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ydisgustinme;ifeltitgraduallydiminishing。ibegantosmileatthesusceptibilityofmyfeelings;andthen;inproportionastherainbecameheavierandcolder;thesestricturesonmyselfassumedatoneofill…temper。isilentlyaccusedmyselfoftheabsurdityofmistakingsensationforadmonitionsofmyreason。afterall;werenotthefarmerandhissonsfreetolivealone;tohunt;tokeepdogs;andtokillapig?wherewasthecrimeofit?
withlessnervoussusceptibility;ishouldhaveacceptedthesheltertheyofferedme;andishouldnowbesleepingsnuglyonatrussofstraw;insteadofwalkingwithdifficultythroughthecoldanddrizzlingrain。
ithuscontinuedtoreproachmyself;until;towardmorning;iarrivedatmontargis;jadedandbenumbedwithcold。
〃when;however;igotuprefreshed;towardthemiddleofthenextday;iinstinctivelyreturnedtomyfirstopinion。theappearanceofthefarmhousepresenteditselftomeunderthesamerepulsivecolorswhichtheeveningbeforehaddeterminedmetomakemyescapefromit。reasonitselfremainedsilentwhenreviewingallthosecoarsedetails;andwasforcedtorecognizeinthemtheindicationsofalownature;orelsethepresenceofsomebalefulinfluence。
〃iwentawaythenextdaywithoutbeingabletolearnanythingconcerningthefarmerorhissons;buttherecollectionofmyadventureremaineddeeplyfixedinmymemory。
〃tenyearsafterwardiwastravellinginthediligencethroughthedepartmentoftheloiret;iwasleaningfromthewindow;andlookingatsomecoppicegroundnowforthefirsttimebroughtundercultivation;andthemodeofclearingwhichoneofmytravellingpanionswasexplainingtome;whenmyeyesfelluponawalledinclosure;withaniron…barredgate。insideitiperceivedahousewithalltheblindsclosed;andwhichiimmediatelyrecollected;itwasthefarmhousewhereihadbeensheltered。ieagerlypointeditouttomypanion;andaskedwholivedinit。
〃nobodyjustnow;repliedhe。
〃butwasitnotkept;someyearsago;byafarmerandhistwosons?
〃theturreaus;saidmytravellingpanion;lookingatme;didyouknowthem?
〃isawthemonce。
〃heshookhishead。
〃yes;yes!resumedhe;formanyyearstheylivedtherelikewolvesintheirden;theymerelyknewhowtotillland;killgame;anddrink。thefathermanagedthehouse;butmenlivingalone;withoutwomentolovethem;withoutchildrentosoftenthem;andwithoutgodtomakethemthinkofheaven;alwaysturnintowildbeasts;yousee;soonemorningtheeldestson;whohadbeendrinkingtoomuchbrandy;wouldnotharnesstheplow…horses;hisfatherstruckhimwithhiswhip;andtheson;whowasmaddrunk;shothimdeadwithhisgun。〃
16th;p。m鈥斺�攊havebeenthinkingofthestoryoftheoldcashierthesetwodays;itcamesoopportunelyuponthereflectionsmydreamhadsuggestedtome。
haveinotanimportantlessontolearnfromallthis?
ifoursensationshaveanincontestableinfluenceuponourjudgments;howesitthatwearesolittlecarefulofthosethingswhichawakenormodifythesesensations?theexternalworldisalwaysreflectedinusasinamirror;andfillsourmindswithpictureswhich;unconsciouslytoourselves;beethegermsofouropinionsandofourrulesofconduct。
alltheobjectswhichsurroundusarethen;inreality;somanytalismanswhencegoodandevilinfluencesareemitted;anditisforustochoosethemwisely;soastocreateahealthyatmosphereforourminds。
feelingconvincedofthistruth;isetaboutmakingasurveyofmyattic。
thefirstobjectonwhichmyeyesrestisanoldmapofthehistoryoftheprincipalmonasteryinmynativeprovince。ihadunrolleditwithmuchsatisfaction;andplaceditonthemostconspicuouspartofthewall。whyhadigivenitthisplace?oughtthissheetofoldworm…eatenparchmenttobeofsomuchvaluetome;whoamneitheranantiquarynorascholar?isnotitsrealimportanceinmysightthatoneoftheabbotswhofoundeditboremyname;andthatishall;perchance;beabletomakemyselfagenealogicaltreeofitfortheedificationofmyvisitors?
whilewritingthis;ifeelmyownblushese;downwiththemap!
letusbanishitintomydeepestdrawer。
asipassedmyglass;iperceivedseveralvisitingcardsplacentlydisplayedintheframe。bywhatchanceisitthatthereareonlynamesthatmakeashowamongthem?hereisapolishcount鈥斺�攁retiredcolonel鈥斺�攖hedeputyofmydepartment。quick;quick;intothefirewiththeseproofsofvanity!andletusputthiscardinthehandwritingofouroffice…boy;thisdirectionforcheapdinners;andthereceiptofthebrokerwhereiboughtmylastarmchair;intheirplace。theseindicationsofmypovertywillserve;asmontaignesays;matermasuperbe;andwillalwaysmakemerecollectthemodestyinwhichthedignityofthelowlyconsists。
ihavestoppedbeforetheprintshanginguponthewall。thislargeandsmilingpomona;seatedonsheavesofcorn;andwhosebasketisoverflowingwithfruit;onlyproducesthoughtsofjoyandplenty;iwaslookingathertheotherday;whenifellasleepdenyingsuchathingasmisery。letusgiveheraspanionthispictureofwinter;inwhicheverythingtellsofsorrowandsuffering:onepicturewillmodifytheother。
andthishappyfamilyofgreuzes!whatjoyinthechildrenseyes!
whatsweetreposeintheyoungwomansface!whatreligiousfeelinginthegrandfatherscountenance!maygodpreservetheirhappinesstothem!
butletushangbyitssidethepictureofthismother;whoweepsoveranemptycradle。humanlifehastwofaces;bothofwhichwemustdaretocontemplateintheirturn。
letmehide;too;theseridiculousmonsterswhichornamentmychimneypiece。platohassaidthat〃thebeautifulisnothingelsethanthevisibleformofthegood。〃ifitisso;theuglyshouldbethevisibleformoftheevil;and;byconstantlybeholdingit;themindinsensiblydeteriorates。
butaboveall;inordertocherishthefeelingsofkindnessandpity;letmehangatthefootofmybedthisaffectingpictureofthelastsleep!
neverhaveibeenabletolookatitwithoutfeelingmyhearttouched。
anoldwoman;clothedinrags;islyingbyaroadside;herstickisatherfeet;andherheadrestsuponastone;shehasfallenasleep;herhandsareclasped;murmuringaprayerofherchildhood;shesleepsherlastsleep;shedreamsherlastdream!
sheseesherself;againastrongandhappychild;keepingthesheeponthemon;gatheringtheberriesfromthehedges;singing;curtsyingtopassers…by;andmakingthesignofthecrosswhenthefirststarappearsintheheavens!happytime;filledwithfragranceandsunshine!shewantsnothingyet;forsheisignorantofwhatthereistowishfor。
butseehergrownup;thetimeiseforworkingbravely:shemustcutthecorn;threshthewheat;carrythebundlesoffloweringcloverorbranchesofwitheredleavestothefarm。ifhertoilishard;hopeshineslikeasunovereverythinganditwipesthedropsofsweataway。
thegrowinggirlalreadyseesthatlifeisatask;butshestillsingsasshefulfillsit。
by…and…byetheburdenbeesheavier;sheisawife;sheisamother!
shemusteconomizethebreadofto…d