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屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特-第章

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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
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