少年维特的烦恼-第6章

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that　all　heaven　lay　so　near　it。　How　often　in　my　wanderings　from　the　hillside
or　from　the　meadows　across　the　river，　have　I　beheld　this　hunting…lodge，
which　now　contains　within　it　all　the　joy　of　my　heart！

　　I　have　often，　my　dear　Wilhelm，　reflected　on　the　eagerness　men　feel
to　wander　and　make　new　discoveries，　and　upon　that　secret　impulse　which
afterward　inclines　them　to　return　to　their　narrow　circle，　conform　to
the　laws　of　custom，　and　embarrass　themselves　no　longer　with　what　passes
around　them。

　　It　is　so　strange　how，　when　I　came　here　first　，　and　gazed　upon　that
lovely　valley　from　the　hillside　，　I　felt　charmed　with　the　entire　scene
surrounding　me。　The　little　wood　opposite——　how　delightful　to　sit　under
its　shade　！　How　fine　the　view　from　that　point　of　rock！　Then　，　that
delightful　chain　of　hills　，　and　the　exquisite　valleys　at　their　feet！
Could　I　but　wander　and　lose　myself　amongst　them　！　I　went　，　and　returned
without　finding　what　I　wished。　Distance　，　my　friend，　is　like　futurity。
A　dim　vastness　is　spread　before　our　souls　：　the　perceptions　of　our　mind
are　as　obscure　as　those　of　our　vision　；　and　we　desire　earnestly　to　surrender
up　our　whole　being，　that　it　may　be　filled　with　the　plete　and　perfect
bliss　of　one　glorious　emotion。　But　alas　！　when　we　have　attained　our　object，
when　the　distant　there　bees　the　present　here　，　all　is　changed　：　we
are　as　poor　and　circumscribed　as　ever　，　and　our　souls　still　languish
for　unattainable　happiness。

　　So　does　the　restless　traveller　pant　for　his　native　soil　，　and　find
in　his　own　cottage，　in　the　arms　of　his　wife，　in　the　affections　of　his
children，　and　in　the　labour　necessary　for　their　support，　that　happiness
which　he　had　sought　in　vain　through　the　wide　world。

　　When，　in　the　morning　at　sunrise，　I　go　out　to　Walheim，　and　with
my　own　hands　gather　in　the　garden　the　pease　which　are　to　serve　for　my
dinner，　when　I　sit　down　to　shell　them，　and　read　my　Homer　during　the
intervals　，　and　then　，　selecting　a　saucepan　from　the　kitchen，　fetch
my　own　butter　，　put　my　mess　on　the　fire，　cover　it　up，　and　sit　down
to　stir　it　as　occasion　requires　，　I　figure　to　myself　the　illustrious
suitors　of　Penelope　，　killing，　dressing　，　and　preparing　their　own　oxen
and　swine。　Nothing　fills　me　with　a　more　pure　and　genuine　sense　of　happiness
than　those　traits　of　patriarchal　life　which　，　thank　Heaven　！　I　can　imitate
without　affectation。　Happy　is　it，　indeed　，　for　me　that　my　heart　is　capable
of　feeling　the　same　simple　and　innocent　pleasure　as　the　peasant　whose
table　is　covered　with　food　of　his　own　rearing　，　and　who　not　only　enjoys
his　meal，　but　remembers　with　delight　the　happy　days　and　sunny　mornings
when　he　planted　it，　the　soft　evenings　when　he　watered　it　，　and　the　pleasure
he　experienced　in　watching　its　daily　growth。

　　JUNE　29。　The　day　before　yesterday　，　the　physician　came　from　the　town
to　pay　a　visit　to　the　judge。　He　found　me　on　the　floor　playing　with　Charlotte's
children。　Some　of　them　were　scrambling　over　me，　and　others　romped　with
me；　and，　as　I　caught　and　tickled　them　，　they　made　a　great　noise。　The
doctor　is　a　formal　sort　of　personage：　he　adjusts　the　plaits　of　his　ruffles，
and　continually　settles　his　frill　whilst　he　is　talking　to　you　；　and　he
thought　my　conduct　beneath　the　dignity　of　a　sensible　man。　I　could　perceive
this　by　his　countenance。　But　I　did　not　suffer　myself　to　be　disturbed。
I　allowed　him　to　continue　his　wise　conversation　，　whilst　I　rebuilt　the
children's　card　houses　for　them　as　fast　as　they　threw　them　down。　He　went
about　the　town　afterward，　plaining　that　the　judge's　children　were
spoiled　enough　before　，　but　that　now　Werther　was　pletely　ruining　them。
Yes　，　my　dear　Wilhelm，　nothing　on　this　earth　affects　my　heart　so　much
as　children。　When　I　look　on　at　their　doings　；　when　I　mark　in　the　little
creatures　the　seeds　of　all　those　virtues　and　qualities　which　they　will
one　day　find　so　indispensable　；　when　I　behold　in　the　obstinate　all　the
future　firmness　and　constancy　of　a　noble　character；　in　the　capricious，
that　levity　and　gaiety　of　temper　which　will　carry　them　lightly　over　the
dangers　and　troubles　of　life，　their　whole　nature　simple　and　unpolluted，
——　then　I　call　to　mind　the　golden　words　of　the　Great　Teacher　of　mankind，
〃Unless　ye　bee　like　one　of　these　！〃　And　now　，　my　friend，　these　children，
who　are　our　equals，　whom　we　ought　to　consider　as　our　models，　we　treat
them　as　though　they　were　our　subjects。　They　are　allowed　no　will　of　their
own。　And　have　we，　then　，　none　ourselves　？　Whence　es　our　exclusive
right　？　Is　it　because　we　are　older　and　more　experienced？　Great　God！
from　the　height　of　thy　heaven　thou　beholdest　great　children　and　little
children，　and　no　others；　and　thy　Son　has　long　since　declared　which　afford
thee　greatest　pleasure。　But　they　believe　in　him　，　and　hear　him　not　，
——that，　too，　is　an　old　story；　and　they　train　their　children　after
their　own　image　，　etc。　Adieu　，　Wilhelm：　I　will　not　further　bewilder
myself　with　this　subject。

　　JULY　1。　The　consolation　Charlotte　can　bring　to　an　invalid　I　experience
from　my　own　heart　，　which　suffers　more　from　her　absence　than　many　a　poor
creature　lingering　on　a　bed　of　sickness。　She　is　gone　to　spend　a　few　days
in　the　town　with　a　very　worthy　woman，　who　is　given　over　by　the　physicians，
and　wishes　to　have　Charlotte　near　her　in　her　last　moments。　I　acpanied
her　last　week　on　a　visit　to　the　Vicar　of　S——，　a　small　village　in　the
mountains　，　about　a　league　hence。　We　arrived　about　four　o'clock：　Charlotte
had　taken　her　little　sister　with　her。　When　we　entered　the　vicarage　court，
we　found　the　good　old　man　sitting　on　a　bench　before　the　door，　under　the
shade　of　two　large　walnut…trees。　At　the　sight　of　Charlotte　he　seemed　to
gain　new　life　，　rose　，　forgot　his　stick　，　and　ventured　to　walk　toward
her。　She　ran　to　him　，　and　made　him　sit　down　again；　then　，　placing　herself
by　his　side　，　she　gave　him　a　number　of　messages　from　her　father，　and
then　caught　up　his　youngest　child　，　a　dirty，　ugly　little　thing，　the
joy　of　his　old　age，　and　kissed　it。　I　wish　you　could　have　witnessed　her
attention　to　this　old　man　，——how　she　raised　her　voice　on　account　of
his　deafness；　how　she　told　him　of　healthy　young　people　，　who　had　been
carried　off　when　it　was　least　expected；　praised　the　virtues　of　Carlsbad，
and　mended　his　determination　to　spend　the　ensuing　summer　there　；　and
assured　him　that　he　looked　better　and　stronger　than　he　did　when　she　saw
him　last。　I　，　in　the　meantime，　paid　attention　to　his　good　lady。　The
old　man　seemed　quite　in　spirits　；　and　as　I　could　not　help　admiring　the
beauty　of　the　walnut…trees，　which　formed　such　an　agreeable　shade　over
our　heads　，　he　began　，　though　with　some　little　difficulty　，　to　tell
us　their　history。　〃As　to　the　oldest　，〃　said　he　，　〃we　do　not　know　who
planted　it，——　some　say　one　clergyman　，　and　some　another　：　but　the
younger　one　，　there　behind　us，　is　exactly　the　age　of　my　wife，　fifty
years　old　next　October；　her　father　planted　it　in　the　morning　，　and　in
the　evening　she　came　into　the　world。　My　wife's　father　was　my　predecessor
here，　and　I　cannot　tell　you　how　fond　he　was　of　that　tree　；　and　it　is
fully　as　dear　to　me。　Under　the　shade　of　that　very　tree，　upon　a　log　of
wood，　my　wife　was　seated　knitting，　when　I　，　a　poor　student　，　came
into　this　court　for　the　first　time，　just　seven　and　twenty　years　ago。〃
Charlotte　inquired　for　his　daughter。　He　said　she　was　gone　with　Herr　Schmidt
to　the　meadows，　and　was　with　the　haymakers。　The　old　man　then　resumed
his　story　，　and　told　us　how　his　predecessor　had　taken　a　fancy　to　him　，
as　had　his　daughter　likewise；　and　how　he　had　bee　first　his　curate　，
and　subsequently　his　successor。　He　had　scarcely　finished　his　story　when
his　daughter　returned　through　the　garden，　acpanied　by　the　above…mentioned
Herr　Schmidt。　She　weled　Charlotte　affectionately　，　and　I　confess　I
was　much　taken　with　her　appearance。　She　was　a　lively…looking，　good…humoured
brute，　quite　petent　to　amuse　one　for　a　short　time　in　the　country。
Her　lover　（for　such　Herr　Schmidt　evidently　appeared　to　be）　was　a　polite，
reserved　personage，　and　would　not　join　our　conversation，　notwithstanding
all　Charlotte's　endeavours　to　draw　him　out。　I　was　much　annoyed　at　observing，
by　his　countenance，　that　his　silence　did　not　arise　from　want　of　talent，
but　from　caprice　and　ill…humour。　This　subsequently　became　very　evident，
when　we　set　out　to　take　a　walk，　and　Frederica　joining　Charlotte，　with
whom　I　was　talking，　the　worthy　gentleman's　face，　which　was　naturally
rather　sombre　，　became　so　dark　and　angry　that　Charlotte　was　obliged　to
touch　my　arm，　and　remind　me　that　I　was　talking　too　much　to　Frederica。
Nothing　distresses　me　more　than　to　see　men　torment　each　other　；　particularly
when　in　the　flower　of　their　age　，　in　the　very　season　of　pleasure　，　they
waste　their　few　short　days　of　sunshine　in　quarrels　and　disputes　，　and
only　perceive　their　error　when　it　is　too　late　to　repair　it。　This　thought
dwelt　upon　my　mind；　and　in　the　evening　，　when　we　returned　to　the　vicar's，
and　were　sitting　round　the　table　with　our　bread　end　milk，　the　conversation
turned　on