an inland voyage-第20节

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ir；　from　altar　to　altar；　circumnavigating　the　church。　　To　each　　shrine　she　dedicated　an　equal　number　of　beads　and　an　equal　length　　of　time。　　Like　a　prudent　capitalist　with　a　somewhat　cynical　view　of　　the　commercial　prospect；　she　desired　to　place　her　supplications　in　　a　great　variety　of　heavenly　securities。　　She　would　risk　nothing　on　　the　credit　of　any　single　intercessor。　　Out　of　the　whole　company　of　　saints　and　angels；　not　one　but　was　to　suppose　himself　her　champion　　elect　against　the　Great　Assize！　　I　could　only　think　of　it　as　a　　dull；　transparent　jugglery；　based　upon　unconscious　unbelief。

She　was　as　dead　an　old　woman　as　ever　I　saw；　no　more　than　bone　and　　parchment；　curiously　put　together。　　Her　eyes；　with　which　she　　interrogated　mine；　were　vacant　of　sense。　　It　depends　on　what　you　　call　seeing；　whether　you　might　not　call　her　blind。　　Perhaps　she　had　　known　love：　　perhaps　borne　children；　suckled　them　and　given　them　　pet　names。　　But　now　that　was　all　gone　by；　and　had　left　her　neither　　happier　nor　wiser；　and　the　best　she　could　do　with　her　mornings　was　　to　come　up　here　into　the　cold　church　and　juggle　for　a　slice　of　　heaven。　　It　was　not　without　a　gulp　that　I　escaped　into　the　streets　　and　the　keen　morning　air。　　Morning？　why；　how　tired　of　it　she　would　　be　before　night！　and　if　she　did　not　sleep；　how　then？　　It　is　　fortunate　that　not　many　of　us　are　brought　up　publicly　to　justify　　our　lives　at　the　bar　of　threescore　years　and　ten；　fortunate　that　　such　a　number　are　knocked　opportunely　on　the　head　in　what　they　call　　the　flower　of　their　years；　and　go　away　to　suffer　for　their　follies　　in　private　somewhere　else。　　Otherwise；　between　sick　children　and　　discontented　old　folk；　we　might　be　put　out　of　all　conceit　of　life。

I　had　need　of　all　my　cerebral　hygiene　during　that　day's　paddle：　　　the　old　devotee　stuck　in　my　throat　sorely。　　But　I　was　soon　in　the　　seventh　heaven　of　stupidity；　and　knew　nothing　but　that　somebody　was　　paddling　a　canoe；　while　I　was　counting　his　strokes　and　forgetting　　the　hundreds。　　I　used　sometimes　to　be　afraid　I　should　remember　the　　hundreds；　which　would　have　made　a　toil　of　a　pleasure；　but　the　　terror　was　chimerical；　they　went　out　of　my　mind　by　enchantment；　and　　I　knew　no　more　than　the　man　in　the　moon　about　my　only　occupation。

At　Creil；　where　we　stopped　to　lunch；　we　left　the　canoes　in　another　　floating　lavatory；　which；　as　it　was　high　noon；　was　packed　with　　washerwomen；　red…handed　and　loud…voiced；　and　they　and　their　broad　　jokes　are　about　all　I　remember　of　the　place。　　I　could　look　up　my　　history…books；　if　you　were　very　anxious；　and　tell　you　a　date　or　　two；　for　it　figured　rather　largely　in　the　English　wars。　　But　I　　prefer　to　mention　a　girls'　boarding…school；　which　had　an　interest　　for　us　because　it　was　a　girls'　boarding…school；　and　because　we　　imagined　we　had　rather　an　interest　for　it。　　At　least　…　there　were　　the　girls　about　the　garden；　and　here　were　we　on　the　river；　and　　there　was　more　than　one　handkerchief　waved　as　we　went　by。　　It　　caused　quite　a　stir　in　my　heart；　and　yet　how　we　should　have　wearied　　and　despised　each　other；　these　girls　and　I；　if　we　had　been　　introduced　at　a　croquet…party！　　But　this　is　a　fashion　I　love：　　to　　kiss　the　hand　or　wave　a　handkerchief　to　people　I　shall　never　see　　again；　to　play　with　possibility；　and　knock　in　a　peg　for　fancy　to　　hang　upon。　　It　gives　the　traveller　a　jog；　reminds　him　that　he　is　　not　a　traveller　everywhere；　and　that　his　journey　is　no　more　than　a　　siesta　by　the　way　on　the　real　march　of　life。

The　church　at　Creil　was　a　nondescript　place　in　the　inside；　splashed　　with　gaudy　lights　from　the　windows；　and　picked　out　with　medallions　　of　the　Dolorous　Way。　　But　there　was　one　oddity；　in　the　way　of　an　EX　　VOTO；　which　pleased　me　hugely：　　a　faithful　model　of　a　canal　boat；　　swung　from　the　vault；　with　a　written　aspiration　that　God　should　　conduct　the　SAINT　NICOLAS　of　Creil　to　a　good　haven。　　The　thing　was　　neatly　executed；　and　would　have　made　the　delight　of　a　party　of　boys　　on　the　water…side。　　But　what　tickled　me　was　the　gravity　of　the　　peril　to　be　conjured。　　You　might　hang　up　the　model　of　a　sea…going　　ship；　and　welcome：　　one　that　is　to　plough　a　furrow　round　the　world；　　and　visit　the　tropic　or　the　frosty　poles；　runs　dangers　that　are　　well　worth　a　candle　and　a　mass。　　But　the　SAINT　NICOLAS　of　Creil；　　which　was　to　be　tugged　for　some　ten　years　by　patient　draught…　horses；　in　a　weedy　canal；　with　the　poplars　chattering　overhead；　and　　the　skipper　whistling　at　the　tiller；　which　was　to　do　all　its　　errands　in　green　inland　places；　and　never　get　out　of　sight　of　a　　village　belfry　in　all　its　cruising；　why；　you　would　have　thought　if　　anything　could　be　done　without　the　intervention　of　Providence；　it　　would　be　that！　　But　perhaps　the　skipper　was　a　humorist：　　or　perhaps　　a　prophet；　reminding　people　of　the　seriousness　of　life　by　this　　preposterous　token。

At　Creil；　as　at　Noyon；　Saint　Joseph　seemed　a　favourite　saint　on　the　　score　of　punctuality。　　Day　and　hour　can　be　specified；　and　grateful　　people　do　not　fail　to　specify　them　on　a　votive　tablet；　when　prayers　　have　been　punctually　and　neatly　answered。　　Whenever　time　is　a　　consideration；　Saint　Joseph　is　the　proper　intermediary。　　I　took　a　　sort　of　pleasure　in　observing　the　vogue　he　had　in　France；　for　the　　good　man　plays　a　very　small　part　in　my　religion　at　home。　　Yet　I　　could　not　help　fearing　that；　where　the　Saint　is　so　much　commanded　　for　exactitude；　he　will　be　expected　to　be　very　grateful　for　his　　tablet。

This　is　foolishness　to　us　Protestants；　and　not　of　great　importance　　anyway。　　Whether　people's　gratitude　for　the　good　gifts　that　come　to　　them　be　wisely　conceived　or　dutifully　expressed；　is　a　secondary　　matter；　after　all；　so　long　as　they　feel　gratitude。　　The　true　　ignorance　is　when　a　man　does　not　know　that　he　has　received　a　good　　gift；　or　begins　to　imagine　that　he　has　got　it　for　himself。　　The　　self…made　man　is　the　funniest　windbag　after　all！　　There　is　a　marked　　difference　between　decreeing　light　in　chaos；　and　lighting　the　gas　　in　a　metropolitan　back…parlour　with　a　box　of　patent　matches；　and　do　　what　we　will；　there　is　always　something　made　to　our　hand；　if　it　　were　only　our　fingers。

But　there　was　something　worse　than　foolishness　placarded　in　Creil　　Church。　　The　Association　of　the　Living　Rosary　（of　which　I　had　never　　previously　heard）　is　responsible　for　that。　　This　Association　was　　founded；　according　to　the　printed　advertisement；　by　a　brief　of　Pope　　Gregory　Sixteenth；　on　the　17th　of　January　1832：　　according　to　a　　coloured　bas…relief；　it　seems　to　have　been　founded；　sometime　other；　　by　the　Virgin　giving　one　rosary　to　Saint　Dominic；　and　the　Infant　　Saviour　giving　another　to　Saint　Catharine　of　Siena。　　Pope　Gregory　　is　not　so　imposing；　but　he　is　nearer　hand。　　I　could　not　distinctly　　make　out　whether　the　Association　was　entirely　devotional；　or　had　an　　eye　to　good　works；　at　least　it　is　highly　organised：　　the　names　of　　fourteen　matrons　and　misses　were　filled　in　for　each　week　of　the　　month　as　associates；　with　one　other；　generally　a　married　woman；　at　　the　top　for　ZELATRICE：　　the　leader　of　the　band。　　Indulgences；　　plenary　and　partial；　follow　on　the　performance　of　the　duties　of　the　　Association。　　'The　partial　indulgences　are　attached　to　the　　recitation　of　the　rosary。'　　On　'the　recitation　of　the　required　　DIZAINE；'　a　partial　indulgence　promptly　follows。　　When　people　serve　　the　kingdom　of　heaven　with　a　pass…book　in　their　hands；　I　should　　always　be　afraid　lest　they　should　carry　the　same　commercial　spirit　　into　their　dealings　with　their　fellow…men；　which　would　make　a　sad　　and　sordid　business　of　this　life。

There　is　one　more　article；　however；　of　happier　import。　　'All　these　　indulgences；'　it　appeared；　'are　applicable　to　souls　in　purgatory。'　　　For　God's　sake；　ye　ladies　of　Creil；　apply　them　all　to　the　souls　in　　purgatory　without　delay！　　Burns　would　take　no　hire　for　his　last　　songs；　preferring　to　serve　his　country　out　of　unmixed　love。　　　Suppose　you　were　to　imitate　the　exciseman；　mesdames；　and　even　if　　the　souls　in　purgatory　were　not　greatly　bettered；　some　souls　in　　Creil　upon　the　Oise　would　find　themselves　none　the　worse　either　　here　or　hereafter。

I　cannot　help　wondering；　as　I　transcribe　these　notes；　whether　a　　Protestant　born　and　bred　is　in　a　fit　state　to　understand　these　　signs；　and　do　them　what　justice　they　deserve；　and　I　cannot　help　　answering　that　he　is　not。　　They　cannot　look　so　merely　ugly　and　mean　　to　the　faithful　as　they　do　to　me。　　I　see　that　as　clearly　as　a　　proposition　in　Euclid。　　For　these　believers　are　neither　weak　nor　　wicked。　　They　can　put　up　their　tablet　commanding　Saint　Joseph　for　　his　despatch；　as　if　he　were　still　a　village　carpenter；　they　can　　'recite　the　required　DIZAINE；'　and　metaphorically　pocket　the　　indulgence；　as　if　they　had　done　a　job　for　Heaven；　and　then　they　can　　go　out　and　look　down　unabashed　upon　this　wonderful　river　flowing　　by；　and　up　without　confusion　at　the　pin…point　stars；　which　are　　themselves　great　worlds　full　of　flowing　rivers　greater　than　the　　Oise。　　I　see　it　as　plainly；　I　say；　as　a　proposition　in　Euclid；　that　　my　Protestant　mind　has　missed　the　point；　and　that　there　goes　with　　these　deformities　some　higher　and　more　religious　spirit　than　I　　dream。

I　wonder　if　other　people　would　make　the　same　allowances　for　me！　　　Like　the　ladies　of　Creil；　having　recited　my　ro