安徒生童话-第44章

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t　to　travel；　and　before　he　started　he　placeda　gold　ring　on　my　finger；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　out　of　the　house；　mymistress　sent　for　me。　Gently　and　earnestly　she　drew　me　to　her；　andspake　as　if　an　angel　were　speaking。　She　showed　me　clearly；　in　spiritand　in　truth；　the　difference　there　was　between　him　and　me。　'He　ispleased　now；'　she　said；　'with　your　pretty　face；　but　good　looks　donot　last　long。　You　have　not　been　educated　like　he　has。　You　are　notequals　in　mind　and　rank；　and　therein　lies　the　misfortune。　I　esteem　thepoor；'　she　added。　'In　the　sight　of　God；　they　may　occupy　a　higher　placethan　many　of　the　rich；　but　here　upon　earth　we　must　beware　ofentering　upon　a　false　track；　lest　we　are　overturned　in　our　plans；　likea　carriage　that　travels　by　a　dangerous　road。　I　know　a　worthy　man；　anartisan；　who　wishes　to　marry　you。　I　mean　Eric；　the　glovemaker。　He　is　awidower；　without　children；　and　in　a　good　position。　Will　you　think　itover？'　Every　word　she　said　pierced　my　heart　like　a　knife；　but　I　knewshe　was　right；　and　the　thought　pressed　heavily　upon　me。　I　kissed　herhand；　and　wept　bitter　tears；　and　I　wept　still　more　when　I　went　to　myroom；　and　threw　myself　on　the　bed。　I　passed　through　a　dreadfulnight；　God　knows　what　I　suffered；　and　how　I　struggled。　The　followingSunday　I　went　to　the　house　of　God　to　pray　for　light　to　direct　my　path。It　seemed　like　a　providence　that　as　I　stepped　out　of　church　Ericcame　towards　me；　and　then　there　remained　not　a　doubt　in　my　mind。　Wewere　suited　to　each　other　in　rank　and　circumstances。　He　was；　eventhen；　a　man　of　good　means。　I　went　up　to　him；　and　took　his　hand；　andsaid；　'Do　you　still　feel　the　same　for　me？'　'Yes；　ever　and　always；'said　he。　'Will　you；　then；　marry　a　maiden　who　honors　and　esteems　you；although　she　cannot　offer　you　her　love？　but　that　may　e。'　'Yes；　itwill　e；'　said　he；　and　we　joined　our　hands　together；　and　I　went　hometo　my　mistress。　The　gold　ring　which　her　son　had　given　me　I　wore　nextto　my　heart。　I　could　not　place　it　on　my　finger　during　the　daytime；　butonly　in　the　evening；　when　I　went　to　bed。　I　kissed　the　ring　till　mylips　almost　bled；　and　then　I　gave　it　to　my　mistress；　and　told　her　thatthe　banns　were　to　be　put　up　for　me　and　the　glovemaker　the　followingweek。　Then　my　mistress　threw　her　arms　round　me；　and　kissed　me。　She　didnot　say　that　I　was　'good　for　nothing；'　very　likely　I　was　better　thenthan　I　am　now；　but　the　misfortunes　of　this　world；　were　unknown　to　methen。　At　Michaelmas　we　were　married；　and　for　the　first　year　everythingwent　well　with　us。　We　had　a　journeyman　and　an　apprentice；　and　you　wereour　servant；　Martha。〃

〃Ah；　yes；　and　you　were　a　dear；　good　mistress；〃　said　Martha；　〃Ishall　never　forget　how　kind　you　and　your　husband　were　to　me。〃

〃Yes；　those　were　happy　years　when　you　were　with　us；　although　wehad　no　children　at　first。　The　student　I　never　met　again。　Yet　I　saw　himonce；　although　he　did　not　see　me。　He　came　to　his　mother's　funeral。　Isaw　him；　looking　pale　as　death；　and　deeply　troubled；　standing　at　hergrave；　for　she　was　his　mother。　Sometime　after；　when　his　father　died；he　was　in　foreign　lands；　and　did　not　e　home。　I　know　that　he　nevermarried；　I　believe　he　became　a　lawyer。　He　had　forgotten　me；　and　evenhad　we　met　he　would　not　have　known　me；　for　I　have　lost　all　my　goodlooks；　and　perhaps　that　is　all　for　the　best。〃　And　then　she　spoke　ofthe　dark　days　of　trial；　when　misfortune　had　fallen　upon　them。

〃We　had　five　hundred　dollars；〃　she　said；　〃and　there　was　a　house　inthe　street　to　be　sold　for　two　hundred；　so　we　thought　it　would　be　worthour　while　to　pull　it　down　and　build　a　new　one　in　its　place；　so　itwas　bought。　The　builder　and　carpenter　made　an　estimate　that　the　newhouse　would　cost　ten　hundred　and　twenty　dollars　to　build。　Eric　hadcredit；　so　he　borrowed　the　money　in　the　chief　town。　But　the　captain；who　was　bringing　it　to　him；　was　shipwrecked；　and　the　money　lost。Just　about　this　time；　my　dear　sweet　boy；　who　lies　sleeping　there；was　born；　and　my　husband　was　attacked　with　a　severe　lingering　illness。For　three　quarters　of　a　year　I　was　obliged　to　dress　and　undress　him。We　were　backward　in　our　payments；　we　borrowed　more　money；　and　all　thatwe　had　was　lost　and　sold；　and　then　my　husband　died。　Since　then　Ihave　worked；　toiled；　and　striven　for　the　sake　of　the　child。　I　havescrubbed　and　washed　both　coarse　and　fine　linen；　but　I　have　not　beenable　to　make　myself　better　off；　and　it　was　God's　will。　In　His　own　timeHe　will　take　me　to　Himself；　but　I　know　He　will　never　forsake　myboy。〃　Then　she　fell　asleep。　In　the　morning　she　felt　much　refreshed；and　strong　enough；　as　she　thought；　to　go　on　with　her　work。　But　as　soonas　she　stepped　into　the　cold　water；　a　sudden　faintness　seized　her；　sheclutched　at　the　air　convulsively　with　her　hand；　took　one　step　forward；and　fell。　Her　head　rested　on　dry　land；　but　her　feet　were　in　the　water；her　wooden　shoes；　which　were　only　tied　on　by　a　wisp　of　straw；　werecarried　away　by　the　stream；　and　thus　she　was　found　by　Martha　whenshe　came　to　bring　her　some　coffee。

In　the　meantime　a　messenger　had　been　sent　to　her　house　by　themayor；　to　say　that　she　must　e　to　him　immediately；　as　he　hadsomething　to　tell　her。　It　was　too　late；　a　surgeon　had　been　sent　for　toopen　a　vein　in　her　arm；　but　the　poor　woman　was　dead。

〃She　has　drunk　herself　to　death；〃　said　the　cruel　mayor。　In　theletter；　containing　the　news　of　his　brother's　death；　it　was　stated　thathe　had　left　in　his　will　a　legacy　of　six　hundred　dollars　to　theglovemaker's　widow；　who　had　been　his　mother's　maid；　to　be　paid　withdiscretion；　in　large　or　small　sums　to　the　widow　or　her　child。

〃There　was　something　between　my　brother　and　her；　I　remember；〃　saidthe　mayor；　〃it　is　a　good　thing　that　she　is　out　of　the　way；　for　now　theboy　will　have　the　whole。　I　will　place　him　with　honest　people　tobring　him　up；　that　he　may　bee　a　respectable　working　man。〃　And　theblessing　of　God　rested　upon　these　words。　The　mayor　sent　for　the　boy　toe　to　him；　and　promised　to　take　care　of　him；　but　most　cruellyadded　that　it　was　a　good　thing　that　his　mother　was　dead；　for　〃shewas　good　for　nothing。〃　They　carried　her　to　the　churchyard；　thechurchyard　in　which　the　poor　were　buried。　Martha　strewed　sand　on　thegrave　and　planted　a　rose…tree　upon　it；　and　the　boy　stood　by　her　side。

〃Oh；　my　poor　mother！〃　he　cried；　while　the　tears　rolled　down　hischeeks。　〃Is　it　true　what　they　say；　that　she　was　good　for　nothing？〃

〃No；　indeed；　it　is　not　true；〃　replied　the　old　servant；　raising　hereyes　to　heaven；　〃she　was　worth　a　great　deal；　I　knew　it　years　ago；and　since　the　last　night　of　her　life　I　am　more　certain　of　it　thanever。　I　say　she　was　a　good　and　worthy　woman；　and　God；　who　is　inheaven；　knows　I　am　speaking　the　truth；　though　the　world　may　say；even　now　she　was　good　for　nothing。〃

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　　　SOMETHING

　　　by　Hans　Christian　AndersenSOMETHING

〃I　MEAN　to　be　somebody；　and　do　something　useful　in　the　world；〃said　the　eldest　of　five　brothers。　〃I　don't　care　how　humble　my　positionis；　so　that　I　can　only　do　some　good；　which　will　be　something。　I　intendto　be　a　brickmaker；　bricks　are　always　wanted；　and　I　shall　be　reallydoing　something。〃

〃Your　'something'　is　not　enough　for　me；〃　said　the　secondbrother；　〃what　you　talk　of　doing　is　nothing　at　all；　it　is　journeyman'swork；　or　might　even　be　done　by　a　machine。　No！　I　should　prefer　to　bea　builder　at　once；　there　is　something　real　in　that。　A　man　gains　aposition；　he　bees　a　citizen；　has　his　own　sign；　his　own　house　ofcall　for　his　workmen：　so　I　shall　be　a　builder。　If　all　goes　well；　intime　I　shall　bee　a　master；　and　have　my　own　journeymen；　and　mywife　will　be　treated　as　a　master's　wife。　This　is　what　I　callsomething。〃

〃I　call　it　all　nothing；〃　said　the　third；　〃not　in　reality　anyposition。　There　are　many　in　a　town　far　above　a　master　builder　inposition。　You　may　be　an　upright　man；　but　even　as　a　master　you　willonly　be　ranked　among　mon　men。　I　know　better　what　to　do　than　that。　Iwill　be　an　architect；　which　will　place　me　among　those　who　possessriches　and　intellect；　and　who　speculate　in　art。　I　shall　certainly　haveto　rise　by　my　own　endeavors　from　a　bricklayer's　laborer；　or　as　acarpenter's　apprentice…　a　lad　wearing　a　paper　cap；　although　I　now　weara　silk　hat。　I　shall　have　to　fetch　beer　and　spirits　for　the　journeymen；and　they　will　call　me　'thou；'　which　will　be　an　insult。　I　shallendure　it；　however；　for　I　shall　look　upon　it　all　as　a　mererepresentation；　a　masquerade；　a　mummery；　which　to…morrow；　that　is；when　I　myself　as　a　journeyman；　shall　have　served　my　time；　will　vanish；and　I　shall　go　my　way；　and　all　that　has　passed　will　be　nothing　tome。　Then　I　shall　enter　the　academy；　and　get　instructed　in　drawing；　andbe　called　an　architect。　I　may　even　attain　to　rank；　and　havesomething　placed　before　or　after　my　name；　and　I　shall　build　asothers　have　done　before　me。　By　this　there　will　be　always　'something'to　make　me　remembered；　and　is　not　that　worth　living　for？〃

〃Not　in　my　opinion；〃　said　the　fourth；　〃I　will　never　follow　thelead　of　others；　and　only　imitate　what　they　have　done。　I　will　be　agenius；　and　bee　greater　than　all　of　you　together。　I　will　create　anew　style　of　building；　and　introduce　a　plan　for　erecting　housessuitable　to　the　climate；　with　material　easily　obtained　in　the　country；and　thus　suit　national　feeling　and　the　developments　of　the　age；besides　building　a　storey　for　my　own　genius。〃

〃But　supposing　the　climate　and　th