An Attic Philosopher in Paris

th, Seven

when my eyes are open, the pleasant warmth of the bed keeps me fast under my counterpane. Every morning there begins a long argument between

l. In vain I turned on my side; the persevering light, like a victorious enemy, pursued me into eve

c headgear seem to have been, from the remotest time, symbols of the vehement emot

ade thus; we do not understand that others may live on their own account. Each one of us is like the earth, according to the old system of Ptolemy, and thinks

d of my bed; and I slowly disengaged my legs from the warm bedclothes, while

n me; most of them only came in to sleep, and went away again on rising. I wa

different faces have I already seen pass along the landing-place belonging to our attics! How many companions of a few days have disappeared forever! Some are lost

, and he died as he had lived. His loss was neither mourned by any one, nor disarranged anything in

new neighbor has inhabit

s new neighbor, although rising earlier than suits my idleness, is not the less a very good man: he c

with difficulty; but above these ruins rises a calm and happy face. While looking upon his countenance, radiant with a serene energy, while listening to his voice, the tone of which has, so to

man, the more I reproach myself for the sort

which does not pass the region of thought seems innocent to us, and, with our clumsy

r purposes? Ought not every human life to be to us like a vessel that we accompany with our prayers for a happy voyage? It is not enough that men do not harm one another; they must also help and love one another! The papal benediction, 'Urbi et orbi'! should be

on from me. To make amends for the feeling of ill-will I had against him just now, I owed him some explicit proof of sympa

e, although it is already cold, and making large pasteboard boxes; he was humming a popular song in

d not think you got up so early, so I put a d

ng him to the devil he was putti

ompliments on his having become my neigh

a landing-place as a frontier line, and treat their neighbors as if they were Cossacks. When men snuff the same air, and speak the same lingo, they are not meant to turn their

reasure which there is no

, and I take it no son has received a better inheritance. Ther

a soldi

Guard, through all the commotions. I was at Jemappes and at Waterloo; so

him with a

e you then, at J

about fifte

think of being a

y veteran in the same rank of life as myself, but with ability enough to have risen to that of a marshal. Unluckily, in those days there was no way for common people to get on. My uncle, whose services would have got him made a prince under the other, had then retired with

ething which remained fixed in my memo

o you know what is goi

utenant,'

he, 'our countr

tand him, and yet it s

s is your country! The laws which protect you, the bread which pays for your work, the words you interchange with others, the joy and grief which come to you from the men and things among which you live-this is your country! The little room where you used to see your mother, the remembrances she ha

emotion, and great t

me in large; it is that part of the world w

nued the old soldier; 'so you c

owe it all that we are; i

the member of a partnership who does not enrich it with all his might, with all his courage, and with all his heart, defrauds it of what belongs to it, and is a dish

, lieutenant, to be a

t you would do for your f

he road, my uncle's words were, so to speak, written up before my eyes. I repeated, 'Do for your country what you w

nnounce to the lieutenant that I had just enlisted, and was going off to the frontier. The

a volunteer under the Republic

ul spirit of him who looks upon an accomplis

imself, but of the general subject. Evidently that which occupied

f as frank as possible, in order to win his confidence in return. In an hour's ti

ight place, and which looks upon everything on the good side. He neither spoke to me of the necessity which obliged him to work while I could sleep, nor of the deprivatio

othing turns to bitterness, and who art

med myself, and hung over my writing-table; it is a design of Gavarni's;

to life, both have become living in my eyes; I have seen them move, I have heard t

o longer perceive the sun shining through the flowering chestnut-trees. In the place of his right arm hangs an e

tic wars, the greater number shake their heads in

ays a portly merchant, turn

!" rejoins a young man who carries a

have left his plow," adds a

murmurs a woma

htful. The latter, attracted by what he hears around him, hardly answers the old man's questions

hes of the veteran; he stops abruptly, and, h

ecause they do not understand i

hem, father?" asks the y

ome struggle for my colors. There is room for doubting how some men have done their duty; with me it is visible. I carry the account of my serv

ou say to the cou

t secure the country itself; and that, as long as there are forei

, shook his head when he la

he books that he studies we have put in practice, though we never read t

blood. The merchant said, when he saw you

e should deplore, child, is not the infirmities which prove a generous self-sacrifice, but those which our vices or our imprudence have called forth. Ah! if I could speak aloud to those who, when passing, cast looks of pity upon me, I should say to the young man whose excesses have dimmed his sight before he is old, 'What have you done with your eyes?' To the slothful man, who with difficulty drags along his enervated mass of fle

e comprehend better the merits of Father Chau

sses a single day without his coming to work by m

roughout Europe, and he fought without hatred, for he was possessed by a single thought-the honor of the n

as a talisman to him against all sorts of temptation. To have to support a great

e a joke of the death of their mother have turned it into ridicule, as if the name of our country was not also a noble and a binding thing. For my part, I shall never forget from how many follies the title of Frenchman has kept me. When, overcome with fatigue, I have found myself in the rear of the colors, and when the musketry was rattling in the front ranks, many a time I heard a voice, which whispered in my ear, 'Leave the others to fight, and for today take care of your own hide!' But then, that word Francais! murmured within me, and I pressed forward to help my comrades

ong visit. A chance expression led the way to hi

th his limbs had been

nly took my leg; it was the Clamart

ked him for t

able to hobble a little, I took leave of headquarters, and took the road to Paris, where I hoped to find some relative or friend; but no-all were gone, or underground. I should have found

bed and board at his house. I knew that the year before he had married a castle and no few farms, so that I might become permanent coat-brusher to a

ll in good condition, and your arms strong; do you not owe all your strength to your country, as your Vincennes uncle said? Why not leave some old soldier, more

vices to an old artilleryman, who had gone back to his home

he leader of a column, but I brought up the rank among the good workmen, and I ate my bread with a good appetite, seeing I had earned it with a good will. For even underground, you see, I still kept my pride. T

who could hardly distinguish his right hand from his left, thought proper to strike a light close to a charged mine. The mine exploded su

out means of living?" s

ietly. "The difficulty was to find one which would do

was t

Paris stree

ou have

ed merchants from the exchange; we even had a professor of classics, who for a little drink would recite Latin to you, or Greek tragedies, as you chose. They could not have competed for the Monthyon prize; but we excused faults on account of povert

, the hammer; after the hammer, the broom; you are going dow

by leaving your new

made the wounds in my good leg open again. I could no longer follow the regiment, and it was necessary

upon card-box making, and here I am at cases for the lace and buttons of the national guard; it is work of little profit, but it is within the capacity of all. By getting up at four and working till eight, I earn sixty-five centi

his great scissors began cutting the green paper again for his ca

iers has his war-cry; for this one it is "Country," for that "Home," for a third "Mankind;" but they all follow the same standard-that of duty; for all the same divine law re