the brotherhood of consolation-第27节

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by　example　and　by　gentleness　than　by　any　other　means；　and　we　believe
that　God　will　specially　help　us　in　this。　All　constraint　is　bad。　Of　the
manifold　Parisian　miseries；　the　most　difficult　to　discover；　and　the
bitterest；　is　that　of　worthy　persons　of　the　middle　classes　who　have
fallen　into　poverty；　for　they　make　concealment　a　point　of　honor。　Those
sorrows；　my　dear　Godefroid；　are　to　us　the　object　of　special
solicitude。　Such　persons　usually　have　intelligence　and　good　hearts。
They　return　to　us；　sometimes　with　usury；　the　sums　that　we　lend　them。
Such　restitutions　recoup　us　in　the　long　run　for　the　losses　we
occasionally　incur　through　impostors；　shiftless　creatures；　or　those
whom　misfortunes　have　rendered　stupid。　Through　such　persons　we　often
obtain　invaluable　help　in　our　investigations。　Our　work　has　now　become
so　vast；　its　details　are　so　multifarious；　that　we　no　longer　suffice　of
ourselves　to　carry　it　on。　So；　for　the　last　year　we　have　a　physician　of
our　own　in　every　arrondissement　in　Paris。　Each　of　us　takes　general
charge　of　four　arrondissements。　We　pay　each　physician　three　thousand
francs　a　year　to　take　care　of　our　poor。　His　time　belongs　to　us　in　the
first　instance；　but　we　do　not　prevent　him　from　attending　other　sick
persons　if　he　can。　Would　you　believe　that　for　many　months　we　were
unable　to　find　twelve　really　trustworthy；　valuable　men；　in　spite　of
all　our　own　efforts　and　those　of　our　friends？　We　could　not　employ　any
but　men　of　absolute　discreetness；　pure　lives；　sound　knowledge；
experience；　active　men；　and　lovers　of　doing　good。　Now；　although　there
are　in　Paris　some　ten　thousand　individuals；　more　or　less；　who　would
gladly　do　the　work；　we　could　not　find　twelve　to　meet　our　needs　in　a
whole　year。〃

〃Our　Saviour　had　difficulty　in　gathering　his　apostles；　and　even　then　a
traitor　and　an　unbeliever　got　among　them；〃　said　Godefroid。

〃However；　within　the　last　month　all　our　arrondissements　are　provided
with　a　Visitorthat　is　the　name　we　give　to　our　physicians。　At　the
same　time　the　business　is　increasing；　and　we　have　all　redoubled　our
activity。　If　I　confide　to　you　these　secrets　of　our　system；　it　is　that
you　must　know　the　physician；　that　is；　the　Visitor　of　the
arrondissement　to　which　we　are　about　to　send　you；　from　him；　all
original　information　about　our　cases　comes。　This　Visitor　is　named
Berton；　Doctor　Berton；　he　lives　in　the　rue　d'Enfer。　And　now　here　are
the　facts：　Doctor　Berton　is　attending　a　lady　whose　disease　puzzles　and
defies　science。　That；　of　course；　is　not　our　concern；　but　that　of　the
Faculty。　Our　business　is　to　discover　the　condition　of　the　family　of
this　patient；　Doctor　Berton　suspects　that　their　poverty　is　frightful；
and　concealed　with　a　pride　and　determination　which　demand　our　utmost
care。　Until　now；　my　son；　I　should　have　found　time　for　this　case；　but
the　work　I　am　undertaking　obliges　me　to　find　a　helper　in　my　four
arrondissements；　and　you　shall　be　that　helper。　This　family　lives　in
the　rue　Notre…Dame　des　Champs；　in　a　house　at　the　corner　of　the
boulevard　du　Mont…Parnasse。　You　will　find　a　room　to　let　in　the　same
house；　where　you　can　live　for　a　time　so　as　to　discover　the　truth　about
these　persons。　Be　sordid　for　yourself；　but　as　for　the　money　you　may
think　needed　for　this　case　have　no　uneasiness。　I　will　remit　you　such
sums　as　we　may　judge　necessary　after　ourselves　considering　all　the
circumstances。　But　remember　that　you　must　study　the　moral　qualities　of
these　unfortunates：　their　hearts；　the　honorableness　of　their　feelings；
those　are　our　guarantees。　Miserly　we　may　be　for　ourselves；　and
generous　to　those　who　suffer；　but　we　must　be　prudent　and　even
calculating；　for　we　are　dealing　with　the　money　of　the　poor。　So　then；
to…morrow　morning　you　can　start；　think　over　the　power　we　put　in　your
hands：　the　brothers　are　with　you　in　heart。〃

〃Ah！〃　cried　Godefroid；　〃you　have　given　me　such　a　pleasure　in　the
opportunity　of　doing　good　and　making　myself　worthy　to　belong　to　you
some　day；　that　I　shall　not　sleep　to…night。〃

〃One　more　word；　my　child。　I　told　you　not　to　recognize　me　without　the
signal；　the　same　rule　applies　to　the　other　gentlemen　and　to　Madame；
and　even　to　the　people　you　see　about　this　house。　We　are　forced　to　keep
up　an　absolute　incognito　in　all　we　do；　this　is　so　necessary　to　our
enterprises　that　we　have　made　a　rule　about　it。　We　seek　to　be　ignored；
lost　in　this　great　Paris。　Remember　also；　my　dear　Godefroid；　the　spirit
of　our　order；　which　is；　never　to　appear　as　benefactors；　to　play　an
obscure　part；　that　of　intermediaries。　We　always　present　ourselves　as
the　agent　of　a　pious；　saintly　person　（in　fact；　we　are　working　for
God）；　so　that　none　of　those　we　deal　with　may　feel　the　obligation　of
gratitude　towards　any　of　us；　or　think　we　are　wealthy　persons。　True；
sincere　humility；　not　the　false　humility　of　those　who　seek　thereby　to
be　set　in　the　light；　must　inspire　you　and　rule　all　your　thoughts。　You
may　indeed　be　glad　when　you　succeed；　but　so　long　as　you　feel　within
you　a　sentiment　of　vanity　or　of　pride；　you　are　not　worthy　to　do　the
work　of　the　order。　We　have　known　two　perfect　men：　one；　who　was　one　of
our　founders；　Judge　Popinot；　the　other　is　revealed　by　his　works；　he　is
a　country　doctor　whose　name　is　written　on　the　annals　of　his　canton。
That　man；　my　dear　Godefroid；　is　one　of　the　greatest　men　of　our　time；
he　brought　a　whole　region　out　of　wretchedness　into　prosperity；　out　of
irreligion　into　Christianity；　out　of　barbarism　into　civilization。＇*＇
The　names　of　those　two　men　are　graven　on　our　hearts　and　we　have　taken
them　as　our　models。　We　should　be　happy　indeed　if　we　ourselves　could
some　day　acquire　in　Paris　the　influence　that　country　doctor　had　in　his
canton。　But　here；　the　sore　is　vast；　beyond　our　strength　at　present。
May　God　preserve　to　us　Madame；　may　he　send　us　some　young　helpers　like
you；　and　perhaps　we　may　yet　leave　behind　us　an　institution　worthy　of
his　divine　religion。　And　now　good…bye；　your　initiation　beginsAh！　I
chatter　like　a　professor　and　forget　the　essential　thing！　Here　is　the
address　of　that　family；〃　he　added；　giving　Godefroid　a　piece　of　paper；
〃I　have　added　the　number　of　Dr。　Berton's　house　in　the　rue　d'Enfer；　and
now；　go　and　pray　to　God　to　help　you。〃

＇*＇　The　Country　Doctor。　Little；　Brown　&　Co。；　Boston。

＇I　assume　the　〃Little；　Brown　&　Co。〃　is　a　reference　to　a　publisher。　I
will　remove　this　in　the　finished　version　of　the　text。　Elsewhere　she
has　used　a　different　method　of　indicating　a　reference　to　another　work
in　La　Comedie。JB。＇

Godefroid　took　the　old　man's　hands　and　pressed　them　tenderly；　wishing
him　good…night；　and　assuring　him　he　would　not　neglect　a　single　point
of　his　advice。

〃All　that　you　have　said　to　me；〃　he　added；　〃is　graven　in　my　memory
forever。〃

The　old　man　smiled；　expressing　no　doubts；　then　he　rose；　to　kneel　in
his　accustomed　place。　Godefroid　retired；　joyful　in　at　last　sharing　the
mysteries　of　that　house　and　in　having　an　occupation；　which；　feeling　as
he　did　then；　was　to　him　an　untold　pleasure。

The　next　day　at　breakfast；　Monsieur　Alain's　place　was　vacant；　but　no
one　remarked　upon　it；　Godefroid　made　no　allusion　to　the　cause　of　his
absence；　neither　did　any　one　question　him　as　to　the　mission　the　old
man　had　entrusted　to　him；　he　thus　took　his　first　lesson　in
discreetness。　Nevertheless；　after　breakfast；　he　did　take　Madame　de　la
Chanterie　apart　and　told　her　that　he　should　be　absent　for　some　days。

〃That　is　good；　my　child；〃　replied　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；　〃try　to　do
honor　to　your　godfather；　who　has　answered　for　you　to　his　brothers。〃

Godefroid　bade　adieu　to　the　three　remaining　brethren；　who　made　him　an
affectionate　bow；　by　which　they　seemed　to　bless　his　entrance　upon　a
painful　career。

ASSOCIATION；　one　of　the　greatest　social　forces；　and　that　which　made
the　Europe　of　the　middle…ages；　rests　on　principles　which；　since　1792；
no　longer　exist　in　France；　where　the　Individual　has　now　triumphed　over
the　State。　Association　requires；　in　the　first　place；　a　self…devotion
that　is　not　understood　in　our　day；　also　a　guileless　faith　which　is
contrary　to　the　spirit　of　the　nation；　and　lastly；　a　discipline　against
which　men　in　these　days　revolt　and　which　the　Catholic　religion　alone
can　enforce。　The　moment　an　association　is　formed　among　us；　each
member；　returning　to　his　own　home　from　an　assembly　where　noble
sentiments　have　been　proclaimed；　thinks　of　making　his　own　bed　out　of
that　collective　devotion；　that　union　of　forces；　and　of　milking　to　his
own　profit　the　common　cow；　which；　not　being　able　to　supply　so　many
individual　demands；　dies　exhausted。

Who　knows　how　many　generous　sentiments　were　blasted；　how　many　fruitful
germs　may　have　perished；　lost　to　the　nation　through　the　infamous
deceptions　of　the　French　Carbonari；　the　patriotic　subscriptions　to　the
Champ　d'Asile；　and　other　political　deceptions　which　ought　to　have　been
grand　and　noble　dramas；　and　proved　to　be　the　farces　and　the　melodramas
of　police　courts。　It　is　the　same　with　industrial　association　as　it　is
with　political　association。　Love　of　self　is　substituted　for　the　love
of　collective　bodies。　The　corporations　and　the　Hanse　leagues　of　the
middle…ages；　/to　which　we　shall　some　day　return/；　are　still
impossible。　Consequently；　the　only　societies　which　actually　exist　are
those　of　religious