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withthesewordshewentaway;andhisbrother;leftalone;begantocrybitterly。hisfather;whoheardhim;immediatelyrantohim;andtriedtoconsolehimbypromisingtogivehimwhateverhedesired。
〃canyougivemesight?〃askedthechild。
〃fatedoesnotpermitit;〃saidthemagician。
〃then;〃criedtheblindboy;eagerly;〃iaskyoutoputoutthesun!〃
whoknowswhethermypridehasnotprovokedthesamewishonthepartofsomeoneofmybrotherswhodoesnotsee?
buthowmuchoftenerhaveierredthroughlevityandwantofthought!
howmanyresolutionshaveitakenatrandom!howmanyjudgmentshaveipronouncedforthesakeofawitticism!howmanymischiefshaveinotdonewithoutanysenseofmyresponsibility!thegreaterpartofmenharmoneanotherforthesakeofdoingsomething。welaughatthehonorofone;andpromisethereputationofanother;likeanidlemanwhosauntersalongahedgerow;breakingtheyoungbranchesanddestroyingthemostbeautifulflowers。
and;nevertheless;itisbythisverythoughtlessnessthatthefameofsomemeniscreated。itrisesgradually;likeoneofthosemysteriousmoundsinbarbarouscountries;towhichastoneisaddedbyeverypasserby;eachonebringssomethingatrandom;andaddsitashepasses;withoutbeingablehimselftoseewhetherheisraisingapedestaloragibbet。whowilldarelookbehindhim;toseehisrashjudgmentshelduptheretoview?
sometimeagoiwaswalkingalongtheedgeofthegreenmoundonwhichthemontmartretelegraphstands。belowme;alongoneofthezigzagpathswhichwindupthehill;amanandagirlwereingup;andarrestedmyattention。themanworeashaggycoat;whichgavehimsomeresemblancetoawildbeast;andheheldathickstickinhishand;withwhichhedescribedvariousstrangefiguresintheair。hespokeveryloud;andinavoicewhichseemedtomeconvulsedwithpassion。heraisedhiseyeseverynowandthenwithanexpressionofsavageharshness;anditappearedtomethathewasreproachingandthreateningthegirl;andthatshewaslisteningtohimwithasubmissivenesswhichtouchedmyheart。
twoorthreetimessheventuredafewwords;doubtlessintheattempttojustifyherself;butthemaninthegreatcoatbeganagainimmediatelywithhisloudandangryvoice;hissavagelooks;andhisthreateningevolutionsintheair。ifollowedhimwithmyeyes;vainlyendeavoringtocatchawordashepassed;untilhedisappearedbehindthehill。
ihadevidentlyjustseenoneofthosedomestictyrantswhosesullentempersareexcitedbythepatienceoftheirvictims;andwho;thoughtheyhavethepowertobeethebeneficentgodsofafamily;chooserathertobetheirtormentors。
icursedtheunknownsavageinmyheart;andifeltindignantthatthesecrimesagainstthesacredpeaceofhomecouldnotbepunishedastheydeserve;wheniheardhisvoiceapproachingnearer。hehadturnedthepath;andsoonappearedbeforemeatthetopoftheslope。
thefirstglance;andhisfirstwords;explainedeverythingtome:inplaceofwhatihadtakenforthefurioustonesandterriblelooksofanangryman;andtheattitudeofafrightenedvictim;ihadbeforemeonlyanhonestcitizen;whosquintedandstuttered;butwhowasexplainingthemanagementofsilkwormstohisattentivedaughter。
iturnedhomeward;smilingatmymistake;butbeforeireachedmyfaubourgisawacrowdrunning;iheardcallsforhelp;andeveryfingerpointedinthesamedirectiontoadistantcolumnofflame。
amanufactoryhadtakenfire;andeverybodywasrushingforwardtoassistinextinguishingit。
ihesitated。nightwasingon;ifelttired;afavoritebookwasawaitingme;ithoughttherewouldbenowantofhelp;andiwentonmyway。
justbeforeihaderredfromwantofconsideration;nowitwasfromselfishnessandcowardice。
butwhat!haveinotonathousandotheroccasionsforgottenthedutieswhichbindustoourfellowmen?isthisthefirsttimeihaveavoidedpayingsocietywhatioweit?haveinotalwaysbehavedtomypanionswithinjustice;andlikethelion?haveinotclaimedsuccessivelyeveryshare?ifanyoneissoill…advisedastoaskmetoreturnsomelittleportion;igetprovoked;iamangry;itrytoescapefromitbyeverymeans。howmanytimes;whenihaveperceivedabeggarsittinghuddledupattheendofthestreet;haveinotgoneoutofmyway;forfearthatpassionwouldimpoverishmebyforcingmetobecharitable!howoftenhaveidoubtedthemisfortunesofothers;thatimightwithjusticehardenmyheartagainstthem。
withwhatsatisfactionhaveisometimesverifiedthevicesofthepoorman;inordertoshowthathismiseryisthepunishmenthedeserves!
oh!letusnotgofarther鈥斺�攍etusnotgofarther!iinterruptedthedoctorsexamination;buthowmuchsadderisthisone!wepitythediseasesofthebody;weshudderatthoseofthesoul。
iwashappilydisturbedinmyreveriebymyneighbor;theoldsoldier。
nowithinkofit;iseemalwaystohaveseen;duringmyfever;thefigureofthisgoodoldman;sometimesleaningagainstmybed;andsometimessittingathistable;surroundedbyhissheetsofpasteboard。
hehasjusteinwithhisglue…pot;hisquireofgreenpaper;andhisgreatscissors。icalledhimbyhisname;heutteredajoyfulexclamation;andcamenearme。
〃well!sothebulletisfoundagain!〃criedhe;takingmytwohandsintothemaimedonewhichwaslefthim;〃ithasnotbeenwithouttrouble;icantellyou;thecampaignhasbeenlongenoughtowintwoclaspsin。
ihaveseennofewfellowswiththefeverbatterwindmillsduringmyhospitaldays:atleipsic;ihadaneighborwhofanciedachimneywasonfireinhisstomach;andwhowasalwayscallingforthefire…engines;butthethirddayitallwentoutofitself。butwithyouithaslastedtwenty…eightdays鈥斺�攁slongasoneofthelittlecorporalscampaigns。〃
〃iamnotmistakenthen;youwerenearme?〃
〃well!ihadonlytocrossthepassage。thislefthandhasnotmadeyouabadnurseforwantoftheright;but;bah!youdidnotknowwhathandgaveyoudrink;anditdidnotpreventthatbeggarofafeverfrombeingdrowned鈥斺�攆oralltheworldlikeponiatowskiintheelster。〃
theoldsoldierbegantolaugh;andi;feelingtoomuchaffectedtospeak;pressedhishandagainstmybreast。hesawmyemotion;andhastenedtoputanendtoit。
〃by…the…bye;youknowthatfromto…dayyouhavearighttodrawyourrationsagain;〃resumedhegayly;〃fourmeals;likethegermanmeinherrs鈥斺�攏othingmore!thedoctorisyourhousesteward。〃
〃wemustfindthecook;too;〃repliedi;withasmile。
〃sheisfound;〃saidtheveteran。
〃whoisshe?〃
〃genevieve。〃
〃thefruit…woman?〃
〃whileiamtalkingsheiscookingforyou;neighbor;anddonotfearhersparingeitherbutterortrouble。aslongaslifeanddeathwerefightingforyou;thehonestwomanpassedhertimeingoingupanddownstairstolearnwhichwaythebattlewent。and;stay;iamsurethisisshe。〃
infactweheardstepsinthepassage;andhewenttoopenthedoor。
〃oh;well!〃continuedhe;〃itismothermillot;ourportress;anotherofyourgoodfriends;neighbor;andwhosepoulticesiremendtoyou。
ein;moth