登陆注册
5220400000007

第7章

A female servant had attended us,in order to take care that we came to no mischief:she,however,it seems,had matters of her own to attend to,and,allowing us to go where we listed,remained in one corner of a field,in earnest conversation with a red-coated dragoon.Now it chanced to be blackberry time,and the two children wandered under the hedges,peering anxiously among them in quest of that trash so grateful to urchins of their degree.We did not find much of it,however,and were soon separated in the pursuit.All at once Istood still,and could scarcely believe my eyes.I had come to a spot where,almost covering the hedge,hung clusters of what seemed fruit-deliciously-tempting fruit-something resembling grapes of various colours,green,red,and purple.Dear me,thought I,how fortunate!yet have I a right to gather it?is it mine?for the observance of the law of MEUM and TUUM had early been impressed upon my mind,and I entertained,even at that tender age,the utmost horror for theft;so I stood staring at the variegated clusters,in doubt as to what I should do.I know not how I argued the matter in my mind;the temptation,however,was at last too strong for me,so I stretched forth my hand and ate.I remember,perfectly well,that the taste of this strange fruit was by no means so pleasant as the appearance;but the idea of eating fruit was sufficient for a child,and,after all,the flavour was much superior to that of sour apples,so I ate voraciously.How long Icontinued eating I scarcely know.One thing is certain,that Inever left the field as I entered it,being carried home in the arms of the dragoon in strong convulsions,in which I continued for several hours.About midnight I awoke,as if from a troubled sleep,and beheld my parents bending over my couch,whilst the regimental surgeon,with a candle in his hand,stood nigh,the light feebly reflected on the whitewashed walls of the barrack-room.

Another circumstance connected with my infancy,and I have done.Ineed offer no apology for relating it,as it subsequently exercised considerable influence over my pursuits.We were,if I remember right,in the vicinity of a place called Hythe,in Kent.One sweet evening,in the latter part of summer,our mother took her two little boys by the hand,for a wander about the fields.In the course of our stroll we came to the village church;an old,gray-headed sexton stood in the porch,who,perceiving that we were strangers,invited us to enter.We were presently in the interior,wandering about the aisles,looking on the walls,and inspecting the monuments of the notable dead.I can scarcely state what we saw;how should I?I was a child not yet four years old,and yet Ithink I remember the evening sun streaming in through a stained window upon the dingy mahogany pulpit,and flinging a rich lustre upon the faded tints of an ancient banner.And now once more we were outside the building,where,against the wall,stood a low-eaved pent-house,into which we looked.It was half filled with substances of some kind,which at first looked like large gray stones.The greater part were lying in layers;some,however,were seen in confused and mouldering heaps,and two or three,which had perhaps rolled down from the rest,lay separately on the floor.

'Skulls,madam,'said the sexton;'skulls of the old Danes!Long ago they came pirating into these parts;and then there chanced a mighty shipwreck,for God was angry with them,and He sunk them;and their skulls,as they came ashore,were placed here as a memorial.There were many more when I was young,but now they are fast disappearing.Some of them must have belonged to strange fellows,madam.Only see that one;why,the two young gentry can scarcely lift it!'And,indeed,my brother and myself had entered the Golgotha,and commenced handling these grim relics of mortality.One enormous skull,lying in a corner,had fixed our attention,and we had drawn it forth.Spirit of eld,what a skull was yon!

同类推荐
  • 亭林先生神道表

    亭林先生神道表

    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。
  • 孝道吴许二真君传

    孝道吴许二真君传

    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。
  • 医学读书记

    医学读书记

    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。
  • 推拿抉微

    推拿抉微

    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。
  • 舍头谏太子二十八宿经

    舍头谏太子二十八宿经

    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。
热门推荐
  • 决定你一生的不是努力,而是选择

    决定你一生的不是努力,而是选择

    此书通过一个个典型且精彩的故事,告诉每一个正在奋力拼搏但仍然一无所获的人,要结合自身的素质和条件、兴趣和特长,去选择自己的人生目标,走出一条适合自己的人生之路。只有选择了正确的方向,才有机会将自己的才能发挥到极致,从而更好地努力,减少我们人生旅途中的烦恼和遗憾。
  • 鬼王嗜宠:腹黑医妃有点狂

    鬼王嗜宠:腹黑医妃有点狂

    什么!!一朝穿越,成为架空大陆蓝悦朝浅府嫡女浅漓夏。啊!!此女呆傻?懦弱无能?没关系,有我在此,从今以后,谁敢嚣张,谁必遭殃。太子妃?我?还有比这更雷的吗?哼~太子悔婚,很好。我还不愿意嫁于你呢。我要嫁也要嫁给他。他,是蓝悦朝最小的废物王爷。没关系,我可以治好。姐要逆袭,虐shi你们这些渣渣,傻小姐闹翻天,鬼王护航,行遍天下!
  • 文学闲谈:朱湘作品精选

    文学闲谈:朱湘作品精选

    本书是感悟文学大师经典,本套丛书选文广泛、丰富,且把阅读文学与掌握知识结合起来,既能增进广大读者阅读经典文学的乐趣,又能使我们体悟人生的智慧和生活哲理。本套图书格调高雅,知识丰富,具有极强的可读性、权威性和系统性,非常适合广大读者阅读和收藏,也非常适合各级图书馆装备陈列。
  • 魔王的禁爱

    魔王的禁爱

    【只要2块钱就可以看全本哦,推荐萱萱和博雅的新文《神王的宠后》。】路上偶遇一名超级帅哥搭讪,yy着艳遇来了,没想到对方第一句话就是叫她妈咪!靠,她花花才20出头,还是黄花大闺女一枚好不好,连初吻都还在呢,怎么可能生的出来比她还高一个头的儿子,居然叫她妈,是她长的很老气吗?!这也就算了,居然还说什么魔族皇子,他的父王魔族至尊不日将来,娶她为后。天呐,这都什么啊,玄幻小说看多了吧,什么魔族?然而,当她真的看见了帅哥口中比他大不了几岁的父王——魔王的时候,她的生活也就乱了。而这一切之始,皆由千年之前那一场旷世绝恋开启……
  • 天域万道

    天域万道

    脚踏万道,手握乾坤,俯视芸芸众生。问苍茫天域谁主沉浮。天域万道,唯吾道纵横寰宇。
  • 千亿豪门:家有仙妻

    千亿豪门:家有仙妻

    混迹收藏界的邵老师,突然发现自己竟然不是个人!她嫁了高富帅,后来发现她老公也不是个人!!她生了一对双胞胎,当然不是人……她又多了个哥,依旧不是人……本文又名《全都不是人》
  • 重生:宠鬼入骨

    重生:宠鬼入骨

    女主作为前朝皇后不幸惨死,穿越后成为了一个侦探,探查这一世亲人的死因,没想到竟然发现了千年前导致自己死亡的秘密……--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 魔神最强成长系统

    魔神最强成长系统

    元魔尊身死道消,各大家族,宗门帮派动乱万亿年,一天,一代天骄楚天尊南冥尊轮回转世,斩天才,虐妖孽,诸宇宙臣服,宇宙统一!七年后,楚天尊忽然身死道消,他的后人尽皆被屠杀,从此再宇宙中消失,沦为禁忌!从此以后圣域唯南冥尊独尊!一亿年后,低级星球,在无尽大陆西方一个小村庄里,从地球穿越来的梁凡,开启了修仙道路…………
  • 世界近代文学简史(世界文学百科)

    世界近代文学简史(世界文学百科)

    本套书系共计24册,包括三大部分。第一部分“文学大师篇”,主要包括中国古代著名作家、中国现代著名作家、世界古代著名作家、亚非现代著名作家、美洲现代著名作家、俄苏现代著名作家、中欧现代著名作家、西欧现代著名作家、南北欧现代著名作家等内容;第二部分“文学作品篇”,主要包括中国古代著名作品、中国现代著名作品、世界古代著名作品、亚非现代著名作品、美洲现代著名作品、俄苏现代著名作品、西欧现代著名作品、中北欧现代著名作品、东南欧现代著名作品等内容;第三部分“文学简史篇”,主要包括中国古代文学简史、中国近代文学简史、中国现代文学简史、世界古代文学简史、世界近代文学简史、世界现代文学简史等内容。
  • 德古拉之吻

    德古拉之吻

    本书以日记的形式,勾勒出一段不为人知的诡秘往事。一场交易,让英俊、高贵的德古拉伯爵来到伦敦。他的出现引起了乔纳森·哈克的注意,他意识到在德古拉伯爵怪异的行为背后隐藏着一个惊人的秘密——他竟然是个拥有不死之身的吸血鬼……此时的伦敦陷入了黑暗之中,到处充斥着迷失、噩梦与鲜血。陨灭或者重生,复苏还是沉睡,用跳动的心换来永生,你可愿意?