屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特-第14章
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fficientforeverything。
allcreationishisproperty；buthefindsinitasmanyhindrancesashelps。hemustsurmounttheseobstacleswiththesinglestrengththatgodhasgivenhim；hecannotreckononanyotheraidthanchanceandopportunity。noonereaps；manufactures；fights；orthinksforhim；heisnothingtoanyone。heisaunitmultipliedbythecipherofhisownsinglepowers；whilethecivilizedmanisaunitmultipliedbythewholeofsociety。
but；notwithstandingthis；theotherday；disgustedbythesightofsomevicesindetail；icursedthelatter；andalmostenviedthelifeofthesavage。
oneoftheinfirmitiesofournatureisalwaystomistakefeelingforevidence；andtojudgeoftheseasonbyacloudorarayofsunshine。
wasthemisery；thesightofwhichmademeregretasavagelife；reallytheeffectofcivilization？mustweaccusesocietyofhavingcreatedtheseevils；oracknowledge；onthecontrary；thatithasalleviatedthem？couldthewomenandchildren；whowerereceivingthecoarsebreadfromthesoldier；hopeinthedesertformorehelporpity？thatdeadman；whoseforsakenstateideplored；hadhenotfound；bythecaresofahospital；acoffinandthehumblegravewherehewasabouttorest？
alone；andfarfrommen；hewouldhavediedlikethewildbeastinhisden；andwouldnowbeservingasfoodforvultures！thesebenefitsofhumansocietyareshared；then；bythemostdestitute。whoevereatsthebreadthatanotherhasreapedandkneaded；isunderanobligationtohisbrother；andcannotsayheoweshimnothinginreturn。thepoorestofushasreceivedfromsocietymuchmorethanhisownsinglestrengthwouldhavepermittedhimtowrestfromnature。
butcannotsocietygiveusmore？whodoubtsit？errorshavebeenmittedinthisdistributionoftasksandworkers。timewilldiminishthenumberofthem；withnewlightsabetterdivisionwillarise；theelementsofsocietygoontowardperfection；likeeverythingelse。thedifficultyistoknowhowtoadaptourselvestotheslowstepoftime；whoseprogresscanneverbeforcedonwithoutdanger。
august14th；sixoclocka。m鈥斺�攎ygarretwindowrisesupontherooflikeamassivewatch…tower。thecornersarecoveredbylargesheetsoflead；whichrunintothetiles；thesuccessiveactionofcoldandheathasmadethemrise；andsoacrevicehasbeenformedinanangleontherightside。thereasparrowhasbuilthernest。
ihavefollowedtheprogressofthisaerialhabitationfromthefirstday。ihaveseenthebirdsuccessivelybringthestraw；moss；andwooldesignedfortheconstructionofherabode；andihaveadmiredtheperseveringskillsheexpendedinthisdifficultwork。atfirst；mynewneighborspentherdaysinflutteringoverthepoplarinthegarden；andinchirpingalongthegutters；afineladyslifeseemedtheonlyonetosuither。thenallofasudden；thenecessityofpreparingashelterforherbroodtransformedouridlerintoaworker；shenolongergaveherselfeitherrestorrelaxation。isawheralwayseitherflying；fetching；orcarrying；neitherrainnorsunstoppedher。astrikingexampleofthepowerofnecessity！weareindebtedtoitnotonlyformostofourtalents；butformanyofourvirtues！
isitnotnecessitythathasgiventhepeopleoflessfavoredclimatesthatconstantactivitywhichhasplacedthemsoquicklyattheheadofnations？astheyaredeprivedofmostofthegiftsofnature；theyhavesuppliedthembytheirindustry；necessityhassharpenedtheirunderstanding；enduranceawakenedtheirforesight。whileelsewhereman；warmedbyaneverbrilliantsun；andloadedwiththebountiesoftheearth；wasremainingpoor；ignorant；andnaked；inthemidstofgiftshedidnotattempttoexplore；herehewasforcedbynecessitytowresthisfoodfromtheground；tobuildhabitationstodefendhimselffromtheintemperanceoftheweather；andtowarmhisbodybyclothinghimselfwiththewoolofanimals。workmakeshimbothmoreintelligentandmorerobust：disciplinedbyit；heseemstomounthigherontheladderofcreation；whilethosemorefavoredbynatureremainonthestepnearesttothebrutes。
imadethesereflectionswhilelookingatthebird；whoseinstinctseemedtohavebeemoreacutesinceshehadbeenoccupiedinwork。atlastthenestwasfinished；shesetupherhouseholdthere；andifollowedherthroughallthephasesofhernewexistence。
whenshehadsatontheeggs；andtheyoungoneswerehatched；shefedthemwiththemostattentivecare。thecornerofmywindowhadbeeastageofmoralaction；whichfathersandmothersmightetotakelessonsfrom。thelittleonessoonbecamelarge；andthismorningihaveseenthemtaketheirfirstflight。oneofthem；weakerthantheothers；wasnotabletocleartheedgeoftheroof；andfellintothegutter。icaughthimwithsomedifficulty；andplacedhimagainonthetileinfrontofhishouse；butthemotherhasnotnoticedhim。oncefreedfromthecaresofafamily；shehasresumedherwanderinglifeamongthetreesandalongtheroofs。invainihavekeptawayfrommywindow；totakefromhereveryexcuseforfear；invainthefeeblelittlebirdhascalledtoherwithplaintivecries；hisbadmotherhaspassedby；singingandflutteringwithathousandairsandgraces。onceonlythefathercamenear；helookedathisoffspringwithcontempt；andthendisappeared；nevertoreturn！
icrumbledsomebreadbeforethelittleorphan；buthedidnotknowhowtopeckitwithhisbill。itriedtocatchhim；butheescapedintotheforsakennest。whatwillbeeofhimthere；ifhismotherdoesnoteback！
august15th；sixoclock鈥斺�攖hismorning；onopeningmywindow；ifoundthelittlebirddyinguponthetiles；hiswoundsshowedmethathehadbeendrivenfromthenestbyhisunworthymother。itriedinvaintowarmhimagainwithmybreath；ifeltthelastpulsationsoflife；hiseyeswerealreadyclosed；andhiswingshungdown！iplacedhimontheroofinarayofsunshine；andiclosedmywindow。thestruggleoflifeagainstdeathhasalwayssomethinggloomyinit：itisawarningtous。
happilyihearsomeoneinthepassage；withoutdoubtitismyoldneighbor；hisconversationwilldistractmythoughts。
itwasmyportress。excellentwoman！shewishedmetoreadaletterfromhersonthesailor；andbeggedmetoansweritforher。
ikeptit；tocopyitinmyjournal。hereitis：
〃dearmother：thisistotellyouthatihavebeenverywelleversincethelasttime；exceptthatlastweekiwasnearlydrownedwiththeboat；whichwouldhavebeenagreatloss；asthereisnotabettercraftanywhere。
〃agustofwindcapsizedus；andjustasicameupabovewater；isawthecaptainsinking。iwentafterhim；aswasmyduty；and；afterdivingthreetimes；ibroughthimtothesurface；whichpleasedhimmuch；forwhenwewerehoistedonboard；andhehadrecoveredhissenses；hethrewhisarmsroundmyneck；ashewouldhavedonetoanofficer。
〃idonothidefromyou；dearmother；thatthishasdelightedme。
butitisntall；itseemsthatfishingupthecaptainhasremindedthemthatihadagoodcharacter；andtheyhavejusttoldmethatiampromotedtobeasailorofthefirstclass！directlyiknewit；icriedout；mymothershallhavecoffeetwiceaday！andreally；dearmother；thereisnothingnowtohinderyou；asishallnowhavealargerallowancetosendyou。
〃iincludebybeggingyoutotakecareofyourselfifyouwishtodomegood；fornothingmakesmefeelsowellastothinkthatyouwantfornothing。
〃yourson；fromthebottomofmyheart；
jacques。〃
thisistheanswerthattheportressdictatedtome：
〃mygoodjacquot：itmakesmeveryhappytoseethatyourheartisstillastrueasever；andthatyouwillnevershamethosewhohavebroughtyouup。ineednottellyoutotakecareofyourlife；becauseyouknowitisthesameasmyown；andthatwithoutyou；dearchild；ishouldwishfornothingbutthegrave；butwearenotboundtolive；whileweareboundtodoourduty。
〃donotfearformyhealth；goodjacques；iwasneverbetter！idonotgrowoldatall；forfearofmakingyouunhappy。iwantnothing；andilivelikealady。ievenhadsomemoneyoverthisyear；andasmydrawersshutverybadly；iputitintothesavings
bank；whereihaveopenedanaccountinyourname。so；whenyoueback；youwillfindyourselfwithanine。ihavealsofurnishedyourchestwithnewlinen；andihaveknittedyouthreenewsea…jackets。
〃allyourfriendsarewell。yourcousinisjustdead；leavinghiswidowindifficulties。igaveheryourthirtyfrancsremittanceandsaidthatyouhadsentither；andthepoorwomanremembersyoudayandnightinherprayers。so；yousee；ihaveputthatmoneyinanothersortofsavingsbank；butthereitisourheartsthatgettheinterest。
〃good…bye；dearjacquot。writetomeoften；andalwaysrememberthegoodgod；andyouroldmother；
〃phrosinemillot。〃
goodson；andworthymother！howsuchexamplesbringusbacktoaloveforthehumanrace！inafitoffancifulmisanthropy；wemayenvythefateofthesavage；andpreferthatofthebirdtosuchashe；butimpartialobservationsoondoesjusticetosuchparadoxes。wefind；onexamination；thatinthemixedgoodandevilofhumannature；thegoodsofaraboundsthatwearenotinthehabitofnoticingit；whiletheevilstrikesuspreciselyonaccountofitsbeingtheexception。ifnothingisperfect；nothingissobadastobewithoutitspensationoritsremedy。whatspiritualrichesarethereinthemidstoftheevilsofsociety！howmuchdoesthemoralworldredeemthematerial！
thatwhichwilleverdistinguishmanfromtherestofcreation；ishispowerofdeliberateaffectionandofenduringself…sacrifice。themotherwhotookcareofherbroodinthecornerofmywindowdevotedtothemthenecessarytimeforacplishingthelawswhichinsurethepreservationofherkind；butsheobeyedaninstinct；andnotarationalchoice。whenshehadacplishedthemissionappointedherbyprovidence；shecastoffthedutyaswegetridofaburden；andshereturnedagaintoherselfishliberty。theothermother；onthecontrary；willgoonwithhertaskaslongasgodshallleaveherherebelow：thelifeofhersonwillstillremain；sotospeak；joinedtoherown；andwhenshedisappearsfromtheearth；shewillleavetherethatpartofherself。
thus；theaffectionsmakeforourspeciesanexistenceseparatefromalltherestofcreation。thankstothem；weenjoyasortofterrestrialimmortality；andifotherbeingssucceedoneanother；manaloneperpetuateshimself。
CHAPTER IX
thefamilyofmichaelarout
september15th；eightoclock
thismorning；whileiwasarrangingmybooks；mothergenevievecamein；andbroughtmethebasketoffruitibuyofhereverysunday。forthenearlytwentyyearsthatihavelivedinthisquarter；ihavedealtinherlittlefruit…shop。perhapsishouldbebetterservedelsewhere；butm
