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anhewholookson;andknowswhatpasses;dootherthantakepart?
ignorancealonecankeepusstrangerstothelifearoundus:selfishnessitselfwillnotsufficeforthat。
thesereflectionsimadetomyselfinmyattic;intheintervalsofthevarioushouseholdworkstowhichabachelorisforcedwhenhehasnootherservantthanhisownreadywill。whileiwaspursuingmydeductions;ihadblackedmyboots;brushedmycoat;andtiedmycravat;ihadatlastarrivedattheimportantmomentwhenwepronounceplacentlythatallisfinished;andthatwell。
agrandresolvehadjustdecidedmetodepartfrommyusualhabits。
theeveningbefore;ihadseenbytheadvertisementsthatthenextdaywasaholidayatsevres;andthatthechinamanufactorywouldbeopentothepublic。iwastemptedbythebeautyofthemorning;andsuddenlydecidedtogothere。
onmyarrivalatthestationontheleftbank;inoticedthecrowdhurryingoninthefearofbeinglate。railroads;besidesmanyotheradvantages;possessthatofteachingthefrenchpunctuality。theywillsubmittotheclockwhentheyareconvincedthatitistheirmaster;theywilllearntowaitwhentheyfindtheywillnotbewaitedfor。
socialvirtues;are;inagreatdegree;goodhabits。howmanygreatqualitiesaregraftedintonationsbytheirgeographicalposition;bypoliticalnecessity;andbyinstitutions!avaricewasdestroyedforatimeamongthelacedaemoniansbythecreationofanironcoinage;tooheavyandtoobulkytobeconvenientlyhoarded。
ifoundmyselfinacarriagewithtwomiddle…agedwomenbelongingtothedomesticandretiredclassofparisiansihavespokenofabove。afewcivilitiesweresufficienttogainmetheirconfidence;andaftersomeminutesiwasacquaintedwiththeirwholehistory。
theyweretwopoorsisters;leftorphansatfifteen;andhadlivedeversince;asthosewhoworkfortheirlivelihoodmustlive;byeconomyandprivation。forthelasttwentyorthirtyyearstheyhadworkedinjewelryinthesamehouse;theyhadseentenmasterssucceedoneanother;andmaketheirfortunesinit;withoutanychangeintheirownlot。theyhadalwayslivedinthesameroom;attheendofoneofthepassagesintheruest。denis;wheretheairandthesunareunknown。theybegantheirworkbeforedaylight;wentonwithittillafternightfall;andsawyearsucceedtoyearwithouttheirlivesbeingmarkedbyanyothereventsthanthesundayservice;awalk;oranillness。
theyoungeroftheseworthywork…womenwasforty;andobeyedhersisterasshedidwhenachild。theelderlookedafterher;tookcareofher;andscoldedherwithamotherstenderness。atfirstitwasamusing;afterwardonecouldnothelpseeingsomethingaffectinginthesetwogray…hairedchildren;oneunabletoleaveoffthehabitofobeying;theotherthatofprotecting。
anditwasnotinthatalonethatmytwopanionsseemedyoungerthantheiryears;theyknewsolittlethattheirwonderneverceased。wehadhardlyarrivedatclamartbeforetheyinvoluntarilyexclaimed;likethekinginthechildrensgame;thatthey〃didnotthinktheworldwassogreat〃!
itwasthefirsttimetheyhadtrustedthemselvesonarailroad;anditwasamusingtoseetheirsuddenshocks;theiralarms;andtheircourageousdeterminations:everythingwasamarveltothem!theyhadremainsofyouthwithinthem;whichmadethemsensibletothingswhichusuallyonlystrikeusinchildhood。poorcreatures!theyhadstillthefeelingsofanotherage;thoughtheyhadlostitscharms。
butwastherenotsomethingholyinthissimplicity;whichhadbeenpreservedtothembyabstinencefromallthejoysoflife?ah!accursedbehewhofirsthadthehadcouragetoattachridiculetothatnameof〃oldmaid;〃whichrecallssomanyimagesofgrievousdeception;ofdreariness;andofabandonment!accursedbehewhocanfindasubjectforsarcasmininvoluntarymisfortune;andwhocancrowngrayhairswiththorns!
thetwosisterswerecalledfrancesandmadeleine。thisdaysjourneywasafeatofcouragewithoutexampleintheirlives。thefeverofthetimeshadinfectedthemunawares。yesterdaymadeleinehadsuddenlyproposedtheideaoftheexpedition;andfranceshadaccepteditimmediately。perhapsitwouldhavebeenbetternottoyieldtothegreattemptationofferedbyheryoungersister;but〃wehaveourfolliesatallages;〃astheprudentfrancesphilosophicallyremarked。asformadeleine;therearenoregretsordoubtsforher;sheisthelife…guardsmanoftheestablishment。
〃wereallymustamuseourselves;〃saidshe;〃welivebutonce。〃
andtheeldersistersmiledatthisepicureanmaxim。itwasevidentthatthefeverofindependencewasatitscrisisinbothofthem。
andintruthitwouldhavebeenagreatpityifanyscruplehadinterferedwiththeirhappiness;itwassofrankandgenial!thesightofthetrees;whichseemedtoflyonbothsidesoftheroad;causedthemunceasingadmiration。themeetingatrainpassinginthecontrarydirection;withthenoiseandrapidityofathunderbolt;madethemshuttheireyesandutteracry;butithadalreadydisappeared!theylookaround;takecourageagain;andexpressthemselvesfullofastonishmentatthemarvel。
madeleinedeclaresthatsuchasightisworththeexpenseofthejourney;andfranceswouldhaveagreedwithherifshehadnotrecollected;withsomelittlealarm;thedeficitwhichsuchanexpensemustmakeintheirbudget。thethreefrancsspentuponthissingleexpeditionwerethesavingsofawholeweekofwork。thusthejoyoftheelderofthetwosisterswasmixedwithremorse;theprodigalchildnowandthenturneditseyestowardthebackstreetofst。denis。
butthemotionandthesuccessionofobjectsdistracther。seethebridgeofthevalsurroundedbyitslovelylandscape:ontheright;pariswithitsgrandmonuments;whichrisethroughthefog;orsparkleinthesun;ontheleft;meudon;withitsvillas;itswoods;itsvines;anditsroyalcastle!thetwowork…womenlookfromonewindowtotheotherwithexclamationsofdelight。onefellow…passengerlaughsattheirchildishwonder;buttomeitisdeeplytouching;foriseeinitthesignofalongandmonotonousseclusion:theyaretheprisonersofwork;whohaverecoveredlibertyandfreshairforafewhours。
atlastthetrainstops;andwegetout。ishowthetwosistersthepaththatleadstosevres;betweentherailwayandthegardens;andtheygoonbefore;whileiinquireaboutthetimeofreturning。
isoonjointhemagainatthenextstation;wheretheyhavestoppedatthelittlegardenbelongingtothegatekeeper;botharealreadyindeepconversationwithhimwhilehedigshisgarden…borders;andmarksouttheplacesforflower…seeds。heinformsthemthatitisthetimeforhoeingoutweeds;formakinggraftsandlayers;forsowingannuals;andfordestroyingtheinsectsontherose…trees。madeleinehasonthesillofherwindowtwowoodenboxes;inwhich;forwantofairandsun;shehasneverbeenabletomakeanythinggrowbutmustardandcress;butshepersuadesherselfthat;thankstothisinformation;allotherplantsmayhenceforththriveinthem。atlastthegatekeeper;whoissowingaborderwithmignonette;giveshertherestoftheseedswhichhedoesnotwant;andtheoldmaidgoesoffdelighted;andb