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！
Ayrshire parish； and fell in love with and married a daughter of
Burns's Dr。 Smith … 〃Smith opens out his cauld harangues。〃 I have
forgotten； but I was there all the same； and heard stories of Burns
at first hand。
And there is a thing stranger than all that； for this HOMUNCULUS or
part…man of mine that walked about the eighteenth century with Dr。
Balfour in his youth； was in the way of meeting other HOMUNCULOS or
part…men； in the persons of my other ancestors。 These were of a
lower order； and doubtless we looked down upon them duly。 But as I
went to college with Dr。 Balfour； I may have seen the lamp and oil
man taking down the shutters from his shop beside the Tron； … we
may have had a rabbit…hutch or a bookshelf made for us by a certain
carpenter in I know not what wynd of the old； smoky city； or； upon
some holiday excursion； we may have looked into the windows of a
cottage in a flower…garden and seen a certain weaver plying his
shuttle。 And these were all kinsmen of mine upon the other side；
and from the eyes of the lamp and oil man one…half of my unborn
father； and one…quarter of myself； looked out upon us as we went by
to college。 Nothing of all this would cross the mind of the young
student； as he posted up the Bridges with trim； stockinged legs； in
that city of cocked hats and good Scotch still unadulterated。 It
would not cross his mind that he should have a daughter； and the
lamp and oil man； just then beginning； by a not unnatural
metastasis； to bloom into a lighthouse…engineer； should have a
grandson； and that these two； in the fulness of time； should wed；
and some portion of that student himself should survive yet a year
or two longer in the person of their child。
But our ancestral adventures are beyond even the arithmetic of
fancy； and it is the chief recommendation of long pedigrees； that
we can follow backward the careers of our HOMUNCULOS and be
reminded of our antenatal lives。 Our conscious years are but a
moment in the history of the elements that build us。 Are you a
bank…clerk； and do you live at Peckham？ It was not always so。 And
though to…day I am only a man of letters； either tradition errs or
I was present when there landed at St。 Andrews a French barber…
surgeon； to tend the health and the beard of the great Cardinal
Beaton； I have shaken a spear in the Debateable Land and shouted
the slogan of the Elliots； I was present when a skipper； plying
from Dundee； smuggled Jacobites to France after the '15； I was in a
West India merchant's office； perhaps next door to Bailie Nicol
Jarvie's； and managed the business of a plantation in St。 Kitt's； I
was with my engineer…grandfather （the son…in…law of the lamp and
oil man） when he sailed north about Scotland on the famous cruise
that gave us the PIRATE and the LORD OF THE ISLES； I was with him；
too； on the Bell Rock； in the fog； when the SMEATON had drifted
from her moorings； and the Aberdeen men； pick in hand； had seized
upon the only boats； and he must stoop and lap sea…water before his
tongue could utter audible words； and once more with him when the
Bell Rock beacon took a 〃thrawe；〃 and his workmen fled into the
tower； then nearly finished； and he sat unmoved reading in his
Bible … or affecting to read … till one after another slunk back
with confusion of countenance to their engineer。 Yes； parts of me
have seen life； and met adventures； and sometimes met them well。
And away in the still cloudier past； the threads that make me up
can be traced by fancy into the bosoms of thousands and millions of
ascendants： Picts who rallied round Macbeth and the old （and highly
preferable） system of descent by females； fleers from before the
legions of Agricola； marchers in Pannonian morasses； star…gazers on
Chaldaean plateaus； and； furthest of all； what face is this that
fancy can see peering through the disparted branches？ What sleeper
in green tree…tops； what muncher of nuts； concludes my pedigree？
Probably arboreal in his habits。 。 。 。
And I know not which is the more strange； that I should carry about
with me some fibres of my minister…grandfather； or that in him； as
he sat in his cool study； grave； reverend； contented gentleman；
there was an aboriginal frisking of the blood that was not his；
tree…top memories； like undeveloped negatives； lay dormant in his
mind； tree…top instincts awoke and were trod down； and Probably
Arboreal （scarce to be distinguished from a monkey） gambolled and
chattered in the brain of the old divine。
CHAPTER VIII。 MEMOIRS OF AN ISLET
THOSE who try to be artists use； time after time； the matter of
their recollections； setting and resetting little coloured memories
of men and scenes； rigging up （it may be） some especial friend in
the attire of a buccaneer； and decreeing armies to manoeuvre； or
murder to be done； on the playground of their youth。 But the
memories are a fairy gift which cannot be worn out in using。 After
a dozen services in various tales； the little sunbright pictures of
the past still shine in the mind's eye with not a lineament
defaced； not a tint impaired。 GLUCK UND UNGLUCK WIRD GESANG； if
Goethe pleases； yet only by endless avatars； the original re…
embodying after each。 So that a writer； in time； begins to wonder
at the perdurable life of these impressions； begins； perhaps； to
fancy that he wrongs them when he weaves them in with fiction； and
looking back on them with ever…growing kindness； puts them at last；
substantive jewels； in a setting of their own。
One or two of these pleasant spectres I think I have laid。 I used
one but the other day： a little eyot of dense； freshwater sand；
where I once waded deep in butterburrs； delighting to hear the song
of the river on both sides； and to tell myself that I was indeed
and at last upon an island。 Two of my puppets lay there a summer's
day； hearkening to the shearers at work in riverside fields and to
the drums of the gray old garrison upon the neighbouring hill。 And
this was； I think； done rightly： the place was rightly peopled …
and now belongs not to me but to my puppets … for a time at least。
In time； perhaps； the puppets will grow faint； the original memory
swim up instant as ever； and I shall once more lie in bed； and see
the little sandy isle in Allan Water as it is in nature； and the
child （that once was me） wading there in butterburrs； and wonder at
the instancy and virgin freshness of that memory； and be pricked
again； in season and out of season； by the desire to weave it into
art。
There is another isle in my collection； the memory of which
besieges me。 I put a whole family there； in one of my tales； and
later on； threw upon its shores； and condemned to several days of
rain and shellfish on its tumbled boulders； the hero of another。
The ink is not yet faded； the sound of the sentences is still in my
mind's ear； and I am under a spell to write of that island again。
I
The little isle of Earraid lies close in to the south…west corner
of the Ross of Mull： the sound of Iona on one side； across which
you may see the isle and church of Columba； the open sea to the
other； where you shall be able to mark； on a clear； surfy day； the
breakers running white on many sunken rocks。 I first saw it； or
first remembered seeing it； framed in the round bull's…eye of a
cabin port； the sea lying smooth along its shores like the waters
of a lake； the colourless clear light of the early morning making
plain its heathery and rocky hummocks。 There stood upon it； in
these days； a single rude house of uncemented stones； approached by
a pier of wreckwood。 It must have been very early； for it was then
summer； and in summer； in that latitude； day scarcely withdraws；
but even at that hour the house was making a sweet smoke of peats
which came to me over the bay； and the bare…legged daughters of the
cotter were wading by the pier。 The same day we visited the shores
of the isle in the ship's boats； rowed deep into Fiddler's Hole；
sounding as we went； and having taken stock of all possible
accommodation； pitched on the northern inlet as the scene of
operations。 For it was no accident that had brought the lighthouse
steamer to anchor in the Bay of Earraid。 Fifteen miles away to
seaward； a certain black rock stood environed by the Atlantic
rollers； the outpost of the Torran reefs。 Here was a tower to be
built； and a star lighted； for the conduct of seamen。 But as the
rock was small； and hard of access； and far from land； the work
would be one of years； and my father was now looking for a shore
station； where the stones might be quarried and dressed； the men
live； and the tender； with some degree of safety； lie at anchor。
I saw Earraid next from the stern thwart of an Iona lugger； Sam
Bough and I sitti