登陆注册
4708600000148

第148章

I must now, shortly--as shortly as it is in my power to do it--introduce a new character to my reader. Mention has been made of the rectory of Greshamsbury; but, hitherto, no opportunity has offered itself for the Rev Caleb Oriel to come upon the boards.

Mr Oriel was a man of family and fortune, who, having gone to Oxford with the usual views of such men, had become inoculated there with very High-Church principles, and had gone into orders influenced by a feeling of enthusiastic love for the priesthood. He was by no means an ascetic--such men, indeed, seldom are--nor was he a devotee. He was a man well able, and certainly willing to do the work of a parish clergyman; and when he became one, he was efficacious in his profession. But it may perhaps be said of him, without speaking slanderously, that his original calling, as a young man, was rather to the outward and visible signs of religion than to its inward and spiritual graces.

He delighted in lecterns and credence-tables, in services at dark hours of winter mornings when no one would attend, in high waistcoats and narrow white neckties, in chanted services and intoned prayers, and in all the paraphernalia of Anglican formalities which have given such offence to those of our brethren who live in daily fear of the scarlet lady. Many of his friends declared that Mr Oriel would sooner or later deliver himself over body and soul to that lady; but there was no need to fear for him: for though sufficiently enthusiastic to get out of bed at five am on winter mornings--he did so, at least, all through his first winter at Greshamsbury--he was not made of that stuff which is necessary for a staunch, burning, self-denying convert. It was not in him to change his very sleek black coat for a Capuchin's filthy cassock, nor his pleasant parsonage for some dirty hole in Rome. And it was better so both for him and others. There are but few, very few, to whom it is given to be a Huss, a Wickliffe, or a Luther; and a man gains but little by being a false Huss, or a false Luther,--and his neighbours gain less.

But certain lengths in self-privation Mr Oriel did go; at any rate, for some time. He eschewed matrimony, imagining that it became him as a priest to do so. He fasted rigorously on Fridays; and the neighbours declared that he scourged himself.

Mr Oriel was, it has been said, a man of fortune; that is to say, when he came of age he was master of thirty thousand pounds. When he took it into his head to go into the Church, his friends bought for him the next presentation to the living at Greshamsbury; and, a year after his ordination, the living falling in, Mr Oriel brought himself and his sister to the rectory.

Mr Oriel soon became popular. He was a dark-haired, good-looking man, of polished manners, agreeable in society, not given to monkish austerities--except in the matter of Fridays--nor yet to the Low-Church severity of demeanour. He was thoroughly a gentleman, good-humoured, inoffensive, and sociable. But he had one fault: he was not a marrying man.

On this ground there was a feeling against him so strong as almost at one time to throw him into serious danger. It was not only that he should be sworn against matrimony in his individual self--he whom fate had made so able to sustain the weight of a wife and family; but what an example he was setting! If other clergymen all around should declare against wives and families, what was to become of the country?

What was to be done in the rural districts? The religious observances, as regards women, of a Brigham Young were hardly so bad as this!

There were around Greshamsbury very many unmarried ladies--I believe there generally are so round must such villages. From the great house he did not receive much annoyance. Beatrice was then only just on the verge of being brought out, and was not perhaps inclined to think very much of a young clergyman; and Augusta certainly intended to fly at higher game. But there were the Miss Athelings, the daughters of a neighbouring clergyman, who were ready to go all lengths with him in High-Church matters, except as that one tremendously papal step of celibacy; and the two Miss Hesterwells, of Hesterwell Park, the younger of whom boldly declared her purpose of civilizing the savage; and Mrs Opie Green, a very pretty widow, with a very pretty jointure, who lived in a very pretty house about a mile from Greshamsbury, and who declared her opinion that Mr Oriel was quite right in his view of a clergyman's position. How could a woman, situated as she was, have the comfort of a clergyman's attention if he were to be regarded just as any other man? She could now know in what light to regard Mr Oriel, and would be able without scruple to avail herself of his zeal. So she did avail herself of his zeal,--and that without any scruple.

And then there was Miss Gushing,--a young thing. Miss Gushing had a great advantage over the other competitors for the civilization of Mr Oriel, namely, in this--that she was able to attend his morning services. If Mr Oriel was to be reached in any way, it was probable that he might be reached in this way. If anything could civilize him, this would do it. Therefore, the young thing, through all one long, tedious winter, tore herself from her warm bed, and was to be seen--no, not seen, but heard--entering Mr Oriel's church at six o'clock. With indefatigable assiduity the responses were made, uttered from under a close bonnet, and out of a dark corner, in an enthusiastically feminine voice, through the whole winter.

同类推荐
  • 林忠宣公全集

    林忠宣公全集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 古文关键

    古文关键

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Cousin Betty

    Cousin Betty

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Complete Poetical Works

    Complete Poetical Works

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 乡饮酒礼

    乡饮酒礼

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 人生旅途

    人生旅途

    以诗为经,是我们先祖的精神起点。远在春秋战国时代,我们的祖先就已经在马车牛背上唱诵《诗经》了。中华民族经历史长河的淘洗,历尽繁华与沧桑,希望“以诗为经”依然是现在的我们挣脱物欲束缚的起点,更是我们追求心灵栖居地的目标。
  • 师父求你放过我吧

    师父求你放过我吧

    她是一只十六尾狐,在青丘几亿年出一位十六尾狐,她的家族世世代代是九尾狐。她成年后上昆仑山拜师,他和她纠缠三生三世的故事
  • 庶女皇后要革命

    庶女皇后要革命

    刚一穿越就被皇帝临幸,才发现自己只不过是个工具;他的爱让她沉沦,却发现一切只是一个骗局;“我在你眼里,真的只不过是一个替身吗?”看着他,眼睛里充满了绝望;自作聪明,一时大意,受人蛊惑,差点万劫不复;多年后,凤凰涅槃,卷土重来,娇媚的女人笑靥如花,眼眸带狠。“和妃,当初你利用我的孩子登上皇后之位,怎么上去的,你就怎么给我下来!”“太后,当年你把我的孩子送给别人,赶尽杀绝,今天我也要让你尝尝骨肉分离的滋味……”“岳楚凌,当初你把我当成替身宠爱,然后弃之如敝屣,今天我要让你付出代价……”“你之所以回来就是为了报复么?”看着满目苍凉,他痛心地询问;嘴角上扬,微微一笑∶“你觉得呢?”情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 黄道录

    黄道录

    心潮澎湃,无限幻想,迎风挥击千层浪,少年不败热血!
  • 男神攻略:快穿女配不炮灰

    男神攻略:快穿女配不炮灰

    新文《兔兔小妖妻:顾少,你碰我尾巴了》在云起书院同步更新,希望大家多多支持,求关注求收藏求票票么么哒总有刁民想害朕,总有女配被炮灰戚尺素,灵魂摆渡人四十九任,她的目的就是让女配不炮灰!只是,为什么每个任务总有那么一个人,如影随形……本来是个傲娇的老太君,在不断穿越各个世界的过程中,在暴力和节操变成渣的道路上越走越远。有人欺负?揍他!有人侮辱?扁他!有人是变态,在大庭广众啪啪啪?在哪儿,快带我去看看,我要发朋友圈!戚尺素哪儿想到,原来选她做灵魂摆渡人都是有阴谋的,某个男人对她的阴谋。戚尺素:你到底是谁?为什么总跟着我?某男(眨巴眨巴眼睛):娘子,我是你的亲亲相公呀,为什么娘子不认识我了捏。
  • 软萌甜妻:总裁心尖宝

    软萌甜妻:总裁心尖宝

    重生归来的温弯弯,以为自己就要拳打白莲,脚踢绿茶,大杀四方,但是万万没想到,总裁大人傅沥琛替她干掉了所有敌人。毫无用武之地的温弯弯只好抱紧了这根金大腿,总裁大人:“累吗?要不要我抱你?”*你的出现,是满足我所有梦的钥匙。佛系女主X九亿少女的梦男主;谈恋爱为主。甜甜腻腻。(点收藏解救单机作者~来呀~收藏呀~)
  • 佛说金刚三昧本性清净不坏不灭经

    佛说金刚三昧本性清净不坏不灭经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 国产英雄

    国产英雄

    王焱同志:在2015年度“华东地区超能者违纪三项全面整治”、“热火朝天大干一百天再争辉煌”、“孤寡女妖送温暖”、“人妖和平共处知识全面普及”等专项工作中,表现优异,成绩突出。荣获‘先进个人’称号,特发此状,以资鼓励。--国非局华东分局王焱先生:鉴于阁下在打击“跨国超能者邪恶组织”,以及维稳“女妖国际紫荆花联盟”等事件中,发挥了积极重要的作用,维护了世界和平。充分展现了世界范围内,官方超能者联合执法体系的优越性以及必要性。特授予阁下“世界十大杰出超能者青年”的荣誉称号,特发此状,以资鼓励。--世界各大经济体官方超能者组织联合会(主角性格积极,助人为乐,充满正能量。人物鲜活生动,剧情设计畅快淋漓,曲折变化连本文作者自己都被震惊了!好书!)
  • 摩利支菩萨略念诵法

    摩利支菩萨略念诵法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 邻居男友莫傲慢

    邻居男友莫傲慢

    许暮歌从来不信缘分,偏偏陆昀深就是一个深受缘分驱使的人。他们在虚拟世界里相识,在现实世界里相遇,可却是相逢对面不相识。同在鹦鹉洲公寓18楼的两人,成了对门的邻居,从一开始的相互看不顺眼,经由台风做媒放下了彼此的芥蒂。某女吃饱喝足后倚在厨房门口调戏某男,“陆昀深,没想到你还是美男大厨,真是,人不可貌相,入得厨房、出得厅堂、带得出门、能挤地铁......你可愿意租借出售,我恰好缺一个男友,近水楼台先得月,我能不能先摘了你?”某男低着头认真洗着碗,头也不回地应了一句,“真巧,我也缺了一个女朋友,冰箱里的酸奶全归你了,消灭了再来谈条件。”