the country doctor-第12章

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n　spite　of　cautious　misgivings；　not　unnatural　in　a　man　occupying　an　official　position　in　a　provincial　town；　he　advanced　more　than　forty　thousand　francs；　on　the　faith　of　my　promises；　without　knowing　whether　he　should　ever　see　them　back　again。　To…day　every　one　of　his　farms　is　let　for　a　thousand　francs。　His　tenants　have　thriven　so　well　that　each　of　them　owns　at　least　a　hundred　acres；　three　hundred　sheep；　twenty　cows；　ten　oxen；　and　five　horses；　and　employs　more　than　twenty　persons。

〃But　to　resume。　Our　farms　were　ready　by　the　end　of　the　fourth　year。　Our　wheat　harvest　seemed　miraculous　to　the　people　in　the　district；　heavy　as　the　first　crop　off　the　land　ought　to　be。　How　often　during　that　year　I　trembled　for　the　success　of　my　work！　Rain　or　drought　might　spoil　everything　by　diminishing　the　belief　in　me　that　was　already　felt。　When　we　began　to　grow　wheat；　it　necessitated　the　mill　that　you　have　seen；　which　brings　me　in　about　five　hundred　francs　a　year。　So　the　peasants　say　that　'there　is　luck　about　me'　（that　is　the　way　they　put　it）；　and　believe　in　me　as　they　believe　in　their　relics。　These　new　undertakingsthe　farms；　the　mill；　the　plantations；　and　the　roads　have　given　employment　to　all　the　various　kinds　of　workers　whom　I　had　called　in。　Although　the　buildings　fully　represent　the　value　of　the　sixty　thousand　francs　of　capital；　which　we　sunk　in　the　district；　the　outlay　was　more　than　returned　to　us　by　the　profits　on　the　sales　which　the　consumers　occasioned。　I　never　ceased　my　efforts　to　put　vigor　into　this　industrial　life　which　was　just　beginning。　A　nurseryman　took　my　advice　and　came　to　settle　in　the　place；　and　I　preached　wholesome　doctrine　to　the　poor　concerning　the　planting　of　fruit　trees；　in　order　that　some　day　they　should　obtain　a　monopoly　of　the　sale　of　fruit　in　Grenoble。

〃　'You　take　your　cheeses　there　as　it　is；'　I　used　to　tell　them；　'why　not　take　poultry；　eggs；　vegetables；　game；　hay　and　straw；　and　so　forth？'　All　my　counsels　were　a　source　of　fortune；　it　was　a　question　of　who　should　follow　them　first。　A　number　of　little　businesses　were　started；　they　went　on　at　first　but　slowly；　but　from　day　to　day　their　progress　became　more　rapid；　and　now　sixty　carts　full　of　the　various　products　of　the　district　set　out　every　Monday　for　Grenoble；　and　there　is　more　buckwheat　grown　for　poultry　food　than　they　used　to　sow　for　human　consumption。　The　trade　in　timber　grew　to　be　so　considerable　that　it　was　subdivided；　and　since　the　fourth　year　of　our　industrial　era；　we　have　had　dealers　in　firewood；　squared　timber；　planks；　bark；　and　later　on；　in　charcoal。　In　the　end　four　new　sawmills　were　set　up；　to　turn　out　the　planks　and　beams　of　timber。

〃When　the　ex…mayor　had　acquired　a　few　business　notions；　he　felt　the　necessity　of　learning　to　read　and　write。　He　compared　the　prices　that　were　asked　for　wood　in　various　neighborhoods；　and　found　such　differences　in　his　favor；　that　he　secured　new　customers　in　one　place　after　another；　and　now　a　third　of　the　trade　in　the　department　passes　through　his　hands。　There　has　been　such　a　sudden　increase　in　our　traffic　that　we　find　constant　work　for　three　wagon…builders　and　two　harness…makers；　each　of　them　employing　three　hands　at　least。　Lastly；　the　quantity　of　ironware　that　we　use　is　so　large　that　an　agricultural　implement　and　tool…maker　has　removed　into　the　town；　and　is　very　well　satisfied　with　the　result。

〃The　desire　of　gain　develops　a　spirit　of　ambition；　which　has　ever　since　impelled　our　workers　to　extend　their　field　from　the　township　to　the　canton；　and　from　the　canton　to　the　department；　so　as　to　increase　their　profits　by　increasing　their　sales。　I　had　only　to　say　a　word　to　point　out　new　openings　to　them；　and　their　own　sense　did　the　rest。　Four　years　had　been　sufficient　to　change　the　face　of　the　township。　When　I　had　come　through　it　first；　I　did　not　catch　the　slightest　sound；　but　in　less　than　five　years　from　that　time；　there　was　life　and　bustle　everywhere。　The　gay　songs；　the　shrill　or　murmuring　sounds　made　by　the　tools　in　the　workshops　rang　pleasantly　in　my　ears。　I　watched　the　comings　and　goings　of　a　busy　population　congregated　in　the　clean　and　wholesome　new　town；　where　plenty　of　trees　had　been　planted。　Every　one　of　them　seemed　conscious　of　a　happy　lot；　every　face　shone　with　the　content　that　comes　through　a　life　of　useful　toil。

〃I　look　upon　these　five　years　as　the　first　epoch　of　prosperity　in　the　history　of　our　town；〃　the　doctor　went　on　after　a　pause。　〃During　that　time　I　have　prepared　the　ground　and　sowed　the　seed　in　men's　minds　as　well　as　in　the　land。　Henceforward　industrial　progress　could　not　be　stayed；　the　population　was　bound　to　go　forward。　A　second　epoch　was　about　to　begin。　This　little　world　very　soon　desired　to　be　better　clad。　A　shoemaker　came；　and　with　him　a　haberdasher；　a　tailor；　and　a　hatter。　This　dawn　of　luxury　brought　us　a　butcher　and　a　grocer；　and　a　midwife；　who　became　very　necessary　to　me；　for　I　lost　a　great　deal　of　time　over　maternity　cases。　The　stubbed　wastes　yielded　excellent　harvests；　and　the　superior　quality　of　our　agricultural　produce　was　maintained　through　the　increased　supply　of　manure。　My　enterprise　could　now　develop　itself；　everything　followed　on　quite　naturally。

〃When　the　houses　had　been　rendered　wholesome；　and　their　inmates　gradually　persuaded　to　feed　and　clothe　themselves　better；　I　wanted　the　dumb　animals　to　feel　the　benefit　of　these　beginnings　of　civilization。　All　the　excellence　of　cattle；　whether　as　a　race　or　as　individuals；　and；　in　consequence；　the　quality　of　the　milk　and　meat；　depends　upon　the　care　that　is　expended　upon　them。　I　took　the　sanitation　of　cowsheds　for　the　text　of　my　sermons。　I　showed　them　how　an　animal　that　is　properly　housed　and　well　cared　for　is　more　profitable　than　a　lean　neglected　beast；　and　the　comparison　wrought　a　gradual　change　for　the　better　in　the　lot　of　the　cattle　in　the　Commune。　Not　one　of　them　was　ill　treated。　The　cows　and　oxen　were　rubbed　down　as　in　Switzerland　and　Auvergne。　Sheep…folds；　stables；　byres；　dairies；　and　barns　were　rebuilt　after　the　pattern　of　the　roomy；　well…ventilated；　and　consequently　healthy　steadings　that　M。　Gravier　and　I　had　constructed。　Our　tenants　became　my　apostles。　They　made　rapid　converts　of　unbelievers；　demonstrating　the　soundness　of　my　doctrines　by　their　prompt　results。　I　lent　money　to　those　who　needed　it；　giving　the　preference　to　hardworking　poor　people；　because　they　served　as　an　example。　Any　unsound　or　sickly　cattle　or　beasts　of　poor　quality　were　quickly　disposed　of　by　my　advice；　and　replaced　by　fine　specimens。　In　this　way　our　dairy　produce　came；　in　time；　to　command　higher　prices　in　the　market　than　that　sent　by　other　communes。　We　had　splendid　herds；　and　as　a　consequence；　capital　leather。

〃This　step　forward　was　of　great　importance；　and　in　this　wise。　In　rural　economy　nothing　can　be　regarded　as　trifling。　Our　hides　used　to　fetch　scarcely　anything；　and　the　leather　we　made　was　of　little　value；　but　when　once　our　leather　and　hides　were　improved；　tanneries　were　easily　established　along　the　waterside。　We　became　tanners；　and　business　rapidly　increased。

〃Wine；　properly　speaking；　had　been　hitherto　unknown；　a　thin；　sour　beverage　like　verjuice　had　been　their　only　drink；　but　now　wineshops　were　established　to　supply　a　natural　demand。　The　oldest　tavern　was　enlarged　and　transformed　into　an　inn；　which　furnished　mules　to　pilgrims　to　the　Grand　Chartreuse　who　began　to　come　our　way；　and　after　two　years　there　was　just　enough　business　for　two　innkeepers。

〃The　justice　of　the　peace　died　just　as　our　second　prosperous　epoch　began；　and　luckily　for　us；　his　successor　had　formerly　been　a　notary　in　Grenoble　who　had　lost　most　of　his　fortune　by　a　bad　speculation；　though　enough　of　it　yet　remained　to　cause　him　to　be　looked　upon　in　the　village　as　a　wealthy　man。　It　was　M。　Gravier　who　induced　him　to　settle　among　us。　He　built　himself　a　comfortable　house　and　helped　me　by　uniting　his　efforts　to　mine。　He　also　laid　out　a　farm；　and　broke　up　and　cleaned　some　of　the　waste　land；　and　at　this　moment　he　has　three　chalets　up　above　on　the　mountain　side。　He　has　a　large　family。　He　dismissed　the　old　registrar　and　the　clerk；　and　in　their　place　installed　better…educated　men；　who　worked　far　harder；　moreover；　than　their　predecessors　had　done。　One　of　the　heads　of　these　two　new　households　started　a　distillery　of