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第一章 成长的印记(2)

假如给我三天光明

[美]海伦·凯勒

如果因为某种奇迹,我获得了能看见东西的三天,随后又将沉陷于一片黑暗之中,我会将这段时间分为三个部分。

第一天

第一天,我想看到这些人,他们的善良,温柔和友情使我的生命变得有价值。首先我想长时间凝视我亲爱的老师安妮·萨利文·梅西夫人的脸。当我还是一个孩子的时候,她来到我面前,为我打开了外面的世界。我不仅要看她脸部的轮廓,以便能把它珍藏在我的记忆中,而且还要研究这张脸庞,在那里找到富有同情心、温柔和耐心的生动迹象,她就是以这种温柔和耐心完成了教育我的艰难任务。我要看她眼睛里所包含的那种使得她在困难面前坚强的性格力量,我要看她经常对我流露出来的,那对所有人的同情心。

我无法理解通过 “心灵的窗口” --眼睛,看透一个朋友的内心是怎么一回事。我只能通过我的指尖 “看” 到一张面孔的轮廓。我能察觉欢笑、悲伤和其他许多明显的情感。我是通过触摸朋友们的脸来认识他们的,但我无法凭触摸确切地描绘出他们的性格。当然,我可以通过其他方式了解他们的性格--通过他们对我表达的思想、他们对我表露的任何动作,但我仍然无法有更深刻的了解。我确信,只有看到他们,观察他们对各种表达出来的思想和情况的反应,注意他们的眼神和脸色在刹那间的变化,才可以深入地了解他们。

我对身边的朋友非常了解,因为他们经年累月地在我面前表现着自己的各个方面。而对那些偶然相遇的朋友,我只有一个不完全的印象,一种我从以下方式中得到的印象:一次握手,当我的指尖触摸他们的嘴唇感受他们所说的话,或者是他们在我掌心上写下来。

对你们能看见的人来说,通过观察对方微妙的面部表情、肌肉的颤抖、手的摆动,就能很快地了解对方所要表达的意思的实质,这是多么容易又多么令人满足的事情。但是你们曾经有过用你们的视觉去看透一个朋友或熟人的内在本质的时候吗?你们大多数人难道不是漫不经心地看着每一张脸孔的外部特征而不去深入思考吗?

举例来说,你们能精确地描述5个好朋友的面貌吗?有些人可以,但许多人做不到。我曾做过一个实验,我问那些与妻子相处多年的丈夫们,他们妻子的眼睛是什么颜色。他们常常显得窘迫含糊,承认他们不知道。而且,顺便说一句,妻子们也经常抱怨,他们的丈夫不注意自己的新衣服、新帽子和家里摆设的变化。

正常人的眼睛很快就习惯了他们周围的东西。他们实际上仅仅注意到令人吃惊的事和引人注意的壮观之事,而即使是那些最壮观的景象,他们的眼睛也是懒洋洋的。法庭记录每天都透露出 “目击者” 看得多么不准确,一个特定的事件,在不同的人眼中也不尽相同,有些人看得比另一些人要多些,而没有几个人能看到在他们的视线范围内的所有事情。

啊,如果我要有哪怕3天的视力,我该看多少事啊!

第一天会是很忙碌的,我要把我所有的亲爱的朋友们都叫到我这里来,长久地注视着他们的面容,把体现他们内在美的外貌深深地印在我的脑海中。我也会让我的目光停留在婴儿的脸上,去捕捉那种渴望生活的天真无邪的美,那种婴儿在意识到生活的冲突之前的纯真与美丽。

而且,我也要看看我的狗们那忠诚、充满信任的眼睛--那严肃、机灵的小苏格兰狗达基和那高大健壮、善解人意的大丹麦狗赫尔加,和它们建立的热诚、细腻、愉快的友谊让我很开心。

在这繁忙的第一天,我还要看看我家的那些简单的小东西。我想看看我脚下的地毯和墙壁上的图画的明朗愉快的色彩,那些使这间屋子成为一个家的亲切的琐碎物件。我也要带着敬重将目光停留在那些我读过的盲文书籍上,但那些能看见的人所读的出版物我会更加感兴趣,因为在我生命的漫漫长夜里,我读过的书和别人读给我听的书已筑成一座巨大的闪光的灯塔,为我指引了人生及心灵的最深远的航道。

在能看见东西的第一天的下午,我要到森林里进行一次远足,让我的目光陶醉在大自然的美景之中。在几个小时中,拼命地吸收对那些能看见的人是司空见惯了的无穷的壮丽景色,在返回家的途中,我要走在农庄附近的小路上,以便去看看在田间耕作的马(或许我只能看到一台拖拉机)。看到靠泥土生活的人们那样安详和满足,我将为艳丽的落日光辉而祈祷。

黄昏降临时,我将感受到双倍的喜悦,因为能看到人造的光明,这是人类的天才创造出来的,当大自然的黑暗降临之时,让他们能够继续看得清楚。

在那能看见的第一天晚间,我是不能入睡的,我脑海中充满了对白天的回忆。

第二天

次日--我能看见东西的第二天--我会随黎明一道起来,看黑夜变成白昼那激动人心的奇迹,我要怀着肃然敬畏的心情,去看太阳唤醒沉睡的大地那壮观的景象。

这一天,我要用来匆忙地扫视这个世界,它的往事和正在发生的一切。我想看人类历史上的兴衰,看世间沧桑。这么多的东西怎么能压缩在一天之内看完呢?当然是通过博物馆,我已多次去参观过纽约自然历史博物馆,用手去触摸那里陈列的许多展品。但我渴望能亲眼看到这部浓缩了的地球历史和陈列在那里的地球上的居民--按照自然环境描画出的动物和人类种族;曾在人类出现之前,很早就在地球上漫游的巨大恐龙和乳齿象骨架,人类以小巧的身材和强有力的大脑征服了动物王国;博物馆还逼真地展现了动物、人类和人类工具的发展过程,人类曾用这些工具在这个星球上来建造他们安全的家园;博物馆还有其他许许多多的自然历史方面的东西。

我不知道,有多少这篇文章的读者看过这个生动的博物馆所展示的逼真事物的壮观景貌。当然有许多人没有机会,但是我相信,有许多人有机会却没有利用它。那里的确是使用眼睛的好地方,你们能看见东西的人,能在那里度过许多受益匪浅的日子,可是我只有想象的3天能看见的时间,只能是仓促地一瞥,匆匆而过。

我的下一站将是大都会艺术博物馆。像自然历史博物馆展示世界的物质方面一样,大都会艺术博物馆展示了大量的人类精神方面的东西。在贯穿人类历史的全过程中,人类对艺术表现的强烈冲动就像对食物、住所和繁衍的迫切需要一样强烈。而这里,在大都会博物馆那宽敞的大厅里,在我们面前展示了通过艺术形式表达出来的古埃及、古希腊和古罗马的精神世界。我通过我的手很好地了解了雕刻上的古代尼罗河土地上的众神,我摸过巴台农神殿(译注:巴台农神殿是希腊雅典城内的帕拉斯·雅典娜神殿,建于公元前447-前432年间。神殿由大理石筑成,极尽雕饰之巧,是希腊古典建筑的杰出代表作品)中的复制品,我感觉到了向前冲锋的雅典武士的匀称与和谐美。阿波罗、维纳斯和有翅膀的萨莫特拉斯胜利女神(译注:萨莫特拉斯是位于希腊爱琴海东北部的一个岛屿,因公元305年在岛上立起一胜利女神大理石雕像,以纪念马其顿国王的海战大捷而著名。因女神雕像展开的双臂塑成展翅飞翔的姿态,故称萨莫特拉斯展翅胜利女神像。该雕像现存于巴黎卢浮宫。)都使我爱不释手。荷马那长满胡须、节瘤众多的面部雕像使我感到无比亲切,因为他也是盲人。

我的手在栩栩如生的罗马大理石雕像以及后世的雕刻上逗留。我的手摸过米开朗其罗(译注:1475-1564年,著名的佛罗伦萨画家、雕刻家、建筑师和诗人,意大利文艺复兴盛期的杰出代表人物)的感人的英雄摩西雕塑石雕像;我感觉到罗丹(译注:1840-1917年,著名的法国雕塑家)的力量;我对哥特对木刻的热忱精神感到敬畏。这些艺术作品是供人看而不是摸的,尽管触摸它们对我有着实在的意义,所以我只能去猜测那种我看不见的美。我能赞叹一只古希腊花瓶简朴的线条,但我却无法看到上面的图案装饰。

所以,在我能看见东西的第二天,我要通过艺术努力探究人类的灵魂。我会看到那些通过触摸我了解的东西。更妙的是,整个壮丽的绘画世界将向我打开,从富有宁静的宗教色彩的意大利文艺复兴前期作品到带有狂想风格的现代派作品,都展现在我眼前。我要仔细端详拉斐尔、达·芬奇、提香(译注:1477-1576年,著名的威尼斯画家)和伦勃朗(译注:1606-1669年,著名的荷兰巴洛克画家,荷兰油画派领袖,欧洲艺术大师)的油画。我要让我的眼睛饱享委罗涅塞(译注:1528-1588年,意大利威尼斯派画家)那炽烈的色彩,研究艾尔·格里科(译注:1548-1625年,西班牙画家)的神秘,从柯罗(译注:1796-1875年,法国风景画家)的绘画中重新观察大自然。啊!对你们眼睛能看见东西的人来说,你们竟能欣赏到历代的艺术中这么丰富的意味和美。

在我对这座艺术殿堂的短暂访问中,我无法评论你们面前的这个伟大的艺术世界,我只能是获得一个表面的印象。诚如艺术家所言,要能真正深刻地鉴赏,就要训练自己的眼力,必须通过经验学会衡量线条、构图、形态和色彩的价值。如果我能看见,能从事如此迷人的研究,我会是多么幸福啊!但是,有人告诉我,对你们有眼睛可看到东西的许多人来说,艺术的世界仍是一片黑暗,未曾开发、探索和难以企及的世界。

要离开大都会艺术博物馆了,我是多么不情愿,那里有开启美的钥匙,然而这种美又被忽视了。而能看见的人却不需要到大都会艺术博物馆去找这把开启美的钥匙,这相同的钥匙在较小的博物馆,甚至小图书馆的书架上的书中也能找到。当然,在我想象的能看见的有限时间里,我该选择能在短暂的时间内打开最伟大宝库的钥匙所在的地方。

在我能看见的第二天晚上,我要在剧院或电影院度过。即使现在,我还是经常去看各种戏剧表演,但剧情需要由一个同伴拼写在我手上。我多么想亲眼看到哈姆雷特的迷人形象,或者穿着艳丽多彩的伊丽莎白时代服饰的来往穿梭的福斯泰夫!(译注:福斯泰夫为莎士比亚剧中的一个滑稽喜剧人物,是莎剧《亨利四世王》、《亨利五世王》和《温莎的风流娘儿们》那个剧中的一个胖骑士,爱吹牛自夸,又胆小,但是他足智多谋,心地善良。)我多想注视优雅的哈姆雷特的每个动作,热忱的福斯泰夫的每一个昂首阔步的样子!因为我只能看一场戏,这使我非常为难,因为有几十部戏我都想看。你们有眼能看的人可以看你们喜欢的任何一部戏。我不知道,当你们注视着这一部戏、一场电影,或任何奇观时,你们中间有多少人意识到并感激使你们享受到它的色彩和动作的视觉奇迹呢?

倘若超出我的手能触摸到的范围,我便无法享受那节奏感很强的动作的优美。尽管我能体会到节拍的快感,因为当音乐震动地板时,我经常能感觉到它的节拍,可是我也只能模糊地想象一下巴甫洛娃(译注:前苏联的著名的女芭蕾舞演员)的优美。我完全能想象到,有节拍的动作一定是世上最令人悦目的景象之一。我已能用我的手指摸索出大理石雕刻中的线条轮廓从而获得这样的一些感受;如果这种静态的美都是这么可爱,那么,看见那动态的美一定会令人更加激动。

我最宝贵的回忆之一是那次约瑟夫·杰斐逊(译注:1829-1905年,著名的美国演员。他所扮演的最有名的角色是根据美国作家华盛顿·欧文所创作的人物瑞普·范·温克尔)表演他心爱的角色瑞普·凡·温克尔的动作和对白时让我摸他的脸和手。这样,我可以获得对戏剧世界微弱的一瞥,我将永远不会忘记那一瞬间的快乐。但是,我多么渴望观看和倾听戏剧表演进行中对白和动作的相互作用啊!而你们看得见的人该能从中得到多少快乐啊!如果我能哪怕是只能看一部戏,我都会知道怎样在我脑海中描绘我通过盲文字母读到或了解到的100部戏的情节。

这样,在我设想的能看见的第二天的夜晚,戏剧文学中的人物形象会使我难以入眠。

第三天

接下来这一天的早上,怀着对发现新的快乐的渴望,我再次迎接黎明,因为我确信,对那些眼睛能真正看得见的人来说,每个黎明都会展现出无尽的美丽。

按我设想出现奇迹的期限,这将是我能看见的第三天,也是最后的一天。我不能把时间浪费在后悔或渴望中,我要看的东西太多了。第一天我献给了我的有生命的和无生命的朋友们,第二天向我展示了人类和自然的历史。今天我将在当今的平凡世界里度过,在为生活事务忙碌的人们常去的地方度过。除了纽约,何处人们还能找到这样多的活动和纷繁的景象呢?所以,纽约便成了我的去处。

我从我在长岛森林山静静的小郊区的家出发,这里,芳草绿树鲜花环绕着整洁的小住房,妇女和孩子们欢声笑语,其乐融融,是城里辛劳的人们安宁的避风港。驾车通过那跨越东河的带花饰的钢铁大桥,我惊奇地发现人脑中巨大的创造力和潜质。船只在繁忙的河上鸣叫着来来往往--高速快艇和笨头笨脑喘着气的拖船。如果我能看见的日子更长些,我要花更多的时间看看这河上快乐的景象。

放眼望去,面前林立着的纽约的高楼大厦,似乎是从童话故事的篇章中出现的一座城市,多么令人敬畏的景象,这些闪闪发光的尖塔,这些巨大的石头与钢铁的建筑群,就像众神为他们自己而建的!这幅生机蓬勃的图景是千百万人每天生活的一部分。我不知道,到底有多少人会对它回头再多看一眼?只怕寥寥无几,他们对这辉煌的景象视而不见,因为这对他们太熟悉了。

我匆匆来到这些巨大建筑之一的帝国大厦的顶端,因为在那里,不久以前,我通过我的秘书的眼睛 “俯视” 过这座城市。我渴望把我的想象同现实作一番比较。我确信,我对展现在我面前的景观不会失望,因为它对我来说是另一个世界的景象。

现在我开始亲历这座城市。首先,我站在一个热闹的角落,仅仅是看着人们,试图以审视他们来理解他们生活中的某些东西。看到笑容,我感到高兴;看到果敢,我感到骄傲;看到苦难,我就同情。

我漫步在第五大道上(译注:第五大道是纽约曼哈顿区的最繁华最壮观的商业大道,有许多高档精品商店,洛克菲勒中心就在该大道附近),我的目光没有焦点,我没有看特别的目标,只是看那彩色万花筒般川流不息的人群。我相信那成群女人的服装颜色一定是一种华丽的奇观,我会百看不厌的。或许,如果我能看得见,我也会像其他大多数女人一样--也对个人服装的式样和剪裁很感兴趣,而不去注意其色彩。我也相信,我也会成为一个有瘾的橱窗浏览者,因为看那陈列的无数美好的商品一定是赏心悦目之事。

从第五大道起我开始浏览这座城市--到公园大道,到贫民窟,到工厂区,到儿童游乐园去。我通过参观外国居民区来进行一次不出国的国外旅行。我总是睁大眼睛看所有的景象,既看幸福的,也看悲哀的,以便我可以深入探究和加深理解人们是如何工作和生活的。我心中充满了人和事物的形象,我的眼睛不轻易放过任何一件小事,它力求触及并紧紧抓住所见的每件事。有些景象是愉快的,让心里充满快乐,而有些是悲惨的,对这些事,我并不闭上我的眼睛,因为这也是生活的一部分,闭起双眼就是关闭了心灵与思想。

我能看得见的第三天即将结束了。也许还有许多强烈的愿望我应花费最后的几个小时去实现,但是,我怕这最后一天的晚上我又溜到戏院去,去看一部欢快有趣的戏剧以便能欣赏人类精神世界里喜剧的含蓄意义。

午夜,我摆脱盲人苦境的短暂时刻就要结束了,永恒的黑夜又回到我身上。当然,在这短短的3天中,我并没有看到我想看的所有事情,唯有在黑暗重新降临在我身上之时,我才意识到我还有多少事情没有看到。但我的脑海里充满了这么多美好的记忆,以至我没有时间去后悔。此后,对每个东西的触摸都将使我想起那东西看起来是什么样的。

也许,这篇简短的关于怎样度过这能看得见的3天的概述,和你们自己在遭致失明的情况下所设想的不一致。然而,我确信,如果你真的面临那不幸的命运,你的目光将会尽量投向你过去从未看见过的事物,为你今后的漫漫长夜保存下回忆,你将以过去从未有过的方式去利用你的眼睛。你所看到的每件事会变得珍贵起来,你的眼睛会触及并抓住在进入你视线范围之内的每件事物。然后,你最终真正地看见了,于是,一个美丽的新世界在你面前展开了。

我,一个盲人,可以给那些能看得见的人一个提示--对想充分利用视力天赋的人的一个忠告:善用你的双眼吧,就好像你明天就会遭致失明一样。这同样的方法也能用于其他的感官上,去听悦耳的乐声,鸟儿的鸣唱,乐队的强劲旋律,就好像你明天就遭致失聪一样;去触摸你想摸的每个物体,就像你明天会失去触觉一样;去闻花朵的芳香,津津有味地去尝美味佳肴,就好像你明天会再也不能闻到、尝到一样。充分利用每一个感官,通过自然提供给你的几种接触方式,为世界向你显示的所有愉快而美好的一切而自豪吧。但是,在所有的感觉之中,我相信视觉一定是最令人赏心悦目的。

导读

海伦·凯勒(Helen Keller),19世纪美国盲聋女作家、教育家、慈善家、社会活动家。她自幼因病成为盲聋哑人,但她自强不息,克服巨大的困难读完了大学。她一生写了十几部作品,同时致力于救助伤残儿童、保护妇女权益和争取种族平等的社会活动。1964年获总统自由勋章。她的事迹曾两次被拍成电影。

《假如给我三天光明》是海伦·凯勒的代表作。她以一个身残志坚的柔弱女子的视角,告诫身体健全的人们应该珍惜生命,珍惜造物主赐予的一切。

核心单词

miracle n. 奇迹;奇迹般的人

countenance n. 面容,脸色;表情

accurately adv. 准确地;精确地

stalwart adj. 健壮的;结实的

splendor n. 光辉;壮丽;辉煌

manual adj. 手工的;用手操作的

scurry v. 急匆匆地跑;急赶

翻译行不行

The eyes of seeing persons soon become accustomed to the routine of their surroundings,and they actually see only the startling and spectacular.

Upon my short visit to this temple of art,I should not be able to review a fraction of that great world of art which is open to you.

The Last Class

Alphonse Daudet

I was very late for school that morning,and I was terribly afraid of being scolded,especially as Monsieur Hamel had told us that he should examine us on participles,and I did not know the first thing about them. For a moment I thought of staying away from school and wandering about the fields. It was such a warm,lovely day. I could hear the blackbirds whistling on the edge of the wood,and in the Rippert field,behind the sawmill,the Prussians going through their drill. All that was much more tempting to me than the rules concerning participles;but I had the strength to resist,and I ran as fast as I could to school.

As I passed the mayor’ s office,I saw that there were people gathered about the little board on which notices were posted. For two years all our bad news had come from that board-battles lost,conscriptions,orders from headquarters;and I thought without stopping, “What can it be now?”

Then,as I ran across the square,Watcher the blacksmith,who stood there with his apprentice,reading the placard,called out to me, “Don’ t hurry so,my boy;you’ ll get to your school soon enough!” I thought that he was making fun of me,and I ran into Monsieur Hamel’ s little yard all out of breath.

Usually,at the beginning of school,there was a great uproar which could be heard in the street,desks opening and closing,lessons repeated aloud in unison,with our ears stuffed in order to learn quicker,and the teacher’ s stout ruler beating on the desk, “A little more quiet!” I counted on all this noise to reach my bench unnoticed;but as it happened,that day everything was quiet,like a Sunday morning. Through the open window I saw my comrades already in their places,and Monsieur Hamel walking back and forth with the terrible iron ruler under his arm. I had to open the door and enter,in the midst of that perfect silence. You can imagine whether I blushed and whether I was afraid! But no! Monsieur Hamel looked at me with no sign of anger and said very gently, “Go at once to your seat,my little Frantz,we were going to begin without you.”

I stepped over the bench and sat down at once at my desk. Not until then,when I had partly recovered from my fright,did I notice that our teacher had on his handsome blue coat,his plaited ruff,and the black silk embroidered breeches,which he wore only on days of inspection or of distribution of prizes. Moreover,there was something extraordinary,something solemn about the whole class. But what surprised me most was to see at the back of the room,on the benches which were usually empty,some people from the village sitting,as silent as we were:old Hauser with his three-cornered hat,the ex-mayor,the ex-postman,and others besides. They all seemed depressed;and Hauser had brought an old spelling-book with gnawed edges,which he held wide-open on his knee,with his great spectacles askew.

While I was wondering at all this,Monsieur Hamel had mounted his platform,and in the same gentle and serious voice with which he had welcomed me,he said to us, “My children,this is the last time that I shall teach you. Orders have come from Berlin to teach nothing but German in the schools of Alsace and Lorraine. The new teacher arrives tomorrow. This is the last class in French,so I beg you to be very attentive.” Those few words overwhelmed me. Ah! The villains! That was what they had posted at the mayor’ s office.

My last class in French! And I barely knew how to write! So I should never learn! I must stop short where I was! How angry I was with myself because of the time I had wasted,the lessons I had missed,running about after nests,or sliding on the Saar! My books,which only a moment before I thought so tiresome,so heavy to carry-my grammar,my sacred history-seemed to me now like old friends,from whom I should be terribly grieved to part. And it was the same about Monsieur Hamel. The thought that he was going away,that I should never see him again,made me forget the punishments,the blows with the ruler.

Poor man! It was in honor of that last lesson that he had put on his fine Sunday clothes;and I understood now why those old fellows from the village were sitting at the end of the room. It seemed to mean that they regretted not having come oftener to the school. It was also a way of thanking our teacher for his forty years of faithful service,and of paying their respects to the fatherland which was vanishing.

I was at that point in my reflections,when I heard my name called. It was my turn to recite. What would I not have given to be able to say from beginning to end that famous rule about participles,in a loud,distinct voice,without a slip! But I got mixed up at the first words,and I stood there swaying against my bench,with a full heart,afraid to raise my head. I heard Monsieur Hamel speaking to me, “I will not scold you,my little Frantz;you must be punished enough;that is the way it goes;every day we say to ourselves, ‘Shaw! I have time enough. I will learn tomorrow.’ And then you see what happens. Ah! It has been the great misfortune of our Alsace always to postpone its lessons until tomorrow. Now those people are entitled to say to us, ‘What! You claim to be French,and you can neither speak nor write your language!’ In all this,my poor Frantz,you are not the guiltiest one. We all have our fair share of reproaches to address to ourselves. Your parents have not been careful enough to see that you were educated. They preferred to send you to work in the fields or in the factories,in order to have a few more sous. And have I nothing to reproach myself for? Have I not often made you water my garden instead of studying? And when I wanted to go fishing for trout,have I ever hesitated to dismiss you?”

Then,passing from one thing to another,Monsieur Hamel began to talk to us about the French language,saying that it was the most beautiful language in the world,the most clear,the most substantial;that we must always retain it among ourselves,and never forget it,because when a people falls into servitude,so long as it clings to its language,it is as if it held the key to its prison. Then he took the grammar and read us our lesson. I was amazed to see how readily I understood. Everything that he said seemed so easy to me,so easy. I believed,too,that I had never listened so closely,and that he,for his part,had never been so patient with his explanations. One would have said that,before going away,the poor man desired to give us all his knowledge,to force it all into our heads at a single blow.

When the lesson was at an end,we passed to writing. For that day Monsieur Hamel had prepared some entirely new examples,on which was written in a fine,round hand, “France,Alsace,France,and Alsace.” They were like little flags,waving all about the class,hanging from the rods of our desks. You should have seen how hard we all worked and how silent it was! Nothing could be heard save the grinding of the pens over the paper. At one time some cockchafers flew in,but no one paid any attention to them,not even the little fellows who were struggling with their straight lines,with a will and conscientious application,as if even the lines were French. On the roof of the schoolhouse,pigeons cooed in low tones,and I said to myself as I listened to them, “I wonder if they are going to compel them to sing in German too!”

From time to time,when I raised my eyes from my paper I saw Monsieur Hamel sitting motionless in his chair and staring at the objects about him as if he wished to carry away in his glance the whole of his little schoolhouse. Think of it! For forty years he had been there in the same place,with his yard in front of him and his class just as it was! But the benches and desks were polished and rubbed by use;the walnuts in the yard had grown,and the hop-vine which he himself had planted now festooned the windows even to the roof. What a heart-rending thing it must have been for that poor man to leave all those things,and to hear his sister walking back and forth in the room overhead,packing their trunks! For they were to go away the next day-to leave the province forever. However,he had the courage to keep the class to the end. After the writing,we had the lesson in history;then the little ones sang all together the ba,be,bi,bo,bu. Yonder,at the back of the room,old Hauser had put on his spectacles,and,holding his spelling-book in both hands,he spelled out the letters with them. I could see that he too was applying himself. His voice shook with emotion,and it was so funny to hear him,that was we all long to laugh and to cry. Ah! I shall remember that last class. Suddenly the church clock struck twelve,and then the Angelus rang. At the same moment,the bugles of the Prussians returning from drill blared under our windows Monsieur Hamel rose,pale as death,from his chair. Never had he seemed to me so tall.

“My friends,” he said, “My friends,I-I-” But something suffocated him. He could not finish the sentence. There upon he turned to the blackboard took a piece of chalk,and,bearing on with all his might,he wrote in the largest letters he could “VIVE LA FRANCE!” then he stood there,with his head resting against the wall,and without speaking,he motioned to us with his hand, “That is all go.” 960sbdjd1VUt7Y07d3KLhsmP8RoWY9KDMTc6sDkqXCrpiY7l76DKWXdp/C9JMThh

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