ursula-第14章

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would　have　liked　to　change　the　laws　of　nature　in　her　behalf。　He

declared　to　old　Jordy　that　his　teeth　ached　when　Ursula　was　cutting

hers。　When　old　men　love　children　there　is　no　limit　to　their　passion

they　worship　them。　For　these　little　beings　they　silence　their　own

manias　or　recall　a　whole　past　in　their　service。　Experience；　patience；

sympathy；　the　acquisitions　of　life；　treasures　laboriously　amassed；　all

are　spent　upon　that　young　life　in　which　they　live　again；　their

intelligence　does　actually　take　the　place　of　motherhood。　Their　wisdom；

ever　on　the　alert；　is　equal　to　the　intuition　of　a　mother；　they

remember　the　delicate　perceptions　which　in　their　own　mother　were

divinations；　and　import　them　into　the　exercise　of　a　compassion　which

is　carried　to　an　extreme　in　their　minds　by　a　sense　of　the　child's

unutterable　weakness。　The　slowness　of　their　movements　takes　the　place

of　maternal　gentleness。　In　them；　as　in　children；　life　is　reduced　to

its　simplest　expression；　if　maternal　sentiment　makes　the　mother　a

slave；　the　abandonment　of　self　allows　an　old　man　to　devote　himself

utterly。　For　these　reasons　it　is　not　unusual　to　see　children　in　close

intimacy　with　old　persons。　The　old　soldier；　the　old　abbe；　the　old

doctor；　happy　in　the　kisses　and　cajoleries　of　little　Ursula；　were

never　weary　of　answering　her　talk　and　playing　with　her。　Far　from

making　them　impatient　her　petulances　charmed　them；　and　they　gratified

all　her　wishes；　making　each　the　ground　of　some　little　training。



The　child　grew　up　surrounded　by　old　men；　who　smiled　at　her　and　made

themselves　mothers　for　her　sake；　all　three　equally　attentive　and

provident。　Thanks　to　this　wise　education；　Ursula's　soul　developed　in　a

sphere　that　suited　it。　This　rare　plant　found　its　special　soil；　it

breathed　the　elements　of　its　true　life　and　assimilated　the　sun　rays

that　belonged　to　it。



〃In　what　faith　do　you　intend　to　bring　up　the　little　one？〃　asked　the

abbe　of　the　doctor；　when　Ursula　was　six　years　old。



〃In　yours；〃　answered　Minoret。



An　atheist　after　the　manner　of　Monsieur　Wolmar　in　the　〃Nouvelle

Heloise〃　he　did　not　claim　the　right　to　deprive　Ursula　of　the　benefits

offered　by　the　Catholic　religion。　The　doctor；　sitting　at　the　moment　on

a　bench　outside　the　Chinese　pagoda；　felt　the　pressure　of　the　abbe's

hand　on　his。



〃Yes；　abbe；　every　time　she　talks　to　me　of　God　I　shall　send　her　to　her

friend　'Shapron；'〃　he　said；　imitating　Ursula's　infant　speech；　〃I　wish

to　see　whether　religious　sentiment　is　inborn　or　not。　Therefore　I　shall

do　nothing　either　for　or　against　the　tendencies　of　that　young　soul；

but　in　my　heart　I　have　appointed　you　her　spiritual　guardian。〃



〃God　will　reward　you；　I　hope；〃　replied　the　abbe；　gently　joining　his

hands　and　raising　them　towards　heaven　as　if　he　were　making　a　brief

mental　prayer。



So；　from　the　time　she　was　six　years　old　the　little　orphan　lived　under

the　religious　influence　of　the　abbe；　just　as　she　had　already　come

under　the　educational　training　of　her　friend　Jordy。



The　captain；　formerly　a　professor　in　a　military　academy；　having　a

taste　for　grammar　and　for　the　differences　among　European　languages；

had　studied　the　problem　of　a　universal　tongue。　This　learned　man；

patient　as　most　old　scholars　are；　delighted　in　teaching　Ursula　to　read

and　write。　He　taught　her　also　the　French　language　and　all　she　needed

to　know　of　arithmetic。　The　doctor's　library　afforded　a　choice　of　books

which　could　be　read　by　a　child　for　amusement　as　well　as　instruction。



The　abbe　and　the　soldier　allowed　the　young　mind　to　enrich　itself　with

the　freedom　and　comfort　which　the　doctor　gave　to　the　body。　Ursula

learned　as　she　played。　Religion　was　given　with　due　reflection。　Left　to

follow　the　divine　training　of　a　nature　that　was　led　into　regions　of

purity　by　these　judicious　educators；　Ursula　inclined　more　to　sentiment

than　to　duty；　she　took　as　her　rule　of　conduct　the　voice　of　her　own

conscience　rather　than　the　demands　of　social　law。　In　her；　nobility　of

feeling　and　action　would　ever　be　spontaneous；　her　judgment　would

confirm　the　impulse　of　her　heart。　She　was　destined　to　do　right　as　a

pleasure　before　doing　it　as　an　obligation。　This　distinction　is　the

peculiar　sign　of　Christian　education。　These　principles；　altogether

different　from　those　that　are　taught　to　men；　were　suitable　for　a

woman；the　spirit　and　the　conscience　of　the　home；　the　beautifier　of

domestic　life；　the　queen　of　her　household。　All　three　of　these　old

preceptors　followed　the　same　method　with　Ursula。　Instead　of　recoiling

before　the　bold　questions　of　innocence；　they　explained　to　her　the

reasons　of　things　and　the　best　means　of　action；　taking　care　to　give

her　none　but　correct　ideas。　When；　apropos　of　a　flower；　a　star；　a　blade

of　grass；　her　thoughts　went　straight　to　God；　the　doctor　and　the

professor　told　her　that　the　priest　alone　could　answer　her。　None　of

them　intruded　on　the　territory　of　the　others；　the　doctor　took　charge

of　her　material　well…being　and　the　things　of　life；　Jordy's　department

was　instruction；　moral　and　spiritual　questions　and　the　ideas

appertaining　to　the　higher　life　belonged　to　the　abbe。　This　noble

education　was　not；　as　it　often　is；　counteracted　by　injudicious

servants。　La　Bougival；　having　been　lectured　on　the　subject；　and　being；

moreover；　too　simple　in　mind　and　character　to　interfere；　did　nothing

to　injure　the　work　of　these　great　minds。　Ursula；　a　privileged　being；

grew　up　with　good　geniuses　round　her；　and　her　naturally　fine

disposition　made　the　task　of　each　a　sweet　and　easy　one。　Such　manly

tenderness；　such　gravity　lighted　by　smiles；　such　liberty　without

danger；　such　perpetual　care　of　soul　and　body　made　little　Ursula；　when

nine　years　of　age；　a　well…trained　child　and　delightful　to　behold。



Unhappily；　this　paternal　trinity　was　broken　up。　The　old　captain　died

the　following　year；　leaving　the　abbe　and　the　doctor　to　finish　his

work；　of　which；　however；　he　had　accomplished　the　most　difficult　part。

Flowers　will　bloom　of　themselves　if　grown　in　a　soil　thus　prepared。　The

old　gentleman　had　laid　by　for　ten　years　past　one　thousand　francs　a

year；　that　he　might　leave　ten　thousand　to　his　little　Ursula；　and　keep

a　place　in　her　memory　during　her　whole　life。　In　his　will；　the　wording

of　which　was　very　touching；　he　begged　his　legatee　to　spend　the　four　or

five　hundred　francs　that　came　of　her　little　capital　exclusively　on　her

dress。　When　the　justice　of　the　peace　applied　the　seals　to　the　effects

of　his　old　friend；　they　found　in　a　small　room；　which　the　captain　had

allowed　no　one　to　enter；　a　quantity　of　toys；　many　of　them　broken；

while　all　had　been　used；toys　of　a　past　generation；　reverently

preserved；　which　Monsieur　Bongrand　was；　according　to　the　captain's

last　wishes；　to　burn　with　his　own　hands。



About　this　time　it　was　that　Ursula　made　her　first　communion。　The　abbe

employed　one　whole　year　in　duly　instructing　the　young　girl；　whose　mind

and　heart；　each　well　developed；　yet　judiciously　balancing　one　another；

needed　a　special　spiritual　nourishment。　The　initiation　into　a

knowledge　of　divine　things　which　he　gave　her　was　such　that　Ursula　grew

into　the　pious　and　mystical　young　girl　whose　character　rose　above　all

vicissitudes；　and　whose　heart　was　enabled　to　conquer　adversity。　Then

began　a　secret　struggle　between　the　old　man　wedded　to　unbelief　and　the

young　girl　full　of　faith；long　unsuspected　by　her　who　incited　it；

the　result　of　which　had　now　stirred　the　whole　town；　and　was　destined

to　have　great　influence　on　Ursula's　future　by　rousing　against　her　the

antagonism　of　the　doctor's　heirs。



During　the　first　six　months　of　the　year　1824　Ursula　spent　all　her

mornings　at　the　parsonage。　The　old　doctor　guessed　the　abbe's　secret

hope。　He　meant　to　make　Ursula　an　unanswerable　argument　against　him。

The　old　unbeliever；　loved　by　his　godchild　as　though　she　were　his　own

daughter；　would　surely　believe　in　such　artless　candor；　he　could　not

fail　to　be　persuaded　by　the　beautiful　effects　of　religion　on　the　soul

of　a　child；　where　love　was　like　t