"I
lay
on
my straw,
but
I
could
not
sleep. I
thought
of
the
occurrences
of
the
day.
What
chiefly struck
me
was
the
gentle
manners
of
these
people,
and
I
longed
to
join
them,
but
dared
not. I
remembered
too
well
the
treatment I had
suffered
the
night
before
from
the
barbarous
villagers,
and
resolved, whatever
course
of
conduct
I
might
hereafter
think
it
right
to
pursue,
that
for
the
present
I
would
remain
quietly
in
my hovel,
watching
and
endeavouring
to
discover
the
motives
which
influenced
their
actions. "The cottagers arose
the
next
morning
before
the
sun.
The
young
woman
arranged
the
cottage
and
prepared
the
food,
and
the
youth
departed
after
the
first
meal. "This
day
was
passed
in
the
same
routine
as
that
which
preceded
it.
The
young
man
was
constantly
employed
out
of
doors,
and
the
girl
in
various
laborious
occupations
within.
The
old
man,
whom
I
soon
perceived
to
be
blind,
employed
his
leisure
hours
on
his
instrument
or
in
contemplation.
Nothing
could
exceed
the
love
and
respect
which
the
younger
cottagers
exhibited
towards
their
venerable
companion.
They
performed
towards
him
every
little
office
of
affection
and
duty
with
gentleness,
and
he
rewarded
them
by
his
benevolent
smiles. "They
were
not
entirely happy.
The
young
man
and
his
companion
often
went
apart
and
appeared
to
weep. I
saw
no
cause
for
their
unhappiness,
but
I
was
deeply
affected
by
it.
If
such
lovely
creatures
were
miserable,
it
was
less
strange
that
I,
an
imperfect
and
solitary
being,
should
be
wretched.
Yet
why
were
these
gentle
beings unhappy?
They
possessed a delightful
house
(for
such
it
was
in
my eyes)
and
every
luxury;
they
had a
fire
to
warm
them
when
chill
and
delicious
viands
when
hungry;
they
were
dressed
in
excellent
clothes; and,
still
more,
they
enjoyed
one
another's
company
and
speech,
interchanging
each
day
looks
of
affection
and
kindness.
What
did
their
tears
imply?
Did
they
really express pain? I
was
at
first
unable
to
solve
these
questions,
but
perpetual
attention
and
time
explained
to
me
many
appearances
which
were
at
first
enigmatic. "A
considerable
period
elapsed
before
I
discovered
one
of
the
causes
of
the
uneasiness
of
this
amiable
family:
it
was
poverty,
and
they
suffered
that
evil
in
a
very
distressing
degree.
Their
nourishment
consisted
entirely
of
the
vegetables
of
their
garden
and
the
milk
of
one
cow,
which
gave
very
little
during
the
winter,
when
its
masters
could
scarcely
procure
food
to
support it.
They
often, I believe,
suffered
the
pangs
of
hunger
very
poignantly, especially
the
two
younger
cottagers,
for
several
times
they
placed
food
before
the
old
man
when
they
reserved
none
for
themselves. "This
trait
of
kindness
moved
me
sensibly. I had been accustomed,
during
the
night,
to
steal
a
part
of
their
store
for
my
own
consumption,
but
when
I found
that
in
doing
this
I
inflicted
pain
on
the
cottagers, I
abstained
and
satisfied
myself
with
berries, nuts,
and
roots
which
I
gathered
from
a
neighbouring
wood. "I
discovered
also
another
means
through
which
I
was
enabled
to
assist
their
labours. I found
that
the
youth
spent a
great
part
of
each
day
in
collecting
wood
for
the
family
fire,
and
during
the
night
I
often
took
his
tools,
the
use
of
which
I
quickly
discovered,
and
brought
home
firing
sufficient
for
the
consumption
of
several
days. "I remember,
the
first
time
that
I
did
this,
the
young
woman,
when
she
opened
the
door
in
the
morning,
appeared
greatly
astonished
on
seeing
a
great
pile
of
wood
on
the
outside.
She
uttered
some
words
in
a
loud
voice,
and
the
youth
joined
her,
who
also
expressed surprise. I observed,
with
pleasure,
that
he
did
not
go
to
the
forest
that
day,
but
spent
it
in
repairing
the
cottage
and
cultivating
the
garden. "By
degrees
I
made
a discovery
of
still
greater
moment. I found
that
these
people
possessed a
method
of
communicating
their
experience
and
feelings
to
one
another
by
articulate
sounds. I
perceived
that
the
words
they
spoke
sometimes produced pleasure
or
pain,
smiles
or
sadness,
in
the
minds
and
countenances
of
the
hearers.
This
was
indeed
a godlike science,
and
I
ardently
desired
to
become
acquainted
with
it.
But
I
was
baffled
in
every
attempt I
made
for
this
purpose.
Their
pronunciation
was
quick,
and
the
words
they
uttered,
not
having
any
apparent
connection
with
visible
objects, I
was
unable
to
discover
any
clue
by
which
I
could
unravel
the
mystery
of
their
reference.
By
great
application, however,
and
after
having
remained
during
the
space
of
several
revolutions
of
the
moon
in
my hovel, I
discovered
the
names
that
were
given
to
some
of
the
most
familiar
objects
of
discourse; I learned
and
applied
the
words, 'fire,' 'milk,' 'bread,'
and
'wood.' I learned
also
the
names
of
the
cottagers themselves.
The
youth
and
his
companion
had
each
of
them
several
names,
but
the
old
man
had
only
one,
which
was
'father.'
The
girl
was
called
'sister'
or
'Agatha,'
and
the
youth
'Felix,' 'brother,'
or
'son.' I cannot
describe
the
delight
I felt
when
I learned
the
ideas
appropriated
to
each
of
these
sounds
and
was
able
to
pronounce
them. I distinguished
several
other
words
without
being
able
as
yet
to
understand
or
apply
them,
such
as
'good,' 'dearest,' 'unhappy.' "I spent
the
winter
in
this
manner.
The
gentle
manners
and
beauty
of
the
cottagers
greatly
endeared
them
to
me;
when
they
were
unhappy, I felt depressed;
when
they
rejoiced, I
sympathized
in
their
joys. I
saw
few
human
beings besides them,
and
if
any
other
happened
to
enter
the
cottage,
their
harsh
manners
and
rude
gait
only
enhanced
to
me
the
superior
accomplishments
of
my friends.
The
old
man, I
could
perceive,
often
endeavoured
to
encourage
his
children,
as
sometimes I found
that
he
called
them,
to
cast
off
their
melancholy.
He
would
talk
in
a cheerful accent,
with
an
expression
of
goodness
that
bestowed pleasure
even
upon
me.
Agatha
listened
with
respect,
her
eyes
sometimes
filled
with
tears,
which
she
endeavoured
to
wipe
away
unperceived;
but
I generally found
that
her
countenance
and
tone
were
more
cheerful
after
having
listened
to
the
exhortations
of
her
father.
It
was
not
thus
with
Felix.
He
was
always
the
saddest
of
the
group,
and
even
to
my unpractised senses,
he
appeared
to
have
suffered
more
deeply
than
his
friends.
But
if
his
countenance
was
more
sorrowful,
his
voice
was
more
cheerful
than
that
of
his
sister, especially
when
he
addressed
the
old
man. "I
could
mention
innumerable
instances
which, although slight,
marked
the
dispositions
of
these
amiable
cottagers.
In
the
midst
of
poverty
and
want,
Felix
carried
with
pleasure
to
his
sister
the
first
little
white
flower
that
peeped
out
from
beneath
the
snowy
ground.
Early
in
the
morning,
before
she
had risen,
he
cleared
away
the
snow
that
obstructed
her
path
to
the
milk-house,
drew
water
from
the
well,
and
brought
the
wood
from
the
outhouse, where,
to
his
perpetual
astonishment,
he
found
his
store
always
replenished
by
an
invisible
hand.
In
the
day, I believe,
he
worked
sometimes
for
a
neighbouring
farmer,
because
he
often
went
forth
and
did
not
return
until
dinner,
yet
brought
no
wood
with
him.
At
other
times
he
worked
in
the
garden,
but
as
there
was
little
to
do
in
the
frosty
season,
he
read
to
the
old
man
and
Agatha. "This
reading
had puzzled
me
extremely
at
first,
but
by
degrees
I
discovered
that
he
uttered
many
of
the
same
sounds
when
he
read
as
when
he
talked. I conjectured, therefore,
that
he
found
on
the
paper
signs
for
speech
which
he
understood,
and
I
ardently
longed
to
comprehend
these
also;
but
how
was
that
possible
when
I
did
not
even
understand
the
sounds
for
which
they
stood
as
signs? I improved, however, sensibly
in
this
science,
but
not
sufficiently
to
follow
up
any
kind
of
conversation, although I applied my
whole
mind
to
the
endeavour,
for
I easily
perceived
that, although I
eagerly
longed
to
discover
myself
to
the
cottagers, I
ought
not
to
make
the
attempt
until
I had
first
become
master
of
their
language,
which
knowledge
might
enable
me
to
make
them
overlook
the
deformity
of
my figure,
for
with
this
also
the
contrast
perpetually
presented
to
my
eyes
had
made
me
acquainted. "I had
admired
the
perfect
forms
of
my cottagers—their grace, beauty,
and
delicate
complexions;
but
how
was
I terrified
when
I viewed
myself
in
a
transparent
pool!
At
first
I started back,
unable
to
believe
that
it
was
indeed
I
who
was
reflected
in
the
mirror;
and
when
I became
fully
convinced
that
I
was
in
reality
the
monster
that
I am, I
was
filled
with
the
bitterest
sensations
of
despondence
and
mortification. Alas! I
did
not
yet
entirely
know
the
fatal
effects
of
this
miserable
deformity. "As
the
sun
became
warmer
and
the
light
of
day
longer,
the
snow
vanished,
and
I beheld
the
bare
trees
and
the
black
earth.
From
this
time
Felix
was
more
employed,
and
the
heart-moving
indications
of
impending
famine
disappeared.
Their
food,
as
I afterwards found,
was
coarse,
but
it
was
wholesome;
and
they
procured
a
sufficiency
of
it.
Several
new
kinds
of
plants
sprang
up
in
the
garden,
which
they
dressed;
and
these
signs
of
comfort
increased
daily
as
the
season
advanced. "The
old
man,
leaning
on
his
son, walked
each
day
at
noon,
when
it
did
not
rain,
as
I found
it
was
called
when
the
heavens
poured
forth
its
waters.
This
frequently
took
place,
but
a high wind
quickly
dried
the
earth,
and
the
season
became
far
more
pleasant
than
it
had been. "My
mode
of
life
in
my hovel
was
uniform.
During
the
morning
I
attended
the
motions
of
the
cottagers,
and
when
they
were
dispersed
in
various
occupations, I slept;
the
remainder
of
the
day
was
spent
in
observing
my friends.
When
they
had retired
to
rest,
if
there
was
any
moon
or
the
night
was
star-light, I went
into
the
woods
and
collected
my
own
food
and
fuel
for
the
cottage.
When
I returned,
as
often
as
it
was
necessary, I cleared
their
path
from
the
snow
and
performed
those
offices
that
I had
seen
done
by
Felix. I afterwards found
that
these
labours,
performed
by
an
invisible
hand,
greatly
astonished
them;
and
once
or
twice
I
heard
them,
on
these
occasions,
utter
the
words
'good spirit,' 'wonderful';
but
I
did
not
then
understand
the
signification
of
these
terms. "My
thoughts
now
became
more
active,
and
I
longed
to
discover
the
motives
and
feelings
of
these
lovely
creatures; I
was
inquisitive
to
know
why
Felix
appeared
so
miserable
and
Agatha
so
sad. I
thought
(foolish wretch!)
that
it
might
be
in
my power
to
restore
happiness
to
these
deserving
people.
When
I slept
or
was
absent,
the
forms
of
the
venerable
blind father,
the
gentle
Agatha,
and
the
excellent
Felix
flitted
before
me. I
looked
upon
them
as
superior
beings
who
would
be
the
arbiters
of
my
future
destiny. I
formed
in
my
imagination
a
thousand
pictures
of
presenting
myself
to
them,
and
their
reception
of
me. I
imagined
that
they
would
be
disgusted, until,
by
my
gentle
demeanour
and
conciliating
words, I
should
first
win
their
favour
and
afterwards
their
love. "These
thoughts
exhilarated
me
and
led
me
to
apply
with
fresh
ardour
to
the
acquiring
the
art
of
language. My
organs
were
indeed
harsh,
but
supple;
and
although my voice
was
very
unlike
the
soft
music
of
their
tones,
yet
I pronounced
such
words
as
I understood
with
tolerable
ease.
It
was
as
the
ass
and
the
lap-dog;
yet
surely
the
gentle
ass
whose
intentions
were
affectionate, although
his
manners
were
rude,
deserved
better
treatment
than
blows
and
execration. "The
pleasant
showers
and
genial
warmth
of
spring
greatly
altered
the
aspect
of
the
earth. Men
who
before
this
change
seemed
to
have
been hid
in
caves
dispersed
themselves
and
were
employed
in
various
arts
of
cultivation.
The
birds
sang
in
more
cheerful notes,
and
the
leaves
began
to
bud
forth
on
the
trees. Happy,
happy
earth! Fit
habitation
for
gods, which,
so
short
a time before,
was
bleak, damp,
and
unwholesome. My spirits
were
elevated
by
the
enchanting
appearance
of
nature;
the
past
was
blotted
from
my memory,
the
present
was
tranquil,
and
the
future
gilded
by
bright
rays
of
hope
and
anticipations
of
joy."