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第79章

sons of the soil-第79章

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being able to catch them。 The count; assisted by Groison; had given

certificates of pauperism to only thirty or forty of the real poor of

the district; but the other two mayors had been less strict。 The more

clement the count showed himself in the affair at Conches the more

determined he was to enforce the laws about gleaning; which had now

degenerated into theft。 He did not interfere with the management of

three of his farms which were leased to tenants; nor with those whose

tenants worked for his profit; of which he had a number; but he

managed six farms himself; each of about two hundred acres; and he now

published a notice that it was forbidden; under pain of being arrested

and made to pay the fine imposed by the courts; to enter those fields

before the crop was carried away。 The order concerned only his own

immediate property。 Rigou; who knew the country well; had let his

farm…lands in portions and on short leases to men who knew how to get

in their own crops; and who paid him in grain; therefore gleaning did

not affect him。 The other proprietors were peasants; and no nefarious

gleaning was attempted on their land。



When the harvest began the count went himself to Michaud to see how

things were going on。 Groison; who advised him to do this; was to be

present himself at the gleaning of each particular field。 The

inhabitants of cities can have no idea what gleaning is to the

inhabitants of the country; the passion of these sons of the soil for

it seems inexplicable; there are women who will give up well…paid

employments to glean。 The wheat they pick up seems to them sweeter

than any other; and the provision they thus make for their chief and

most substantial food has to them an extraordinary attraction。 Mothers

take their babes and their little girls and boys; the feeblest old men

drag themselves into the wheat…fields; and even those who own property

are paupers for the nonce。 All gleaners appear in rags。



The count and Michaud were present on horseback when the first

tattered batch entered the first fields from which the wheat had been

carried。 It was ten o'clock in the morning。 August had been a hot

month; the sky was cloudless; blue as a periwinkle; the earth was

baked; the wheat flamed; the harvestmen worked with their faces

scorched by the reflection of the sun…rays on the hard and arid earth。

All were silent; their shirts wet with perspiration; while from time

to time; they slaked their thirst with water from round; earthenware

jugs; furnished with two handles and a mouth…piece stoppered with a

willow stick。



At the father end of the stubble…field stood the carts which contained

the sheaves; and near them a group of at least a hundred beings who

far exceeded the hideous conceptions of Murillo and Teniers; the

boldest painters of such scenes; or of Callot; that poet of the

fantastic in poverty。 The pictured bronze legs; the bare heads; the

ragged garments so curiously faded; so damp with grease; so darned and

spotted and discolored; in short; the painters' ideal of the material

of abject poverty was far surpassed by this scene; while the

expression on those faces; greedy; anxious; doltish; idiotic; savage;

showed the everlasting advantage which nature possesses over art by

its comparison with the immortal compositions of those princes of

color。 There were old women with necks like turkeys; and hairless;

scarlet eyelids; who stretched their heads forward like setters before

a partridge; there were children; silent as soldiers under arms;

little girls who stamped like animals waiting for their food; the

natures of childhood and old age were crushed beneath the fierceness

of a savage greed;greed for the property of others now their own by

long abuse。 All eyes were savage; all gestures menacing; but every one

kept silence in presence of the count; the field…keeper; and the

bailiff。 At this moment all classes were represented;the great land…

owners; the farmers; the working men; the paupers; the social question

was defined to the eye; hunger had convoked the actors in the scene。

The sun threw into relief the hard and hollow features of those faces;

it burned the bare feet dusty with the soil; children were present

with no clothing but a torn blouse; their blond hair tangled with

straw and chips; some women brought their babes just able to walk; and

left them rolling in the furrows。



The gloomy scene was harrowing to the old soldier; whose heart was

kind; and he said to Michaud: 〃It pains me to see it。 One must know

the importance of these measures to be able to insist upon them。〃



〃If every land…owner followed your example; lived on his property; and

did the good that you and yours are doing; general; there would be; I

won't say no poor; for they are always with us; but no poor man who

could not live by his labor。〃



〃The mayors of Conches; Cerneux; and Soulanges have sent us all their

paupers;〃 said Groison; who had now looked at the certificates; 〃they

had no right to do so。〃



〃No; but our people will go to their districts;〃 said the general。

〃For the time being we have done enough by preventing the gleaning

before the sheaves were taken away; we had better go step by step;〃 he

added; turning to leave the field。



〃Did you hear him?〃 said Mother Tonsard to the old Bonnebault woman;

for the general's last words were said in a rather louder tone than

the rest; and reached the ears of the two old women who were posted in

the road which led beside the field。



〃Yes; yes! we haven't got to the end yet;a tooth to…day and to…

morrow an ear; if they could find a sauce for our livers they'd eat

'em as they do a calf's!〃 said old Bonnebault; whose threatening face

was turned in profile to the general as he passed her; though in the

twinkling of an eye she changed its expression to one of hypocritical

softness and submission as she hastened to make him a profound

curtsey。



〃So you are gleaning; are you; though my wife helps you to earn so

much money?〃



〃Hey! my dear gentleman; may God preserve you in good health! but;

don't you see; my grandson squanders all I earn; and I'm forced to

scratch up a little wheat to get bread in the winter;yes; yes; I

glean just a bit; it all helps。〃



The gleaning proved of little profit to the gleaners。 The farmers and

tenant…farmers; finding themselves backed up; took care that their

wheat was well reaped; and superintended the making of the sheaves and

their safe removal; so that little or none of the pillage of former

years could take place。



Accustomed to get a good proportion of wheat in their gleaning; the

false as well as the true poor; forgetting the count's pardon at

Conches; now felt a deep but silent anger against him; which was

aggravated by the Tonsards; Courtecuisse; Bonnebault; Laroche;

Vaudoyer; Godain; and their adherents。 Matters went worse still after

the vintage; for the gathering of the refuse grape was not allowed

until Sibilet had examined the vines with extreme care。 This last

restriction exasperated these sons of the soil to the highest pitch;

but when so great a social distance separates the angered class from

the threatened class; words and threats are lost; nothing comes to the

surface or is perceived but facts; meantime the malcontents work

underground like moles。



The fair of Soulanges took place as usual quite peacefully; except for

certain jarrings between the leading society and the second…class

society of Soulanges; brought about by the despotism of the queen; who

could not tolerate the empire founded and established over the heart

of the brilliant Lupin by the beautiful Euphemie Plissoud; for she

herself laid permanent claim to his fickle fervors。



The count and countess did not appear at the fair nor at the Tivoli

fete; and that; again; was counted a wrong by the Soudrys; the

Gaubertins; and their adherents; it was pride; it was disdain; said

the Soudry salon。 During this

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