登陆注册
5228200000017

第17章 CHAPTER VII--THE COMET AND THE FIXED STAR(3)

'Why, I've told you how I feel about her, and you must respect my feeling. The world can only grow when each person allows his fellow-man complete liberty of thought and action. I've kept the child four years, and now when my good care and feeding, together with the regular work and early hours I've always prescribed, have begun to show their fruits in her improved condition, you want she should be put in some institution. Why, isn't she doing well enough as she is?

I'm sure you've had a wonderful influence over her.'

'Nothing could induce me to lose sight of her entirely,' said Mistress Mary, 'but we feel now that she is ready to take the next step. She needs a skilled physician who is master both of body and mind, as well as a teacher who is capable of following out his principles. I will see to all that, if you will only give me the privilege.'

Mrs. Grubb sank down in the rocking-chair in despair. 'Don't I need some consideration as well as that little imbecile? Am I, with my ambitions and aspirations, to be for ever hampered by these three nightmares of children? Oh, if I could once get an astral body, I would stay in it, you may be sure!'

'You do not absolutely need Lisa yourself,' argued Mary. 'It is the twins to whom she has been indispensable. Provide for them in some way, and she is freed from a responsibility for which she is not, and never was, fit. It is a miracle that some tragedy has not come out of this daily companionship of three such passionate, irresponsible creatures.'

'Some tragedy will come out of it yet,' said Mrs. Grubb gloomily, 'if I am not freed from the shackles that keep me in daily slavery. The twins are as likely to go to the gallows as anywhere; and as for Lisa, she would be a good deal better off dead than alive, as Mrs.

Sylvester says.'

'That isn't for us to decide,' said Mistress Mary soberly. 'I might have been careless and impertinent enough to say it a year ago, but not now. Lisa has all along been the victim of cruel circumstances.

Wherever she has been sinned against through ignorance, it is possible, barely possible, that the fault may be atoned for; but any neglect of duty now would be a criminal offence. It does not behove us to be too scornful when we remember that the taint (fortunately a slight one) transmitted to poor little Lisa existed in greater or less degree in Handel and Moliere, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Petrarch, and Mohammed. The world is a good deal richer for them, certainly.'

Mrs. Grubb elevated her head, the light of interest dawned in her eye, and she whipped her notebook out of her pocket.

'Is that a fact?' she asked excitedly.

'It is a fact.'

'Is it generally known?'

'It must be known by all who have any interest in the education of defective persons, since it touches one of the bug-bears which they have to fight.'

'Is there any society in this city devoted to the study of such problems?'

'There is a society which is just on the point of opening an institution for the training of defective children.'

Mrs. Grubb's face fell, and her hand relaxed its grasp upon the pencil. (If there was anything she enjoyed, it was the sensation of being a pioneer in any movement.) Presently she brightened again.

'If it is just starting,' she said, 'then it must need more members, and speakers to stir up the community. Now, I am calculated, by constant association with a child of this character, to be of signal service to the cause. Not many persons have had my chance to observe phenomena. Just give me a letter to the president,--have they elected officers yet?--where do they meet?--and tell him I'll call on him and throw all the weight of my influence on his side. It's wonderful! Handel, Moliere, Buddha, was it--Buddha?--Caesar, Petrarch, and Wellington,--no, not Wellington. Never mind, I'll get a list from you to-morrow and look it all up,--it's perfectly marvellous! And I have one of this great, unhappy, suffering class in my own family, one who may yet be transformed into an Elizabeth Browning or a Joan of Arc!'

Mistress Mary sighed in her heart. She learned more of Mrs. Grubb with every interview, and she knew that her enthusiasms were as discouraging as her apathies.

'How unlucky that I mentioned Napoleon, Caesar, and Mohammed!' she thought. 'I shall be haunted now by the fear that she will go on a lecturing-tour through the country, and exhibit poor Lisa as an interesting example. Mrs. Grubb's mind is like nothing so much as a crazy-quilt.'

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 情凝晟夏

    情凝晟夏

    “菡儿,做我女人可好。”“夏菡,你知不知道你真的很残忍。”“菡菡,离开他,我愿给你更好。”红尘嚣嚣终抵不过她固执的坚持“我爱了你这么久为什么不肯看我一眼!”“她哪里配得上你!”“晟睿,你只可以是我的。”繁世佳人终比不上他执着的信念她是他的白月光心头肉他都认了,因为他自愿宠她爱她呵护她。他是她的朱砂痣意中人她都认了,因为她自愿等他陪他依赖他。他用十年编织的红绳只为牵绊她一生。她用十年追逐的脚印只为陪伴他一生。十年的时光,彼此的认定。
  • 天运贵女之寒门锦绣

    天运贵女之寒门锦绣

    二十一世纪的苏倾再次睁眼就成了凌墨王朝通州治下槐树村的的痴儿苏青璃,上有粗狂却护犊子的外祖父,慈祥和蔼的外祖母,清隽帅气的秀才爹爹温婉如水好似小兔子一样的娘,还有四个风格各异的舅舅,一个哥哥,一个弟弟,典型的阳盛阴衰,痴儿也是宝。既来之则安之,看着自己吃细粮,其余的家人却吃着粗粮野菜,哪怕比自己还小的弟弟也一样,她毅然的拾起了老本行,种草药,开实验田提高粮食产量,种茶园让寒门生辉,陋室生香,不仅改善了家里的生活,更是将整个槐树村都成为了凌墨王朝最富裕的村子。吾家有女初长成,一家有女百家求,苏家有女各方来求,本来还不知道选谁,却被天外一句“你毁我徒儿清誉在前,还想嫁去哪家?”苏青璃瞪大双眼看着走进来那个高大上,一脸认真的人,惊呼一声“什么时候?”
  • 北京:城与人

    北京:城与人

    《北京:城与人》中经由城市文化性格而探索人,经由人那些久居其中的人们,和那些以特殊方式与城联系,即把城作为审美对象的人们搜寻城,我更感兴趣于其间的联结,城与人的多种形式的精神联系和多种精神联系的形式。当我试图讲述城对于人的塑造,和对于创造其形象者艺术思维的干预时,不能不暗自怀着兴奋。
  • Misfit

    Misfit

    Jael has always felt like a freak. She has never kissed a boy, she never knew her mom, and her dad has always been superstrict—but that's probably because her mom was a demon, which makes Jael half demon and most definitely not a normal sophomore girl. On her 16th birthday, a mysterious present unlocks her family's dangerous history and Jael's untapped potential. What was merely an embarrassing secret before becomes a terrifying reality. Jael must learn to master her demon side in order to take on a vindictive Duke of Hell, while also dealing with a twisted priest, best-friend drama, and a spacey blond skater boy who may have hidden depths. Author Jon Skovron takes on the dark side of human nature with his signature funny, heartfelt prose.
  • 相亲记

    相亲记

    哪个男人不极品?这是腹黑与极品横飞的时代。她要踩扁极品男,踹飞小三,圈个精品腹黑男回家。情节虚构,切勿模仿
  • 他似星辰入我心

    他似星辰入我心

    她跟人打了一架,被迫搬到江家。他因为母亲要出国工作,也被迫搬到江家。初见时,他无奈只能走后门,却见到了那个躺在秋千架上姑娘,只一眼,便让他终身难以忘怀。初见时,她却没多看他一眼。——沐希,我遇见过千千万万人,唯有你,是我目之所及,便想与之共度余生之人。-江时江时,我怕黑怕孤独,以前怕,现在怕,以后有你在,我便不怕了。-沐希
  • 玲珑撰录

    玲珑撰录

    被遗落在云皇大陆的水离陌拥有神秘黑暗力量的幽冥宸一曲萧声搅弄风云的南宫胤从相知,背叛,到理解,相守,一同踏上凤羽大陆寻求迷惑。片段一:“轻羽,她是他们南竺国的轻羽公主,我呢,她又是我的谁,难道我南宫肆只配生活在黑暗里,干一些杀人越货的勾当?不,轻羽是我的,她说过,她会在黑暗里陪我陪我走向光明,不,不,她骗我,她走了,她不要我了,没有人要阿肆了,轻羽不要阿肆了,都不要了。”片段二:“你以为将自己藏起来就看不到我们了?你错了,你藏起来看不到我们,我们却将你看的一丝不漏,这就是你作为父亲所谓的颜面吗?”片段三:“阿陌,倘若那天我没有去,你没有来,是不是你就不属于我了”,“阿宸,南宫胤他一直都知道,不知道的是我们而已。”片段四:“幽冥宸,这是真的吗?呵,原来是我想多了,你原来一直都在利用我,那些所谓的一直在我身边保护我,守着我,都是骗我的,骗我的,我还把小羲弄丢了,他什么也不懂,我不在,他吃什么?住在哪,我都不知道,不知道。”片段五:“阿陌,对不起,我从未想过要让你做什么,我也不知道事情会到这样,阿陌,从沙漠初遇,我便知道,此生我是赎债的,当日那一曲萧音,是祝福,只是没想到,适得其反。”片段六:“阿陌,想好了,今夜过去,你便是我的人,”“你怎么变得啰嗦了。”“没想到阿陌竟比我这夫君还要急,那为夫可就不客气了。”砰,一声响,“幽冥宸,你想饿死我是不是,谁想要这个,快拿吃的来,我饿了。”“娘子确定不要?”“还是要吧!”片段七:“黑暗之王来临,魔皇登位,梟战天下”“幽冥宸,你去征战去,那我呢?”“本尊的女人,自是随吾看尽世间繁华”。“南宫胤会吹箫又怎样,本尊依旧是胜者。”砰,一根玉萧擦着幽冥宸的脑袋飞去,“幽冥宸,你不吹会掉块肉吗?”
  • 与杀手为邻

    与杀手为邻

    《与杀手为邻》选自希区柯克短篇故事集,包括《与杀手为邻》《白痴的证词》《逍遥法外》等十余篇短篇小说,文字简洁平实,情节曲折跌宕,结局却出人意料,并且往往让读者有一种身临其境的感觉。小说具有较高的可读性,富于现代特点,符合当下阅读习惯及阅读趋向,颇受年青一代欢迎。
  • 张小颖与王望旺

    张小颖与王望旺

    秦国没有统一六国。六国的情况有所变化,有的经济强,有的军事强,有的坚决不和亲。带着初恋的美好,这两个三十多岁的男女来到了这个时代。一开始,一个误入盗墓团伙,一个被卖青楼……后来,他们用智慧寻找彼此,用爱心改变世界。最后的结局绝对出人意料。
  • 柔情似铁

    柔情似铁

    四、五月是一年中天气最好的时候。阳春三月,说是这么说,毕竟还残留着些微寒意,不像今天,周围的一切都如同浸在一大缸暖融融的金液里面。街上的树木都回了绿,每一片叶子上都流淌着阳光,光灿灿的树,光灿灿的世界,然而凌皓心里的天已经黑了。他木然地靠在座椅后背上,暖而轻的春风从窗户里吹进来,拂在脸上像个毛茸茸的粉扑子,痒痒的,像她朝他吹的气,又像她的略带亚麻色的头发微触他的额角。他逃了。真可笑,两个相爱的人之间竟用到一个“逃”字。虽然他选择了悄没声儿地离开,又不由自主地想她。