屋顶间的哲学家_梭维斯特-第6章
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deoftheirdaysofdutytotakerefugeunderaporch！thestormhascausedallthesetransformations。
see；itincreases！thehardiestareobligedtoseekshelter。iseeeveryonerushingtowardtheshopinfrontofmywindow；whichabillannouncesistolet。itisforthefourthtimewithinafewmonths。
ayearagoalltheskillofthejoinerandtheartofthepainterwereemployedinbeautifyingit；buttheirworksarealreadydestroyedbytheleavingofsomanytenants；thecornicesofthefrontaredisfiguredbymud；thearabesquesonthedoorwayarespoiledbybillsposteduponthemtoannouncethesaleoftheeffects。thesplendidshophaslostsomeofitsembellishmentswitheachchangeofthetenant。seeitnowempty；andleftopentothepassersby。howmuchdoesitsfateresemblethatofsomanywho；likeit；onlychangetheiroccupationtohastenthefastertoruin！
iamstruckbythislastreflection：sincethemorningeverythingseemstospeaktome；andwiththesamewarningtone。everythingsays：〃takecare！becontentwithyourhappy；thoughhumblelot；happinesscanberetainedonlybyconstancy；donotforsakeyouroldpatronsfortheprotectionofthosewhoareunknown！〃
aretheytheoutwardobjectswhichspeakthus；ordoesthewarningefromwithin？isitnotimyselfwhogivethislanguagetoallthatsurroundsme？theworldisbutaninstrument；towhichwegivesoundatwill。butwhatdoesitsignifyifitteachesuswisdom？thelowvoicethatspeaksinourbreastsisalwaysafriendlyvoice；forittellsuswhatweare；thatistosay；whatisourcapability。badconductresults；forthemostpart；frommistakingourcalling。therearesomanyfoolsandknaves；becausetherearesofewmenwhoknowthemselves。
thequestionisnottodiscoverwhatwillsuitus；butforwhatwearesuited！
whatshouldidoamongthesemanyexperiencedfinancialspeculators？iamonlyapoorsparrow；bornamongthehousetops；andshouldalwaysfeartheenemycrouchinginthedarkcorner；iamaprudentworkman；andshouldthinkofthebusinessofmyneighborswhososuddenlydisappeared；iamatimidobserver；andshouldcalltomindtheflowerssoslowlyraisedbytheoldsoldier；ortheshopbroughttoruinbyconstantchangeofmasters。awayfromme；yebanquets；overwhichhangstheswordofdamocles！iamacountrymouse。givememynutsandhollowtree；andiasknothingbesides鈥斺�攅xceptsecurity。
andwhythisinsatiablecravingforriches？doesamandrinkmorewhenhedrinksfromalargeglass？whenceesthatuniversaldreadofmediocrity；thefruitfulmotherofpeaceandliberty？ah！thereistheevilwhich；aboveeveryother；itshouldbetheaimofbothpublicandprivateeducationtoanticipate！ifthatweregotridof；whattreasonswouldbespared；whatbasenessavoided；whatachainofexcessandcrimewouldbeforeverbroken！weawardthepalmtocharity；andtoself…sacrifice；but；aboveall；letusawardittomoderation；foritisthegreatsocialvirtue。evenwhenitdoesnotcreatetheothers；itstandsinsteadofthem。
sixoclock鈥斺�攊havewrittenaletterofthankstothepromotersofthenewspeculation；andhavedeclinedtheiroffer！thisdecisionhasrestoredmypeaceofmind。istoppedsinging；likethecobbler；aslongasientertainedthehopeofriches：itisgone；andhappinessiseback！
obelovedandgentlepoverty！pardonmeforhavingforamomentwishedtoflyfromthee；asiwouldfromwant。stayhereforeverwiththycharmingsisters；pity；patience；sobriety；andsolitude；beyemyqueensandmyinstructors；teachmethesterndutiesoflife；removefarfrommyabodetheweaknessofheartandgiddinessofheadwhichfollowprosperity。holypoverty！teachmetoendurewithoutplaining；toimpartwithoutgrudging；toseektheendoflifehigherthaninpleasure；fartheroffthaninpower。thougivestthebodystrength；thoumakestthemindmorefirm；and；thankstothee；thislife；towhichtherichattachthemselvesastoarock；beesabarkofwhichdeathmaycutthecablewithoutawakeningallourfearsntinuetosustainme；othouwhomchristhathcalledblessed！
CHAPTER IV
letusloveoneanother
april9th
thefineeveningsareeback；thetreesbegintoputforththeirshoots；hyacinths；jonquils；violets；andlilacsperfumethebasketsoftheflower…girls鈥斺�攁lltheworldhavebeguntheirwalksagainonthequaysandboulevards。afterdinner；i；too；descendfrommyattictobreathetheeveningair。
itisthehourwhenparisisseeninallitsbeauty。duringthedaytheplasterfrontsofthehouseswearytheeyebytheirmonotonouswhiteness；heavilyladencartsmakethestreetsshakeundertheirhugewheels；theeagercrowd；takenupbytheonefearoflosingamomentfrombusiness；crossandjostleoneanother；theaspectofthecityaltogetherhassomethingharsh；restless；andflurriedaboutit。but；assoonasthestarsappear；everythingischanged；theglareofthewhitehousesisquenchedinthegatheringshades；youhearnomoreanyrollingbutthatofthecarriagesontheirwaytosomepartyofpleasure；youseeonlytheloungerorthelight…heartedpassingby；workhasgivenplacetoleisure。
noweachonemaybreatheafterthefierceracethroughthebusinessoftheday；andwhateverstrengthremainstohimhegivestopleasure！seetheballroomslightedup；thetheatresopen；theeating…shopsalongthewalkssetoutwithdainties；andthetwinklinglanternsofthenewspapercriers。decidedlyparishaslaidasidethepen；theruler；andtheapron；afterthedayspentinwork；itmusthavetheeveningforenjoyment；likethemastersofthebes；ithasputoffallseriousmattertilltomorrow。
ilovetotakepartinthishappyhour；nottomixinthegeneralgayety；buttocontemplateit。iftheenjoymentsofothersembitterjealousminds；theystrengthenthehumblespirit；theyarethebeamsofsunshine；whichopenthetwobeautifulflowerscalledtrustandhope。
althoughaloneinthemidstofthesmilingmultitude；idonotfeelmyselfisolatedfromit；foritsgayetyisreflecteduponme：itismyownkind；myownfamily；whoareenjoyinglife；anditakeabrothersshareintheirhappiness。weareallfellow…soldiersinthisearthlybattle；andwhatdoesitmatteronwhomthehonorsofthevictoryfall？
iffortunepassesbywithoutseeingus；andpoursherfavorsonothers；letusconsoleourselves；likethefriendofparmenio；bysaying；〃those；too；arealexanders。〃
whilemakingthesereflections；iwasgoingonaschancetookme。icrossedfromonepavementtoanother；iretracedmysteps；istoppedbeforetheshopsortoreadthehandbills。howmanythingstherearetolearninthestreetsofparis！whatamuseumitis！unknownfruits；foreignarms；furnitureofoldtimesorotherlands；animalsofallclimates；statuesofgreatmen；costumesofdistantnations！itistheworldseeninsamples！
letusthenlookatthispeople；whoseknowledgeisgainedfromtheshop…windowsandthetradesmansdisplayofgoods。nothinghasbeentaughtthem；buttheyhavearudenotionofeverything。theyhaveseenpineapplesatchevets；apalm…treeinthejardindesplantes；sugar…canessellingonthepont…neuf。theredskins；exhibitedinthevalentinehall；havetaughtthemtomimicthedanceofthebison；andtosmokethecalumetofpeace；theyhaveseencarterslionsfed；theyknowtheprincipalnationalcostumescontainedinbabinscollection；goupilsdisplayofprintshasplacedthetiger…huntsofafricaandthesittingsoftheenglishparliamentbeforetheireyes；theyhavebeeacquaintedwithqueenvictoria；theemperorofaustria；andkossuth；attheoffice…dooroftheillustratednews。wecancertainlyinstructthem；butnotastonishthem；fornothingispletelynewtothem。youmaytaketheparisragamuffinthroughthefivequartersoftheworld；andateverywonderwithwhichyouthinktosurprisehim；hewillsettlethematterwiththatfavoriteandconclusiveanswerofhisclass鈥斺�敗╥know。〃
butthisvarietyofexhibitions；whichmakesparisthefairoftheworld；doesnotoffermerelyameansofinstructiontohimwhowalksthroughit；itisacontinualspurforrousingtheimagination；afirststepoftheladderalwayssetupbeforeusinavision。whenweseethem；howmanyvoyagesdowetakeinimagination；whatadventuresdowedreamof；whatpicturesdowesketch！ineverlookatthatshopnearthechinesebaths；withitstapestryhangingsoffloridajessamine；andfilledwithmagnolias；withoutseeingtheforestgladesofthenewworld；describedbytheauthorofatala；openingthemselvesoutbeforeme。
then；whenthisstudyofthingsandthisdiscourseofreasonbegintotireyou；lookaroundyou！whatcontrastsoffiguresandfacesyouseeinthecrowd！whatavastfieldfortheexerciseofmeditation！ahalf…seenglance；orafewwordscaughtasthespeakerpassesby；openathousandvistastoyourimagination。youwishtoprehendwhattheseimperfectdisclosuresmean；and；astheantiquaryendeavorstodecipherthemutilatedinscriptiononsomeoldmonument；youbuildupahistoryonagestureoronaword！thesearethestirringsportsofthemind；whichfindsinfictionarelieffromthewearisomedullnessoftheactual。
alas！asiwasjustnowpassingbythecarriage…entranceofagreathouse；inoticedasadsubjectforoneofthesehistories。amanwassittinginthedarkestcorner；withhisheadbare；andholdingouthishatforthecharityofthosewhopassed。histhreadbarecoathadthatlookofneatnesswhichmarksthatdestitutionhasbeenmetbyalongstruggle。hehadcarefullybuttonedituptohidethewantofashirt。
hisfacewashalfhidunderhisgrayhair；andhiseyeswereclosed；asifhe
