第44章
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  Others,ofcourse,andnotI,mustdecidethis;butamancandoanythingifhegiveshismindtoit,andthoughIshouldnotcareabouthavingmoremoneyformyownsake,IcareaboutitverymuchwhenIthinkofthegoodIcoulddowithitbysavingsoulsfromsuchhorribletorturehereafter。Why,ifthethingsucceeds,andI

  reallycannotseewhatistohinderit,itishardlypossibletoexaggerateitsimportance,northeproportionswhichitmayultimatelyassume。”etc。,etc。

  AgainIaskedErnestwhetherhemindedmyprintingthis。Hewinced,butsaid“No,notifithelpsyoutotellyourstory:butdon’tyouthinkitistoolong?”

  Isaiditwouldletthereaderseeforhimselfhowthingsweregoinginhalfthetimethatitwouldtakemetoexplainthemtohim。

  “Verywellthen,keepitbyallmeans。”

  IcontinueturningovermyfileofErnest’slettersandfindasfollows-

  “Thanksforyourlast,inanswertowhichIsendyouaroughcopyofaletterIsenttotheTimesadayortwoback。Theydidnotinsertit,butitembodiesprettyfullymyideasontheparochialvisitationquestion,andPryerfullyapprovesoftheletter。Thinkitcarefullyoverandsenditbacktomewhenread,foritissoexactlymypresentcreedthatIcannotaffordtoloseit。

  “Ishouldverymuchliketohaveavivavocediscussiononthesematters:Icanonlyseeforcertainthatwehavesufferedadreadfullossinbeingnolongerabletoexcommunicate。Weshouldexcommunicaterichandpooralike,andprettyfreelytoo。Ifthispowerwererestoredtouswecould,Ithink,soonputastoptobyfarthegreaterpartofthesinandmiserywithwhichwearesurrounded。”

  TheseletterswerewrittenonlyafewweeksafterErnesthadbeenordained,buttheyarenothingtoothersthathewrotealittlelateron。

  InhiseagernesstoregeneratetheChurchofEnglandandthroughthistheuniversebythemeanswhichPryerhadsuggestedtohim,itoccurredtohimtotrytofamiliarisehimselfwiththehabitsandthoughtsofthepoorbygoingandlivingamongthem。IthinkhegotthisnotionfromKingsley’s“AltonLocke。”which,HighChurchmanthoughheforthenoncewas,hehaddevouredashehaddevouredStanley’sLifeofArnold,Dickens’snovels,andwhateverotherliterarygarbageofthedaywasmostlikelytodohimharm;atanyrateheactuallyputhisschemeintopractice,andtooklodgingsinAshpitPlace,asmallstreetintheneighbourhoodofDruryLaneTheatre,inahouseofwhichthelandladywasthewidowofacabman。

  Thisladyoccupiedthewholegroundfloor。Inthefrontkitchentherewasatinker。Thebackkitchenwaslettoabellows-mender。

  OnthefirstfloorcameErnest,withhistworoomswhichhefurnishedcomfortably,foronemustdrawthelinesomewhere。Thetwoupperfloorswereparcelledoutamongfourdifferentsetsoflodgers:therewasatailornamedHolt,adrunkenfellowwhousedtobeathiswifeatnighttillherscreamswokethehouse;abovehimtherewasanothertailorwithawifebutnochildren;thesepeoplewereWesleyans,giventodrinkbutnotnoisy。Thetwobackroomswereheldbysingleladies,whoitseemedtoErnestmustberespectablyconnected,forwell-dressedgentlemanly-lookingyoungmenusedtogoupanddownstairspastErnest’sroomstocallatanyrateonMissSnow——Ernesthadheardherdoorslamaftertheyhadpassed。Hethought,too,thatsomeofthemwentuptoMissMaitland’s。MrsJupp,thelandlady,toldErnestthatthesewerebrothersandcousinsofMissSnow’s,andthatshewasherselflookingoutforasituationasagoverness,butatpresenthadanengagementasanactressattheDruryLaneTheatre。ErnestaskedwhetherMissMaitlandinthetopbackwasalsolookingoutforasituation,andwastoldshewaswantinganengagementasamilliner。

  HebelievedwhateverMrsJupptoldhim。

  ThismoveonErnest’spartwasvariouslycommenteduponbyhisfriends,thegeneralopinionbeingthatitwasjustlikePontifex,whowassuretodosomethingunusualwhereverhewent,butthatonthewholetheideawascommendable。Christinacouldnotrestrainherselfwhenonsoundingherclericalneighboursshefoundtheminclinedtoapplaudhersonforconductwhichtheyidealisedintosomethingmuchmoreself-denyingthanitreallywas。Shedidnotquitelikehislivinginsuchanunaristocraticneighbourhood;butwhathewasdoingwouldprobablygetintothenewspapers,andthengreatpeoplewouldtakenoticeofhim。Besides,itwouldbeverycheap;downamongthesepoorpeoplehecouldlivefornexttonothing,andmightputbyagreatdealofhisincome。Asfortemptations,therecouldbefewornoneinsuchaplaceasthat。

  ThisargumentaboutcheapnesswastheonewithwhichshemostsuccessfullymetTheobald,whogrumbledmoresuothathehadnosympathywithhisson’sextravaganceandconceit。WhenChristinapointedouttohimthatitwouldbecheapherepliedthattherewassomethinginthat。

  OnErnesthimselftheeffectwastoconfirmthegoodopinionofhimselfwhichhadbeengrowinguponhimeversincehehadbeguntoreadfororders,andtomakehimflatterhimselfthathewasamongthefewwhowerereadytogiveupALLforChrist。Erelonghebegantoconceiveofhimselfasamanwithamissionandagreatfuture。

  Hislightestandmosthastilyformedopinionsbegantobeofmomentousimportancetohim,andheinflictedthem,asIhavealreadyshown,onhisoldfriends,weekbyweekbecomingmoreandmoreentetewithhimselfandhisowncrotchets。Ishouldlikewellenoughtodrawaveiloverthispartofmyhero’scareer,butcannotdosowithoutmarringmystory。

  Inthespringof1859Ifindhimwriting-

  “IcannotcallthevisibleChurchChristiantillitsfruitsareChristian,thatisuntilthefruitsofthemembersoftheChurchofEnglandareinconformity,orsomethinglikeconformity,withherteaching。IcordiallyagreewiththeteachingoftheChurchofEnglandinmostrespects,butshesaysonethinganddoesanother,anduntilexcommunication——yes,andwholesaleexcommunication——beresortedto,IcannotcallheraChristianinstitution。IshouldbeginwithourRector,andifIfounditnecessarytofollowhimupbyexcommunicatingtheBishop,Ishouldnotflinchevenfromthis。

  “ThepresentLondonRectorsarehopelesspeopletodealwith。Myownisoneofthebestofthem,butthemomentPryerandIshowsignsofwantingtoattackanevilinawaynotrecognisedbyroutine,orofremedyinganythingaboutwhichnooutcryhasbeenmade,wearemetwith,’Icannotthinkwhatyoumeanbyallthisdisturbance;nobodyelseamongtheclergyseesthesethings,andI

  havenowishtobethefirsttobeginturningeverythingtopsy-

  turvy。’Andthenpeoplecallhimasensibleman。Ihavenopatiencewiththem。However,weknowwhatwewant,and,asIwrotetoDawsontheotherday,haveaschemeonfootwhichwill,Ithink,fairlymeettherequirementsofthecase。Butwewantmoremoney,andmyfirstmovetowardsgettingthishasnotturnedoutquitesosatisfactorilyasPryerandIhadhoped;weshall,however,Idoubtnot,retrieveitshortly。”

  WhenErnestcametoLondonheintendeddoingagooddealofhouse-

  to-housevisiting,butPryerhadtalkedhimoutofthisevenbeforehesettleddowninhisnewandstrangely-chosenapartments。ThelinehenowtookwasthatifpeoplewantedChrist,theymustprovetheirwantbytakingsomelittletrouble,andthetroublerequiredofthemwasthattheyshouldcomeandseekhim,Ernest,out;therehewasinthemidstofthemreadytoteach;ifpeopledidnotchoosetocometohimitwasnofaultofhis。

  “Mygreatbusinesshere。”hewritesagaintoDawson,“istoobserve。

  Iamnotdoingmuchinparishworkbeyondmyshareofthedailyservices。Ihaveaman’sBibleClass,andaboy’sBibleClass,andagoodmanyyoungmenandboystowhomIgiveinstructiononewayoranother;thentherearetheSundaySchoolchildren,withwhomIfillmyroomonaSundayeveningasfullasitwillhold,andletthemsinghymnsandchants。Theylikethis。Idoagreatdealofreading——chieflyofbookswhichPryerandIthinkmostlikelytohelp;wefindnothingcomparabletotheJesuits。Pryerisathoroughgentleman,andanadmirablemanofbusiness——nolessobservantofthethingsofthisworld,infact,thanofthethingsabove;byabrilliantcouphehasretrieved,ornearlyso,aratherseriouslosswhichthreatenedtodelayindefinitelytheexecutionofourgreatscheme。HeandIdailygatherfreshprinciples。I

  believegreatthingsarebeforeme,andamstronginthehopeofbeingablebyandbytoeffectmuch。

  “AsforyouIbidyouGodspeed。Beboldbutlogical,speculativebutcautious,daringlycourageous,butproperlycircumspectwithal。”

  etc。,etc。

  Ithinkthismaydoforthepresent。

  IhadcalledonErnestasamatterofcoursewhenhefirstcametoLondon,buthadnotseenhim。Ihadbeenoutwhenhereturnedmycall,sothathehadbeenintownforsomeweeksbeforeIactuallysawhim,whichIdidnotverylongafterhehadtakenpossessionofhisnewrooms。Ilikedhisface,butexceptforthecommonbondofmusic,inrespectofwhichourtastesweresingularlyalike,I

  shouldhardlyhaveknownhowtogetonwithhim。TodohimjusticehedidnotairanyofhisschemestomeuntilIhaddrawnhimoutconcerningthem。I,toborrowthewordsofErnest’slandlady,MrsJupp,“amnotaveryregularchurch-goer“——Idiscovereduponcross-

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