第 23 节
作者:
嘟嘟 更新:2021-02-20 05:57 字数:9322
cannibals; and cruel and brutal persons (if there were any among them);
deserved punishmentand punishment; I do not doubt; they got。 But; of
course; again; none of them knew things which you know; but for that
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very reason they were not bound to do many things which you are bound
to do。 For those to whom little is given; of them shall little be required。
What their religion was like; or whether they had any religion at all; we
cannot tell。 But this we can tell; that known unto God are all His works
from the creation of the world; and that His mercy is over all His works;
and He hateth nothing that He has made。 These men and women;
whatever they were; were God's work; and therefore we may comfort
ourselves with the certainty that; whether or not they knew God; God
knew them。
And so ends my fairy tale。
But is it not a wonderful tale? More wonderful; if you will think over
it; than any story invented by man。 But so it always is。 〃Truth;〃 wise
men tell us; 〃is stranger than fiction。〃 Even a child like you will see that
it must be so; if you will but recollect who makes fiction; and who makes
facts。
Man makes fiction: he invents stories; pretty enough; fantastical
enough。 But out of what does he make them up? Out of a few things in
this great world which he has seen; and heard; and felt; just as he makes up
his dreams。 But who makes truth? Who makes facts? Who; but God?
Then truth is as much larger than fiction; as God is greater than man;
as much larger as the whole universe is larger than the little corner of it
that any man; even the greatest poet or philosopher; can see; and as much
grander; and as much more beautiful; and as much more strange。 For one
is the whole; and the other is one; a few tiny scraps of the whole。 The
one is the work of God; the other is the work of man。 Be sure that no
man can ever fancy anything strange; unexpected; and curious; without
finding if he had eyes to see; a hundred things around his feet more
strange; more unexpected; more curious; actually ready…made already by
God。 You are fond of fairy tales; because they are fanciful; and like your
dreams。 My dear child; as your eyes open to the true fairy tale which
Madam How can tell you all day long; nursery stories will seem to you
poor and dull。 All those feelings in you which your nursery tales call
out;imagination; wonder; awe; pity; and I trust too; hope and lovewill
be called out; I believe; by the Tale of all Tales; the true 〃Marchen allen
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Marchen;〃 so much more fully and strongly and purely; that you will feel
that novels and story…books are scarcely worth your reading; as long as
you can read the great green book; of which every bud is a letter; and
every tree a page。
Wonder if you will。 You cannot wonder too much。 That you might
wonder all your life long; God put you into this wondrous world; and gave
you that faculty of wonder which he has not given to the brutes; which is
at once the mother of sound science; and a pledge of immortality in a
world more wondrous even than this。 But wonder at the right thing; not
at the wrong; at the real miracles and prodigies; not at the sham。 Wonder
not at the world of man。 Waste not your admiration; interest; hope on it; its
pretty toys; gay fashions; fine clothes; tawdry luxuries; silly amusements。
Wonder at the works of God。 You will not; perhaps; take my advice yet。
The world of man looks so pretty; that you will needs have your peep at it;
and stare into its shop windows; and if you can; go to a few of its stage
plays; and dance at a few of its balls。 AhwellAfter a wild dream comes
an uneasy wakening; and after too many sweet things; comes a sick
headache。 And one morning you will awake; I trust and pray; from the
world of man to the world of God; and wonder where wonder is due; and
worship where worship is due。 You will awake like a child who has been
at a pantomime over night; staring at the 〃fairy halls;〃 which are all paint
and canvas; and the 〃dazzling splendours;〃 which are gas and oil; and the
〃magic transformations;〃 which are done with ropes and pulleys; and the
〃brilliant elves;〃 who are poor little children out of the next foul alley; and
the harlequin and clown; who through all their fun are thinking wearily
over the old debts which they must pay; and the hungry mouths at home
which they must feed: and so; having thought it all wondrously glorious;
and quite a fairy land; slips tired and stupid into bed; and wakes next
morning to see the pure light shining in through the delicate frost…lace on
the window…pane; and looks out over fields of virgin snow; and watches
the rosy dawn and cloudless blue; and the great sun rising to the music of
cawing rooks and piping stares; and says; 〃This is the true wonder。 This
is the true glory。 The theatre last night was the fairy land of man; but this
is the fairy land of God。〃
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CHAPTER VII
…THE CHALK…CARTS
What do you want to know about next? More about the caves in
which the old savages lived;how they were made; and how the curious
things inside them got there; and so forth。
Well; we will talk about that in good time: but nowWhat is that
coming down the hill?
Oh; only some chalk…carts。
Only some chalk…carts? It seems to me that these chalk…carts are the
very things we want; that if we follow them far enoughI do not mean
with our feet along the public road; but with our thoughts along a road
which; I am sorry to say; the public do not yet know much aboutwe shall
come to a cave; and understand how a cave is made。 Meanwhile; do not
be in a hurry to say; 〃Only a chalk…cart;〃 or only a mouse; or only a dead
leaf。 Chalk…carts; like mice; and dead leaves; and most other matters in
the universe are very curious and odd things in the eyes of wise and
reasonable people。 Whenever I hear young men saying 〃only〃 this and
〃only〃 that; I begin to suspect them of belonging; not to the noble army of
sagesmuch less to the most noble army of martyrs;but to the ignoble
army of noodles; who think nothing interesting or important but dinners;
and balls; and races; and back…biting their neighbours; and I should be
sorry to see you enlisting in that regiment when you grow up。 But think…
…are not chalk…carts very odd and curious things? I think they are。 To
my mind; it is a curious question how men ever thought of inventing
wheels; and; again; when they first thought of it。 It is a curious question;
too; how men ever found out that they could make horses work for them;
and so began to tame them; instead of eating them; and a curious question
(which I think we shall never get answered) when the first horse…tamer
lived; and in what country。 And a very curious; and; to me; a beautiful
sight it is; to see those two noble horses obeying that little boy; whom they
could kill with a single kick。
But; beside all this; there is a question; which ought to be a curious one
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to you (for I suspect you cannot answer it)Why does the farmer take the
trouble to send his cart and horses eight miles and more; to draw in chalk
from Odiham chalk…pit?
Oh; he is going to put it on the land; of course。 They are chalking the
bit at the top of the next field; where the copse was grubbed。
But what good will he do by put