,ver4#jg_/bg_/ja99;,,end99 ,this etext was produced by ,david ,widger widgercecomet4net ,,note3 ,there is a short list of bookmarks1 or pointers1 at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an entire meal of them4 ,d4,w4 ,,an ,,attic ,,philosopher 7,un ,philosophe sous les ,toits7 ,by ,,emile ,,souvestre ,with a ,preface by ,,joseph ,,bertrand1 of the ,french ,academy ,,book #a4 ,,emile ,,souvestre ,no one succeeds in obtaining a prominent place in literature1 or in surrounding himself with a faithful and steady circle of admirers drawn from the fickle masses of the public1 unless he possesses originality1 constant variety1 and a distinct personality4 ,it is quite possible to gain for a moment a few readers by imitating some original feature in another2 but these soon vanish and the writer remains alone and forgotten4 ,others1 again1 without belonging to any distinct group of authors1 having found their standard in themselves1 moralists and educators at the same time1 have obtained undying recognition4 ,of the latter class1 though little known outside of ,france1 is ,emile ,souvestre1 who was born in ,morlaix1 ,april #ae1 #ahjf1 and died at ,paris ,july #e1 #ahed4 ,he was the son of a civil engineer1 was educated at the college of ,pontivy1 and intended to follow his father's career by entering the ,polytechnic ,school4 ,his father1 however1 died in #ahbc1 and ,souvestre matriculated as a law-student at ,rennes4 ,but the young student soon devoted himself entirely to literature4 ,his first essay1 a tragedy1 ',le ,siege de ,missolonghi' 7#ahbh71 was a pronounced failure4 ,disheartened and disgusted he left ,paris and established himself first as a lawyer in ,morlaix4 ,then he became proprietor of a newspaper1 and was afterward appointed a professor in ,brest and in ,mulhouse4 ,in #ahcf he contributed to the ',revue des ,deux ,mondes' some sketches of life in ,brittany1 which obtained a brilliant success4 ,souvestre was soon made editor of ,la ,revue de ,paris1 and in consequence early found a publisher for his first novel1 ',l',echelle de ,femmes'1 which1 as was the case with his second work1 ,riche et ,pauvre'1 met with a very favorable reception4 ,his reputation was now made1 and between this period and his death he gave to ,france about sixty volumes--tales1 novels1 essays1 history1 and drama4 ,a double purpose was always very conspicuous in his books3 he aspired to the role of a moralist and educator1 and was likewise a most impressive painter of the life1 character1 and morals of the inhabitants of ,brittany4 ,the most significant of his books are perhaps ',les ,derniers ,bretons 7#ahce-ahcg1 #d vols471 ,pierre ,landais 7#ahdc1 #b vols471 ,le ,foyer ,breton 7#ahdd1 #b vols471 ,un ,philosophe sons les ,toits1 crowned by the ,academy 7#ahej71 ,confessions d'un ,ouvrier 7#ahea71 ,recits et ,souvenirs 7#ahec71 ,souvenirs d'un ,vieillard 7#ahed72 also ,la ,bretagne ,pittoresque 7#ahde71 and1 finally1 ,causeries ,historiques et ,litteraires 7#ahed1 #b vols47'4 ,his comedies deserve honorable mention3 ',henri ,hamelin1 ,l',oncle ,baptiste 7#ahdb71 ,la ,parisienne1 ,le ,mousse1 etc'4 ,in #ahdh1 ,souvestre was appointed professor of the newly created school of administration1 mostly devoted to popular lectures4 ,he held this post till #ahec1 lecturing partly in ,paris1 partly in ,switzerland4 ,his death1 when comparatively young1 left a distinct gap in the literary world4 ,a life like his could not be extinguished without general sorrow4 ,although he was unduly modest1 and never aspired to the role of a beacon- light in literature1 always seeking to remain in obscurity1 the works of ,emile ,souvestre must be placed in the first rank by their morality and by their instructive character4 ,they will always command the entire respect and applause of mankind4 ,and thus it happens that1 like many others1 he was only fully appreciated after his death4 ,even those of his 'confreres' who did not seem to esteem him1 when alive1 suddenly found out that they had experienced a great loss in his demise4 ,they expressed it in emotional panegyrcs2 contemporaneous literature discovered that virtue had flown from its bosom1 and the ,french ,academy1 which had at its proper time crowned his ',philosophe sons les ,toits' as a work contributing supremely to morals1 kept his memory green by bestowing on his widow the ,prix ,lambert1 designed for the families of authors who by their integrity1 and by the probity of their efforts have well deserved this token from the ,republique des ,lettres4 ,,joseph ,,bertrand de ',academie ,francaise4 ,,an ,,attic ,,philosopher ,,chapter ,i ,,new-,,year',s ,,gifts ,january #ast ,the day of the month came into my mind as soon as ,i awoke4 ,another year is separated from the chain of ages1 and drops into the gulf of the past6 ,the crowd hasten to welcome her young sister4 ,but while all looks are turned toward the future1 mine revert to the past4 ,everyone smiles upon the new queen2 but1 in spite of myself1 ,i think of her whom time has just wrapped in her winding-sheet4 ,the past year6--at least ,i know what she was1 and what she has given me2 while this one comes surrounded by all the forebodings of the unknown4 ,what does she hide in the clouds that mantle her8 ,is it the storm or the sunshine8 ,just now it rains1 and ,i feel my mind as gloomy as the sky4 ,i have a holiday today2 but what can one do on a rainy day8 ,i walk up and down my attic out of temper1 and ,i determine to light my fire4 ,unfortunately the matches are bad1 the chimney smokes1 the wood goes out6 ,i throw down my bellows in disgust1 and sink into my old armchair4 ,in truth1 why should ,i rejoice to see the birth of a new year8 ,all those who are already in the streets1 with holiday looks and smiling faces--do they understand what makes them so gay8 ,do they even know what is the meaning of this holiday1 or whence comes the custom of ,new-,year's gifts8 ,here my mind pauses to prove to itself its superiority over that of the vulgar4 ,i make a parenthesis in my ill-temper in favor of my vanity1 and ,i bring together all the evidence which my knowledge can produce4 7,the old ,romans divided the year into ten months only2 it was ,numa ,pompilius who added ,january and ,february4 ,the former took its name from ,janus1 to whom it was dedicated4 ,as it opened the new year1 they surrounded its beginning with good omens1 and thence came the custom of visits between neighbors1 of wishing happiness1 and of ,new-,year's gifts4 ,the presents given by the ,romans were symbolic4 ,they consisted of dry figs1 dates1 honeycomb1 as emblems of the sweetness of the auspices under which the year should begin its course1 and a small piece of money called stips1 which foreboded riches47 ,here ,i close the parenthesis1 and return to my ill-humor4 ,the little speech ,i have just addressed to myself has restored me my self- satisfaction1 but made me more dissatisfied with others4 ,i could now enjoy my breakfast2 but the portress has forgotten my morning's milk1 and the pot of preserves is empty6 ,anyone else would have been vexed3 as for me1 ,i affect the most supreme indifference4 ,there remains a hard crust1 which ,i break by main strength1 and which ,i carelessly nibble1 as a man far above the vanities of the world and of fresh rolls4 ,however1 ,i do not know why my thoughts should grow more gloomy by reason of the difficulties of mastication4 ,i once read the story of an ,englishman who hanged himself because they had brought him his tea without sugar4 ,there are hours in life when the most trifling cross takes the form of a calamity4 ,our tempers are like an opera-glass1 which makes the object small or great according to the end you look through4 ,usually1 the prospect that opens out before my window delights me4 ,it is a mountain-range of roofs1 with ridges crossing1 interlacing1 and piled on one another1 and upon which tall chimneys raise their peaks4 ,it was but yesterday that they had an ,alpine aspect to me1 and ,i waited for the first snowstorm to see glaciers among them2 to-day1 ,i only see tiles and stone flues4 ,the pigeons1 which assisted my rural illusions1 seem no more than miserable birds which have mistaken the roof for the back yard2 the smoke1 which rises in light clouds1 instead of making me dream of the panting of ,vesuvius1 reminds me of kitchen preparations and dishwater2 and lastly1 the telegraph1 that ,i see far off on the old tower of ,montmartre1 has the effect of a vile gallows stretching its arms over the city4 ,my eyes1 thus hurt by all they meet1 fall upon the great man's house which faces my attic4 ,the influence of ,new-,year's ,day is visible there4 ,the servants have an air of eagerness proportioned to the value of their ,new-,year's gifts1 received or expected4 ,i see the master of the house crossing the court with the morose look of a man who is forced to be generous2 and the visitors increase1 followed by shop porters who carry flowers1 bandboxes1 or toys4 ,suddenly the great gates are opened1 and a new carriage1 drawn by thoroughbred horses1 draws up before the doorsteps4 ,they are1 without doubt1 the ,new-,year's gift presented to the mistress of the house by her husband2 for she comes herself to look at the new equipage4 ,very soon she gets into it with a little girl1 all streaming with laces1 feathers and velvets1 and loaded with parcels which she goes to distribute as ,new- ,year's gifts4 ,the door is shut1 the windows are drawn up1 the carriage sets off4 ,thus all the world are exchanging good wishes and presents to-day4 ,i alone have nothing to give or to receive4 ,poor ,solitary6 ,i do not even know one chosen being for whom ,i might offer a prayer4 ,then let my wishes for a happy ,new ,year go and seek out all my unknown friends--lost in the multitude which murmurs like the ocean at my feet6 ,to you first1 hermits in cities1 for whom death and poverty have created a solitude in the midst of the crowd6 unhappy laborers1 who are condemned to toil in melancholy1 and eat your daily bread in silence and desertion1 and whom ,god has withdrawn from the intoxicating pangs of love and friendship6 ,to you1 fond dreamers1 who pass through life with your eyes turned toward some polar star1 while you tread with indifference over the rich harvests of reality6 ,to you1 honest fathers1 who lengthen out the evening to maintain your families6 to you1 poor widows1 weeping and working by a cradle6 to you1 young men1 resolutely set to open for yourselves a path in life1 large enough to lead through it the wife of your choice6 to you1 all brave soldiers of work and of self-sacrifice6 ,to you1 lastly1 whatever your title and your name1 who love good1 who pity the suffering2 who walk through the world like the symbolical ,virgin of ,byzantium1 with both arms open to the human race6 ,here ,i am suddenly interrupted by loud and increasing chirpings4 ,i look about me3 my window is surrounded with sparrows picking up the crumbs of bread which in my brown study ,i had just scattered on the roof4 ,at this sight a flash of light broke upon my saddened heart4 ,i deceived myself just now1 when ,i complained that ,i had nothing to give3 thanks to me1 the sparrows of this part of the town will have their ,new-,year's gifts6 ,twelve o'clock4--,a knock at my door2 a poor girl comes in1 and greets me by name4 ,at first ,i do not recollect her2 but she looks at me1 and smiles4 ,ah6 it is ,paulette6 ,but it is almost a year since ,i have seen her1 and ,paulette is no longer the same3 the other day she was a child1 now she is almost a young woman4 ,paulette is thin1 pale1 and miserably clad2 but she has always the same open and straightforward look--the same mouth1 smiling at every word1 as if to court your sympathy--the same voice1 somewhat timid1 yet expressing fondness4 ,paulette is not pretty--she is even thought plain2 as for me1 ,i think her charming4 ,perhaps that is not on her account1 but on my own4 ,paulette appears to me as one of my happiest recollections4 ,it was the evening of a public holiday4 ,our principal buildings were illuminated with festoons of fire1 a thousand flags waved in the night winds1 and the fireworks had just shot forth their spouts of flame into the midst of the ,champ de ,mars4 ,suddenly1 one of those unaccountable alarms which strike a multitude with panic fell upon the dense crowd3 they cry out1 they rush on headlong2 the weaker ones fall1 and the frightened crowd tramples them down in its convulsive struggles4 ,i escaped from the confusion by a miracle1 and was hastening away1 when the cries of a perishing child arrested me3 ,i reentered that human chaos1 and1 after unheard-of exertions1 ,i brought ,paulette out of it at the peril of my life4 ,that was two years ago3 since then ,i had not seen the child again but at long intervals1 and ,i had almost forgotten her2 but ,paulette's memory was that of a grateful heart1 and she came at the beginning of the year to offer me her wishes for my happiness4 ,she brought me1 besides1 a wallflower in full bloom2 she herself had planted and reared it3 it was something that belonged wholly to herself2 for it was by her care1 her perseverance1 and her patience1 that she had obtained it4 ,the wallflower had grown in a common pot2 but ,paulette1 who is a bandbox- maker1 had put it into a case of varnished paper1 ornamented with arabesques4 ,these might have been in better taste1 but ,i did not feel the attention and good-will the less4 ,this unexpected present1 the little girl's modest blushes1 the compliments she stammered out1 dispelled1 as by a sunbeam1 the kind of mist which had gathered round my mind2 my thoughts suddenly changed from the leaden tints of evening to the brightest colors of dawn4 ,i made ,paulette sit down1 and questioned her with a light heart4 ,at first the little girl replied in monosyllables2 but very soon the tables were turned1 and it was ,i who interrupted with short interjections her long and confidential talk4 ,the poor child leads a hard life4 ,she was left an orphan long since1 with a brother and sister1 and lives with an old grandmother1 who has brought them up to poverty1 as she always calls it4 ,however1 ,paulette now helps her to make bandboxes1 her little sister ,perrine begins to use the needle1 and her brother ,henry is apprentice to a printer4 ,all would go well if it were not for losses and want of work --if it were not for clothes which wear out1 for appetites which grow larger1 and for the winter1 when you cannot get sunshine for nothing4 ,paulette complains that her candles go too quickly1 and that her wood costs too much4 ,the fireplace in their garret is so large that a fagot makes no more show in it than a match2 it is so near the roof that the wind blows the rain down it1 and in winter it hails upon the hearth2 so they have left off using it4 ,henceforth they must be content with an earthen chafing-dish1 upon which they cook their meals4 ,the grandmother had often spoken of a stove that was for sale at the broker's close by2 but he asked seven francs for it1 and the times are too hard for such an expense3 the family1 therefore1 resign themselves to cold for economy6 ,as ,paulette spoke1 ,i felt more and more that ,i was losing my fretfulness and low spirits4 ,the first disclosures of the little bandbox-maker created within me a wish that soon became a plan4 ,i questioned her about her daily occupations1 and she informed me that on leaving me she must go1 with her brother1 her sister1 and grandmother1 to the different people for whom they work4 ,my plan was immediately settled4 ,i told the child that ,i would go to see her in the evening1 and ,i sent her away with fresh thanks4 ,i placed the wallflower in the open window1 where a ray of sunshine bid it welcome2 the birds were singing around1 the sky had cleared up1 and the day1 which began so loweringly1 had become bright4 ,i sang as ,i moved about my room1 and1 having hastily put on my hat and coat1 ,i went out4 ,three o'clock4--,all is settled with my neighbor1 the chimney-doctor2 he will repair my old stove1 and answers for its being as good as new4 ,at five o'clock we are to set out1 and put it up in ,paulette's grandmother's room4 ,midnight4--,all has gone off well4 ,at the hour agreed upon1 ,i was at the old bandbox-maker's2 she was still out4 ,my ,piedmontese ,in ,paris a chimney-sweeper is named ,piedmontese or ,savoyard1 as they usually come from that country4 fixed the stove1 while ,i arranged a dozen logs in the great fireplace1 taken from my winter stock4 ,i shall make up for them by warming myself with walking1 or by going to bed earlier4 ,my heart beat at every step that was heard on the staircase2 ,i trembled lest they should interrupt me in my preparations1 and should thus spoil my intended surprise4 ,but no6--see everything ready3 the lighted stove murmurs gently1 the little lamp burns upon the table1 and a bottle of oil for it is provided on the shelf4 ,the chimney-doctor is gone4 ,now my fear lest they should come is changed into impatience at their not coming4 ,at last ,i hear children's voices2 here they are3 they push open the door and rush in--but they all stop in astonishment4 ,at the sight of the lamp1 the stove1 and the visitor1 who stands there like a magician in the midst of these wonders1 they draw back almost frightened4 ,paulette is the first to comprehend it1 and the arrival of the grandmother1 who is more slowly mounting the stairs1 finishes the explanation4 ,then come tears1 ecstasies1 thanks6 ,but the wonders are not yet ended4 ,the little sister opens the oven1 and discovers some chestnuts just roasted2 the grandmother puts her hand on the bottles of cider arranged on the dresser2 and ,i draw forth from the basket that ,i have hidden a cold tongue1 a pot of butter1 and some fresh rolls4 ,now their wonder turns into admiration2 the little family have never seen such a feast6 ,they lay the cloth1 they sit down1 they eat2 it is a complete banquet for all1 and each contributes his share to it4 ,i had brought only the supper3 and the bandbox-maker and her children supplied the enjoyment4 ,what bursts of laughter at nothing6 ,what a hubbub of questions which waited for no reply1 of replies which answered no question6 ,the old woman herself shared in the wild merriment of the little ones6 ,i have always been struck at the ease with which the poor forget their wretchedness4 ,being used to live only for the present1 they make a gain of every pleasure as soon as it offers itself4 ,but the surfeited rich are more difficult to satisfy3 they require time and everything to suit before they will consent to be happy4 ,the evening has passed like a moment4 ,the old woman told me the history of her life1 sometimes smiling1 sometimes drying her eyes4 ,perrine sang an old ballad with her fresh young voice4 ,henry told us what he knows of the great writers of the day1 to whom he has to carry their proofs4 ,at last we were obliged to separate1 not without fresh thanks on the part of the happy family4 ,i have come home slowly1 ruminating with a full heart1 and pure enjoyment1 on the simple events of my evening4 ,it has given me much comfort and much instruction4 ,now1 no ,new-,year's ,day will come amiss to me2 ,i know that no one is so unhappy as to have nothing to give and nothing to receive4 ,as ,i came in1 ,i met my rich neighbor's new equipage4 ,she1 too1 had just returned from her evening's party2 and1 as she sprang from the carriage- step with feverish impatience1 ,i heard her murmur ,at last6 ,i1 when ,i left ,paulette's family1 said ,so soon6 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,carnival ,february #bjth ,what a noise out of doors6 ,what is the meaning of these shouts and cries8 ,ah6 ,i recollect3 this is the last day of the ,carnival1 and the maskers are passing4 ,christianity has not been able to abolish the noisy bacchanalian festivals of the pagan times1 but it has changed the names4 ,that which it has given to these days of liberty announces the ending of the feasts1 and the month of fasting which should follow2 carn-ival means1 literally1 farewell to flesh6 ,it is a forty days' farewell to the blessed pullets and fat hams1 so celebrated by ,pantagruel's minstrel4 ,man prepares for privation by satiety1 and finishes his sin thoroughly before he begins to repent4 ,why1 in all ages and among every people1 do we meet with some one of these mad festivals8 ,must we believe that it requires such an effort for men to be reasonable1 that the weaker ones have need of rest at intervals8 ,the monks of ,la ,trappe1 who are condemned to silence by their rule1 are allowed to speak once in a month1 and on this day they all talk at once from the rising to the setting of the sun4 ,perhaps it is the same in the world4 ,as we are obliged all the year to be decent1 orderly1 and reasonable1 we make up for such a long restraint during the ,carnival4 ,it is a door opened to the incongruous fancies and wishes that have hitherto been crowded back into a corner of our brain4 ,for a moment the slaves become the masters1 as in the days of the ,saturnalia1 and all is given up to the fools of the family4 ,the shouts in the square redouble2 the troops of masks increase--on foot1 in carriages1 and on horseback4 ,it is now who can attract the most attention by making a figure for a few hours1 or by exciting curiosity or envy2 to-morrow they will all return1 dull and exhausted1 to the employments and troubles of yesterday4 ,alas6 thought ,i with vexation1 each of us is like these masqueraders2 our whole life is often but an unsightly ,carnival6 ,and yet man has need of holidays1 to relax his mind1 rest his body1 and open his heart4 ,can he not have them1 then1 with these coarse pleasures8 ,economists have been long inquiring what is the best disposal of the industry of the human race4 ,ah6 if ,i could only discover the best disposal of its leisure6 ,it is easy enough to find it work2 but who will find it relaxation8 ,work supplies the daily bread2 but it is cheerfulness that gives it a relish4 ,o philosophers6 go in quest of pleasure6 find us amusements without brutality1 enjoyments without selfishness2 in a word1 invent a ,carnival that will please everybody1 and bring shame to no one4 ,three o'clock4--,i have just shut my window1 and stirred up my fire4 ,as this is a holiday for everybody1 ,i will make it one for myself1 too4 ,so ,i light the little lamp over which1 on grand occasions1 ,i make a cup of the coffee that my portress's son brought from the ,levant1 and ,i look in my bookcase for one of my favorite authors4 ,first1 here is the amusing parson of ,meudon2 but his characters are too fond of talking slang3--,voltaire2 but he disheartens men by always bantering them3--,moliere2 but he hinders one's laughter by making one think3--,lesage2 let us stop at him4 ,being profound rather than grave1 he preaches virtue while ridiculing vice2 if bitterness is sometimes to be found in his writings1 it is always in the garb of mirth3 he sees the miseries of the world without despising it1 and knows its cowardly tricks without hating it4 ,let us call up all the heroes of his book4444 ,gil ,blas1 ,fabrice1 ,sangrado1 the ,archbishop of ,granada1 the ,duke of ,lerma1 ,aurora1 ,scipio6 ,ye gay or graceful figures1 rise before my eyes1 people my solitude2 bring hither for my amusement the world-carnival1 of which you are the brilliant maskers6 ,unfortunately1 at the very moment ,i made this invocation1 ,i recollected ,i had a letter to write which could not be put off4 ,one of my attic neighbors came yesterday to ask me to do it4 ,he is a cheerful old man1 and has a passion for pictures and prints4 ,he comes home almost every day with a drawing or painting--probably of little value2 for ,i know he lives penuriously1 and even the letter that ,i am to write for him shows his poverty4 ,his only son1 who was married in ,england1 is just dead1 and his widow--left without any means1 and with an old mother and a child-- had written to beg for a home4 ,m4 ,antoine asked me first to translate the letter1 and then to write a refusal4 ,i had promised that he should have this answer to-day3 before everything1 let us fulfil our promises4 ,the sheet of ,bath paper is before me1 ,i have dipped my pen into the ink1 and ,i rub my forehead to invite forth a sally of ideas1 when ,i perceive that ,i have not my dictionary4 ,now1 a ,parisian who would speak ,english without a dictionary is like a child without leading-strings2 the ground trembles under him1 and he stumbles at the first step4 ,i run then to the bookbinder's1 where ,i left my ,johnson1 who lives close by in the square4 ,the door is half open2 ,i hear low groans2 ,i enter without knocking1 and ,i see the bookbinder by the bedside of his fellow-lodger4 ,this latter has a violent fever and delirium4 ,pierre looks at him perplexed and out of humor4 ,i learn from him that his comrade was not able to get up in the morning1 and that since then he has become worse every hour4 ,i ask whether they have sent for a doctor4 ,oh1 yes1 indeed6 replied ,pierre1 roughly2 one must have money in one's pocket for that1 and this fellow has only debts instead of savings4 ,but you1 said ,i1 rather astonished2 are you not his friend8 ,friend6 interrupted the bookbinder4 ,yes1 as much as the shaft-horse is friend to the leader--on condition that each will take his share of the draught1 and eat his feed by himself4 ,you do not intend1 however1 to leave him without any help8 ,bah6 he may keep in his bed till to-morrow1 as ,i'm going to the ball4 ,you mean to leave him alone8 ,well6 must ,i miss a party of pleasure at ,courtville--,a ,parisian summer resort4--because this fellow is lightheaded8 asked ,pierre1 sharply4 ,i have promised to meet some friends at old ,desnoyer's4 ,those who are sick may take their broth2 my physic is white wine4 ,so saying1 he untied a bundle1 out of which he took the fancy costume of a waterman1 and proceeded to dress himself in it4 ,in vain ,i tried to awaken some fellow-feeling for the unfortunate man who lay groaning there close by him2 being entirely taken up with the thoughts of his expected pleasure1 ,pierre would hardly so much as hear me4 ,at last his coarse selfishness provoked me4 ,i began reproaching instead of remonstrating with him1 and ,i declared him responsible for the consequences which such a desertion must bring upon the sick man4 ,at this the bookbinder1 who was just going1 stopped with an oath1 and stamped his foot4 ,am ,i to spend my ,carnival in heating water for footbaths1 pray8 ,you must not leave your comrade to die without help6 ,i replied4 ,let him go to the hospital1 then6 ,how can he by himself8 ,pierre seemed to make up his mind4 ,well1 ,i'm going to take him1 resumed he2 besides1 ,i shall get rid of him sooner4 ,come1 get up1 comrade6 ,he shook his comrade1 who had not taken off his clothes4 ,i observed that he was too weak to walk1 but the bookbinder would not listen3 he made him get up1 and half dragged1 half supported him to the lodge of the porter1 who ran for a hackney carriage4 ,i saw the sick man get into it1 almost fainting1 with the impatient waterman2 and they both set off1 one perhaps to die1 the other to dine at ,courtville ,gardens6 ,six o'clock4--,i have been to knock at my neighbor's door1 who opened it himself2 and ,i have given him his letter1 finished at last1 and directed to his son's widow4 ,m4 ,antoine thanked me gratefully1 and made me sit down4 ,it was the first time ,i had been into the attic of the old amateur4 ,curtains stained with damp and hanging down in rags1 a cold stove1 a bed of straw1 two broken chairs1 composed all the furniture4 ,at the end of the room were a great number of prints in a heap1 and paintings without frames turned against the wall4 ,at the moment ,i came in1 the old man was making his dinner on some hard crusts of bread1 which he was soaking in a glass of 'eau sucree'4 ,he perceived that my eyes fell upon his hermit fare1 and he looked a little ashamed4 ,there is nothing to tempt you in my supper1 neighbor1 said he1 with a smile4 ,i replied that at least ,i thought it a very philosophical one for the ,carnival4 ,m4 ,antoine shook his head1 and went on again with his supper4 ,every one keeps his holidays in his own way1 resumed he1 beginning again to dip a crust into his glass4 ,there are several sorts of epicures1 and not all feasts are meant to regale the palate2 there are some also for the ears and the eyes4 ,i looked involuntarily round me1 as if to seek for the invisible banquet which could make up to him for such a supper4 ,without doubt he understood me2 for he got up slowly1 and1 with the magisterial air of a man confident in what he is about to do1 he rummaged behind several picture frames1 drew forth a painting1 over which he passed his hand1 and silently placed it under the light of the lamp4 ,it represented a fine-looking old man1 seated at table with his wife1 his daughter1 and his children1 and singing to the accompaniment of musicians who appeared in the background4 ,at first sight ,i recognized the subject1 which ,i had often admired at the ,louvre1 and ,i declared it to be a splendid copy of ,jordaens4 ,a copy6 cried ,m4 ,antoine2 say an original1 neighbor1 and an original retouched by ,rubens6 ,look closer at the head of the old man1 the dress of the young woman1 and the accessories4 ,one can count the pencil- strokes of the ,hercules of painters4 ,it is not only a masterpiece1 sir2 it is a treasure--a relic6 ,the picture at the ,louvre may be a pearl1 this is a diamond6 ,and resting it against the stove1 so as to place it in the best light1 he fell again to soaking his crusts1 without taking his eyes off the wonderful picture4 ,one would have said that the sight of it gave the crusts an unexpected relish1 for he chewed them slowly1 and emptied his glass by little sips4 ,his shrivelled features became smooth1 his nostrils expanded2 it was indeed1 as he said himself1 a feast for the eyes4 ,you see that ,i also have my treat1 he resumed1 nodding his head with an air of triumph4 ,others may run after dinners and balls2 as for me1 this is the pleasure ,i give myself for my ,carnival4 ,but if this painting is really so precious1 replied ,i1 it ought to be worth a high price4 ,eh6 eh6 said ,m4 ,antoine1 with an air of proud indifference4 ,in good times1 a good judge might value it at somewhere about twenty thousand francs4 ,i started back4 ,and you have bought it8 cried ,i4 ,for nothing1 replied he1 lowering his voice4 ,these brokers are asses2 mine mistook this for a student's copy2 he let me have it for fifty louis1 ready money6 ,this morning ,i took them to him1 and now he wishes to be off the bargain4 ,this morning6 repeated ,i1 involuntarily casting my eyes on the letter containing the refusal that ,m4 ,antoine had made me write to his son's widow1 which was still on the little table4 ,he took no notice of my exclamation1 and went on contemplating the work of ,jordaens in an ecstasy4 ,what a knowledge of chiaroscuro6 he murmured1 biting his last crust in delight4 ,what relief6 what fire6 ,where can one find such transparency of color6 such magical lights6 such force6 such nature6 ,as ,i was listening to him in silence1 he mistook my astonishment for admiration1 and clapped me on the shoulder4 ,you are dazzled1 said he merrily2 you did not expect such a treasure6 ,what do you say to the bargain ,i have made8 ,pardon me1 replied ,i1 gravely2 but ,i think you might have done better4 ,m4 ,antoine raised his head4 ,how6 cried he2 do you take me for a man likely to be deceived about the merit or value of a painting8 ,i neither doubt your taste nor your skill2 but ,i cannot help thinking that1 for the price of this picture of a family party1 you might have had-- ,what then8 ,the family itself1 sir4 ,the old amateur cast a look at me1 not of anger1 but of contempt4 ,in his eyes ,i had evidently just proved myself a barbarian1 incapable of understanding the arts1 and unworthy of enjoying them4 ,he got up without answering me1 hastily took up the ,jordaens1 and replaced it in its hiding-place behind the prints4 ,it was a sort of dismissal2 ,i took leave of him1 and went away4 ,seven o'clock4--,when ,i come in again1 ,i find my water boiling over my lamp1 and ,i busy myself in grinding my ,mocha1 and setting out my coffee- things4 ,the getting coffee ready is the most delicate and most attractive of domestic operations to one who lives alone3 it is the grand work of a bachelor's housekeeping4 ,coffee is1 so to say1 just the mid-point between bodily and spiritual nourishment4 ,it acts agreeably1 and at the same time1 upon the senses and the thoughts4 ,its very fragrance gives a sort of delightful activity to the wits2 it is a genius that lends wings to our fancy1 and transports it to the land of the ,arabian ,nights4 ,when ,i am buried in my old easy-chair1 my feet on the fender before a blazing fire1 my ear soothed by the singing of the coffee-pot1 which seems to gossip with my fire-irons1 the sense of smell gently excited by the aroma of the ,arabian bean1 and my eyes shaded by my cap pulled down over them1 it often seems as if each cloud of the fragrant steam took a distinct form4 ,as in the mirages of the desert1 in each as it rises1 ,i see some image of which my mind had been longing for the reality4 ,at first the vapor increases1 and its color deepens4 ,i see a cottage on a hillside3 behind is a garden shut in by a whitethorn hedge1 and through the garden runs a brook1 on the banks of which ,i hear the bees humming4 ,then the view opens still more4 ,see those fields planted with apple- trees1 in which ,i can distinguish a plough and horses waiting for their master6 ,farther on1 in a part of the wood which rings with the sound of the axe1 ,i perceive the woodsman's hut1 roofed with turf and branches2 and1 in the midst of all these rural pictures1 ,i seem to see a figure of myself gliding about4 ,it is my ghost walking in my dream6 ,the bubbling of the water1 ready to boil over1 compels me to break off my meditations1 in order to fill up the coffee-pot4 ,i then remember that ,i have no cream2 ,i take my tin can off the hook and go down to the milkwoman's4 ,mother ,denis is a hale countrywoman from ,savoy1 which she left when quite young2 and1 contrary to the custom of the ,savoyards1 she has not gone back to it again4 ,she has neither husband nor child1 notwithstanding the title they give her2 but her kindness1 which never sleeps1 makes her worthy of the name of mother4 ,a brave creature6 ,left by herself in the battle of life1 she makes good her humble place in it by working1 singing1 helping others1 and leaving the rest to ,god4 ,at the door of the milk-shop ,i hear loud bursts of laughter4 ,in one of the corners of the shop three children are sitting on the ground4 ,they wear the sooty dress of ,savoyard boys1 and in their hands they hold large slices of bread and cheese4 ,the youngest is besmeared up to the eyes with his1 and that is the reason of their mirth4 ,mother ,denis points them out to me4 ,look at the little lambs1 how they enjoy themselves6 said she1 putting her hand on the head of the little glutton4 ,he has had no breakfast1 puts in one of the others by way of excuse4 ,poor little thing1 said the milkwoman2 he is left alone in the streets of ,paris1 where he can find no other father than the ,all-good ,god6 ,and that is why you make yourself a mother to them8 ,i replied1 gently4 ,what ,i do is little enough1 said ,mother ,denis1 measuring out my milk2 but every day ,i get some of them together out of the street1 that for once they may have enough to eat4 ,dear children6 their mothers will make up for it in heaven4 ,not to mention that they recall my native mountains to me3 when they sing and dance1 ,i seem to see our old father again4 ,here her eyes filled with tears4 ,so you are repaid by your recollections for the good you do them8 resumed ,i4 ,yes6 yes6 said she1 and by their happiness1 too6 ,the laughter of these little ones1 sir1 is like a bird's song2 it makes you gay1 and gives you heart to live4 ,as she spoke she cut some fresh slices of bread and cheese1 and added some apples and a handful of nuts to them4 ,come1 my little dears1 she cried1 put these into your pockets against to-morrow4 ,then1 turning to me3 ,to-day ,i am ruining myself1 added she2 but we must all have our ,carnival4 ,i came away without saying a word3 ,i was too much affected4 ,at last ,i have discovered what true pleasure is4 ,after beholding the egotism of sensuality and of intellect1 ,i have found the happy self- sacrifice of goodness4 ,pierre1 ,m4 ,antoine1 and ,mother ,denis had all kept their ,carnival2 but for the first two1 it was only a feast for the senses or the mind2 while for the third1 it was a feast for the heart4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,what ,,we ,,may ,,learn ,,by ,,looking ,,out ,,of ,,window ,march #c;d ,a poet has said that life is the dream of a shadow3 he would better have compared it to a night of fever6 ,what alternate fits of restlessness and sleep6 what discomfort6 what sudden starts6 what ever-returning thirst6 what a chaos of mournful and confused fancies6 ,we can neither sleep nor wake2 we seek in vain for repose1 and we stop short on the brink of action4 ,two thirds of human existence are wasted in hesitation1 and the last third in repenting4 ,when ,i say human existence1 ,i mean my own6 ,we are so made that each of us regards himself as the mirror of the community3 what passes in our minds infallibly seems to us a history of the universe4 ,every man is like the drunkard who reports an earthquake1 because he feels himself staggering4 ,and why am ,i uncertain and restless--,i1 a poor day-laborer in the world-- who fill an obscure station in a corner of it1 and whose work it avails itself of1 without heeding the workman8 ,i will tell you1 my unseen friend1 for whom these lines are written2 my unknown brother1 on whom the solitary call in sorrow2 my imaginary confidant1 to whom all monologues are addressed and who is but the shadow of our own conscience4 ,a great event has happened in my life6 ,a crossroad has suddenly opened in the middle of the monotonous way along which ,i was travelling quietly1 and without thinking of it4 ,two roads present themselves1 and ,i must choose between them4 ,one is only the continuation of that ,i have followed till now2 the other is wider1 and exhibits wondrous prospects4 ,on the first there is nothing to fear1 but also little to hope2 on the other are great dangers and great fortune4 ,briefly1 the question is1 whether ,i shall give up the humble office in which ,i thought to die1 for one of those bold speculations in which chance alone is banker6 ,ever since yesterday ,i have consulted with myself2 ,i have compared the two and ,i remain undecided4 ,where shall ,i find light--who will advise me8 ,sunday1 #dth4--,see the sun coming out from the thick fogs of winter6 ,spring announces its approach2 a soft breeze skims over the roofs1 and my wallflower begins to blow again4 ,we are near that sweet season of fresh green1 of which the poets of the sixteenth century sang with so much feeling3 ,now the gladsome month of ,may ,all things newly doth array2 ,fairest lady1 let me too ,in thy love my life renew4 ,the chirping of the sparrows calls me3 they claim the crumbs ,i scatter to them every morning4 ,i open my window1 and the prospect of roofs opens out before me in all its splendor4 ,he who has lived only on a first floor has no idea of the picturesque variety of such a view4 ,he has never contemplated these tile-colored heights which intersect each other2 he has not followed with his eyes these gutter-valleys1 where the fresh verdure of the attic gardens waves1 the deep shadows which evening spreads over the slated slopes1 and the sparkling of windows which the setting sun has kindled to a blaze of fire4 ,he has not studied the flora of these ,alps of civilization1 carpeted by lichens and mosses2 he is not acquainted with the myriad inhabitants that people them1 from the microscopic insect to the domestic cat--that reynard of the roofs who is always on the prowl1 or in ambush2 he has not witnessed the thousand aspects of a clear or a cloudy sky2 nor the thousand effects of light1 that make these upper regions a theatre with ever-changing scenes6 ,how many times have my days of leisure passed away in contemplating this wonderful sight2 in discovering its darker or brighter episodes2 in seeking1 in short1 in this unknown world for the impressions of travel that wealthy tourists look for lower6 ,nine o'clock4--,but why1 then1 have not my winged neighbors picked up the crumbs ,i have scattered for them before my window8 ,i see them fly away1 come back1 perch upon the ledges of the windows1 and chirp at the sight of the feast they are usually so ready to devour6 ,it is not my presence that frightens them2 ,i have accustomed them to eat out of my hand4 ,then1 why this fearful suspense8 ,in vain ,i look around3 the roof is clear1 the windows near are closed4 ,i crumble the bread that remains from my breakfast to attract them by an ampler feast4 ,their chirpings increase1 they bend down their heads1 the boldest approach upon the wing1 but without daring to alight4 ,come1 come1 my sparrows are the victims of one of the foolish panics which make the funds fall at the ,bourse6 ,it is plain that birds are not more reasonable than men6 ,with this reflection ,i was about to shut my window1 when suddenly ,i perceived1 in a spot of sunshine on my right1 the shadow of two pricked- up ears2 then a paw advanced1 then the head of a tabby-cat showed itself at the corner of the gutter4 ,the cunning fellow was lying there in wait1 hoping the crumbs would bring him some game4 ,and ,i had accused my guests of cowardice6 ,i was so sure that no danger could menace them6 ,i thought ,i had looked well everywhere6 ,i had only forgotten the corner behind me6 ,in life1 as on the roofs1 how many misfortunes come from having forgotten a single corner6 ,ten o'clock4--,i cannot leave my window2 the rain and the cold have kept it shut so long that ,i must reconnoitre all the environs to be able to take possession of them again4 ,my eyes search in succession all the points of the jumbled and confused prospect1 passing on or stopping according to what they light upon4 ,ah6 see the windows upon which they formerly loved to rest2 they are those of two unknown neighbors1 whose different habits they have long remarked4 ,one is a poor work-woman1 who rises before sunrise1 and whose profile is shadowed upon her little muslin window-curtain far into the evening2 the other is a young songstress1 whose vocal flourishes sometimes reach my attic by snatches4 ,when their windows are open1 that of the work-woman discovers a humble but decent abode2 the other1 an elegantly furnished room4 ,but to-day a crowd of tradespeople throng the latter3 they take down the silk hangings and carry off the furniture1 and ,i now remember that the young singer passed under my window this morning with her veil down1 and walking with the hasty step of one who suffers some inward trouble4 ,ah6 ,i guess it all4 ,her means are exhausted in elegant fancies1 or have been taken away by some unexpected misfortune1 and now she has fallen from luxury to indigence4 ,while the work-woman manages not only to keep her little room1 but also to furnish it with decent comfort by her steady toil1 that of the singer is become the property of brokers4 ,the one sparkled for a moment on the wave of prosperity2 the other sails slowly but safely along the coast of a humble and laborious industry4 ,alas6 is there not here a lesson for us all8 ,is it really in hazardous experiments1 at the end of which we shall meet with wealth or ruin1 that the wise man should employ his years of strength and freedom8 ,ought he to consider life as a regular employment which brings its daily wages1 or as a game in which the future is determined by a few throws8 ,why seek the risk of extreme chances8 ,for what end hasten to riches by dangerous roads8 ,is it really certain that happiness is the prize of brilliant successes1 rather than of a wisely accepted poverty8 ,ah6 if men but knew in what a small dwelling joy can live1 and how little it costs to furnish it6 ,twelve o'clock4--,i have been walking up and down my attic for a long time1 with my arms folded and my eyes on the ground6 ,my doubts increase1 like shadows encroaching more and more on some bright space2 my fears multiply2 and the uncertainty becomes every moment more painful to me6 ,it is necessary for me to decide to-day1 and before the evening6 ,i hold the dice of my future fate in my hands1 and ,i dare not throw them4 ,three o'clock4--,the sky has become cloudy1 and a cold wind begins to blow from the west2 all the windows which were opened to the sunshine of a beautiful day are shut again4 ,only on the opposite side of the street1 the lodger on the last story has not yet left his balcony4 ,one knows him to be a soldier by his regular walk1 his gray moustaches1 and the ribbon that decorates his buttonhole4 ,indeed1 one might have guessed as much from the care he takes of the little garden which is the ornament of his balcony in mid-air2 for there are two things especially loved by all old soldiers--flowers and children4 ,they have been so long1 obliged to look upon the earth as a field of battle1 and so long cut off from the peaceful pleasures of a quiet lot1 that they seem to begin life at an age when others end it4 ,the tastes of their early years1 which were arrested by the stern duties of war1 suddenly break out again with their white hairs1 and are like the savings of youth which they spend again in old age4 ,besides1 they have been condemned to be destroyers for so long that perhaps they feel a secret pleasure in creating1 and seeing life spring up again3 the beauty of weakness has a grace and an attraction the more for those who have been the agents of unbending force2 and the watching over the frail germs of life has all the charms of novelty for these old workmen of death4 ,therefore the cold wind has not driven my neighbor from his balcony4 ,he is digging up the earth in his green boxes1 and carefully sowing the seeds of the scarlet nasturtium1 convolvulus1 and sweet-pea4 ,henceforth he will come every day to watch for their first sprouting1 to protect the young shoots from weeds or insects1 to arrange the strings for the tendrils to climb on1 and carefully to regulate their supply of water and heat6 ,how much labor to bring in the desired harvest6 ,for that1 how many times shall ,i see him brave cold or heat1 wind or sun1 as he does to-day6 ,but then1 in the hot summer days1 when the blinding dust whirls in clouds through our streets1 when the eye1 dazzled by the glare of white stucco1 knows not where to rest1 and the glowing roofs reflect their heat upon us to burning1 the old soldier will sit in his arbor and perceive nothing but green leaves and flowers around him1 and the breeze will come cool and fresh to him through these perfumed shades4 ,his assiduous care will be rewarded at last4 ,we must sow the seeds1 and tend the growth1 if we would enjoy the flower4 ,four o'clock4--,the clouds that have been gathering in the horizon for a long time are become darker2 it thunders loudly1 and the rain pours down6 ,those who are caught in it fly in every direction1 some laughing and some crying4 ,i always find particular amusement in these helter-skelters1 caused by a sudden storm4 ,it seems as if each one1 when thus taken by surprise1 loses the factitious character that the world or habit has given him1 and appears in his true colors4 ,see1 for example1 that big man with deliberate step1 who suddenly forgets his indifference1 made to order1 and runs like a schoolboy6 ,he is a thrifty city gentleman1 who1 with all his fashionable airs1 is afraid to spoil his hat4 ,that pretty woman yonder1 on the contrary1 whose looks are so modest1 and whose dress is so elaborate1 slackens her pace with the increasing storm4 ,she seems to find pleasure in braving it1 and does not think of her velvet cloak spotted by the hail6 ,she is evidently a lioness in sheep's clothing4 ,here1 a young man1 who was passing1 stops to catch some of the hailstones in his hand1 and examines them4 ,by his quick and business-like walk just now1 you would have taken him for a tax-gatherer on his rounds1 when he is a young philosopher1 studying the effects of electricity4 ,and those schoolboys who leave their ranks to run after the sudden gusts of a ,march whirlwind2 those girls1 just now so demure1 but who now fly with bursts of laughter2 those national guards1 who quit the martial attitude of their days of duty to take refuge under a porch6 ,the storm has caused all these transformations4 ,see1 it increases6 ,the hardiest are obliged to seek shelter4 ,i see every one rushing toward the shop in front of my window1 which a bill announces is to let4 ,it is for the fourth time within a few months4 ,a year ago all the skill of the joiner and the art of the painter were employed in beautifying it1 but their works are already destroyed by the leaving of so many tenants2 the cornices of the front are disfigured by mud2 the arabesques on the doorway are spoiled by bills posted upon them to announce the sale of the effects4 ,the splendid shop has lost some of its embellishments with each change of the tenant4 ,see it now empty1 and left open to the passersby4 ,how much does its fate resemble that of so many who1 like it1 only change their occupation to hasten the faster to ruin6 ,i am struck by this last reflection3 since the morning everything seems to speak to me1 and with the same warning tone4 ,everything says3 ,take care6 be content with your happy1 though humble lot2 happiness can be retained only by constancy2 do not forsake your old patrons for the protection of those who are unknown6 ,are they the outward objects which speak thus1 or does the warning come from within8 ,is it not ,i myself who give this language to all that surrounds me8 ,the world is but an instrument1 to which we give sound at will4 ,but what does it signify if it teaches us wisdom8 ,the low voice that speaks in our breasts is always a friendly voice1 for it tells us what we are1 that is to say1 what is our capability4 ,bad conduct results1 for the most part1 from mistaking our calling4 ,there are so many fools and knaves1 because there are so few men who know themselves4 ,the question is not to discover what will suit us1 but for what we are suited6 ,what should ,i do among these many experienced financial speculators8 ,i am only a poor sparrow1 born among the housetops1 and should always fear the enemy crouching in the dark corner2 ,i am a prudent workman1 and should think of the business of my neighbors who so suddenly disappeared2 ,i am a timid observer1 and should call to mind the flowers so slowly raised by the old soldier1 or the shop brought to ruin by constant change of masters4 ,away from me1 ye banquets1 over which hangs the sword of ,damocles6 ,i am a country mouse4 ,give me my nuts and hollow tree1 and ,i ask nothing besides--except security4 ,and why this insatiable craving for riches8 ,does a man drink more when he drinks from a large glass8 ,whence comes that universal dread of mediocrity1 the fruitful mother of peace and liberty8 ,ah6 there is the evil which1 above every other1 it should be the aim of both public and private education to anticipate6 ,if that were got rid of1 what treasons would be spared1 what baseness avoided1 what a chain of excess and crime would be forever broken6 ,we award the palm to charity1 and to self- sacrifice2 but1 above all1 let us award it to moderation1 for it is the great social virtue4 ,even when it does not create the others1 it stands instead of them4 ,six o'clock4--,i have written a letter of thanks to the promoters of the new speculation1 and have declined their offer6 ,this decision has restored my peace of mind4 ,i stopped singing1 like the cobbler1 as long as ,i entertained the hope of riches3 it is gone1 and happiness is come back6 ,o beloved and gentle ,poverty6 pardon me for having for a moment wished to fly from thee1 as ,i would from ,want4 ,stay here forever with thy charming sisters1 ,pity1 ,patience1 ,sobriety1 and ,solitude2 be ye my queens and my instructors2 teach me the stern duties of life2 remove far from my abode the weakness of heart and giddiness of head which follow prosperity4 ,holy ,poverty6 teach me to endure without complaining1 to impart without grudging1 to seek the end of life higher than in pleasure1 farther off than in power4 ,thou givest the body strength1 thou makest the mind more firm2 and1 thanks to thee1 this life1 to which the rich attach themselves as to a rock1 becomes a bark of which death may cut the cable without awakening all our fears4 ,continue to sustain me1 ,o thou whom ,christ hath called ,blessed6 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,let ,,us ,,love ,,one ,,another ,april #ith ,the fine evenings are come back2 the trees begin to put forth their shoots2 hyacinths1 jonquils1 violets1 and lilacs perfume the baskets of the flower-girls--all the world have begun their walks again on the quays and boulevards4 ,after dinner1 ,i1 too1 descend from my attic to breathe the evening air4 ,it is the hour when ,paris is seen in all its beauty4 ,during the day the plaster fronts of the houses weary the eye by their monotonous whiteness2 heavily laden carts make the streets shake under their huge wheels2 the eager crowd1 taken up by the one fear of losing a moment from business1 cross and jostle one another2 the aspect of the city altogether has something harsh1 restless1 and flurried about it4 ,but1 as soon as the stars appear1 everything is changed2 the glare of the white houses is quenched in the gathering shades2 you hear no more any rolling but that of the carriages on their way to some party of pleasure2 you see only the lounger or the light-hearted passing by2 work has given place to leisure4 ,now each one may breathe after the fierce race through the business of the day1 and whatever strength remains to him he gives to pleasure6 ,see the ballrooms lighted up1 the theatres open1 the eating-shops along the walks set out with dainties1 and the twinkling lanterns of the newspaper criers4 ,decidedly ,paris has laid aside the pen1 the ruler1 and the apron2 after the day spent in work1 it must have the evening for enjoyment2 like the masters of ,thebes1 it has put off all serious matter till tomorrow4 ,i love to take part in this happy hour2 not to mix in the general gayety1 but to contemplate it4 ,if the enjoyments of others embitter jealous minds1 they strengthen the humble spirit2 they are the beams of sunshine1 which open the two beautiful flowers called trust and hope4 ,although alone in the midst of the smiling multitude1 ,i do not feel myself isolated from it1 for its gayety is reflected upon me3 it is my own kind1 my own family1 who are enjoying life1 and ,i take a brother's share in their happiness4 ,we are all fellow-soldiers in this earthly battle1 and what does it matter on whom the honors of the victory fall8 ,if ,fortune passes by without seeing us1 and pours her favors on others1 let us console ourselves1 like the friend of ,parmenio1 by saying1 ,those1 too1 are ,alexanders4 ,while making these reflections1 ,i was going on as chance took me4 ,i crossed from one pavement to another1 ,i retraced my steps1 ,i stopped before the shops or to read the handbills4 ,how many things there are to learn in the streets of ,paris6 ,what a museum it is6 ,unknown fruits1 foreign arms1 furniture of old times or other lands1 animals of all climates1 statues of great men1 costumes of distant nations6 ,it is the world seen in samples6 ,let us then look at this people1 whose knowledge is gained from the shop- windows and the tradesman's display of goods4 ,nothing has been taught them1 but they have a rude notion of everything4 ,they have seen pineapples at ,chevet's1 a palm-tree in the ,jardin des ,plantes1 sugar- canes selling on the ,pont-,neuf4 ,the ,redskins1 exhibited in the ,valentine ,hall1 have taught them to mimic the dance of the bison1 and to smoke the calumet of peace2 they have seen ,carter's lions fed2 they know the principal national costumes contained in ,babin's collection2 ,goupil's display of prints has placed the tiger-hunts of ,africa and the sittings of the ,english ,parliament before their eyes2 they have become acquainted with ,queen ,victoria1 the ,emperor of ,austria1 and ,kossuth1 at the office- door of the ,illustrated ,news4 ,we can certainly instruct them1 but not astonish them2 for nothing is completely new to them4 ,you may take the ,paris ragamuffin through the five quarters of the world1 and at every wonder with which you think to surprise him1 he will settle the matter with that favorite and conclusive answer of his class--,i know4 ,but this variety of exhibitions1 which makes ,paris the fair of the world1 does not offer merely a means of instruction to him who walks through it2 it is a continual spur for rousing the imagination1 a first step of the ladder always set up before us in a vision4 ,when we see them1 how many voyages do we take in imagination1 what adventures do we dream of1 what pictures do we sketch6 ,i never look at that shop near the ,chinese baths1 with its tapestry hangings of ,florida jessamine1 and filled with magnolias1 without seeing the forest glades of the ,new ,world1 described by the author of ,atala1 opening themselves out before me4 ,then1 when this study of things and this discourse of reason begin to tire you1 look around you6 ,what contrasts of figures and faces you see in the crowd6 ,what a vast field for the exercise of meditation6 ,a half- seen glance1 or a few words caught as the speaker passes by1 open a thousand vistas to your imagination4 ,you wish to comprehend what these imperfect disclosures mean1 and1 as the antiquary endeavors to decipher the mutilated inscription on some old monument1 you build up a history on a gesture or on a word6 ,these are the stirring sports of the mind1 which finds in fiction a relief from the wearisome dullness of the actual4 ,alas6 as ,i was just now passing by the carriage-entrance of a great house1 ,i noticed a sad subject for one of these histories4 ,a man was sitting in the darkest corner1 with his head bare1 and holding out his hat for the charity of those who passed4 ,his threadbare coat had that look of neatness which marks that destitution has been met by a long struggle4 ,he had carefully buttoned it up to hide the want of a shirt4 ,his face was half hid under his gray hair1 and his eyes were closed1 as if he wished to escape the sight of his own humiliation1 and he remained mute and motionless4 ,those who passed him took no notice of the beggar1 who sat in silence and darkness6 ,they had been so lucky as to escape complaints and importunities1 and were glad to turn away their eyes too4 ,suddenly the great gate turned on its hinges2 and a very low carriage1 lighted with silver lamps and drawn by two black horses1 came slowly out1 and took the road toward the ,faubourg ,st4 ,germain4 ,i could just distinguish1 within1 the sparkling diamonds and the flowers of a ball- dress2 the glare of the lamps passed like a bloody streak over the pale face of the beggar1 and showed his look as his eyes opened and followed the rich man's equipage until it disappeared in the night4 ,i dropped a small piece of money into the hat he was holding out1 and passed on quickly4 ,i had just fallen unexpectedly upon the two saddest secrets of the disease which troubles the age we live in3 the envious hatred of him who suffers want1 and the selfish forgetfulness of him who lives in affluence4 ,all the enjoyment of my walk was gone2 ,i left off looking about me1 and retired into my own heart4 ,the animated and moving sight in the streets gave place to inward meditation upon all the painful problems which have been written for the last four thousand years at the bottom of each human struggle1 but which are propounded more clearly than ever in our days4 ,i pondered on the uselessness of so many contests1 in which defeat and victory only displace each other by turns1 and on the mistaken zealots who have repeated from generation to generation the bloody history of ,cain and ,abel2 and1 saddened with these mournful reflections1 ,i walked on as chance took me1 until the silence all around insensibly drew me out from my own thoughts4 ,i had reached one of the remote streets1 in which those who would live in comfort and without ostentation1 and who love serious reflection1 delight to find a home4 ,there were no shops along the dimly lighted street2 one heard no sounds but of distant carriages1 and of the steps of some of the inhabitants returning quietly home4 ,i instantly recognized the street1 though ,i had been there only once before4 ,that was two years ago4 ,i was walking at the time by the side of the ,seine1 to which the lights on the quays and bridges gave the aspect of a lake surrounded by a garland of stars2 and ,i had reached the ,louvre1 when ,i was stopped by a crowd collected near the parapet they had gathered round a child of about six1 who was crying1 and ,i asked the cause of his tears4 ,it seems that he was sent to walk in the ,tuileries1 said a mason1 who was returning from his work with his trowel in his hand2 the servant who took care of him met with some friends there1 and told the child to wait for him while he went to get a drink2 but ,i suppose the drink made him more thirsty1 for he has not come back1 and the child cannot find his way home4 ,why do they not ask him his name1 and where he lives8 ,they have been doing it for the last hour2 but all he can say is1 that he is called ,charles1 and that his father is ,monsieur ,duval--there are twelve hundred ,duvals in ,paris4 ,then he does not know in what part of the town he lives8 ,i should not think1 indeed6 ,don't you see that he is a gentleman's child8 ,he has never gone out except in a carriage or with a servant2 he does not know what to do by himself4 ,here the mason was interrupted by some of the voices rising above the others4 ,we cannot leave him in the street1 said some4 ,the child-stealers would carry him off1 continued others4 ,we must take him to the overseer4 ,or to the police-office4 ,that's the thing4 ,come1 little one6 ,but the child1 frightened by these suggestions of danger1 and at the names of police and overseer1 cried louder1 and drew back toward the parapet4 ,in vain they tried to persuade him2 his fears made him resist the more1 and the most eager began to get weary1 when the voice of a little boy was heard through the confusion4 ,i know him well--,i do1 said he1 looking at the lost child2 he belongs in our part of the town4 ,what part is it8 ,yonder1 on the other side of the ,boulevards--,rue des ,magasins4 ,and you have seen him before8 ,yes1 yes6 he belongs to the great house at the end of the street1 where there is an iron gate with gilt points4 ,the child quickly raised his head1 and stopped crying4 ,the little boy answered all the questions that were put to him1 and gave such details as left no room for doubt4 ,the other child understood him1 for he went up to him as if to put himself under his protection4 ,then you can take him to his parents8 asked the mason1 who had listened with real interest to the little boy's account4 ,i don't care if ,i do1 replied he2 it's the way ,i'm going4 ,then you will take charge of him8 ,he has only to come with me4 ,and1 taking up the basket he had put down on the pavement1 he set off toward the postern-gate of the ,louvre4 ,the lost child followed him4 ,i hope he will take him right1 said ,i1 when ,i saw them go away4 ,never fear1 replied the mason2 the little one in the blouse is the same age as the other2 but1 as the saying is1 he knows black from white2' poverty1 you see1 is a famous schoolmistress6 ,the crowd dispersed4 ,for my part1 ,i went toward the ,louvre2 the thought came into my head to follow the two children1 so as to guard against any mistake4 ,i was not long in overtaking them2 they were walking side by side1 talking1 and already quite familiar with each other4 ,the contrast in their dress then struck me4 ,little ,duval wore one of those fanciful children's dresses which are expensive as well as in good taste2 his coat was skilfully fitted to his figure1 his trousers came down in plaits from his waist to his boots of polished leather with mother-of-pearl buttons1 and his ringlets were half hid by a velvet cap4 ,the appearance of his guide1 on the contrary1 was that of the class who dwell on the extreme borders of poverty1 but who there maintain their ground with no surrender4 ,his old blouse1 patched with pieces of different shades1 indicated the perseverance of an industrious mother struggling against the wear and tear of time2 his trousers were become too short1 and showed his stockings darned over and over again2 and it was evident that his shoes were not made for him4 ,the countenances of the two children were not less different than their dress4 ,that of the first was delicate and refined2 his clear blue eye1 his fair skin1 and his smiling mouth gave him a charming look of innocence and happiness4 ,the features of the other1 on the contrary1 had something rough in them2 his eye was quick and lively1 his complexion dark1 his smile less merry than shrewd2 all showed a mind sharpened by too early experience2 he walked boldly through the middle of the streets thronged by carriages1 and followed their countless turnings without hesitation4 ,i found1 on asking him1 that every day he carried dinner to his father1 who was then working on the left bank of the ,seine2 and this responsible duty had made him careful and prudent4 ,he had learned those hard but forcible lessons of necessity which nothing can equal or supply the place of4 ,unfortunately1 the wants of his poor family had kept him from school1 and he seemed to feel the loss2 for he often stopped before the printshops1 and asked his companion to read him the names of the engravings4 ,in this way we reached the ,boulevard ,bonne ,nouvelle1 which the little wanderer seemed to know again4 ,notwithstanding his fatigue1 he hurried on2 he was agitated by mixed feelings2 at the sight of his house he uttered a cry1 and ran toward the iron gate with the gilt points2 a lady who was standing at the entrance received him in her arms1 and from the exclamations of joy1 and the sound of kisses1 ,i soon perceived she was his mother4 ,not seeing either the servant or child return1 she had sent in search of them in every direction1 and was waiting for them in intense anxiety4 ,i explained to her in a few words what had happened4 ,she thanked me warmly1 and looked round for the little boy who had recognized and brought back her son2 but while we were talking1 he had disappeared4 ,it was for the first time since then that ,i had come into this part of ,paris4 ,did the mother continue grateful8 ,had the children met again1 and had the happy chance of their first meeting lowered between them that barrier which may mark the different ranks of men1 but should not divide them8 ,while putting these questions to myself1 ,i slackened my pace1 and fixed my eyes on the great gate1 which ,i just perceived4 ,suddenly ,i saw it open1 and two children appeared at the entrance4 ,although much grown1 ,i recognized them at first sight2 they were the child who was found near the parapet of the ,louvre1 and his young guide4 ,but the dress of the latter was greatly changed3 his blouse of gray cloth was neat1 and even spruce1 and was fastened round the waist by a polished leather belt2 he wore strong shoes1 but made for his feet1 and had on a new cloth cap4 ,just at the moment ,i saw him1 he held in his two hands an enormous bunch of lilacs1 to which his companion was trying to add narcissuses and primroses2 the two children laughed1 and parted with a friendly good-by4 ,m4 ,duval's son did not go in till he had seen the other turn the corner of the street4 ,then ,i accosted the latter1 and reminded him of our former meeting2 he looked at me for a moment1 and then seemed to recollect me4 ,forgive me if ,i do not make you a bow1 said he1 merrily1 but ,i want both my hands for the nosegay ,monsieur ,charles has given me4 ,you are1 then1 become great friends8 said ,i4 ,oh6 ,i should think so1 said the child2 and now my father is rich too6 ,how's that8 ,monsieur ,duval lent him some money2 he has taken a shop1 where he works on his own account2 and1 as for me1 ,i go to school4 ,yes1 replied ,i1 remarking for the first time the cross that decorated his little coat2 and ,i see that you are head-boy6 ,monsieur ,charles helps me to learn1 and so ,i am come to be the first in the class4 ,are you now going to your lessons8 ,yes1 and he has given me some lilacs2 for he has a garden where we play together1 and where my mother can always have flowers4 ,then it is the same as if it were partly your own4 ,so it is6 ,ah6 they are good neighbors indeed4 ,but here ,i am2 good-by1 sir4 ,he nodded to me with a smile1 and disappeared4 ,i went on with my walk1 still pensive1 but with a feeling of relief4 ,if ,i had elsewhere witnessed the painful contrast between affluence and want1 here ,i had found the true union of riches and poverty4 ,hearty good-will had smoothed down the more rugged inequalities on both sides1 and had opened a road of true neighborhood and fellowship between the humble workshop and the stately mansion4 ,instead of hearkening to the voice of interest1 they had both listened to that of self-sacrifice1 and there was no place left for contempt or envy4 ,thus1 instead of the beggar in rags1 that ,i had seen at the other door cursing the rich man1 ,i had found here the happy child of the laborer loaded with flowers and blessing him6 ,the problem1 so difficult and so dangerous to examine into with no regard but for the rights of it1 ,i had just seen solved by love4 ,,chapter ,v ,,compensation ,sunday1 ,may #bgth ,capital cities have one thing peculiar to them3 their days of rest seem to be the signal for a general dispersion and flight4 ,like birds that are just restored to liberty1 the people come out of their stone cages1 and joyfully fly toward the country4 ,it is who shall find a green hillock for a seat1 or the shade of a wood for a shelter2 they gather ,may flowers1 they run about the fields2 the town is forgotten until the evening1 when they return with sprigs of blooming hawthorn in their hats1 and their hearts gladdened by pleasant thoughts and recollections of the past day2 the next day they return again to their harness and to work4 ,these rural adventures are most remarkable at ,paris4 ,when the fine weather comes1 clerks1 shop keepers1 and workingmen look forward impatiently for the ,sunday as the day for trying a few hours of this pastoral life2 they walk through six miles of grocers' shops and public- houses in the faubourgs1 in the sole hope of finding a real turnip-field4 ,the father of a family begins the practical education of his son by showing him wheat which has not taken the form of a loaf1 and cabbage in its wild state4 ,heaven only knows the encounters1 the discoveries1 the adventures that are met with6 ,what ,parisian has not had his ,odyssey in an excursion through the suburbs1 and would not be able to write a companion to the famous ,travels by ,land and by ,sea from ,paris to ,st4 ,cloud8 ,we do not now speak of that floating population from all parts1 for whom our ,french ,babylon is the caravansary of ,europe3 a phalanx of thinkers1 artists1 men of business1 and travellers1 who1 like ,homer's hero1 have arrived in their intellectual country after beholding many peoples and cities2 but of the settled ,parisian1 who keeps his appointed place1 and lives on his own floor like the oyster on his rock1 a curious vestige of the credulity1 the slowness1 and the simplicity of bygone ages4 ,for one of the singularities of ,paris is1 that it unites twenty populations completely different in character and manners4 ,by the side of the gypsies of commerce and of art1 who wander through all the several stages of fortune or fancy1 live a quiet race of people with an independence1 or with regular work1 whose existence resembles the dial of a clock1 on which the same hand points by turns to the same hours4 ,if no other city can show more brilliant and more stirring forms of life1 no other contains more obscure and more tranquil ones4 ,great cities are like the sea3 storms agitate only the surface2 if you go to the bottom1 you find a region inaccessible to the tumult and the noise4 ,for my part1 ,i have settled on the verge of this region1 but do not actually live in it4 ,i am removed from the turmoil of the world1 and live in the shelter of solitude1 but without being able to disconnect my thoughts from the struggle going on4 ,i follow at a distance all its events of happiness or grief2 ,i join the feasts and the funerals2 for how can he who looks on1 and knows what passes1 do other than take part8 ,ignorance alone can keep us strangers to the life around us3 selfishness itself will not suffice for that4 ,these reflections ,i made to myself in my attic1 in the intervals of the various household works to which a bachelor is forced when he has no other servant than his own ready will4 ,while ,i was pursuing my deductions1 ,i had blacked my boots1 brushed my coat1 and tied my cravat2 ,i had at last arrived at the important moment when we pronounce complacently that all is finished1 and that well4 ,a grand resolve had just decided me to depart from my usual habits4 ,the evening before1 ,i had seen by the advertisements that the next day was a holiday at ,sevres1 and that the china manufactory would be open to the public4 ,i was tempted by the beauty of the morning1 and suddenly decided to go there4 ,on my arrival at the station on the left bank1 ,i noticed the crowd hurrying on in the fear of being late4 ,railroads1 besides many other advantages1 possess that of teaching the ,french punctuality4 ,they will submit to the clock when they are convinced that it is their master2 they will learn to wait when they find they will not be waited for4 ,social virtues1 are1 in a great degree1 good habits4 ,how many great qualities are grafted into nations by their geographical position1 by political necessity1 and by institutions6 ,avarice was destroyed for a time among the ,lacedaemonians by the creation of an iron coinage1 too heavy and too bulky to be conveniently hoarded4 ,i found myself in a carriage with two middle-aged women belonging to the domestic and retired class of ,parisians ,i have spoken of above4 ,a few civilities were sufficient to gain me their confidence1 and after some minutes ,i was acquainted with their whole history4 ,they were two poor sisters1 left orphans at fifteen1 and had lived ever since1 as those who work for their livelihood must live1 by economy and privation4 ,for the last twenty or thirty years they had worked in jewelry in the same house2 they had seen ten masters succeed one another1 and make their fortunes in it1 without any change in their own lot4 ,they had always lived in the same room1 at the end of one of the passages in the ,rue ,st4 ,denis1 where the air and the sun are unknown4 ,they began their work before daylight1 went on with it till after nightfall1 and saw year succeed to year without their lives being marked by any other events than the ,sunday service1 a walk1 or an illness4 ,the younger of these worthy work-women was forty1 and obeyed her sister as she did when a child4 ,the elder looked after her1 took care of her1 and scolded her with a mother's tenderness4 ,at first it was amusing2 afterward one could not help seeing something affecting in these two gray-haired children1 one unable to leave off the habit of obeying1 the other that of protecting4 ,and it was not in that alone that my two companions seemed younger than their years2 they knew so little that their wonder never ceased4 ,we had hardly arrived at ,clamart before they involuntarily exclaimed1 like the king in the children's game1 that they did not think the world was so great6 ,it was the first time they had trusted themselves on a railroad1 and it was amusing to see their sudden shocks1 their alarms1 and their courageous determinations3 everything was a marvel to them6 ,they had remains of youth within them1 which made them sensible to things which usually only strike us in childhood4 ,poor creatures6 they had still the feelings of another age1 though they had lost its charms4 ,but was there not something holy in this simplicity1 which had been preserved to them by abstinence from all the joys of life8 ,ah6 accursed be he who first had the had courage to attach ridicule to that name of old maid1 which recalls so many images of grievous deception1 of dreariness1 and of abandonment6 ,accursed be he who can find a subject for sarcasm in involuntary misfortune1 and who can crown gray hairs with thorns6 ,the two sisters were called ,frances and ,madeleine4 ,this day's journey was a feat of courage without example in their lives4 ,the fever of the times had infected them unawares4 ,yesterday ,madeleine had suddenly proposed the idea of the expedition1 and ,frances had accepted it immediately4 ,perhaps it would have been better not to yield to the great temptation offered by her younger sister2 but we have our follies at all ages1 as the prudent ,frances philosophically remarked4 ,as for ,madeleine1 there are no regrets or doubts for her2 she is the life- guardsman of the establishment4 ,we really must amuse ourselves1 said she2 we live but once4 ,and the elder sister smiled at this ,epicurean maxim4 ,it was evident that the fever of independence was at its crisis in both of them4 ,and in truth it would have been a great pity if any scruple had interfered with their happiness1 it was so frank and genial6 ,the sight of the trees1 which seemed to fly on both sides of the road1 caused them unceasing admiration4 ,the meeting a train passing in the contrary direction1 with the noise and rapidity of a thunderbolt1 made them shut their eyes and utter a cry2 but it had already disappeared6 ,they look around1 take courage again1 and express themselves full of astonishment at the marvel4 ,madeleine declares that such a sight is worth the expense of the journey1 and ,frances would have agreed with her if she had not recollected1 with some little alarm1 the deficit which such an expense must make in their budget4 ,the three francs spent upon this single expedition were the savings of a whole week of work4 ,thus the joy of the elder of the two sisters was mixed with remorse2 the prodigal child now and then turned its eyes toward the back street of ,st4 ,denis4 ,but the motion and the succession of objects distract her4 ,see the bridge of the ,val surrounded by its lovely landscape3 on the right1 ,paris with its grand monuments1 which rise through the fog1 or sparkle in the sun2 on the left1 ,meudon1 with its villas1 its woods1 its vines1 and its royal castle6 ,the two work-women look from one window to the other with exclamations of delight4 ,one fellow-passenger laughs at their childish wonder2 but to me it is deeply touching1 for ,i see in it the sign of a long and monotonous seclusion3 they are the prisoners of work1 who have recovered liberty and fresh air for a few hours4 ,at last the train stops1 and we get out4 ,i show the two sisters the path that leads to ,sevres1 between the railway and the gardens1 and they go on before1 while ,i inquire about the time of returning4 ,i soon join them again at the next station1 where they have stopped at the little garden belonging to the gatekeeper2 both are already in deep conversation with him while he digs his garden-borders1 and marks out the places for flower-seeds4 ,he informs them that it is the time for hoeing out weeds1 for making grafts and layers1 for sowing annuals1 and for destroying the insects on the rose-trees4 ,madeleine has on the sill of her window two wooden boxes1 in which1 for want of air and sun1 she has never been able to make anything grow but mustard and cress2 but she persuades herself that1 thanks to this information1 all other plants may henceforth thrive in them4 ,at last the gatekeeper1 who is sowing a border with mignonette1 gives her the rest of the seeds which he does not want1 and the old maid goes off delighted1 and begins to act over again the dream of ,paired and her can of milk1 with these flowers of her imagination4 ,on reaching the grove of acacias1 where the fair was going on1 ,i lost sight of the two sisters4 ,i went alone among the sights3 there were lotteries going on1 mountebank shows1 places for eating and drinking1 and for shooting with the cross-bow4 ,i have always been struck by the spirit of these out-of-door festivities4 ,in drawing-room entertainments1 people are cold1 grave1 often listless1 and most of those who go there are brought together by habit or the obligations of society2 in the country assemblies1 on the contrary1 you only find those who are attracted by the hope of enjoyment4 ,there1 it is a forced conscription2 here1 they are volunteers for gayety6 ,then1 how easily they are pleased6 ,how far this crowd of people is yet from knowing that to be pleased with nothing1 and to look down on everything1 is the height of fashion and good taste6 ,doubtless their amusements are often coarse2 elegance and refinement are wanting in them2 but at least they have heartiness4 ,oh1 that the hearty enjoyments of these merry-makings could be retained in union with less vulgar feeling6 ,formerly religion stamped its holy character on the celebration of country festivals1 and purified the pleasures without depriving them of their simplicity4 ,the hour arrives at which the doors of the porcelain manufactory and the museum of pottery are open to the public4 ,i meet ,frances and ,madeleine again in the first room4 ,frightened at finding themselves in the midst of such regal magnificence1 they hardly dare walk2 they speak in a low tone1 as if they were in a church4 ,we are in the king's house1 said the eldest sister1 forgetting that there is no longer a king in ,france4 ,i encourage them to go on2 ,i walk first1 and they make up their minds to follow me4 ,what wonders are brought together in this collection6 ,here we see clay moulded into every shape1 tinted with every color1 and combined with every sort of substance6 ,earth and wood are the first substances worked upon by man1 and seem more particularly meant for his use4 ,they1 like the domestic animals1 are the essential accessories of his life2 therefore there must be a more intimate connection between them and us4 ,stone and metals require long preparations2 they resist our first efforts1 and belong less to the individual than to communities4 ,earth and wood are1 on the contrary1 the principal instruments of the isolated being who must feed and shelter himself4 ,this1 doubtless1 makes me feel so much interested in the collection ,i am examining4 ,these cups1 so roughly modelled by the savage1 admit me to a knowledge of some of his habits2 these elegant yet incorrectly formed vases of the ,indian tell me of a declining intelligence1--in which still glimmers the twilight of what was once bright sunshine2 these jars1 loaded with arabesques1 show the fancy of the ,arab rudely and ignorantly copied by the ,spaniard6 ,we find here the stamp of every race1 every country1 and every age4 ,my companions seemed little interested in these historical associations2 they looked at all with that credulous admiration which leaves no room for examination or discussion4 ,madeleine read the name written under every piece of workmanship1 and her sister answered with an exclamation of wonder4 ,in this way we reached a little courtyard1 where they had thrown away the fragments of some broken china4 ,frances perceived a colored saucer almost whole1 of which she took possession as a record of the visit she was making2 henceforth she would have a specimen of the ,sevres china1 which is only made for kings6 ,i would not undeceive her by telling her that the products of the manufactory are sold all over the world1 and that her saucer1 before it was cracked1 was the same as those that are bought at the shops for sixpence6 ,why should ,i destroy the illusions of her humble existence8 ,are we to break down the hedge-flowers that perfume our paths8 ,things are oftenest nothing in themselves2 the thoughts we attach to them alone give them value4 ,to rectify innocent mistakes1 in order to recover some useless reality1 is to be like those learned men who will see nothing in a plant but the chemical elements of which it is composed4 ,on leaving the manufactory1 the two sisters1 who had taken possession of me with the freedom of artlessness1 invited me to share the luncheon they had brought with them4 ,i declined at first1 but they insisted with so much good-nature1 that ,i feared to pain them1 and with some awkwardness gave way4 ,we had only to look for a convenient spot4 ,i led them up the hill1 and we found a plot of grass enamelled with daisies1 and shaded by two walnut-trees4 ,madeleine could not contain herself for joy4 ,all her life she had dreamed of a dinner out on the grass6 ,while helping her sister to take the provisions from the basket1 she tells me of all her expeditions into the country that had been planned1 and put off4 ,frances1 on the other hand1 was brought up at ,montmorency1 and before she became an orphan she had often gone back to her nurse's house4 ,that which had the attraction of novelty for her sister1 had for her the charm of recollection4 ,she told of the vintage harvests to which her parents had taken her2 the rides on ,mother ,luret's donkey1 that they could not make go to the right without pulling him to the left2 the cherry-gathering2 and the sails on the lake in the innkeeper's boat4 ,these recollections have all the charm and freshness of childhood4 ,frances recalls to herself less what she has seen than what she has felt4 ,while she is talking the cloth is laid1 and we sit down under a tree4 ,before us winds the valley of ,sevres1 its many-storied houses abutting upon the gardens and the slopes of the hill2 on the other side spreads out the park of ,st4 ,cloud1 with its magnificent clumps of trees interspersed with meadows2 above stretch the heavens like an immense ocean1 in which the clouds are sailing6 ,i look at this beautiful country1 and ,i listen to these good old maids2 ,i admire1 and ,i am interested2 and time passes gently on without my perceiving it4 ,at last the sun sets1 and we have to think of returning4 ,while ,madeleine and ,frances clear away the dinner1 ,i walk down to the manufactory to ask the hour4 ,the merrymaking is at its height2 the blasts of the trombones resound from the band under the acacias4 ,for a few moments ,i forget myself with looking about2 but ,i have promised the two sisters to take them back to the ,bellevue station2 the train cannot wait1 and ,i make haste to climb the path again which leads to the walnut-trees4 ,just before ,i reached them1 ,i heard voices on the other side of the hedge4 ,madeleine and ,frances were speaking to a poor girl whose clothes were burned1 her hands blackened1 and her face tied up with bloodstained bandages4 ,i saw that she was one of the girls employed at the gunpowder mills1 which are built further up on the common4 ,an explosion had taken place a few days before2 the girl's mother and elder sister were killed2 she herself escaped by a miracle1 and was now left without any means of support4 ,she told all this with the resigned and unhopeful manner of one who has always been accustomed to suffer4 ,the two sisters were much affected2 ,i saw them consulting with each other in a low tone3 then ,frances took thirty sous out of a little coarse silk purse1 which was all they had left1 and gave them to the poor girl4 ,i hastened on to that side of the hedge2 but1 before ,i reached it1 ,i met the two old sisters1 who called out to me that they would not return by the railway1 but on foot6 ,i then understood that the money they had meant for the journey had just been given to the beggar6 ,good1 like evil1 is contagious3 ,i run to the poor wounded girl1 give her the sum that was to pay for my own place1 and return to ,frances and ,madeleine1 and tell them ,i will walk with them4 44444444444444444444444444 ,i am just come back from taking them home2 and have left them delighted with their day1 the recollection of which will long make them happy4 ,this morning ,i was pitying those whose lives are obscure and joyless2 now1 ,i understand that ,god has provided a compensation with every trial4 ,the smallest pleasure derives from rarity a relish otherwise unknown4 ,enjoyment is only what we feel to be such1 and the luxurious man feels no longer3 satiety has destroyed his appetite1 while privation preserves to the other that first of earthly blessings3 the being easily made happy4 ,oh1 that ,i could persuade every one of this6 that so the rich might not abuse their riches1 and that the poor might have patience4 ,if happiness is the rarest of blessings1 it is because the reception of it is the rarest of virtues4 ,madeleine and ,frances6 ye poor old maids whose courage1 resignation1 and generous hearts are your only wealth1 pray for the wretched who give themselves up to despair2 for the unhappy who hate and envy2 and for the unfeeling into whose enjoyments no pity enters4 ,,etext ,,editor',s ,,bookmarks3 ,brought them up to poverty ,carn-ival means1 literally1 farewell to flesh6 ,coffee is the grand work of a bachelor's housekeeping ,defeat and victory only displace each other by turns ,did not think the world was so great ,do they understand what makes them so gay8 ,each of us regards himself as the mirror of the community ,ease with which the poor forget their wretchedness ,every one keeps his holidays in his own way ,favorite and conclusive answer of his class--,i know ,fear of losing a moment from business ,finishes his sin thoroughly before he begins to repent ,her kindness1 which never sleeps ,hubbub of questions which waited for no reply ,moderation is the great social virtue ,no one is so unhappy as to have nothing to give ,our tempers are like an opera-glass ,poverty1 you see1 is a famous schoolmistress ,prisoners of work ,question is not to discover what will suit us ,ruining myself1 but we must all have our ,carnival ,two thirds of human existence are wasted in hesitation ,what a small dwelling joy can live