　to　leave　her　soon。　　Her　silence　besought　an　explanation　of　him　more　loudly　than　words。
“I　am　not　going　back　to　Paris　again；　Mother；”　he　said。
“At　least；　in　my　old　capacity。　　I　have　given　up　the　business。”
Mrs。　Yeobright　turned　in　pained　surprise。　　“I　thought　something　was　amiss；　because　of　the　boxes。　　I　wonder　you　did　not　tell　me　sooner。”
“I　ou