安徒生童话-第174章

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glass　and　part　of　thefigure　of　an　angel　can　still　be　traced；　but　the　inscription　beneath　isquite　worn　out；　excepting　the　name　'Preben；'　and　a　large　'S'　closeby　it；　and　a　little　farther　down　the　name　of　'Martha'　can　be　easilyread。　But　nothing　more；　and　even　that　cannot　be　seen　unless　it　hasbeen　raining；　or　when　we　have　washed　the　stone。〃

〃Dear　me！　how　singular。　Why　that　must　be　the　grave…stone　of　PrebenSchwane　and　his　wife。〃

The　old　man　who　said　this　looked　old　enough　to　be　thegrandfather　of　all　present　in　the　room。

〃Yes；〃　he　continued；　〃these　people　were　among　the　last　who　wereburied　in　the　churchyard　of　the　old　convent。　They　were　a　very　worthyold　couple；　I　can　remember　them　well　in　the　days　of　my　boyhood。Every　one　knew　them；　and　they　were　esteemed　by　all。　They　were　theoldest　residents　in　the　town；　and　people　said　they　possessed　a　tonof　gold；　yet　they　were　always　very　plainly　dressed；　in　the　coarseststuff；　but　with　linen　of　the　purest　whiteness。　Preben　and　Marthawere　a　fine　old　couple；　and　when　they　both　sat　on　the　bench；　at　thetop　of　the　steep　stone　steps；　in　front　of　their　house；　with　thebranches　of　the　linden…tree　waving　above　them；　and　nodded　in　a　gentle；friendly　way　to　passers　by；　it　really　made　one　feel　quite　happy。They　were　very　good　to　the　poor；　they　fed　them　and　clothed　them；　andin　their　benevolence　there　was　judgment　as　well　as　trueChristianity。　The　old　woman　died　first；　that　day　is　still　quitevividly　before　my　eyes。　I　was　a　little　boy；　and　had　acpanied　myfather　to　the　old　man's　house。　Martha　had　fallen　into　the　sleep　ofdeath　just　as　we　arrived　there。　The　corpse　lay　in　a　bedroom；　near　tothe　one　in　which　we　sat；　and　the　old　man　was　in　great　distress　andweeping　like　a　child。　He　spoke　to　my　father；　and　to　a　few　neighborswho　were　there；　of　how　lonely　he　should　feel　now　she　was　gone；　and　howgood　and　true　she；　his　dead　wife；　had　been　during　the　number　ofyears　that　they　had　passed　through　life　together；　and　how　they　hadbee　acquainted；　and　learnt　to　love　each　other。　I　was；　as　I　havesaid；　a　boy；　and　only　stood　by　and　listened　to　what　the　others　said；but　it　filled　me　with　a　strange　emotion　to　listen　to　the　old　man；and　to　watch　how　the　color　rose　in　his　cheeks　as　he　spoke　of　thedays　of　their　courtship；　of　how　beautiful　she　was；　and　how　many　littletricks　he　had　been　guilty　of；　that　he　might　meet　her。　And　then　hetalked　of　his　wedding…day；　and　his　eyes　brightened；　and　he　seemed　tobe　carried　back；　by　his　words；　to　that　joyful　time。　And　yet　thereshe　was；　lying　in　the　next　room；　dead…　an　old　woman；　and　he　was　an　oldman；　speaking　of　the　days　of　hope；　long　passed　away。　Ah；　well；　so　itis；　then　I　was　but　a　child；　and　now　I　am　old；　as　old　as　Preben　Schwahen　was。　Time　passes　away；　and　all　things　changed。　I　can　rememberquite　well　the　day　on　which　she　was　buried；　and　how　Old　Prebenwalked　close　behind　the　coffin。

〃A　few　years　before　this　time　the　old　couple　had　had　theirgrave…stone　prepared；　with　an　inscription　and　their　names；　but　not　thedate。　In　the　evening　the　stone　was　taken　to　the　churchyard；　and　laidon　the　grave。　A　year　later　it　was　taken　up；　that　Old　Preben　might　belaid　by　the　side　of　his　wife。　They　did　not　leave　behind　them　wealth；they　left　behind　them　far　less　than　people　had　believed　theypossessed；　what　there　was　went　to　families　distantly　related　tothem；　of　whom；　till　then；　no　one　had　ever　heard。　The　old　house；　withits　balcony　of　wickerwork；　and　the　bench　at　the　top　of　the　high　steps；under　the　lime…tree；　was　considered；　by　the　road…inspectors；　too　oldand　rotten　to　be　left　standing。　Afterwards；　when　the　same　fatebefell　the　convent　church；　and　the　graveyard　was　destroyed；　thegrave…stone　of　Preben　and　Martha；　like　everything　else；　was　sold　towhoever　would　buy　it。　And　so　it　happened　that　this　stone　was　not　cutin　two　as　many　others　had　been；　but　now　lies　in　the　courtyard　below；　ascouring　block　for　the　maids；　and　a　playground　for　the　children。　Thepaved　street　now　passes　over　the　resting　place　of　Old　Preben　and　hiswife；　no　one　thinks　of　them　any　more　now。〃

And　the　old　man　who　had　spoken　of　all　this　shook　his　headmournfully；　and　said；　〃Forgotten！　Ah；　yes；　everything　will　beforgotten！〃　And　then　the　conversation　turned　on　other　matters。

But　the　youngest　child　in　the　room；　a　boy；　with　large；　earnesteyes；　mounted　upon　a　chair　behind　the　window　curtains；　and　lookedout　into　the　yard；　where　the　moon　was　pouring　a　flood　of　light　onthe　old　gravestone；…　the　stone　that　had　always　appeared　to　him　so　dulland　flat；　but　which　lay　there　now　like　a　great　leaf　out　of　a　book　ofhistory。　All　that　the　boy　had　heard　of　Old　Preben　and　his　wifeseemed　clearly　defined　on　the　stone；　and　as　he　gazed　on　it；　andglanced　at　the　clear；　bright　moon　shining　in　the　pure　air；　it　was　asif　the　light　of　God's　countenance　beamed　over　His　beautiful　world。

〃Forgotten！　Everything　will　be　forgotten！〃　still　echoed　throughthe　room；　and　in　the　same　moment　an　invisible　spirit　whispered　tothe　heart　of　the　boy；　〃Preserve　carefully　the　seed　that　has　beenentrusted　to　thee；　that　it　may　grow　and　thrive。　Guard　it　well。　Throughthee；　my　child；　shall　the　obliterated　inscription　on　the　old；weather…beaten　grave…stone　go　forth　to　future　generations　in　clear；golden　characters。　The　old　pair　shall　again　wander　through　the　streetsarm…in…arm；　or　sit　with　their　fresh；　healthy　cheeks　on　the　bench　underthe　lime…tree；　and　smile　and　nod　at　rich　and　poor。　The　seed　of　thishour　shall　ripen　in　the　course　of　years　into　a　beautiful　poem。　Thebeautiful　and　the　good　are　never　forgotten；　they　live　always　instory　or　in　song。〃

THE　END。

　　1872

　FAIRY　TALES　OF　HANS　CHRISTIAN　ANDERSEN

　THE　OLD　HOUSE

　　　by　Hans　Christian　Andersen

A　VERY　old　house　stood　once　in　a　street　with　several　that　werequite　new　and　clean。　The　date　of　its　erection　had　been　carved　on　oneof　the　beams；　and　surrounded　by　scrolls　formed　of　tulips　andhop…tendrils；　by　this　date　it　could　be　seen　that　the　old　house　wasnearly　three　hundred　years　old。　Verses　too　were　written　over　thewindows　in　old…fashioned　letters；　and　grotesque　faces；　curiouslycarved；　grinned　at　you　from　under　the　cornices。　One　story　projecteda　long　way　over　the　other；　and　under　the　roof　ran　a　leaden　gutter；with　a　dragon's　head　at　the　end。　The　rain　was　intended　to　pour　outat　the　dragon's　mouth；　but　it　ran　out　of　his　body　instead；　for　therewas　a　hole　in　the　gutter。　The　other　houses　in　the　street　were　newand　well　built；　with　large　window　panes　and　smooth　walls。　Any　onecould　see　they　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　old　house。　Perhaps　theythought；　〃How　long　will　that　heap　of　rubbish　remain　here　to　be　adisgrace　to　the　whole　street。　The　parapet　projects　so　far　forward　thatno　one　can　see　out　of　our　windows　what　is　going　on　in　thatdirection。　The　stairs　are　as　broad　as　the　staircase　of　a　castle；　andas　steep　as　if　they　led　to　a　church…tower。　The　iron　railing　looks　likethe　gate　of　a　cemetery；　and　there　are　brass　knobs　upon　it。　It　isreally　too　ridiculous。〃

Opposite　to　the　old　house　were　more　nice　new　houses；　which　hadjust　the　same　opinion　as　their　neighbors。

At　the　window　of　one　of　them　sat　a　little　boy　with　fresh　rosycheeks；　and　clear　sparkling　eyes；　who　was　very　fond　of　the　oldhouse；　in　sunshine　or　in　moonlight。　He　would　sit　and　look　at　thewall　from　which　the　plaster　had