the uncommercial traveller-第3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！



hair；　marks　from　linen；　anything　that　might　lead　to　subsequent

identification；　studying　faces；　looking　for　a　scar；　a　bent　finger；

a　crooked　toe；　comparing　letters　sent　to　him　with　the　ruin　about

him。　　'My　dearest　brother　had　bright　grey　eyes　and　a　pleasant

smile；'　one　sister　wrote。　　O　poor　sister！　well　for　you　to　be　far

from　here；　and　keep　that　as　your　last　remembrance　of　him！



The　ladies　of　the　clergyman's　family；　his　wife　and　two　sisters…in…

law；　came　in　among　the　bodies　often。　　It　grew　to　be　the　business　of

their　lives　to　do　so。　　Any　new　arrival　of　a　bereaved　woman　would

stimulate　their　pity　to　compare　the　description　brought；　with　the

dread　realities。　　Sometimes；　they　would　go　back　able　to　say；　'I

have　found　him；'　or；　'I　think　she　lies　there。'　　Perhaps；　the

mourner；　unable　to　bear　the　sight　of　all　that　lay　in　the　church；

would　be　led　in　blindfold。　　Conducted　to　the　spot　with　many

compassionate　words；　and　encouraged　to　look；　she　would　say；　with　a

piercing　cry；　'This　is　my　boy！'　and　drop　insensible　on　the

insensible　figure。



He　soon　observed　that　in　some　cases　of　women；　the　identification　of

persons；　though　complete；　was　quite　at　variance　with　the　marks　upon

the　linen；　this　led　him　to　notice　that　even　the　marks　upon　the

linen　were　sometimes　inconsistent　with　one　another；　and　thus　he

came　to　understand　that　they　had　dressed　in　great　haste　and

agitation；　and　that　their　clothes　had　become　mixed　together。　　The

identification　of　men　by　their　dress；　was　rendered　extremely

difficult；　in　consequence　of　a　large　proportion　of　them　being

dressed　alike　…　in　clothes　of　one　kind；　that　is　to　say；　supplied　by

slopsellers　and　outfitters；　and　not　made　by　single　garments　but　by

hundreds。　　Many　of　the　men　were　bringing　over　parrots；　and　had

receipts　upon　them　for　the　price　of　the　birds；　others　had　bills　of

exchange　in　their　pockets；　or　in　belts。　　Some　of　these　documents；

carefully　unwrinkled　and　dried；　were　little　less　fresh　in

appearance　that　day；　than　the　present　page　will　be　under　ordinary

circumstances；　after　having　been　opened　three　or　four　times。



In　that　lonely　place；　it　had　not　been　easy　to　obtain　even　such

common　commodities　in　towns；　as　ordinary　disinfectants。　　Pitch　had

been　burnt　in　the　church；　as　the　readiest　thing　at　hand；　and　the

frying…pan　in　which　it　had　bubbled　over　a　brazier　of　coals　was

still　there；　with　its　ashes。　　Hard　by　the　Communion…Table；　were

some　boots　that　had　been　taken　off　the　drowned　and　preserved　…　a

gold…digger's　boot；　cut　down　the　leg　for　its　removal　…　a　trodden…

down　man's　ankle…boot　with　a　buff　cloth　top　…　and　others　…　soaked

and　sandy；　weedy　and　salt。



From　the　church；　we　passed　out　into　the　churchyard。　　Here；　there

lay；　at　that　time；　one　hundred　and　forty…five　bodies；　that　had　come

ashore　from　the　wreck。　　He　had　buried　them；　when　not　identified；　in

graves　containing　four　each。　　He　had　numbered　each　body　in　a

register　describing　it；　and　had　placed　a　corresponding　number　on

each　coffin；　and　over　each　grave。　　Identified　bodies　he　had　buried

singly；　in　private　graves；　in　another　part　of　the　church…yard。

Several　bodies　had　been　exhumed　from　the　graves　of　four；　as

relatives　had　come　from　a　distance　and　seen　his　register；　and；　when

recognised；　these　have　been　reburied　in　private　graves；　so　that　the

mourners　might　erect　separate　headstones　over　the　remains。　　In　all

such　cases　he　had　performed　the　funeral　service　a　second　time；　and

the　ladies　of　his　house　had　attended。　　There　had　been　no　offence　in

the　poor　ashes　when　they　were　brought　again　to　the　light　of　day；

the　beneficent　Earth　had　already　absorbed　it。　　The　drowned　were

buried　in　their　clothes。　　To　supply　the　great　sudden　demand　for

coffins；　he　had　got　all　the　neighbouring　people　handy　at　tools；　to

work　the　livelong　day；　and　Sunday　likewise。　　The　coffins　were

neatly　formed；　…　I　had　seen　two；　waiting　for　occupants；　under　the

lee　of　the　ruined　walls　of　a　stone　hut　on　the　beach；　within　call　of

the　tent　where　the　Christmas　Feast　was　held。　　Similarly；　one　of　the

graves　for　four　was　lying　open　and　ready；　here；　in　the　churchyard。

So　much　of　the　scanty　space　was　already　devoted　to　the　wrecked

people；　that　the　villagers　had　begun　to　express　uneasy　doubts

whether　they　themselves　could　lie　in　their　own　ground；　with　their

forefathers　and　descendants；　by…and…by。　　The　churchyard　being　but　a

step　from　the　clergyman's　dwelling…house；　we　crossed　to　the　latter；

the　white　surplice　was　hanging　up　near　the　door　ready　to　be　put　on

at　any　time；　for　a　funeral　service。



The　cheerful　earnestness　of　this　good　Christian　minister　was　as

consolatory；　as　the　circumstances　out　of　which　it　shone　were　sad。

I　never　have　seen　anything　more　delightfully　genuine　than　the　calm

dismissal　by　himself　and　his　household　of　all　they　had　undergone；

as　a　simple　duty　that　was　quietly　done　and　ended。　　In　speaking　of

it；　they　spoke　of　it　with　great　compassion　for　the　bereaved；　but

laid　no　stress　upon　their　own　hard　share　in　those　weary　weeks；

except　as　it　had　attached　many　people　to　them　as　friends；　and

elicited　many　touching　expressions　of　gratitude。　　This　clergyman's

brother　…　himself　the　clergyman　of　two　adjoining　parishes；　who　had

buried　thirty…four　of　the　bodies　in　his　own　churchyard；　and　who　had

done　to　them　all　that　his　brother　had　done　as　to　the　larger　number

…　must　be　understood　as　included　in　the　family。　　He　was　there；　with

his　neatly　arranged　papers；　and　made　no　more　account　of　his　trouble

than　anybody　else　did。　　Down　to　yesterday's　post　outward；　my

clergyman　alone　had　written　one　thousand　and　seventy…five　letters

to　relatives　and　friends　of　the　lost　people。　　In　the　absence　of

self…assertion；　it　was　only　through　my　now　and　then　delicately

putting　a　question　as　the　occasion　arose；　that　I　became　informed　of

these　things。　　It　was　only　when　I　had　remarked　again　and　again；　in

the　church；　on　the　awful　nature　of　the　scene　of　death　he　had　been

required　so　closely　to　familiarise　himself　with　for　the　soothing　of

the　living；　that　he　had　casually　said；　without　the　least　abatement

of　his　cheerfulness；　'indeed；　it　had　rendered　him　unable　for　a　time

to　eat　or　drink　more　than　a　little　coffee　now　and　then；　and　a　piece

of　bread。'



In　this　noble　modesty；　in　this　beautiful　simplicity；　in　this　serene

avoidance　of　the　least　attempt　to　'improve'　an　occasion　which　might

be　supposed　to　have　sunk　of　its　own　weight　into　my　heart；　I　seemed

to　have　happily　come；　in　a　few　steps；　from　the　churchyard　with　its

open　grave；　which　was　the　type　of　Death；　to　the　Christian　dwelling

side　by　side　with　it；　which　was　the　type　of　Resurrection。　　I　never

shall　think　of　the　former；　without　the　latter。　　The　two　will　always

rest　side　by　side　in　my　memory。　　If　I　had　lost　any　one　dear　to　me

in　this　unfortunate　ship；　if　I　had　made　a　voyage　from　Australia　to

look　at　the　grave　in　the　churchyard；　I　should　go　away；　thankful　to

GOD　that　that　house　was　so　close　to　it；　and　that　its　shadow　by　day

and　its　domestic　lights　by