登陆注册
5383900000016

第16章

In a village, particularly, two people who robbed the community of its perquisites in this respect would be looked upon as "enemies of the people," and their joint life would begin under a social ban which it would cost much subsequent hospitality to remove.The dramatic instinct to which the life of towns is necessarily unfavourable, is kept alive in the country by the smallness of the stage and the fewness of the actors.A village is an organism, conscious of its several parts, as a town is not.

In a village everybody is a public man.The great events of his life are of public as well as private significance, appropriately, therefore, invested with public ceremonial.Thus used to living in the public eye, the actors carry off their parts at weddings and other dramatic ceremonials, with more spirit than is easy to a townsman, who is naturally made self-conscious by being suddenly called upon to fill for a day a public position for which he has had no training.That no doubt is the real reason for the growth of quiet marriages; and the desire for them, I suspect, comes first from the man, for there are few women who at heart do not prefer the old histrionic display.

However, the village wedding at which I suddenly found myself a spectator was, for a village, a singularly quiet one.There was no bell-ringing, and there were no bridesmaids.The bride drove up quietly with her father, and there was a subdued note even in the murmur of recognition which ran along the villagers as they stood in groups near the church porch.There was an absence of the usual hilarity which struck me.One might almost have said that there was a quite ominous silence.

Seating myself in a corner of the transept where I could see all and be little seen, I with the rest awaited the coming of the overdue bridegroom.Meanwhile the usual buzzing and bobbing of heads went on amongst the usual little group near the foot of the altar.Now and then one caught a glisten of tears through a widow's veil, and the little bride, dressed quietly in grey, talked with the usual nervous gaiety to her girl friends, and made the usual whispered confidences about her trousseau.The father, in occasional conversation with one and another, appeared to be avoiding the subject with the usual self-conscious solemnity, and occasionally he looked, somewhat anxiously, Ithought, towards the church door.The bridegroom did not keep us waiting long,--I noticed that he had a rather delicate sad face,--and presently the service began.

I don't know myself what getting married must feel like, but it cannot be much more exciting than watching other people getting married.Probably the spectators are more conscious of the impressive meaning of it all than the brave young people themselves.I say brave, for I am always struck by the courage of the two who thus gaily leap into the gulf of the unknown together, thus join hands over the inevitable, and put their signatures to the irrevocable.Indeed, I always get something like a palpitation of the heart just before the priest utters those final fateful words, "I declare you man and-- wife."Half a second before you were still free, half a second after you are bound for the term of your natural life.Half a second before you had only to dash the book from the priest's hands, and put your hand over his mouth, and though thus giddily swinging on the brink of the precipice, you are saved.Half a second after Not all the king's horses and all the king's men Can make you a bachelor ever again.

It is the knife-edge moment 'twixt time and eternity.

And, curiously enough, while my thoughts were thus running on towards the rapids of that swirling moment, the very thing happened which I had often imagined might happen to myself.

Suddenly, with a sob, the bridegroom covered his face with his hands, and crying, "I cannot! I cannot!" hurriedly left the church, tears streaming down his cheeks, to the complete dismay of the sad little group at the altar, and the consternation of all present.

"Poor young man! I thought he would never go through with it,"said an old woman half to herself, who was sitting near me.Iinvoluntarily looked my desire of explanation.

"Well, you see," she said, "he had been married before.His first wife died four years ago, and he loved her beyond all heaven and earth."That evening, I afterwards heard, the young bridegroom's body was found by some boys as they went to bathe in the river.As Irecalled once more that sad yearning face, and heard again that terrible "I cannot! I cannot!" I thought of Heine's son of Asra, who loved the Sultan's daughter.

"What is thy name, slave?" asked the princess, "and what thy race and birthplace?""My name," the young slave answered, "is Mahomet.I come from Yemen.My race is that of Asra, and when we love, we die."And likewise a voice kept saying in my heart, "If ever you find your Golden Bride, be sure she will die."

同类推荐
  • Penelope's Posts

    Penelope's Posts

    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。
  • 金刚能断般若波罗蜜经

    金刚能断般若波罗蜜经

    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。
  • 山海漫谈

    山海漫谈

    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。
  • 明伦汇编交谊典朋友部

    明伦汇编交谊典朋友部

    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。
  • EMMA

    EMMA

    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
  • 我要有你陪在我身边

    我要有你陪在我身边

    薛瑶在租房网上与人“合租”了一套豪宅,她每月只需要出500的房租费,前提是每天家里的家务全包。薛瑶算了笔账后很干脆的答应了。时间久后越来越觉得哪里不对劲……“艹,明明是小保姆做的事,为嘛我没工资还倒给钱。”
  • 三十六计一日一得

    三十六计一日一得

    《三十六计》是一部长期在民间流传的兵法,可以说是一部纯粹讲实用的谋略之书。它不只用于军事,也可用于人生,被称为“文武兵法”。理解了古计中的智慧,我们便懂得了谋略的精髓。
  • 小学生礼仪:4-6年级

    小学生礼仪:4-6年级

    优雅的风度不是天生就有,需要从小培养。生活是一个大课堂,每一个与人打交道的机会都是培养礼仪的机会。对小学生进行文明礼仪教育,在提高思想道德修养、努力构建社会主义和谐社会、提升全民族文明素质、增强国家的文化软实力等方面具有重要意义。礼貌无需花费一文,却能赢得许多。礼貌看似只是一些细节,但也能让人失去很多。《小学生礼仪(4-6年级)》是专为小学高年级学生量身打造的礼仪规范书籍。书中精选了常用的个人礼仪、校园礼仪、家庭礼仪、以及简单的社交礼仪等内容,教导学生要帮助父母分担家务、要学会与人沟通、要关心集体遵守公德,重在培养学生养成良好的文明习惯。让学生掌握基本的礼貌、礼节规范,在学习、
  • 我读.2

    我读.2

    本书用最简洁直白的方式,从作者、写作背景等方面,向读者多角度地呈示一本书的内核。主讲人对每一本书都经过了消化打磨,最后形成了中肯的评论。用通俗易懂的语言,沉稳客观地把各种思潮、社会文化热点传递给读者。
  • 至尊修罗道

    至尊修罗道

    “织女,嫦娥,过来,给爷笑一个。”我XX,谁这么牛B,连这两位资深仙姐也敢调戏?他叫罗修,一个附身于白痴的天才,侥幸得到了部分残缺不全的上古功法修罗道,从而纵横人、仙、神三界,一发不可收拾。
  • 希洛玫瑰男爵

    希洛玫瑰男爵

    身为X特工组织吊车尾成员的女主角葛蕾亚,意外成为调查特工组织头号敌人希洛男爵假面的特别小组成员,进入欧轮杜贵族学院学习的故事。在学校里,她与搭档杜弗格遇到了很多形形色色的贵族子弟,有身世背景十分强大且神秘的美少年道格泽也,有喜欢耍帅的齐克亚罗,还有IQ爆表的可爱小正太,他们都属于男爵侦探社,那么他们和希洛男爵假面究竟是什么关系呢?他们中间会有希洛男爵假面的真身吗?而希洛男爵假面与X特工组织之间,究竟有着什么不为人知的纠葛呢?葛蕾亚在每次行动中,总能闹出不少笑话,让她在组织中的地位岌岌可危,可却最终误打误撞地接近了真相,那么希洛男爵假面究竟是谁?
  • 花之恋语

    花之恋语

    每一种花都藏有一个浪漫的告白物语:栀子花象征永恒的爱与约定;熏衣草象征等待浪漫唯美的爱情;三色堇代表挂念;绿玫瑰的花语代表纯真简朴,青春常驻,我只喜欢你一个……
  • 紫色月亮

    紫色月亮

    有一枚紫月亮晶莹着心事的无暇多少个日和夜静静地与他来对话有一枚紫月亮珍藏在心底放不下多少回凝望它寄意着思念和牵挂十六年前,与天送给小纤一枚紫月亮,十六年后,凭着这枚紫月亮,与天认出了小纤,两人终于相逢。然而,此时的小纤却身患重病。为了能圆小纤的愿望,与天决定给小纤一个婚礼......刘月轩另一本情感故事《情暖冰城》已完本!请欣赏!
  • 日暮乡关

    日暮乡关

    客厅里传来咿咿呀呀的唱段,是电视机里发出来的声音。父亲靠在沙发上,半张着口,在打盹。老人就是这样,坐着打瞌睡,躺下睡不着。台上一个青衣,穿着粉蓝戏服,甩着水袖,一步三摇婉转地唱道:遍青山啼红了杜鹃,那荼蘼外烟丝醉软,那牡丹虽好,他春归怎占的先?闲凝眄生生燕语明如剪,听呖呖莺声溜的圆……父亲什么时候喜欢戏曲频道的,芸香竟不知道。这一天,芸香做了一个梦,梦里,许久不见的母亲回来了,她还是年轻时的模样,向她招着手,然后场景换到了大戏院,母亲要去登台。她追着母亲的身影,舞台上,母亲远远地摆着水袖,她喊着妈妈,母亲又不见了。她醒来,怅然良久。
  • 心理罪(全集)

    心理罪(全集)

    60万读者口碑推荐,中国心理犯罪小说人雷米,正能量出击给罪犯画像、罪与罚的仪式、黑暗心灵的救赎、人与城的和解,套装五册,带你开启一段酣畅淋漓的《心理罪》之旅。包含《暗河》《画像》《教化场》《城市之光》《第七个读者》。