安徒生童话-第5章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃The　thought　arises；　perhaps；　from　the　arrogance　of　men；〃　said　thehusband。　〃It　seems　a　great　pride　to　believe　that　we　shall　live　forever；　that　we　shall　be　as　gods！　Were　not　these　the　words　of　theserpent；　the　father　of　lies？〃

〃Surely　you　do　not　doubt　the　existence　of　a　future　life？〃exclaimed　the　young　wife。　It　seemed　as　if　one　of　the　first　shadowspassed　over　her　sunny　thoughts。

〃Faith　realises　it；　and　the　priests　tell　us　so；〃　replied　herhusband；　〃but　amid　all　my　happiness　I　feel　that　it　is　arrogant　todemand　a　continuation　of　it…　another　life　after　this。　Has　not　somuch　been　given　us　in　this　world　that　we　ought　to　be；　we　must　be；contented　with　it？〃

〃Yes；　it　has　been　given　to　us；〃　said　the　young　wife；　〃but　thislife　is　nothing　more　than　one　long　scene　of　trial　and　hardship　to　manythousands。　How　many　have　been　cast　into　this　world　only　to　endurepoverty；　shame；　illness；　and　misfortune？　If　there　were　no　future　life；everything　here　would　be　too　unequally　divided；　and　God　would　not　bethe　personification　of　justice。〃

〃The　beggar　there；〃　said　her　husband；　〃has　joys　of　his　own　whichseem　to　him　great；　and　cause　him　as　much　pleasure　as　a　king　would　findin　the　magnificence　of　his　palace。　And　then　do　you　not　think　thatthe　beast　of　burden；　which　suffers　blows　and　hunger；　and　worksitself　to　death；　suffers　just　as　much　from　its　miserable　fate？　Thedumb　creature　might　demand　a　future　life　also；　and　declare　the　lawunjust　that　excludes　it　from　the　advantages　of　the　higher　creation。〃

〃Christ　said：　'In　my　father's　house　are　many　mansions；'〃　sheanswered。　〃Heaven　is　as　boundless　as　the　love　of　our　Creator；　the　dumbanimal　is　also　His　creature；　and　I　firmly　believe　that　no　life　will　belost；　but　each　will　receive　as　much　happiness　as　he　can　enjoy；　whichwill　be　sufficient　for　him。〃

〃This　world　is　sufficient　for　me；〃　said　the　husband；　throwinghis　arm　round　his　beautiful；　sweet…tempered　wife。　He　sat　by　her　sideon　the　open　balcony；　smoking　a　cigarette　in　the　cool　air；　which　wasloaded　with　the　sweet　scent　of　carnations　and　orange　blossoms。Sounds　of　music　and　the　clatter　of　castas　came　from　the　roadbeneath；　the　stars　shone　above　then；　and　two　eyes　full　of　affection…those　of　his　wife…　looked　upon　him　with　the　expression　of　undyinglove。　〃Such　a　moment；〃　he　said；　〃makes　it　worth　while　to　be　born；　todie；　and　to　be　annihilated！〃　He　smiled…　the　young　wife　raised　her　handin　gentle　reproof；　and　the　shadow　passed　away　from　her　mind；　andthey　were　happy…　quite　happy。

Everything　seemed　to　work　together　for　their　good。　They　advancedin　honour；　in　prosperity；　and　in　happiness。　A　change　came　certainly；but　it　was　only　a　change　of　place　and　not　of　circumstances。

The　young　man　was　sent　by　his　Sovereign　as　ambassador　to　theRussian　Court。　This　was　an　office　of　high　dignity；　but　his　birth　andhis　acquirements　entitled　him　to　the　honour。　He　possessed　a　largefortune；　and　his　wife　had　brought　him　wealth　equal　to　his　own；　for　shewas　the　daughter　of　a　rich　and　respected　merchant。　One　of　thismerchant's　largest　and　finest　ships　was　to　be　sent　that　year　toStockholm；　and　it　was　arranged　that　the　dear　young　couple；　thedaughter　and　the　son…in…law；　should　travel　in　it　to　St。　Petersburg。All　the　arrangements　on　board　were　princely　and　silk　and　luxury　onevery　side。

In　an　old　war　song；　called　〃The　King　of　England's　Son；〃　it　says：

　〃Farewell；　he　said；　and　sailed　away。

　　And　many　recollect　that　day。

　　The　ropes　were　of　silk；　the　anchor　of　gold；

　　And　everywhere　riches　and　wealth　untold。〃

These　words　would　aptly　describe　the　vessel　from　Spain；　for　herewas　the　same　luxury；　and　the　same　parting　thought　naturally　arose：

　〃God　grant　that　we　once　more　may　meet

　　In　sweet　unclouded　peace　and　joy。〃

There　was　a　favourable　wind　blowing　as　they　left　the　Spanishcoast；　and　it　would　be　but　a　short　journey；　for　they　hoped　to　reachtheir　destination　in　a　few　weeks；　but　when　they　came　out　upon　the　wideocean　the　wind　dropped；　the　sea　became　smooth　and　shining；　and　thestars　shone　brightly。　Many　festive　evenings　were　spent　on　board。　Atlast　the　travellers　began　to　wish　for　wind；　for　a　favourable　breeze；but　their　wish　was　useless…　not　a　breath　of　air　stirred；　or　if　itdid　arise　it　was　contrary。　Weeks　passed　by　in　this　way；　two　wholemonths；　and　then　at　length　a　fair　wind　blew　from　the　south…west。　Theship　sailed　on　the　high　seas　between　Scotland　and　Jutland；　then　thewind　increased；　just　as　it　did　in　the　old　song　of　〃The　King　ofEngland's　Son。〃

〃'Mid　storm　and　wind；　and　pelting　hail；

　　Their　efforts　were　of　no　avail。

　　The　golden　anchor　forth　they　threw；

　　Towards　Denmark　the　west　wind　blew。〃

This　all　happened　a　long　time　ago；　King　Christian　VII；　who　saton　the　Danish　throne；　was　still　a　young　man。　Much　has　happened　sincethen；　much　has　altered　or　been　changed。　Sea　and　moorland　have　beenturned　into　green　meadows；　stretches　of　heather　have　bee　arableland；　and　in　the　shelter　of　the　peasant's　cottages；　apple…trees　androse…bushes　grow；　though　they　certainly　require　much　care；　as　thesharp　west　wind　blows　upon　them。　In　West　Jutland　one　may　go　back　inthought　to　old　times；　farther　back　than　the　days　when　Christian　VIIruled。　The　purple　heather　still　extends　for　miles；　with　its　barrowsand　aerial　spectacles；　intersected　with　sandy　uneven　roads；　just　as　itdid　then；　towards　the　west；　where　broad　streams　run　into　the　bays；　aremarshes　and　meadows　encircled　by　lofty；　sandy　hills；　which；　like　achain　of　Alps；　raise　their　pointed　summits　near　the　sea；　they　are　onlybroken　by　high　ridges　of　clay；　from　which　the　sea；　year　by　year；　bitesout　great　mouthfuls；　so　that　the　overhanging　banks　fall　down　as　ifby　the　shock　of　an　earthquake。　Thus　it　is　there　today　and　thus　itwas　long　ago；　when　the　happy　pair　were　sailing　in　the　beautiful　ship。

It　was　a　Sunday；　towards　the　end　of　September；　the　sun　wasshining；　and　the　chiming　of　the　church　bells　in　the　Bay　of　Nissumwas　carried　along　by　the　breeze　like　a　chain　of　sounds。　The　churchesthere　are　almost　entirely　built　of　hewn　blocks　of　stone；　each　like　apiece　of　rock。　The　North　Sea　might　foam　over　them　and　they　would　notbe　disturbed。　Nearly　all　of　them　are　without　steeples；　and　the　bellsare　hung　outside　between　two　beams。　The　service　was　over；　and　thecongregation　passed　out　into　the　churchyard；　where　not　a　tree　orbush　was　to　be　seen；　no　flowers　were　planted　there；　and　they　had　notplaced　a　single　wreath　upon　any　of　the　graves。　It　is　just　the　samenow。　Rough　mounds　show　where　the　dead　have　been　buried；　and　rankgrass；　tossed　by　the　wind；　grows　thickly　over　the　whole　churchyard；here　and　there　a　grave　has　a　sort　of　monument；　a　block　of　half…decayedwood；　rudely　cut　in　the　shape　of　a　coffin；　the　blocks　are　brought　fromthe　forest　of　West　Jutland；　but　the　forest　is　the　sea　itself；　andthe　inhabitants　find　beams；　and　planks；　and　fragments　which　thewaves　have　cast　upon　the　beach。　One　of　these　blocks　had　been　placed　byloving　hands　on　a　child's　grave；　and　one　of　the　women　who　had　e　outof　the　church　walked　up　to　it；　she　stood　there；　her　eyes　resting　onthe　weather…beaten　memorial；　and　a　few　moments　afterwards　herhusband　joined　her。　They　were　both　silent；　but　he　took　her　hand；　andthey　walked　together　across　the　purple　heath；　over　moor　and　meadowtowards　the　sandhills。　For　a　long　time　they　went　on　without　speaking。

〃It　was　a　good　sermon　to…day；〃　the　man　said　at　last。　〃If　we　hadnot　God　to　trust　in；　we　should　have　nothing。〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　woman；　〃He　sends　joy　and　sorrow；　and　He　has　aright　to　send　them。　To…morrow　our　little　son　would　have　been　fiveyears　old　if　we　had　been　permitted　to　keep　him。〃

〃It　is　no　use　fretting；　wife；〃　said　the　man。　〃The　boy　is　wellprovided　for。　He　is　where　we　hope　and　pray　to　go　to。〃

They　said　nothing　more；　but　went　out　towards　their　houses　amongthe　sand…hills。　All　at　once；　in　front　of　one　of　the　houses　where　thesea　grass　did　not　keep　the　sand　down　with　its　twining　roots；　whatseemed　to　be　a　column　of　smoke　rose　up。　A　gust　of　wind　rushedbetween　the　hills；　hurling　the　particles　of　sand　high　into　the　air；another　gust；　and　the　strings　of　fish　hung　up　to　dry　flapped　andbeat　violently　against　the　walls　of　the　cottage；　then　everything　wasquiet　once　more；　and　the　sun　shone　with　renewed　heat。

The　man　and　his　wife　went　into　the　cottage。　They　had　so