in flanders fields and other poems-第19部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


one　Duncan　Monach；　Mrs。　Hanning；　who　was　a　sister　of　Thomas　Carlyle；
and　her　two　daughters。　　On　the　voyage　they　escaped　the　usual　hardships；
and　their　fare　appears　to　us　in　these　days　to　have　been　abundant。
The　weekly　ration　was　three　quarts　of　water；　two　ounces　of　tea；
one　half　pound　of　sugar；　one　half　pound　molasses；　three　pounds　of　bread；
one　pound　of　flour；　two　pounds　of　rice；　and　five　pounds　of　oatmeal。

The　reason　for　this　migration　is　succinctly　stated　by　the　head　of　the　house。
〃I　know　how　hard　it　was　for　my　mother　to　start　me；　and　I　wanted　land
for　my　children　and　a　better　opportunity　for　them。〃　　And　yet　his　parents
in　their　time　appear　to　have　〃started〃　him　pretty　well；　although　his　father
was　obliged　to　confess；　〃I　never　had　more　of　this　world's　goods
than　to　bring　up　my　family　by　the　labour　of　my　hands　honestly；
but　it　is　more　than　my　Master　owned；　who　had　not　where　to　lay　His　head。〃
They　allowed　him　that　very　best　means　of　education；　a　calmness　of　the　senses；
as　he　herded　sheep　on　the　Cheviot　Hills。　　They　put　him　to　the　University
in　Edinburgh；　as　a　preparation　for　the　ministry；　and　supplied　him　with
ample　oatmeal；　peasemeal　bannocks；　and　milk。　　In　that　great　school　of　divinity
he　learned　the　Hebrew；　Greek；　and　Latin；　he　studied　Italian；
and　French　under　Surenne；　him　of　blessed　memory　even　unto　this　day。

John　Eckford　in　1839　married　Margaret　Christie；　and　he　went　far　afield
for　a　wife；　namely　from　Newbiggin　in　Forfar；　where　for　fourteen　years
he　had　his　one　and　only　charge；　to　Strathmiglo　in　Fife。　　The　marriage
was　fruitful　and　a　happy　one；　although　there　is　a　hint　in　the　record
of　some　religious　difference　upon　which　one　would　like　to　dwell
if　the　subject　were　not　too　esoteric　for　this　generation。
The　minister　showed　a　certain　indulgence；　and　so　long　as　his　wife　lived
he　never　employed　the　paraphrases　in　the　solemn　worship　of　the　sanctuary。
She　was　a　woman　of　provident　mind。　　Shortly　after　they　were　married
he　made　the　discovery　that　she　had　prepared　the　grave　clothes　for　him
as　well　as　for　herself。　　Too　soon；　after　only　eight　years；　it　was　her　fate
to　be　shrouded　in　them。　　After　her　death　　probably　because　of　her　death　
John　Eckford　emigrated　to　Canada。

To　one　who　knows　the　early　days　in　Canada　there　is　nothing　new
in　the　story　of　this　family。　　They　landed　in　Montreal　July　11th；　1851；
forty…four　days　out　from　Glasgow。　　They　proceeded　by　steamer　to　Hamilton；
the　fare　being　about　a　dollar　for　each　passenger。　　The　next　stage
was　to　Guelph；　then　on　to　Durham；　and　finally　they　came　to　the　end
of　their　journeying　near　Walkerton　in　Bruce　County　in　the　primeval　forest；
from　which　they　cut　out　a　home　for　themselves　and　for　their　children。

It　was　〃the　winter　of　the　deep　snow〃。　　One　transcription　from　the　record
will　disclose　the　scene：


　　　　At　length　a　grave　was　dug　on　a　knoll　in　the　bush
　　　　at　the　foot　of　a　great　maple　with　a　young　snow…laden　hemlock　at　the　side。
　　　　The　father　and　the　eldest　brother　carried　the　box
　　　　along　the　shovelled　path。　　The　mother　close　behind　was　followed
　　　　by　the　two　families。　　The　snow　was　falling　heavily。　　At　the　grave
　　　　John　Eckford　read　a　psalm；　and　prayed；　〃that　they　might　be　enabled
　　　　to　believe；　the　mercy　of　the　Lord　is　from　everlasting　to　everlasting
　　　　unto　them　that　fear　Him。〃


John　McCrae　himself　was　an　indefatigable　church…goer。　　There　is　a　note
in　childish　characters　written　from　Edinburgh　in　his　thirteenth　year；
〃On　Sabbath　went　to　service　four　times。〃　　There　the　statement　stands
in　all　its　austerity。　　A　letter　from　a　chaplain　is　extant　in　which
a　certain　mild　wonder　is　expressed　at　the　regularity　in　attendance
of　an　officer　of　field　rank。　　To　his　sure　taste　in　poetry　the　hymns　were
a　sore　trial。　　〃Only　forty　minutes　are　allowed　for　the　service；〃　he　said；
〃and　it　is　sad　to　see　them　‘snappit　up'　by　these　poor　bald　four…line　things。〃

On　Easter　Sunday；　1915；　he　wrote：　　〃We　had　a　church　parade　this　morning；
the　first　since　we　arrived　in　France。　　Truly；　if　the　dead　rise　not；
we　are　of　all　men　the　most　miserable。〃　　On　the　funeral　service　of　a　friend
he　remarks：　　〃‘Forasmuch　as　it　hath　pleased　Almighty　God；'　
what　a　summary　of　the　whole　thing　that　is！〃　　On　many　occasions　he　officiated
in　the　absence　of　the　chaplains　who　in　those　days　would　have　as　many
as　six　services　a　day。　　In　civil　life　in　Montreal　he　went　to　church
in　the　evening；　and　sat　under　the　Reverend　James　Barclay　of　St。　Pauls；
now　designated　by　some　at　least　as　St。　Andrews。




　　VIII

The　Civil　Years



It　will　be　observed　in　this　long　relation　of　John　McCrae　that　little　mention
has　yet　been　made　of　what　after　all　was　his　main　concern　in　life。
For　twenty　years　he　studied　and　practised　medicine。　　To　the　end
he　was　an　assiduous　student　and　a　very　profound　practitioner。
He　was　a　student；　not　of　medicine　alone；　but　of　all　subjects
ancillary　to　the　science；　and　to　the　task　he　came　with　a　mind　braced
by　a　sound　and　generous　education。　　Any　education　of　real　value
a　man　must　have　received　before　he　has　attained　to　the　age　of　seven　years。
Indeed　he　may　be　left　impervious　to　its　influence　at　seven　weeks。
John　McCrae's　education　began　well。　　It　began　in　the　time
of　his　two　grandfathers　at　least；　was　continued　by　his　father　and　mother
before　he　came　upon　this　world's　scene；　and　by　them　was　left　deep　founded
for　him　to　build　upon。

Noble　natures　have　a　repugnance　from　work。　　Manual　labour　is　servitude。
A　day　of　idleness　is　a　holy　day。　　For　those　whose　means　do　not　permit
to　live　in　idleness　the　school　is　the　only　refuge；　but　they　must　prove
their　quality。　　This　is　the　goal　which　drives　many　Scotch　boys
to　the　University；　scorning　delights　and　willing　to　live　long；
mind…laborious　days。

John　McCrae's　father　felt　bound　〃to　give　the　boy　a　chance；〃
but　the　boy　must　pass　the　test。　　The　test　in　such　cases
is　the　Shorter　Catechism；　that　compendium　of　all　intellectual　argument。
How　the　faithful　aspirant　for　the　school　acquires　this　body
of　written　knowledge　at　a　time　when　he　has　not　yet　learned　the　use　of　letters
is　a　secret　not　to　be　lightly　disclosed。　　It　may　indeed　be
that　already　his　education　is　complete。　　Upon　the　little　book
is　always　printed　the　table　of　multiples；　so　that　the　obvious　truth
which　is　comprised　in　the　statement；　〃two　by　two　makes　four〃；
is　imputed　to　the　contents　which　are　within　the　cover。
In　studying　the　table　the　catechism　is　learned　surreptitiously；
and　therefore　without　self…consciousness。

So；　in　this　well　ordered　family　with　its　atmosphere　of　obedience；
we　may　see　the　boy；　like　a　youthful　Socrates　going　about
with　a　copy　of　the　book　in　his　hand；　enquiring　of　those；
who　could　already　read；　not　alone　what　were　the　answers　to　the　questions
but　the　very　questions　themselves　to　which　an　answer　was　demanded。

This　learning；　however；　was　only　a　minor　part　of　life；　since　upon　a　farm
life　is　very　wide　and　very　deep。　　In　due　time　the　school　was　accomplished；
and　there　was　a　master　in　the　school　　let　his　name　be　recorded　
William　Tytler；　who　had　a　feeling　for　English　writing
and　a　desire　to　extend　that　feeling　to　others。

In　due　time　also　the　question　of　a　University　arose。
There　was　a