the uncommercial traveller-第12部分

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our　Christian　religion　and　be　reasoned　down；　who　was　not　only　a

very　disagreeable　person；　but　remarkably　unlike　life　…　very　much

more　unlike　it　than　anything　I　had　seen　in　the　pantomime。　　The

native　independence　of　character　this　artisan　was　supposed　to

possess；　was　represented　by　a　suggestion　of　a　dialect　that　I

certainly　never　heard　in　my　uncommercial　travels；　and　with　a　coarse

swing　of　voice　and　manner　anything　but　agreeable　to　his　feelings；　I

should　conceive；　considered　in　the　light　of　a　portrait；　and　as　far

away　from　the　fact　as　a　Chinese　Tartar。　　There　was　a　model　pauper

introduced　in　like　manner；　who　appeared　to　me　to　be　the　most

intolerably　arrogant　pauper　ever　relieved；　and　to　show　himself　in

absolute　want　and　dire　necessity　of　a　course　of　Stone　Yard。　　For；

how　did　this　pauper　testify　to　his　having　received　the　gospel　of

humility？　　A　gentleman　met　him　in　the　workhouse；　and　said　（which　I

myself　really　thought　good…natured　of　him）；　'Ah；　John？　　I　am　sorry

to　see　you　here。　　I　am　sorry　to　see　you　so　poor。'　　'Poor；　sir！'

replied　that　man；　drawing　himself　up；　'I　am　the　son　of　a　Prince！

MY　father　is　the　King　of　Kings。　　MY　father　is　the　Lord　of　Lords。

MY　father　is　the　ruler　of　all　the　Princes　of　the　Earth！'　&c。　　And

this　was　what　all　the　preacher's　fellow…sinners　might　come　to；　if

they　would　embrace　this　blessed　book　…　which　I　must　say　it　did　some

violence　to　my　own　feelings　of　reverence；　to　see　held　out　at　arm's

length　at　frequent　intervals　and　soundingly　slapped；　like　a　slow

lot　at　a　sale。　　Now；　could　I　help　asking　myself　the　question；

whether　the　mechanic　before　me；　who　must　detect　the　preacher　as

being　wrong　about　the　visible　manner　of　himself　and　the　like　of

himself；　and　about　such　a　noisy　lip…server　as　that　pauper；　might

not；　most　unhappily　for　the　usefulness　of　the　occasion；　doubt　that

preacher's　being　right　about　things　not　visible　to　human　senses？



Again。　　Is　it　necessary　or　advisable　to　address　such　an　audience

continually　as　'fellow…sinners'？　　Is　it　not　enough　to　be　fellow…

creatures；　born　yesterday；　suffering　and　striving　to…day；　dying　to…

morrow？　　By　our　common　humanity；　my　brothers　and　sisters；　by　our

common　capacities　for　pain　and　pleasure；　by　our　common　laughter　and

our　common　tears；　by　our　common　aspiration　to　reach　something

better　than　ourselves；　by　our　common　tendency　to　believe　in

something　good；　and　to　invest　whatever　we　love　or　whatever　we　lose

with　some　qualities　that　are　superior　to　our　own　failings　and

weaknesses　as　we　know　them　in　our　own　poor　hearts　…　by　these；　Hear

me！　…　Surely；　it　is　enough　to　be　fellow…creatures。　　Surely；　it

includes　the　other　designation；　and　some　touching　meanings　over　and

above。



Again。　　There　was　a　personage　introduced　into　the　discourse　（not　an

absolute　novelty；　to　the　best　of　my　remembrance　of　my　reading）；　who

had　been　personally　known　to　the　preacher；　and　had　been　quite　a

Crichton　in　all　the　ways　of　philosophy；　but　had　been　an　infidel。

Many　a　time　had　the　preacher　talked　with　him　on　that　subject；　and

many　a　time　had　he　failed　to　convince　that　intelligent　man。　　But　he

fell　ill；　and　died；　and　before　he　died　he　recorded　his　conversion　…

in　words　which　the　preacher　had　taken　down；　my　fellow…sinners；　and

would　read　to　you　from　this　piece　of　paper。　　I　must　confess　that　to

me；　as　one　of　an　uninstructed　audience；　they　did　not　appear

particularly　edifying。　　I　thought　their　tone　extremely　selfish；　and

I　thought　they　had　a　spiritual　vanity　in　them　which　was　of　the

before…mentioned　refractory　pauper's　family。



All　slangs　and　twangs　are　objectionable　everywhere；　but　the　slang

and　twang　of　the　conventicle　…　as　bad　in　its　way　as　that　of　the

House　of　Commons；　and　nothing　worse　can　be　said　of　it　…　should　be

studiously　avoided　under　such　circumstances　as　I　describe。　　The

avoidance　was　not　complete　on　this　occasion。　　Nor　was　it　quite

agreeable　to　see　the　preacher　addressing　his　pet　'points'　to　his

backers　on　the　stage；　as　if　appealing　to　those　disciples　to　show

him　up；　and　testify　to　the　multitude　that　each　of　those　points　was

a　clincher。



But；　in　respect　of　the　large　Christianity　of　his　general　tone；　of

his　renunciation　of　all　priestly　authority；　of　his　earnest　and

reiterated　assurance　to　the　people　that　the　commonest　among　them

could　work　out　their　own　salvation　if　they　would；　by　simply；

lovingly；　and　dutifully　following　Our　Saviour；　and　that　they　needed

the　mediation　of　no　erring　man；　in　these　particulars；　this

gentleman　deserved　all　praise。　　Nothing　could　be　better　than　the

spirit；　or　the　plain　emphatic　words　of　his　discourse　in　these

respects。　　And　it　was　a　most　significant　and　encouraging

circumstance　that　whenever　he　struck　that　chord；　or　whenever　he

described　anything　which　Christ　himself　had　done；　the　array　of

faces　before　him　was　very　much　more　earnest；　and　very　much　more

expressive　of　emotion；　than　at　any　other　time。



And　now；　I　am　brought　to　the　fact；　that　the　lowest　part　of　the

audience　of　the　previous　night；　WAS　NOT　THERE。　　There　is　no　doubt

about　it。　　There　was　no　such　thing　in　that　building；　that　Sunday

evening。　　I　have　been　told　since；　that　the　lowest　part　of　the

audience　of　the　Victoria　Theatre　has　been　attracted　to　its　Sunday

services。　　I　have　been　very　glad　to　hear　it；　but　on　this　occasion

of　which　I　write；　the　lowest　part　of　the　usual　audience　of　the

Britannia　Theatre；　decidedly　and　unquestionably　stayed　away。　　When

I　first　took　my　seat　and　looked　at　the　house；　my　surprise　at　the

change　in　its　occupants　was　as　great　as　my　disappointment。　　To　the

most　respectable　class　of　the　previous　evening；　was　added　a　great

number　of　respectable　strangers　attracted　by　curiosity；　and　drafts

from　the　regular　congregations　of　various　chapels。　　It　was

impossible　to　fail　in　identifying　the　character　of　these　last；　and

they　were　very　numerous。　　I　came　out　in　a　strong；　slow　tide　of　them

setting　from　the　boxes。　　Indeed；　while　the　discourse　was　in

progress；　the　respectable　character　of　the　auditory　was　so　manifest

in　their　appearance；　that　when　the　minister　addressed　a

supposititious　'outcast；'　one　really　felt　a　little　impatient　of　it；

as　a　figure　of　speech　not　justified　by　anything　the　eye　could

discover。



The　time　appointed　for　the　conclusion　of　the　proceedings　was　eight

o'clock。　　The　address　having　lasted　until　full　that　time；　and　it

being　the　custom　to　conclude　with　a　hymn；　the　preacher　intimated　in

a　few　sensible　words　that　the　clock　had　struck　the　hour；　and　that

those　who　desired　to　go　before　the　hymn　was　sung；　could　go　now；

without　giving　offence。　　No　one　stirred。　　The　hymn　was　then　sung；

in　good　time　and　tune　and　unison；　and　its　effect　was　very　striking。

A　comprehensive　benevolent　prayer　dismissed　the　throng；　and　in

seven　or　eight　minutes　there　was　nothing　left　in　the　Theatre　but　a

light　cloud　of　dust。



That　these　Sunday　meetings　in　Theatres　are　good　things；　I　do　not

doubt。　　Nor　do　I　doubt　that　they　will　work　lower　and　lower　down　in

the　social