屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特-第13部分

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loadedwiththebountiesoftheearth；wasremainingpoor；ignorant；andnaked；inthemidstofgiftshedidnotattempttoexplore；herehewasforcedbynecessitytowresthisfoodfromtheground；tobuildhabitationstodefendhimselffromtheintemperanceoftheweather；andtowarmhisbodybyclothinghimselfwiththewoolofanimals。workmakeshimbothmoreintelligentandmorerobust：disciplinedbyit；heseemstomounthigherontheladderofcreation；whilethosemorefavoredbynatureremainonthestepnearesttothebrutes。

　　　　imadethesereflectionswhilelookingatthebird；whoseinstinctseemedtohavebeemoreacutesinceshehadbeenoccupiedinwork。atlastthenestwasfinished；shesetupherhouseholdthere；andifollowedherthroughallthephasesofhernewexistence。

　　　　whenshehadsatontheeggs；andtheyoungoneswerehatched；shefedthemwiththemostattentivecare。thecornerofmywindowhadbeeastageofmoralaction；whichfathersandmothersmightetotakelessonsfrom。thelittleonessoonbecamelarge；andthismorningihaveseenthemtaketheirfirstflight。oneofthem；weakerthantheothers；wasnotabletocleartheedgeoftheroof；andfellintothegutter。icaughthimwithsomedifficulty；andplacedhimagainonthetileinfrontofhishouse；butthemotherhasnotnoticedhim。oncefreedfromthecaresofafamily；shehasresumedherwanderinglifeamongthetreesandalongtheroofs。invainihavekeptawayfrommywindow；totakefromhereveryexcuseforfear；invainthefeeblelittlebirdhascalledtoherwithplaintivecries；hisbadmotherhaspassedby；singingandflutteringwithathousandairsandgraces。onceonlythefathercamenear；helookedathisoffspringwithcontempt；andthendisappeared；nevertoreturn！

　　　　icrumbledsomebreadbeforethelittleorphan；buthedidnotknowhowtopeckitwithhisbill。itriedtocatchhim；butheescapedintotheforsakennest。whatwillbeeofhimthere；ifhismotherdoesnoteback！

　　　　august15th；sixoclock鈥斺€攖hismorning；onopeningmywindow；ifoundthelittlebirddyinguponthetiles；hiswoundsshowedmethathehadbeendrivenfromthenestbyhisunworthymother。itriedinvaintowarmhimagainwithmybreath；ifeltthelastpulsationsoflife；hiseyeswerealreadyclosed；andhiswingshungdown！iplacedhimontheroofinarayofsunshine；andiclosedmywindow。thestruggleoflifeagainstdeathhasalwayssomethinggloomyinit：itisawarningtous。

　　　　happilyihearsomeoneinthepassage；withoutdoubtitismyoldneighbor；hisconversationwilldistractmythoughts。

　　　　itwasmyportress。excellentwoman！shewishedmetoreadaletterfromhersonthesailor；andbeggedmetoansweritforher。

　　　　ikeptit；tocopyitinmyjournal。hereitis：

　　　　〃dearmother：thisistotellyouthatihavebeenverywelleversincethelasttime；exceptthatlastweekiwasnearlydrownedwiththeboat；whichwouldhavebeenagreatloss；asthereisnotabettercraftanywhere。

　　　　〃agustofwindcapsizedus；andjustasicameupabovewater；isawthecaptainsinking。iwentafterhim；aswasmyduty；and；afterdivingthreetimes；ibroughthimtothesurface；whichpleasedhimmuch；forwhenwewerehoistedonboard；andhehadrecoveredhissenses；hethrewhisarmsroundmyneck；ashewouldhavedonetoanofficer。

　　　　〃idonothidefromyou；dearmother；thatthishasdelightedme。

　　　　butitisntall；itseemsthatfishingupthecaptainhasremindedthemthatihadagoodcharacter；andtheyhavejusttoldmethatiampromotedtobeasailorofthefirstclass！directlyiknewit；icriedout；mymothershallhavecoffeetwiceaday！andreally；dearmother；thereisnothingnowtohinderyou；asishallnowhavealargerallowancetosendyou。

　　　　〃iincludebybeggingyoutotakecareofyourselfifyouwishtodomegood；fornothingmakesmefeelsowellastothinkthatyouwantfornothing。

　　　　〃yourson；fromthebottomofmyheart；

　　　　jacques。〃

　　　　thisistheanswerthattheportressdictatedtome：

　　　　〃mygoodjacquot：itmakesmeveryhappytoseethatyourheartisstillastrueasever；andthatyouwillnevershamethosewhohavebroughtyouup。ineednottellyoutotakecareofyourlife；becauseyouknowitisthesameasmyown；andthatwithoutyou；dearchild；ishouldwishfornothingbutthegrave；butwearenotboundtolive；whileweareboundtodoourduty。

　　　　〃donotfearformyhealth；goodjacques；iwasneverbetter！idonotgrowoldatall；forfearofmakingyouunhappy。iwantnothing；andilivelikealady。ievenhadsomemoneyoverthisyear；andasmydrawersshutverybadly；iputitintothesavings

　　　　bank；whereihaveopenedanaccountinyourname。so；whenyoueback；youwillfindyourselfwithanine。ihavealsofurnishedyourchestwithnewlinen；andihaveknittedyouthreenewsea…jackets。

　　　　〃allyourfriendsarewell。yourcousinisjustdead；leavinghiswidowindifficulties。igaveheryourthirtyfrancsremittanceandsaidthatyouhadsentither；andthepoorwomanremembersyoudayandnightinherprayers。so；yousee；ihaveputthatmoneyinanothersortofsavingsbank；butthereitisourheartsthatgettheinterest。

　　　　〃good…bye；dearjacquot。writetomeoften；andalwaysrememberthegoodgod；andyouroldmother；

　　　　〃phrosinemillot。〃

　　　　goodson；andworthymother！howsuchexamplesbringusbacktoaloveforthehumanrace！inafitoffancifulmisanthropy；wemayenvythefateofthesavage；andpreferthatofthebirdtosuchashe；butimpartialobservationsoondoesjusticetosuchparadoxes。wefind；onexamination；thatinthemixedgoodandevilofhumannature；thegoodsofaraboundsthatwearenotinthehabitofnoticingit；whiletheevilstrikesuspreciselyonaccountofitsbeingtheexception。ifnothingisperfect；nothingissobadastobewithoutitspensationoritsremedy。whatspiritualrichesarethereinthemidstoftheevilsofsociety！howmuchdoesthemoralworldredeemthematerial！

　　　　thatwhichwilleverdistinguishmanfromtherestofcreation；ishispowerofdeliberateaffectionandofenduringself…sacrifice。themotherwhotookcareofherbroodinthecornerofmywindowdevotedtothemthenecessarytimeforacplishingthelawswhichinsurethepreservationofherkind；butsheobeyedaninstinct；andnotarationalchoice。whenshehadacplishedthemissionappointedherbyprovidence；shecastoffthedutyaswegetridofaburden；andshereturnedagaintoherselfishliberty。theothermother；onthecontrary；willgoonwithhertaskaslongasgodshallleaveherherebelow：thelifeofhersonwillstillremain；sotospeak；joinedtoherown；andwhenshedisappearsfromtheearth；shewillleavetherethatpartofherself。

　　　　thus；theaffectionsmakeforourspeciesanexistenceseparatefromalltherestofcreation。thankstothem；weenjoyasortofterrestrialimmortality；andifotherbeingssucceedoneanother；manaloneperpetuateshimself。



　CHAPTER　IX

　　　　thefamilyofmichaelarout

　　　　september15th；eightoclock

　　　　thismorning；whileiwasarrangingmybooks；mothergenevievecamein；andbroughtmethebasketoffruitibuyofhereverysunday。forthenearlytwentyyearsthatihavelivedinthisquarter；ihavedealtinherlittlefruit…shop。perhapsishouldbebetterservedelsewhere；butmothergenevievehasbutlittlecustom；toleaveherwoulddoherharm；andcauseherunnecessarypain。itseemstomethatthelengthofouracquaintancehasmademeincurasortoftacitobligationtoher；mypatronagehasbeeherproperty。

　　　　shehasputthebasketuponmytable；andasiwantherhusband；whoisajoiner；toaddsomeshelvestomybookcase；shehasgonedownstairsagainimmediatelytosendhimtome。

　　　　atfirstididnotnoticeeitherherlooksorthesoundofhervoice：

　　　　but；nowthatirecallthem；itseemstomethatshewasnotasjovialasusual。canmothergenevievebeintroubleaboutanything？

　　　　poorwoman！allherbestyearsweresubjecttosuchbittertrials；thatshemightthinkshehadreceivedherfullsharealready。wereitoliveahundredyears；ishouldneverforgetthecircumstanceswhichmadeherknowntome；andwhichobtainedforhermyrespect。

　　　　itwasatthetimeofmyfirstsettlinginthefaubourg。ihadnoticedheremptyfruit…shop；whichnobodycameinto；and；beingattractedbyitsforsakenappearance；imademylittlepurchasesinit。ihavealwaysinstinctivelypreferredthepoorshops；thereislesschoiceinthem；butitseemstomethatmypurchaseisasignofsympathywithabrotherinpoverty。theselittledealingsarealmostalwaysananchorofhopetothosewhoseveryexistenceisinperil鈥斺€攖heonlymeansbywhichsomeorphangainsalivelihood。theretheaimofthetradesmanisnottoenrichhimself；buttolive！thepurchaseyoumakeofhimismorethananexchange鈥斺€攊tisagoodaction。

　　　　mothergenevieveatthattimewasstillyoung；buthadalreadylostthatfreshbloomofyouthwhichsufferingcausestowithersosoonamongthepoor。herhusband；acleverjoiner；graduallyleftoffworkingtobee；accordingtothepicturesqueexpressionoftheworkshops；aworshipperofsaintmonday。thewagesoftheweek；whichwasalwaysreducedtotwoorthreeworkingdays；werepletelydedicatedbyhimtotheworshipofthisgodofthebarriers；鈥斺€敚hecheapwineshopsareoutsidethebarriers；toavoidtheoctroi；ormunicipalexcise。＇鈥斺€攁ndgenevievewasobligedherselftoprovideforallthewantsofthehousehold。

　　　　oneevening；wheniwenttomakesometriflingpurchasesofher；iheardasoundofquarrellinginthebackshop。therewerethevoicesofseveralwomen；amongwhichidistinguishedthatofgenevieve；brokenbysobs。onlookingfartherin；iperceivedthefruit…womanholdingachildinherarms；andkissingit；whileacountrynurseseemedtobeclaimingherwagesfromher。thepoorwoman；whowithoutdoubthadexhaustedeveryexplanationandeveryexcuse；wascryinginsilence；andoneofherneighborswastryinginvaintoappeasethecountrywoman。excitedbythatloveofmoneywhichtheevilsofahardpeasantlifebuttoowellexcuse；anddisappointedbytherefusalofherexpectedwages；thenursewaslaunchingforthinrecriminations；threats；andabuse。inspiteofmyself；ilistenedtothequarrel；notdaringtointerfere；andnotthinkingofgoingaway；whenmichaelaroutappearedattheshop…door。

　　　　thejoinerhadjustefromthebarriers；wherehehadpassedpartofthedayatapublic…house。hisblouse；withoutabelt；anduntiedatthethroat；showednoneofthenoblestainsofwork：inhishandheheldhiscap；whichhehadjustpickedupoutofthemud；hishairwasindisorder；hiseyefixed；andthepallorofdrunkennessinhisface。hecamereelingin；lookedwildlyaroundhim；andcalledgenevieve。

　　　　sheheardhisvoice；gaveastart；andrushedintotheshop；butatthesightofthemiserableman；whowastryinginvaintosteadyhimself；shepressedthechildinherarms；andbentoveritwithtears。

　　　　thecountrywomanandtheneighborhadfollowedher。

　　　　〃e！e！〃criedtheformerinarage；〃doyouintendtopayme；afterall？〃

　　　　〃askthemasterforthemoney；〃ironicallyansweredthewomanfromthenextdoor；pointingtothejoiner；whohadjustfallenagainstthecounter。

　　　　thecountrywomanlookedathim。

　　　　〃ah！heisthefather；〃returnedshe。〃well；whatidlebeggars！nottohaveapennytopayhonestpeople；andgettipsywithwineinthatway。〃

　　　　thedrunkardraisedhishead。

　　　　〃what！what！〃stammeredhe；〃whoisitthattalksofwine？ivehadnothingbutbrandy！butiamgoingbackagaintogetsomewine！wife；givemeyourmoney；therearesomefriendswaitingformeattheperelatuille。〃

　　　　genevievedidnotanswer：hewentroundthecounter；openedthetill；andbegantorummageinit。

　　　　〃youseewherethemoneyofthehousegoes！〃observedtheneighbortothecountrywoman；〃howcanthepoorunhappywomanpayyouwhenhetakesall？〃

　　　　〃isthatmyfault？〃repliedthenurse；angrily。〃theyowetome；andsomehoworothertheymustpayme！〃

　　　　andlettingloose