marm lisa-第18部分

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ar；　decade　by　decade；　by　making　over　human　nature；　by　transforming　trivial；　thoughtless　men　and　women　into　serious；　earnest　ones；　by　waking　in　arid　natures　slumbering　seeds　of　generosity；　self…　sacrifice；　and　helpfulness。　　It　is　not　alone　in　this　way　that　children　are　bringing　the　dawn　of　the　perfect　day。　　It　is　the　children　（bless　them！　how　naughty　they　were　to…day！）　who　are　going　to　do　all　we　have　left　undone；　all　we　have　failed　to　do；　all　we　might　have　done　had　we　been　wise　enough；　all　we　have　been　too　weak　and　stupid　to　do。

'Among　the　thousands　of　tiny　things　growing　up　all　over　the　land；　some　of　them　under　my　very　wingwatched　and　tended；　unwatched　and　untended；　loved；　unloved；　protected　from　danger；　thrust　into　temptation；　among　them　somewhere　is　the　child　who　will　write　a　great　poem　that　will　live　for　ever　and　ever；　kindling　every　generation　to　a　loftier　ideal。　　There　is　the　child　who　will　write　the　novel　that　is　to　stir　men's　hearts　to　nobler　issues　and　incite　them　to　better　deeds。　　There　is　the　child　（perhaps　it　is　Nino）　who　will　paint　the　greatest　picture　or　carve　the　greatest　statue　of　the　age；　another　who　will　deliver　his　country　in　an　hour　of　peril；　another　who　will　give　his　life　for　a　great　principle；　and　another；　born　more　of　the　spirit　than　the　flesh；　who　will　live　continually　on　the　heights　of　moral　being；　and；　dying；　draw　men　after　him。　　It　may　be　I　shall　preserve　one　of　these　children　to　the　racewho　knows？　　It　is　a　peg　big　enough　on　which　to　hang　a　hope；　for　every　child　born　into　the　world　is　a　new　incarnate　thought　of　God；　an　ever　fresh　and　radiant　possibility。'

Another　day。'Would　I　had　the　gift　to　capture　Mrs。　Grubb　and　put　her　between　the　covers　of　a　book！'

'It　tickles　Rhoda's　fancy　mightily　that　the　Vague　Lady　（as　we　call　her）　should　take　Lisa　before　the　Commissioners　of　Lunacy！　　Rhoda　says　that　if　she　has　an　opportunity　to　talk　freely　with　them；　they　will　inevitably　jump　at　the　conclusion　that　Lisa　has　brought　HER　for　examination；　as　she　is　so　much　the　more　irrational　of　the　two！　　Rhoda　facetiously　imagines　a　scene　in　which　a　reverend　member　of　the　body　takes　Lisa　aside　and　says　solemnly；　〃My　dear　child；　you　have　been　wise　beyond　your　years　in　bringing　us　your　guardian；　and　we　cannot　allow　her　to　be　at　large　another　day；　lest　she　becomes　suddenly　violent。〃

'Of　late　I　have　noticed　that　she　has　gradually　dropped　one　club　and　society　after　another；　concentrating　her　attention　more　and　more　upon　Theosophy。　　Every　strange　weed　and　sucker　that　can　grow　anywhere　flourishes　in　the　soil　of　her　mind；　and　if　a　germ　of　truth　or　common…　sense　does　chance　to　exist　in　any　absurd　theory；　it　is　choked　by　the　time　it　has　lain　there　among　the　underbrush　for　a　little　space；　so　that　when　she　begins　her　harvesting　（which　is　always　a　long　while　before　anything　is　ripe）；　one　can　never　tell　precisely　what　sort　of　crop　was　planted。

'It　seems　that　the　Theosophists　are　considering　the　establishment　of　a　colony　of　Mahatmas　at　Mojave；　on　the　summit　of　the　Tehachapi　Mountains。　　Their　present　habitat　is　the　Himalayas；　but　there　is　no　reason　why　we　should　not　encourage　them　to　settle　in　this　country。　The　Tehachapis　would　give　as　complete　retirement　as　the　Himalayas；　while　the　spiritual　advantages　to　be　derived　from　an　infusion　of　Mahatmas　into　our　population　are　self…evident。　　〃Think；　my　sisters；〃　Mrs。　Grubb　would　say；　〃think；　that　our　mountain　ranges　may　some　time　be　peopled　by　omniscient　beings　thousands　of　years　old　and　still　growing！〃　　Up　to　this　last　aberration　I　have　had　some　hope　of　Grubb　o'　Dreams。　　I　thought　it　a　good　sign；　her　giving　up　so　many　societies　and　meetings。　　The　house　is　not　any　tidier；　but　at　least　she　stays　in　it　occasionally。　　In　the　privacy　of　my　own　mind　I　have　been　ascribing　this　slight　reformation　to　the　most　ordinary　cause；namely；　a　Particular　Man。　　It　would　never　have　occurred　to　me　in　her　case　had　not　Edith　received　confidential　advices　from　Mrs。　Sylvester。

'〃We're　going　to　lose　her；　I　feel　it！〃　said　Mrs。　Sylvester。　　〃I　feel　it；　and　she　alludes　to　it　herself。　　There　ain't　but　two　ways　of　her　classes　losing　her；　death　and　marriage；　and　as　she　looks　too　healthy　to　die；　it　must　be　the　other　one。　　She's　never　accepted　any　special　attentions　till　about　a　month　ago；　when　the　Improved　Order　of　Red　Men　held　their　Great　Council　here。　　You　see　she　used　to　be　Worthy　Wenonah　of　Pocahontas　Lodge　years　ago；　when　my　husband　was　Great　Keeper　of　the　Wampum；　but　she　hasn't　attended　regularly；　a　woman　is　so　handicapped；　when　it　comes　to　any　kind　of　public　work；　by　her　home　and　her　children。I　do　hope　I　shall　live　long　enough　to　see　all　those　kind　of　harassing　duties　performed　in　public；　co…operative　institutions。She　went　to　the　Council　to　keep　me　company；　mostly；　but　the　very　first　evening　I　could　see　that　William　Burkhardt；　of　Bald　Eagle　No。　62；　was　struck　with　her；　she　lights　up　splendidly；　Mrs。　Grubb　does。　　He　stayed　with　her　every　chance　he　got　during　the　week：　　but　I　didn't　see　her　give　him　any　encouragement；　and　I　should　never　have　thought　of　it　again　if　she　hadn't　come　home　late　from　one　of　the　Council　Fires　at　the　Wigwam。　　I　was　just　shutting　my　bedroom　blinds。　　I　tried　not　to　listen；　for　I　despise　eavesdropping；　of　all　things；　but　I　couldn't　help　hearing　her　say；　〃No；　Mr。　Burkhardt；　you　are　only　a　Junior　Sagamore；　and　I　am　ambitious。　　When　you　are　a　Great　Sachem；　it　will　be　time　enough　to　consider　the　matter。〃'

'Mrs。　Sylvester；　Edith；　and　I　agreed　that　this　was　most　significant；　but　we　may　have　been　mistaken；　according　to　her　latest　development。　The　〃passing　away〃　so　feelingly　alluded　to　by　Mrs。　Sylvester　is　to　be　of　a　different　sort。　　She　has　spoken　mysteriously　to　me　before　of　her　reasons　for　denying　herself　luxuries；　of　the　goal　she　expected　to　reach　through　rigid　denial　of　the　body　and　training　of　the　spirit；　of　her　longing　to　come　less　in　contact　with　the　foul　magnetism　of　the　common　herd；　so　detrimental　to　her　growth；　but　she　formally　announced　to　me　in　strict　confidence　to…day　her　ambition　to　be　a　Mahatma。　　Of　course　she　has　been　so　many　things　that　there　are　comparatively　few　left；　still；　say　whatever　we　like；　she　has　the　spirit　of　all　the　Argonauts；　that　woman！　　She　has　been　an　Initiate　for　some　time；　and　considers　herself　quite　ready　for　the　next　step；　which　is　to　be　a　Chela。　　It　is　unnecessary　to　state　that　she　climbs　the　ladder　of　evolution　much　faster　than　the　ordinary　Theosophist；　who　is　somewhat　slow　in　his　movements；　and　often　deals　in　centuries；　or　even　aeons。

'I　did　not　know　that　there　were　female　Mahatmas；　reasoning　unconsciously　from　the　fact　that　an　Adept　is　supposed　to　hold　his　peace　for　many　years　before　he　can　even　contemplate　the　possibility　of　being　a　Mahatma。　　（The　idea　of　Grubb　o'　Dreams　holding　her　peace　is　too　absurd　for　argument。）　　There　are　many　grades　of　Adepts；　it　seems；　ranging　from　the　〃topmost〃　Mahatmas　down。　　The　highest　of　all；　the　Nirmanakayas；　are　self…conscious　without　the　body；　travelling　hither　and　thither　with　but　one　object；　that　of　helping　humanity。　　As　we　descend　the　scale；　we　find　Adepts　（and　a　few　second…class　Mahatmas）　living　in　the　body；　for　the　wheel　of　Karma　has　not　entirely　revolved　for　them；　but　they　have　a　key　to　their　〃prison〃　（that　is　what　Mrs。　Grubb　calls　her　nice；　pretty　body！）；　and　can　emerge　from　it　at　pleasure。　　That　is；　any　really　capable　and　energetic　Adept　can　project　his　soul　from　its　prison　to　any　place　that　he　pleases；　with　the　rapidity　of　thought。　　I　may　have　my　personal　doubts　as　to　the　possibilities　of　this　gymnastic　feat；　but　Mrs。　Grubb's　intellectual　somersaults　have　been　of　such　thoroughness　and　frequency　that　I　am　sure；　if　anybody　can　perform　the　gyration；　she　can！　　Meantime；　there　are　decades　of　retirement；　meditation；　and　preparation　necessary；　and　she　can　endure　nothing　of　that　sort　in　this　present　incarnation；　so　the　parting　does　not　seem　imminent！

'She　came　to　consult　me　about　Soul　Haven　for　the　twins。　　I　don't　think　it　a　wholly　bad　plan。　　The　country　is　better　for　them　than　the　city；　we　can　manage　occasional　news　of　their　welfare；　it　will　tide　to　get　over　the　brief　interval　of　time　needed　by　Mrs。　Grubb　for　growing　into　a　Chela；　and　in　any　event；　they　are　sure　to　run　away　from　the　Haven　as　soon　as　they　become　at　all　conscious　of　their　souls；　a　moment　which　I　think　will　be　considerably　delayed。

'Mrs。　Grubb　will　not　yield　Lisa　until　she　is　certain　that　the　Soul　Haven　colonists　will　accept　the　twins　without　a　caretaker；　but　unless　the　matter　is　quietly　settled　by　the　new　year　I　shall　find　some　heroic　means　of　changing　her　mind。　　I　have　considered　the　matter　earnestly　for　many　months　without　knowing　precisely　how　to　find　sufficient　money　for　the　undertaking。　　My　own　income　can　be　stretched　to　cover　her　maintenance；　but　it　is　not　sufficient　to　give　her　the　proper　sort　of　education。　　She　is　beyond　my　powers　now；　and　perhaps　nay；　of　a　certainty；　if　her　health　continue　to　improvefive　years　of　skilful　teaching　will　make　herwhat　it　will　make　her　no　one　can　prophesy；　but　it　is　sure　to　be　something　worth　working　for。　　No　doubt　I　can　get　the　money　by　a　public　appeal；　and　if　it　were　for　a　dozen　children　instead　of　one　I　would　willingly　do　it；　as　indeed　I　have　done　it　many　times　in　the　past。

'That　was　a　beautiful　thought　of　Pastor　Von　Bodelschwingh；　of　the　Colony　of　Mercy　in　Germany。　　〃Mr。　Man〃　told　me　about　him　in　one　of　the　very　few　long　talks　we　had　together。　　He　had　a　home　for　adults　and　children　of　ailing　mind　and　body；　and　when　he　wanted　a　new　house　for　the　little　ones；　and　there　was　no　money　to　build　or　equip　it；　he　asked　every　parent　in　Germany　for　a　thank…offering　to　the　Lord　of　one　penny　for　each　well　child。　　Within　a　short　fortnight　four　hundred　thousand　pennies　flowed　infour　hundred　thousand　thank…offerings　for　children　strong　and　well。　　The　good　pastor's　wish　was　realised；　and　his　Baby　Castle　an　accomplished　fact。　　Not　only　did　the　four　hundred　thousand　pennies　come；　but　the　appeal　for　them　stimulated　a　new　sense　of　gratitude　among　all　the　parents　who　responded；　so　that　there　came　pretty；　touching　messages　from　all　sides；　such　as：　　〃Four　pennies　for　four　living　children；　for　a　child　in　heaven；　two。〃　　〃Six　pennies　for　a　happy　home。〃　　〃One　penny　for　the　child　we　never　had。〃　　〃Five　pennies　for　a　good　wife。〃

'Ah！　never；　su