登陆注册
4808500000053

第53章 THE FLAG OF THEIR COUNTRY.(6)

In a few colorless words, the Head introduced the speaker and sat down amid applause. When Mr. Martin took the applause to himself, they naturally applauded more than ever. It was some time before be could begin. He had no knowledge of the school--its tradition or heritage. He did not know that the last census showed that eighty per cent. of the boys had been born abroad--in camp, cantonment, or upon the high seas; or that seventy-five per cent. were sons of officers in one or other of the services--Willoughbys, Paulets, De Castros, Maynes, Randalls, after their kind--looking to follow their fathers' profession. The Head might have told him this, and much more; but, after an hour-long dinner in his company, the Head decided to say nothing whatever. Mr. Raymond Martin seemed to know so much already.

He plunged into his speech with a long-drawn, rasping "Well, boys," that, though they were not conscious of it, set every young nerve ajar. He supposed they knew--hey?--what he had come down for? It was not often that he had an opportunity to talk to boys. He supposed that boys were very much the same kind of persons--some people thought them rather funny persons--as they had been in his youth.

"This man," said McTurk, with conviction, "is _the_ Gadarene Swine."But they must remember that they would not always be boys. They would grow up into men, because the boys of to-day made the men of to-morrow, and upon the men of to-morrow the fair fame of their glorious native land depended.

"If this goes on, my beloved 'earers, it will be my painful duty to rot this bargee." Stalky drew a long breath through his nose.

"Can't do that," said McTurk. "He ain't chargin' anything for his Romeo."And so they ought to think of the duties and responsibilities of the life that was opening before them. Life was not all--he enumerated a few games, and, that nothing might be lacking to the sweep and impact of his fall, added "marbles." "Yes, life was not," he said, "all marbles."There was one tense gasp--among the juniors almost a shriek--of quivering horror, he was a heathen--an outcast---beyond the extremest pale of toleration--self-damned before all men. Stalky bowed his head in his hands. McTurk, with a bright and cheerful eye, drank in every word, and Beetle nodded solemn approval.

Some of them, doubtless, expected in a few years to have the honor of a commission from the Queen, and to wear a sword. Now, he himself had had some experience of these duties, as a Major in a volunteer regiment, and he was glad to learn that they had established a volunteer corps in their midst. The establishment of such an establishment conduced to a proper and healthy spirit, which, if fostered, would be of great benefit to the land they loved and were so proud to belong to. Some of those now present expected, he had no doubt--some of them anxiously looked forward to leading their men against the bullets of England's foes; to confronting the stricken field in all the pride of their youthful manhood.

Now the reserve of a boy is tenfold deeper than the reserve of a maid, she being made for one end only by blind Nature, but man for several. With a large and healthy hand, he tore down these veils, and trampled them under the well-intentioned feet of eloquence. In a raucous voice, he cried aloud little matters, like the hope of Honor and the dream of Glory, that boys do not discuss even with their most intimate equals, cheerfully assuming that, till he spoke, they had never considered these possibilities. He pointed them to shining goals, with fingers which smudged out all radiance on all horizons. He profaned the most secret places of their souls with outcries and gesticulations, he bade them consider the deeds of their ancestors in such a fashion that they were flushed to their tingling ears. Some of them--the rending voice cut a frozen stillness--might have had relatives who perished in defence of their country. They thought, not a few of them, of an old sword in a passage, or above a breakfast-room table, seen and fingered by stealth since they could walk. He adjured them to emulate those illustrious examples; and they looked all ways in their extreme discomfort.

Their years forbade them even to shape their thoughts clearly to themselves. They felt savagely that they were being outraged by a fat man who considered marbles a game.

同类推荐
  • 华严经行愿品疏

    华严经行愿品疏

    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。
  • Myth, Ritual, and Religion-1

    Myth, Ritual, and Religion-1

    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。
  • 天厨禁脔

    天厨禁脔

    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。
  • 阿毗达磨顺正理论

    阿毗达磨顺正理论

    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。
  • 三衣显正图

    三衣显正图

    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
  • 马化腾:领跑互联网

    马化腾:领跑互联网

    本书以腾讯的企业发展史为主轴,将马化腾的成功管理思维一一加以剖析展示,以让读者全面了解他是如何修身、用人、经营、创新、开拓、竞争、打造品牌的。由此,也希望为创业者、管理者和职场经理人走向成功提供一个样本,并让自己的理念得到洗礼、思想得到升华、境界得到提升。阅读马化腾,更能学到“具有中国特色”的商业智慧。
  • 独宠千年之傲妃重袭

    独宠千年之傲妃重袭

    当清晨的第一缕阳光射向这片大地的时候,夜晚的宁静便被打破。阳光与清晨的露珠一起在叶梢舞蹈,使这片本是让人闻风丧胆的森林染上了一层温暖的橘红光晕。天空逐渐明亮,越来越热烈的光芒努力地想要透过叶缝照向下面的土地,奈何层层叠叠的树叶如同一张天然的帷幕,固执地让大地与天空隔绝。本该是虫儿懒洋洋晒着太阳哼着歌儿的森林中却安静得连风吹的声音都听得见,让人心中平添无数恐惧。远……
  • 庶妃当道之王爷请自重

    庶妃当道之王爷请自重

    ‘女子无才便是德’这般古代女子的传统美德,用在她的身上是再恰当不过了。随嫡姐出嫁,嫡姐为妻,她为妾!原以为将自己窝在这深深宅院里,不争不斗,自可保得一身安稳,却不知,在女人间的尔虞我诈中,她最终成为了嫡姐保命的牺牲品……一朝睁眼,当她成为了她,且看她如何在这异世混得风生水起!嫡姐利用,她让她惹祸上身!妾氏陷害,她教她们互相残杀……王爷冷淡,她不屑!“来来来,都坐下,站着吃饭会腰疼!”别以为这是当家主母,这是咱们嚣张腹黑的女主庶妾...
  • 你是我的忧伤

    你是我的忧伤

    从小,苏安禾就把古溪当做自己的偶像,崇拜着他,爱慕着他。那个时候,她总是简单的以为她与古溪能一直幸福下去。上了大学后,遇见了严格,一个阳光帅气的男孩,带给她莫名的幸福,突如其来的感动,终于打动了她,两个人手牵手的幸福。毕业前夕,苏安禾知道了古溪身患重病,内心的挣扎,她不知道该何去何从?从此以后,苏安禾只身一人承受着所有的痛苦和忧伤,古溪的病情,严格的误解,让她悲伤到快要窒息。对古溪,到底是亲情还是爱情?严格,我们是否还能继续走下去?她的幸福,又在哪里呢?
  • 仙魔同修

    仙魔同修

    误碰太古之器,普通少年林昊穿越至修行界,修至尊古体,获混沌本源,夺天地造化,炼万古天罡,铸就无上仙识……
  • 农门丑妇

    农门丑妇

    盼儿死了又活了,上辈子她又傻又丑,被婆家扫地出门,活活冻死在破庙里,这辈子她回到了母亲临死之前,眉心多了一汪活泉,能做的事情就更多了,最起码她会过的比上辈子好,活出个人样来。一句话简介:一个“贪慕虚荣”的女人嫁入高门的故事。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • NLP沟通术(蓝狮子经理人016)

    NLP沟通术(蓝狮子经理人016)

    你是否遇到过这样的情况:周末假期,你到一间法国餐厅用餐,隔天告诉朋友:“我昨天去吃了法国菜,超好吃!”但朋友的反应却是“你好奢侈”“你为什么都不叫我”,结果各自扫兴。要改变这种情况,沟通的双方都必须“说出对方可以懂的话”。本期介绍的NLP沟通术,便是针对读者每天在职场、日常生活中常见的沟通问题,帮助读者在最短的时间内“找出沟通对象能听懂的表达方式”,进而让对方与自己的认知一致,最终达成无障碍的沟通。
  • 本宫天下第一

    本宫天下第一

    她被迫出嫁,做了那至尊的皇后。成亲当夜,他说:“你休想得到朕一点宠爱。”她笑道:“皇上算个什么东西,宠爱更加一文不值,臣妾只要权力。”与太后斗,其乐无穷。与宫妃斗,津津有味。与亲妹斗,不屑一顾。嘴炮又毒舌,怼遍天下谁不怕。谁都想不到皇后娘娘还有脸两幅面孔,遇见桓将军红脸低头一个字都说不出来。
  • 为符

    为符

    现代女佣兵任务死亡后重生在异界,这个以符箓为主的大陆上,姬家只是一个小家族。将自己视作废物的父亲:“你还知道回来?养你这么个废物我是让你出去丢人现眼的吗?”姬奴上:“我废物还不是遗传你的,你怎么不说是你太废物都不能给我一个好的天赋。”炼符,改符阵,升级,契约宠物,更重要的是,这一路自己身后的某个人形挂件:“奴上,你看我这么帅又这么聪明还温柔体贴,不如你就从了我吧。”
  • 金光明经玄义拾遗记

    金光明经玄义拾遗记

    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。