下载辰思小说免费APP
Itisalsoimpossibletosaywhomhehadinhismindwhenheseizedthepen：Stein——myself——theworldatlarge——orwasthisonlytheaimlessstartledcryofasolitarymanconfrontedbyhisfate？“Anawfulthinghashappened，“
hewrotebeforeheflungthependownforthefirsttime；lookattheinkblotresemblingtheheadofanarrowunderthesewords。Afterawhilehehadtriedagain，scrawlingheavily，asifwithahandoflead，anotherline。“Imustnowatonce……“Thepenhadspluttered，andthattimehegaveitup。There’snothingmore；hehadseenabroadgulfthatneithereyenorvoicecouldspan。Icanunderstandthis。Hewasoverwhelmedbytheinexplicable；hewasoverwhelmedbyhisownpersonality——thegiftofthatdestinywhichhehaddonehisbesttomaster。
`Isendyoualsoanoldletter——averyoldletter。Itwasfoundcarefullypreservedinhiswriting-case。Itisfromhisfather，andbythedateyoucanseehemusthavereceiveditafewdaysbeforehejoinedthePatna。
Thusitmustbethelastletterheeverhadfromhome。Hehadtreasureditalltheseyears。Thegoodoldparsonfanciedhissailor-son。I’velookedinatasentencehereandthere。Thereisnothinginitexceptjustaffection。
Hetellshis“dearJames“thatthelastlongletterfromhimwasvery“honestandentertaining。“Hewouldnothavehim“judgemenharshlyorhastily。“
Therearefourpagesofit，easymoralityandfamilynews。Tomhad“takenorders。“Carrie’shusbandhad“moneylosses。“TheoldchapgoesonequablytrustingProvidenceandtheestablishedorderoftheuniverse，butalivetoitssmalldangersanditssmallmercies。Onecanalmostseehim，grey-hairedandsereneintheinviolableshelterofhisbook-lined，faded，andcomfortablestudy，whereforfortyyearshehadconscientiouslygoneoverandoveragaintheroundofhislittlethoughtsaboutfaithandvirtue，abouttheconductoflifeandtheonlypropermannerofdying；wherehehadwrittensomanysermons，wherehesitstalkingtohisboy，overthere，ontheothersideoftheearth。Butwhatofthedistance？Virtueisoneallovertheworld，andthereisonlyonefaith，oneconceivableconductoflife，onemannerofdying。Hehopeshis“dearJames“willneverforgetthat“whooncegiveswaytotemptation，intheveryinstanthazardshistotaldepravityandeverlastingruin。Thereforeresolvefixedlynever，throughanypossiblemotives，todoanythingwhichyoubelievetobewrong。“Thereisalsosomenewsofafavouritedog；andapony，“whichallyouboysusedtoride，“
hadgoneblindfromoldageandhadtobeshot。TheoldchapinvokesHeaven’sblessing；themotherandallthegirlsthenathomesendtheirlove……No，thereisnothingmuchinthatyellowfrayedletterflutteringoutofhischerishinggraspaftersomanyyears。Itwasneveranswered，butwhocansaywhatconversehemayhaveheldwithalltheseplacid，colourlessformsofmenandwomenpeoplingthatquietcorneroftheworldasfreeofdangerorstrifeasatomb，andbreathingequablytheairofundisturbedrectitude。Itseemsamazingthatheshouldbelongtoit，hetowhomsomanythings“hadcome。“Nothingevercametothem；theywouldneverbetakenunawares，andneverbecalledupontograpplewithfate。Heretheyallare，evokedbythemildgossipofthefather，allthesebrothersandsisters，boneofhisboneandfleshofhisflesh，gazingwithclearunconsciouseyes，whileIseemtoseehim，returnedatlast，nolongeramerewhitespeckattheheartofanimmensemystery，butoffullstature，standingdisregardedamongsttheiruntroubledshapes，withasternandromanticaspect，butalwaysmute，dark——underacloud。
`Thestoryofthelasteventsyoushallfindinthefewpagesenclosedhere。Youmustadmitthatitisromanticbeyondthewildestdreamsofhisboyhood，andyetthereistomymindasortofprofoundandterrifyinglogicinit，asifitwereourimaginationalonethatcouldsetlooseuponusthemightofanoverwhelmingdestiny。Theimprudenceofourthoughtsrecoilsuponourheads；whotoyswiththeswordshallperishbythesword。
Thisastoundingadventure，ofwhichthemostastoundingpartisthatitistrue，comesonasanunavoidableconsequence。Somethingofthesorthadtohappen。Yourepeatthistoyourselfwhileyoumarvelthatsuchathingcouldhappenintheyearofgracebeforelast。Butithashappened——andthereisnodisputingitslogic。
`IputitdownhereforyouasthoughIhadbeenaneyewitness。Myinformationwasfragmentary，butI’vefittedthepiecestogether，andthereisenoughofthemtomak
