登陆注册
4714100000008

第8章

Having easily said what, in those early years, I did not read, Ihave great difficulty in saying what I did read. But a queer variety of natural history, some of it quite indigestible by my undeveloped mind; many books of travels, mainly of a scientific character, among them voyages of discovery in the South Seas, by which my brain was dimly filled with splendour; some geography and astronomy, both of them sincerely enjoyed; much theology, which I desired to appreciate but could never get my teeth into (if I may venture to say so), and over which my eye and tongue learned to slip without penetrating, so that I would read, and read aloud, and with great propriety of emphasis, page after page without having formed an idea or retained an expression. There was, for instance, a writer on prophecy called Jukes, of whose works each of my parents was inordinately fond, and I was early set to read Jukes aloud to them. I did it glibly, like a machine, but the sight of Jukes' volumes became an abomination to me, and I never formed the outline of a notion what they were about.

Later on, a publication called The Penny Cyclopaedia became my daily, and for a long time almost my sole study; to the subject of this remarkable work I may presently return.

It is difficult to keep anything like chronological order in recording fragments of early recollection, and in speaking of my reading I have been led too far ahead. My memory does not, practically, begin till we returned from certain visits, made with a zoological purpose, to the shores of Devon and Dorset, and settled, early in my fifth year, in a house at Islington, in the north of London. Our circumstances were now more easy; my Father had regular and well-paid literary work; and the house was larger and more comfortable than ever before, though still very simple and restricted. My memories, some of which are exactly dated by certain facts, now become clear and almost abundant. What I do not remember, except from having it very often repeated to me, is what may be considered the only 'clever' thing that I said during an otherwise unillustrious childhood. It was not startlingly 'clever', but it may pass. A lady--when I was just four--rather injudiciously showed me a large print of a human skeleton, saying, 'There! you don't know what that is, do you?'

Upon which, immediately and very archly, I replied, 'Isn't it a man with the meat off?' This was thought wonderful, and, as it is supposed that I had never had the phenomenon explained to me, it certainly displays some quickness in seizing an analogy. I had often watched my Father, while he soaked the flesh off the bones of fishes and small mammals. If I venture to repeat this trifle, it is only to point out that the system on which I was being educated deprived all things, human life among the rest, of their mystery. The 'bare-grinning skeleton of death' was to me merely a prepared specimen of that featherless plantigrade vertebrate, 'homo sapiens'.

As I have said that this anecdote was thought worth repeating, Iought to proceed to say that there was, so far as I can recollect, none of that flattery of childhood which is so often merely a backhanded way of indulging the vanity of parents. My Mother, indeed, would hardly have been human if she had not occasionally entertained herself with the delusion that her solitary duckling was a cygnet. This my Father did not encourage, remarking, with great affection, and chucking me under the chin, that I was 'a nice little ordinary boy'. My Mother, stung by this want of appreciation, would proceed so far as to declare that she believed that in future times the F.R.S, would be chiefly known as his son's father! (This is a pleasantry frequent in professional families.)To this my Father, whether convinced or not, would make no demur, and the couple would begin to discuss, in my presence, the direction which my shining talents would take. In consequence of my dedication to 'the Lord's Service', the range of possibilities was much restricted. My Father, who had lived long in the Tropics, and who nursed a perpetual nostalgia for 'the little lazy isles where the trumpet-orchids blow', leaned towards the field of missionary labour. My Mother, who was cold about foreign missions, preferred to believe that I should be the Charles Wesley of my age, 'or perhaps', she had the candour to admit, 'merely the George Whitefield'. I cannot recollect the time when I did not understand that I was going to be a minister of the Gospel.

It is so generally taken for granted that a life strictly dedicated to religion is stiff and dreary, that I may have some difficulty in persuading my readers that, as a matter of fact, in these early days of my childhood, before disease and death had penetrated to our slender society, we were always cheerful and often gay. My parents were playful with one another, and there were certain stock family jests which seldom failed to enliven the breakfast table. My Father and Mother lived so completely in the atmosphere of faith, and were so utterly convinced of their intercourse with God, that, so long as that intercourse was not clouded by sin, to which they were delicately sensitive, they could afford to take the passing hour very lightly. They would even, to a certain extent, treat the surroundings of their religion as a subject of jest, joking very mildly and gently about such things as an attitude at prayer or the nature of a supplication. They were absolutely indifferent to forms. They prayed, seated in their chairs, as willingly as, reversed, upon their knees; no ritual having any significance for them. My Mother was sometimes extremely gay, laughing with a soft, merry sound. What I have since been told of the guileless mirth of nuns in a convent has reminded me of the gaiety of my parents during my early childhood.

So long as I was a mere part of them, without individual existence, and swept on, a satellite, in their atmosphere, I was mirthful when they were mirthful, and grave when they were grave.

同类推荐
  • 圣武亲征录

    圣武亲征录

    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。
  • 抗志

    抗志

    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。
  • 救伤秘旨

    救伤秘旨

    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。
  • 前汉纪

    前汉纪

    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。
  • 龙虚篇

    龙虚篇

    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
  • 妖娆嫡女惑天下

    妖娆嫡女惑天下

    前世她收敛锋芒,帮他一步步走向人生巅峰。结果也因他而成为过街人人喊打的“被小三”。今生在这个男子为尊的古代,女子只是附属品,又何谈爱情,只怪自己太傻,现在撕开爱情的伪善,冷心薄情,宁与青灯为伴,孤老一生。停,停,停,某女主:“说好的江湖呢?我的武侠梦呢?怎么变成凄惨悲情的故事了,重新写……”总而言之,这就是一个女子追寻武侠梦,顺便捞了一个金主的热血女强文。【小剧场之一】“你这一身紫衣,天天穿不腻吗?”“你不知道江湖上如何称呼我吗?音刹紫衣,我这一换行头,破坏的是我好不容易在江湖上积累的形象,懂不!”司徒明静掏掏耳朵,“我的意思是,你衣服右边袖口上有一块污渍,这是得多久没洗衣服了?”……【小剧场之二】一个漆黑的夜晚,一只黑影从窗口跳进司徒明静的房间,唰地一声,被一阵掌风刮倒在窗外大树上。黑影无奈,喊道:“静儿,是我……”司徒明静揉了揉眼睛,道,“我还以为是一只猫呢。”黑影:“……”司徒明静继续道,“有门你不进,非得爬窗,你说你好好换着人不做,却要做猫,何苦呢?”黑影吐血怒吼道:“是谁说过的戌时不准找你!”
  • 五代史补

    五代史补

    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。
  • 大明奇女子

    大明奇女子

    21世纪女局长一梦回到崇祯年间,面对风雨飘摇的大明朝,她紧紧围绕“粮食、军队、人心”这条主线,坚定地踏上拯救末世崇祯之路。她保家卫国散尽家财,被大明王朝封为一品忠义夫人;她对蒙古贵族宣言:“我不嫁,你不娶,给我千里江山为聘!”她翻云覆雨让崇祯这“亡国之君”成为“中兴之主”;她不惑之年再穿嫁衣,促进汉满蒙融合……一代枭雄与她相识于微末,三年家人般相处,十二年离离合合,最后危难关头,为卿放下刀兵,双双隐退苦寒之地,促成大明天下一统。且看一代奇女子柳心的史诗般人生,且看一段荡气回肠的爱情传奇......--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • UFO未解之谜

    UFO未解之谜

    从19世纪以来,世界各地不断地出现目击不明飞行物(英文缩写为UFO)的报道或传闻,特别是20世纪50年代有空间科学以来,“UFO”、“飞碟”、“外星人”的目击事件与日俱增。在这些报道中,UFO像是“幽灵”一样出没于地球的空域。随着宇宙科学的发展,人们愈来愈关切在茫茫的大宇宙中,除了地球人之外,究竟有没有“外星人”,或者说是否存在地外智慧生命?如果说“有”,他(她)们究竟是什么模样?生活在宇宙的何方?地球人应怎样寻找他(她)们呢?
  • 懒情女主

    懒情女主

    哎呀,死了!重生了!到古代了!当大小姐了!封建社会啊,没权没势怎么活?哎呀,砸了青楼啦!当街抢了男人了!咱上头有人,我是流氓我怕谁?哎呀,画了本漫画疯抢了!写了本小说流行了!咱出名啦!!!哎呀,上辈子少爹疼缺娘爱,这辈子爹娘疼爱,兄长关怀!嗯,嗯,既然借了这身子重活一会,那咱就好好孝敬爹娘关爱兄长,那咱就逍遥生活阖家欢乐!只是——怎么捡个男人却是个教主,抢个男人竟是个王爷,砸个青楼还粘上个风流神医?……且看咱现代女杀手穿越成为古代大小姐,她会变个什么样的人?且看咱现代著明艳情小说家穿越到古代后,会怎么生活?且看咱现代鸭店老板穿越到古代是否还会开鸭店?你有看到过当杀手的作家吗?木有。所以很惨,明子死了,然后穿越了,不过她点气好,穿过去就当大小姐,所以,当向往平淡生活的明子穿越成为李明儿后,她会怎么生活呢,她的生活是真的趋于平淡还是多姿多彩呢?…………………◆◆片段一“……”看着对面张狂的女人,呃,很烦,因为她很吵。明子打个哈欠,“春芽,关门,放小白。”“汪汪汪……”一只浑身通黑毛色锃亮的藏獒冲了去来。“啊……”“咚”晕了。安静了,世界真美好,生活多美妙!◆◆片段二“你要和我抢这个男人?”“哎呀,不好意思啊,我会不和你抢的。来人啊,扛了回府。”明子挥着手身后出来六个壮汉,扛着地上的男人转身就走。“你……,把人给我放下,你知道我是谁吗?”“不好意思,你是谁我不赶兴趣,我现在只对他有兴趣。拜拜!”转身潇洒地离开。◆◆片段三“来人啊,给我砸,狠狠地砸,砸坏了算她的。”明子指挥着众人。呃,算谁的?顺着手示看去,哦,原来是算老鸨的啊,那就砸吧。…………囧,简介无能,文文精彩,慢热文,本文宠文,帅男多多,轻松小白,亲们可以跳坑啦!!此作是淼一时抽风下的产物,本文不出意外应该是np文,所以,对于不喜欢NP文的亲们,淼在此表示很不好意思,但,可以预定下一本吧,现言的一对一,嘿嘿…………………………特此介绍淼的完结文《重生之老公要从小养成》睡梦中也能重生?嗯,事情就是这样发生的。重生回到六岁的自己的身上,那咱就要从小励志好好学习,没事帮老爸种种瓜,帮老妈赚赚钱,帮家里托托贫,再去找到小时候的老公,从小培养。嗯,嗯,不错,一定要把他变成理想中的完美好男人,完美好老公。◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆好友文文:《首领小夫人》景行《盛世军婚》逐云之巅
  • 中国历代庙堂文化故事

    中国历代庙堂文化故事

    了解寺庙的历史,我们可从中领会到佛界的神秘传说;了解寺庙的文化内涵,我们可领略历代文人墨客的别样情怀。还有那关于寺庙的美丽传说,所有的爱恨情仇,最终在佛的宽容中得到升华。
  • 倾城王妃误君心

    倾城王妃误君心

    出生时间被写错竟然要她来一次穿越之旅,这未免也太离谱了吧?原本以为古代生活会很是不错,可谁知竟然发生了那么多翻天覆地的变化,她究竟该如何选择呢?“王爷,你可否告诉我?”
  • 十万个为什么

    十万个为什么

    包罗万象、融合古今,向儿童们展示了一个色彩斑斓的知识世界,《十万个为什么》启发儿童积极思考、大胆想象,充分发挥自己的智慧和创造力;《十万个为什么》引领儿童渴望求知,让他们在求知路上快乐前行!
  • 我在回忆里等你

    我在回忆里等你

    他有穷困的童年,没有为爱痴狂的勇气,她有最灿烂的笑容,没有对残酷现实的感同身受。所以他和她,有最伤感的幸福,只期待在回忆的尽头相遇。从他成为她家养子的那一天起,他只会亦步亦趋,不会有哪怕一步的逾矩,却为了她,瞒天过海,偷尝爱神无意间洒落的丝丝甘甜,就算饮鸩止渴,也甘之若饴。而在那最最甜蜜的往昔啊,他却没有说过一句“我爱你”……他和她在一起,有一种孤零零的温暖,好像在失落的世界里相依为命,只有彼此,不可替代。而她却在最爱的时候离开,一去七年。时光不可倒流,所以最动人的誓言不是“我爱你”,而是“在一起”。
  • 限制级宠婚:再生一个宝

    限制级宠婚:再生一个宝

    狂拽霸气尊贵倨傲的特种作战部队头领肖凛,号称‘两不’!‘不近人情’以及‘不近女色’!作为红到发紫粉丝众多的金马奖影后池蓝表示不能理解‘不近女色’四字。因为……这个怎么都吃不饱的男人是怎么回事?!春夏秋冬东南西北,肖凛对池蓝的执着,乐此不疲。乖,再生一个宝!--情节虚构,请勿模仿