samantha at saratoga-第38部分

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y　for　that　home　of　Everlastin'　freedom；　they　will　be　sent　back　agin；　and　not　allowed　to　land。　But　it　comferted　me　quite　a　good　deal　to　meditate　on't；　that　that　land　didn't　have　no　laws　aginst　foreign　emigration。　　That　its　ruler　wuz　one　who　held　the　rights　of　the　lowest；　and　poorest；　and　most　ignerent　of　His　children；　of　jest　as　much　account　as　he　did　the　rights　of　a　king。　　Thinkses　I　that　poor　little　head　with　the　piller　case　on　it　will　be　jest　as　much　looked　up　to；　as　if　it　wuz　white　and　had　a　crown　on　it。　　And　I　felt　real　glad　to　think　it　wuz　so。　But　I　went　to　every　meetin'　of　'em；　and　enjoyed　every　one　of　'em　with　a　deep　enjoyment。　　And　I　said　then；　and　I　say　now；　for　folks　that　had　took　such　a　hefty　job　as　they　had；　they　done　well；　nobody　could　do　better；　and　if　the　world　wuzn't　improved　by　their　talk　it　wuz　the　fault　of　the　world；　and　not　their'n。　And　we　went　to　meetin'　on　Sunday　mornin'　and　night；　and　hearn　good　sermons。　　There's　several　high　big　churches　at　Saratoga；　of　every　denomination；　and　likely　folks　belong　to　the　hull　on　'em：　There　is　no　danger　of　folks　losin'　their　way　to　Heaven　unless　they　want　to；　and　they　can　go　on　their　own　favorite　paths　too；　be　they　blue　Presbyterian　paths；　or　Methodist　pasters；　or　by　the　Baptist　boat；　or　the　Episcopalian　high　way；　or　the　Catholic　covered　way；　or　the　Unitarian　Broadway；　or　the　Shadow　road　of　Spiritualism。　No　danger　of　their　losin'　their　way　unless　they　want　to。　　And　I　thought　to　myself　as　I　looked　pensively　at　the　different　steeples；　〃What　though　there　might　be　a　good　deal　of'wranglin'；　and　screechin'；　and　puffin'　off　steam；　at　the　different　stations；　as　there　must　always　be　where　so　many　different　routes　are　a　layin'　side　by　side；　each　with　its　own　different　runners；　and　conductors；　and　porters；　and　managers；　and　blowers；　still　it　must　be；　that　the　separate　high　ways　would　all　end　at　last　in　a　serener　road；　where　the　true　wayfarers　and　the　earnest　pilgrims　would　all　walk　side　by　side；　and　forget　the　very　name　of　the　station　they　sot　out　from。　I　sez　as　much　to　my　companion；　as　we　wended　our　way　home　from　one　of　the　meetin's；　and　he　sez；　〃There　haint　but　one　right　way；　and　it　is　a　pity　folks　can't　see　it。〃　　Sez　he　a　sithin'　deep；　〃Why　can't　everybody　be　Methodists？〃　We　wuz　a　goin'　by　the　'Piscopal　church　then；　and　he　sez　a　lookin'　at　it；　as　if　he　wuz　sorry　for　it；　〃What　a　pity　that　such　likely　folks　as　they　be；　should　believe　in　such　eronious　doctrines。　Why；〃　sez　he；　〃I　have　hearn　that　they　believe　that　the　bread　at　communion　is　changed　into　sunthin'　else。　　What　a　pity　that　they　should　believe　anything　so　strange　as　that　is；　when　there　is　a　good；　plain；　practical；　Christian　belief　that　they　might　believe　in；　when　they　might　be　Methodists。　　And　the　Baptists　now；〃　sez　he；　a　glancin'　back　at　their　steeple；　〃why　can't　they　believe　that　a　drop　is　as　good　as　a　fountain？　　Why　do　they　want　to　believe　in　so　much　water？　　There　haint　no　need　on't。　　They　might　be　Methodists　jest　as　well　as　not；　and　be　somebody。〃　And　he　walked　along　pensively　and　in　deep　thought；　and　I　a　feelin'　somewhat　tuckered　didn't　argue　with　him；　and　silence　rained　about　us　till　we　got　in　front　of　the　hall　where　the　Spiritualists　hold　their　meetin's；　and　we　met　a　few　a　comin'　out　on　it　and　then　he　broke　out　and　acted　mad；　awful　mad　and　skernful；　and　sez　he　angrily；　〃Them　dumb　fools　believe　in　supernatural　things。　　They　don't　have　a　shadow　of　reason　or　common　sense　to　stand　on。　　A　man　is　a　fool　to　gin　the　least　attention　to　them；　or　their　doin's。　　Why　can't　they　believe　sunthin'　sensible？　　Why　can't　they　jine　a　church　that　don't　have　anything　curius　in　it？　　Nothin'　but　plain；　common　sense　facts　in　it：　Why　can't　they　be　Methodists？〃　〃The　idee！〃　sez　he；　a　breakin'　out　fresh。　　〃The　idee　of　believin'　that　folks　that　have　gone　to　the　other　world　can　come　back　agin　and　appear。　　Shaw！〃　sez　he；　dretful　loud　and　bold。　　I　don't　believe　I　ever　heard　a　louder　shaw　in　my　life　than　that　wuz；　or　more　kinder　haughty　and　highheaded。　And　then　I　spoke　up；　and　sez；　〃Josiah；　it　is　always　well；　to　shaw　in　the　right　place；　and　I　am　afraid　you　haint　studied　on　it　as　much　as　you　ort。　　I　am　afraid　you　haint　a　shawin'　where　you　ort　to。〃　〃Where　should　I　shaw？〃　sez　he；　kinder　snappish。　〃Wall；〃　sez　I；　〃when　you　condemn　other　folkses　beliefs；　you　ort　to　be　careful　that　you　haint　a　condemin'　your　own　belief　at　the　same　time。　　Now　my　belief　is　grounded　in　the　Methodist　meetin'　house　like　a　rock；　my　faith　has　cast　its　ancher　there　inside　of　her　beliefs　and　can't　be　washed　round　by　any　waves　of　opposin'　doctrines。　　But　I　am　one　who　can't　now；　nor　never　could；　abide　bigotry　and　intolerance　either　in　a　Pope；　or　a　Josiah　Allen。　〃And　when　you　condemn　a　belief　simply　on　the　ground　of　its　bein'　miraculous　and　beyond　your　comprehension；　Josiah　Allen；　you　had　better　pause　and　consider　on　what　the　Methodist　faith　is　founded。　〃All　our　orthodox　meetin'　houses；　Presbyterian；　Baptist；　Methodist；　Episcopalian；　every　one　on　'em；　Josiah　Allen；　are　sot　down　on　a　belief；　a　deathless　faith　in　a　miraculous　birth；　a　life　of　supernatural　events；　the　resurrection　of　the　dead；　His　appearance　after　death；　a　belief　in　the　graves　openin'　and　the　dead　comin'　forth；　a　belief　in　three　persons　inhabitin'　one　soul；　the　constant　presence　and　control　of　spiritual　influences；　the　Holy　Ghost；　and　the　spirits　of　just　men。　　And　while　you　are　a　leanin'　up　against　that　belief；　Josiah　Allen；　and　a　leanin'　heavy；　don't　shaw　at　any　other　belief　for　the　qualities　you　hold　sacred　in　your　own。〃　He　quailed　a　very　little；　and　I　went　on。　〃If　you　want　to　shaw　at　it；　shaw　for　sunthin'　else　in　it；　or　else　let　it　entirely　alone。　　If　you　think　it　lacks　active　Christian　force；　if　you　think　it　is　not　aggressive　in　its　assaults　at　Sin；　if　you　think　it　lacks　faith　in　the　Divine　Head　of　the　church；　say　so；　do；　but　for　mercy's　sake　try　to　shaw　in　the　right　place。〃　〃Wall；〃　sez　he；　〃they　are　a　low　set　that　follers　it　up　mostly；　and　you　know　it。〃　　And　his　head　was　right　up　in　the　air；　and　he　looked　very　skernful。　But　I　sez；　〃Josiah　Allen；　you　are　a　shawin'　agin　in　the　wrong　place；〃　sez　I。　　〃If　what　you　say　is　true；　remember　that　1800　years　ago；　the　same　cry　wuz　riz　up　by　Pharisees；　‘He　eats　with　Publicans　and　sinners。'　　They　would　not　have　a　king　who　came　in　the　guise　of　the　poor；　they　scerned　a　spiritual　truth　that　did　not　sparkle　with　worldly　lustre。　〃But　it　shone　on；　it　lights　the　souls　of　humanity　to…day。　　Let　us　not　be　afraid；　Josiah　Allen。　　Truth　is　a　jewel　that　cannot　be　harmed　by　deepest　investigation；　by　roughest　handlin'。　　It　can't　be　buried；　it　will　shine　out　of　the　deepest　darkness。　　What　is　false　will　be　washed　away；　what　is　true　will　remain。　　For　all　this　frettin'；　and　chafing；　all　this　turbelence　of　conflectin'　beliefs；　opposin'　wills；　will　only　polish　this　jewel。　　Truth；　calm　and　serene；　will　endure；　will　shine；　will　light　up　the　world。〃　He　begun　to　look　considerable　softer　in　mean；　and　I　continued　on：　〃Josiah　Allen；　you　and　I　know　what　we　believe　the　beautiful　religion　（Methodist　Episcopal）　that　we　both　love；　makes　a　light　in　our　two　souls。　　But　don't　let　us　stand　in　that　light　and　yell　out；　that　everybody　else's　light　is　darkness；　that　our　light　is　the　only　one。　　No；　the　heavens　are　over　all　the　earth；　the　twelve　gates　of　heaven　are　open　and　a　shinin'　down　on　all　sides　of　us。　〃Jonesville　meetin'　house　（Methodist　Episcopal）　haint　the　only　medium　through　which　the　light　streams。　　It　is　dear　to　us；　Josiah　Allen；　but　let　us　not　think　that　we　must　coller　everybody　and　drag　'em　into　it。　　And　let　us　not　cry　out　too　much　at　other　folkses　superstitions；　when　the　rock　of　our　own　faith；　that　comforts　us　in　joy　and　sorrow；　is　sot　in　a　sea　of　supernaturalism。　〃You　know　how　that　faith　comforts　our　two　souls；　how　it　is　to　us；　like　the　shadow　of　a　great　rock　in　a　weary　land；　but　they　say；　their　belief　is　the　same　to　them；　let　us　not　judge　them　too　hardly。　　No；　the　twelve　gates　of　heaven　are　open；　Josiah　Allen；　and　a　shinin'　down　onto　the　earth。　　We　know　the　light　that　has　streamed　into　our　own　souls；　but　we　do　not　know　exactly　what　rays　of　radience　may　have　been　reflected　down　into　some　other　lives　through　some　one　of　those　many　gates。　〃The　plate　below　has　to　be　prepared；　before　it　can　ketch　the　picture　and　hold　it。　　The　light　does　not　strike　back　the　same　reflection　from　every　earthly　thing。　　The　serene　lake　mirrors　back　the　light；　in　a　calm　flood　of　glory；　the　flashin'　waterfall　breaks　it　into　a　thousand　dazzlin'　sparkles。　　The　dewy　petal　of　the　yellow　field　lily；　reflects　its　own　ray　of　golden　light　back；　so　does　the　dark　cone　of　the　pine　tree；　and　the　diamond；　the　opal；　the　ruby；　each　tinges　the　light　with　its　own　coloring；　but　the　light　is　all　from　above。　　And　they　all　reflect　the　light；　in　their　own　way　for　which　the　Divine　skill　has　prepared　them。　〃Let　us　not　try　to　compel　the　deep　blue　Ocean　waves　and　the　shinin'　waterfall；　and　the　lily　blow；　to　reflect　back　the　light；　in　the　same　identical　manner。　　No；　let　the　light　stream　down　into　high　places；　and　low　ones；　let　the　truth　shine　into　dark　hearts；　and　into　pure　souls。　　God　is　light。　　God　is　Love。　　It　is　His　light　that　shines　down　out　of　the　twelve　gates；　and　though　the　ruby；　or　the　amethyst；　may　color　it　by　their　own　medium；　the　light　that　is　reflected；　back　is　the　light　of　Heaven。　　And　Josiah　Allen；〃　sez　I　in　a　deeper；　earnester　tone；　〃let　us　who　know　so　little　ourselves；　be　patient　with　other　ignerent　ones。　　Let　us　not　be　too　intolerent；　for　no　intolerence；　Josiah　Allen　is　so　cruel　as　that　of　ignerence；　an'　stupidity。〃　Sez　Josiah；　〃I　won't　believe　in　anything　I　can't　see；　Samantha　Allen。〃　I　jest　looked　round　at　him　witheringly；　and　sez　I；　〃What　have　you　ever　seen；　Josiah　Allen；　I　mean　that　is　worth　sein'？　　Haint　everything　that　is　worth　havin'　in　life；　amongst　the　unseen？　　The　deathless　loves；　the　aspirations；　the　deep　hopes；　and　faiths；　that　live　in　us　and　through　us；　and　animate　us　and　keep　us　alive；　　Whose　spectacles　has　ever　seen　'em？　　What　are　we；　all　of　us　human　creeters；　any　way；　but　little　atoms　dropped　here；　Heaven　knows　why；　or　how；　into　the　midst　of　a　perfect　sea　of　mystery；　and　unseen　influences。　　What　hand　shoved　us　forwards　out　of　the　shadows；　and　what　hand　will　reach　out　to　us　from　the　shadows　and　draw　us　back　agin？　　Have　you　seen　it　Josiah　Allen？　　Y