the country doctor-第20章

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gnize　the　value　of　the　rites　of　religion　and　of　religious　observances　in　the　family；　and　to　discern　the　importance　of　household　customs　and　domestic　festivals。　The　family　will　always　be　the　basis　of　human　society。　Law　and　authority　are　first　felt　there；　there；　at　any　rate；　the　habit　of　obedience　should　be　learned。　Viewed　in　the　light　of　all　their　consequences；　the　spirit　of　the　family　and　paternal　authority　are　two　elements　but　little　developed　as　yet　in　our　new　legislative　system。　Yet　in　the　family；　the　commune；　the　department；　lies　the　whole　of　our　country。　The　laws　ought　therefore　to　be　based　on　these　three　great　divisions。

〃In　my　opinion；　marriages；　the　birth　of　infants；　and　the　deaths　of　heads　of　households　cannot　be　surrounded　with　too　much　circumstance。　The　secret　of　the　strength　of　Catholicism；　and　of　the　deep　root　that　it　has　taken　in　the　ordinary　life　of　man；　lies　precisely　in　thisthat　it　steps　in　to　invest　every　important　event　in　his　existence　with　a　pomp　that　is　so　naively　touching；　and　so　grand；　whenever　the　priest　rises　to　the　height　of　his　mission　and　brings　his　office　into　harmony　with　the　sublimity　of　Christian　doctrine。

〃Once　I　looked　upon　the　Catholic　religion　as　a　cleverly　exploited　mass　of　prejudices　and　superstitions；　which　an　intelligent　civilization　ought　to　deal　with　according　to　its　desserts。　Here　I　have　discovered　its　political　necessity　and　its　usefulness　as　a　moral　agent；　here；　moreover；　I　have　come　to　understand　its　power；　through　a　knowledge　of　the　actual　thing　which　the　word　expresses。　Religion　means　a　bond　or　tie；　and　certainly　a　cultor；　in　other　words；　the　outward　and　visible　form　of　religion　is　the　only　force　that　can　bind　the　various　elements　of　society　together　and　mould　them　into　a　permanent　form。　Lastly；　it　was　also　here　that　I　have　felt　the　soothing　influence　that　religion　sheds　over　the　wounds　of　humanity；　and　（without　going　further　into　the　subject）　I　have　seen　how　admirably　it　is　suited　to　the　fervid　temperaments　of　southern　races。

〃Let　us　take　the　road　up　the　hillside；〃　said　the　doctor；　interrupting　himself；　〃we　must　reach　the　plateau　up　there。　Thence　we　shall　look　down　upon　both　valleys；　and　you　will　see　a　magnificent　view。　The　plateau　lies　three　thousand　feet　above　the　level　of　the　Mediterranean；　we　shall　see　over　Savoy　and　Dauphine；　and　the　mountain　ranges　of　the　Lyonnais　and　Rhone。　We　shall　be　in　another　commune；　a　hill　commune；　and　on　a　farm　belonging　to　M。　Gravier　you　will　see　the　kind　of　scene　of　which　I　have　spoken。　There　the　great　events　of　life　are　invested　with　a　solemnity　which　comes　up　to　my　ideas。　Mourning　for　the　dead　is　vigorously　prescribed。　Poor　people　will　beg　in　order　to　purchase　black　clothing；　and　no　one　refuses　to　give　in　such　a　case。　There　are　few　days　in　which　the　widow　does　not　mention　her　loss；　she　always　speaks　of　it　with　tears；　and　her　grief　is　as　deep　after　ten　days　of　sorrow　as　on　the　morning　after　her　bereavement。　Manners　are　patriarchal：　the　father's　authority　is　unlimited；　his　word　is　law。　He　takes　his　meals　sitting　by　himself　at　the　head　of　the　table；　his　wife　and　children　wait　upon　him；　and　those　about　him　never　address　him　without　using　certain　respectful　forms　of　speech；　while　every　one　remains　standing　and　uncovered　in　his　presence。　Men　brought　up　in　this　atmosphere　are　conscious　of　their　dignity；　to　my　way　of　thinking；　it　is　a　noble　education　to　be　brought　up　among　these　customs。　And；　for　the　most　part；　they　are　upright；　thrifty；　and　hardworking　people　in　this　commune。　The　father　of　every　family；　when　he　is　old　and　past　work；　divides　his　property　equally　among　his　children；　and　they　support　him；　that　is　the　usual　way　here。　An　old　man　of　ninety；　in　the　last　century；　who　had　divided　everything　he　had　among　his　four　children；　went　to　live　with　each　in　turn　for　three　months　in　the　year。　As　he　left　the　oldest　to　go　to　the　home　of　a　younger　brother；　one　of　his　friends　asked　him；　'Well；　are　you　satisfied　with　the　arrangement？'　'Faith！　yes；'　the　old　man　answered；　'they　have　treated　me　as　if　I　had　been　their　own　child。'　That　answer　of　his　seemed　so　remarkable　to　an　officer　then　stationed　at　Grenoble；　that　he　repeated　it　in　more　than　one　Parisian　salon。　That　officer　was　the　celebrated　moralist　Vauvenargues；　and　in　this　way　the　beautiful　saying　came　to　the　knowledge　of　another　writer　named　Chamfort。　Ah！　still　more　forcible　phrases　are　often　struck　out　among　us；　but　they　lack　a　historian　worthy　of　them。〃

〃I　have　come　across　Moravians　and　Lollards　in　Bohemia　and　Hungary；〃　said　Genestas。　〃They　are　a　kind　of　people　something　like　your　mountaineers；　good　folk　who　endure　the　sufferings　of　war　with　angelic　patience。〃

〃Men　living　under　simple　and　natural　conditions　are　bound　to　be　almost　alike　in　all　countries。　Sincerity　of　life　takes　but　one　form。　It　is　true　that　a　country　life　often　extinguishes　thought　of　a　wider　kind；　but　evil　propensities　are　weakened　and　good　qualities　are　developed　by　it。　In　fact；　the　fewer　the　numbers　of　the　human　beings　collected　together　in　a　place；　the　less　crime；　evil　thinking；　and　general　bad　behavior　will　be　found　in　it。　A　pure　atmosphere　counts　for　a　good　deal　in　purity　of　morals。〃

The　two　horsemen；　who　had　been　climbing　the　stony　road　at　a　foot　pace；　now　reached　the　level　space　of　which　Benassis　had　spoken。　It　is　a　strip　of　land　lying　round　about　the　base　of　a　lofty　mountain　peak；　a　bare　surface　of　rock　with　no　growth　of　any　kind　upon　it；　deep　clefts　are　riven　in　its　sheer　inaccessible　sides。　The　gray　crest　of　the　summit　towers　above　the　ledge　of　fertile　soil　which　lies　around　it；　a　domain　sometimes　narrower；　sometimes　wider；　and　altogether　about　a　hundred　acres　in　extent。　Here；　through　a　vast　break　in　the　line　of　the　hills　to　the　south；　the　eye　sees　French　Maurienne；　Dauphine；　the　crags　of　Savoy；　and　the　far…off　mountains　of　the　Lyonnais。　Genestas　was　gazing　from　this　point；　over　a　land　that　lay　far　and　wide　in　the　spring　sunlight；　when　there　arose　the　sound　of　a　wailing　cry。

〃Let　us　go　on；〃　said　Benassis；　〃the　wail　for　the　dead　has　begun；　that　is　the　name　they　give　to　this　part　of　the　funeral　rites。〃

On　the　western　slope　of　the　mountain　peak；　the　commandant　saw　the　buildings　belonging　to　a　farm　of　some　size。　The　whole　place　formed　a　perfect　square。　The　gateway　consisted　of　a　granite　arch；　impressive　in　its　solidity；　which　added　to　the　old…world　appearance　of　the　buildings　with　the　ancient　trees　that　stood　about　them；　and　the　growth　of　plant　life　on　the　roofs。　The　house　itself　lay　at　the　farther　end　of　the　yard。　Barns；　sheepfolds；　stables；　cowsheds；　and　other　buildings　lay　on　either　side；　and　in　the　midst　was　the　great　pool　where　the　manure　had　been　laid　to　rot。　On　a　thriving　farm；　such　a　yard　as　this　is　usually　full　of　life　and　movement；　but　to…day　it　was　silent　and　deserted。　The　poultry　was　shut　up；　the　cattle　were　all　in　the　byres；　there　was　scarcely　a　sound　of　animal　life。　Both　stables　and　cowsheds　had　been　carefully　swept　across　the　yard。　The　perfect　neatness　which　reigned　in　a　place　where　everything　as　a　rule　was　in　disorder；　the　absence　of　stirring　life；　the　stillness　in　so　noisy　a　spot；　the　calm　serenity　of　the　hills；　the　deep　shadow　cast　by　the　towering　peakeverything　combined　to　make　a　strong　impression　on　the　mind。

Genestas　was　accustomed　to　painful　scenes；　yet　he　could　not　help　shuddering　as　he　saw　a　dozen　men　and　women　standing　weeping　outside　the　door　of　the　great　hall。　〃THE　MASTER　IS　DEAD！〃　they　wailed；　the　unison　of　voices　gave　appalling　effect　to　the　words　which　they　repeated　twice　during　the　time　required　to　cross　the　space　between　the　gateway　and　the　farmhouse　door。　To　this　wailing　lament　succeeded　moans　from　within　the　house；　the　sound　of　a　woman's　voice　came　through　the　casements。

〃I　dare　not　intrude　upon　such　grief　as　this；〃　said　Genestas　to　Benassis。

〃I　always　go　to　visit　a　bereaved　family；〃　the　doctor　answered；　〃either　to　certify　the　death；　or　to　see　that　no　mischance　caused　by　grief　has　befallen　the　living。　You　need　not　hesitate　to　come　with　me。　The　scene　is　impressive；　and　there　will　be　such　a　great　many　people　that　no　one　will　notice　your　presence。〃

As　Genestas　followed　the　doctor；　he　found；　in　fact；　that　the　first　room　was　full　of　relations　of　the　dead。　They　passed　through