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Ihadnotbeenseatedverylongereamanofacertainvenerablerobustnessentered;immediatelyasthestorm-pelteddoorflewbackuponadmittinghim,aquickregardfuleyeingofhimbyallthecongregation,sufficientlyattestedthatthisfineoldmanwasthechaplain.
Yes,itwasthefamousFatherMapple,socalledbythewhalemen,amongwhomhewasaverygreatfavorite.
Hehadbeenasailorandaharpooneerinhisyouth,butformanyyearspasthaddedicatedhislifetotheministry.
AtthetimeInowwriteof,FatherMapplewasinthehardywinterofahealthyoldage;thatsortofoldagewhichseemsmergingintoasecondfloweringyouth,foramongallthefissuresofhiswrinkles,thereshonecertainmildgleamsofanewlydevelopingbloom-thespringverdurepeepingforthevenbeneathFebruary’ssnow.
Noonehavingpreviouslyheardhishistory,couldforthefirsttimebeholdFatherMapplewithouttheutmostinterest,becausetherewerecertainengraftedclericalpeculiaritiesabouthim,imputabletothatadventurousmaritimelifehehadled.
WhenheenteredIobservedthathecarriednoumbrella,andcertainlyhadnotcomeinhiscarriage,forhistarpaulinhatrandownwithmeltingsleet,andhisgreatpilotclothjacketseemedalmosttodraghimtothefloorwiththeweightofthewaterithadabsorbed.
However,hatandcoatandovershoeswereonebyoneremoved,andhungupinalittlespaceinanadjacentcorner;when,arrayedinadecentsuit,hequietlyapproachedthepulpit.
Likemostoldfashionedpulpits,itwasaveryloftyone,andsincearegularstairstosuchaheightwould,byitslonganglewiththefloor,seriouslycontractthealreadysmallareaofthechapel,thearchitect,itseemed,hadacteduponthehintofFatherMapple,andfinishedthepulpitwithoutastairs,substitutingaperpendicularsideladder,likethoseusedinmountingashipfromaboatatsea.
Thewifeofawhalingcaptainhadprovidedthechapelwithahandsomepairofredworstedman-ropesforthisladder,which,beingitselfnicelyheaded,andstainedwithamahoganycolor,thewholecontrivance,consideringwhatmannerofchapelitwas,seemedbynomeansinbadtaste.
Haltingforaninstantatthefootoftheladder,andwithbothhandsgraspingtheornamentalknobsoftheman-ropes,FatherMapplecastalookupwards,andthenwithatrulysailor-likebutstillreverentialdexterity,handoverhand,mountedthestepsasifascendingthemain-topofhisvessel.
Theperpendicularpartsofthissideladder,asisusuallythecasewithswingingones,wereofcloth-coveredrope,onlytheroundswereofwood,sothatateverysteptherewasajoint.
Atmyfirstglimpseofthepulpit,ithadnotescapedmethathoweverconvenientforaship,thesejointsinthepresentinstanceseemedunnecessary.
ForIwasnotpreparedtoseeFatherMappleaftergainingtheheight,slowlyturnround,andstoopingoverthepulpit,deliberatelydraguptheladderstepbystep,tillthewholewasdepositedwithin,leavinghimimpregnableinhislittleQuebec.
Iponderedsometimewithoutfullycomprehendingthereasonforthis.
FatherMappleenjoyedsuchawidereputationforsincerityandsanctity,thatIcouldnotsuspecthimofcourtingnotorietybyanymeretricksofthestage.
No,thoughtI,theremustbesomesoberreasonforthisthing;furthermore,itmustsymbolizesomethingunseen.
Canitbe,then,thatbythatactofphysicalisolation,hesignifieshisspiritualwithdrawalforthetime,fromalloutwardworldlytiesandconnexions?
Yes,forreplenishedwiththemeatandwineoftheword,tothefaithfulmanofGod,thispulpit,Isee,isaself-containingstronghold-aloftyEhrenbreitstein,withaperennialwellofwaterwithinthewalls.
Butthesideladderwasnottheonlystrangefeatureoftheplace,borrowedfromthechaplain’sformersea-farings.
Betweenthemarblecenotaphsoneitherhandofthepulpit,thewallwhichformeditsbackwasadornedwithalargepaintingrepresentingagallantshipbeatingagainstaterriblestormoffaleecoastofblackrocksandsnowybreakers.
Buthighabovetheflyingscudanddark-rollingclouds,therefloatedalittleisleofsunlight,fromwhichbeamedforthanangel’sface;andthisbrightfaceshedadistantspotofradianceupontheship’stosseddeck,somethinglikethatsilverplatenowinsertedintoVictory’splankwhereNelsonfell.
“Ah,nobleship,”theangelseemedtosay,“beaton,beaton,thounobleship,andbearahardyhelm;forlo!
thesunisbreakingthrough;thecloudsarerollingoff-serenestazureisathand.”
Norwasthepulpititselfwithoutatraceofthesamesea-tastethathadachievedtheladderandthepicture.
Itspanelledfrontwasinthelikenessofaship’sbluffbows,andtheHolyBiblerestedonaprojectingpieceofscrollwork,fashionedafteraship’sfiddle-headedbeak.
Whatcouldbemorefullofmeaning?-forthepulpitiseverthisearth’sforemostpart;alltherestcomesinitsrear;thepulpitleadstheworld.
FromthenceitisthestormofGod’squickwrathisfirstdescried,andthebowmustbeartheearliestbrunt.
FromthenceitistheGodofbreezesfairorfoulisfirstinvokedforfavorablewinds.
Yes,theworld’sashiponitspassageout,andnotavoyagecomplete;andthepulpitisitsprow.
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