友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特-第8部分
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!
wehadonlytolookforaconvenientspot。iledthemupthehill;andwefoundaplotofgrassenamelledwithdaisies;andshadedbytwowalnut…trees。
madeleinecouldnotcontainherselfforjoy。allherlifeshehaddreamedofadinneroutonthegrass!whilehelpinghersistertotaketheprovisionsfromthebasket;shetellsmeofallherexpeditionsintothecountrythathadbeenplanned;andputoff。frances;ontheotherhand;wasbroughtupatmontmorency;andbeforeshebecameanorphanshehadoftengonebacktohernurseshouse。thatwhichhadtheattractionofnoveltyforhersister;hadforherthecharmofrecollection。shetoldofthevintageharveststowhichherparentshadtakenher;theridesonmotherluretsdonkey;thattheycouldnotmakegototherightwithoutpullinghimtotheleft;thecherry…gathering;andthesailsonthelakeintheinnkeepersboat。
theserecollectionshaveallthecharmandfreshnessofchildhood。
francesrecallstoherselflesswhatshehasseenthanwhatshehasfelt。
whilesheistalkingtheclothislaid;andwesitdownunderatree。
beforeuswindsthevalleyofsevres;itsmany…storiedhousesabuttinguponthegardensandtheslopesofthehill;ontheothersidespreadsouttheparkofst。cloud;withitsmagnificentclumpsoftreesinterspersedwithmeadows;abovestretchtheheavenslikeanimmenseocean;inwhichthecloudsaresailing!ilookatthisbeautifulcountry;andilistentothesegoodoldmaids;iadmire;andiaminterested;andtimepassesgentlyonwithoutmyperceivingit。
atlastthesunsets;andwehavetothinkofreturning。whilemadeleineandfrancesclearawaythedinner;iwalkdowntothemanufactorytoaskthehour。themerrymakingisatitsheight;theblastsofthetrombonesresoundfromthebandundertheacacias。forafewmomentsiforgetmyselfwithlookingabout;butihavepromisedthetwosisterstotakethembacktothebellevuestation;thetraincannotwait;andimakehastetoclimbthepathagainwhichleadstothewalnut…trees。
justbeforeireachedthem;iheardvoicesontheothersideofthehedge。madeleineandfranceswerespeakingtoapoorgirlwhoseclotheswereburned;herhandsblackened;andherfacetiedupwithbloodstainedbandages。isawthatshewasoneofthegirlsemployedatthegunpowdermills;whicharebuiltfurtheruponthemon。anexplosionhadtakenplaceafewdaysbefore;thegirlsmotherandeldersisterwerekilled;sheherselfescapedbyamiracle;andwasnowleftwithoutanymeansofsupport。shetoldallthiswiththeresignedandunhopefulmannerofonewhohasalwaysbeenaccustomedtosuffer。thetwosistersweremuchaffected;isawthemconsultingwitheachotherinalowtone:thenfrancestookthirtysousoutofalittlecoarsesilkpurse;whichwasalltheyhadleft;andgavethemtothepoorgirl。ihastenedontothatsideofthehedge;but;beforeireachedit;imetthetwooldsisters;whocalledouttomethattheywouldnotreturnbytherailway;butonfoot!
ithenunderstoodthatthemoneytheyhadmeantforthejourneyhadjustbeengiventothebeggar!good;likeevil;iscontagious:iruntothepoorwoundedgirl;giveherthesumthatwastopayformyownplace;andreturntofrancesandmadeleine;andtellthemiwillwalkwiththem
iamjustebackfromtakingthemhome;andhaveleftthemdelightedwiththeirday;therecollectionofwhichwilllongmakethemhappy。
thismorningiwaspityingthosewhoselivesareobscureandjoyless;now;iunderstandthatgodhasprovidedapensationwitheverytrial。
thesmallestpleasurederivesfromrarityarelishotherwiseunknown。
enjoymentisonlywhatwefeeltobesuch;andtheluxuriousmanfeelsnolonger:satietyhasdestroyedhisappetite;whileprivationpreservestotheotherthatfirstofearthlyblessings:thebeingeasilymadehappy。
oh;thaticouldpersuadeeveryoneofthis!thatsotherichmightnotabusetheirriches;andthatthepoormighthavepatience。ifhappinessistherarestofblessings;itisbecausethereceptionofitistherarestofvirtues。
madeleineandfrances!yepooroldmaidswhosecourage;resignation;andgenerousheartsareyouronlywealth;prayforthewretchedwhogivethemselvesuptodespair;fortheunhappywhohateandenvy;andfortheunfeelingintowhoseenjoymentsnopityenters
CHAPTER VI
unclemaurice
june7th;fouroclocka。m。
iamnotsurprisedathearing;wheniawake;thebirdssingingsojoyfullyoutsidemywindow;itisonlybyliving;astheyandido;inatopstory;thatoneestoknowhowcheerfulthemorningsreallyareupamongtheroofs。itistherethatthesunsendshisfirstrays;andthebreezeeswiththefragranceofthegardensandwoods;therethatawanderingbutterflysometimesventuresamongtheflowersoftheattic;andthatthesongsoftheindustriouswork…womanwelethedawnofday。
thelowerstoriesarestilldeepinsleep;silence;andshadow;whileherelabor;light;andsongalreadyreign。
whatlifeisaroundme!seetheswallowreturningfromhersearchforfood;withherbeakfullofinsectsforheryoungones;thesparrowsshakethedewfromtheirwingswhiletheychaseoneanotherinthesunshine;andmyneighborsthrowopentheirwindows;andwelethemorningwiththeirfreshfaces!delightfulhourofwaking;wheneverythingreturnstofeelingandtomotion;whenthefirstlightofdaystrikesuponcreation;andbringsittolifeagain;asthemagicwandstruckthepalaceofthesleepingbeautyinthewood!itisamomentofrestfromeverymisery;thesufferingsofthesickareallayed;andabreathofhopeentersintotheheartsofthedespairing。but;alas!itisbutashortrespite!everythingwillsoonresumeitswontedcourse:
thegreathumanmachine;withitslongstrains;itsdeepgasps;itscollisions;anditscrashes;willbeagainputinmotion。
thetranquillityofthisfirstmorninghourremindsmeofthatofourfirstyearsoflife。then;too;thesunshinesbrightly;theairisfragrant;andtheillusionsofyouth…thosebirdsofourlifesmorning…singaroundus。whydotheyflyawaywhenweareolder?wheredothissadnessandthissolitude;whichgraduallystealuponus;efrom?thecourseseemstobethesamewithindividualsandwithmunities:atstarting;soreadilymadehappy;soeasilyenchanted;andatthegoal;thebitterdisappointmentorreality!theroad;whichbeganamonghawthornsandprimroses;endsspeedilyindesertsorinprecipices!whyistheresomuchconfidenceatfirst;somuchdoubtatlast?has;then;theknowledgeoflifenootherendbuttomakeitunfitforhappiness?
mustwecondemnourselvestoignoranceifwewouldpreservehope?istheworldandistheindividualmanintended;afterall;tofindrestonlyinaneternalchildhood?
howmanytimeshaveiaskedmyselfthesequestions!solitudehastheadvantageorthedangerofmakinguscontinuallysearchmoredeeplyintothesameideas。asourdiscourseisonlywithourself;wealwaysgivethesamedirectiontotheconversation;wearenotcalledtoturnittothesubjectwhichoccupiesanothermind;orinterestsanothersfeelings;andsoaninvoluntaryinclinationmakesusreturnforevertoknockatthesamedoors!
iinterruptedmyreflectionstoputmyatticinorder。ihatethelookofdisorder;becauseitshowseitheracontemptfordetailsoranunaptnessforspirituallife。toarrangethethingsamongwhichwehavetolive;istoestablishtherelationofpropertyandofusebetweenthemandus:itistolaythefoundationofthosehabitswithoutwhichmantendstothesavagestate。what;infact;issocialorganizationbutaseriesofhabits;settledinaccordancewiththedispositionsofournature?
idistrustboththeintellectandthemoralityofthosepeopletowhomdisorderisofnoconsequence鈥斺�攚hocanliveateaseinanaugeanstable。
whatsurroundsus;reflectsmoreorlessthatwhichiswithinus。themindislikeoneofthosedarklanternswhich;inspiteofeverything;stillthrowsomelightaround。ifourtastesdidnotrevealourcharacter;theywouldbenolongertastes;butinstincts。
whileiwasarrangingeverythinginmyattic;myeyesrestedonthelittlealmanachangingovermychimney…piece。ilookedforthedayofthemonth;andisawthesewordswritteninlargeletters:〃fetedieu!〃
itisto…day!inthisgreatcity;wheretherearenolongeranypublicreligioussolemnities;thereisnothingtoremindusofit;butitis;intruth;theperiodsohappilychosenbytheprimitivechurch。〃thedaykeptinhonorofthecreator;〃sayschateaubriand;〃happensatatimewhentheheavenandtheearthdeclarehispower;whenthewoodsandfieldsarefullofnewlife;andallareunitedbythehappiestties;thereisnotasinglewidowedplantinthefields。〃
whatrecollectionsthesewordshavejustawakened!ileftoffwhatiwasabout;ileanedmyelbowsonthewindowsill;and;withmyheadbetweenmytwohands;iwentbackinthoughttothelittletownwherethefirstdaysofmychildhoodwerepassed。
thefetedieuwasthenoneofthegreateventsofmylife!itwasnecessarytobediligentandobedientalongtimebeforehand;todeservetoshareinit。istillrecollectwithwhatrapturesofexpectationigotuponthemorningoftheday。therewasaholyjoyintheair。theneighbors;upearlierthanusual;hungclothswithflowersorfigures;workedintapestry;alongthestreets。iwentfromonetoanother;byturnsadmiringreligiousscenesofthemiddleages;mythologicalpositionsoftherenaissance;oldbattlesinthestyleoflouisxiv;andthearcadiasofmadamedepompadour。allthisworldofphantomsseemedtobeingforthfromthedustofpastages;toassist鈥斺�攕ilentandmotionless鈥斺�攁ttheholyceremony。ilooked;alternatelyinfearandwonder;atthoseterriblewarriorswiththeirswordsalwaysraised;thosebeautifulhuntressesshootingthearrowwhichneverleftthebow;andthoseshepherdsinsatinbreechesalwaysplayingthefluteatthefeetoftheperpetuallysmilingshepherdess。sometimes;whenthewindblewbehindthesehangingpictures;itseemedtomethatthefiguresthemselvesmoved;andiwatchedtoseethemdetachthemselvesfromthewall;andtaketheirplacesintheprocession!buttheseimpressionswerevagueandtransitory。thefeelingthatpredominatedovereveryotherwasthatofanoverflowingyetquietjoy。inthemidstofallthefloatingdraperies;thescatteredflowers;thevoicesofthemaidens;andthegladnesswhich;likeaperfume;exhaledfromeverything;youfelttransportedinspiteofyourself。thejoyfulsoundsofthefestivalwererepeatedinyourheart;inathousandmelodiousechoes。youweremoreindulgent;moreholy;moreloving!forgodwasnotonlymanifestinghimselfwithout;butalsowithinus。
andthenthealtarsfortheoccasion!thefloweryarbors!thetriumphalarchesmadeofgreenboughs!whatpetitionamongthedifferentparishesfortheerectionoftheresting…placeswheretheprocessionwastohalt!itwaswhoshouldcontributetherarestandthemostbeautifulofhispossessions!
itwasthereimademyfirstsacrifice!
thewreathsofflowerswerearranged;thecandleslighted;andthetabernacledressedwithroses;butonewaswantingfittocrownthewhole!alltheneighboringgardenshadbeenransacked。ialonepossessedaflowerworthyofsuchaplace。itwasontherose…treegivenmebymymotheronmybirthday。ihadwatcheditforseveralmonths;andtherewasnootherbudtoblowonthetree。thereitwas;halfopen;initsmossynest;theobjectofsuchlongexpectations;andofallachildspride!ihesitatedforsomemoments。noonehadaskedmeforit;imighteasilyavoidlosingit。ishouldhearnoreproaches;butonerosenoiselesslywithinme。wheneveryoneelsehadgivenalltheyhad;oughtialonetokeepbackmytreasure?oughtitogrudgetogodoneofthegiftswhich;likealltherest;ihadreceivedfromhim?atthislastthoughtipluckedtheflowerfromthestem;andtookittoputatthetopofthetabernacle。ah!whydoestherecollectionof
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!